Spotlight Features

Employees often consider their corporate desktops and laptops to be their own personal computers, and frequently treat them as such by downloading all kinds of unauthorized applications, such as MP3 players, games, VoIP products and unsupported instant messaging platforms. In the past this behavior ...

When a searcher types a word into Google or Yahoo, organic and paid results populate the return screen. Because competition for top rankings in search results is steadily increasing, business-to-business marketers are challenged to develop ever more sophisticated search strategies. FedEx, for instan...

Companies that seek to automate the customer service process to cut costs often alienate customers instead, as Part 1 of this two-part series reveals. Some companies, though, are finding ways to incorporate informed, personal interactions into their customer service programs, and are treating every...

A week or so after Hurricane Katrina roared out of the Gulf of Mexico and devastated huge portions of the coast, it became clear to officials at the Louisiana Department of Economic Development that they would have to rethink their long-term game plans. "The mission of the LDED is to expand existing...

American consumers would rather have to deal with a rude or condescending customer service agent on the phone than one who speaks with a foreign accent, according to a survey released earlier this year. The survey seemed to indicate that the arguments against outsourcing of certain operations -- fro...

This summer has been amazing, and there isn't any letup. I was convinced last week that I'd be able to focus on some of the longer-term issues rather than big new news this week. Clearly that wasn't the case, and I had more to choose from than I have room to discuss. I'm picking two of the most int...

This week, a key federal official cautioned against calls for net neutrality, the effort to expand government reach in the Internet marketplace. It's a wise move to keep the Internet free of red tape. So why are lobbyists pushing for new rules? Net neutrality holds that Internet network providers s...

With tight budgets and plenty of alternative ways to invest their money, small and medium-sized businesses must always balance value with overall affordability as they pursue software solutions. Some solutions may seem like must-haves -- but if it is not affordable, then the "must-have" quickly beco...

A major auto manufacturer spends four years and more than US$200 million to install a Web-based enterprise resource planning system from an industry leading developer, then pulls the plug and goes back to its legacy system. An IT industry pioneer launches a leading vendor's customized order manageme...

Google made its presence felt in the front office market in a big way this week when both Salesforce.com and NetSuite announced within hours of each other their embrace of Google AdWords as an integral part of their marketing solutions. To be sure, the AdWords platform by itself will not solve the...