Tech Republic

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are like digital receptionists—they help customers and agents alike by automating phone system tasks and providing useful information to callers. When it comes to IVR, there’s a lot of info out there about strategies, tips, and best practices. But there are only seven IVR best practices that truly matter when it comes to improving your system and optimizing each caller’s experience. Implementing advanced IVR strategies won’t only streamline your call center operations, but it will also show your customers that you prioritize the quality of their experience. In turn, you can improve key call center metrics and ultimately, your bottom line. 1 RingCentral RingEx Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more 2 Talkroute Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Call Management/Monitoring, Call Routing, Mobile Capabilities, and more 1. Offer personalized greetings Nobody likes to call a company and get a robotic, impersonal greeting. So if you’ve been using a generic voice for your IVR system, it may be time to make a change. Offering a personalized greeting will help callers feel more connected to your company and comfortable interacting with your IVR system. To create a personalized IVR experience for callers, you’ll want to make sure that the welcome message is based on caller data. For example, when a customer calls, instead of hearing a generic greeting like “Welcome to ABC Company,” the IVR system could say “Hello Rachel, welcome to ABC Company.” This small change can make a big difference in how customers perceive your company. With CRM integration, an IVR can use caller data, such as the caller’s name or phone number, to identify and greet callers by name. Personalized greetings enhance the customer experience by making interactions feel more personal and less mechanical. They can significantly improve customer satisfaction rates, one of the key call center KPIs. This strategy can make call routing more efficient, as personalized menus can be based on the customer’s history, which potentially reduces call handling time. SEE: Learn how effective (or ineffective) call routing can impact your brand.  How to implement personalized greetings To get started with adding personalized greetings in your IVR system, follow these steps: Integrate your IVR and CRM: Your IVR system should be linked with your CRM or other relevant customer databases. This allows you to retrieve real-time data about callers. Choose the best call center software: Your software should be capable of real-time data retrieval and processing. It should also allow for the seamless integration of your IVR and CRM systems. Design a personalized IVR script: Use caller data such as phone numbers, previous interactions, and customer profiles to tailor greetings to each caller. Design your IVR script to include these personalized elements. Test and tweak regularly: Once your system is set up, you’ll want to test it regularly and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal performance. Start by thoroughly having your team test the system, and then identify any areas for improvement. If you’ve never done it before, check out this post about how to create an IVR recording. Mistakes to avoid While personalized greetings can be beneficial, there are some common mistakes that businesses make when implementing them: Using incorrect data: Make sure the data used for personalization is accurate and up-to-date. Outdated or incorrect information can make your customers feel like you don’t actually care about them. Being too casual: While personalizing your IVR system helps create a relational environment, you also want to maintain a professional tone. Avoid using slang or informal language. Not testing the system: If you don’t take the time to test IVR updates before going live, you may experience unexpected errors and inconsistencies. Remember, the goal of this strategy is to leverage customer information to provide context-specific options and greetings that make your caller feel valued and appreciated. Without reliable IVR testing and or seamless CRM integration, it will be impossible to do this well. 2. Implement smart routing features Routing is the structural foundation of your IVR system. It’s the process of connecting callers to the right agents or departments based on their needs and queries. And while you may think this is a basic feature, there are advanced IVR routing types available that will make call flows more efficient and ultimately create a better customer experience. Smart routing features in IVR systems use AI and data to direct calls to the best agent or department for your caller. IVR systems included with the best call center software can analyze caller input, previous interactions, and even sentiment or tone to decide the best routing path. Implementing or optimizing a routing system can create a huge reduction in call handling time, which is a vital KPI for any call center. It also improves the customer journey by reducing transfers and wait times, which ultimately leads to happier customers.. For agents, it also reduces the stress of handling complex queries outside their expertise. With skills-based routing, you can specifically direct calls based on the agent’s skills, availability, or area of expertise. You can also elevate and more quickly route high-value customer calls to live agents, ensuring your best customers are quickly directed to your best agents. Learn more about the forefront of smart IVR technology in my post about advances in call center AI. How to implement smart routing It’s relatively easy to set up an IVR smart routing system. But to dig into the more advanced options that allow you to fully optimize IVR call flows, follow these steps: Map out customer journeys: Get a clear picture of your customer’s journey by studying your CRM data, call logs, and conversations between agents and customers. Identify key segments: Look for common traits or markers among different types of calls. For

Inserting a table in Microsoft Word is simple, but the default won’t always work exactly how you want it to. For instance, the default alignment is offset from the left margin. What if you want the table centered or flush to the right margin? The good news is realigning a table is easy. SEE: There are multiple ways to create an em dash in Microsoft Word.  The default table aligns left When you insert a table or convert text into a table, Word positions it between the left and right margins. You can easily change this. There are several ways to align a table across the horizontal plane between the left and right margins. The default table stretches across the page. The first thing you might want to change is the width. There’s not enough text to fill the cells and it may look odd. In addition, the readability is low. Your eyes try to take in the entire table at once instead of reading the content. Fortunately, changing the width is easy. Click the table to select it. Doing so will display two handles: one in the top-left corner and one in the bottom-right corner. Hover the mouse over the handle at the bottom-right corner and your mouse will turn into a double-arrow. Simply drag up and to the left to reduce the width of the table and the width of each cell. Selecting the table will bring up two handles. The resized table is a better fit, and you could easily stop here if you don’t want it aligned differently. The resized table is more readable. SEE: Learn how to create tables using HTML. (TechRepublic) How to align table margins in Word When you have a table that doesn’t spread from the left to the right margin, you might want to align it. You can apply specific alignments or indent the table. You have three alignments: left, center, and right. The default table is aligned to the left margin. You can easily check by selecting the entire table (not a cell) and viewing the alignment options in the Paragraph group on the Home tab. The image above shows the Align Left option selected. To align the table, select the table and click one of the other options: Center or Left Align. Using these three options you can quickly and easily align your table to the left, center, or right. You can also use the Table Properties option to align a table. To access these options, right-click anywhere in the table and choose Table Properties from the resulting submenu. In the Table tab, choose an option from the Alignment section, and click OK. There are many property options, but we’re concerned with only those in the Alignment section. You might want to return later and review all the other options. The alignment options are displayed together. The final alignment option is Indent From Left. This allows you to easily indent the table from the left margin. Indent From Left is the option to use if you need to be precise. You can do the same thing by dragging the table and using the ruler to snap the table into position. Or use the Increase Indent option in the Paragraph group to move the table a half-inch at a time. Align the table using the ruler. Aligning the content within each cell is just as easy using the Table Properties. On the Table tab, click the Options button to open the Table Options. Use these options to change cell margins. The Default Cell Margins section lets you change the size of all four margins. By default, the Automatically Resize To Fit Contents option is selected. To center or right-align content in the cell, use the alignment options in the Paragraph group. However, you must select the text rather than the entire table; otherwise, clicking an option will align the table, not the content within the cells. Use the alignment options to align content within the cell. SEE: Windows 10: Lists of vocal commands for speech recognition and dictation (free PDF) (TechRepublic) How to align tables in Word Online Aligning is a bit different in Word Online, but is still simple. With the table selected, right-click the table and choose Paragraph Options. Use the Alignment dropdown in the General section. Using the Align options on the menu will align the text within the cells rather than the table. So far, everything we’ve done has been clear-cut, but you might have noticed the text is positioned as a paragraph. The text doesn’t flow around the table. Best business software How to wrap text around tables If you want text to wrap around the table, you must change another default option. Go back to the Table Properties dialog. Below the alignment options, you’ll see the text wrapping options. The default is no wrapping. Simply click the Around option and click OK. This option pulls up the text below and wraps it around the table. I clicked Backspace twice to pull the text up to align it with the top of the table. Pulling the text up this way may cause the paragraph to adopt some of the table’s properties. Simply click Normal to fix it. Wrap text around a table using the Around setting. Aligning Word tables as a whole is a simple task, and there are several ways to get the alignment you want. Megan Crouse updated this article. source

Sweep accounts are designed to optimize your business funds by transferring excess money from one account to another. At the end of the day or on a specific schedule, any surplus funds are moved into a higher-yield investment or savings product. Originally, sweep accounts were created to navigate regulations prohibiting banks from offering interest-earning checking accounts. Mercury Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust ®️; Members FDIC. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank.  is an outstanding choice if you’re looking for a financial provider that offers sweep accounts. This financial technology (fintech) company extends FDIC insurance Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Deposits in checking and savings accounts are held by our banking services partners, Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust ®; Members FDIC. Deposit insurance covers the failure of an insured bank. Certain conditions must be satisfied for pass-through insurance to apply. coverage up to $5 million through its sweep account services. Additionally, Mercury’s Treasury Mercury Treasury, by Mercury Advisory, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. SEC registration does not mean the SEC has approved of the services of the investment adviser. product offers higher yields on balances over $500,000. For more information, visit Mercury’s website. What is a sweep account? Sweep accounts facilitate the transfer of funds between business accounts when the balance exceeds a certain limit. The primary purpose is to allow excess funds to earn additional interest in another account, typically a money market account. Another benefit of using sweep accounts is extending Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) coverage beyond the standard limit of $250,000. How do sweep accounts work? Sweep accounts are designed to manage funds in a checking account efficiently. This is how it generally works. The customer maintains a main checking account where business payments are deposited and operational costs are paid. A target balance or threshold amount is set for this checking account. When the account balance exceeds this threshold, any excess funds are automatically transferred, or “swept,” into a higher interest-earning account, such as a money market account or an investment fund that offers better rates than the checking account. Conversely, if the balance in the checking account falls below the target amount, funds can be transferred back from the sweep account to restore the checking account balance. Sweep account example To understand how sweep accounts work, consider the following example: Imagine you have a checking account with a balance of $4,000. You also opened a sweep account and set a threshold of $6,000 for your checking account. In this scenario, no transfer occurs because your balance is below the $6,000 target amount. A few days later, you deposited $5,000, bringing your total balance to $9,000. Since this amount exceeds your target balance of $6,000, the excess $3,000 will be transferred to the sweep account. However, if you withdraw $4,000 from your checking account, your balance will drop to $2,000, below the established threshold. As a result, the $3,000 held in your sweep account will be transferred back into your main checking account. Sweep account interest rate Interest rates for sweep accounts can differ depending on the type of account and the provider. These rates are typically tiered based on your account balance and are subject to change at anytime. Some financial institutions may adjust their rates weekly in response to prevailing economic and market conditions. Types of sweep accounts Before deciding to open a sweep account, it’s important to understand the different types the financial institution offers, along with their terms and associated fees. Business/money market sweep account: This type allows you to transfer excess funds from your business account into a higher-interest account, typically a money market account. External sweep account: Some providers offer this option to sweep funds into partner banks. This strategy increases fund protection by expanding the FDIC coverage for business accounts beyond the standard limit The standard FDIC coverage is $250,000 per depositor, insured bank, and account ownership category. . Loan sweep account: Excess funds from your accounts can be automatically transferred to cover loan obligations, helping to pay off your business loans sooner. Zero balance account/sweep transfer account: This account automatically moves excess funds to and from a master account to manage company expenses, such as payroll and travel reimbursements. Brokerage sweep account: Your funds can be moved to a brokerage account where they may be invested. It’s advisable to consult with a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Consider each option carefully to determine which sweep account best fits your business needs. How to open a sweep account Opening a sweep account can vary based on the provider, but the following steps outline the typical process: Before picking a business bank, check that the financial institution offers a sweep account. Choose which type of sweep account aligns with your business needs. Review the terms of the sweep account to understand important details such as the fee structure, monthly transaction limits, and other relevant information. Ensure you have a primary account where funds will be transferred into the sweep account. Set a cash limit; amounts exceeding this limit will be transferred to the sweep account. Decide where you want to allocate your excess funds. You can transfer your cash to high-yield savings products, like money market accounts, or use it to repay a business loan, credit card, or line of credit. Benefits of a sweep account Businesses can benefit from sweep accounts in several ways: they can earn interest on idle funds, protect larger reserves, and streamline cash management. Extra earnings: As an entrepreneur, growing your business funds is essential. Maximizing the earning potential of excess cash can be advantageous. Be sure to research providers that offer high-yield money market accounts before establishing a sweep account. Higher FDIC coverage: If your business maintains larger reserves, protecting those

A Chinese-state-sponsored cyberattack compromised the U.S. Treasury, gaining access to classified documents through a vulnerability through third-party cybersecurity provider BeyondTrust. The breach, revealed on Dec. 31, underscores the growing sophistication of state-backed cyber espionage efforts. “Treasury takes very seriously all threats against our systems, and the data it holds,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “Over the last four years, Treasury has significantly bolstered its cyber defense, and we will continue to work with both private and public sector partners to protect our financial system from threat actors.” Threat actors stole a key to BeyondTrust BeyondTrust reported the breach to the Treasury Department on Dec. 8. The Treasury, in turn, reported the attack to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and the FBI. Representatives of the Chinese government told reporters the nation was not responsible for the breach. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told Reuters attributions of nation-state-sponsored threat actors to China were “smear attacks against China without any factual basis.” The breach occurred after “a threat actor had gained access to a key used by the vendor to secure a cloud-based service used to remotely provide technical support for Treasury Departmental Offices (DO) end users,” according to a letter from treasury officials acquired by Reuters. Must-read security coverage What types of documents were exploited? According to the BBC, targeted documents included: Information about President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Data related to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign. A database of phone numbers subject to law enforcement surveillance. It is unknown whether this information was specifically targeted or happened to be within the available data. Since the attack, the Treasury has worked with third-party security specialists, the intelligence community, the FBI, and CISA to investigate. The Treasury identified the cyber threat as an Advanced Persistent Threat actor, which NIST defines as a “sophisticated” adversary using multiple tactics to gain continuous access to its target. According to the letter from the Treasury, BeyondTrust took the affected service offline. This strategy blocked the threat actors’ access to the department’s information. As the Washington Post highlighted, the Treasury plays a key role in economic sanctions, which President-elect Trump may leverage against Chinese goods. “The uptick in Chinese cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure reflects broader strategic priorities, including countering U.S. influence, achieving technological dominance and preparing for potential geopolitical confrontations,” James Turgal, VP of global cyber risk and board relations at Optiv and former FBI assistant director of information and technology, said in an email to TechRepublic. SEE: In early December the US sanctioned Chinese cybersecurity firm Sichuan Silence for alleged involvement in ransomware attacks.  Salt Typhoon targeted US infrastructure in 2024 The breach of the Treasury was part of a series of attacks on U.S. government agencies and infrastructure in 2024. Many of these incidents have been traced to China-sponsored threat actors, including Salt Typhoon Active Since 2020, Salt Typhoon has been recognized for its cyber espionage operations that have targeted critical infrastructure sectors globally. The group targeted at least eight US telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Verizon, as well as Cisco and defense contractors. “The attack underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity frameworks to protect against escalating threats targeting the telecommunications sector,” the FCC wrote in early December. What does this mean for cybersecurity professionals? In December, the U.S. government issued security guidance to telecommunications companies attempting to disrupt a pattern of Chinese state-affiliated actors breaching domestic organizations. The guidance suggested that companies use comprehensive alerting mechanisms, leverage network flow monitoring solutions, limit exposure of management traffic to the Internet, and harden various aspects of systems and devices. Specific Cisco devices may call for additional precautions. source

Best free CRM with available upgrades: HubSpot Best for creating email marketing campaigns: Pipedrive Best for social media marketing: Zoho CRM Best for team collaboration: monday CRM Best enterprise marketing and CRM solution: Salesforce Best for managing internal documentation: ClickUp Marketing CRM software is a sales solution that specifically aids businesses in creating and managing lead generation and nurturing through digital or in-person campaigns. Campaigns and strategies you can implement include email marketing, social media marketing, digital content marketing, in-person events, referral programs, and so much more. Marketing CRM tools can manage all of this, plus track how prospects interact with your content, all while promoting a positive perception of your brand. 1 Pipedrive CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Calendar, Collaboration Tools, Contact Management, and more 2 monday CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features Calendar, Collaboration Tools, Contact Management, and more 3 Creatio CRM Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Dashboard, Document Management / Sharing, Email / Marketing Automation, and more Top marketing CRM software comparison CRM solutions typically offer marketing products in tandem with sales tools or they offer marketing features embedded into the sales CRM itself. If your business is looking for a CRM provider with advanced marketing functionality, key features to consider are content generation, such as email templates, integrations, and general marketing automation. Below, I review top sales CRM providers for their marketing expertise and capabilities. My list of the best marketing CRM software providers includes HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, and others. I list out pricing details, pros and cons, and identify ideal use cases for each platform to help you pinpoint which provider best fits your marketing needs. Software Our star rating (out of 5) Marketing automations Content generation Integrations Free version Starting premium pricing* HubSpot 4 Yes Yes 1,500+ Yes $15 per user per month Pipedrive 4.3 Yes Yes 350+ No $14 per user per month Zoho CRM 4.3 Yes Yes 900+ Yes $14 per user per month Monday CRM 3.6 Yes Limited 150+ Limited $12 per user per month Salesforce 4.1 Yes Yes 7,000+ No $25 per user per month ClickUp 4.1 Yes Yes 1,000+ Yes $7 per user per month *Priced when billed annually HubSpot: Best free CRM with available upgrades Image: HubSpot HubSpot has a product called HubSpot Marketing Hub that offers both free and paid features. Users can access email marketing, web forms, live chat, ad management, and mobile optimization within the free CRM tool. Suppose your business wants more marketing tools and is in a position to purchase a paid subscription. In that case, advanced features such as multiple currencies, email health insights, social media integrations, and adaptive testing are up for grabs. Why I chose HubSpot HubSpot is the ultimate free CRM software for its rich marketing, sales, and support features. A popular provider thanks to its usability and user support, HubSpot can be a great choice for startups or businesses that are new to using a CRM, want an affordable option, or aim to level up their lead generation strategies. HubSpot’s free CRM is extremely useful, but those upgrades can be costly for small businesses. For a free CRM with more affordable premium upgrades, I would recommend checking out Zoho CRM. For more information, read the full HubSpot review. Pricing Free CRM: Free for up to five users with contact management, quotes, live chat and more. Sales Hub Starter: $15 per seat per month, billed annually, or $20 when billed monthly. The Starter plan includes all free tools, plus simple automation, e-signature, conversation routing and more. Sales Hub Professional: $90 per seat per month, billed annually, or $100 when billed monthly, plus a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee. This plan includes all Starter features and prospecting workspace, playbooks, forecasting and more. Sales Hub Enterprise: $150 per seat per month, with an annual commitment and a one-time $3,500 onboarding fee. Users receive all Professional tools, plus advanced permissions, predictive lead scoring, conversation intelligence and lead form routing. Marketing Hub Free: $0 per month for up to five users. Marketing Hub Starter: $15 per seat per month, billed annually, or $20 when billed monthly. Marketing Customer Platform: $15 per seat per month, billed annually, or $20 when billed monthly. Marketing Hub Professional: $800 per month, billed annually, or $890 when billed monthly. This includes three seats with additional seats starting at $45 per month. Marketing Hub Enterprise: $3,600 per month and includes five seats. Additional seats start at $75 per month. Features A/B testing: Implement adaptive testing of different marketing strategies by receiving real-time feedback and insight into campaign success. Web forms: Generate leads directly from your business website by building online forms. Marketing campaign management: Align marketing and sales teams by allowing collaboration in one central place. Task tracker within campaign management tool. Image: HubSpot HubSpot pros and cons Pros Cons Users report easy platform setup. No free trial for paid plans. 24/7 user support for paid plans. No live support for free users. Offers a variety of free tools and templates. Users report lacking reporting features. Pipedrive: Best for creating email marketing campaigns Image: Pipedrive Pipedrive offers robust email marketing software that helps users send email marketing campaigns to effectively engage with customers. Pipedrive’s campaigns can capture the attention of your ICP with customizable layouts and additional tracking, analytics and filtering features. Users can access the same intuitive drag-and-drop element from the sales CRM to create custom layouts or use a premade template. Reps can see contact information in lead profiles and all email communications on one dashboard. Why I chose Pipedrive Pipedrive is a top-scoring CRM solution that has made its way onto several of my guides, and for good reason. It

The U.K. government is investigating whether IBM’s acquisition of cloud infrastructure firm HashiCorp will result in a “substantial lessening of competition” within markets in the country. IBM announced its intention to buy HashiCorp for $6.4 billion in April 2024 to help it support its customers’ growing AI-related demands. HashiCorp provides hybrid and multi-cloud lifecycle management products, such as infrastructure as code tool Terraform, which facilitate building and running AI applications. HashiCorp will operate as a division of IBM Software rather than being brought into Red Hat, IBM’s open-source subsidiary. It said that the deal would help its products reach a larger audience. The Competition and Markets Authority notified the two companies of an upcoming Phase 1 probe on Aug. 1, 2024, and formally launched it on Dec. 30. It will have to make a preliminary decision on whether to carry out a full-scale investigation by Feb. 25 and relevant third-parties can submit comments up to Jan. 16. IBM declined to provide additional comment. TechRepublic has reached out to HashiCorp for a response. IBM-HashiCorp deal has inspired criticism IBM has faced challenges since announcing the acquisition, with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reviewing it for potential antitrust concerns. SEE: Ansible vs Kubernetes | DevOps Tools Comparison IBM’s stock tanked by about 9% shortly after the announcement due to simultaneously posting a total first-quarter revenue of $90 million below London Stock Exchange estimates. Conversely, HashiCorp’s stock rose by 4% after suffering considerable declines in 2023 brought on by relicensing Terraform from open-source Apache 2.0 to the more restrictive Business Source License. This alienated parts of the open-source community, and they forked the original Terraform code into the open-source OpenTofu and placed it under the oversight of The Linux Foundation. Additionally, in June, a HashiCorp investor sued the company, claiming that the acquisition by IBM disproportionately benefited its board members over the shareholders. The executives allegedly stood to gain substantial personal benefits from the deal, such as certain “golden parachutes” and converting their large, illiquid stock holdings into cash. Such incentives created conflicts of interest, according to the plaintiff, leading the board to favor the IBM acquisition over potentially more lucrative opportunities for shareholders and potentially diminishing the value of their investments. However, the suit was mysteriously withdrawn two days later. U.K. cloud market does not present a level playing field In October 2023, telecoms regulator Ofcom identified various issues in the U.K. cloud market that present challenges for businesses and consumers, including Amazon and Microsoft’s dominance. Microsoft’s Azure and AWS have between 70% and 80% of the U.K.’s cloud service market share compared to Google Cloud’s 10%. One of the most pressing concerns is the cost of migrating data from cloud platforms. This cost barrier discourages customers from switching between cloud providers, stifling competition in the sector. SEE: Microsoft, OpenAI Partnership Draws UK Antitrust Regulators’ Eyes Shortly after these results were published, the CMA began investigating the issues raised. These results — and any potential remedies to anti-competitive practices — are expected to be announced later this month. Synopsys and Ansys merger likely to be approved On Dec. 20, the CMA completed its Phase 1 investigation into the $35 billion acquisition of simulation software company Ansys by chip design software provider Synopsys. It represents the biggest tech deal since Broadcom acquired VMware for $69 billion in 2023. The CMA found that the merger has the potential to substantially lessen competition in the chip design and light simulation market but may still approve it if the two companies submit acceptable mitigations. Synopsys and Ansys compete in three key sectors. The first is register transfer level power consumption analysis, which assesses a chip’s power demands and usage. The other two are optics and photonics software, both used to design and model light-related products like camera lenses, TV displays, car headlights, and lasers. Merging these companies could reduce the choice of products in the three areas, as they would become a market leader, and smaller companies would struggle to compete. “This could lead to a loss of innovation, lower quality software, and/or higher prices, which may then be passed onto UK businesses and consumers,” the CMA said in its press release. SEE: UK Regulator Probes Apple’s Mobile Browser Dominance The CMA also suspected the deal would allow Synopsys and Ansys to limit their products’ interoperability to maintain dominance. However, the investigation found that this element is so important to their customers that they would switch providers if it was compromised, so they don’t have the incentive to do so. Synopsys announced the deal in January 2024, claiming it wanted to expand its reach across silicon-to-systems designs, combining its expertise in electronic design automation with Ansys’ in simulation. Ansys accepted the deal to accelerate its growth and offer more integrated solutions to its customers. The two had already been working together for several years up to this point. If the companies did not propose suitable mitigations by Dec. 31, 2024, the competition authority would conduct a more in-depth Phase 2 investigation. However, Synopsys said it had “already taken steps to address all concerns raised by the CMA” in a published response. One such step is its promise to sell its optical solutions business to another company once the Ansys acquisition has closed. The merger is expected to be approved by the European Commission, according to Reuters. Sources added that Synopsys will offer the same remedies to the CMA that it did to address competition concerns in the E.U. “Together, Synopsys and Ansys can help drive innovation across industries by addressing the rapidly increasing customer need for system design solutions that provide a deeper integration of EDA and Simulation and Analysis (S&A) software,” a Synopsys spokesperson said. source

Cloud contact centers connect agents with customers across multiple channels, including voice, email, SMS, social media, live chat, and more. Cloud contact center platform API management plays a critical role in maintaining all of these channels. Unlike traditional on-premises phone systems and hosted contact center solutions, cloud contact centers aren’t bound by physical locations or servers. Instead, all of your reps can access the software they need from anywhere via a computer, smartphone, or other VoIP-enabled device. When implemented and managed correctly, APIs improve customer personalization, ensure agents have anytime access, boost agent productivity, and deliver real-time data for improved analytics. Cloud contact center APIs ultimately unify communication channels with other business-critical tools. This allows you to provide better support through custom applications so you can future-proof your contact center at scale. Overview of API management in cloud contact centers APIs connect two or more applications, expanding the functionality of one or both of the systems. In many cases, an API passes data from one program to another or embeds functionality of one application into the other. In terms of cloud contact centers, APIs extend communication methods into other pieces of software. For example, you can add calling capabilities within Microsoft Teams. You can also use APIs to enable inbound and outbound texting, chat, and calling directly within your CRM. This integration gives agents the ability to communicate without switching back and forth between solutions. It also means agents can see caller information while they’re talking to them. It can work the other way too — you can pull CRM data into your VoIP solution, allowing agents to see critical details about the caller before they answer. APIs are commonly used to automate outbound text or email reminders for things like upcoming appointments, balances due, and order status updates via rules-based triggers and custom settings. Another popular way cloud contact centers use APIs is to centralize social media communication. You integrate various platforms into a single solution so your agents can manage all inbound messages from Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and more without having to navigate to each platform. With API access, modern contact centers can truly customize the way agents interact with customers and each other. SEE: Learn how to use APIs, the different types of APIs, and all about API security.  Strategies for the cloud contact center platform API management cycle Cloud contact center APIs are not plug-and-play, one-click setups that you can configure once and move on. They require ongoing developer support and IT resources for deployment and regular maintenance. Think about the resources you’d need to build and maintain any other type of software, like a mobile app or web application. The same applies here because you’re essentially creating custom software that requires ongoing attention. It’s particularly important for you because disruptions or outages will have immediate consequences to many people on your team, or even your customers. If agents are no longer able to receive calls in Salesforce, for example, everything will come to a grinding halt until it’s fixed. The following cloud contact center platform API management strategies can help you avoid these problems and ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Development Before anything else, you’ll need to define the scope of your project and get a team of developers to help you accomplish your goals. Large organizations setting up complex integrations may need multiple developers working on this together. It should be treated like any other software development project run by a project manager with sprint planning and other agile project management practices. Your developers will likely need to use documentation provided by each piece of software you want to connect. They typically provide developer guides that explain exactly what you can do with their APIs and how to do it. They may even provide sample code for your team to start with, plus resources for various programming languages (JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, C#, Ruby, etc.). The best vendors also provide a complete SDK (software development kit) that contains more than basic instructions. These include a full collection of tools, libraries, and documentation to simplify the development process. SDKs ultimately make it easier for your team to access and utilize the API for whatever specific functionality you’re looking for. SEE: Check out the best API management tools to manage APIs at scale.  Testing Next, you need to ensure that the API works as intended. To do this, you’ll run various API calls to verify everything. You should also test more complex scenarios and situations in which the API should fail to validate that it works. For example, you might have an agent answer a call from your CRM, send a text message, and set up an automated text reminder. You can also test out more complicated workflows like real-time escalations to a manager, call transfers, handling duplicate contacts, screen pop, and more. Beyond functionality, you’ll also need to test performance. At this stage, you should simulate high call volumes to ensure your setup can handle peak traffic. Many APIs have per-minute, per-hour, or simultaneous limits you have to comply with — this is often overlooked and can have frustrating consequences. If something isn’t working properly or your team finds bugs, they should be fixed before you roll out the new solution to your entire team. SEE: Learn about common API issues and how to fix them.  Deployment If everything’s good to go, you can roll it out. Depending on the complexity, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. Even if you think it’s going to be a relatively quick deployment, I suggest doing this when most of your team won’t be using either piece of software. If you can’t avoid that, try to choose a timeline that’s historically low volume. You can look back at historical data to determine specific days of the week and times you have the lowest usage. It’ll likely be in the middle of the night, on a weekend, or on a

If you work for an organization that relies on Google’s Workspace apps to communicate and get work done, or if you’ve simply opted to use it at home, chances are you have many of the corresponding mobile apps on your smartphone. Applications like the Google Docs app for iOS allow users to access their documents on the go and keep them organized. They let users export a document or make it available in another application. These tips can also help users wrangle long documents and pageless writing. SEE: Mobile Device Security Policy (TechRepublic Premium) A step-by-step guide: Exporting a Google Doc from your iPhone To export a Google Doc from your iPhone as a PDF or Word file, you can start by opening the Google Docs application and tapping on the document you wish to export. Once in the document, tap on the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the screen. From the following drop-down menu, tap Share & Export. Image: Megan Crouse/TechRepublic From the following menu, you can add another user to the doc with Share, to make a copy of the document, or to copy a link to the doc on your clipboard. To create a PDF Word file, you’ll want to tap the option that says Send A Copy. Once you tap that option, a pop-up window will appear asking you to choose between a PDF and a Word file (.docx). Choose the option you want by tapping on it, and make sure a blue checkmark appears next to the file type. Then tap OK. SEE: What’s the difference between a Gmail account and Google Workspace?  Exporting between Apple devices with AirDrop After tapping OK, a gray menu will appear from the bottom of your screen. This is called the iOS Share Sheet. From here, you can AirDrop the file by tapping on an available user in that section. You can also attach the document to an email, import it to iBooks if it’s a PDF, or add it to iCloud Drive. Image: Megan Crouse/TechRepublic If you choose the email option, the file will appear as an attachment in a blank email in the Apple Mail app. Simply add a recipient and message, and hit send. The recipient can automatically save the item to their files or the appropriate app. More Google news & tips Exporting Google Docs with Print Preview There’s another option available for exporting documents as well. From the Google Doc of your choice, tap the three-dot icon and then tap Print Preview. Another window will open with a preview of your document. From there, tap the upload icon in the top right corner. This will take you, once again, to the iOS Share Sheet. From there, you can pursue many of the same options as the Share & Export option discussed earlier. This article was written by Conner Forrest and updated by Megan Crouse. source

Key takeaways: Job seekers are speaking out about the hiring process, wanting recruiters to value and respect their time more. AI will make recruiters more efficient, but the human element is essential for successfully converting candidates into new hires. Hiring and recruiting in 2025 will focus on putting people and skills first. Why you can trust my advice With years of experience as an office manager, HR specialist, and recruiter, I’ve witnessed first-hand how hiring and recruiting have transformed. I’ve helped the companies I worked for prepare for these changes and was at the forefront of developing effective implementation strategies. Drawing from my experiences and continuous professional development, I now share these insights with employers to help them navigate and succeed in today’s evolving employment landscape. 2 PCRecruiter Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Micro (0-49 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees) Micro, Small Features API, Applicant Tracking System, Document Management / Sharing, and more 3 Zoho Recruit Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Any Company Size Any Company Size Features API, Applicant Tracking System, Document Management / Sharing, and more Top 6 hiring and recruiting trends for 2025 Layoffs and hiring freeze plagued 2024, spurred by high inflation and overhiring during the pandemic, but those aren’t the only trends shaping how organizations hire and recruit going into 2025. The integration of AI is continuing on an upward scale, and balancing advanced technology with the human element will be even more crucial. Job candidates have voiced their frustrations with traditional hiring methods, craving more transparency and communication. Additionally, the growing talent shortage is making organizations shift their focus toward skills, rethink return-to-office mandates, and consider whether to continue pushing their DE&I efforts. 1. A streamlined candidate experience will be critical to finding top talent Monster and CareerPlug surveyed job seekers about their candidate experience. The feedback lets recruiters understand where they’re missing the mark with candidates. For starters, CareerPlug found that 52% of job seekers have declined an offer because of a poor candidate experience. The candidate experience covers the entire hiring process, from when they apply to the moment they accept the job offer. That means job seekers are voluntarily rescinding their candidacy due to a negative experience at some point within this process. According to Monster’s 2024 Work Watch Report, the main contributors to a subpar candidate experience are: Lack of communication or no response at all. Interviewer’s attitude or behavior. Long and drawn-out application processes. Several rounds of interviews. Submitting a resume and filling out the same information on an application. It’s important to note the common theme for most job seekers’ grievances: time spent. Many job seekers feel their time isn’t respected or valued when subjected to lengthy processes. How to improve a candidate’s experience To ensure quality candidates don’t slip through your fingers, start by reviewing your application and interview processes. One of my favorite strategies that can make a significant difference in your recruitment is reducing application redundancies. It’s okay to be thorough, but most candidates expect to finish an application in less than 30 minutes, according to the 2024 Employ Job Seeker Nation Report. Once a candidate applies, reach out to them within three days to a week at the most and update them as they move through the process. Don’t forget that many job seekers are being courted by multiple employers. Responding to them promptly and updating them as they move through the process can reduce the chances of you losing out on top talent. Next, examine your interview process. Does it have several rounds? If so, are all of them necessary? Determine which interviews are essential for assessing the key skills and cultural fit you’re looking for, and see where you can condense or eliminate steps without compromising the quality of your evaluations. 2. Recruiters will have to be even more efficient Even though federal interest rates were slightly reduced in September, employers will continue to feel the impact of high inflation. As stated in SHRM’s State of the Workplace Report, 68% of HR executives listed efficiency as a top priority, requiring talent acquisition teams to do more with less. Limited resources and fewer hands on deck have been the narrative over the last few years, and recruiters have adjusted by utilizing AI to easily sift through applications. So what’s the difference? Candidates are also using AI and chatbots to apply for numerous jobs simultaneously. This exacerbates the issue by leaving recruiters with even more submissions to go through. How to navigate through a sea of applications Combing through applications manually isn’t acceptable anymore, and simply scrolling through hundreds of them isn’t effective either. To break through the wall of applications and come out the other side with new hires calls for a robust applicant tracking system (ATS). One of my favorite ATSs to recommend is Breezy HR because it’s user-friendly and helps you keep track of your applicants with a customizable visual workflow. You can see who’s in your pipeline and what phase they’re in for each position you’re hiring for. BreezyHR’s visual candidate pipeline. Image: BreezyHR 3. AI needs the human element Throughout 2024, I’ve noticed candidates are becoming familiar with the methods employers use in the hiring process; for instance, they’re realizing that the majority of messages received from recruiters are automated. It’s leading job seekers to wonder how genuine the correspondence is, with some of them treating these messages like spam or a call from a private number. They also picked up on the increase of AI being used to screen their applications and interviews. Using AI and ATSs is a strategic move for efficiency, but you can’t remove the human element. Candidates want authentic interactions with the people within the organization. How to pair AI with the human touch Going forward, I strongly recommend recruiters establish connections with candidates immediately. Since AI and ATSs reduce the time spent on job descriptions,

Admins, take caution if you use physical media to install Windows security updates, Microsoft warned on Dec. 24. Installing the October or November 2024 updates for Windows 11, version 24H2 using a CD or a USB flash drive could prevent the operating system from accepting future security updates. How to prevent Windows 11 version 24H2 from locking up security updates The problem with the October or November 2024 update for Windows 11, version 24H2 only occurs “when the media is created to include” the version released between Oct. 8 and Nov. 12, Microsoft said. Updates delivered over the air through Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog website are not affected. To circumvent the problem, Microsoft recommends skipping the October or November updates if you install new versions using physical media. Installing the December 2024 version — Windows 11, version 24H2 from Dec. 10 or later — will prevent the issue from occurring. Microsoft said they are “working on a resolution and will provide more information when it is available.” SEE: Windows PowerToys updates bring quality-of-life tweaks for power users every month.  Newest version of Windows 11 enables AI features Windows 11, version 24H2 was widely released in October and was intended to bring Redmond’s generative AI features into PCs. It brought support for Wi-Fi 7, a scrollable view for quick settings, an energy-saver mode, adaptive brightness control, and more to Windows 11. It also integrated the Copilot+ features designed to turn a contemporary Windows machine into an AI PC. Must-read security coverage Other problems reported with version 24H2 Other official advisories about Windows 11, version 24H2 show various possible bugs detected since its initial release. Some users found games stopped running or displayed incorrect colors when using AutoHDR. This issue can be prevented by disabling AutoHDR. Some Windows 11, version 24H2 users reported problems connecting with integrated speakers, Bluetooth speakers, and Bluetooth headsets. Microsoft issued a hold on affected devices preventing an upgrade. A full list can be found on Microsoft’s known issues and notifications page. source