Tech Republic

Business leaders are responsible for guiding a company and its employees toward successful goals. To accomplish this, leaders must hire the best candidates to support their staff. But the responsibilities don’t stop there. Most big changes in organizations begin at the top: diversity and inclusion efforts, innovation initiatives, mentorship programs, upskill and reskill prioritization, cybersecurity procedures, and overall goal assessment. These movements are typically set by those in the C-suite and implemented by other executives and managers. SEE: How to build a successful CIO career (free PDF) (TechRepublic) However, planning and implementing the technology strategy for an organization falls on one specific leader: the chief information officer (CIO). The CIO is the executive-level face of the technology department for the business, requiring an individual with impressive technical knowledge and communication abilities. Other members of the C-suite include the chief executive officer, chief digital officer, and the chief technology officer — and are generally referred to as CXOs. CIOs are sometimes mistaken for CTOs, but CTOs are more responsible for forming technologies or technology strategies that help grow the business externally, looking at customer needs. CIOs, instead, are inward-facing, managing the internal IT infrastructure. This cheat sheet is available as a download, How to become a CIO: A cheat sheet (free PDF). What does a CIO do? The main responsibilities of the CIO are to work with other members of the C-suite and technology department to create the best technology gameplan for the business. Indeed’s Learning About Being a CIO career guide outlined the following common tasks of a CIO: Analyze the technology used in the design, development, and administration of the company for accuracy and efficiency. Collaborate with the CEO and project managers to assess resource use and allocation. Overlook the progress and development of the company’s communications network. Design a sufficient wide-area connectivity infrastructure that can support remote access. Compile a cost-benefit analysis of every change in the IT workflow. Suggest software and hardware upgrades as needed that improve operations and fit budget constraints. The rise of technologies including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, and big data analytics brings new challenges and responsibilities for CIOs, according to a post on The Balance Careers. Service analysis, data security, and market reach are now part of a CIO’s work. They must also ensure the organization complies with GDPR. SEE: All of TechRepublic’s cheat sheets (TechRepublic) Why are CIOs important for organizations? As tech continues evolving, successful workplaces are forced to follow suit. However, employees — and the organization as a whole — can’t upskill if they don’t know what the most useful tech trends are, which is where CIOs enter. Not only is implementing innovative technologies crucial for business success, they are also crucial for business relevancy. The CIO’s purpose is to make sure the organization is investing in the best tech. Without a CIO, organizations can fall behind on tech trends and be rendered irrelevant. Must-read CXO coverage What is the difference between a CIO and an IT director? CIOs handle broader strategy and communications with other members of leadership, while IT directors are more responsible for the oversight of day-to-day operations. The main tasks given to IT directors include communicating with vendors, supervising the operation of server systems, supporting the implementation of software and hardware upgrades, and identifying security vulnerabilities, according to Indeed’s IT Director career guide. SEE: 10 ways to prevent developer burnout (TechRepublic) The career guide clarified that most IT directors at medium- to large-sized businesses usually report to a C-level executive. This means they are the ones implementing the software and hardware upgrades decided upon by the CIO, as well as communicating known security vulnerabilities so the CIO can determine the next steps within the organization. What are some paths to becoming a CIO? The career path to becoming a CIO is not set or linear. Most often, it is a long and winding road to the top. Common education requirements for becoming a CIO include a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, information systems, or a related field, and often a master’s degree in business administration or information technology. Otherwise, qualifications mostly come down to experience. A good estimate might be that organizations want a minimum of eight years of experience in information technology and resource management, with a preference for candidates with at least three years on an executive level. An individual may need 15 years of experience in tech and business before making the leap. While no clear path exists to becoming CIO, the more experience one has, the better. Additional resources What is the average salary for a CIO? As one of the highest-paying cybersecurity jobs, CIOs do make an impressive salary. Based on 724 salaries reported on Indeed — last updated on Oct. 28, 2024 — the average pay per year for a CIO in the U.S. is $131,501. Payscale found that experience can make a big difference in a CIO’s pay. An entry-level CIO in the U.S. with less than one year of experience will typically earn an average of $113,003. However, that number jumps to $191,522 for CIOs with at least 20 years of experience. What are the hottest markets for CIOs? The 10 U.S. states with the highest average annual salaries for CIOs, according to ZipRecruiter, are as follows (as of October 2024): Washington ($193,665). New York ($172,811). Vermont ($169,548). California ($165,136). Maine ($160,603). Massachusetts ($158,812). Idaho ($158,471)8. Pennsylvania ($158,280). Texas ($157,859). Alaska ($157,605). Overall, the market for CIOs is very positive. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in this field is projected to grow by 17% by 2033, faster than the total employment growth of 4% across occupations in the U.S. What are typical CIO interview questions? Some of the top questions potential CIOs could face during a job interview, according to Indeed, include: “This company might need to purchase and implement a new IT system at some point. As a CIO, how would you convince [other executives] the system is

It’s not easy being a call center agent — but if you can handle the role, finding a stable remote job should be no problem. The demand for qualified agents is immense. Call centers have high burnout rates due to the demanding nature of the work, which means employers are always hiring. If you have the right skills and the desire to work remotely, a call center agent position could be a perfect fit. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about landing a work-from-home call center agent job, from setting up your workspace to navigating the application process. 1 RingCentral Office 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), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees) Medium, Enterprise, Large Features Hosted PBX, Managed PBX, Remote User Ability, and more What you need to work as a remote call center agent One of the benefits of being a call center agent is the low barrier to entry. Once you are hired, you will sign into a secure call center software account and start answering calls. You don’t need thousands of dollars of tools, an expensive degree, or even prior experience. Don’t get me wrong, employers are hungry for experienced call center agents. Best case scenario for them is getting someone who has proven they can handle the pace of work required. But if you don’t have experience working in a call center, you should still apply for entry-level roles. The big secret is that no one knows who is actually going to thrive in a call center environment until a person starts picking up the phone. Some people with a perfect resumé crash and burn after a few hours — others with less flashy work histories turn out to be incredibly talented on the phone. Employers know this. Many of them are willing to take a bet on someone who is just starting out. Remote call center agent equipment and supplies If you plan on trying to secure a remote call center agent gig (and there are hundreds of open roles right now), you only need a few things: Reliable internet connection: This is absolutely essential! You’ll need a strong and stable connection to make and receive VoIP calls without interruption. Employers will probably ask you to take a speed test as part of getting hired. A good rule of thumb is a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps and upload speed of 1 Mbps. Computer: A laptop or desktop computer with a reliable operating system and enough processing power to handle calls. Most call centers will provide any specialized VoIP software you’ll need to do your job. Headset: A comfortable headset with a noise-canceling microphone is crucial for clear communication and keeping your hands free while taking notes or using the computer. Quiet workspace: You’ll need a dedicated space in your home that’s free from distractions so you can focus on your calls. In other words, a basic dedicated desk in a quiet place, a laptop, comfortable VoIP headset, and a decent internet connection may be enough. Most likely, you’ll be able to use Wi-Fi, but you can always wire your computer directly to the modem to get better speed. Here are a few free internet speed tests that can give you some data on your connection. Next, we have a few additional items that can enhance your experience: Second monitor: This can be a game-changer for productivity, allowing you to see multiple windows simultaneously. Comfortable chair: Sitting for long periods is inevitable, so invest in a supportive chair to avoid back pain. Adjustable standing desk: Almost everyone I know who works from home buys one of these eventually to avoid sitting for the entire day. Footrest: Another comfort booster, a footrest can help improve your posture and circulation. Note that some companies offer reimbursement for approved purchases, and they may even offer a stipend to set up your in-home office space. Be sure to check the job descriptions and inquire during the interview process to see what perks they provide. Critical call center agent soft skills More than anything else, recruiters for call center agents are looking hard at a candidate’s attitude and approach to the job. Here are a few soft skills that make people a good fit for call center work: Interpersonal skills: Staying calm, listening attentively, and showing genuine empathy will be crucial for dealing with frustrating situations and building rapport. Problem-solving skills: You’ll need to be a resourceful problem solver who can think on your feet and find creative solutions to customer issues. Excellent communication skills: You should be able to explain complex information easily, both verbally and in writing, through chats or emails if needed. Time management and organization: Working from home will require you to manage your time effectively to meet call quotas, handle breaks efficiently, and stay organized with customer information and procedures. Positive attitude: Maintaining a positive and enthusiastic attitude will definitely improve the experience for your customers and yourself. In a virtual contact center, agents will be responsible for handling multiple channels: typically phone, chat, email, and text. The ability to multi-task and solve problems is absolutely essential for these roles, and many call centers are adding these channels. You can set yourself up for success as a work-from-home call center agent by honing these traits and developing good work habits. Keep these things in mind as you prepare your resume and begin to look for a job. One final note: If you speak a second language, make sure you feature this skill prominently in your resumé. Call centers have an acute need for agents who can handle calls in more than one language.. How to find remote call center jobs Now that we’ve gone over the core list of must-haves and the qualities you’ll need, let’s tackle finding that ideal work-from-home position. Remember that remote call center jobs can vary widely, so create a list

Most steps in a call center workflow are repeated thousands of times each day. That means any step you can eliminate or automate will translate into a huge productivity gain. In this post, we’ll cover a number of different strategies for automating elements of your call center workflow. Some methods involve new technology, others involve making more with what you probably have already. 1. Optimize skills-based routing This is not a new technology, but so many call centers aren’t maximizing its value. Skills-based routing automatically directs callers to the right agent based on set criteria like preferred language, technical skills, or product knowledge. Pretty straightforward, right? Your Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system collects information and passes the call to your Automatic Call Distributor (ACD), which passes your call to an appropriate agent. (If any of this feels unfamiliar, check out my post on call routing, which walks through this whole process.) Here are a few strategies you can use to make sure that any skills-based routing system you have in place is automating as much as possible: Regularly update agent skills: Ensure that agent skill profiles match their performance and completed training. If you can automate this process, perfect — it has to get done for skills-based routing to work well. Use customer histories: Past interactions can predict the best agent for each caller’s needs. Routing calls to agents who have successfully resolved similar issues previously works well, as does routing callers to agents who have helped them before, if possible. Use behavioral-based routing: Customer behavior data, such as recent interactions with a specific product category or activity on a web app, can be used to direct calls. If someone is browsing commercial products on a company’s website, they probably won’t need a residential service rep. Use of CRM data during calls: CRM data during calls to route customers to agents familiar with their history or to prioritize qualified leads. Use of AI and machine learning: Incorporate AI to analyze call data and adapt routing strategies in real time. Skills-based routing can be even more powerful when combined with advancements like conversational IVRs that utilize natural language processing (NLP) to understand a caller’s spoken request. See: Learn five additional benefits of conversational IVR for call centers. 2. Deploy visual IVRs Visual IVR directs callers to a website to complete what an agent would normally have to do. Customers can navigate through options visually and make selections using a keypad or touchpad. Typically a visual IVR website is optimized for mobile, and the customer arrives via a link that comes to their phone. Instead of relying solely on voice prompts (as you would with a traditional IVR), customers can see menu options displayed visually, allowing them to select their preferences with a tap. This is great for scheduling. Let customers select appointments from a visual calendar instead of having a customer service rep look at a calendar and relay information verbally. For product returns, customers can upload photos through the visual IVR. There are so many actions that would require a human agent that a visual IVR can eliminate completely. It’s also liberating for callers, who can handle the various steps at their own pace rather than have to stay on the line. See: Learn about five real-world visual IVR use cases.  3. Deflect calls to chatbots Call center chatbots automate call center workflows by handling routine inquiries and providing immediate responses to customers. AI in call centers is getting much better. Today’s chatbots can understand and respond to common questions, allowing them to assist customers with issues like order tracking, account information, and troubleshooting without the need for human intervention. Call centers can deflect calls to chatbots by implementing a proactive messaging system on their website or mobile app. For example, when a customer visits the support page and initiates a call, a pop-up message can appear offering immediate assistance via a chatbot instead. Chatbots can also collect valuable data during interactions, such as customer preferences and feedback. This information can be analyzed to identify trends, improve services, and refine future interactions. Call center chatbots are not meant to replace human agents but rather to empower them. By handling routine tasks, AI assistants allow agents to focus on complex issues and provide a more personalized touch, creating a well-rounded customer service experience. SEE: Check out examples of call center chatbots in action.  4. Tune up your knowledge base A call center knowledge base serves as a central repository of information for agents to quickly access answers about products, services, and procedures. It reduces the time agents spend searching for answers, leading to shorter call handling times and improved first-call resolution rates. Essentially, you automate the process of agents needing to go dig for an answer while they have a customer on the line. This efficiency not only benefits the agents but also enhances the overall customer experience by allowing for faster responses. Additionally, many knowledge bases offer customer-facing portals, enabling clients to find answers to common questions on their own, which further reduces the number of inbound calls. To maximize the effectiveness of a knowledge base, training and onboarding programs should include guidance on how to effectively use the knowledge base, so new agents can hit the ground running. Keeping a knowledge base up to date is no small feat. I know that, and an outdated knowledge base is almost more dangerous than not having one. But if you are really trying to speed up the call center workflow and find every possible efficiency, ensuring agents always have the best information at their fingertips is a great place to start. Plus, a call center chatbot trained on a comprehensive knowledge base can be a huge benefit to agents. 5. Enable agents with auto dialers Using auto dialers can significantly streamline the call center workflow for agents by automating the outbound dialing process. This technology eliminates the tedious task of manually dialing numbers and leaving voicemails, allowing agents to focus

The AI boom is amplifying risks across enterprise data estates and cloud environments, according to cybersecurity expert Liat Hayun. In an interview with TechRepublic, Hayun, VP of product management and research of cloud security at Tenable, advised organisations to prioritise understanding their risk exposure and tolerance, while prioritising tackling key problems like cloud misconfigurations and protecting sensitive data. Liat Hayun, VP of product management and research of cloud security at Tenable She noted that while enterprises remain cautious, AI’s accessibility is accentuating certain risks. However, she explained that CISOs today are evolving into business enablers — and AI could ultimately serve as a powerful tool for bolstering security. How AI is affecting cybersecurity, data storage TechRepublic: What is changing in the cybersecurity environment due to AI? Liat: First of all, AI has become much more accessible to organisations. If you look back 10 years ago, the only organisations creating AI had to have this specialised data science team that had PhDs in data science and statistics to be able to create machine learning and AI algorithms. AI has become much easier for organisations to create; it’s almost just like introducing a new programming language or new library into their environment. So many more organisations — not just large organisations like Tenable and others — but also any start-ups can now leverage AI and introduce that into their products. SEE: Gartner Tells Australian IT Leaders To Adopt AI At Their Own Pace The second thing: AI requires a lot of data. So many more organisations need to collect and store higher volumes of data, which also sometimes has higher levels of sensitivity. Before, my streaming service would have only saved very few details on me. Now, maybe my geography matters, because they can create more specific recommendations based on that, or my age and my gender, and so on. Because they can now use this data for their business purposes — to generate more business — they’re now much more motivated to store that data in higher volumes and with growing levels of sensitivity. TechRepublic: Is that feeding into growing usage of the cloud? Liat: If you want to store a lot of data, it’s much easier to do that in the cloud. Every time you decide to store a new type of data, it increases the volume of data you’re storing. You don’t have to go inside your data center and order new volumes of data to install. You just click, and bam, you have a new data store location. So the cloud has made it much easier to store data. These three components form a kind of circle that feeds itself. Because if it’s easier to store data, you can upgrade more AI capabilities, and then you’re motivated to store even more data, and so on. So that’s what happened in the world in the last few years — since LLMs have become a much more accessible, common capability for organisations — introducing challenges across all these three verticals. More cloud security coverage Understanding the security risks of AI TechRepublic: Are you seeing specific cybersecurity risks rise with AI? Liat: The use of AI in organisations, unlike the use of AI by individual people across the world, is still in its early phases. Organisations want to make sure that they’re introducing it in a way that, I would say, doesn’t create any unnecessary risk or any extreme risk. So in terms of statistics, we still only have a few examples, and they are not necessarily a good representation because they’re more experimental. One example of a risk is AI being trained on sensitive data. That’s something we are seeing. It’s not because organisations are not being careful; it’s because it’s very difficult to separate sensitive data from non-sensitive data and still have an effective AI mechanism that is trained on the right data set. The second thing we’re seeing is what we call data poisoning. So, even if you have an AI agent that is being trained on non-sensitive data, if that non-sensitive data is publicly exposed, as an adversary, as an attacker, I can insert my own data into that publicly exposed, publicly accessible data storage and have your AI say things that you didn’t intend it to say. It’s not this all-knowing entity. It knows what it’s seen. TechRepublic: How should organisations weigh the security risks of AI? Liat: First, I would ask how organisations can understand the level of exposure they have, which includes the cloud, AI, and data … and everything related to how they use third-party vendors, and how they leverage different software in their organisation, and so on. SEE: Australia Proposes Mandatory Guardrails for AI The second part is, how do you identify the critical exposures? So if we know it’s a publicly accessible asset with a high-severity vulnerability to it, that’s something that you probably want to address first. But it’s also a combination of the impact, right? If you have two issues that are very similar, and one can compromise sensitive data and one cannot, you want to address that first [issue] first. You also have to know which steps to take to address those exposures with minimal business impact. TechRepublic: What are some big cloud security risks you warn against? Liat: There are three things we usually advise our customers. The first one is on misconfigurations. Just because of the complexity of the infrastructure, complexity of the cloud, and all the technologies it provides, even if you’re in a single cloud environment — but especially if you’re going multi-cloud — the chances of something becoming an issue just because it wasn’t configured correctly is still very high. So that’s definitely one thing I would focus on, especially when introducing new technologies like AI. The second one is over-privileged access. Many people think their organisation is super secure. But if your house is a fort, and you’re giving your keys out to everyone around you, that is still an issue.

ClickFunnels fast facts Starting price: $81 per month Key features: Landing pages Website builder Email marketing Membership sites Store funnels ClickFunnels is an online prospecting tool that builds a digital roadmap to generate leads and customers from a multitude of channels like social media or your website. ClickFunnels can cover a range of online and digital marketing functionality such as website building, email campaign management, and A/B testing. ClickFunnels has also recently introduced its own native CRM solution inside of its software. This way, users can prospect new customers and support them throughout their entire sales journey by integrating scheduling tools, events, and sales pipelines. 1 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 2 Zoho 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 HubSpot CRM 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), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees) Micro, Medium, Large, Small ClickFunnels pricing Startup: $81 per month when billed annually or $97 per month when billed monthly. This plan comes with three team members and three brand workspaces with unlimited funnels, courses, contacts, pages, and domains. Pro: $248 per month when billed annually or $297 per month when billed monthly. This plan comes with all Startup features plus 10 brand workspaces and 10 team members. ClickFunnels key features Landing pages ClickFunnels users can create unlimited, professionally branded landing pages that are optimized for a high conversion rate. These landing pages will focus your prospect’s attention on one single goal, for example signing up for a trial. Businesses can build campaign-specific landing pages or test different versions of landing pages to see which one converts better. With ClickFunnels’ templates, users of any expertise and creative background can build a well-branded landing page with photos and engaging, clickable content. ClickFunnels landing page builder. Image: ClickFunnels Email marketing ClickFunnels offers an in-house SMTP that acts as a native workflow system providing end-to-end email service. Users can connect with their audience, increase engagements, and grow sales by sending simple emails with ClickFunnels. With deliverability support, custom campaigns created from prebuilt templates, and automated sequences, you’re able to manage the delivery of emails based on customers’ past actions, buying behaviors, preferences, and contact info. ClickFunnels prebuilt email templates. Image: ClickFunnels Store funnels For businesses that sell products through their site, setting up store funnels is a major feature of ClickFunnels. Store funnels, or buy now funnels, are triggered when a shopper buys any product in your online store. A rules-based store funnel sends every new buyer into a custom funnel flow based on their purchases, history, and intent. This way upsell and cross-selling opportunities are taken advantage of to encourage customers to add additional products to their order. This feature also easily integrates with the shipping, taxes, and fulfillment fees during the checkout process. ClickFunnels individual product page builder. Image: ClickFunnels Reporting dashboard Users of ClickFunnels can view all of the most important data such as the performance of your ads, campaigns, and funnels over time. With it, you can track your customers’ journey progress and then diagnose which parts of the campaign are performing well and which need to be adjusted. Another popular metric of ClickFunnels Analytics is forecasting, meaning users can project future business performance based on historical data. ClickFunnels trackable analytics dashboard. Image: ClickFunnels ClickFunnels pros 14-day free trial. Simple webpage and landing page builders. Users praise functionality of integrations with common digital marketing platforms. ClickFunnels cons Users report occasional software glitches and slow runtimes with saving changes. Users report limited mobile accessibility. The back end functionality can have a steep learning curve. Alternatives to ClickFunnels ClickFunnels ZoomInfo Apollo HubSpot Starting paid price $81 per month Contact for quote $49 per user, per month $15 per user, per month Forever free plan No No Yes Yes Email marketing Yes Yes Yes Yes Appointment scheduling Yes Limited Yes Yes Lead routing Yes Yes Yes Yes ZoomInfo ZoomInfo is a B2B lead generation and database tool that offers a variety of products for sales, marketing, operations, and talent acquisition. Users can implement cross channel advertising, utilize conversation intelligence, and segment and score incoming leads for clients. It is worth noting ZoomInfo’s pricing information isn’t transparent on their website and requires you to reach out to their sales team. Read our ZoomInfo review for more information. Apollo Apollo is a go-to-market solution with a variety of B2B prospects, lead generation, and pipeline management tools. Users can build out sales pipelines, manage sales and ongoing deals, and track performance and analytics. Apollo has strong AI functionality and can integrate and enrich third party CRMs. Similar to ClickFunnels and ZoomInfo, Apollo supports inbound lead optimization but capitalizes on the attention a lead gives your brand with engaging content, campaigns, and web forms. Want to know more? Head over to our Apollo review. HubSpot HubSpot isn’t a B2B or B2C database that can generate and pull new contacts and leads for businesses. Instead, it is a leading sales CRM software with robust marketing capabilities that has a robust free tier. Leads can be generated from email campaigns, social media integrations and website landing pages. Additionally, HubSpot offers free and paid AI tools that can help automate a lot of routine sales and marketing tasks. Check out our HubSpot review to learn more about it. Methodology To review ClickFunnels, I used an in-house rubric with criteria based on generalized B2B database and lead generation tools. Our rubric consists of defined criteria and subcriteria around the most important factors when evaluating any lead generation company and CRM solution. To complete the rubric, I used ClickFunnels’ own online resources in addition to real user feedback, scores, and reviews. The following is

Marketing campaign templates help you add structure and clarity to upcoming campaigns. They can also help ensure each campaign aligns with big-picture goals and contains a full plan on how to execute, track, and measure everything. Some campaigns are quick one-off emails while others last weeks or months and encompass multiple marketing channels. This post covers the best free templates for various tools and situations, from complex campaigns using project management tools to simpler approaches using a spreadsheet. monday.com: Manage campaigns, projects, and tasks in one Monday.com is a great project management tool that lets you plan campaigns and manage all of the work in the same place. You can even use it to track other types of projects, your budget, digital assets, content, and more. With built-in project management features, you’ll be able to easily create tasks, assign ownership to your team, and stay on top of everything. More monday.com coverage: monday.com Review | Trello vs monday.com | Asana vs monday.com.  monday.com makes it easy to plan, track, and execute campaigns alongside other types of projects in one platform. Image: monday.com One of the more unique aspects of this marketing campaign template is that you can import campaigns you’ve started in a spreadsheet. This makes it a great option if you’ve previously managed everything in Excel or Google Sheets and want an upgrade. The template also includes a timeline view for each campaign, automations that move tasks through the workflow, and team collaboration features — commenting, @ mentions, and prioritization capabilities to name a few. One of the biggest benefits is that you can use it to manage multiple campaigns. There are a few different ways you can set it up and you can add additional trackers in the same tool, giving you ultimate flexibility if you’re willing to customize a bit on your own. ClickUp: A high-volume marketing campaign template ClickUp also checks all the boxes for campaign planning and execution within a project management solution. It offers one of the most generous free plans with up to five spaces, unlimited users, and unlimited tasks. Beyond the free plan, it becomes more and more similar to monday.com. Both are just as capable of campaign management scale — many people use personal preference to decide between the two. More ClickUp coverage: ClickUp review | Asana vs ClickUp | ClickUp vs Notion.  You can use this ClickUp template to plan and manage all of your campaigns simultaneously. Image: clickup.com Although ClickUp will work just fine for simple campaign management, this template is more advanced, and better suited for planning and execution at scale. It’s not difficult to use but it does have a lot of functionality built in, allowing for easy management of dozens of concurrent campaigns and projects across an entire marketing department. The template comes with seven project views, 11 custom fields, built-in budget tracking, and automated task dependency warnings. Once you copy the template into your account, you’ll be able to define channel-specific objectives, map out entire campaigns, assign them to teams or individuals, set deadlings, and prioritize work however you’d like. But the best part is that you can track progress against one campaign, several campaigns, or all of them at once. Asana: A marketing campaign template for smaller teams Asana is another all-in-one project management software. It’s not as flexible or intimidating as the others we’ve covered so far, making it a better choice for smaller teams that need something a bit easier to use. Its free plan allows for up to 10 users and includes unlimited tasks, projects, storage, and team messages. It’s very generous and more than enough to get started. More Asana coverage: Asana review | Airtable vs Asana | Asana alternatives.  Watch your marketing strategy play out in real-time with Asana’s campaign management template. Image: asana.com The campaign management template from Asana has one of the best timeline views we’ve seen. It’s super clean, yet has all of the information you need for planning and tracking progress along the way. It’s one of the best ways to visualize the path and dependencies of different campaigns, tasks, and activities working towards the same goal. Beyond that, you’ll also be able to see all of the work in Kanban Gantt, calendar, and list view. Everyone can view their tasks in whatever way works best for them. Managers and supervisors can also create milestones to break goals into smaller objectives. One of the more unique capabilities is turning a brief into action items. You can easily turn everything into a task and assign it to the right person. Even though this template’s great for smaller teams, it’s just as good for those that are growing and those that are larger so you don’t have to worry about needing something else in the near future. Notion: A template for marketing campaign briefs Notion is a productivity platform that includes project management capabilities on top of a ton of other functionality. It’s a free-form place to take notes, manage to-do lists, create documents, assign work, and more. It requires a bit of work up front before you can use it. But templates help speed up and remove barriers from that process. If you’re working by yourself, Notion’s free plan is very generous — you’ll likely be able to use it for quite some time and possibly forever. Teams can try Notion for free but will need to upgrade to a paid plan at some point. More Notion coverage: Notion review | Obsidian vs Notion | Notion vs monday.com.  Use Notion’s campaign brief template to plan out your next campaign and ensure it aligns with your goals. Image: notion.com The foundation of every great marketing campaign is a detailed plan and strategy. Despite that, many businesses just start and end up feeling lost — I’ve definitely experienced this with my team. This Notion template comes with everything you need to lay that foundation early. Once you’ve created your own copy, you’ll be able to identify key

VMware introduced several cloud products and services during their Barcelona conference this year, including the newest version of the Tanzu DevSecOps platform, data engine integrations, and new edge appliances. Broadcom’s announcement that 50 VMware Cloud Service Providers now offer data sovereignty services may be of particular interest to European tech service buyers. Broadcom acquired VMware in November 2023. “As we approach the one year anniversary of VMware joining Broadcom, some of the biggest changes appear to be paying off,” wrote Prashanth Shenoy, Broadcom’s CMO and vice president of Marketing, Cloud Platform, Infrastructure, and Solutions, in a press release on Oct. 31. “We are leaner, more focused, have strong execution, and are delivering against our innovation roadmap.” VMware Tanzu Platform 10 available on Nov. 27 The Tanzu DevSecOps application platform’s newest version, VMware Tanzu Platform 10, will be available on Nov. 27, Broadcom announced. Platform 10 is the first instance of Tanzu to support self-managed, air-gapped environments. It supports both public and private cloud deployments and includes tools for generative AI governance. Purnima Padmanaban, general manager of the VMware Tanzu Division of Broadcom, Inc., said in a press release that some customers’ application deployments have gradually sprawled across different Cloud Foundry infrastructure foundations. Therefore, VMware added a new layer of abstraction to Tanzu Platform 10 to “simplify management, improve security and enable governance” for those customers in particular. SEE: Generative AI can amplify cloud security risks in enterprise data estates and cloud environments. (TechRepublic) In the new version, generative AI applications will appear on a tile in Tanzu like other Cloud Foundry applications. These applications can hook to VMware Private AI Foundation, which offers hosting on NVIDIA GPUs. VMware Tanzu Platform 10 also includes: Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) libraries in VMware Tanzu Spring. Configurations for native data services. Helm-based COTS application support with advanced cluster management for containers on VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid Integrated. A Cloud Foundry-like developer experience on Kubernetes for custom applications. More cloud security coverage VMware Cloud Foundation benefits from the new Tanzu Data Services A new service, VMware Tanzu Data Services, will provide VMware Cloud Foundation customers with self-service access to data engines such as Postgres. VMware’s goal is to reduce wait times and workloads for private cloud managers in various aspects of data services by handling data consumption, management, and support within VMware Cloud Foundation environments. VMware Tanzu Data Services integrates VMware Cloud Foundation’s automation and operations services with data engines. Image: Broadcom The data engines supported are Postgres, MySQL, RabbitMQ, and Valkey. Tanzu Data Services will be available in Broadcom’s first quarter of 2025, which starts in November of that year. VeloCloud Edge 4100 and 5100 appliances support edge AI With AI working its way into enterprise software, VMware has rolled out new tools for AI networking through VeloCloud. “For the better part of this decade, a focus on the edge has been on the horizon for most companies. However, recently, the adoption of AI and AI workloads have acted as an accelerant, shifting interest into proof of concepts and more deployments at the edge,” said Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst at ZK Research, in a Broadcom press release. “One of the challenges to increased AI workload adoption is complexity and performance as businesses need to ensure the right technology is deployed in the right places.” Broadcom’s new offerings intended to make that complexity easier to navigate include: Faster identification and prioritization of new edge AI applications with the new VeloRAIN architecture. Broadcom says it will be able to identify encrypted application traffic that was previously unparsable by network optimization solutions. The prioritization aspect comes from Dynamic Application-Based Slicing, which sorts users by identity and attributes. Improved quality of service when networking over 5G or satellite with VeloRAIN. VeloCloud Edge 4100 and 5100 appliances are built to scale network and security services while requiring fewer devices for better edge workload support, including AI at the edge. The new appliances and new VeloRAIN architecture will be available in Broadcom’s Q1, which began on Nov. 4. Broadcom adds generative AI to its security suite Broadcom has added generative AI to its VMware vDefend threat intelligence product. The vDefend Intelligent Assist can help with threat detection, analysis, and remediation. Lastly, VMware Avi Load Balancer has been polished to “optimize load balancing for both VCF and Kubernetes environments to improve automation, resilience, and future-proofing operations,” according to the Broadcom press release. Both will be in general availability on Nov. 5. source

Apple has officially unveiled the 2024 MacBook Pro, powered by its most advanced chip to date, the M4. Available for preorder now, the new MacBook Pro joins the refreshed iMac and Mac mini in adopting the M4 processors, signaling a leap forward in speed and AI capabilities. Promising enhanced performance across all three configurations, Apple says the new device will launch Nov. 8 at a starting price of $1,599. “MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, said in a press release. Must-read Apple coverage Learn more about each new MacBook model Each MacBook Pro comes equipped with Thunderbolt 4 or 5 ports, an HDMI port for up to 8K resolution, a SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack. The device comes in two colors: black or silver. The 2024 MacBook Pro line is differentiated by three versions of the M4 chip: The 14” MacBook Pro with M4 contains a 10-core CPU, 10-Core GPU, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and up to 32GB of memory — with 16GB in the base model. It costs $1,599. The 14” or 16” MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is built for developers, professional artists, engineers, or other graphics-intensive business use cases. It contains a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, and the M4 Pro chip itself, which can expedite AI tasks, geo mapping, structural engineering, and data modeling. It starts at $1,999. The 14” or 16” MacBook Pro with M4 Max is designed for the most demanding workloads. This includes professionals who often use heavy-duty animation programs or developers who use large language models. It holds up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth for desktop-like performance. The device includes the Media Engine, which leverages ProRes accelerators for improved performance when working with 4K / 120 FPS video. It starts at $2,499. The 2024 MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is suitable for processional data modeling. Image: Apple Apple also announced new MacBook Air models with M2 and M3 chips will be available with double the previous starting memory, at 16GB, for $999. SEE: Computer navigation is a new potential use case for AI, with both Siri and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet able to carry out commands. Display, performance, and AI features get a boost Like some of the new iMacs, the 2024 MacBook Pro line uses a nano-texture screen to show clearer images in bright conditions, such as when working outdoors. All of the new laptops include Apple’s contemporary 12MP Center Stage camera and “Center Stage” and “Desk View” modes. Desk View can automatically show both a person’s face and their desk for content creation. The M4 chip’s performance-per-watt efficiency contributes to what Apple claimed is a 24 hour battery life. It speeds up tasks like editing photos or editing animated scenes in Blender, Apple said. As Apple has previously noted, the M4’s neural engine is designed to run relatively heavily AI workloads like the generative Siri upgrade Apple intelligence. However, Apple Intelligence is only compatible in U.S. English and only works on macOS Sequoia 15.1. Apple Intelligence brings rewriting, proofreading, and summarization tools, a revamped Siri that can respond to more naturalistic typed or spoken requests, and image generation. The 2024 MacBook Pro line will be ready for the expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities expected to drop in December. source

As of Oct. 28, users in more than 100 countries and territories can access AI Overviews, Google’s explanatory, generative widget that appears above some Search engine results. The tech giant first launched the feature in the U.S. before gradually expanding to additional regions. With its latest expansion, AI Overviews can now be accessed in Canada, Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Middle East, Colombia, Chile, and many more locations. “With AI Overviews in Search, it’s easier than ever for people to find the information they need and discover relevant sites across the web, which opens up more opportunities to connect with publishers, businesses and creators,” wrote Google VP of Search Quality Srinivasan (Cheenu) Venkatachary in a press release. AI Overviews in Search Continues Worldwide Expansion When AI Overviews launched in May, it was initially available only to users in the U.S. By August, access had been expanded to include the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. Then, in October, Google added to AI Overviews’ language offerings: It can now parse and answer questions in: English Hindi Indonesian Japanese Portuguese Spanish As Google noted, language is not tied to a geographical location. Google will now be able to accurately claim 1 billion global users use its AI products, since AI Overviews appears in Search by default. SEE: Google Chrome: Security and UI tips you need to know (TechRepublic Premium) More Google news & tips Competitors and risks to AI in Search AI-generated answers to Search Engine queries have been a hot topic since generative AI went mainstream. Microsoft incorporated its Copilot chatbot into Bing Search. Perplexity AI built a conversational, AI-first search bot that draws information from Google and Bing. The Arc browser provides AI-generated blurbs to answer questions in Arc Search. However, AI-powered search engines display the weaknesses of generative AI in an environment where accurate information is paramount. Google AI Overviews infamously made up nonsensical or dangerous answers when it first launched. Generative AI search functions sometimes struggle to accurately distinguish between current events and past occurrences, or to answer relatively uncommon questions. I’ve found Google AI Overviews tends to answer “how” or “what” questions even if I type in a “why” question. It can sometimes feel like a buffer between my initial question and an answer Google would once have provided at a glance. AI Overviews may sacrifice context and authority, leading users to alternate search engines or forums like Reddit. “[T]he feedback we’ve received for AI Overviews has been highly positive,” according to Venkatachary. “People prefer using Search with AI Overviews, and they find their search results more helpful.” AI Overviews has been controversial with media publishers, who worry that it will take views away from websites. In response, Google has added source links on the right-hand side of the panel, making it easier for users to click through to the original sources of information. In October, Google added in-line links for similar reasons. “In our testing, these updates drove an increase in traffic to supporting websites compared to the previous designs,”  Venkatachary wrote. While it’s uncertain if AI Overviews will stick around for the long haul, Google’s expanded rollout suggests a strong current commitment to the feature. source

When you buy a phone number that uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to make calls, you’ll have to decide between fixed or non-fixed VoIP. Put simply, fixed-VoIP is tied to a specific physical location. A non-fixed VoIP number is not tied to a place at all — it’s tied to a user. You may have also heard non-fixed VoIP numbers referred to by other common names like: Virtual phone numbers. Internet phone numbers. Cloud phone numbers. Unlike traditional phone numbers, which are linked to a landline or a specific geographic area, non-fixed VoIP numbers operate over the internet and can be used to make and receive calls from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. To get a fixed VoIP number, you’ll have to give a physical address for emergency services geolocation and meet additional regulatory requirements.  This makes fixed VoIP numbers a better option if you operate from a single location and must stick to local regulations or require access to emergency services. To get a non-fixed VoIP number, you just need an email address, the internet, a few bucks, and a tiny bit of ambition. You’ll be able to start making calls almost immediately. Five scenarios to use non-fixed VoIP I fall into the camp of people who think you should use non-fixed VoIP unless you absolutely need to have a fixed VoIP number for compliance. It’s cheap, it’s easy, it’s flexible, and in the scenarios I am about to cover, it’s just the better all around option for businesses and their customers. There are a ton of great business VoIP phone services to replace or upgrade an aging system, as well as free VoIP services for individuals. In both cases, you will have the option to select a fixed or non-fixed VoIP number. 1. Local presence in target markets Most people don’t pick up calls from numbers they don’t know, but if the area code is the same or close by, it increases the chances of someone picking up. With a non-fixed VoIP number, you can create a local presence in your target market by purchasing numbers with area codes in your target market. You don’t have to have a physical office in the area, but you can make it seem that way to customers and clients. You can probably see how this could be a scam tactic, not really that different from spoofing your caller ID number. That’s true, and scammers certainly use local area codes in order to get callers to pick up. But plenty of legitimate businesses use this tactic for perfectly good reasons. Let’s say a doctor’s office has outsourced after-hours communication to a virtual contact center. They want to set those customer service reps up with a local number so that patients pick up the call, don’t block the text message, or listen to the voicemail. When it comes to cold calling, using “local” non-fixed VoIP numbers is a way to increase contact rate. Potential customers are much more likely to pick up the phone if they see a call coming from a local number for all the same reasons we’ve discussed. 2. Remote and hybrid teams If you have remote work or teams distributed across different locations, non-fixed VoIP numbers are likely your best choice. Maybe you need a single fixed VoIP number for the office (or offices), but assigning non-fixed VoIP numbers to employees gives them a consistent business contact number, regardless of where they are located. This kind of flexibility can make a real difference. It ensures team members stay accessible to both clients and colleagues. With a lightweight VoIP solution like OpenPhone, employees can add a separate business line to their mobile phone. That means your team can maintain professional communications without disclosing their personal contact information. Also, your non-fixed VoIP numbers can easily come with you if your business ever needs to move to a new location. Not having to deal with regulations and location verification can allow for a smoother transfer of your operation to a new site without disrupting your communication system. 3. International calling If your team is based in the U.S. and makes a lot of calls outside North America, going with non-fixed VoIP numbers could save you a bundle. How much? You can save something like 80-90 percent on the cost of international calling by using VoIP instead of landline phones. Getting non-fixed VoIP numbers in the countries where you regularly do business is relatively easy. This lets you avoid the hefty costs associated with international calling minutes. Because you’re not concerned about running up a huge phone bill, your team can make more frequent outgoing calls to different countries. That kind of increased contact can help you progress faster on big goals like market penetration, improved service for international clients and more sales leads. For incoming lines like customer support, you can establish multiple local or toll-free numbers in each country where you work. That makes it easier for customers to reach out for support without paying long-distance charges. 4. Marketing campaign tracking For marketing campaigns, the ability to track your performance is critical to success. For call centers, non-fixed VoIP numbers make tracking possible by letting you monitor your campaign’s progress precisely. You can assign different non-fixed VoIP numbers to various campaigns and use the numbers to monitor their effectiveness. By analyzing call volume and origin for each number, you can get insights into which campaigns are performing well and which calling areas are most responsive. This information is critical for measuring which interactions truly contributed to revenue, and ensuring your efforts are targeted and efficient — key ingredients for maximizing the ROI of your campaigns. 5. IT failover solutions Non-fixed VoIP is ideal as a failover option because of its flexibility and ease of deployment. In the event of an outage, teams can access non-fixed VoIP numbers from any internet-connected device, whether they’re in the office, at home, or on the road. This flexibility allows for