If you combine enterprise network monitoring tools with industry best practices for network management, you’ll gain fuller visibility over your assets and establish a healthier network environment. Depending on your company’s security requirements and levels of risk, you can get advanced network monitoring features or just the basics with our picks for the top tools. Top network monitoring tools: Comparison table We have a more detailed look at each product below, but if you’re looking to quickly compare these tools in a few key areas, here’s a comparison table of all the products we’ll cover: Software Starting price for paid plans Forever free plan available Free trial available Business size Supported platforms Deployment options Progress WhatsUp Gold $899 per year for 50 devices Yes Yes. Any business size. Windows Server. Cloud or on-premises. Cacti $0 Yes No, but the software is free. Small businesses. Windows, Mac OS/X, Linux, Unix and any platform that meets the minimum requirements. Cloud or on-premises. Nagios $2,495 per year for 100 nodes Yes Yes. Small to medium-sized businesses. Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux/Unix. Cloud or on-premises. Zabbix $0 Yes No, but the software is free. Large businesses. Linux, IBM AIX, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Mac OS/X, Solaris, Windows and HP-UX. Cloud or on-premises. ManageEngine OpManager $245 for 25 devices Yes Yes. Large businesses. Windows, Linux or Chrome/Firefox/Edge browsers. Cloud or on-premises. Datadog $15 per host per month Yes Yes. Medium-to-large-sized businesses. Linux, Mac OS and Windows. Cloud or on-premises. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor $2,149 per year for ~50 devices No Yes. Any business size. Windows Server and Windows 10/11. Cloud or on-premises. Wireshark $0 Yes No, but the software is free. Any business size. Windows Server, Windows 8/8.1/10/11 and Unix/Unix-like platforms. Cloud or on-premises. 1 Site24x7 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 Alerts / Notifications, Analytics / Reporting, Application Performance Monitoring (APM), and more 2 ManageEngine Log360 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), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Small (50-249 Employees) Micro, Medium, Enterprise, Large, Small Features Activity Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and more Progress WhatsUp Gold: Best overall Image: Progress WhatsUp Gold logo. Source: Progress WhatsUp Gold. Progress’s WhatsUp Gold is an IT infrastructure monitoring solution that gives users full visibility into everything connected to their network. You’ll be able to see your servers, virtual machines, network devices, and cloud and wireless environments. This approach will help you make better diagnostic decisions when fixing network or component-specific problems. SEE: How to Create an Effective Cybersecurity Awareness Program (TechRepublic Premium) This is an SNMP-based network monitoring solution that you can expand with different add-ons. A great benefit of this platform is that it’s easy to use. Thanks to its interactive map, you’ll easily get the information you need to evaluate the status of your devices. Pricing Progress WhatsUp Gold does disclose starting prices on its website, but you’ll need to contact the sales department for a more accurate quote. There are three paid plans in addition to the forever free edition: Free edition: $0 for up to 10 devices. Business: starts at $899 for 50 devices. Enterprise: starts at $1,499 for 50 devices. Enterprise Plus: starts at $2,199 for 50 devices. Standout features Image: WhatsUp Gold dashboard. Source: Progress WhatsUp Gold. Popular features of this platform include: Log management. Alerts. Configuration management. Cloud-based resources. Application performance monitoring. Wireless network management. Flowmon NPMD/NDR. Network performance monitoring. Network mapping. Pros and cons Pros Cons It’s suitable for any business size or industry background. The number of features may be overwhelming for some users. The interface is user-friendly. It may be complex to manage your notifications. There are plenty of accessible and useful features. It can be costly, depending on the plan you select. Use cases I recommend this tool for any business that is willing to test or demo the solution first. It has plenty of basic and advanced features that cater to most needs, but you’ll still want to get a feel for its capabilities before committing. Why I chose Progress WhatsUp Gold I chose WhatsUp Gold because it offers a modular pricing system that lets companies pick and choose the extra features they need. I also like its modern UX and interactive network mapping, which helps companies build the right monitoring system for their specific needs. Cacti: Best bare bones option Image: Cacti Cacti is a monitoring and fault management framework that integrates with the Simple Network Management Protocol and is useful for making graphical representations of network traffic. While it’s built for statistical modeling, the tool is a good option for those with the technical chops to integrate their SNMP data. Cacti offers six built-in themes for you to customize your experience and has been translated into many languages. Pricing Cacti is a forever free tool released under the GNU General Public License. Standout features Image: Cacti dashboard. Source: Cacti. Cacti is an advanced template-based solution that allows you to work with the following features: Device templates. Graphs and graph templates. Data source management. Profiles. Data polling and collection. Packaging. Discovery and automation. Different graph-viewing options. Plugins. Group and domain management. An intuitive dashboard. Pros and cons Pros Cons It’s free. Features are limited for many business use cases and requirements. It’s RRDTool-based. The user interface is simple; some users may find it dated. The graphs are based on the SNMP protocol. Use cases Cacti is recommended for small businesses that may not need a complex network device monitoring service. Even though the platform offers plenty of features, others may give you a better experience via automations or quality-of-life updates. SEE: Best Home Network Monitoring Options (TechRepublic Forums) Why I picked Cacti Cacti is a free tool with the capabilities to provide the basic functions of network monitoring, provided that your team has staff that can understand statistical modeling and can connect and maintain the

By Chris McDermott ( October 29, 2024, 3:49 PM EDT) — When a trade and commodity finance bank makes a secured loan to a commodities trader, the ultimate origin of the collateral is physical commodities. Even if the collateral transforms into intangibles like receivables, forward books or contract rights, it all started out with physical stuff…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Do you know what kind of Google account you have? Do you even know if you have a Google Workspace account? There are many variations of accounts associated with Google, from a basic Gmail account to a paid, fully secured Google Workspace account. If you are confused about the different types of Google accounts, you are not alone. As Google’s products evolve, the company has changed the name of account types and services. TechRepublic has provided several types of Google accounts you should know. SEE: Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: A side-by-side analysis w/checklist (TechRepublic Premium) What is a Gmail account? A Gmail account is a free Google account with an email address that ends in @gmail.com. Gmail accounts arrived on the scene back in 2004, and they were such a hot commodity that people needed to receive an invitation in order to acquire an account. At the time, the 1 GB of storage space and the clever threading of conversations seemed modern when compared with Yahoo or Hotmail accounts. As the amount of free storage space grew, so did the applications people associated with a Gmail account. People who use Gmail can also access Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Calendar. The account allows access to other Google applications like Photos, Maps, and YouTube. Many Gmail users like the applications and the anytime/anywhere access so much that they arrange to have their work email forwarded to Gmail. This is more common in smaller organizations where email security is more relaxed. The account settings of Gmail allow you to display a business email address as the “reply from” address. A Gmail account is managed only by the individual who owns the account, not an organization’s IT administrator. What is a Google Account? A Google Account is a username and password that can be used to log in to consumer Google applications such as Docs, Sites, Maps, and Photos. But a Google account doesn’t necessarily end with @gmail.com. Think of it this way: All Gmail.com accounts are Google accounts, but not all Google accounts are Gmail.com accounts. For example, a user can sign up for a Google account with her @yahoo.com email address. Using this account she can create, edit, and collaborate on Google Docs without using Gmail. A common myth is that Google Workspace users cannot share and edit Google Docs with users who do not have a Google Workspace account. Anyone can sign up for a free Google Account and use it to access and edit Docs, Sheets, Slides, and more. SEE: How to manage your personal information for your Google account What are Google Workspace accounts? Google Workspace accounts come in many editions: Basic, Business, Enterprise, and configurations for Nonprofit, Education, or Government organizations. Google Workspace accounts previously were known as G Suite accounts. In earlier days, these were referred to as Google Apps or Google Apps for your Domain. All of these product names refer to successively offered Google services that provided administrator-managed accounts. What are the main differences between Gmail and Google Workspace? Unlike a standard Google or Gmail account, a Google Workspace administrator manages all accounts associated with each of these editions. Google Workspace provides access to a core set of apps that include Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Google+, Hangouts Meet, Hangouts Chat, Sites, and Groups. Subscribers to Google Workspace receive access to email and phone support as well. Other differences between Gmail and Google Workspace include: Gmail account Google Workspace account Price Free. From $7.20/£5 per user, per month. Storage 15 GB of storage, which is shared across Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. At least 30 GB, depending on the pricing plan. Services and features Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Maps, News, Play, Sites, Meet, Forms, YouTube. All of the services available to free accounts plus custom Gmail domains, enhanced Meet features, Admin Console, Endpoint Management, AppSheet, Work Insights, enhanced security features, and more. What are the pricing options for Google Workspace? There are several different pricing options available for Google Workspace accounts: Business Starter: $7.20/£5 per user, per month. Includes 30 GB storage per user, 100 participant video meetings. Business Standard: $14.40/£10 per user, per month. Includes 2 TB storage per user, 150 participant video meetings, appointment booking pages. Business Plus: $21.60/£15 per user, per month. Includes 5 TB storage per user, 500 participant video meetings, appointment booking pages, enhanced security. Enterprise: Price individual to organization. Includes at least 5 TB storage per user, 1,000 participant video meetings with special features, appointment booking pages, enhanced security, and support. Gemini, Google’s AI ecosystem, is available as an add-on to all of these plans. Can I use my Gmail account with Google Workspace? Yes, you can use your free Gmail account login details to access many Google Workspace services, including Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides. However, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan to use the full set of Workspace features, including custom domain addresses, enhanced admin controls, and additional storage capacity. More Google news & tips What are Managed Google Play and Cloud Identity accounts? Google also allows companies to create and manage two other types of organizational accounts: Cloud Identity and Managed Google Play. Cloud Identity accounts can be created and managed by an administrator but lack access to Google Workspace’s paid apps. A Cloud Identity account can help an administrator manage mobile devices, provide and sync directory services, and give people single sign-on services to other apps, among additional features. Managed Google Play accounts let an organization’s administrator deploy and manage Android apps. Managed Google Play Accounts lack access to paid Google Workspace apps. How do I switch between multiple Google accounts? Many Google users have multiple types of Google accounts. Google lets you sign in and switch between various Google, Gmail, and Google Workspace accounts in Chrome and in mobile apps. For more details on how to use and switch between multiple Google accounts, you can read some tips for managing multiple

By Y. Peter Kang ( October 25, 2024, 10:02 PM EDT) — A rare $16.2 million verdict against Amazon recently awarded by a Georgia jury is proof that a blueprint of sorts now exists for pinning liability on the retail giant in crash cases involving independent contractors, according to a veteran attorney who helped win the case…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

The injection of multicloud and hybrid cloud networks, business partners adding their own networking solutions, and the addition of the Zero Trust framework into the enterprise businesswide networking fabric has increased the complexity of enterprise networks by two more magnitudes from 10 years ago. In addition, modern networks are now more than just a means of connectivity; networking infrastructures have evolved into strategic assets that drive revenue, enhance customer experiences, and boost employee productivity. In this context, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into IT operations (ITOps) is becoming indispensable. AIOps (AI for IT operations) provides real-time contextualization and insights across the IT estate, ensuring that network infrastructure operates at peak efficiency in serving business needs. This blog explores how AIOps is revolutionizing network management and transforming networks into valuable business assets. This blog is part of a four-part series of blogs. The series delves into the intersection of AIOps with: The future of AI-driven IT operations (Carlos Casanova). DevOps and agile (Devin Dickerson and Andrew Cornwall). Autonomous networks and business-optimized networks (Andre Kindness and Octavio Garcia Granados). Edge, IoT, and OT computing (Michele Pelino). Intelligent Network Management One of the primary benefits of AIOps is its ability to enhance intelligent network management. In today’s complex network environments, optimizing performance and ensuring seamless connectivity in a continuously changing fabric is critical. AIOps provides insights across the various IT domains (e.g., application, security, infrastructure, etc.) that help networking professionals identify areas for improvement, automate routine tasks, and maintain optimal network performance. By leveraging AI-driven analytics, organizations can ensure that their networks are always running smoothly, reducing downtime and improving overall efficiency. Autonomous Networks AIOps is paving the way for the creation of autonomous networks that didn’t materialize during the era of software-defined networking or intent-based networking. These initiatives claimed to create self-managing, self-healing networks that could adapt to changing conditions and demands with minimal human intervention, except a crucial element was missing: AIOps. AIOps highlights areas where automation can be implemented, allowing networks to respond dynamically to issues and changes in the environment. This capability not only reduces the burden on IT staff but also ensures that networks remain resilient and reliable, even in the face of unexpected challenges, by applying known corrective actions or intelligently escalating issues to the right subject-matter expert following the AI “human in the loop” approach. Proactive Issue Resolution Proactive issue resolution is another significant advantage of AIOps. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real time, AIOps can help enterprises move beyond anomaly detection and pattern-based reactive response to better predict and resolve network issues before they impact users. This proactive approach ensures high availability and reliability of network services, which is crucial for maintaining business continuity. By addressing potential problems before they escalate, organizations can avoid costly downtime and ensure a seamless user experience. Embedding Zero Trust Into The Network Zero Trust is a security model that requires strict verification for every user and device attempting to access network resources. AIOps plays a crucial role in embedding Zero Trust principles into the network. By detecting and mitigating threats in real time, AIOps helps protect against cyberattacks and ensures compliance with industry standards. This proactive security approach is essential for safeguarding sensitive data and maintaining the integrity of the network, creating a shim layer between networking operations and security operations/detection/response processes. Business-Optimized Networks AIOps also enables the optimization of network components and subsystems to align with business goals and strategies. By providing actionable insights at the business application layer, AIOps helps organizations make informed decisions that enhance network performance and support business objectives. Whether it’s improving customer experiences, increasing revenue, or boosting employee productivity, AIOps ensures that the network infrastructure is a strategic asset that drives business success. Intelligent Connectivity Requires AI-Infused IT Operations The integration of AIOps into enterprise networks will transform the way organizations manage and optimize their IT operations. By providing real-time insights, enabling autonomous networks, and embedding Zero Trust principles, AIOps is revolutionizing network management and turning networks into valuable business assets. As digital businesses continue to evolve, the role of AIOps will only become more critical, ensuring that networks remain efficient, reliable, and aligned with business goals. Embracing AIOps is not just a technological upgrade; it’s a strategic imperative for any organization looking to thrive in the digital age. Starting in January of 2025, for Forrester clients, we’ll offer a series of webinars that align with this series of blogs. Be sure to mark these dates in your calendar for the upcoming webinars. Follow the analysts below for notification when the registration links are available.   Be sure to check out the other blogs in this series: source

Collaborative leadership is an increasingly popular approach to staff management that encourages teamwork, cooperation, and shared responsibility. At its heart, it’s about getting all team members working together toward shared goals.  A collaborative leader strives to get the best out of people from across the organization without a personal agenda other than to make things better for the organization, says Rebecca Fox, group CIO with cybersecurity services provider NCC Group. “Collaborative leaders see the good intent in people and their talents but are also not afraid to challenge openly poor behaviors and practices and, of course, praise the best in people for their effort and successes,” she observes in an email interview.  Collaborative IT leaders actively foster an environment of teamwork and open communication, states Matt Robinson, team lead and senior UX design manager with Google Photos. “They prioritize collaboration over hierarchy, ensuring team members feel trusted, valued, and empowered to contribute their ideas and expertise,” he says in an online interview.  Robinson notes that a collaborative leader will understand the importance of cross-functional teamwork within IT and across related business areas. “They’re skilled at breaking down silos, facilitating knowledge sharing, and aligning team efforts with the broader business goals,” he says. “By leveraging the collective strengths of their team, collaborative IT leaders can drive innovation, enhance problem-solving, and ensure that projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.”  Related:2024 InformationWeek US IT Salary Report: Profits, Layoffs, and the Continued Rise of AI Getting Started  Communication is a collaborative environment’s starting point. “Becoming a role model and leading by example encourages the right behaviors,” Fox says. “You can’t expect others to collaborate unless you’re showing these behaviors too.” Motion shouldn’t be confused with action. “Make sure there’s action after you collaborate — and that action shouldn’t be just more collaboration.”  Becoming a collaborative IT team leader is really a matter of personal growth and fostering a more productive and innovative work environment, Robinson says. “It starts with developing strong interpersonal skills and a mindset that values teamwork over individual achievement.”  An important first step, Robinson says, is to listen actively to team members and understand their strengths, challenges, and ideas. “This involves creating opportunities for open dialogue through regular team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, or collaborative tools that encourage communication.”  Related:Curtail Cloud Spend With These Strategies Robinson believes that to be fully effective, team leaders must make a strong commitment to continuous learning and development. “Stay informed about the latest collaborative tools and techniques that can help streamline communication and project management,” he advises. “Investing in your growth and your team can build a more cohesive and collaborative work environment.”  Essential Attributes  IT leadership is not about technology, Fox says. “It’s about people, business, and organizational outcomes.” A successful IT team leader excels in communication and empathy, fostering collaboration, and empowering their team. “They bridge the gap between technical requirements and business goals, ensuring IT initiatives align with the company’s strategic vision.”  Focusing on personal and team credibility sets the stage for growth and long-term effectiveness, says Randy Gross, chief information security officer at training and certification firm CompTIA, via email. “Transparency is the quickest way to demonstrate that credibility and accountability,” he states. Communicating technical concepts with business language lowers the chance of miscommunication. “Developing empathy for IT and business colleagues allows a meaningful and personal touch in crafting any solution.”  Related:Forrester Speaker Sneak Peek: Analyst Jayesh Chaurasia to Talk AI Data Readiness One of the most important attributes of a successful IT leader is having a strong strategic vision, observes Robin Hamerlinck, CIO at audio technology manufacturer Shure. “Working within a collaborative mindset and breaking silos between businesses to ensure collaboration is critical, but as a leader it’s your responsibility to encourage conversations and remind employees why they matter,” she says in an online interview. “Before you know it, teams will see the value of a collaborative approach and take it upon themselves to establish cross-functional connections.”  Hamerlinck feels that it’s also important to embrace innovation and creativity through collaboration. “At Shure, we’re constantly looking for ways to innovate our products and development processes, while holding onto important components of our technological legacy,” she says. “When I think about innovation and creativity, I think about how we can be even more forward-looking in our technological advancements, create solutions for customers, and prepare my teams for future shifts in the tech landscape.”  Parting Thoughts  Fox acknowledges that getting team members to collaborate can be difficult. “Prepare in advance for what you want,” she recommends. Ensure that all parties are engaged. “If you’re leading the collaboration sessions, prepare yourself mentally for the challenges ahead, and keep in mind that things rarely go according to plan.”  Collaboration is always a team sport, Gross observes. “It’s a choreographed and perfectly executed relay that relies on strong individual performances that together go faster than any individual ever could.”  Building an IT team that’s focused on collaboration is a process, and it can take time to get everyone in your organization onboard with the approach, Hamerlinck advises. “I like to remind IT leaders who are taking a collaborative approach to be patient and to work with their teams to understand the greater vision for your organization.” source

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Universal Music Group (UMG), one of the largest recording labels in the world, has been vocal about the impact of AI in the music industry, going as far as to sue AI companies. But even UMG wants its data to help train generative AI as long as it can control who gets to use its copyright and build AI models.  UMG announced it will work with AI company Klay Vision to help train generative AI music models “ethically and fully respectful of copyright.” The model will help create commercially available AI-generated music that will also include protections for the likeness rights of human creators.   “Research is critical to building the foundations for AI music, but the tech is only an empty vessel when it doesn’t engage with the culture it is meant to serve,” said Ary Attie, founder and CEO of Klay, in a press release.   This is not the first time UMG has made a deal to offer its content for AI licensing, all the while allowing it to help shape how AI music models are built. UMG signed an agreement with YouTube to be part of YouTube’s parent Alphabet’s Music AI Incubator. It also worked with SoundLabs to help create voice models for artists.  Klay and UMG said the goal is to responsibly build AI music foundation models that the companies hope “will dramatically lessen the threat to human creators and stand the greatest opportunity to be transformational, creating significant new avenues for creativity and future monetization of copyrights.” The companies did not elaborate on what the music AI foundation model will do.  Famously litigious  The music industry is famously litigious, guarding its copyright and licenses tightly. After all, these are the same music labels that attempted to kill music downloads. The industry has been involved in the Congressional hearings on legally protecting copyright and the right to publicity of artists. UMG and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Sony Music and Warner Music Group’s Atlantic Records filed a copyright infringement claim against Suno and Udio. The labels alleged the two startups copied songs and that when prompted to generate similar-sounding songs, the platforms would return with the same songs with different lyrics instead. Both Udio and Suno denied the accusations.  Labels, once again including Universal, sued Anthropic, the company behind Claude,  for distributing lyrics without permission.  Preemptive participation As much as record labels want to protect their copyright, the partnerships the companies are forging point to a trend of industries adopting an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” attitude towards AI.  Music labels see they can’t stem the creation of AI-generated songs and prevent AI models from training on publicly released music. Through these deals with AI startups, labels like UMG, which owns other record labels that host artists like Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan, can make (even more) money from their copyrights.  It also allows the companies to exert some control over who gets to use their data, something other industries have been pushing for as well. For example, media companies inked deals with companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Google and now Meta, which just signed its first AI news partnership with Reuters.  Vickie Nauman, founder of music and tech consultancy Cross Border Works, said in an email to VentureBeat that when new technologies like AI “crash into the music sector, there is usually a burst of innovation alongside legal issues surrounding music rights.” “Major and smaller rightsholders all see that generative AI is here to stay and it is in everyone’s best interest to establish a sustainable legal market,” Nauman said. “The downside is these deals take negotiation and time, so it doesn’t happen immediately.” Music labels will undoubtedly continue to sue AI companies if they feel they are infringing on copyright, but recording agencies will also undoubtedly want to shape how AI music is created in the image that best suits them.  source

By Christopher Cole ( October 28, 2024, 7:37 PM EDT) — The federal government envisions a “single network future” where smartphones can connect almost anywhere in the country thanks to regulations allowing signal coverage enhanced by satellites, the Federal Communications Commission’s chief told academics…. Law360 is on it, so you are, too. A Law360 subscription puts you at the center of fast-moving legal issues, trends and developments so you can act with speed and confidence. Over 200 articles are published daily across more than 60 topics, industries, practice areas and jurisdictions. A Law360 subscription includes features such as Daily newsletters Expert analysis Mobile app Advanced search Judge information Real-time alerts 450K+ searchable archived articles And more! Experience Law360 today with a free 7-day trial. source

Emily Pfeiffer researches B2C commerce solutions, commerce/site search, and order management systems. Lauren Cevallos researches point-of-service solutions, retail planning systems, and other store technology. We hear software vendors across our research areas saying that they offer — or are — or support — “unified commerce.” And when we ask them what they mean by that, we get a variety of answers. And if you walk around the expo floor at industry events, you’ll see booth after booth that says “unified commerce.” Look closely, and you’ll realize that you’re looking at vendors across many different categories of commerce technology and maybe even agencies that don’t have software, all saying that they do unified commerce. TL;DR: We are hosting a webinar for Forrester clients on November 19. If you’re a Forrester client, please join us! We will dig in on how the term “unified commerce” is used in the commerce tech market. We’ll also provide clarity on what types of unification matter and how to cut through the marketing speak to get to the value you need. We asked many vendors what “unified commerce” means to them. We get very different answers: Some said it’s about unifying (or consolidating) technical functions within one platform. Others talked about integrating tech across platforms. A few simply described the functionality that their company offers. Lately, a common answer is even less clear: “Unified commerce is about selling and interacting with customers, seamlessly, across channels including digital and physical.” Sound familiar? Yes — it’s basically just “omnichannel” ( … which is already a term). Is unified commerce just a new term for an existing concept — or, confusingly, many existing ones? The biggest reason we see this term as problematic is because so many vendors use it, and they all mean something different when they talk about what they’re unifying. We hear it from order management systems, point-of-service solutions, payment providers … and most of the time when a vendor uses the term, it doesn’t even offer a commerce solution. Rather, it provides systems that are a part of the great commerce tech ecosystem (no matter how unified it may be). So if you’re struggling to understand what it is that vendors are helping you unify, and how and why you’d want “unified commerce,” we’re here to help you understand. So “unified commerce” is not a thing. However … Digital businesses benefit from unification in their commerce strategies and tech. To be clear, there is value in unification. We will explain where we see benefits in unification within commerce tech, despite the numerous interpretations of the term unified commerce. Join us on November 19 for a live webinar on the topic of unified commerce and ask your questions live! And if you can’t join that day, please listen to the playback. We’re also happy to discuss this with you as a Forrester client via a guidance session or inquiry. source

Debates about AI are everywhere these days. Families are chatting about its impacts on their lives. Politicians are deliberating over the laws that oversee it. Workers are talking about the risks of job automation. Entrepreneurs are chewing over the business opportunities. And the tech world is discussing what everyone else will be discussing next. Unfortunately, these conversations have also attracted countless scoundrels. They join the chat with wild promises and heavy doses of AI snake oil. But behind their breathless hype, remarkable innovations are emerging. Don’t believe me? Well, just take a look at this week’s Nobel Prize winners.  Calling all Scaleup founders! Join the Soonicorn Summit on November 28 in Amsterdam. Meet with the leaders of Picnic, Miro, Carbon Equity and more during this exclusive event dedicated to Scaleup Founders! On Tuesday, a Nobel was awarded to AI pioneers for the first time. Just a day later, a Nobel was awarded to AI pioneers for the second time. These scientific achievements are a taste of what’s to come. AI is rapidly approaching an inflection point. “This goes beyond just the latest gadgets or GenAI breakthroughs,” says Chris Duffey, the head of AI innovation and strategy at Adobe. “It’s about a fundamental shift in how we think, create, and work.” Duffey has a unique perspective on these development. Alongside his work at Adobe, he’s written an award-winning book about AI and become a renowned futurist. He’s also a member of TNW’s advisory board. The board have been having their own debates about artificial intelligence. Their discussions led AI and Deeptech to become one of six themes for TNW Conference 2025. A gateway to the future of AI Over two jam-packed days in Amsterdam next June, we’ll explore the innovations set to shake up the world. Tech luminaries will be dissecting and demoing breakthroughs in AI, quantum, robotics, and so much more. Expect a mix of mind-bending panels, keynotes from digital leaders, and exclusive tips. Debates about AI will permeate the event — and we want you to join them. “The innovators who gather here are poised to challenge the status quo, to push boundaries in ways that ripple far beyond technology itself,” Duffey says. “What happens next isn’t inevitable, it’s the result of deliberate key moments, decisions, and ideas that will change everything.” To keep you on the right track, the AI and Deeptech theme is underpinned by four pillars: AI Revolution: Explore how AI is transforming different industries Leaping into Quantum: Discover how businesses can tap the power of quantum and why investors should pay close attention Rise of the Machines: Find out which cutting-edge robotics trends you should keep on your radar The Cyber Arms Race: What are the latest cybersecurity technologies you should know about? And what are the ethical dilemmas when it comes to securing your business’ systems against threats? Duffey has big expectations for the programme. “We’re not just predicting the future,” he says. “We’re inventing it, one groundbreaking idea at a time.” If you want to hear all about these ideas, you can grab a ticket forTNW Conference now. Use the code TNWXMEDIA2025 to get 30% off your pass. See you on June 19 and 20 in Amsterdam! source