Technology service spending will reach $2 trillion in 2028, rising 4.6% year over year globally, much faster than GDP growth. We recently analyzed the earnings of six technology service providers and surveyed over 2,300 enterprise service decision-makers (with both business and IT titles) from 11 countries around the world to find out what’s going on out there. We have done a three-part analysis of the state of technology services: 1) co-innovation services; 2) provider selection, pricing, and management; and 3) strategic partnerships. Here are some highlights: Strategic service providers must be co-innovation partners, not just job shops. The primary driver of change in services is co-innovation. In this model, providers share risk and are motivated to achieve specific outcomes. They help you coordinate internal stakeholders and orchestrate cloud, software, and AI ecosystem providers. At the heart of co-innovation partner relationships is trust, which, at 47%, is the most important factor in selecting a provider. Providers’ growth stems from demand for core transformations … The days of random projects that didn’t move the needle on business growth or profitability are over. After 15 years of projects, firms are consolidating into core systems and laying the software, data, and process groundwork for the next wave of growth. In a recent earnings call, Cognizant emphasized “large deals” (code word for transformation or outsourcing) driving “fourth-quarter bookings [increasing] 11% year over year.” … and for a new wave of AI business investment. Almost half of respondents we surveyed say that AI is the most important technology for third-party services help — internet of things came in a distant second at 9%. During a December 2024 earnings call, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet reported $1.2 billion in new AI bookings and went on to say, “Those who really want to go into AI are more prioritizing spending as opposed to spending more.” Firms want results — not just people — and they’re willing to pay to achieve it. The survey reveals how prominent performance-based pricing models have become as a way to achieve outcomes, motivate providers, and share risk. In 2024, 45% of services decision-makers expected to expand their use of performance-based pricing and 46% expected to increase fixed-price contracts. We expect providers to make more fixed-price bids as they build generative AI-powered delivery platforms that improve delivery speed, quality, and predictability. Providers respond by amping up asset-driven business models. Thirty-five percent of North American and 38% of Asia Pacific respondents see data, content, and software assets as key benefits to working with service providers. Interestingly, only 25% of European services decision-makers are focused on a provider’s assets. With genAI disrupting service delivery economics — more value at lower cost — it’s important that providers bring more assets and solutions to help enterprises gain an AI advantage. Manage Service Providers To Maximize The Value They Bring The survey provides solid benchmarks for effectively managing providers, including these best practices: Regularly meet with your providers. Fifty-two percent of service decision-makers hold quarterly or even monthly meetings with providers to plan the roadmap for the next phase of their projects. By maintaining open lines of communication between providers and employees, organizations establish an integration strategy that fosters collaboration and ensures a cohesive approach toward objectives. Track quality and financial metrics to assess provider engagement levels. Survey respondents report that their organizations monitor key metrics such as quality (54%), financial performance (48%), and end user experience (47%). Organizations should develop a repeatable scoring method based on these metrics as a best practice to align their organizational goals with their partner’s plan. Ensure that providers satisfy stakeholders. Forty-one percent of decision-makers assess providers’ engagement using senior stakeholder satisfaction. Involving stakeholders in the evaluation process provides diverse senior-level management perspectives and helps gather insight into their performance and partnership qualities. If you want to dig deeper into co-innovation to maximize the value of partners, please reach out to me by scheduling a guidance session or an inquiry via email: [email protected]. If you have an offering that moves the needle on co-innovation, performance-based pricing, AI-powered delivery, or ecosystem orchestration, please consider scheduling a briefing: [email protected]. source

By Ivan Moreno ( March 18, 2025, 12:17 PM EDT) — The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday rejected an inventor’s appeal to obtain a copyright for an artwork made by his artificial intelligence system, affirming the stance from the U.S. Copyright Office that the law protects only human creations…. 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

Image: DC_Photo via Envato AI’s workplace potential is being hindered by outdated tools and employee concerns, a Lenovo report finds. While 79% of IT leaders see Gen AI as boosting productivity, only 36% say it effectively supports engagement. With 42% of employees fearing it will reduce their contributions and 89% of IT leaders calling for a digital workplace overhaul, businesses must go beyond automation to fully unlock AI’s benefits. Digital workplace tools are failing to support productivity When the researchers surveyed 600 IT leaders worldwide for this Lenovo report, they found that while 79% of respondents believe Gen AI will let employees focus on more impactful work by automating operational processes, less than half said their current digital workplace tools support productivity, engagement, and innovation effectively. The main barrier may be the emergence of large language models (LLMs), which have rapidly accelerated the pace and sophistication of automation. The emergence of Gen AI as a key component of the digital workplace has also introduced new challenges, the report states. More must-read AI coverage Businesses struggle to unlock Gen AI’s full potential Despite Gen AI’s vast opportunities —  including enhanced collaboration, creativity, innovation, engagement, and productivity — business leaders struggle to implement it effectively and achieve meaningful productivity gains. Only 36% believe their AI systems support employee engagement “very effectively,” while a staggering 89% say organizations must first overhaul their digital workplace to unlock Gen AI’s full potential. Another significant challenge is employees’ concerns over privacy, security, and ethics with 35% citing these major barriers to adoption. “That’s why digital workplace transformation is needed,’’ said Linda Yao, vice president of AI Solutions & Services Group, in the report. “It’s about understanding how people stay productive, what their preferences are, and rolling it out to everybody.” Despite hurdles, IT leaders remain motivated — nearly half (49%) say creating a more productive and engaging employee experience is their top priority for the coming year. Delivering transformative productivity requires reinvention To fully realize Gen AI’s potential, organizations must do more than simply automate existing processes; the report outlines three strategies to improve the digital workplace: Unlock productivity and engagement: Tailor the employee experience to each user’s role, requirements, and working style using persona-based configuration. A Gen AI-powered IT support experience will minimize disruptions to their workflow. Simplify the personalization process with Gen AI: Create personas, then configure devices, software, and IT support levels to them. Gen AI automation can be used to ensure disruptions are predicted, detected, or resolved as soon as possible. Reinvent to leverage people’s capabilities: Determine how Gen AI can enhance and augment an organization’s value creation objectives and competitive differentiation. Anticipate and manage the change the technology brings, ensuring employees have the skills and motivation they need to adapt. The report underscores that in order to achieve AI-driven productivity gains businesses must rethink their approach, modernize their digital tools, and actively address employee concerns. source

Aerospike rocket engines are the stuff of legend in the space industry. Conceived in the 1960s, their unique spiked-nozzle design promises better efficiency, reusability, and performance at all altitudes. But their complexity — and the shutdown of major space programmes towards the end of the 20th century — meant they never entered the mainstream.  But now, startups are dusting off old designs and using new technologies to revive aerospike engines for modern spaceflight. One of these ventures is Spain’s Pangea Aerospace. Founded in 2018, Pangea has been operating under the radar for most of its seven-year history. But today, the company announced a €23mn Series A funding round as it looks to ramp up development of its 3D-printed aerospike rocket engine. Among the investors was André-Hubert Roussel, former CEO of ArianeGroup, who oversaw the development of Europe’s only heavy-lift rocket in operation, Ariane 6. Roussel joined Pangea’s board last year.  “It’s incredibly valuable to have such a figure investing in and advising us as we embark on our next stage of growth,” Pangea’s CCO and co-founder Xavier Llairó told TNW. 3 free tickets to TNW Conference? Get them now! For a limited time, groups can get up to three extra free tickets! Book now and increase your visibility and connections at TNW Conference Roussel praised the company’s plans on LinkedIn. “Strong team, strong technology, building the future of space propulsion,” he said. An aerospike rocket revolution? In 2021, Pangea successfully conducted a hot-fire test of Demo-P1, the world’s first aerospike methalox engine.   “We’ve been silently making breakthroughs in cooling techniques, additive manufacturing, and materials science that are now paying off,” said Llairó. “We’re sure we can produce aerospike engines at a low cost.”  Pangea, which has headquarters in Barcelona, Spain and Toulouse, France, is now directing most of its focus towards ARCOS, slated to become the world’s first flight-ready aerospike engine. ARCOS is designed to be reused up to 10 times and to power both a rocket’s booster and upper stage. And like the Demo-P1, it will be 3D-printed. A 3D render of the finished ARCOS engine. Credit: Pangea Pangea, in partnership with Aenium Engineering, has developed a proprietary copper-alloy material that can make an engine capable of withstanding the extreme thermal and mechanical loads of rocket launch and flight. The team has also developed a way to quickly deposit it in layers using a 3D printer.  “The result is a very low-cost, very strong combustion chamber that can withstand the high heat and pressure,” said Llairó. “With this technology, we’ve been able to produce things that were simply unproducible before.” Pangea’s aerospike engines are 30% more efficient than traditional bell engines, delivering 15% higher overall efficiency, and enabling up to 30% more payload capacity to orbit, the company said in a statement. The new space boom Pangea aims to build rocket propulsion systems for all rocket sizes, from microlaunchers to heavy-lifters. Last year, the European Space Agency (ESA) contracted the startup to design a very high-thrust rocket engine, which could power future European heavy and super-heavy rockets.  However, Pangea mainly looks to cater to the emerging flock of private space companies. The startup says it wants to be the Rolls-Royce of rockets — the leading engine supplier in the sector. Pangea is currently testing its technology in partnership with three private space companies, Llairó told TNW. “Two European, one American,” he said, refusing to elaborate further.  Europe’s most promising rocket launch startups right now include Germany’s Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) and Spain’s PLD Space. All three are set to blast off on their maiden flights this year, although Isar looks to be the first. Then there are the more established European heavyweights, Arianespace, a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, and Avio, the Italian makers of Vega-C.   All these companies are looking to tap a booming global space economy, forecast to be worth $1.8 trillion by 2035. For Pangea, that means more customers.  Llairó also thinks space tech offers an important strategic lever for Europe, which is pushing to ramp up its defence capabilities and tech sovereignty amid cooling relations with the US and threats from Russia.  “Space is crucial for our defence and autonomy in Europe,” he said. “We have an opportunity to build a strong local space economy [here] and to be leaders in certain areas, like propulsion systems. However, it’s an opportunity that will go to waste unless governments invest more [in space startups] and take a risk like they do in the US.”  source

By Bonnie Eslinger ( March 14, 2025, 9:04 PM EDT) — A California federal judge Friday agreed with Meta that a Chinese information company that hasn’t paid a $5.5 million default judgment in a cybersquatting case should provide details about the sale of its domain name business just days before she issued an asset freeze…. 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

Choosing the right e-commerce platform goes beyond an online store setup — it’s about finding a scalable, flexible, and future-proof solution that streamlines operations, boosts sales, and drives growth. To identify the best e-commerce platforms of 2025, I conducted hands-on testing, analyzed 41 key data points, and scored each platform on usability, scalability, tools, and innovation for a data-driven comparison. Below are my recommendations: Best overall: Shopify Best for high-volume businesses: BigCommerce Best for enterprise: Adobe Commerce Best for creatives, artists, and portfolio-based e-commerce businesses: Squarespace Best for SEO and design flexibility: Wix Best for businesses adding selling functionality to their existing website: Ecwid by Lightspeed Best for service-based businesses and brick-and-mortar stores: Square Online Best for WordPress users and open-source flexibility: WooCommerce Top e-commerce platforms comparison Below is an e-commerce platform comparison table that shows our rating, the platform’s starting price, and whether they offer a free trial or not. Our rating (out of 5) Online store starting price Free trial Shopify 4.26 $5 Yes BigCommerce 4.13 $39 Yes Adobe Commerce 3.89 Custom quote Yes Squarespace 3.70 $36 Yes Wix 3.70 $29 Yes Ecwid by Lightspeed 3.68 Paid at $25 Free plan Square Online 3.62 Paid at $29* Free plan WooCommerce 3.36 $0 Forever-free Lump sum billing. Shopify: Best overall Image: Shopify Our rating: 4.26 out of 5 Shopify is one of the most user-friendly e-commerce platforms and also excels in multichannel selling, with built-in integrations for Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram. It is the best choice for businesses that want a beginner-friendly, all-in-one e-commerce platform with multichannel selling and strong third-party integrations. Why I chose Shopify After personally using and testing Shopify for over five years, I still find that it consistently outperforms other e-commerce platforms in usability, store management, and overall value. Its user-friendly backend makes it accessible even for non-tech-savvy business owners, while its built-in marketing tools — including discount codes, email marketing, and abandoned cart recovery — help drive sales. Moreover, Shopify is a favorite among real-world users and industry experts, with its quality customer support frequently praised in third-party reviews. It also innovates twice a year, introducing AI-driven tools and automation to keep merchants ahead. While transaction fees can be high without Shopify Payments, its app marketplace, automation tools, and enterprise solution (Shopify Plus) make it one of the most flexible and scalable e-commerce platforms. Pricing Starter: $5/month (social media selling, basic online store with checkout, contact page, and product pages) Basic Shopify: $39/month (basic features, 2 staff accounts, standard reports) Shopify Plan: $105/month (5 staff accounts, lower transaction fees, advanced reporting) Advanced Shopify: $399/month (15 staff accounts, lowest transaction fees, custom reporting) Shopify Plus: Custom pricing (starts at ~$2,300/month for enterprise businesses) Transaction fees: Payment processing fee: 2.4% + 30¢–2.9% + 30¢ per transaction; 5% per transaction for Starter Transaction fee: 0% transaction fee if using Shopify Payments (otherwise, 0.5%–2% additional fee for third-party gateways) Domain name: ~$10-$20/year SSL certificate: Free, included on all plans Estimated upfront cost: $300-$600 (depends on domain and optional upgrades) Ongoing cost: $39-$399+/month (higher for Shopify Plus) Features Free trial length: Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, followed by a $1/month introductory offer for the first three months on select plans Integrated sales channels: Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, Walmart Marketplace, and Pinterest Mobile app features: Available Manage orders, track inventory, and process payments. Edit product listings and update store settings. Receive real-time notifications for new orders and customer interactions. Standout features: Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop store builder with extensive theme options. Built-in multichannel selling with marketplace and social media integrations. Shopify Payments eliminates third-party transaction fees. Large app marketplace with thousands of third-party integrations. Scales from small businesses to enterprises with Shopify Plus. User reviews: Third-party user reviews have the following sentiments: Users appreciate the ease of use, strong multichannel selling options, and extensive app ecosystem. Some users find transaction fees high when not using Shopify Payments, and customization can be limited without coding. Shopify’s website builder is easy, intuitive, and customizable. (Image: Shopify)   Pros and cons Pros Cons Extremely beginner-friendly with drag-and-drop customization Incur transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments Massive app marketplace for extending store functionality Customization limitations without using code (Liquid language) Scales well from small to enterprise businesses (Shopify Plus) Limited built-in (search engine optimization) SEO features compared to BigCommerce Excellent multichannel selling (social media, marketplaces, in-person) Reliable support and vast online resources BigCommerce: Best for high-volume businesses Image: BigCommerce Our rating: 4.13 out of 5 BigCommerce is the best platform for businesses looking to scale without incurring additional transaction fees. It’s one of the few platforms that supports headless commerce, giving brands greater flexibility by separating the storefront from backend operations. BigCommerce is an excellent option for growing e-commerce brands that need powerful, built-in features. Why I chose BigCommerce BigCommerce is a powerful Shopify alternative that offers scalability without transaction fees, allowing businesses to use any payment gateway without extra costs. Unlike Shopify, which relies on apps for advanced SEO and product management, BigCommerce provides built-in tools like faceted search, AMP support, and advanced product filtering, making it a strong choice for brands that depend on organic search traffic. However, its design customization is more limited than WooCommerce or Adobe Commerce, and some users find its interface less intuitive than Shopify. Still, for businesses that need growth-friendly pricing, scalability, and enterprise-level features, BigCommerce is one of the best options available. Pricing BigCommerce offers tiered pricing based on revenue thresholds rather than fixed feature limits. Standard Plan: $39/month (up to $50K in annual sales, no transaction fees) Plus Plan: $105/month (up to $180K in annual sales, abandoned cart saver) Pro Plan: $399/month (up to $400K in annual sales, advanced search filtering) Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing (for high-volume businesses, additional support, and API capabilities) Transaction fees: None on all plans (only standard payment processor fees apply) Domain name: ~$10-$20/year SSL certificate: Free, included on all plans Estimated upfront cost: $0-$100 (depends on domain and optional upgrades) Ongoing cost: $39-$399+/month (scales based

Security that accelerates rather than constrains innovation  Automated controls that ensure compliance without manual intervention  Transparent security metrics guiding risk-based decisions  Engaged teams sharing security responsibility  Architecture designed for protection without compromising agility  Strong security foundations that enable continuous compliance  In the process, security teams step out from the enforcement role — like the Queen of Hearts — and into a role more akin to the helpful but unobtrusive Cheshire Cat. By fostering collaboration, contextual guidance, and continuous improvement, you’ll build not just secure technology solutions, but a resilient digital ecosystem that can adapt to tomorrow’s threats.  Key takeaways for technology leaders  Start with business risk appetite, not just technical controls  Align security metrics with business outcomes for meaningful insights  Provide security platforms and patterns that make secure development easy  Measure what matters — tie security metrics to business impact  Invest in security capabilities and culture across the organization  Design for secure evolution using automated compliance and verification  Continuously share insights and scale successful security patterns  Remember, just as great cities aren’t built in a day, this transformation is a journey rather than a destination. The key is to start now, move purposefully, and keep the focus on enabling business outcomes while ensuring appropriate protection. In doing so, you’ll build not just a secure technology landscape, but a thriving ecosystem that powers your organization’s future success — safely and confidently.  Call to action: Starting your transformation  Assess your current security integration maturity  Identify your most pressing security improvement opportunities  Build a coalition of business, technology, and security leaders  Choose a high-impact pilot area for initial focus  Establish clear metrics for measuring security improvement  Share successes and learnings broadly  Scale proven patterns across the organization  Maintain focus on continuous security improvement  Organizations that successfully navigate this transformation will build competitive advantages through faster, more secure software delivery, more efficient use of security investments, improved ability to meet regulatory requirements, enhanced capacity for secure innovation, and greater business-security alignment.  The time to start is now. Your organization’s future security posture depends on the foundations you build today.  Shawn McCarthy is vice president and chief architect, Global Architecture, Risk & Governance, at Manulife.  This article was made possible by our partnership with the IASA Chief Architect Forum. The CAF’s purpose is to test, challenge and support the art and science of Business Technology Architecture and its evolution over time as well as grow the influence and leadership of chief architects both inside and outside the profession. The CAF is a leadership community of the IASA, the leading non-profit professional association for business technology architects.  source

By Emilie Ruscoe ( March 14, 2025, 8:47 PM EDT) — A purported crypto trading platform has been ordered to pay nearly $2.5 million after failing to respond to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission claims that it was at the heart of a so-called pig-butchering scheme — or a scam that sees victims fleeced by fictitious, chatty social media users…. 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

Presented by SAP Sometimes two contradictory forces can be true at the same time. In the past 20 years, we’ve seen an explosion of innovative new technologies for businesses but slowing business productivity growth. Between 1995 and 2005, productivity in the U.S. grew at 2.6%. But in the decades since 2005, it grew at just 1.4% — a drop of nearly 50%, according to McKinsey. And this happened during a time when the internet matured, smartphones and mobile apps became pervasive and there were big advancements in ERP technologies. It is clear from the data that innovation alone doesn’t lead to broad-based productivity gains. And that is a problem because when businesses are more productive, everyone benefits. This is especially important to take note of right now as new data and business AI innovations are reaching the market with breakneck speed. But these innovations are also bringing more complexity. What really matters is how you use data and AI together. Clean and meaningful data is the foundation for relevant AI. At the center of this is ERP data. Why is ERP data so valuable? Because it is structured, describes processes, and has a sematic meaning. Examples include purchase orders, invoices, financial postings in a general ledger and supplier delivery schedules. ERP data has business semantics that connects individual data sets and that’s what makes it possible to truly understand how businesses run. When you add in industry-specific data — like energy prices, interest rates and consumer trends and preferences, it becomes even richer. Considering that over 80% of the business data generated in the world runs through an SAP system, this is knowledge that is unique to SAP. We know how businesses run best across any industry and geography. Emerging AI applications as a force multiplier The cloud has changed the game as how this data is accessible. On top of this data, a new class of AI-driven applications can be built that is relevant to a business and their industry and is useful through an intuitive user interface. That’s what creates a force multiplier for business productivity and business value. That’s exactly what SAP is focused on right now. In the past few weeks, SAP has announced a series of data and AI innovations to make businesses more productive. This includes Joule for Developers, which is an AI-powered assistant that understands SAP’s development framework and empowers developers of all skill levels to be more productive, creative and proficient in accelerating ABAP, Java and JavaScript-based application development and automation. Last month, we announced our Business Data Cloud, as our solution to unify all SAP and third-party data for our customers, providing the trusted data foundation organizations need to make more impactful decisions. In combination with our partner DataBricks, BDC combines structured data with unstructured data such as customer feedback, industry trends, etc., leading to better decision making. Unifying AI across the organization The source that is generating the necessary operational data is the SAP Business Suite. It represents a comprehensive set of integrated applications that seamlessly connects every part of their business. And that really speaks to the elegance of the SAP system — that everything works together seamlessly and provides customers a 360 view on their business. Think of it like an orchestra. Instead of individual musicians playing different instruments, an orchestra creates music and harmony because they play seamlessly together. In other words, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. That’s what the SAP Business Suite does for business data. A great example is KIND, which is the health and wellness division of Mars, Inc. Their recent growth created lots of complexity. They needed to rethink their decentralized ways of working. So they implemented SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition as their new business technology foundation while partnering with implementation experts from Accenture. As a result, they can better access and leverage their ERP data in the public cloud, leading to operational efficiencies and better use of analytics to drive better decisions for efficient business operations. It’s clear that the next wave of AI is agentic — agents or services that come as software. For example, think of a service to enter and process travel expenses. What is still needed is software that stores the data in a structured way, a system of record, etc. But what is changing is the user experience. In the case of SAP, our UX is Joule and it is becoming the orchestrator of services. There isn’t a single business technology conversation today that doesn’t start and end with the impact of data and AI. But just like an orchestra, it can either be noise or music depending on how it all comes together. Companies that embrace an active approach of data management supercharged by generative AI will stay ahead of what’s coming next and create a blueprint for a new era of business productivity growth. Jan Gilg is Chief Revenue Officer, Americas and SAP Global Business Suite. Sponsored articles are content produced by a company that is either paying for the post or has a business relationship with VentureBeat, and they’re always clearly marked. For more information, contact [email protected]. source