By Thora Johnson, Georgia Ravitz and Amy Joseph ( January 1, 2025, 2:24 PM EST) — With a change in administration and the release of some long-awaited rules, the healthcare industry is bracing for both regulatory developments and more litigation that will have a significant impact this year…. 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

VyprVPN’s fast facts Our rating: 4.5 out of 5 (if applicable)Starting price: $3 per month for a 24 month planKey features: Strong AES-256 bit encryption No-log policy and no third parties Public Wi-Fi protection I rely on the internet for many different aspects of my life. As both a professional freelance writer conducting most of my business on the web, and a chronically online individual with an undying affinity for memes, my internet activity is disparate, diverse, and can be dangerous if it ends up in the wrong hands. Image: VyprVPN VyprVPN is one of many virtual private network solutions that promise to safeguard users’ online activity. With robust features like a Master Firewall to block unrequested inbound traffic and top-of-the-line encryption methods to disguise IP addresses, the product stands out as an effective and affordable option. This VPN has been in the game since Golden Frog established it under Swiss jurisdiction in 2009. It has since maintained its no-logs policy even through its ownership transition to U.S.-based Certida. For over 15 years, internet users have trusted VyprVPN to safeguard their online traffic from the government, internet service providers, and any other malicious actors looking to sneak a peek. Today, VyprVPN remains a reliable tool for protecting users’ online activity and securing their internet data — whether it be silly or sensitive. No matter what your online scrolling sessions consist of, your data privacy is important. Read on as I analyze VyprVPN’s features, protocols, and performance and see how it stands against the competition. 1 Semperis Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Large, Enterprise Features Advanced Attacks Detection, Advanced Automation, Anywhere Recovery, and more 2 ESET PROTECT Advanced 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 Advanced Threat Defense, Full Disk Encryption , Modern Endpoint Protection, and more 3 NordLayer Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise VyprVPN’s pricing VyprVPN offers its VPN services for personal use through three subscription options, each with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The plans all include the same perks and are differentiated only by the length of their subscription, with contract options for 24 months, 12 months, and one month. Take a look below for details about the prices of each plan. Plan duration Price per month Price per billing period 24 Months $3.00 $72.00 12 Months $5.00 $60.00 1 Month $10.00 $10.00 VyprVPN also offers one-year contract plans specifically for business use. These plans, VyprVPN for Business Cloud and VyprVPN for Business, each include multiple user management features and protection for three users. Plans can be expanded for $99 per additional user. SEE: Everything You Need to Know about the Malvertising Cybersecurity Threat (TechRepublic Premium) VyprVPN for Business Cloud costs $349 per year for three users. Its standout features include a dedicated private server for the organization and fast, straightforward deployment. VyprVPN for Business costs $299 per year for three users. Its standout features include a dedicated account manager and access to global business servers. Does VyprVPN offer a free trial? Unlike many competitors, ViperVPN does not offer a seven-day free trial, at least not in the traditional sense. Its official website explains that the 30-day money-back guarantee is provided in lieu of a trial. It states, “If you cancel your subscription within thirty (30) days of your first payment, you may request a full refund with no questions asked. That’s the VyprVPN free trial  — VPN at its best, or your money back.” SEE: The 5 Best VPNs with Free Trials in 2024 (TechRepublic) Here’s where I get a bit nitpicky about the parallel the company made between their offer and a free trial. While VyprVPN’s money-back guarantee does technically allow new users to try the service “for free” if they request a refund before the 30-day mark, customers who keep their plan still have to foot the bill for their first 30 days of use. Moreover, the hassle of requesting a refund over simply canceling your trial is another factor that makes me less keen on the offer. VyprVPN users must contact the company’s Support Team via email or live chat to request a refund. While some other VPN companies also favor the 30-day money-back guarantee incentive, many of them provide a week-long trial period, often for mobile users. For instance, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a seven-day free trial for Android users, and ExpressVPN offers the same guarantee with a seven-day free trial for Android and iOS. Upon further digging, I discovered that VyprVPN provides a free trial of its VPN, but only for users who sign up through the Apple Store or Google Play Store, and it only lasts for three days. VyprVPN provides a three-day free trial of its VPN through the Apple Store. Image: Madeline Clarke Still, VyprVPN is a relatively affordable provider, with its prices falling in the middle of the spectrum. Compared to other popular providers, Express VPN’s starting price is even higher at $6.67 per month, and NordVPN is priced similarly at $4.99 per month for its annual plan. But if you’re looking for a less expensive alternative, you may want to check out SurfsharkVPN’s annual plan for $3.69 per month or Private Internet Access VPN’s annual plan for just $3.33 per month. VyprVPN’s key features VyprVPN protects users’ sensitive data and internet activity with various valuable features. Check out some of their most notable ones below. No-log VPN protection As a publicly audited no-log VPN service, VyprVPN doesn’t store its users’ traffic logs or personally identifiable information. VyprVPN is registered in Switzerland, which does not require companies to collect, log, or provide user data. Therefore, it is one of the many providers that can go the extra mile to protect user

By Lauren Katzenellenbogen and Rosaleen Chou ( January 1, 2025, 8:01 AM EST) — As we start the new year, we expect it to be another busy one for intellectual property practitioners…. 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

It seems like everyone is talking about performance these days in all aspects of life. High school kids are applying to college, and their SAT/ACT test scores and overall GPAs are being compared to their peers; awards season is kicking off, with nominations for the best performances in TV, movies, and other entertainment areas; and of course, the ever-popular end-of-year business ritual, when employees and managers evaluate their performance over the prior 12 months. It just seems fitting, then, that we kick the year off with a freshly published report on what high performance looks like in portfolio marketing. Results from Forrester’s Portfolio Marketing Survey, 2024, reveal significant gaps between high-performing and low-performing organizations. The survey gathers insights from portfolio and product marketing decision-makers based on their responses to questions about core responsibilities, technology usage, and key activities. High performance is defined as when 80% or more of an organization’s primary offerings are meeting revenue targets, while low-performance organizations are characterized as such by making 40% or less of their offerings’ revenue targets. High-performing portfolio marketers are customer-centric, and our research reveals the characteristics and behaviors that set them apart from their low-performing peers. Existing Forrester clients can access all the survey findings in this full report. Here is just a glimpse at some of the areas that stood out. Audience Mastery Is The Secret Weapon For High Performers One of the most significant responsibilities of a portfolio marketer is to help their organization define and prioritize target market segments and buyer personas. Two-thirds (66%) of high performers indicate that they have defined target market segments for more than half of their offerings, compared to just 19% of low performers, and 62% of high performers have defined target buyer personas for more than half of their offerings (21% for low performers). High Performers Emphasize Market Expertise Understanding market trends and dynamics is a fundamental capability for portfolio marketers. More than half (54%) of high performers own or lead efforts related to market research and intelligence; this is compared to 30% for low performers, and a whopping 35% of low performers say that they don’t do this at all! When it comes to market analysis, 60% of high performers own or lead the effort, versus just 40% for low performers. High-Performing Organizations Make Investments In Portfolio Marketing Portfolio marketing teams have long suffered from being understaffed. As high performers meet or exceed revenue targets, they can support growth within the function. More than half (56%) of high performers indicate that their organization’s investment in the portfolio marketing team will increase by 5% or more over the next 12 months (just 19% for low performers). High performers also invest in ongoing professional development, with 84% dedicating 40 or more hours per year, compared to only 51% of low performers dedicating as much time. For a more in-depth read on the survey findings and how high-performing teams outperform their peers, Forrester clients can check out my recently published report, written with my colleague Nicky Briggs, The State Of Portfolio And Product Marketing In 2024. And if you would like to have a more detailed conversation with me, you can request a guidance session or inquiry. source

Best overall Mac project management software: ClickUp Best for data-driven project tracking and reporting: Smartsheet Best for startups and small businesses: monday.com Best for scalability: Asana Best for team collaboration: Wrike Best for development teams: Jira Best free project management software: Trello Best for client-facing users: Teamwork Best for project management analytics: Hive Best for remote teams: Basecamp Best for cost-effectiveness: Zoho Projects Best for complex project planning: Merlin Project Mac computers are the standard for some industries, and many professionals prefer using them for work—even when it’s not required. When project management software is optimized for macOS, workflows are smoother, and projects are more likely to stay on track. Based on my own testing and research, I’ve put together this list of the best project management software for Mac users that highlights features, use cases, and pros and cons. You’ll also find information about my methodology for evaluating the software and tips on choosing the best project management software for Mac. 1 monday.com 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 Agile Development, Analytics / Reports, API, and more 2 ClickUp 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 Agile Development, Budget / Expense Tracking, Document Management / Sharing, and more 3 Quickbase Employees per Company Size Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Large (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+) Small (50-249 Employees), Medium (250-999 Employees), Large (1,000-4,999 Employees), Enterprise (5,000+ Employees) Small, Medium, Large, Enterprise Features Agile Development, Analytics / Reports, API, and more Top project management software for Mac comparison Software Gantt charts Mobile app Free version Our star rating (out of 5) Starting price (per month) ClickUp Yes iPad (iPadOS 12+), iPhone (iOS 12+), Apple Watch (watchOS 7.5+) Yes 5 $7 per user Smartsheet Yes iPad (iPadOS 15+), iPhone (iOS 15+) Yes 3.8 $9 per user monday.com Yes iPad (iPadOS 15+), iPhone (iOS 15+) Yes 5 $12 per user Asana Yes iPad, iPhone (iOS 16+) Yes 3.9 $10.99 per user Wrike Yes iPad (iPadOS 16+), iPhone (iOS 16+) Yes 4.6 $9.80 per user Jira No iPad (iPadOS 16+), iPhone (iOS 16+) Yes 4.6 $8.15 per user Trello Available through add-on iPad (iPadOS 16+), iPhone (iOS 16+) Yes 4.5 $5 per user Teamwork Yes iPad (iPadOS 15+), iPhone (iOS 15+) Yes 3.7 $5.99 per user Hive Yes iPad (iPadOS 12.4+), iPhone (iOS 12.4+), Apple Watch (watchOS 4+) Yes 3.9 $12 per user Basecamp No iPad (iPadOS 14.5+), iPhone (iOS 14.5+) Only for teachers and students 3.1 $15 per user Zoho Projects Yes iPad (iPadOS 12+), iPhone (iOS 12+) Yes 4.2 $4 per user Merlin Project Yes iPad (iPadOS 15+), iPhone (iOS 15+) No _ $16.99 per month ClickUp: Best overall Mac project management software Image: ClickUp ClickUp is my pick for the best Mac project management software because it balances user-friendliness and functionality. It offers an all-in-one project management solution that includes file sharing, status alerts, task management, and additional functions to support you from project initiation to completion. It is also highly customizable and offers several automation tools for repetitive tasks. In terms of mobile, ClickUp’s app is available in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch and iPod touch, making project management accessible across Apple devices. It’s also more compatible than most other tools on this list, supporting devices as far back as iPadOS 12.0 for the iPad, iOS 12.0 for the iPhone and iPod touch, and watchOS 7.5 or later for the Apple Watch. Pricing Free plan: No cost. Unlimited: $7 per person per month, billed annually, or $10 per person per month, billed monthly. Business: $12 per person per month, billed annually, or $19 per person per month, billed monthly. Enterprise: Custom pricing. Standout features Native time tracking: Users can track time, add notes, set estimates, view reports, and filter timesheets using the native time tracking tools. Dashboards: ClickUp offers multiple views, including customized dashboards, charts and a selection of over 50 widgets. Figure A: Some of ClickUp’s multiple views listed. Image: ClickUp Pros and cons Pros Cons 24/7 live support. User reports indicate bugs and glitches. Multiple views. Learning curve to navigate interface. Highly customizable. Features can feel overwhelming to project management software newbies. Top integrations Gmail Zoom Harvest Zendesk Why I picked ClickUp With its affordable pricing, multiple project views, and comprehensive set of features, ClickUp was an easy pick for me. Most of its project views are available on its free plan, including Gantt. Since some of these views are typically available only in premium pricing tiers for other tools, it reiterates why ClickUp was worth my consideration. When to use something else If you prefer a more focused and less feature-dense environment, you may want to consider Basecamp as an alternative. ClickUp has lots of features and customization options that are undeniably powerful but can sometimes introduce a steep learning curve or potentially overwhelm teams that just need simple project management tools. For more information, read the full ClickUp review. Smartsheet: Best for data-driven project tracking and reporting Image: Smartsheet Smartsheet is worth considering for data-driven insights that optimize workflows and decision-making processes. Smartsheet offers a variety of reporting features, including row reports, sheet summary reports, and customizable dashboards. Project managers can use these features to aggregate data from multiple projects to monitor key metrics such as budget, timelines, task completion, and resource allocation in real-time. Smartsheet’s top features include extensive customization options, project visualization tools like Gantt software capabilities, resource management, and workflow automation. Smartsheet is available for iPhone and iPad but it needs iOS 15.0 or later and iPadOS 15.0 or later. Pricing Free: No cost for up to one user and two editors. Pro: $9 per user per month billed annually, or $12 per user billed monthly. Business: $19 per user per month billed annually, or $24 per user billed monthly. Enterprise: Customized pricing. Standout features Spreadsheet interface: Smartsheet

By Amy Pereira, Benjamin Pedersen and Eric Juergens ( January 3, 2025, 2:47 PM EST) — On Dec. 11, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, sitting en banc, issued a majority opinion vacating the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s order approving Nasdaq’s board diversity listing rule.[1]… 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

Water, power, sewage, banking, education, you name it — all these life essentials have something in common: they rely on information technology. Increasingly complex and insecure technology. Meanwhile, threat actors have the means to launch ever-rising numbers of attacks on critical applications. The revelation this past August of the huge data breach at National Public Data of Americans’ Social Security numbers, and other personal data, is a stunning Exhibit A.    The number of reported vulnerabilities has skyrocketed over the last 10 years. In fact, the number of new software vulnerabilities cataloged in the federal National Vulnerability Database has increased an average of 29% per year over the last seven years. Every year sets a record high, and with the introduction of malicious code-writing and security hole-finding AI models, there’s no reason to think that trend will reverse. The federal government’s contribution to cybersecurity has thus far been through guidance and influence or by wielding its purchasing power as a huge IT consumer. Those have some value but clearly aren’t having much impact.    The public is quite unaware of how low the bar is presently set in software security. Modern software is never written entirely from scratch. Instead, developers use an “assembly” approach that pulls together existing code packages, often using open-source software built and maintained by developers not beholden in any way to the company making the final product.  Related:New Cybersecurity Rules Coming for Health Care As security vulnerabilities and active malware become increasingly common, all companies find themselves shouldering increasing security risk. Such government organizations as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have spent a great deal of time, money, and effort over the last few years trying to convince software vendors to adopt basic security practices and Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs). A vendor’s SBOM tells the customer what is in the software — but not whether the contents are secure. CISA’s actions have not moved the needle at stopping breaches. US cybercrime costs reached an estimated $320 billion as of last year. Between 2017 and 2023, costs grew by over $300 billion.  Companies say they’re doing more about cybersecurity, but breaches continue, and the private market is not correcting poor behavior. Stock charts barely register a blip when companies report breaches now. Congress has not yet stepped in, hampered, perhaps, by an inadequate understanding of the issue.   Related:Supply Chain Risk Mitigation Must Be a Priority in 2025 Urgent action is, consequently, needed.  Government stepped in to protect our food and medicine by establishing the Food and Drug Administration, intervened to make our automobiles safer by establishing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and acted to ensure job safety by establishing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. When new technology or industrial development has threatened public health and safety, the government has created new regulatory bodies to protect that health and safety. And according to public polling, while Americans may be largely dissatisfied with the federal government in broad terms, they still desire it to help keep the populace safe, including providing protection from unsafe products.  The upshot is that Congress should establish a new regulatory body to evolve the “guidance” currently provided by CISA and presidential executive orders, coupled with oversight powers based on an expanded definition of critical software and hardware. What specifically defines “critical” here will of course need to be determined, but the current definition in use by CISA simply does not provide a sufficient scope to ensure America’s cybersecurity.     The current patchwork of industry self-regulation — with each federal department doing their best to oversee their respective industry areas — leaves too many gaps and will not even scale to the challenges we already face. The new regulatory body’s charter should establish enforceable minimum standard security practices for private companies that are deemed critical to the nation. Those standards should go beyond CISA’s currently used definition of critical infrastructure, which does not include companies essential to our everyday lives, such as Microsoft, Google, payment providers, and cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike.     Related:How to Create an Enterprise-Wide Cybersecurity Culture This new regulator will also need the power to audit companies against those standards, selectively publish findings publicly, share findings with other regulators such as the SEC, establish fines, and in egregious cases, be able to pull products from the market. These powers follow the established scope of current agencies, such as the FDA and NHTSA. Without these powers of regulation over essential software, any new agency will be reduced to providing “guidance” and our nation will continue to be at risk.  As CISA is already under the Department of Homeland Security, the above could be accomplished either through expanding their jurisdiction and giving them the above powers and responsibilities, or through the establishment of a new agency. The need for robust cybersecurity regulation and oversight has become essential if we are to protect American citizens, companies, and governments from cyberattacks. Our unpredictable technological and geopolitical environments will demand no less.  source

The global network infrastructure market is predicted to reach $256 billion by 2028, the Wi-Fi 7 market topped $1 billion in 2024, network and cloud security investments achieved all-time highs by the end of 2023, and the edge computing market is set to grow by 1108% over the next eight years. All present urgent needs to expand network budgets. However, as network planners and managers are well aware, their annual budgets are not growing exponentially. What’s the best way to keep pace with network technology when your budget only goes so far? First, let’s take a look at the business drivers that present a need for significant network upgrades: Technologies like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 will deliver network services quicker to internal users and will present a virtually boundless number of network IP addresses for new devices as they are added. Edge computing will continue to be deployed at manufacturing plants, retail stores, and remote offices. New cloud-based network management and security solutions are available that enable you to virtualize your network—with the likely result of sites using hybrid networks that will be part cloud-based and part on-premises. As these new networking technologies and tools are implemented, network staff will need to be recruited or trained to operate them. Network managers can build compelling cases for all of these upgrades, but at some point, the CIO, CFO, CEO, or all three will ask the TCO (total cost of ownership) question: What is it costing us now just to keep things going, and if we agree to make a major investment into technology XYZ, how long will it take us to recoup our investment? Understanding the elements of TCO In past practice, it was relatively straightforward to calculate network TCO. You totaled your costs in network hardware, software, staff labor, contractor labor, service contracts, power consumption, floor space, and so on, and then came up with numbers for operating expenses and asset capitalizations. The assumptions were that you would incrementally swap out aging assets or add new ones in any given budget year but in a phased approach. The question is, will this type of TCO approach be sustainable in the long term, given the many business drivers for edge computing, rapid information transport, security, and network monitoring that are contending for investments all at once? The answer is “no.” TCO calculation methodologies won’t fundamentally change, but the elements that highlight TCO discussions will. Navigating a new TCO landscape TCO discussion should shift from a unilateral cost justification (and payback) of technology that is being proposed to a discussion of what the opportunity costs for the business will be if a network infrastructure investment is canceled or delayed. If a company determines strategically to decentralize manufacturing and distribution but is also wary of adding headcount, it’s going to seek out edge computing and network automation. It’s also likely to want robust security at its remote sites, which means investments in zero-trust networks and observability software that can assure that the same level of enterprise security is being applied at remote sites as it is at central headquarters. In cases like this, it shouldn’t be the network manager or even the CIO who is solely responsible for making the budget case for network investments. Instead, the network technology investments should be packaged together in the total remote business recommendation and investment that other C-level executives (e.g., the COO or VP of operations) argue for with the CIO and/or network manager, HR, and others. In this scenario, the TCO of a network technology investment is weighed against the cost of not doing it at all and missing a corporate opportunity to decentralize operations, which can’t be accomplished without the technology that is needed to run it. Getting budget approvals The takeaway from the above example for network managers is that they need to consider and present the business value and opportunity costs of every network funding proposal that they make. The more network managers do this, the more successful they’ll be in securing funding. Here are some examples of network needs that are likely to link closely with business opportunities: Software monitoring and security Companies will continue to move more IT to the cloud because they like the feeling of “pay per use.” Accordingly, more networks are likely to evolve into hybrid combinations of both internal and cloud-based resources. At the same time, companies also want airtight security on both cloud-based and internal networks so they can avoid data breaches and intellectual property thefts. Most companies are already running an IAM (Identity and Access Management) system that enables network staff to have a “single pane of glass” view of all user access and permissions, whether these occur internally or in the cloud. Unfortunately, an IAM security solution doesn’t provide the same level of security visibility and granularity that a CIEM (Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management) software does, so a network manager might propose investing in CIEM, although CIEM can be quite expensive. In this example, traditional TCO arguments will certainly come up, but so should the opportunity cost (and risk) of not having all of the company’s cloud-based property secured. A final word about network TCO Network managers annually struggle to upgrade networks within the budgetary dollars they’re allotted—and many dread the TCO justification and payback discussions for network infrastructure investments that others fail to see value in. This page can be turned by presenting the business opportunity costs if a proposal is denied or deferred—and it can best be presented alongside managers from the business who want to advance corporate strategies that require network infrastructure investment.  It’s time to transform the network into an integral and strategic part of IT and the business and not just a supporting role. source

By Nadia Dreid ( January 2, 2025, 8:51 PM EST) — The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has dropped more information to make the way forward clearer for states that want to use their federal broadband dollars to fund alternative means of connecting people, such as satellites…. 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

With the rise of self-service buying, sales and marketing teams must adopt new customer engagement techniques: Fortunately, awareness of this need is high. Sales leaders participating in Forrester’s B2B Sales Survey, 2024, most frequently cited “transforming to support buyer preferences for self-service and e-commerce” as a priority. Regrettably, buyer enablement priorities and practices are far apart. Our latest report, Buyer Enablement: A Vital New Discipline For B2B Sales And Marketing, shows how to help buyers complete more tasks on their own. If you think that seems counterintuitive to selling, you’d be right: It defies most sales motions and the personal touchpoints upon which they are built. But the resulting hybrid approach works better for both buyer and seller. Buyer Enablement Examples There are many buyer enablement tools and resources, such as buying guides, on-demand scheduling, self-service demos, free trials, or shopping carts. Add these to prospect workflows. With so many digital tools available, there’s never been a better time to enable buyers than now. Below are five examples of companies that help prospects complete self-service buying tasks: Wistia, a video marketing platform provider, offers a product demo on its website that engages visitors as they move through it at their own pace (see image). Grainger, an industry supply company, enhances website interactions by allowing visitors to browse digital catalogs, click on a product, and then view details or add it to their cart. Oyster, a global employment solution provider, publishes more than 50 country hiring guides that document labor requirements and calculate employment costs. Notion, a note-taking and productivity platform provider, features work submitted by members of its creator community in a gallery of more than 10,000 templates. GE HealthCare, a medical systems and solutions company, allows site visitors to shop on its website for equipment and parts — at prices that can start at more than $15,000.   To enable buyers, Wistia offers a self-service demo on its website.   Putting Practices Into Action To enable buyers, map prospect journeys and purchasing tasks. In the workflow, publish a purchasing promise that spells out how you will interact with customers. Then, meet buyer education needs with content related to your industry, category, company, and products. Link tasks and help buyers progress. As you build new enablement practices, redefining roles, responsibilities, and processes might become an obstacle. But developing the courage to self-disrupt might be the greatest obstacle of all. Read the Buyer Enablement: A Vital New Discipline For B2B Sales And Marketing report (client access required) and schedule a guidance session to discuss how you can implement these new practices into your go-to-market approach. source