E-Commerce Blog

It was inevitable. With the new year have come indications that, at least to some degree, cloud euphoria is beginning to ebb and is being replaced with perspectives that range from cynicism to realism. It is true that in the past year cloud hype managed to get ahead of the reality. Recent surveys have suggested slow adoption rates in the enterprise, providing cynics with “proof” of failure. In fact, “the cloud” is not a monolith, and it has been generally understood that cloud products and services are in their infancy and naturally require maturation time.

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7 Steps to the Cloud

Lines are being drawn in the fight over control of wireless spectrum space. On one side is the wireless industry, which is “facing a looming spectrum crunch,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “Without sufficient spectrum, we will starve mobile broadband of the nourishment it needs to thrive as a platform for innovation,” he told broadband executives Wednesday. On the other side is the broadcast industry, which is being asked by the top communications regulator to give up some of its coveted spectrum.

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FCC Chair Kicks Off Wireless Spectrum Tug of War

Ken Jones, cofounder and executive director of Maximo Nivel, an executive language center, knew his company needed a CRM tool as early as 2006. His company was growing fast and using a variety of tools to meet CRM needs, including Outlook. Unfortunately, like many small business owners, Jones was unaware of any CRM options available. Philippa Kennealy, MD, president of The Entrepreneurial MD, an entrepreneurship coaching company that targets physicians, faced a similar situation. “I was using bits and pieces of tools,” Kennealy told CRM Buyer.

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CRM for the Small Business, Part 1: When Is It Time to Invest?

Shedding China’s shackles on free speech is proving to be easier said than done for Google. The Internet search leader is still censoring its results in China a month after Google’s leaders took a public stand against Chinese laws that require the removal of links to Web sites that the government deems subversive or offensive. Citing the sensitivity of the talks, Google officials won’t say how the negotiations have been going since the company issued its Jan. 12 threat to shut down its China-based search engine and possibly leave the country altogether.

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Google’s Principles-vs.-Profit Juggling Act

Transition marketing is an often-overlooked but extremely powerful online marketing strategy that welcomes prospects and optimizes their conversion to customers while increasing the likelihood of a lifetime relationship. By creating a transition window comprising a set period of time and a program of strategically designed transition messages, companies can optimize the return on their acquisition budget, as well as collect data that will ensure long-term results and define the value of acquisition programs and sources.

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Boosting Customer Loyalty With Transition Marketing