Google, Inc.

The explosive growth of device connectivity, wireless technology, cloud computing and advanced analytics has driven the Internet of Things (IoT) from vision to reality. Devices with embedded sensors are enabling advanced, automated communications for retail businesses and customers. These connected devices are driving deeper engagement, providing new experiences and opportunities, creating new revenue opportunities and enabling better business insight.

Retailers use variety of technologies, channels for CRM success

Customer relationship management (CRM) is the strategy a retailer uses to develop an ongoing, individual relationship with a customer to ensure satisfaction and loyalty. But the specifics of CRM can mean different things for different retailers.

Seattle – Amazon.com is heading east with its Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosted cloud computing platform – all the way to India.

AWS will launch an “infrastructure region” in India in 2016, meaning customers there will have access to locally based hosted cloud services.

For decades, buying and installing phone systems in retail stores has remained a mundane experience. Times have changed.

At the recent MIT CIO Symposium, Bryan Kirschner, director of the research/strategy organization Apigee Institute, and Jerry Wolfe, CEO and founder of food industry platform services provider Vivanda, participated in a panel discussion on consumer connectivity and engagement. Chain Store Age followed up with the two experts to ask a few more questions about engaging today’s connected customer.

How can retailers use APIs (application program interfaces) to provide a more personalized customer experience?

Seattle – Amazon.com is releasing its Echo voice-activated artificial intelligence device for general availability in July, and taking consumer orders now. Echo was made available on an invitation basis to customers who wanted to help shape the device in November 2014.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – JDA Software Group will release its next generation of cloud-based omnichannel and supply chain solutions on the public Google Cloud Platform. Through this collaboration, Google will provide a scalable and flexible technology platform via the cloud to support JDA’s future application development and delivery.   

If you’ve been following any recent mobile developments, you know that beacons aren’t just the next big thing – they’re here, right now. Ever since Apple introduced their iBeacon technology, the buzz has been getting louder, and in the last few months, more and more brands and businesses have been experimenting with them.