IBM

Washington, D.C. - The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS), a division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), has announced two major additions to the ARTS Standard Request for Proposals (RFP) library on selecting payments solutions and video analytics solutions. These standardized RFPs will help retail companies research software applications ahead of time.

Armonk, N.Y. – Mobile app use continues growing rapidly, but businesses are not keeping pace with security. According to new research from IBM and Ponemon Institute, nearly 40% of more than 400 large companies studied, including many in the Fortune 500, aren’t taking the right precautions to secure the mobile apps they build for customers.

Lowe’s, Home Hardware align supply chain with consumer demand

By Steve Weber, nChannel

Shopping cart abandonment is a problem that costs retailers nearly $20 billion each year, according to a study by SurePayroll. If you’re putting effort into attracting customers and enticing them with products they’d like to buy, only to have them stop short of the finish line, you’re leaving money and opportunities for repeat business on the table.

I recently spoke with Deepak Advani, new general manager of the IBM Commerce business unit, to get some insights on the current state of retail IT and what kinds of offerings for retail IBM Commerce is focusing on. Following are three insights from our conversation.

Hybrid Cloud is the Clear Choice

Nottingham, U.K. – IBM Inc. is expanding the IBM MobileFirst for iOS portfolio of apps for retailers. Boots U.K. and American Eagle Outfitters are among the retailers who have signed on for MobileFirst apps.

Tokyo - Shiseido Co. Ltd., a global cosmetics manufacturer, will empower its nearly 10,000 beauty consultants in Japan with IBM mobile apps designed to provide new customer services, customer-centric product improvements and social innovations.

Armonk, N.Y. - IBM is betting big on the cloud. The enterprise technology giant is releasing new hybrid cloud technology and services designed to extend clients' control, visibility, security and governance in a hybrid cloud environment similar to what they have in their private cloud and traditional IT systems.

In doing so, IBM aims to increase data portability across environments and make it easier for developers to work across cloud and non-cloud environments.