Artificial Intelligence

Armonk, N.Y. -- Retailers and CPG companies with leading stock prices are more likely than their lagging competitors to use Big Data analytics to understand and adjust to customer needs. According to a study of 325 senior retail merchandising executives conducted by IBM Center for Applied Insights in conjunction with Planet Retail, 65% of leading retail merchandisers feel Big Data analytics is critical to their business compared to just 38% of other retail companies.

Redmond, Wash. -- In an internal email to all employees, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced a sweeping internal realignment he said will build upon a strategy launched last year to bring Microsoft more fully into the devices and services market.

The company will reduce emphasis on its traditional strong point of consumer and business software, such as the Windows OS and Office suite of desktop applications, and focus more on computing devices such as Xbox and Surface and on services delivered to mobile device users.

LOS ANGELES — PriceGrabber, a division of CPL Holdings, has appointed Jeff Goldstein as president. In his new role Goldstein will direct strategy and oversee the day-to-day operations of the business. 

By Greg Henry, DecisionPoint Systems Inc.

CINCINNATI — Market6, a leading provider of Web-based retail analytic applications, has appointed software industry veteran Ray B. Tacoma to the company’s board of directors.

Tacoma has more than 25 years of senior management experience with organizations such as Netezza, MicroStrategy, FileNet and Oracle. The board will look to Tacoma to provide it with extensive domain and industry knowledge so it can optimize Market6’s strategy and execution as it provides retailers and consumer goods companies with SaaS-based retail analytic applications.

Draper, Utah -- Online eyewear retailer Glasses.com is releasing a 3D app for the iPad platform that allows customers to virtually try on glasses using a 180-degree 3D representation of their face. Proprietary facial modeling technology allows users to reproduce their face on an iPad screen and reposition glasses, as well as compare different glasses in a side-by-side view. A built-in “share” feature lets customers send virtual views to family and friends and receive tallied votes on their opinions.

By Nathan Needel, PRD International

For years, surveillance systems have recorded thefts and other incidences, including those at POS location, for future investigation. Now, video can be used to stop incidences as they happen. To do this, users need to quit thinking of surveillance systems as simply repositories of what’s been seen and recorded and, instead, think of cameras as sensors in a system. Why should you have to search through recordings to locate the incident when, if fact, they can stop it as it happens?

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Global e-commerce sales are expected to rise 17.5% this year to $963 billion, up from $820.5 billion last year, according to a study by Siemer & Associates.

Currently, online accounts for just 6.5% of all retail sales worldwide but is growing four times faster than traditional retail. E-commerce sales are expected to account for 9.3% of retail sales by 2016.