Business Intelligence (BI)

Online holiday sales from desktop computers increased a less-than-expected 10% after a late season surge failed to materialize, according to comScore.

The digital measurement firm in late November predicted online sales from desktop computers would increase 14% during the November and December time frame and reach slightly more than $48.1 billion. However, as of December 26, data from the firm showed sales were up 10% to $42.8 billion for the comparable period.

Site search specialist SLI Systems has elected New Zealand marketer and social media executive Andy Lark as a non-executive independent director.

"We are very pleased to add Andy's wealth of global brand, e-commerce and marketing experience to the SLI Board," said SLI Systems Chairman Greg Cross. "With his direct experience of building and funding businesses, he is conversant with the challenges unique to a fast-growing technology company like SLI Systems."

New York – Factors including the permanency of the 2013 payroll tax increase, uneven job creation and uncertainty caused by the autumn partial government shutdown are expected to continue constraining consumer spending in 2014. According to a new economic insight report from Sterne Agee, lower gas prices, a lingering wealth effect from home price appreciation and record highs in equities helped boost holiday spending, but will not be enough to counteract a trend toward weak consumption that has been in place since the beginning of this year.

The number of ConAgra Foods facilities achieving Energy Star certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to grow.

The company’s latest class of Energy Star achievers includes eight operations, one of which, the ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston/BSW facility in Warden, Wash., is receiving an Energy Star for the first time.

Big data discovery and data sharing firm 1010data, Inc., named former Oracle exec Richard Michalec as its AVP of retail strategy and strategic accounts.

Against the backdrop of the most digital Christmas ever a new study from technology research firm EKN shows that most retailers don’t believe they are spending enough on the Internet, mobile, business intelligence and analytics.
 
EKN, with sponsorship from Cisco, Earthlink and Tata Consultancy Services, surveyed more than 120 retail information technology executives and uncovered some disturbing findings given the direction in which consumers are leading the retail industry.

New York -- While retail and consumer organizations have made significant security improvements, they have not kept pace in today’s business environment and are relying on yesterday’s security practices to combat current business threats and risks, according to PwC US’s recently released 2014 Global State of Information Security Survey.

Cambridge, Mass. – Akamai is introducing enhancements to its Akamai Intelligent Platform web experience solution including EdgeStart, which uses Akamai’s globally-distributed network along with accelerated rendering in the browser to help deliver portions of web pages to users immediately and decrease load time. New protocol optimizations are intended to help overcome highly congested networks.