News

Rebates for lighting upgrades are alive and well, with rebate organizations having updated their rebate and incentive programs for 2014. Currently, 71% of the country is covered by an active commercial lighting rebate, according to BriteSwitch, Princeton, New Jersey, which helps large national companies take advantage of rebate and incentive programs that exist across the United States and Canada.

Here is a review of major rebate trends from BriteSwitch: 

▲ Cloud computing, the remote hosting of applications on virtual platforms for on-demand, Web-based delivery, is on the fast track. Analysts estimate that during the next six years, 90% of new spending on Internet and communications technologies will be on cloud-based technologies.

Cloud computing (which at its simplest means storing and accessing data and programs on the Internet — the cloud — instead of a personal computer) is profoundly impacting how IT professionals implement, deploy and manage technology solutions.

The commerce technology and marketing arm of eBay has a new president. Craig Hayman, a 15-year veteran of IBM, has been named the head of eBay enterprise.

“Technology continues to have a significant impact on the overall commerce landscape,” eBay’s President and CEO John Donahoe said. “Craig’s experience will enhance our ability to serve retailers and brands in this online to offine world.”

Oakley, a wholly owned subsidiary of Luxottica Group, the world’s largest eyewear company, is looking to take its performance-driven, namesake brand to the next level. On the heels of its first global marketing initiative, the company has opened a state-of-the-art flagship on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

The Finish Line takes omnichannel approach to ‘March Madness’

Athletic footwear retailer The Finish Line offers a highly seasonal assortment.

Cambridge, Mass. - Vee24, a provider of live video assistance solutions, is releasing the VeeStudio Software Development Kit (SDK) for iOS and Android, as well as VeeAssist, a new co-browsing product designed to enhance call center satisfaction. VeeAssist expands the company’s assisted selling solutions, including live video help, from the Web to now also support traditional telephony-based call center engagements, while the mobile toolkit extends its live help solution into brands’ iOS and Android mobile applications.

A pound of prevention (which in this case means the use of chip-based payment cards, encryption of data stored in the enterprise, and restriction of third-party network access) is not a complete cure when it comes to improved data security for retailers, according to panelists at the recent CIO Symposium at the MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

One complicating issue is that the “cloud” is becoming a “fog” as the Internet of Things continues expanding the range of devices that are online with IP addresses, creating new security liabilities.

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Framingham, Mass. - Staples Inc. is offering a new back-to-school 110% price match guarantee. Starting June 29, Staples customers are guaranteed to pay the lowest price every time they shop in store or online. Staples will price match items sold and shipped by Amazon.com or any retailer who sells products in both retail stores and online under the same brand.