Tag: ITBusiness.ca

Walmart Canada tests 3D printed products in time for Christmas [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

Many of us would love to create the perfect unique gift for family and friends at Christmas, but if you’re not crafty or can’t knit a sweater to save your life, perhaps 3D printing might be the answer.

That’s what Walmart is looking to find out with a pilot program at its new Ancaster, Ontario store through December 20 with the help of Toronto-based Intersect. The company, formerly known as Bnotions, has partnered with Walmart Canada to guide customers on a personalized journey of designing and printing their own, unique holiday mementos.

“Walmart came to us,” said Amber Foucault, the VP of product management for Intersect, the innovation and custom services division of Symbility Solutions Inc.

Read my full article on ITBusiness.ca.

Black Friday is for the kids, SAS Canada finds [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

It looks like most Canadians are still doing a lot of their Christmas shopping in-store, but digital technology is shaping the expectations they have for their bricks-and-mortar experiences, a new report by SAS Canada has found, while young people are more likely to take advantage of Black Friday.

According to the report, 85 per cent of Canadians surveyed favour shopping in-store for their holiday gifts, compared to 59 per cent and 70 and per cent of their British and American counterparts, respectively.

The 2016 SAS Holiday Shopper Survey also found that online shopping is now as prevalent as in-store buying, and that most gift buyers will use both channels. Seven in 10 shoppers say they will visit stores, while an equal percentage plan to buy online.

Read my full article on ITBusiness.ca.

Building Smart Cities requires collaboration and new mindsets, ITAC says [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

Are you ready for the Smart Cities challenge?

As part of its fall economic update, the federal government said it’s looking to launch a new Smart Cities Challenge initiative next year. It’s a move lauded by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), and described as “timely” by the organization’s senior director of policy, David Messer, but it also means municipalities need to start rethinking their procurement policies.

Read my entire article on ITBusiness.ca

 

Salesforce outlines 4 ways brands can thrill the connected customer [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

New research puts customers in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining which companies lead in the digital age.

According to a new Salesforce.com report, “The State of the Connected Customer,” 62 per cent of Canadians agree technology is redefining their behavior as a consumer, and 61 per cent feel significantly more empowered than they did five years ago.

They also expect businesses to quickly adapt to these changing preferences, otherwise they’ll simply switch brands: According to the report, 69 per cent of consumers agree technology makes it easier than ever before to take their business elsewhere because it empowers them to research, browse, and purchase wherever they are and whenever they want.

Tech tops most-loved U.S. brands, Accenture finds [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

Why users love a brand, product, service or experience is not a question easily answered, according to new research, but it would appear that technology brands have the upper hand.

Digital giants such as Google, Fitbit, Amazon and Netflix were at the top of a recent brand affection-measuring study carried out by consulting firm Accenture PLC’s research arm Fjord, which doubled as a test for the organization’s new Love Index.

To the extent the Index can identify why digital brands scored so well, the evidence points to their particular skill at meeting users’ individual needs, the researchers found, whether it’s Apple’s intuitive hardware and software, or Netflix customers’ love for binge watching.

Read my full article on ITBusiness.ca.

Facebook and Apple take top spot for encrypted IM [Portfolio]

/ Gary Hilson

Facebook Messenger has become omni-present in the lives of one billion people, and despite concerns over the years about what information it might be gathering from users, a report recently released by Amnesty International found it to be highly secure.

The human rights organization also found that Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage also excelled in terms of security, while other commonly-used messaging applications didn’t make the grade, including – and somewhat surprisingly – Blackberry’s BBM. Even as the popularity of its hardware dimmed, Blackberry had a reputation for strong security. However, Amnesty said that it is not taking the basic steps necessary to guarantee user privacy, along with more popular messaging services such as Snapchat and Microsoft’s Skype. Blackberry and China-based Tencent brought up the rear with Google landing in the middle.

Read my full article on ITBusiness.ca.