Over the last two years, Gartner considers the ecommerce space to still be dominated by the same leaders named in its last Magic Quadrant report, namely IBM, Oracle and hybris.

Narrative, when done well, is the tail that can actually wag the dog. But let's be clear here and now, post rationalized narratives stink.

Its only been one week since Google I/O, but already some of the functionality that was announced by Google is being offered by third-party vendors. Today, it’s OrangeScape, which is offering a number of quick action buttons in its KiSSFLOW workflow builder.

Understanding the experience that customers value tops the list of most strategic agendas these days. The power of the buyer being in control can no longer be ignored. Sales feel it as their cycles grow longer and become less predictable. Marketing struggles to deliver predictable ROI across a sea of interaction channels where conversations happen without their involvement. Service and Support feel it as customers turn to each other for answers and to share information.

The way customers shop through Google and retailers is changing, as the company begins to phase out Google Checkout in favor of Google Wallet.

Ever feel the need to use the apps already on on your mobile device instead of the work approved ones from your IT department? LogMeIn has developed a tool called AppGuru to help those IT teams organize the mobile apps people can't seem to resist bringing to work.

Balancing the demands of digital marketing isn’t easy, especially if you’re the chief marketing officer. What makes you most successful? No one can deny that leveraging big data to build solid relationships customers is key, but according to a new report by Forrester, most CMOs believe it’s actually an enterprise-wide commitment to brand building that is critical to success. 

The customer experience is still a work in progress. We know that as social and mobile technologies become more advanced, the challenge isn’t necessarily about deploying them, it’s about getting them to seamlessly align alongside human capabilities. The mobile coupon fails to get scanned at checkout. The opportunity to enroll customers in a rewards programs is missed. Consumers receive irrelevant promotions that don’t meet their interests or activities. What if there was a better way to improve the customer experience without having to upgrade the human experience?

The current definition of the Customer Journey seems to consist of some version of Consider/Awareness leading to Research/Evaluate, and then to Purchase. Some models include the Out Of the Box Experience (OOBE) followed by Usage after Purchase. I particularly appreciate models that include those two pieces, as they take into account that the customer's experience needs to be favorable for some time after the purchase. Most customers are not in the market for the next new thing as soon as they purchase one (if so, there’s something wrong with the product!)

Oracle may have outlined how the inability to break-down information silos was negating many of the positive benefits of the cloud yesterday, but today Forbes highlights yet again the business value of the cloud, particularly in facilitation with effective enterprise collaboration.

 Digital marketers have a strong interest in tuning and optimizing the search experience, which is why Sitecore has given search a front row seat in Sitecore 7.

A Pandora for relationship management. That’s how Nimble describes version 3.0 of its social relationship manager platform, because of a Rules Engine that curates engagement opportunities, birthdays, job changes and “people of importance.” Sort of like setting up a station on Pandora, but built around people you want to stay in contact with.

South Korean mega-vendor Samsung keeps churning out the devices to cover every conceivable base and user need, with the new Mega 6.3" screen phablet joining a waterproof S4 model, with an S4 mini confirmed on the way. 

Alongside the Tumblr acquisition, Yahoo is taking off the wraps on one of its earlier acquisitions. Image-sharing service Flickr gets a major hi-resolution makeover with a new app for Android users. 

“Social business” has become a popular buzzword, but what are the processes and best practices that successful social businesses use to boost profits, decrease expenses and increase customer satisfaction? A new report from IBM aimed to find out. 

Navigating social media sites can be quite a task, but Pinterest aims to improve how users use the content sharing website with a new feature that will prove useful to brands and companies: information pins.

Traditional media companies are attempting to transform themselves into digital media companies, but for those who still publish newspapers and print magazines, Atex has updated its OneView advertising system for ads online and on paper.

 While concerns over cloud deployments are now a thing of the past, the cloud is still proving difficult for many enterprises. In fact, new research form Oracle shows that the dual promise of business efficiency and IT agility is still eluding many enterprises.

You’ll often need to explain the goals of your Enterprise Content Management (ECM) program in more detail than an elevator pitch. Here are the objectives and guiding principles applicable to most ECM programs.

Web stat geeks will be stoked about Google Analytics updates that include real time widgets and interactive insights that help define how customers really decide to finally make a purchase.