Posts by Bob McCallister

Most of us have experienced frustration with customer service. Most company executives probably feel the same way. But as with many aspects of operations, Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to make improvements. According to estimates, during 2025, approximately 80% of customer service and support operations will include some level of AI to boost efficiency, improve the consumer experience, and foster more upselling opportunities. Yet tech leaders aren’t naïve: they understand that although AI has great…  MORE

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A framework for AI success

February 18, 2025  |  BY

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has spawned an new era of innovation. The technology has reformed entire industries, and in the process delivered heightened levels of automation, productivity, and growth. But AI adoption can’t be undertaken without a clear understanding of its potential ramifications. Here are some issues to consider as you plan your implementation: Focus on your objectives: As with any emerging technology, leaders must peer through the hype and ask: Do we truly require AI…  MORE

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Starting during the dotcom era of the mid 1990s, we’ve seen a vast shift in the traditional corporate hierarchy. Whereas the CEO used to make every decision unilaterally, he or she must now consider the perspectives from leaders of other key departments. That’s especially true for the CIO, which is why tech leaders and CEOs need a special type of collaborative relationship. And that’s the way it must be for success. Every single organization’s fortunes…  MORE

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Whether it’s the cloud, AI, The Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging technologies, you have to know when to give the latest thing a chance. Somehow, you have balance the innovation necessary for growth with the risk management required to avoid disaster. It’s not easy. As much as the said technology offers promise, there are legitimate question marks. Is it secure? Is it better to be an early adopter and leap ahead of the…  MORE

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Confidence is a key attribute for any IT leader. To be successful, they must firmly believe in their vision and ability to execute. Yet based on a recent survey, over 70% of technology executives believe there’s a chance their projects will fail. This brutally honest opinion is why tech leaders carry out pilot projects before committing to a full-scale initiative. Small projects determine the feasibility of a major project, and can shed light on both…  MORE

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As technology evolves, so does the world of commerce. And as business evolves, so does the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO). People with that executive-level job title used to be, for the most part, in charge of a team of order-takers. Install a network, provide more laptops, onboard new employees with email addresses. Those sort of tactical to-dos. But the “information” aspect of the CIO role has run its course. CIOs are now…  MORE

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Ever since the pandemic of 2020, retailers have been challenged with both hiring and retaining frontline workers. Employees had concerns about safety and wages. But it turns out they also left their jobs for another significant reason: Not enough technology to able to adequately perform their work. This notion came through in a global survey by Scandit, a barcode scanning platform for mobile enterprise apps. Of many key findings, the survey showed that 40% of retail…  MORE

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The gaming industry has traveled light years since the days when Pacman and Donkey Kong dominated pop culture. And it’s all due to rapid-fire advancements in technology from one year to the next. 2024 has taken gaming even farther, completely altering how we perceive the possibilities of games. One big driver for gaming acceleration has been Virtual Reality (VR). In fact, VR has brought a fundamental shift in gameplay mechanics and design possibilities. In turn,…  MORE

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