MOSCOW, RUSSIA – MARCH 11: Apple Pay logo displayed on a smartphone in Moscow, Russia on March … [+]
Here are five tech-related things that happened in the past week and how they could affect your business. do you miss them
1 – Bank of America, JP Morgan and others are reportedly teaming up to develop a digital wallet to compete with Apple Pay.
According to recent reports, some big banks like Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, and Wells Fargo are reportedly developing a digital wallet to link credit and debit cards to compete with PayPal and Apple Pay. The digital wallet will first launch with Mastercard and Visa, which have already agreed to partner. It has been confirmed that the wallet product will launch sometime this year. (Source: CNBC).
Why this is important to your business:
Mobile payments are quietly but increasingly common, especially among younger shoppers. It took a while, but it happened. Apparently, banks have taken notice and are jumping on board. As business owners, we need to make sure our customers can easily pay for our products and services using their smartphones. period. If we don’t offer that option, then we’re missing out on revenue.
2 – Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot has grown a pair of hands and is trying to do construction work.
Atlas — Boston Dynamics’ world’s most advanced humanoid robot — now has new abilities. Boston Dynamics recently designed a set of hands and showed Atlas performing manual labor in a recent YouTube video. So far, the robot’s main capabilities have included locomotive tasks such as walking. The latest version of Atlas has handles in its hands to pick up objects and perform tasks. (Source: ARS Technica)
Why this is important to your business:
Between artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT and robotics like Atlas, the workplace will see major changes in the near future. This is how the market responds to a shortage of low-skilled workers — and workers who demand or cost too much.
3 – As Fiverr searches for freelancers explode, demand for AI skills is on the rise.
Recent reports indicate an increase in demand for artificial intelligence (AI) skills. Freelance marketplace Fiverr has seen a 1,400% increase in freelancers with AI-related skills over the past six months. More and more companies and organizations are looking for professionals who can help them take advantage of all that artificial intelligence has to offer. (Source: VentureBeat)
Why this is important to your business:
You’d think AI would weed out workers, and it does—low-skilled workers. But, in this world of software automation, people with development and other technical skills are always in demand. Still, it’s important to understand who’s hiring. It’s not the end user. It is a software company that develops products to sell. You should stick to your business and buy these when it makes sense for your business.
4 – Mercado announces the launch of Mercado Lite – the world’s first vital management system dedicated to small and medium importers.
Import Order Management System (iOMS) Mercado recently announced the launch of the first iOMS for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. The new platform, called Mercado Lite, aims to help small and medium-sized businesses accelerate the digitization of their import supply chains. (Source: Mercado Labs)
Why this is important to your business:
“We’ve achieved tremendous results,” said Harlan Beverly, vice president of engineering and the technology lead behind Mercado’s latest launch. “Thanks to our built-in change controls, small and medium-sized importers who have been using the platform have seen a 75% reduction in order errors and a 55% increase in on-time arrival of shipments.”
The key here is to enable both you and your suppliers to realize the benefits on the platform. But if it can be arranged, Mercado seems to offer a very affordable way to manage your inventory and supply chain.
5— Mailchimp says it’s hacked — again.
Newsletter and email marketing company Mailchimp has shared that it was hacked, exposing the data of dozens of customers. This latest breach appears to be nearly identical to the hacks the company has experienced over the past six months. Mailchimp’s security team confirmed that it discovered a hacker using one of its internal tools for customer support and account management. (Source: Tech Crunch)
Why this is important to your business:
If you’re a Mailchimp customer, like many small business owners, it’s a good idea to change your password now.
