In Canada, TELUS just launched a control center (powered by Jasper) to help businesses easily deploy IoT solutions as well. “Companies across all industries are looking to leverage IoT to deliver connected services,” said Cindy Patterson, Chief Customer Officer at Jasper. “With the TELUS Control Centre, enterprises can quickly and easily deploy IoT services that increase value for their customers while introducing new, recurring revenue streams.”

NEC is taking IoT and SDN even further, by collaborating with the city and University of Bristol to develop the world’s first open, programmable smart city. The NEC-powered SDN platform is called “Bristol is Open,” and makes available almost two hundred of the city's data sets on traffic flows, energy use, crime and health trends to kick-start the creation of innovative new services.

Verizon report: PCI security sorely lacking

How safe is your business? Probably not very safe, according to Verizon's 2015 PCI Compliance Report. The data reveals that 80 percent of businesses are vulnerable to cyberattacks; and while compliance is slowly increasing, there is still a boatload of work to be done to secure payment card data. This not only impacts these companies, but also the customers they serve. According to the report, nearly 70 percent of all consumers are less inclined to do business with a breached organization.

“Today’s cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing,” said Rodolphe Simonetti, Managing Director, professional services for Verizon Enterprise Solutions. “Compliance at a point in time isn’t sufficient to protect data. Putting the focus on making compliance sustainable is key. It must be a part of day-to-day activities within an organization’s greater security strategy."

CEM from within

Every business wants to improve the customer experience, but where is the best place to start? New research from Orange Silicon Valley says to make like Michael Jackson and start with the man in the mirror. Employee engagement directly relates to the care and service customers receive, according to the report. The report, "Who Cares? Transforming the Connection with Customers," shows that companies need to change the way they view customer and employee engagement, retention, and promotion.

“The challenge many call center managers face is how to save the customers’ time, after years of trying to save the agents’ time,” notes Mark Plakias, Orange Silicon Valley’s lead researcher for the report. “Data scientists, talent managers, and contact center executives are now collaborating on how to deliver the best experiences through new technology -- and they need employees with new skill-sets to make it happen.”