Salesforce’s Einstein, a mascot representing Salesforce’s AI (AI) platform …(+)
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Below are five things about Business Tech News that happened this week and how they affect your business. Have you missed them?
On this week’s Business Tech News
Business Tech News #1 – Meta and Salesforce are deploying new AI agents to help with customer service.
META has launched a pilot program to implement AI-powered customer service agents, helping businesses with Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. These agents can interact with customers in real time, handle tasks like managing returns, providing product recommendations, and handling purchases. Using data from a business metafootprint, including previous posts and customer service messages, agents can respond directly to customer inquiries via advertising pages or directly via direct messages. Agent AI is now bolstering CRM platforms like Salesforce, which recently introduced AgentExchange. This is a new market for enterprise software AI agents. Starting with over 200 partners, including Google Cloud, Docusign, Box and Workday, has been developed for businesses that have developed pre-packaged agent solutions that allow them to be implemented without extensive technical expertise. Unlike traditional AI tools that focus on text generation, these professional AI agents are designed to autonomously perform complex tasks within business systems and effectively increase work capacity. (Source: Fast Company; VentureBeat)
Why this is important to your business:
2025 is the year of the agent. I’ve written about this before, so I’ll be revisiting this topic in another Forbes column soon. The point is that ultimately – ultimately – generative AI will evolve this year to provide information alone, as well as perform tasks that will help you run your business more productively. The focus is on customer service. My advice is to be very leaning and probably build your own solution using some of these tools.
Business Tech News #2 – PayPal’s scammers employ Docusign APIs for their customers.
The latest PayPal fraud alerts include Docusign’s Application Programming Interface (API). Scammers use software to improve the reliability of phishing emails targeted at PayPal users. By setting up a Docusign account, these scammers will utilize the available templates to send legitimate, good looking PayPal invoices. Recipients will be notified of the fraudulent transaction and will be asked to contact the provided phone number to secure an account and process the refund. These emails come from Docusign, so many security filters can be bypassed. The red flag includes the use of a Gmail address for PayPal customer support and the lack of documents that require a signature. This is rare in Docusign communication. Docusign says it will investigate and close suspicious accounts within 24 hours of detection or reporting. (Source: FineXtra)
Why this is important to your business:
I recently received a PayPal scam email and have asked me to request payment or confirm payment to the company. This is a new twist, and using Docusign is a rather savvy way to trick businesses and individuals into providing sensitive information. Make sure your employees are aware of this, be extremely vigilant, trained by the company, and report what appears on both PayPal and Docusign.
Business Tech News #3 – Electronic employee surveillance reaches an all-time high.
Lucas Mearian from ComputerWorld highlighted a significant increase in electronic employee surveillance, as reported in a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In this survey, 80% of companies monitor remote or hybrid workers, and 74% use web browsing and 62% tracking screen activity. This surge in surveillance has been linked to increased stress among workers, reduced job satisfaction and potentially lower productivity. The surge in surveillance tools such as RFID badges and biometric scanners raised ethical concerns about privacy and potential discriminatory practices. Experts should note that while these tools aim to increase productivity, they can inadvertently undermine employee well-being and trust in the workplace. (Source: ComputerWorld)
Why this is important to your business:
I’m an employee surveillance opponent. I notice in some circumstances – if there are valuable inventory, high risk of theft, and even harmful employee behaviors that surveillance can be useful for the business. But most of the time I see clients overwhelm the details of employee day, even when they work from home, rather than running a business. You hire an adult. Give me the respect for being an adult. Stop spending more time on things that are likely to be far less risky on the overall profitability of your business, instead focusing on growing your business and improving your employees.
Business Tech News #4 – SMBS Reddit: Hidden SEO and Engagement Goldmine.
Reddit is becoming the perfect platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to strengthen their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, engage with local communities, and build brand trusts. Reddit content often appears prominently in Google search results, and users are actively looking for Reddit discussions about authentic reviews and insights. Example – When searching for services like Brooklyn’s personal trainer, users can include “Reddit” in their queries to find authentic community feedback. Unlike other social media platforms that frequently change their algorithms, Reddit maintains a consistent forum-style structure, allowing businesses to connect directly with their niche audiences through a specific community known as Subreddits. This direct involvement can lead to improved visibility and reliability. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important to your business:
I’m active on R/CRM SubredDit and received some leads from there. But here’s the secret. Do not use RedDit as a LeadGen tool. I like to go to CRM subreddit and learn more about the industry, interact with users, and provide advice. I often get great advice there. Yes, I sometimes pitch our solutions, but usually it’s just education and a useful engagement to build trustworthy and relationships. I’ve never even thought about the fact that this activity could appear in online searches, but that’s a plus. Business owners are highly encouraged to select subreddits based on their industry and expertise and engage with their community regularly.
Business Tech News #5 – If you do not use these PC security essentials, please hack them.
Alaina Yee from PCWorld reminded readers why it is important to maintain robust security for your PC in today’s digital landscape. (Source: PCWorld)
Why this is important to your business:
Essential practices include activating built-in anti-virus protection and using third-party security suites. For example, Avast One expands the company’s free security suite, offering upgraded defense against online threats and additional features. Yee also proposes implementing comprehensive security measures. Beyond standard anti-virus software that incorporates additional protection guards such as firewalls, browser extensions, password managers, and VPNs, it enhances system security. Please update the software. Regularly update the operating system and all installed applications to patch vulnerabilities that cybercriminals may exploit.
Every week, I compile five business tech news stories that will impact your business and give you some reasons for it.
