Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Improve Your Brand's Online Reputation with SEO

In today's digital world, a positive online reputation relates to much of a business's success. Good reviews and high scores along with relevant content help consumers find your website. That's why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should be a main part of your online reputation management. SEO involves tailoring your website's content to rank high in search engines' criteria—and put you at the top in buyer searches for products and services. It includes identifying and using key words, content optimization, link building, and blog and social media presence. In her article, "Improve Your Brand's Online Reputation with SEO," Jessica Wong explains that the "right blog can contribute to your SEO ranking, generate more clicks from the search engine results page and help turn those clicks into sales." A blog post should have a good mix of search keywords, relevant videos and pictures, and links to and from your page, she explains. Read Wong's entire article for an overview of the four stages to SEO implementation and the six areas to focus on for improving your brand's online reputation related to SEO.

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Digital therapeutics trends and considerations in times of crisis

Digital Therapeutics (DTx) mobile software solutions that digitally deliver clinically proven medical interventions have been crucial in helping countless people to receive effective healthcare from the comfort of their own homes. Thanks to these solutions, healthcare providers and organizations have managed to successfully connect with patients around the world to monitor and address their mental health, cognition, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and overall wellbeing. Read this article to learn about the main trends that have emerged in how companies are leveraging DTx to help people with chronic conditions live healthier, more fulfilling lives, even during the current pandemic.

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Monday, February 22, 2021

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Healthcare Accelerator: Unlocking rapid progress with unified data

Unified data delivers the insights medical providers need to provide the best patient care experiences, from efficiently ordering medical supplies to effectively managing surgery scheduling. As data sources become more numerous and provide increasingly large volumes of information, a complete, integrated solution for improving healthcare is now critical for providers seeking to unite their data and improve their systems holistically. In this two-pager, you'll learn how Microsoft Dynamics 365 Healthcare Accelerator connects your Dynamics 365 health solutions to your Electronic Health Records (EHR) and other data sources to help you enable personalized care, improve operational outcomes, empower care teams, and reimagine healthcare.

View: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Healthcare Accelerator: Unlocking rapid progress with unified data

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

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Digital transformation has become one of the keys that modern healthcare providers use to unlock increased efficiency and dramatically improve their patients' experiences. From applications that enable patients to solicit their services from any location to collaboration software that allows providers to increase the effectiveness of existing services, digital is transforming the industry in ways that were previously unthinkable. Subscribe now to stay up to date on the latest insights and trends in the digitization of healthcare, and see how Microsoft technology can be used to provide patients with enhanced services.

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How to Empower Your Employees to Be More Customer-Centric

"Empowerment taps into the potential of a human being to do more than what is typically defined by their job description. Empowerment allows that individual to take initiative, to show courage, and to speak up and to make things better," writes Phil Geldart, a recognized authority in transforming organizational culture and leadership development. It is especially important in today's digital business world, because customers expect personalized experiences. In order for organizations to offer an increasing amount of personalization, they must enable and empower their employees with the trust, knowledge, and permission to do what they know they can do—take care of the customer. In order for the customer-centric business model we strive for to work, your employees must feel empowered to do their part in establishing it. You can't say you want a customer-centric organization and then continually limit the responsibilities and ownership of your employees. "True empowerment allows you to release the potential of employees at all levels and roles," adds Geldart. It's here you'll see results far greater than you would if you simply instruct them what to do in each scenario. For specific guidelines on how to create a more positive workplace, read Geldart's article, "How to Empower Your Employees to Be More Customer-Centric."

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DHHS: Department of digital transformation

Improving operational efficiency is at the core of enabling better outcomes for patients. By freeing employees from manual intensive tasks and outdated legacy technology, organizations can focus on optimizing their processes and improving patient experiences. For the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Victoria, Australia, part of this process meant eliminating the agency's dependence on paper and improving its employees' ability to collaborate and share critical information. Watch this video to learn how digitization based on Microsoft technology has enabled DHHS to be more efficient, eliminating more than 80,000 paper faxes per year and enabling seamless collaboration that empowers data-driven decision-making.

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Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Editorial Leadership in the Age of Content Marketing Automation

Content marketing is now widely understood and accepted as a pillar in the business industry; we acknowledge that providing educational materials to prospects and customers is vital to earn the business and loyalty of today's buyers. As technology rapidly advances, however, the concept of content marketing is changing as well. Content automation, along with editorial and creative arts automation, will continue to affect how we include content to buyers. As the "content landscape" changes, Cameron Conaway encourages leaders to continue to have an open mind and adapt along with this transformation. Rather than base your decision-making on fear, he urges you to "work to shift your mindset and develop habits of curiosity about what's changing and why." These are attributes of leaders who understand technology trends and are in it for the long haul—not short-term success. Read Conaway's full article, "Leadership in the Age of Content Marketing Automation" for inspirational insight on how to remain a content leader in the age of content automation.

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Department of Health and Human Services: Health services delivering powerful digital experiences

The reach and scope of digital healthcare services is expanding. Given the overwhelming potential they offer for transforming the industry, it's safe to say that this is only the beginning of a much deeper transformation. This shift promises to benefit both healthcare providers and their patients by empowering doctors with improved data collection that guides them in helping patients adopt healthier lifestyles, effectively reducing hospital and other medical center visits. Digital technology also enables medical centers to provide smarter, more efficient operations by allowing them to safely store patient records in the cloud and collaborate seamlessly with other facilities around the world. In this video, you'll see how the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in Victoria, Australia, has built solutions based on Microsoft technology that enable enhanced collaboration, allowing the agency to improve the services it provides.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Enable faster, more accurate decision-making for retail managers. Get started with Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions.

In the digital age, fast, accurate decision-making can make the difference between seizing a unique opportunity and remaining on the sidelines. To create a business that's truly more agile, managers and other decision-makers must be empowered with digital tools that enable them to process tasks more effectively and obtain a holistic view of their customers. Subscribe now to learn how you can drive intelligent retail and get the most out of your customer- and employee-facing applications by using Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions.

View: Enable faster, more accurate decision-making for retail managers. Get started with Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions.

5 Tips to Get More Customers and Retain Them Too

The buyer's journey is a progression of steps the buyer takes when making a purchase. Most businesses know that they need to support the customer at all stages, even though a lot of the process is done before a buyer engages with the seller. When buyers are ready to engage, you must be ready. In the article, "5 Tips to Get More Customers and Retain Them Too," Dhaval Sarvaiya discusses the main stages of the journey: awareness, consideration, decision, retention and advocacy. In the final stage, he reminds us that customers with great experiences will "fall in love with your brand" and that they will not only "promote your brand but will defend it as well." Imagine customers so loyal that they will defend what you're selling—all because they so strongly believe in it. Read this entire article for pointers on how to support your customers at all stages of the buyer's journey.

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Work remotely, stay secure

As businesses have had to quickly pivot to new working environments, cyberattacks become an urgent concern. In this thought leadership article, you can learn some of best practices using Microsoft security that help ensure the best protection. Examples include secure access to cloud applications that protect sign-ins with security defaults, methods to manage and secure corporate data in approved apps on personal devices, and providing clear and basic information, including how to protect their devices, will help you and employees stay ahead of threats so they can remain productive.

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Monday, February 1, 2021

Empowering managers

Retail managers have a lot on their plate, and ensuring that they make the best of the time they have available is imperative. One way to address this is to ensure that they have access to the business-critical information they need to obtain a holistic view of their customers and stores. This way, managers are empowered to make accurate decisions quickly based on the most-current data and focus on delivering innovative in-store experiences that increase revenue and improve customer loyalty. In this video, you'll see how Kroger's Microsoft-powered Virtual Store Manager solution enables retail decision-makers to process their tasks electronically, allowing them to make more-effective decisions and create alluring in-store experiences.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Shipping company navigates to the cloud, boosts security, cuts operating costs by 50%

Qatari shipping and maritime company Nakilat has one of the world's largest fleets of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, transporting LNG from Qatar to global markets. To increase its competitive advantage, Nakilat wanted to improve employee productivity and mobility, without compromising on data security. It uses Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Cloud App Security to deliver highly secure cloud-first workplaces—shipboard and in the office. Nakilat also adopted the Microsoft Azure platform to optimize its operations and improve business continuity, reducing operating costs by 50 percent. See more in this video.

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Why smart data strategies will drive the evolution of retail

When e-commerce and online retail first appeared, many people—including some experts—speculated that it signaled the beginning of the end of brick-and-mortar retailers. For a moment, there was near agreement that physical stores were a thing of the past, but this was a misconception. As with other overblown predictions, the so-called end of retail stores didn't happen. Instead, the industry was taken over by a new breed of tech-savvy retailers that harnessed the power of digital transformation and analytics to create unified, alluring experiences for today's consumers. Retailers are still adapting to this new, digitally driven business model, but most are already reaping the benefits that the new digital ecosystem offers. In this article, you'll learn about the challenges that retailers can face in analyzing their business performance, and what they can do to improve on their data-driven initiatives.

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Microsoft Threat Protection stops attack sprawl and auto-heals enterprise assets with built-in intelligence and automation

Attackers will cross multiple domains like email, identity, endpoints, and applications to find the point of least resistance. Today's defense solutions have been designed to protect, detect, and block threats for each domain separately, allowing attackers to exploit the seams and threshold differences between solutions—leaving the business vulnerable to attack. Microsoft Threat Protection stops attack sprawl and auto-heals enterprise assets with built in intelligence and automation. Read on to learn more.

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Monday, January 25, 2021

Deliver a modern customer journey with Microsoft

In a retail industry increasingly dominated by Internet of Things (IoT) devices, digital transformation, and review-based shopping, modern consumers are never short of options for evaluating and purchasing their favorite products and services. While these tools foster remarkable shopping experiences, they also challenge retailers, who must become increasingly innovative in their approaches to consumer-facing solutions and strategies for process optimization. In this infographic, you'll see how Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions can be employed during each of these stages to increase employee satisfaction and create revenue-generating experiences.

View: Deliver a modern customer journey with Microsoft

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Enrich your customer, manager, and employee experiences. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Effective retail solutions provide stakeholders with relevant information and insights. Whether you're building shelves that help shoppers find curated offers, apps that give insights into business performance, or work tools that empower employees to do more with less, you must also provide the data that each user needs to make better-informed decisions. Subscribe now to learn more about how you can create high-impact solutions that elevate customers' shopping experiences through the power of Microsoft Retail Solutions.

View: Enrich your customer, manager, and employee experiences. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Greater Security

Greater security at lower cost with the expertise and power of Microsoft security solutions. Learn more about simplifying and fortifying with Microsoft security.

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Kennametal embraces Microsoft cloud strategy to drive business innovation

Kennametal has invested heavily in Microsoft cloud technologies as part of its digital transformation journey to reduce costs, increase productivity, and empower workers to deliver superior results for their customers. In this video, see how they utilize Microsoft Azure cloud platform and services to Microsoft Dynamics 365 business applications to Microsoft 365 productivity, security, and mobility tools. Kennametal believes that Microsoft resources will help the company fulfill its business promises.

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Vision of innovation

Among the objectives of digital transformation is making information more accessible to those who need it, whether they're consumers, decision-makers, or employees. The retail industry is no exception, and businesses have taken advantage of many innovative solutions to enrich their stakeholders' experiences by using customer-facing applications and digital workplace tools. Retailers now have better insights into how their customers perceive their brands, and these businesses are able to make more-informed decisions. In this video, you'll discover how industry leader Kroger is using Microsoft technology to empower its consumers, employees, and CPG providers with unique digital solutions.

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Monday, January 18, 2021

How to Become a Leadership Influencer

Blending the concepts of "social influencers" with "thought leaders," Tom Popomaronis states that a new breed is emerging. A "leadership influencer" still shares knowledge and philosophy through various channels but also demonstrates a rare skill—the power to inspire. Popomaronis shows you where to begin if you haven't published anything yet. He suggests, for example, you could start by writing about favorite quotes and the lessons you associate with them. Eventually, you'll focus more on your industry expertise. The point is, you need to start somewhere. It doesn't matter what you call yourself—but if you can inspire others with your content, you're one step closer to "leadership influencer." Read "How to Become a Leadership Influencer" by Tom Popomaronis.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

How to Turn Your Business Goals into a Strong Social Media Strategy

Social media plays an important role in marketing. Not only does it cost very little, but it's a quick way to get valuable content to large audiences with a personal touch. Social media platforms are non-negotiable, but are you effectively utilizing them to meet your business's goals? In her article, "How to Turn Your Business Goals into a Strong Social Media Strategy," writer Elissa Liu states that too many businesses fail to connect their goals with a complementary strategy—instead, they shoot from the hip and post or share what is convenient or what they think their targeted audience may like. There's little follow-up and return on investment is unknown. Instead, Liu suggests you create a strategy to meet a clearly defined goal. For example, if one of your business goals is to improve customer service, look at how you process complaints and questions. Some people are okay making a phone call, but others might prefer sending a comment through Facebook messenger. Liu points out that customers need several avenues to complain or question—and they expect timely responses. Do you know your response time on social media? Is it clearly defined within your company and is it tracked? It's obvious reading this that social media response time affects customer service—but it's amazing how many businesses do not utilize social media platforms with this understanding. Use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn to improve your customer service, if that is one of your business goals. Read Liu's entire article for great tips on translating your business goals into social media goals!

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Mobile solutions for retailers: Off the shelf or private label?

As mobile devices became more user-friendly, media-focused, and accessible, consumers gain always-on access to the benefits of digital transformation. Such devices also provide retail businesses with the tools to create more-personalized experiences tailored to each user's unique preferences and shopping habits. But the benefits don't stop there. Retailers have realized that digital technology can be as useful for customer-facing applications as it is for internal processes, and they've started employing it to help their workers provide immediate solutions to customer issues. While mobile solutions have become crucial tools for employees, they pose a new challenge for retailers: Should they choose private-label or off-the-shelf devices? In this article, you'll learn about the pros and cons of each to help you decide which works best for your business.

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RapidDeploy helps first responders defend public safety with Azure Sentinel

RapidDeploy creates its Cloud Aided Dispatch systems to help first responders act quickly to protect the public. There's a lot at stake, and the company's cloud-native platform must be secure against an array of serious cybersecurity threats. So, when RapidDeploy implemented a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system, it chose Microsoft Azure Sentinel, one of the world's first cloud-native SIEMs. See the full story in the video below.

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Securing the hybrid cloud with Azure Security Center and Azure Sentinel

Infrastructure security is top-of-mind for organizations managing workloads on-premises, in the cloud, or hybrid. Azure Security Center provides unified security management by identifying and fixing misconfigurations and providing visibility into threats to quickly remediate them. Azure Sentinel collects data from Azure Security Center. Learn more about this integrated and efficient solution in this article.

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The virtuous cycle of retail

In business, a virtuous cycle is a set of recurring processes in which the objective of each is to increase the beneficial effect on the next. Not so long ago, the typical purchase pattern was linear. Further, it involved very few steps from the time consumers first learned about a product or service to the time they purchased it. With the arrival of digital transformation, though, both online and brick-and-mortar retailers are adapting to a new virtuous cycle, one in which personalized experiences are the norm and digital customer service tools play crucial roles in making or breaking a purchase every step of the way. In this infographic, you'll learn how digital technology has driven retail's virtuous cycle and get insights into how you can improve your customers' experiences via Microsoft Retail Solutions.

View: The virtuous cycle of retail

Monday, January 11, 2021

Microsoft Sentinel

Azure Sentinel is intelligent security analytics for your entire enterprise. Collect data, detect threats, investigate incidents, and rapidly respond with Sentinel.

View: Microsoft Sentinel

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Expand your offerings portfolio with innovative digital solutions. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Merchandise and customer service have traditionally been the main focus of the retail industry's portfolio. Digital transformation now allows retailers to expand on their main capabilities and develop innovative solutions that boost their bottom line, as well as that of their partners and clients. Digital is reshaping retail into a more diverse, tech-infused industry where innovation is king and disruption creates new collaboration opportunities. Subscribe now to learn how to get the most from your existing retail applications by leveraging Microsoft technology to diversify your service portfolio.

View: Expand your offerings portfolio with innovative digital solutions. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

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St. Luke's University Health Network secures digital health transformation with Microsoft 365

St. Luke's University Health Network (SLUHN) looks to the cloud to define a new way of providing health services of its ten hospitals and 300 sites across ten counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This video outlines how the health network embarked on a digital health transformation journey using the Microsoft 365 productivity cloud to empower more than 15,000 employees. The intuitive tools protect sensitive information in cloud applications, simplifying security with interoperable solutions to save time while enhancing the hospital network's security posture. In turn, this optimizes health team collaboration and improves patient experience.

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Retail as a service

Innovative solutions that increase revenue and generate industrywide disruption are the Holy Grail of digital transformation. Developing such solutions isn't simple, though. It requires accurate insights, significant research and development (R&D), and a stable, accessible platform that can make the solution easily available to partners and clients. The effort can be well worth it, as groundbreaking applications can open up new revenue streams, enable complementary capabilities, and foster long-lasting partnerships that can elevate a business to new heights. In this video, you'll learn how the Kroger Co. technology division is leading the industry by leveraging Microsoft tools to provide its own innovations as a new offering: retail as a service.

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How to 'Spring Clean' Your Website with Content Auditing

You know the importance of periodically cleaning out your closet, your car, your emails, and your file folders. Not only do you create a cleaner, more orderly space, but you inevitably discover items you didn't know you had, perhaps even misplaced valuables. It's the same with your company's website. How often do you invest time to examine the content of your website? The first step, writes Syed Balkhi in "How to 'Spring Clean' Your Website with Content Auditing," is to set a clear goal: want to increase audience engagement or improve your SEO results or another specific goal? Once you know your goal, you can look at your pages and posts with a lens that supports accomplishing it. For example, if your goal is to increase audience engagement, you need to determine which topics your visitors are most interested in, and then filter your current content accordingly. Balkhi includes tips on how to create a content inventory (and why you need one) and then how to take action to reach your goals. Read this article—and get ready to clean!

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Monday, January 4, 2021

Navigate data protection and risk in the cloud era

Microsoft invests in compliance and risk management to help your customers more easily protect and govern their data, address regulations and standards, and mitigate insider risks. The how-to guidance article announces new capabilities in Microsoft 365 that use machine learning and intelligence to help your customers address compliance and risk management in their organizations.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Retail in the 2020s: The death of consumerism?

Thanks to new technologies and rising customer expectations, retailers have become experience hubs for millions of shoppers around the world. It's no secret that retail has fully embraced digital transformation, leading many experts to speculate about where the industry is heading next and what to expect from retail experiences going forward. In this article, you'll learn about the six main forces that will play key roles in determining this decade's retail technology.

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Overview of Microsoft Defender ATP

Learn how Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection delivers preventative protection, post-breach detection, automated investigation, and response for enterprise networks. Watch this video for an overview.

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The challenges faced by today's retail stakeholders

As digital transformation touches every aspect of the retail industry, it's in retailers' best interest to embrace innovative applications that add customer value and improve operations. This is easier said than done, though, because the specific needs of individual retail stakeholders must be taken into consideration in planning and executing every digital initiative. In this infographic, we'll take a look at the needs of the industry's main stakeholders and how customer-facing solutions can help them meet the main challenges of their various roles.

View: The challenges faced by today's retail stakeholders

How to Create Content that Generates Exposure, Loyalty and Sales

Good content strengthens relationships with your customers. "If you hit the right emotional buttons, your content allows people to engage, to trust you and to want to talk with you," writes Cheryl Snapp Conner, CEO of SnappConner PR. Trust and engagement—isn't that what we desire from prospects and current customers? Some people hesitate to create content because they don't understand the payoff for the investment. A great article will likely include research and several edits, but as Snapp Conner points out, "When it's complete, you can break the 1,000 words into a series of tweets. You can do a short video on the topic. Even better, embed the video into the article. Talk about the theme on a podcast." One piece of content can work hard for you, building trust and creating engagement in multiple arenas. Read "How to Create Content that Generates Exposure, Loyalty and Sales" for more tips from Snapp Conner, as well as insights from Jeremy Knauff, CEO of Spartan Media. Together they offer fresh perspectives on why your business needs to provide content as part of its marketing campaign.

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Security Fortify infographic

Maximize threat detection during attack stages with Microsoft's comprehensive suite of security solutions. Unmatched volumes of data inform Microsoft security solutions. Learn how you can harness decades of security experience with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection.

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Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Complement your in-store experiences with interactive customer applications. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Not long ago, retailers feared online stores would render their businesses obsolete. Thankfully, the industry quickly adapted to living in an online, mobile world, and consumers have proven they can't get enough of the unique experiences provided by innovative retailers. That being said, the industry is moving at an unprecedented speed, and always-on digital solutions are no longer the exception, but the norm within the retail industry. Subscribe now to learn how you can use digital transformation to increase sales, ensure returning customers, and secure your business with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

View: Complement your in-store experiences with interactive customer applications. Get started with Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Why Your Elevator Pitch Isn't Working

The easy part is remembering what an elevator pitch is: a short, catchy way to describe your business when you don't have time to elaborate details (as in an elevator ride). The difficult part is knowing how to deliver one. This article highlights a few aspects that can go wrong with your elevator pitch, along with solutions to make sure that in your short window of time, you're communicating an intentional message. For example, author Anna Johansson writes that too often the "bottom line" of a pitch isn't apparent, and though it will vary depending on your audience, it should also be clear what it is: "For investors, it's either profitability or longevity. For clients, it's often a proposed solution to a real problem." As Johansson states, you must know who you're talking with—and adjust your pitch accordingly. Easy to understand, harder to do. She provides good tips on how to create, polish, and tweak a distinctive elevator pitch

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Hybrid Environments

Secure hybrid environments for the lowest TCO with an integrated solution. Learn more about simplifying and fortifying with Microsoft security. Subscribe here!

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Leveraging Your Microsoft Assets in this Remote Access World

More of the workforce is working remotely than ever before. Organizations are adapting and implementing new remote access solutions. Now is the time to evaluate the Microsoft tools you already have at your fingertips and leverage the built-in remote work security features and capabilities. Read more in this article from National Law Review.

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Kroger: Next-gen mobile shopping

Regardless of how skilled you are at creating shopping lists or how well you know your local supermarket's floor layout, you'll most likely be revisiting the same aisles in search of items you missed. In other words, shopping for groceries is far from becoming the most time-efficient activity on people's to-do lists—or at least that's how it was until digital transformation came along. Now, thanks to the IoT and cloud technology, grocery retailers are discovering innovative ways to streamline their customers' shopping experiences and increase revenue by providing relevant offers based on their unique profile. In this video, you'll learn how Kroger, the largest U.S. supermarket chain, is using its Scan, Bag, Go solution to help consumers navigate its retail stores in the most efficient way possible. You'll also watch how IoT devices and Microsoft technology integrate seamlessly to enable convenient features such as self-checkout, a real-time subtotal count, and personalized advertising within the store's digital shelves.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Security Power

Securing your systems with a data driven, human guided security approach allows you to detect and respond to attacks more quickly and accurately. This infographic outlines how the global network of real time threat intelligence from Microsoft continues to evolve, anticipate, and stay ahead of risks.

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6 retail tech trends to watch for that go beyond competing with Amazon

It's been made clear that focusing on their customers' experiences is every retailer's top priority. However, part of the reason why this challenge is so complex is due to the logistics of running a retail business. Backend logistics, manual tasks, paper-intensive procedures, and item return processes are just some of the factors that decision makers and employees must manage daily, which takes away time from strategy or innovation. Thankfully, emerging technologies are enabling businesses to automate the least creative aspects of their daily operations. This, in turn, empowers their workforce to truly focus their attention on what really matters: their customers. In this article, you'll learn about the 6 most defining and value-adding tech trends available for retailers at the turn of this decade.

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BP deploys Microsoft 365 to improve user experience and security

Every day, BP manages the difficult business of finding, producing, marketing, and moving energy around the globe. Core to success is the modernization and digitization of the business, while being able to defend a vast digital perimeter against cyberattacks. This video shows how BP is migrating its work environment to Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 to take advantage of a platform approach.

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The retail industry is evolving

It's no secret that the retail industry has evolved significantly since the turn of the century. Heavily influenced by the digital business revolution that took every industry by storm, retailers have seen perhaps one of the most drastic changes in their customer base than any other type of business. So, what are the defining factors that have driven change in the way the retail industry operates? Find out by reading this infographic.

View: The retail industry is evolving

The 'Superhero Fallacy' and Other Storytelling Mistakes Marketers Make

Humans love stories. More marketers are utilizing storytelling to connect with consumers, yet they're discovering it's not as easy as it sounds. Businesses make mistakes with storytelling, and in this article Matthew Luhn, a story-branding consultant and writer of storytelling in the business world, shares his insight with author Kimberly A. Whitler. Luhn says one example of a common error is when companies make a statement rather than tell a story. They write, "We have a great story," but then fail to tell the story. "Having a story," says Luhn, "isn't the same as saying that you are telling a story." Read The 'Superhero Fallacy' and Other Storytelling Mistakes Marketers Make" to learn about other common faux pas marketers make when using stories to connect with customers.

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Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Enable machine learning, video analytics, and the cloud to create alluring in-store experiences. Learn more about Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Insights are digital transformation's best friend. With accurate insights, you obtain a deep understanding of your environment as well as what your customers want and expect from your business. In other words, they're a key enabler for all your digital initiatives and are crucial in the development of new business opportunities. Subscribe now to stay updated on how you can leverage data-rich sources, advanced analytics, and Microsoft to improve your retail environment and enhance your customers' experiences.

View: Enable machine learning, video analytics, and the cloud to create alluring in-store experiences. Learn more about Microsoft Retail Solutions.

Go The Extra Mile - It's Never Crowded

The competition is bubbling with businesses trying to replicate successful products and services. What's not easy to copy is a unique, stand-for-something brand that customers associate with your company. This article shares three fundamental topics to help you navigate toward unique: Does your brand and core value permeate your staff, culture, and communication? Do you have an in-depth understanding of your target market? How is your brand differentiated from competition? Read Andrew MacKenzie's "Go the Extra Mile-It's Never Crowded" for insight on finding your clear differentiator—one that your customers will recognize and appreciate—and then be willing to go the extra mile for them.

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Security beyond Microsoft products

With Microsoft, security can be simple once again. Microsoft 365 provides an intelligent security hub that works seamlessly across platforms, going far beyond Microsoft—to Linux and Mac, to AWS and beyond, so you can manage mission critical workloads with the right tools at your fingertips. Watch the video to learn more.

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Kroger: Video analytics for action

Customizability in the retail industry can prove quite challenging. It requires tons of data, the capacity to accurately analyze said data, and the creativity to innovate based upon the results obtained. All of this must be executed while ensuring an intuitive shopping experience that maximizes available space and avoids over-saturation, both visually and physically. If this sounds complex, that's because it is—but when done properly, it can unlock a myriad of opportunities to provide your shoppers with tailor-made experiences. In this video, you'll watch how Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., is utilizing video analytics to improve operations and create revenue-generating customer experiences.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Kroger's smart shelves ditch the paper, drop the lights, and delight the shoppers

Successful digital transformation initiatives are all about efficiency, customization, and complementing human ingenuity. They also strive to create more sustainable businesses, and their impact usually has disruptive, long-lasting effects that cascade across multiple industries, especially those in which processes were hard to update because of technological limitations. In the supermarket industry, for example, paper price tags, coupons, and pamphlets with weekly offers were the norm for decades. Because of this, the shopping experience was pretty much the same—until now. In this article, you'll gain insights into Kroger's Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment (EDGE) and how it leverages Microsoft Azure and IoT sensors to create a unique, personalized shopping experience for consumers—all while saving more than 1.7 billion kilowatt hours since its implementation.

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Construction giant gains competitive edge with zero-trust approach to security

When The Walsh Group—one of the largest construction contractors in the United States—moved to the cloud, it realized it needed better ways to manage who accesses its systems. The company set up identity as the control plane—with Microsoft Azure Active Directory at the center and a zero-trust security stance to better protect access to all its resources. Now, The Walsh Group CIO says the company leads the industry in securing access to its hybrid environment, giving it a competitive advantage. Read the article for more.

View: Construction giant gains competitive edge with zero-trust approach to security

Take advantage of three emerging technologies driving change in retail

Now, more than ever, consumers expect convenience when it comes to buying products and obtaining services. For retail businesses, this means accurately predicting what customers want before they even set foot in the store, and delivering it in a way that requires the least amount of effort on their part. Thankfully, digital has empowered retail stores with innovative tools that can deliver relevant offers while creating memorable experiences that generate great customer reviews. In this infographic, you'll learn about three emerging technologies available within Microsoft Dynamics 365 that are driving the evolution of retail experiences.

View: Take advantage of three emerging technologies driving change in retail

Stop Marketing to Millennials or Gen-Z and Start Marketing to Tribes

This year, "Gen-Z are set to overtake Millennials as the biggest generation globally," writes Kian Bakhtiari of CMO network. He adds, however, that we shouldn't think of young people as a marketing segment, because they're not: "The digital age has enabled the creation of modern tribes, united by a shared mindset, rather than age or location." Demographic information alone is no longer as important. Add in different behaviors, attitudes and needs of young people, along with the fact that they are often "invisible" and populate social media platforms—and you have a more complicated yet authentic way of understanding your customer base. The fact that Bakhtiari's byline in Forbes magazine states he writes about marketing through a "Millennial and Gen-Z lens" is proof of his message. Read his entire article, "Stop Marketing to Millennials or Gen-Z and Start Marketing to Tribes" to better understand this mindset shift.

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Security intelligent infographic

Identify and repel more threats than ever before with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Security, and Azure Sentinel. Take a look to learn more about intelligent security solutions for your entire enterprise.

View: Security intelligent infographic

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

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The way we think of and use technology holds so much potential. From increasing the productivity of farmers to helping researchers track endangered species, Microsoft is proud to support so many amazing people who inspire and improve the world we live in. Whether you're trying to make a difference on a global scale or trying to improve job satisfaction in the workplace, Twixsoft can help! Subscribe today!

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Largest and most trusted

Microsoft 365 guards your data as a valuable asset. With security built-in, not bolted on, integration and deployment are simplified. Subscribe now to learn more.

View: Largest and most trusted

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Use digital transformation to deliver outstanding retail experiences. Learn more about Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions.

It's no secret that modern consumers are unforgiving. But then again, never before have businesses been armed with so many options for creating exceptional experiences, and becoming more efficient organizations. Digital transformation has become the great equalizer between large and small to medium-sized retailers, and thanks to tools like Microsoft Dynamics 365, turning revenue-increasing initiatives into reality is easier than ever. Subscribe now to learn more about the digitalization of retail and how you can get started re-envisioning your business with Microsoft.

View: Use digital transformation to deliver outstanding retail experiences. Learn more about Microsoft Strategic Retail Solutions.

Five Tips to Enhance Your Company's Value Proposition by Defining Your Core Values

More than salary, benefits, and work schedule, your company's core value system is what sets it apart from others. How you define your core values so potential employees choose you—and stay with you - is crucial to your success. Employees want to know what their company stands for. Read Karen Rice's article "Five Tips to Enhance Your Company's Value Proposition by Defining Your Core Values" to help you clarify your company's value proposition, so you can make sure your prospective and current employees clearly understand the values that distinguish you from the rest.

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Security Solution Overview

With data growing increasingly valuable and harder to protect, Microsoft provides security solutions across identity and access management, information protection, threat protection and security management. Harness integrated, comprehensive security with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Security, and Azure Sentinel to identify and repel more threats than ever before and safeguard your organization, without sacrificing productivity.

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Security Solution Overview

With data growing increasingly valuable and harder to protect, Microsoft provides security solutions across identity and access management, information protection, threat protection and security management. Harness integrated, comprehensive security with Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection, Azure Security, and Azure Sentinel to identify and repel more threats than ever before and safeguard your organization, without sacrificing productivity.

View...

Kroger​: Digital shelves entice customers

Some would argue that grocery shopping, price tags, and offers go hand in hand. However, traditional paper coupons and price tags are extremely inefficient. First and foremost, they're the opposite of environmentally friendly and most of them end up as unrecycled waste. Then there's the issue of production costs, which not only include the production of thousands of assets, but also the logistics of their storage and distribution. Lastly, there's the manual effort involved in changing, including, or updating hundreds of price tags across retail stores. Thankfully, digital transformation has allowed for creative and effective ways for grocery stores to leave paper behind forever. In this video, you'll learn how retail industry giant Kroger is leading the way to more efficient, impactful, and eco-friendly supermarket experiences.

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Company Culture and Core Values

Your company culture should be "saturated with the principles that matter most," according to Karen Rice's article in Forbes magazine titled, "Five Tips to Enhance Your Company's Value Proposition by Defining Your Core Values." Rice suggests that you talk about core values at team meetings and discussions about strategy and performance management. This helps your employees understand the company's core values; if they don't know them, it's likely your customers and prospects won't either. Your core values will help guide your value proposition for all your sales and marketing materials, so it's worth the investment of time and energy now!

View: Company Culture and Core Values

Monday, November 9, 2020

AI-Studio MLOps

 Honeypotz Inc is developing a new AI-Studio platform for MLops that enables enterprise clients to train and deploy AI models at scale.