(This column originally appeared in Forbes)
Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
1 – Apple to move from lightning charger to USB-C format for iPhones.
Apple is switching up the charging method for the new iPhone 15. Dating back to 2012, iPhones were charged with lightning ports. Now – as a result of a mandate approved by the EU – electronic devices will be powered with USB-C chargers to “reduce electronic waste” as stated in a 2022 press release. For longtime customers of the iPhone, it will be both an adjustment and a benefit as the USB-C can be used for other Apple devices. (Source: Fox Business)
Why this is important for your business:
For God’s sake what took you so long?
2 – Data theft passes ransomware as top concern for IT professionals.
Integrity360 – a cybersecurity company out of Ireland – recently conducted a survey of 205 IT professionals about their biggest concerns regarding security threats. They found that more than half (55 percent) are most concerned about data theft. Phishing attacks came in second at 35 percent. Ransomware – the top concern among IT experts in the past – has been bumped down to 29 percent of respondents. The survey also showed that data theft was the second highest breach companies experienced. (Source: FinTech Global)
Why this is important for your business:
Ransomware still gets a lot of attention (for example, MGM’s problems last week) but data theft is now head-to-head in importance. Both types of situations can disrupt and even shut down your business. The unfortunate fact is that you need to build in a budget for security, regardless of the size of your business. Get training. Update all security software. Keep your operating systems current. You can’t eliminate these problems, but you can reduce them.
3 – TikTok launches in the U.S. as the company bets big on e-commerce.
TikTok Shop is up and running, TikTok announced this week. A marketplace that’s been in the works since last year, the company is aiming to establish itself as a viable competitor of Amazon and “translate its cultural relevance.” Currently, over 200 thousand sellers have registered on TikTok Shop as reported by Laura Perez, a company spokesperson. Consumers will be able to access products on the “Shop Tab” which is now active on the app for 40 percent of users – with plans to make it available to all users by October. ByteDance Ltd. – the Beijing-based company that owns TikTok – owns another previously-created social media marketplace in Asia where yearly returns have been substantial. It hopes to replicate that profit stream with TikTok Shop in the U.S.
Why this is important for your business:
TikTok of course has an enormous audience of mostly GenZ’s and Millennials here in the U.S., so setting up a store – like the other 200,000 shop owners are doing – would seem to make sense for many small businesses. But do you have a concern about security, privacy and a platform that’s so politically toxic? I would be OK to setup a shop there, but I certainly wouldn’t revolve my business around it. I would definitely make sure to have other channels to sell my goods because you just don’t know how long it will be before some type of legislation prohibits the use of the platform.
4 – Microsoft Teams get new chat and collaboration features.
There are several new updates recently added to Microsoft Teams. (Source: Gadgets Now)
Why this is important for your business:
Animated backgrounds make meetings more dynamic as participants can select from “Effects and Avatars” to jazz up their background. Chat messages have an edit feature allowing previously sent messages to be revised. Chats can also be scanned quickly in “compact mode” where “consecutive messages from the same sender are condensed and separated by line breaks.” Another feature – “Microsoft Loop” – allows users to organize and track important tasks to be completed.
5 – Amazon debuts generative AI tools that help sellers write product descriptions.
Amazon has activated its generative AI tool that will help merchants produce concise and attention-grabbing product descriptions. The company aims to simplify the process of detailing a product while creating engaging and enticing descriptions to “help consumers more confidently make purchase decisions.”. (Source: TechCrunch)
Why this is important for your business:
In terms of how the process will work: sellers only need to provide a brief description of their product and “Amazon will generate high-quality content for their review,” as explained on their AI page. The new system is undoubtedly an upgrade – however – there are concerns that without some level of scrutinization by humans, mistakes might go unnoticed such as “incorrect product listings” that could potentially create discrepancies for Amazon.
