There has been a explosion in the number of mobile communications devices, both on the consumer and business sides. Alec Saunders, vice president of QNX Cloud with BlackBerry subsidiary QNX Software System, talks about how that trend intersects with the development of the Internet of Things, and what the future of the technology looks like.

The technology surrounding point-of-sale data has improved tremendously in recent years and companies are making much better use of this information, says Tina Lalor, senior business consultant with John Galt Solutions.

Wireless broadband, with signals capable of passing through trees and buildings, is providing companies with a new means of reaching the "last mile" of their communications infrastructure, according to Barlow Keener, principal of the Keener Law Group.

E2open, the vendor of software for planning and execution across global trading networks, has joined the Esri Partner Network.

In a multi-year, multi-phase project covering people, processes and technology, Red Wing Shoes streamlined and improved its S&OP process, cutting planning time from six weeks to three and reducing inventory by 27 percent.

Segmenting customers and products to lower costs and improve profit margins also results in higher customer satisfaction, says Wade McDaniel, vice president of solutions development at Avnet Velocity.

Pronto Software has released an update to Pronto Xi, its business-management software.