Mobile network operators will generate an additional $700m annually by 2020 from new universal log-in and mobile identity services - from a base of just $20m this year, according to Juniper Research.

While more peak-season shopping will likely be done online this year than ever before in North America, one of the most important factors in a shopper's decision to use the web will be cost rather than speed of delivery, according to a consumer survey conducted by Canadian parcel and freight service Purolator International, along with the Stony Brook University Center for Survey Research.

Industrial buyers have long needed to negotiate the specifications and prices for key purchases. Now, more than ever, consumers expect a personalized experience from product configuration all the way through fulfillment preferences. It is not surprising, therefore, that organizations today are facing increasing challenges with the management of their quote-to-cash (Q2C) process. These challenges include the ability to deal with the intricacy of personalized product offerings as well the complexity of the fulfillment processes and closing out the transaction through the settlement process. By embracing and streamlining the Q2C process, organizations can create strong customer loyalty and increase the bottom line.

Twenty years after the launch of the commercial internet, most merchants still fail to optimize the online checkout experience for the customers who visit their virtual storefronts. The result is that they stand to lose as much as 36 percent of sales due to the frictions that remain from discovery through checkout. Merchants could lose additional sales during payment processing.

Shopping season means waiting in line. But this year may be even worse. New chip technology in credit cards is making consumers' purchases safer but also appears to be causing longer lines at some retailers.