The Backup Myth that Is Putting Businesses at Risk
Businesses often equate backup with protection, but backup only restores data after an outage, leaving operations stalled. Research shows downtime costs average $9,000 per minute, or $540,000 per hour, making rapid recovery essential. While 60% of firms believe they can recover within a day, only 35% actually do, exposing a critical gap between backup and business continuity. A hybrid cloud BCDR approach can spin up virtual environments in minutes, keeping revenue flowing while primary systems are restored.
‘Hormuz Moment’ Could Herald Decline of US Dominance: Citic Securities Analysts
Citic Securities analysts argue that the ongoing Iranian blockades in the Strait of Hormuz signal a "Hormuz moment" that could erode U.S. strategic dominance, drawing a parallel to the United Kingdom’s 1950s "Suez moment." They note that the United States...
360% | Payroll 'Pressure' Prompts Surge in HMRC Tip-Offs About Underpaying Bosses
Employees are increasingly reporting employers for failing to meet the UK minimum wage, with 7,622 tip‑offs recorded last year. That figure represents a 360% jump from the 1,656 reports filed in 2020‑21. HMRC responded by opening 1,137 investigations, up from...
How Prime And A Smarter Alexa Are Giving Amazon An AI Shopping Edge
Amazon launched Alexa+, an AI‑powered upgrade to its voice assistant, to all users in March 2025. The new assistant can handle complex conversations, place orders, manage smart‑home devices, and suggest recipes, all while leveraging Amazon’s 30‑year e‑commerce expertise. Early data show...
3 Business Challenges Zoholics USA Will Help You Solve
Zoholics USA, a two‑day conference in Houston on May 12‑13, tackles three core business pain points: fragmented SaaS tools, manual processes, and underutilized data. Attendees experience live demos, breakout sessions, and one‑on‑one time with Zoho experts to learn how to integrate...
Eigen Secures $15M Seed for ‘Mutual Friend’ AI Tool
San Francisco‑based Eigen emerged from stealth with a $15 million seed round led by Benchmark, backed by notable angels such as Pinterest co‑founder Ben Silbermann and Spotify’s co‑president Gustavo Söderström. The startup is building what it calls the world’s first “mutual...
Adams Street Calls for Greater Transparency From BDCs and Interval Funds
Adams Street Capital Management is urging business development companies (BDCs) and interval funds to adopt a new transparency framework. The firm outlined six concrete metrics—covering liquidity, portfolio concentration, leverage, valuation methods, cash flow, and redemption policies—to replace vague reassurances. By...
Feedback Wanted: Ottawa Launches Consultations on Federal Labour Law Reforms
The Canadian government has opened a consultation period, ending May 18, 2026, to consider sweeping reforms to the Canada Labour Code that govern federally regulated workplaces. Proposed changes include mandatory collective‑bargaining timelines, a new “special mediator” role, stronger protections against misclassification and...
Why Are Workers Stuck? Not Enough Employers
Bloomberg argues that the U.S. labor market is behaving like a recession despite the economy not meeting the technical definition of one. A sharp decline in the Labor Market Tightness Index and a rise in long‑term unemployment signal slowed job...
Reimagining Annual Brand Planning with AI
EVERSANA’s fourth annual brand‑planning survey reveals that 60% of pharma marketers lack a trusted single source of truth for brand data, and only half maintain a consistent planning process across the enterprise. Nearly two‑thirds of leaders are already using or...
JPMorgan Maintains Overweight Rating on StoneCo (STNE)
JPMorgan analyst Guilherme Grespan lowered StoneCo's price target to $20 from $21 while maintaining an Overweight rating. The Brazilian fintech announced an extraordinary dividend of $2.53 per share payable on May 4, 2026. In Q4, StoneCo posted adjusted EPS of $0.51,...
Podscribe Launches Radio Measurement Capabilities and Smart Columns to Bring Digital-Level Clarity to Audio Advertising
Podscribe unveiled Radio Measurement Capabilities, a platform that blends aircheck verification with performance attribution to give advertisers digital‑grade transparency for radio spots. The solution supports terrestrial, satellite and multi‑market campaigns, using machine‑learning and Bayesian models to quantify lift in site...
Headliner Makes Video Tools Free
Headliner announced that its video podcasting suite is now free, eliminating subscription fees and credit‑card requirements. The offering includes unlimited, watermark‑free exports, a library of video templates, captioning, and an auto‑clipping tool that can generate up to ten short clips...
BLOK: Still Diversified, But Bitcoin Now Matters - And That's A Risk
Amplify Blockchain Technology ETF (BLOK) has been downgraded to Hold as its bitcoin exposure climbed to roughly 40%, up from about 30% a year ago. The higher crypto weighting makes the fund more sensitive to Bitcoin’s price swings, eroding the...
Uni Pod Festival Returns to Birmingham UK Spotlighting Video Podcasts Whilst Platforming Diversity in Podcasting.
Uni Pod Festival returns to Birmingham on May 8, 2026, centering its program on the surge of video podcasting and YouTube‑first growth tactics. The one‑day event gathers broadcasters, academics, and platform experts for talks, demos and networking, while reinforcing its commitment to...
Adobe Summit 2026 - Adobe Gives CX an Agentic Makeover with the Launch of CX Enterprise
Adobe unveiled CX Enterprise at its 2026 Summit, an end‑to‑end agentic automation platform that layers a persistent AI co‑worker on top of the Adobe Experience Platform. The new co‑worker can orchestrate multiple purpose‑built agents, integrate third‑party systems, and extend AI capabilities...
Gunby Sticks Around at FTI Consulting
FTI Consulting CEO Steve Gunby, 68, has reversed his plan to step down in 2027 and will continue serving as both chief executive and chairman. The firm had combined the two roles temporarily to mentor a successor, but the transition was...
Thomas Cook Chief Alan French to Join Europe's Sunweb Group
Sunweb Group, a fast‑growing European holiday operator, has appointed former Thomas Cook executive Alan French as Chief Product and Technology Officer, effective 11 May. French brings a track record of digital transformation at Thomas Cook and eSky, positioning him to lead AI‑driven product...
RBI Draft for Upper Layer Non-Banks Affects CICs Disproportionately, Raises Compliances Costs
The Reserve Bank of India issued a draft rule that classifies any finance entity with assets‑under‑management (AUM) exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore (≈$12 billion) as an upper‑layer NBFC (NBFC‑UL). The provision applies on a consolidated basis, pulling large core investment companies (CICs) such as...
What the Northernlion Creator SuperCruise That Got Cancelled Can Warn Creators About Going Too Far
Creator Ryan "Northernlion" Letourneau abruptly cancelled his planned 2027 SuperCruise after announcing it, citing safety concerns for both creators and fans. The six‑day cruise, priced at several thousand dollars per cabin, promised meet‑and‑greets, live shows, and onboard content with fellow...
Clio Awards’ CEO on Celebrating the Power of Creators
Clio Awards CEO Nicole Purcell announced the launch of Clio Creators, a new program designed to honor the creator economy as a distinct industry. The initiative follows a series of vertical expansions—including Clio Health, Clio Entertainment, and Clio Sports—that tailor...
Is Microwave Popcorn Ready for Disruption? Opopop Thinks So
Opopop, a Colorado‑based popcorn startup founded in 2018, is moving from a direct‑to‑consumer model into mass retail with a Walmart rollout after a successful Target test. The company has reengineered its premium, flavor‑wrapped kernel kits into single‑use microwave bags that...
Getting Too Personal with Family Status Accommodation Requests
Recent arbitration decisions in Alberta and Ontario clarify the limits of employer inquiries in family‑status accommodation requests. In Alberta, Epcor’s detailed financial and lifestyle questions were rejected, and each employee received $12,500 CAD (≈$9,300 USD) for injury to dignity. In Ontario, Bombardier’s...
3 Strategies to Help CPG Marketers Drive Breakthrough Results with Less Money
C‑price‑goods (CPG) marketers are confronting tighter budgets and fragmented media while consumer attention splinters across devices. A new InMarket "Breakthrough Outcomes" report, highlighted by VP Matt Knust, distills three strategic pillars—precise timing, creative clarity, and real‑time personalization—that drove incremental ROAS up...
Tech Leaders, Brace Yourselves: AI Costs Will Only Go Up
Anthropic has rolled out a blended pricing model for enterprise Claude users, charging a $20 per‑seat fee plus variable usage fees tied to the specific model. This shift signals a broader trend of rising LLM costs as providers seek a...
Angelfish Marketing Expands AEO and AI Search Services for B2B Brands
Angelfish Marketing has broadened its Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and AI Search services to help B2B tech, SaaS and financial brands appear in AI‑driven results from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. The offering blends technical SEO, structured data,...
Rand Fishkin: Zero-Click Search Began Long Before AI
Rand Fishkin argues that the rise of zero‑click search started around 2011, well before the AI boom, with Google answering queries directly on the results page. He cites data showing more than two‑thirds of searches now end without a click,...
RevOps Roundup: Week 16, 2026
The RevOps Roundup for week 16 highlights fresh research and thought leadership across AI trust, incentive‑comp execution, and GTM analytics. A survey of 2,000 leaders shows that data‑security and explainability concerns are preventing 75% of revenue teams from realizing AI‑driven win‑rate...
Markets on Hold Pending US–Iran Talks, Warsh Fed Chair Hearing Next Catalyst
Traders are sitting on the sidelines as they await confirmation on a second round of US‑Iran talks before the April 22 cease‑fire deadline, leaving equities, currencies and the dollar in a neutral stance. Oil prices have retreated below the $100 per...
HB on the Scene: Newport Hospitality Group Brings ‘Living Hospitality’ to Life
Newport Hospitality Group hosted its 2026 Leadership Retreat at the Ellie Resort in Myrtle Beach, centering on the “Living Hospitality” theme. CEO Andrew Carey emphasized building a shared identity that transcends individual hotel brands, while offering practical tools to improve...
Magnite, AMC Global Media Partner On Programmatic
Magnite announced a partnership with AMC Global Media to make the broadcaster’s linear‑television inventory available through programmatic buying. The deal coincides with the launch of the 2026‑27 TV upfront season, signaling a push to unify linear and streaming ad transactions....
Honeywell to Sell Productivity Solutions and Services Business to Brady Corporation
Honeywell announced it will sell its Productivity Solutions and Services (PSS) business to Brady Corporation for $1.4 billion in cash. The PSS unit, which generated about $1.1 billion in 2025 revenue, provides mobile computers, barcode scanners and printing solutions for warehouse and...
Sales Software in 2026: How to Pick the Best
Sales reps spend just a day and a half each week on actual selling, with 60% of their time lost to admin tasks. G2’s 2026 Best Sales Software list saw a 60% turnover, highlighting a market shift toward tools that...
Sideline Group Sees ‘Offline Economy’ Opportunity, Beats Target with $155m Debut Fund
Sideline Group announced the final close of its debut investment fund at $155 million, substantially topping its original target. The fund, aimed at the “offline economy” – businesses that operate primarily in physical locations – will be complemented by co‑investment and...
WPP Media Wins KFC, Pizza Hut Singapore Assignments
WPP Media has been named the integrated media agency for both KFC Singapore and Pizza Hut Singapore after a competitive pitch, taking charge of strategy, planning and buying across the market. The agency already works with the two brands in...
The Games Industry Will Never "Get Back to Normal", Lament Tony Hawk Devs Iron Galaxy, as They Make Another Round...
Iron Galaxy Studios, known for ports like Apex Legends and the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 remake, announced another round of layoffs, though the exact number remains undisclosed. The cuts follow a February reduction of 66 jobs that was labeled...
Becoming Greater than the Sum of Your Parts
Alan Whitman, former Baker Tilly CEO, explains how Nichols Cauley is built as a private‑equity‑backed financial‑services platform that unites a CPA firm, an insurance brokerage, and an investment‑banking boutique. The firm pursues growth through a unified brand, cross‑serve model, and disciplined ROI‑driven...
‘We’re Not Nespresso’: Inside Green Mountain Coffee Roasters’ New Campaign
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, part of Keurig Dr Pepper, launched the "That's Green Mountain Good" campaign on April 20, featuring a new mascot—a green mountain goat named Bruce—to highlight farm‑grown coffee origins. Developed by a Publicis Groupe‑led team, the 30‑second spot...
When Collaboration Starts Becoming Operational Drag
Collaboration overload is turning productive teamwork into operational drag as meetings, transcripts, AI‑generated notes and a growing toolset consume resources without delivering decisions. The root cause is unclear ownership and weak decision‑making rights, which force teams to compensate with endless...
The Private Credit Panic Is Overblown
Private credit markets, valued at roughly $2 trillion, have recently faced heightened scrutiny as non‑traded business development companies—holding about $270 billion in assets—show signs of stress. Despite alarming headlines, data indicate that default rates and liquidity pressures are modest compared with previous...
Cloudflare Wants to Rebuild the Network for the Age of AI Agents
Cloudflare announced a suite of services at its Agents Week to make autonomous AI agents first‑class network clients. The flagship offering, Cloudflare Mesh, provides a private IP space that lets agents, Workers and devices communicate bidirectionally without VPNs or SSH...
Why Fashion Brands Are Betting Big On Q-Commerce Ads
India’s quick‑commerce (q‑commerce) market surged to roughly ₹64,000 crore ($6.9 bn) in FY25, growing at a 142% CAGR and now serving 33 million monthly users across 150+ cities. Leading platforms—Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart—are turning advertising into a major revenue stream, with Blinkit...
Kuli
Kuli, launched in 2024, is an AI‑driven influencer‑marketing platform that replaces manual creator vetting with multimodal video analysis across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. By indexing visual style, tone, brand mentions and narrative patterns, the system lets brands search for creators...
Amo Sokhi: Why Financial Advisers Should Take SEO Seriously
Financial advisers are witnessing a fundamental shift as prospective clients increasingly turn to search engines for guidance, with 45% choosing advisers based on digital marketing versus 29% relying on referrals. The rise of AI‑driven search and digitally native consumers makes...
Questions About the Classification of Joint Ventures for Accounting Purposes
FASB’s ASU 2023‑05, effective Jan 1 2025, mandates fair‑value measurement of assets and liabilities contributed to new joint ventures, ending the prior option to use carrying values. The update aims to standardize JV accounting but leaves classification ambiguous, requiring entities to navigate...
As the Hormuz Crisis Exposes ‘Fragile’ Global Supply Chains, How Will China Respond?
China’s top economic planner, Zheng Shanjie of the NDRC, warned that the US‑Israeli strikes on Iran and the resulting disruption of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz expose the fragility of global supply chains. He said China had already...
New York Dispensary Brand Execs on the Nuances of Cannabis Financing
Luxury cannabis retailer The Travel Agency is expanding across Manhattan and Brooklyn, guided by a finance‑led leadership team. CEO Paul Yau, a former CFO, partnered with CFO Roy Cysner, whose background spans Warby Parker and BuzzFeed, to embed rigorous financial...
Revisions to 2025 State Employment
In early April 2026 the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its annual benchmark revision of 2025 state employment figures. The revision reduced the number of states showing positive job growth from 34 to 22 and pushed the median state growth...
A US Tech Agenda Focused on Latin America to Outcompete the People’s Republic of China
The Atlantic Council workshop in Bogotá highlighted Colombia’s rapid tech growth and its increasing reliance on Chinese investment. In 2024 Colombia attracted $513 million in venture capital and saw Chinese firms secure over $3.1 billion in infrastructure contracts, while U.S. tech investment...
The Farmer's Dog Reinvented Dog Food. Walmart Takes It Mainstream
The Farmer's Dog, a fresh, human‑grade dog food startup, is launching a personalized meal‑plan service on Walmart.com, moving beyond its direct‑to‑consumer model. Founded by Jonathan Regev and Brett Podolsky after a home‑cooked rescue of a sick dog, the company now...