Is Microsoft a security company? The idea has been on my mind for a while. I think back to the days of my early Microsoft experiences. For me, that would be Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0 up to DOS 6.22. It was the base of my conquest for co-sysop on a few dial-up BBSs (bulletin boards), getting really good download ratios, and finding all the sweet “warez”. I was also digging through every inch of my computer. Today, in my role as a Microsoft 365 pre-sales architect, I give even more thought to the security aspects of Microsoft’s environment.

Given today’s unique environment, companies are looking to technology, current and emerging, to help navigate the business landscape that exists before them — and the one that is to come in the near term. To help our customers through this constantly evolving environment, we’ve identified three key phases that organizations are moving through as a result of the pandemic. In mapping out this journey with our customers, CDW’s Consulting Services has determined where organizations should focus their technology investments.

For organizations to realize the potential value of AI, according to McKinsey, their AI strategy must align with their corporate strategy. They need a “clear data strategy that supports and enables AI,” and they must invest in staff and technical training to ensure they have the skills to implement AI at scale.

I keep those imperatives in mind when I work with business and IT leaders who wonder how AI might help their organizations. My advice to them: To get the most out of the technology — to make AI work for you — it pays to take a phased approach to implementation.

When organizations think of leveraging artificial intelligence, they too often conclude the technology doesn’t apply to their business needs. That’s largely because they overlook an important capability that AI enables: automation. AI can help organizations set up processes for handling common, repetitive and time-consuming tasks.

So, what does this have to do with customer care? Well, you are either using AI in your customer care workflows or there are ways to use it that you may not have considered. Virtual assistants, for instance, are a prime example of how automation can transform both workflows and customer experiences.

Retailers are looking for technology solutions that can meet a particular need, whether it’s improving the customer experience, enhancing productivity or increasing revenue. I was excited to see some of the latest entries in the field in January at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention.

Retailers, vendors and industry experts at the event demonstrated an array of solutions and shared their perspectives on how technology will affect the industry this year. Here are four takeaways from Retail’s Big Show.

Today, we’re in the age of usage-based insurance. With modern automobile technology and new data-gathering methods, insurance companies can answer many questions about drivers: How fast does a person accelerate? How hard does he brake? What time of day does she typically drive? Using AI and data analytics, insurance carriers can correlate this data with the likelihood of a driver filing a claim, leading to personalized pricing, safe-driver discounts and more.