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Microsoft AI
Published
3 min read

The importance of remote access to government agencies 

The need to remotely access government services, in previously unimaginable ways, is here to stay. Read more to learn about successful approaches that governments worldwide have taken to build agility and resilience while continuing to digitally serve their communities.

Published
2 min read

3 top takeaways from NRF 2021 

This year’s National Retail Federation BIG show was something different—entirely virtual. But it came off quite smoothly, demonstrating how powerful digital transformation can be. It even had some advantages over an in-person event. I was able to see more sessions for one. And without aching feet.

Published
8 min read

Improving the pace of vaccine distribution through technology 

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our health, economy, and psychosocial well-being. Public health mitigation measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and washing hands have demonstrated benefit in curbing the spread of infection, but have been implemented inconsistently and unevenly throughout the world, which has limited their effectiveness.

Published
6 min read

Revolutionizing the retail supply chain with digital twins 

The business disruption caused by COVID-19 has resulted in four out of five retailers, 82 percent, changing their approach to how they manage their supply chains.1 Digital twin technology is one tool that retailers are adopting to address this issue. Digital twin technology enables retailers to model their supply chains as connected environments.

Published
5 min read

Addressing the skills gap in manufacturing’s new normal 

Can digitization address the manufacturing skills gap and worker safety? Even before the pandemic, manufacturing has been changing so quickly that it can be difficult for your workforce to keep up. In fact, Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute had estimated that up to 2.4 million US manufacturing jobs could remain unfilled between 2018 and 2028 because of a lack of adequate skills.

Published
5 min read

5 IoT retail trends for 2021 

In 2020 we saw retailers hard hit by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with dozens of retailers—Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney, and Brooks Brothers to name a few— declaring bankruptcy. During the unprecedented chaos of lockdowns and social distancing, consumers accelerated their shift to online shopping. Retailers like Target and Best Buy saw online sales double while Amazon’s e–commerce sales grew 39 percent.

Published
5 min read

Introducing Microsoft Cloud for Retail 

If 2020 taught us anything, it was that no business is resilient to everything. But those that had laid their digital tracks early were better positioned to recover, and in some cases, even speed ahead. In fact, one retail expert said that we had “witnessed a 10-year evolutionary leap toward digital” in retailing. That’s quite a leap.

Published
3 min read

4 ways to make the most of this year’s virtual NRF 

NRF 2021 is going to be a first for all of us. I know I’m going to miss seeing many old colleagues and friends this month. NRF BIG Shows for me are just as much family reunion as they are industry conference. But as we’re all discovering, virtual conferences have some real advantages.

Published
3 min read

Public safety benefits from digital transformation 

Microsoft webinar explores the digital future of public safety Creating safer communities is everyone’s goal. But that is more challenging than ever due to COVID-19, and now even those who work to keep us safe are themselves in danger as well. To meet these challenges, agencies are embracing digital transformation.