IBM is still a believer in Blockchain … and other small business technology innovations this week

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(Photo by Chesnot / Getty Images)

Here are five things in the technology that happened last week and how they affect your business. [[19659003] 1 – The hype blockchain may have peaked, but IBM is still a believer.

Although only 1% of business executives say they use blockchain, IBM still thinks that technology at the bottom of the bitcoin has untapped potential, type of tamper-proof database to keep track of anything and the company believes that it uses promising it to include supply chains and funding. (Source: Quartz )

Why this is important to your business:

It is important to remember that even if the hype is in decline (mainly due to the overexposure of bitcoins and other digital currencies), the blockchain is not going away: many great institutions financial institutions are evaluating the potential implementation and its effects will be on the way in which databases are managed, information is protected and transactions are executed. It is worth knowing the basics of how the blockchain works, assuming you are interested in how your data will be protected in the not too distant future.

2 – No, we're not going without cash.

The odds that money is dying are not supported by the facts. In fact, cash in circulation in the United States has grown at a rate of 5% over the last 20 years as the number of banknotes in circulation has doubled from 1996 to 2016. Money remains the most frequent payment method in the United States, which it represents about 31% of consumer transactions, rather than electronic, credit, debit or checks. Even with rapidly growing internet sales, e-commerce accounts for less than 10 percent of all retail transactions. The use of cash by US households is consistently around 25% in most income levels and increases significantly at lower incomes. (Source: CNBC )

Because this is important for your business:

I recently moderated a panel with Capital One (a Marks group customer, even though I was not compensated for writing this) and Visa executives discussing a new study on visas on on how digital payments are transforming SMEs. The result: 78% of consumers classified a digital payment method as the number one payment option and 54% of small businesses agreed that consumers spend more by paying with paper or cash. & Nbsp; Cash can be king, but digital payments are definitely the way of the future.

3 – Your banking information was once off-limits for technology companies. Now they are looking for him.

Facebook has recently joined a growing race among large technology companies looking for private information once considered off-limits: the balances of users' current accounts, recent credit card transactions and other facts about their finances personal and everyday lives. (Source: LA Times )

Because this is important to your business:

Facebook says that getting access to user banking data and other sensitive financial information could help make the company more efficient online banking, but critics say it could backfire against skepticism that technology companies can reliably safeguard people's personal data. I say that you get used to it: your data is no longer your data. But if sharing will help make transactions smoother and faster, the long-term benefits should outweigh your (and my) security concerns.

4 – Digital start of health Zocdoc is struggling with a price change that could paralyze doctors. [19659004] Zocdoc – a website and a mobile app for appointing doctors – has temporarily suspended a proposal to change the fee structure. He had planned to change the structure of his reservation software to focus more on transaction costs than subscriptions. The doctors expressed their opposition on Facebook and through a petition from Change.org, arguing that the change would lead to exorbitant costs and created potential legal problems. (Source: CNBC )

Why this is important to your business:

One of my biggest concerns about any cloud-based application is the ability of the service provider to increase the monthly costs to them discretion. But in the case of Zocdoc, the community got up and complained. It will be interesting to see how it develops. Perhaps, depending on the noise produced by customers, this risk may not be as significant as I once thought.

5 – Airbnb for work now counts for 15% of bookings.

The global business travel leader on Airbnb says the company now has new features for business travelers, including one that allows employees to search for Airbnb listings on a specific landing page. 39; company. He said Airbnb for Work listings now account for 15% of all Airbnb travels and have noticed that the introduction of boutique hotels and other service-based listings such as those on Airbnb Plus offer a good alternative to hotels for business travelers. (Source: Tech Crunch )

Why this is important for your business:

Traveling for work? Before you or your employees book your next hotel room, it may make more sense to see what Airbnb offers. You could get more space and a better environment at a lower cost. And then, that hotel bar is nothing but trouble, is not it?

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(Photo by Chesnot / Getty Images)

Here are five things in technology that happened last week and how they affect your business.

1 – The hype blockchain may have peaked, but IBM is still a believer.

Although only 1% of business executives claim to use blockchain, IBM still thinks that the technology behind bitcoin has untapped potential Blockchain is a kind of tamper-proof databases to keep track of everything and the company believes it uses promising supply chains and funding. (Source: Quartz)

Because this is important to your business: [19659004] It's important to remember that even if the hype is in decline (mainly due to the overexposure of bitcoins and other digital currencies), blockchain is not going away. Many larger financial institutions are evaluating the potential one and its effects I will change the way the databases are maintained, the information is protected and your transactions are executed. It is worth knowing the basics of how the blockchain works, assuming you are interested in how your data will be protected in the not too distant future.

2 – No, we're not going without cash.

Predictions that money is disappearing are not supported by the facts. In fact, cash in circulation in the United States has grown at a rate of 5% over the last 20 years as the number of banknotes in circulation has doubled from 1996 to 2016. Money remains the most frequent payment method in the United States, which it represents about 31% of consumer transactions, rather than electronic, credit, debit or checks. Even with rapidly growing internet sales, e-commerce accounts for less than 10 percent of all retail transactions. The use of cash by US households is consistently around 25% in most income levels and increases significantly at lower incomes. (Source: CNBC)

Because this is important for your business:

I recently moderated a panel with Capital One (a Marks customer, even though I was not compensated for writing this) and the Visa executives who discuss a new Visa study on how digital payments are transforming SMEs. The result: 78% of consumers classified a digital payment method as the number one payment option and 54% of small businesses agreed that consumers spend more by paying with paper or cash. Cash can be king, but digital payments are definitely the way of the future.

3 – Your banking information was once off-limits for technology companies. Now they are looking for him.

Facebook has recently joined a growing race among large technology companies looking for private information once considered off-limits: the balances of users' current accounts, recent credit card transactions and other facts about their finances personal and everyday lives. (Source: LA Times)

Because this is important to your business:

Facebook states that getting access to user banking data and other sensitive financial information could help make the e-business more efficient. online banking, but critics say it could backfire against skepticism that technology companies can reliably safeguard people's personal data. I say that you get used to it: your data is no longer your data. But if sharing will help make transactions smoother and faster, the long-term benefits should outweigh your (and my) security concerns.

4 – Digital start of health Zocdoc is struggling with a price change that could paralyze doctors. [19659004] Zocdoc – a website and a mobile app for appointing doctors – has temporarily suspended a proposal to change the fee structure. He had planned to change the structure of his reservation software to focus more on transaction costs than subscriptions. The doctors expressed their opposition on Facebook and through a petition from Change.org, arguing that the change would lead to exorbitant costs and created potential legal problems. (Source: CNBC)

Because this is important to your business:

One of my biggest concerns about any cloud-based application is the service provider's ability to increase monthly costs at their discretion. But in the case of Zocdoc, the community got up and complained. It will be interesting to see how it develops. Perhaps, depending on the noise produced by customers, this risk may not be as significant as I once thought.

5 – Airbnb for work now counts for 15% of bookings.

The global business travel leader on Airbnb says the company now has new features for business travelers, including one that allows employees to search for Airbnb listings on a specific landing page. 39; company. He claimed that Airbnb for Work listings now account for 15% of all Airbnb travel and have noticed that the introduction of boutique hotels and other service-based listings such as those on Airbnb Plus are a viable alternative to hotels for business travelers. (Source: Tech Crunch)

Why this is important for your business:

Traveling for work? Before you or your employees book your next hotel room, it may make more sense to see what Airbnb offers. You could get more space and a better environment at a lower cost. And besides, that hotel bar is nothing but trouble, is not it?

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