New Workplace Relevance Report from Coveo shows younger workers feel demoralized when they struggle to find the information they need to do their jobs, putting innovative talent at risk

Coveo, a leader in AI platforms that transform digital experiences with intelligent search, recommendations, 1:1 personalization, and merchandising, today released its annual Workplace Relevance Report which found that businesses have entered an era where the majority of their workers are digital natives. They’ve had access to computers and smartphones almost their entire lives — not only does technology not intimidate them, their expectations are driven by the consumerization of IT.

This year’s Workplace Relevance Report surveyed 4,000 people, across generations, who work with computers in the U.S. and UK. It found many generational nuances within larger themes:

• Most are hindered from finding needed information, with an increase in those unable to find critical data on a weekly basis.
• Many are stymied by not knowing where to look across multiple applications; overall, they spend 3 hours in an average workday searching across four or more data sources.
• Workers are unsure if the information they found is correct or even permissible to be shared.
• As a result, most feel less confident about either the quality of their work or about sharing the information externally.

“Your workforce is the lifeblood of your business,” said Cynthia Connors, General Manager, Platform at Coveo. “Leaders must create an environment that not only enables them to do their daily tasks, but encourages them to flourish and innovate. But not all of your employees have the same needs, or are facing the same frustrations. For example, our survey showed that the cohort of employees just starting their careers devoted more time searching for information than their peers with longer tenure. Luckily, we now have the ability to use AI to deliver a 1:1 personalized experience that suits needs across your diverse workforce. AI can proactively suggest content and information to employees — which means your employees may not have to search at all, instead receiving personalized and relevant recommendations at the time and place of need.”

By establishing good content governance practices, leaders can help ensure their domain experts (those in functional roles such as marketing and HR) are involved in content management, search quality, and empowered to improve the search experience for their users.

2023 Workplace Relevance Report key findings include:

• Workers estimate they now spend approximately 3 hours in an average workday searching for information, compared to 4 hours last year.
• Overall 89% of employees search between 1 to 6 sources (up from 82% last year).
• Generation Z (NET 76%) struggles more to find information than their co-workers. Workers identified as Baby Boomers were least likely to say the intranet is irrelevant.
• Gen Z reports that 49% of information is irrelevant compared to Boomers at 39%.
• Almost 3-in-10 workers are unable to find urgently needed information on a weekly basis, a significant increase since last year.
• Millennials and Gen Z had the strongest reaction to inadequate content findability compared to other generations:
• 47% (Millennials), 49% (Gen Z) said it makes them feel less qualified to do their work and 35% (Millennials) and 36% (Gen Z) said it makes them feel burnt out.

Gen Z, digital natives, struggle the most to find information, putting companies at risk of losing out an innovative, future cohort for management and leadership.

Arlington Research conducted an online survey of 4,000 adults across the U.S. and UK aged 18+ who use a computer as part of their work in companies with 250+ employees. Responses were captured between January 12–25, 2023.

CommerceHub, one of the world's largest commerce networks and provider of software solutions connecting supply, demand and delivery for retailers and brands globally, today announced that FabFitFun, the leading discovery shopping site for women, is implementing the CommerceHub platform to power its ecommerce business.

FabFitFun is a Los Angeles-based ecommerce and media company that offers quarterly subscription boxes and operates a curated ecommerce website for its members. In addition to the FabFitFun Box, their two million-plus members receive access to year-round perks including FabFitFunTV, a streaming video service that offers on-demand wellness content, the FabFitFun online Community, members-only shopping experiences, and more.

The company has leveraged its wildly popular subscription boxes and extended its reach to embrace new channels to meet growing customer demand for its unique offerings. CommerceHub's ecommerce platform—and its Commerce Suite solution for unified marketplace and drop ship—is migrating FabFitFun's drop shipping program to help expand its curated product assortment and increase sales and profitability, while ensuring an exceptional customer experience for its members.

"We invest in technology that enables us to achieve our mission of delivering happiness and well-being to everyone, everywhere, at scale," said Michael Broukhim, co-CEO and co-Founder, FabFitFun. "CommerceHub has the most extensive network of brands that align with our mission—their innovative platform and technical capabilities meet our critical functional requirements and we feel their customer-centric approach supports our future aspirations. At its core, FabFitFun is a community, and we aim to deliver products and experiences to members of our community that they are consistently excited about. By working with CommerceHub, we are looking forward to surprising them with even more choices and interesting experiences."

CommerceHub is empowering leading businesses like FabFitFun to scale growth and increase profitability by attracting new consumers and boosting customer loyalty with better product selection and convenience while increasing the agility and efficiency of ecommerce fulfillment and delivery. As FabFitFun looks to expand its community globally with unique offers and services, CommerceHub can support these ambitions with a network of over 40,000 partners—from big brands to smaller artisanal businesses—that can increase customer reach through new channels.

IZEA Worldwide,, the premier provider of influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the world’s leading brands and agencies, today announced the launch of FormAI^™ at The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during IZEA’s AI Days. FormAI is a comprehensive suite of generative AI tools designed specifically for influencer marketing professionals. The new tools, available for free on IZEA.com, are designed to help influencers and marketers enhance their creative process and aid in both text and visual content development.

“We see immense potential for the use of AI in influencer marketing,” said Ted Murphy, Founder and CEO of IZEA. “At the heart of influencer marketing is content, and IZEA aims to make it easier for both marketers and influencers to produce more interesting content faster and at a lower cost. We are doing so by combining various AI technologies into a seamless experience with a higher level of content control, predictability, and ease of use. FormAI leverages the best aspects of solutions like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion and brings discrete technologies together in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

FormAI Tools:

AI Image Generation
Users can leverage AI image generation tools to produce stunning images ranging from pencil drawings to photorealistic renderings. Generation is controlled through a combination of natural language prompts that work alongside a comprehensive set of easily understandable image modifiers. Modifiers help define the look and feel of the image without requiring extensive knowledge of image prompting techniques and visual possibilities.

Purple Pill
While the standard interface allows users to type in the types of images they are looking for, users can also opt to take the “Purple Pill,” which generates a series of fantastical images in dramatically different styles based on a core image prompt.

“With FormAI, users no longer need to be a prompt engineer or copy ridiculously long blocks of prompting text to be able to create visually stunning images,” continued Murphy. “We make it easy to produce a desired visual aesthetic, replicate it, and modify it. It is also seamless to share, download, and publish with brand new integrations with Google Drive and Dropbox.”

AI Text Generation
Text generation in FormAI is calibrated to cater to the unique requirements of those who make a living in the creator economy. It accelerates the creation of written material while offering the capability to generate text in more than 80 diverse languages and encompasses first, second, and third-person perspectives. The optimization of text generation is tailored to align with the specific content preferences of users. Examples include:

• Social Posts: Quickly create short-form content for popular social platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as long-form content for blog posts — complete with meta descriptions and keywords.
  
  
• Product Reviews: Experience the fastest way to start a product review. Simply input a URL from a popular online retailer or another website, and FormAI will guide you with a series of questions. Whether your review is positive or negative, FormAI will combine your inputs with product details to help craft the perfect review.
  
  
• Video Scripts: Quickly develop video scripts, complete with voiceovers, actors, and shot lists, starting with just a few words.

FormAI can generate matching imagery for any text and can quickly expand or summarize any piece of content, including content found on the web.

“Launching FormAI free of charge allows IZEA.com to be a more valuable destination for creators and marketers,” continued Murphy. “Not only can brands and influencers find each other and transact on our site, but now they can also conceptualize and create with an incredible set of AI tools. We can’t wait to see how this changes the influencer marketing landscape as AI technology evolves rapidly. ”

Available for Free
FormAI is available for free, with 250 AI credits available each month for all users. Creators with more demanding content needs can upgrade to the new Creator AI and Creator AI+ plans to gain access to additional AI credits.

• Lots of Change: Most EMEA organizations plan to both migrate more data to the cloud and they plan to move data back to on-premises

• Use all Your Data: Most enterprises surveyed have data across both cloud and on-premises environments making it complex to extract value.

• Enterprise AI-readiness: Modern data architectures enable organizations to drive more value from their data, optimize cloud costs and become AI-ready

New research from Cloudera, the hybrid data company, provides insights into the struggles of IT leaders across EMEA as they strive to get more value from their data. There is lots of change happening within EMEA enterprises, indicating IT decision makers (ITDMs) must be agile and prepared for change. For instance, the study has revealed the complexities of operating in the cloud: nine-in-ten ITDMs surveyed (92%) plan to migrate more data to the cloud over the next three years, while 76% plan to repatriate data back on premises in the next 36 months. Data and compliance concerns (55%), cloud lock-in fears (54%) and non-compliance related cybersecurity concerns (52%) are cited as the main reasons for organizations not moving more of their data to the cloud.

The survey polled 850 ITDMs across the EMEA region regarding their organization's cloud and data management practices, and the challenges they face in making all their data actionable. The results of the Evolve Data Study were published at the data conference, Evolve London, on June 21.

More than two-thirds (68%) of organizations currently store data in a hybrid environment, meaning they utilize both on-premises/private cloud and the public cloud. Additionally, seven out of ten respondents (72%) work in organizations that currently have a multi-cloud model, and are working with two or more hyperscalers.

"With data sitting across a mosaic of hybrid cloud environments, many organizations are finding it difficult to fully extract value from their data assets," says Romain Picard, Senior Vice President EMEA at Cloudera. "Organizations need the capability to securely extract value from their data, regardless of where it resides. But with the emergence of modern data architectures, organizations can drive more value from their data and optimize their cloud costs at the same time."

To extract more value from their data, organizations are increasingly embracing data analytics. But almost three quarters (72%) of respondents agree that having data sitting across different cloud and on-premises environments makes it complex to extract value from all the data in their organization. ITDMs currently estimate they are not using a third (33%) of their data effectively.

"At a time when most enterprises are looking for benefits from Artificial Intelligence, they need to stay ahead of the curve by using modern data architectures," continues Romain Picard. "This approach enables all of their data to be 'in play' to deliver benefits to the organization while maintaining needed governance and security."

Research Methodology
Conducted by Coleman Parkes Research, Cloudera's survey evaluated the opinions of 850 IT decision makers with responsibility for data analytics and tooling in their organization across the EMEA region. Respondents came from over ten industries. The research was conducted between March and April 2023. The next report on open data lakehouse will be published in the fall of 2023.

Roku Channel is the third FAST service to be independently reported in The Gauge.

Streaming accounted for 36.4% of time spent watching TV in the U.S. in May, according to Nielsen's May 2023 report of The Gauge™, the media measurement company's monthly snapshot of total broadcast, cable and streaming consumption that occurs via television. By comparison, 31.1% of TV viewing was spent watching cable content, and 22.8% with broadcast content.

Following trends that are typical for this time of year, total TV usage in the U.S. declined for the fourth consecutive month in May, falling 4.4% from April. Comparatively, time spent watching TV declined 2.7% over the same period in 2022.

Time spent streaming (via a television) increased 2.5% in May versus April, and streaming's share of TV usage jumped from 34.0% to 36.4%. While a technical enhancement* was a factor in the monthly uptick, approximately half of the increase was a reflection of viewing behavior alone.

Representing 1.1% of TV usage in May, the Roku Channel is the latest streaming service, and third free ad-supported television (FAST) service, to obtain stand-alone coverage in The Gauge. Combined, the three FAST services that are independently reported in The Gauge (Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Roku Channel) are each comparable in usage to Peacock and HBO Max, and in aggregate, accounted for 3.3% of TV time this month.

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video each gained momentum in May, posting usage gains of 9.2% (+1.0 pts.) and 5.1% (+0.3 pts.), respectively. Roughly half of Netflix's increase was due to the aforementioned technical enhancement, coupled with the fact that the top three streaming titles this month were Netflix Originals, including Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (5.4 billion viewing minutes), A Man Called Otto (3.1 billion) and The Mother (3.0 billion). Prime Video benefited from the strength of its original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Citadel, which combined for 2.7 billion viewing minutes. YouTube maintained its stance as the top streaming platform for the fourth consecutive month, gaining 0.4 share points in May (0.9% usage increase) to account for 8.5% of TV.

Viewing via MVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) and vMVPD (virtual multichannel video programming distributor) streaming apps represented 5.5%** of total television use in May, including 1.3% attributed to YouTube TV, and 0.4% to Hulu Live. Compared with May 2022, overall streaming consumption has increased by more than 30%, and streaming's share of TV has risen 8.2 share points.

Broadcast and cable viewing each fell 5.5% and 5.4%, respectively, in May versus April, and each surrendered 0.3 share points. Broadcast sports viewing was down 25% in May compared with April, and the genre represented 7.9% of broadcast's 22.8% share. However, the Kentucky Derby still secured the top broadcast program for the month, drawing 14.5 million viewers. By contrast, cable sports viewership rose 12% in May. The increase was driven by the extensive coverage of the NBA Finals on ESPN and TNT, which also accounted for the top four cable programs this month. Additionally, despite the traction that the May 10 CNN Town Hall generated, cable news viewing fell more than 11% from April.

 Phunware, the pioneer of Location Based SaaS that offers the only fully integrated enterprise cloud platform for mobile that enables brands to engage, manage and monetize anyone anywhere, announced today its mobile engagement solution is now powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

The Company's new AI-enabled mobile engagement solution leverages sophisticated machine learning algorithms and AI capabilities to deliver personalized, targeted marketing campaigns that are curated for specific users. Phunware’s platform ensures brands can identify, locate and engage the right consumer at the right time — now, AI will help ensure these consumers receive the right message.

"The world has evolved beyond 'one-size-fits-all' marketing approaches, but brands still struggle to speak to consumers as individuals because they lack a deep understanding of their unique behaviors, preferences and needs," said Randall Crowder, COO of Phunware. "Our new AI-enabled mobile engagement solution is designed to provide that understanding, enabling these brands to more effectively engage their target audiences without the need for additional staff."

Phunware's AI-enabled mobile engagement solution analyzes large volumes of user data, including behavioral patterns to deliver personalized content based on in-app activity and location data. This level of personalization is intended to drive engagement, enhance the user experience and ultimately, increase conversion rates and brand loyalty.

Beyond its mobile engagement capabilities, Phunware's platform also offers comprehensive analytics and reporting tools. These provide brands with critical insights into campaign performance, enabling them to continually refine their strategies and drive optimal results.

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The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. Future developments affecting us may not be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) and other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other filings that we make with the SEC from time to time. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. These risks and others described under “Risk Factors” in our SEC filings may not be exhaustive.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. In addition, even if our results or operations, financial condition and liquidity, and developments in the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

IBM Consulting to integrate IBM watsonx with FYI to deliver value and cultivate trust among creatives

IBM today announced a new collaboration with will.i.am and FYI (Focus Your Ideas) to leverage the transformative power of secure and trustworthy generative AI for creatives. The FYI app is engineered to inspire and empower artists, creators and innovators to collaborate seamlessly on projects and help them manage their business with everything from storyboarding, messaging and video calls to high-resolution file sharing and scheduling all in one place — tracking the creative process end-to-end.

FYI and IBM Consulting will work together to integrate watsonx, a new AI and data platform for business, to scale AI and embed responsibility, transparency and explainability into the creative process.

FYI currently runs on IBM Cloud and is enabled by IBM technology to harness cryptography with secured messaging for projects from end-to-end. With watsonx, the FYI team will be able to deploy custom AI capabilities that can automate content creation and supply chain workflows, helping to reduce administrative tasks, enhance communication among teams and allow more time for the creative process. FYI will serve as a "digital coach," empowering creators with a suite of services such as creating business documents and managing creative development workflows. 

"The FYI team is honored to expand our relationship with IBM, adding watsonx capabilities that will help our Web 3.0 messenger app to be even more productive," said will.i.am, founder and CEO of FYI. "Collaborating with IBM, a trusted partner and expert in the generative AI field, will enable both FYI and the creative community to scale."

"Generative AI has incredible power to transform the content creation and collaboration process at scale, but the AI used must be built with security, governance, and transparency," said Jesus Mantas, global managing partner, IBM Consulting. "Together, FYI and IBM aim to transform the creative collaboration process with simple and highly efficient generative AI powered workflows." 

IBM has a long history of emphasizing ethics in AI development and this latest collaboration is no different. AI workflows will help FYI users' collaborative work to be responsible, accountable and explainable.

With deep industry expertise spanning strategy, experience design, technology, and operations, IBM Consulting is the catalyst for business transformation and the trusted partner to over 3,000 of the world's most innovative and valuable companies. Our 160,000 consultants embrace an open way of working, bringing a diverse set of voices, experiences and technologies like Hybrid Cloud and AI together to accelerate business transformation. Supported by IBM Garage, our proven co-creation method, we bring speed and scale to innovation with an enduring ecosystem of technology leaders to deliver solutions for some of the world's most complex challenges.

Statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice, and represent goals and objectives only. 

Editor's Note: If you need to include will.i.am's legal name, it is William Adams.  All other names shown in wikis and previously published stories are incorrect.

The CEO of InfluxData, Kaplan brings more than 25 years of senior executive experience to help accelerate Diffblue’s worldwide growth in Generative AI for code

 Diffblue, creators of the world’s first fully autonomous generative AI-for-code software, today announced the appointment of InfluxData CEO Evan Kaplan to the company’s board of directors.

“Generative AI for code is transforming enterprise software development at unprecedented scale and speed,” said Mathew Lodge, CEO of Diffblue. “Evan has a demonstrated history of managing success in fast-growing enterprise technologies and we look forward to tapping his expertise to help take us to the next level with the industry’s first and only fully autonomous AI for code product, Diffblue Cover.”

“Diffblue is showing incredible momentum as generative AI for code transforms every aspect of the enterprise,” said Kaplan. “While most AI tools still require human review, Diffblue’s fully autonomous solutions enable high-velocity software delivery to optimize developer efficiency. I am thrilled to join the board and continue the company’s dedication to developer excellence.”

Kaplan serves as CEO of InfluxData, creator of the leading time series platform InfluxDB. Prior to his appointment as CEO in 2016, Kaplan served as Executive in Residence at Trinity Ventures. He brings decades of experience in the CEO role having served as President and CEO at iPass Corporation, the leader in global Wi-Fi connectivity, and Founder, Chairman, and CEO at Aventail Corporation, a pioneering SSLVPN company, now part of the Dell Corporation.