Omnicom is buying Interpublic Group in a stock-for-stock deal that will create the largest ad agency in the world with combined annual revenue of almost 26bn. The deal, announced on Monday, could attract regulatory scrutiny as it seeks to merge the world's third-largest ad buyer, Omnicom, with the fourth-largest – Interpublic. The names may be unfamiliar to many Americans, but some of their marketing campaigns are iconic. Those include "Got Milk" for the California Milk Processor Board, "Priceless" for Mastercard, "Because I'm Worth It" for L'Oreal and "Think Different" for Apple. The combined company will be worth more than 30bn.

Given the segment's solid growth prospects, we think it could be wise to bet on quantum computing stocks Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), International Business Machines (IBM), and Hitachi (HTHIY). Given quantum computing's growth prospects, tech giants are investing significantly in the space to grab market share. Technology giant MSFT's broad product portfolio includes personal computers, tablets, gaming and entertainment consoles, and related accessories. On Jan. 25, 2022, Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, MSFT, said, "As tech as a percentage of global GDP continues to increase, we are innovating and investing across diverse and growing markets, with a common underlying technology stack and an operating model that reinforces a common strategy, culture, and a sense of purpose." Mountain View, Calif.-based GOOGL provides online advertising services in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America.

Editor's note: This viewpoint article was co-written by Blake Moret, chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation and Carolyn Lee, executive director of The Manufacturing Institute. Barrels of e-ink have been spilled in recent months on the radical realignment of the workplace during COVID-19. The commentators' usually narrow focus on the work-from-home revolution, however, ignores the equally rapid shifts in onsite employment, work practices and technologies that will continue to transform how Americans do their jobs every day. The pandemic necessitated immediate, iterative adjustments to business operations, demanding agility and resilience from companies and workers. But change is intensifying across the U.S. economy, especially in modern manufacturing.

In reporting in China on the country's "Two Sessions," a new anchorwoman "Xin Xiaomeng" was seen. She is a virtual anchor created through the application of artificial intelligence technology. "She" is the first artificial intelligence virtual female anchor in the world, with real anchor of Xinhua News Agency Qu Meng serving as her prototype. She was jointly created by China's Xinhua News Agency and Sogou. "Her" partner, "Xin Xiaohao," upgraded from "sitting upright" to "standing upright," broadcast the content of the Two Sessions with gestures and other body language.

The CEO and founder of Amazon.com is listed as the world's richest person with a net worth of $99.6 billion. Thanks to a surge in Amazon's share price, the 53-year-old added $34.2 billion to his wealth to round out a standout year for the tech and retail giant. The Seattle-based company has grown from its online retail roots to cloud computing, streaming video, artificial intelligence and more. Amazon's shares have recently been boosted by its acquisition of grocery chain Whole Foods. The firm has also expanded its line-up of devices tapping into its digital assistant Alexa.

SoftBank Chairman and CEO, Masayoshi Son (C), Foxconn Chairman and CEO, Terry Gou (R), and Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma (L) pose with Pepper, the world's first personal robot that can read emotions in 2015. When billionaire Terry Gou acknowledged eyeing a $7 billion U.S. investment at his New Year's press meeting in Taiwan, it solidified his role as the Third Musketeer in East Asia's emerging involvement in Donald Trump's "America First" push. Gou is the founder chairman of Foxconn Technology (aka Hon Hai Precision Industry), the biggest supplier of Apple iPhones and iPads as well as other brand-name devices. Foxconn does most of its assembly in mainland China. So when the 66-year-old Gou said talks had started on a display-screen plant that could create 30,000-50,000 U.S. jobs, his aims fell into place with earlier pronouncements by Asian tech tycoons Masayoshi Son and Jack Ma as they paid visits to Trump Tower after the new president's election.

Data-driven digital marketing is big business. According to eMarketer some 55% of all digital advertising dollars will be driven by programmatic initiatives in 2015 where computer speed and machine learning take precedence over human guess work. By 2016 that number is expected to rise to 63% representing over $20 billion in programmatic ad buys. Legions of data scientists and math Ph.Ds have taken over the digital advertising business. They are serving to enhance efficiency for the notoriously inefficient business of marketing.

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2016, file photo, Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and CEO of Facebook, speaks at the CEO summit during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru. Zuckerberg unveiled his new artificial intelligence assistant named "Jarvis" in a Facebook post on Dec. 19, 2016. FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2016, file photo, Mark Zuckerberg, chairman and CEO of Facebook, speaks at the CEO summit during the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, Peru.

Britain's manufacturing sector has just posted its strongest growth in over two years. Latest figures show that export orders have increased at their fastest rate since January 2014 and factories have also taken on more workers, with employment rising for the second consecutive month. However, the export benefits of a weakened pound will not last forever, and so, as the manufacturing sector continues to evolve, this year's FT Future of Manufacturing Summit looked at how big data analytics, advanced robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and additive manufacturing are shaping the economics of production and distribution within the sector. With the opportunities big data brings referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution in manufacturing, the estimated £57bn boost to the industry over the next five years will be driven by gains in efficiency through the use of big data analytics. The winners will be those who can adapt, embrace technologies and respond to new demands.

About a month into Japan's professional baseball season, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the 2014 and 2015 national champions, are doing no worse. Many say the team's strong lineup is underpinned by the cash-rich SoftBank Group, a big telecom and technology group. The reality is quite the reverse. Unlike their rivals, the Hawks are a stand-alone club, though one with the financial leeway to allocate profits to areas where the front office sees fit, such as player development and information technology. With the help of its tech-savvy parent, the club may be about to rewrite "Moneyball," the 2003 bestseller about how a Major League Baseball team in the U.S. used statistical analysis to beat high-spending opponents.