The pandemic has accelerated the transition to a digital-first environment. As such, software and other cloud services are more important now than ever to ensure teams are in-sync and collaborating effectively. To best meet these goals, CRM systems are leveraging new and emerging technology like AI to save time on manual data entry, and give their teams a competitive advantage. However, not all systems are created equal. It is critical to choose a system that maximizes your efficiency – when it works well, your team's increased productivity enables you to spend more time doing the work that matters (finding and closing opportunities).

The gap between leaders versus laggards in AI has widened significantly in the last 6 months, even as leaders are investing big time on pilot projects to transform business teams with AI and Deep Learning. In a powerful survey finding, market research firm ESI ThoughtLab has found out APAC region leads (14.1 Billion USD) in average revenue earned through the adoption of AI applications in 2020. North America ($13.9 billion) and EU ($12.7 Billion) have also reported significant revenue growth from AI adoption. Laggards in AI can drive home success with AI investments by developing a culture of learning and sharing knowledge. ESI ThoughtLab reports AI leaders are constantly amplifying their data science talent pool by acquiring AI businesses.

Two-thirds of senior executives across industries -- and nearly nine out of ten leaders from the world's largest enterprises -- believe AI is vitally important for the future of their businesses and will be increasing AI investment in the post-pandemic era. However, significant challenges remain on delivering ROI from AI investment. An ESI ThoughtLab study of 1,200 organisations has revealed that companies are generating on average an ROI of only 1.3%, while 40% of AI projects are not yet profitable. The reason for this, according to the research, is that AI initiatives require time, expertise and scale to deliver on their promise of high returns. With the pandemic speeding up the need for quick data-driven decision-making, companies should act now to develop the skills, platforms, and processes that can enable them to achieve the full strategic, operational, and financial benefits from AI.

Leading organizations are aligning marketing around a customer journey strategy, leveraging data analytics, and embracing AI -- all part of a heavily integrated, omnichannel effort built on a solid martech backbone. Buzzwords like CX and AI are dominating marketing discussions today. With the focus pointed so heavily on emerging concepts like these -- purely concentrated in digital channels and new technologies -- how are marketers' priorities, roles and responsibilities shifting? What new marketing technologies are critical to success today, and which ones will be crucial in the next couple years? Salesforce set out to find the answers to these questions.

In a modern economy, the website is a foregone conclusion. Whatever your business model, your end customer expects you to have some representation on the internet. If you are a consumer-facing business, chances are a mobile app is just as vital to your brand as your website. While these business tools are considered mission critical today, a mere 20 years ago almost no one had a website and the app only rose to importance with the advent of the smartphone economy, less than a decade ago. At traditional industry pace these are rapidly changing parameters, and the next technology revolution is already upon us.