This Week in Business Tech News: A Recap
Here are five notable business tech news stories from this week and their potential implications for your company.
Business Tech News #1: AI Agents Emerge
Meta and Salesforce are rolling out new AI agents designed to enhance customer service. Meta is running a pilot program with AI-powered agents for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. These agents can handle returns, provide recommendations, and process purchases in real-time. They use a business’s existing Meta data to answer customer questions directly. At the same time, agentic AI is improving CRM platforms like Salesforce, who recently introduced AgentExchange—a marketplace for AI agents in enterprise software. With over 200 partners like Google Cloud, DocuSign, and Workday, pre-packaged agent solutions will allow businesses to implement them without extensive technical expertise.
Unlike traditional AI tools focused on text generation, these specialized AI agents are designed to perform complex tasks autonomously, effectively increasing labor capacity.
Why this is important for your business: The focus is on customer service. Given the trend, businesses should actively explore how to use such tools to build their own solutions and improve productivity.
Business Tech News #2: PayPal Scams Exploit Docusign API
The latest PayPal scam involves the misuse of Docusign’s Application Programming Interface (API). Scammers are leveraging the software to make their phishing emails appear more credible. They set up Docusign accounts and use existing templates to send out what seem like genuine PayPal invoices, which alert recipients to supposed unauthorized transactions and urge them to call a number to secure their account and process a refund. The problem is that these emails originate from Docusign, allowing them to bypass many security filters, with red flags including Gmail addresses for PayPal customer support, and the absence of signature-required documents.
Docusign has stated that it addresses and shuts down suspicious accounts within 24 hours of detection or reporting, after detection.
Why this is important for your business: This is a new approach designed to dupe businesses and individuals into giving up confidential information. Businesses should make sure their employees are aware of this, stay extra vigilant, provide training for your company, and report anything suspicious to both PayPal and Docusign.
Business Tech News #3: Electronic Employee Monitoring on the Rise
A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology highlighted a significant increase in electronic employee monitoring. The study revealed that 80% of companies are monitoring remote or hybrid workers, with 74% using software to log web browsing and 62% tracking screen activity. This increase in surveillance is associated with heightened worker stress, reduced job satisfaction, and potential declines in productivity. The proliferation of tools such as RFID badges and biometric scanners has raised ethical concerns surrounding privacy and the possibility of discriminatory practices.
Experts say that these tools, while used to boost productivity, can harm employee well-being and workplace trust.
Why this is important for your business: Rather than monitoring the minutia of an employee’s day—even when working from home—businesses would do better to focus on how employees can work on growing their business and getting better at their jobs. Give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them like adults.
Business Tech News #4: Reddit for SMBs: An SEO and Engagement Opportunity
Reddit is emerging as a valuable platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to enhance their search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, engage with local communities, and build brand trust. Reddit content often ranks well in Google search results, with users actively seeking out discussions for authentic reviews and insights. Businesses can connect directly with niche audiences through specific communities known as subreddits helping increase visibility and credibility.
Why this is important for your business: Actively engage with communities on Reddit in your industry. It can build credibility and relationships.
Business Tech News #5: PC Security Essentials
Maintaining strong security for your PC is crucial to protecting your data. Essential practices include activating built-in antivirus protection and using third-party security suites. Implementing comprehensive security measures—including firewalls, browser extensions, password managers, and VPNs—will also strengthen your system’s security. Regularly updating your operating system and all installed applications is also key to patching any vulnerabilities.
Why this is important for your business: Robust PC security is essential in today’s digital climate.
