RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 04: Republican presidential candidate, former US President Donald … [+]
Here are five things in business technology news that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
Business Tech News #1: Trump Tariffs Could Raise Laptop and Tablet Prices by 46%, Cut Sales by 68%
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is predicting record sales for the technology industry in 2025. The impending tariffs as proposed by President-elect Donald Trump will have a significant impact on technology imports from Canada, Mexico and China. According to the CTA report, these tariffs could lead to a 46 percent increase in laptop and tablet prices and a 68 percent decrease in their sales. Game consoles and smartphones could see price increases of 58 percent and 37 percent, respectively, with corresponding declines in sales. The bigger picture – the CTA warns – the tariffs could reduce the purchasing power of US consumers by $90 billion to $143 billion, disrupting supply chains and potentially leading to a global economic downturn. (Source: Computerworld)
Why this is important for your business:
While the overall impact of Trump’s proposed tariffs is not yet understood (or understood), it is likely that the prices of many goods will increase, and this will certainly affect technology products. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Most tech companies are manufacturing products outside of China to avoid the higher level of tariffs, and as I write this a tremendous amount of products are being shipped and warehoused in the U.S. Whether your company is considering a significant purchase of tablets, laptops, and desktops in 2025 it is best to do so earlier in the year while inventories of lower priced products are still available. I’m personally in the market for a new laptop and will likely buy sooner rather than later.
Business Tech News #2 – Autonomous businesses will be powered by AI agents.
Salesforce’s Chief Digital Evangelist – Vala Afshar – highlighted a report from Accenture detailing how AI-powered autonomy is shaping the future of businesses. Four major trends are highlighted: The Binary Big Bang, Your Face in the Future, When LLMs Get Their Bodies, and the New Learning Loop. These trends focus on how AI agents are becoming central to enterprise technology, personalizing customer interactions, reinventing robotics, and fostering a collaborative relationship between humans and AI.
The report points out that unlocking the true benefits of AI depends on trust – citing 77 percent of executives who believe AI must be “built on a foundation of trust.” AI agents are expected to drive new levels of autonomy, transforming business operations and creating opportunities for innovation and growth. (Source: ZDNet)
Why this is important for your business:
As I have written before, 2025 will be the year of AI agents, so get ready. How? Talking to your software vendors and understanding these new AI tools that they will be bringing to market. Try them, understand them, and then implement them to increase the productivity of your existing workers and hopefully avoid the need to hire additional employees.
Business Tech News #3 – Reddit Introduces Business Analytics Tools and AMA Ads.
Reddit has introduced two new tools aimed at businesses: Reddit Pro Trends and AMA Ads. Reddit Pro Trends allows businesses to track real-time conversations about their brands, visualize conversation volumes, and monitor discussions on nearly 100,000 “smart” keywords. Early adopters like Wayfair and the NBA have seen a 12% increase in post creation using this tool. The AMA Ads format allows businesses to promote their Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions directly through Reddit’s ad panel, complete with RSVP tracking capabilities. This new format aims to make AMAs more discoverable and engaging, allowing businesses to participate in authentic community discussions. Reddit has reached a milestone of over 100 million daily users. (Source: Search Engine Land)
Why this is important for your business:
I’m on the CRM sub-reddit several times a week, which I find extremely valuable for my business, not only as a place to find opportunities, but to become more educated on the newest technology in the space. . I also follow a few personal sub-reddits that make me laugh. And I get ads pushed to me. And I can’t help but notice them. Reddit is quickly becoming a marketing opportunity for B2C and B2B companies, and the company knows it.
Business Tech News #4 – Microsoft would really like you to replace your old Windows 10 PCs this year.
Microsoft has announced 2025 as the “Year of the Windows 11 PC refresh”. Windows 10 is reaching its end of support date on October 14, 2025. Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade to Windows 11, promoting its new AI capabilities, improved security and modern performance benefits. The company has introduced a new category of PCs called Copilot+ PCs, which are being touted as the fastest, smartest and most secure Windows PCs ever built. “Now is the time to move forward with a new Windows 11 PC,” Microsoft chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi declared in a January 6 Windows Blog post. (Source: Ars Technica)
Why this is important for your business:
As I mentioned above, I will be in the market for a new laptop this year and it will be a Windows device because we are a Microsoft store. One of the many reasons I’m doing this is the stifling support for Windows 10 and the general vibe I’m getting from Microsoft that I’m not using Windows 11, I’m out of touch. Maybe they are right.
Business Tech News #5 – Amex exec says payments technology will drive SMB customer loyalty.
Tessa R. Dooley – American Express Vice President of US Merchant Marketing – emphasized the importance of payment technology in driving customer loyalty for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). (Source: PYMNTS)
Why this is important for your business:
Dooley emphasized that adopting digital payment options such as mobile wallets and contactless payments is essential to meeting customer demands and staying competitive. She also mentioned that offering flexible payment solutions such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) can improve customer access and affordability. Dooley advised SMBs to use customer data to tailor payment options and loyalty programs, ensuring efficient and secure transactions. “Insights from customer data can be translated into effective loyalty strategies,” said Dooley.
Each week I find and report on five articles in business technology news and then explain why the news is important to your business.
