Many firms struggle to use customer data effectively by David Weldon via @infomgmt

New study reveals large gap between consumer expectations and how organisations act on them.

There is so much data available and it is possible to analyse the data to come to so many conclusions but the key thing is to actually do the correct analytics and reach the right conclusions (then act on them).

50 Companies Leading The AI Revolution, Detailed by Thuy T. Pham via @kdnuggets

Here she details 50 companies leading the Artificial Intelligence revolution in AD Sales, CRM, Autotech, Business Intelligence and analytics, Commerce, Conversational AI/Bots, Core AI, Cyber-Security, Fintech, Healthcare, IoT, Vision, and other areas.

This is a great list for Thuy.

Who Owns Blockchain? Goldman, BofA Amass Patents for Coming Wars by Olga Kharif via @infomgmt

Recently, some of the biggest names in business, from Goldman Sachs to Bank of America and Mastercard, have quietly patented some of the most promising blockchain technologies for themselves.

This definitely is building up to be a showdown.

A Bid Farewell to Blockchain by Henk Jan van der Klis via @infomgmt

Now, on the brink of yet another new year, it's time to bid farewell. If everyone is joining, the party's momentum is here, the peak of inflated expectations around the corner, followed by the Trough of disillusions.

Strange blog - I think the thrust of this article is that everything is now moving towards centralised code and this can be done by anyone and everyone.

Wal-Mart Tackles Food Safety With Test of Blockchain Technology by Olga Kharif via @infomgmt

With the blockchain, Wal-Mart will be able to obtain crucial data from a single receipt, including suppliers, details on how and where food was grown and who inspected it.

This is really exciting and also shows how blockchain can be used for something different to financial systems.

Open Source Data Sharing Software Takes Aim At Cancer by Fred Bazzoli via @infomgmt

The new resource can assist investigators in sorting through genomic cancer data to determine better methods of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

This looks really exciting and I believe could also be used for other illnesses than cancer.

Man Who Introduced Millions to Bitcoin Says Blockchain Is a Bust by Matthew Leising via @infomgmt

Industries from finance to healthcare to utilities are working with blockchains to radically change how payments are tracked, securities and derivatives trades are processed, and health records are stored,

Very interesting considering how many people and implementing it.

How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Automated Customer Care by Tara Kelly via @Data_Informed

There are notable exceptions but, in general, people are dissatisfied with the level of customer service they receive today. The American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that customer-satisfaction rates have been trending downward for eight consecutive quarters.

Anything that improves customer satisfaction is worth trying.

Modern CRM Drives Engagement, Relationship And Revenue via @infomgmt

Modern CRM Drives Engagement, Relationship And Revenue by Kate Leggett via +Information Management - Modern CRM strategies enable good customer experience. They support customer easy, effective customer engagement, that leaves the customer feeling good about the interaction.

Interesting blog.

How Microsoft's latest reorg will affect Dynamics CRM and ERP

Microsoft is bringing its Dynamics CRM and ERP businesses out of their silo and into the company's Cloud and Enterprise unit.  Read about the impact here on ZDNet.

24 best books for CRM and Data Mining

This post from +Big Data Made Simple by Kurt Thearling lists he 24 best books for CRM and Data Mining.