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Effective Data and Cleo Strengthen Longstanding Partnership to Advance Ecosystem Integration and B2B Connectivity

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July 8, 2025

Effective Data and Cleo Strengthen Longstanding Partnership to Advance Ecosystem Integration and B2B Connectivity

Cleo, the global leader in supply chain orchestration solutions through its Cleo Integration Cloud (CIC) platform, together with Effective Data, a leading provider of EDI and data integration solutions, announced the expansion of their longstanding partnership for driving digital transformation of supply chain-driven businesses across the logistics, transportation, manufacturing, retail, and other industries.

With more than two decades of collaboration, Effective Data and Cleo are aligning through innovation to deliver even more robust, secure, and scalable integration solutions that empower businesses to streamline operations through real-time orchestration of supply chain data, accelerate digital connectivity, and improve data visibility across ecosystems.

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with Cleo and excited about the opportunities it creates for our clients,” said Tim Wightman, President for Effective Data. “The proven capabilities in CIC, plus Cleo’s unwavering support and teamwork, help us deliver on our promise to optimize data exchange processes and enable seamless integration for our customers.”

Effective Data frequently draws from Cleo’s ecosystem integration and supply chain orchestration offerings to augment its own robust solutions for B2B/EDI integration, managed file transfer (MFT), cloud-based data management, ERP integration, API connectivity, and secure data exchange. These solutions provide the agility and control needed to support complex supply chains and fast-paced digital commerce.

“Our collaboration with Effective Data exemplifies what a true strategic partnership looks like,” said Ken Lyons, Chief Revenue Officer at Cleo. “Together, we are helping companies unlock new efficiencies and gain real-time visibility into mission-critical processes—making ecosystem integration a competitive advantage.”

Cleo’s platform complements Effective Data’s deep expertise in EDI and data integration by offering unmatched flexibility, security, and scalability. Businesses of all sizes benefit from tailored solutions that simplify system integration, accelerate onboarding of trading partners, and reduce manual intervention—while ensuring compliance and data integrity.

Both companies remain committed to continuous innovation, helping customers adapt to an increasingly connected, digital-first world.

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Varicent and ServiceNow Join Forces to Power the Next Generation of Revenue Execution

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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Varicent and ServiceNow Join Forces to Power the Next Generation of Revenue Execution

Varicent, the leader in Sales Performance Management (SPM), announced a strategic partnership with ServiceNow to integrate Varicent’s enterprise-grade Sales Planning and Incentive Compensation solutions into the ServiceNow Customer Workflows ecosystem.

“Together, ServiceNow CRM and Varicent SPM give CROs and RevOps leaders the real-time intelligence and automation they need to align strategy to execution and accelerate growth.”

This integration enables lead, customer, opportunity, and sales activity data from ServiceNow’s CRM to flow seamlessly into the Varicent platform. The partnership gives revenue leaders long-awaited power to optimize territories, quotas, and incentive structures at enterprise scale, and to adjust plans rapidly when the market shifts.

“Our partnership with Varicent is a strategic step in delivering smarter, more agile go-to-market operations for our customers,” said Anandan Jayaraman, Vice President of Product Management, CRM and Industry Workflows at ServiceNow. “Together, ServiceNow CRM and Varicent SPM give CROs and RevOps leaders the real-time intelligence and automation they need to align strategy to execution and accelerate growth.”

ServiceNow already uses Varicent to power its own global incentive compensation programs internally. This is further validation that the platform handles complexity at scale, with the flexibility to evolve as needs change.

“I’ve worked with many platforms, but what stood out about Varicent was the flexibility, the service, and the ability to evolve with our needs,” said Rick Butler, Vice President of Compensation at ServiceNow. “Whether it’s adapting plans mid-year, integrating with our own workflows, or getting hands-on support, the experience has been outstanding. It’s built for the complexity of modern compensation teams.”

This partnership builds on Varicent’s recognition as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Sales Performance Management Solutions for Incentive Compensation, Q1 2025. It further strengthens Varicent’s position as the only fully integrated SPM platform on the market—one that combines Sales Planning, Incentive Compensation, and Performance Optimization in a single AI-powered solution.

“The age of disconnected sales systems is over,” said Jason Loh, Chief Growth Officer at Varicent. “This partnership fuses two category leaders to deliver a unified revenue operating system for the enterprise. We’re solving for scale, complexity, and strategic control, where it actually matters. CROs need more than visibility. They need actionability.”

Available by Q4 2025 in the ServiceNow Store, the joint solution will help customers:

Automate sales territory and quota modeling using real-time CRM data
Align compensation plans with GTM strategy through scenario-based planning
Reduce manual errors and speed up payout cycles
Improve seller performance and increase quota attainment

With over 20 years of SPM leadership, and deep collaboration with customers like Cisco, Siemens, T-Mobile, and United Rentals, Varicent brings enterprise-grade experience to this new partnership. In joining forces with ServiceNow, Varicent is doubling down on its commitment to redefining how global teams plan, execute, and optimize their revenue operations.

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ShipStation Launches Advanced Features Enabling Businesses to Optimize Fulfillment Operations

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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ShipStation Launches Advanced Features Enabling Businesses to Optimize Fulfillment Operations

The shipping leader’s new rate shopping, returns, analytics and inventory solutions equip customers with greater control over their post-purchase experience

ShipStation, a leading ecommerce shipping solution, announced the launch of four major feature updates designed to save customers money and empower businesses to grow more efficiently. Available now, the new features — Automated Rate Shopping, Returns and Exchanges, Analytics, and Inventory and Warehouse Management — underscore ShipStation’s commitment to providing the most robust, evolved solutions for customers to manage their end-to-end fulfillment in one place with ease. The new features expand a comprehensive suite of logistics products that support businesses in every stage of growth, solving more of users’ challenges than shipping alone.

“As businesses grow, their fulfillment needs evolve,” said Kelly Vincent, chief product officer at Auctane. “These new features, whether used in our platform or our API, represent a significant step in expanding ShipStation’s capabilities beyond shipping, enabling our customers to manage inventory more effectively, find the best shipping rates, streamline returns, and gain deeper data-backed insights into their operations.”

Key Feature Highlights:

Automated Rate Shopping: Addressing growing concerns about rising shipping costs, ShipStation’s new advanced rate shopping capability enables online retailers to save money with the best price on every shipment. This new capability automatically surfaces the best value, fastest delivery time, and cheapest shipping service based on a customer’s predefined criteria, while also accommodating specific business needs. By optimizing carrier selection, this new feature allows businesses to find the most cost-effective and efficient delivery options without manual effort. Rate shopping is available to all ShipStation customers in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Returns and Exchanges: As the importance of shipping and returns convenience rises for consumers, ShipStation’s new advanced solution helps online retailers combat lost time, frustrated customers, and higher costs due to returns. The enhanced offering includes a branded customer returns portal for a seamless self-service experience, an intuitive admin interface providing a centralized user-friendly control panel, and comprehensive return merchandise authorization lifecycle management that brings clarity to the whole returns process. The feature easily integrates exchanges, allowing additional products to display, encouraging upsell and helping businesses retain more revenue. The entire experience is streamlined with powerful return automation which drastically reduces manual effort, speeds up processing, minimizes errors, and transforms a historically complex process into a positive, brand-building experience for retailers. ShipStation Returns and Exchanges will initially be available to ShipStation customers in the U.S. and Canada.
Analytics: For businesses navigating ecommerce complexities, lacking clear insights into crucial operational metrics can directly impact the bottom line. ShipStation solves this challenge with Analytics, a powerful new module designed to transform raw data into actionable intelligence. Expanding ShipStation’s existing capabilities, seven new reporting dashboards give users a comprehensive view of their shipping operations, including product performance, sales trends, inventory, warehouse efficiency, and revenue versus fulfillment costs. Businesses can now confidently forecast profitability and uncover inefficiencies to drive growth, as well as optimize carrier performance, delivery times, and shipping spend to save money and enjoy an efficient customer delivery experience. Available in ShipStation and coming soon in ShipStation API to customers in the U.S. and Canada, Analytics will expand to additional regions and include future dashboard enhancements at a later date.
Inventory and Warehouse Management: ShipStation’s enhanced Inventory and Warehouse Management capabilities help customers address critical challenges such as overstocking, stockouts, and inventory inaccuracies. The new features include forecasting tools to more precisely align stock levels with anticipated demand, purchase order functionality for easier reordering, and lot tracking for precise batch management. A new mobile barcode scanning integration will also streamline the inventory receiving and picking processes, significantly increasing efficiency, reducing inventory discrepancies, and accelerating order fulfillment. Building on ShipStation’s recent release of inventory syncing functionality, the new solutions offer integrations with all major selling channels and are available to ShipStation customers in the U.S. and Canada, with additional regions to follow at a later date.

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Dun & Bradstreet Global Survey of 10,000 Executives Uncovers Intensifying Strategic Risks Across Supply Chains, Trade and Investment Flows

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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Dun & Bradstreet Global Survey of 10,000 Executives Uncovers Intensifying Strategic Risks Across Supply Chains, Trade and Investment Flows

Persistent macroeconomic uncertainty and supply chain vulnerabilities drive decline in business confidence for a third consecutive quarter

Dun & Bradstreet , a leading global provider of business data and analytics, released its Global Business Optimism Insights report, demonstrating the lowest level of optimism for the upcoming quarter since late 2023. The report reflects the weighted responses from a May/June 2025 survey of approximately 10,000 business leaders across 32 economies and 17 sectors.

Following a 12.9% drop in optimism for Q1 and a modest 1.3% drop for Q2, the Global Business Optimism Index declined another 6.5% amid continued macroeconomic uncertainty and mounting supply chain concerns around the world. The report reveals 54% of business leaders expect trade tensions to either remain unchanged or intensify, while 46% anticipate de-escalation through formal agreements or informal arrangements. Although many central banks have begun cutting interest rates, rate reductions have yet to translate into better financial conditions for many businesses.

“Geopolitical instability in the Middle East, persistent trade frictions and concerns about slowing global demand have contributed to a significant shift in business risk appetite among survey respondents,” said Neeraj Sahai, President of Dun & Bradstreet International. “With global conditions remaining unsettled, many businesses are re-evaluating their investment priorities and reinforcing resilience strategies to navigate ongoing uncertainty.”

Sector-wise, the global decline in business sentiment was more pronounced in manufacturing
(-8.3%) than services (-5.4%). The most affected segments were metal manufacturing, automotives and capital goods—all of which are exposed to shifts in trade policy and global supply chain dependencies.

Across many industries, businesses are contending with margin compression driven by slowing demand and persistently high input costs. For some, the strategy of raising prices to protect margins is reaching its limits. For example, manufacturers of discretionary spending goods, such as textiles (-17.0%), electricals (-15.0%), metals (-12.7%) and automotives (-9.7%), were among the businesses reporting the largest quarterly declines in optimism with respect to operating margins.

Key findings from the Q3 2025 report:

The Global Business Optimism Index dropped 6.5% amid trade policy uncertainty, softening sales and slowing trade. With continued tariff risks and global demand softening, businesses across emerging and advanced economies are pivoting inward – turning to domestic markets.
- More than a third (34%) of businesses identified domestic growth as the top fallback strategy in the face of potential tariff escalations.
The Global Supply Chain Continuity Index declined 9.7%, bringing optimism levels down 18.6% year-to-date. Decreases among both advanced and emerging economies suggest systemic global supply chain challenges.
- More than half of the businesses surveyed outside the U.S. are actively seeking alternative international markets or partners beyond the U.S. The EU, at 23%, and Asia–excluding the Chinese Mainland–at 15%, emerged as the preferred alternatives. Only 5% of businesses identified the Chinese Mainland as their top fallback for growth, suggesting the geopolitical considerations are now a significant factor in market selection decisions.
The Global Business Financial Confidence Index contracted 3.4%, with 60% of businesses displaying optimism about cheaper borrowing costs, down from nearly 70% last quarter.
- Less than half of businesses expect to receive timely payment for their goods and services, implying that more businesses appear to be delaying outflows to manage working capital more tightly, in part due to reducing margins.
The Global Business Investment Confidence Index fell 13.1%, the third straight decline. Uncertainty surrounding global trade, supply chains and geopolitics has dominated business capital expenditure decisions and pushed confidence lower, despite many major central banks lowering interest rates.
- 55.4% of businesses are expecting to raise long–term funds, a drop from 70% the previous quarter, signifying businesses are not only delaying capital expenditures but are also deleveraging their balance sheets in preparation for long-term disruption.
The Global Business ESG Index, which captures ESG sentiment, held steady, but sharp contrasts emerged. Medium-sized businesses, particularly in emerging economies, posted strong ESG gains, while large businesses in advanced economies saw declines — likely reflecting compliance strain and evolving disclosure requirements. Large businesses in emerging economies made only marginal gains, while those in advanced economies saw an 8.4% drop, possibly reflecting regulatory fatigue or cost pressures.
- Globally, one in six businesses placed ESG at the core of supplier selection, though it still trails traditional criteria such as cost competitiveness and geopolitical risk profile as primary decision drivers.

“In response to this uncertain environment, businesses should look to accelerate strategic shifts in their supply chains. Trade frictions, tariff risks and regulatory volatility are reinforcing the case for friendshoring, nearshoring and multi-sourcing as essential risk-mitigation strategies,” said Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist at Dun & Bradstreet. “At the same time, businesses are reassessing credit exposure and working capital cycles, with rising payment delays and tighter liquidity underscoring the need for stricter financial management. Agility—underpinned by real-time data and insights into capital structure, payment behavior, and supplier dependencies — will be essential for navigating the volatility ahead.”

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Revenue AI Leader Gong Scales Irish Operations and AI Capabilities Due to Accelerated EMEA Customer Demand

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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Revenue AI Leader Gong Scales Irish Operations and AI Capabilities Due to Accelerated EMEA Customer Demand

Gong now supports 750+ EMEA customers across key markets, with a surge in adoption of AI capabilities
New Dublin HQ to support growing team with plans to add 75 new roles
New AI agents will support EMEA customers in several languages.

Gong, the leading revenue AI company, announced a major expansion of its Dublin-headquartered EMEA operations to support its rapidly growing customer base—now over 750 strong across key markets, including Ireland, the UK, Germany, France, Nordics, Benelux and Spain.

This expansion is driven by increasing demand for Gong’s AI-powered revenue platform, particularly its agentic capabilities, with 80 per cent more EMEA users now leveraging Gong’s AI features than a year ago. These AI agents help revenue teams boost productivity, gain deal insights, and deliver consistent execution at scale. This announcement comes on the heels of Gong surpassing $300 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) earlier this year, underscoring the high global demand for revenue AI solutions.

Our growth in Europe reflects a global shift—companies are embracing AI not just to keep pace, but to lead in highly competitive markets,” said Amit Bendov, Co-Founder & CEO of Gong. “Dublin plays a critical role in our global strategy. This expansion reinforces our long-term commitment to the region and our mission to empower revenue teams across EMEA with cutting-edge AI.”

A New Headquarters in Dublin

Since establishing its EMEA headquarters in 2022, Gong has grown its Dublin team to 125 employees, with plans to expand to 200+ over the next 18 months across R&D, sales and other functions. As part of this investment, Gong has relocated to a new EMEA HQ at WeWork One Central Plaza—the iconic former Central Bank building in the heart of Dublin.

Ireland’s Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, said: “Ireland continues to be an attractive location for innovative companies to invest and serve their customer base from, offering a dynamic talent pool, a pro-business environment and seamless access to the European market.”

Expanding AI Capabilities to Meet International Market Needs
Gong continues to expand its global footprint with agentic capabilities built for multinational teams. The newly introduced AI Translator — part of Gong’s growing portfolio of AI agents — ensures key moments, from calls, deals, and accounts, are surfaced and automatically translated based on the user’s and company’s language preferences. The Gong Revenue AI Platform now captures conversations in more than 70 languages and removes language as a barrier to sales execution, ensuring go-to-market teams operate from the same source of truth.

Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA Ireland, said: “Artificial Intelligence is a growth driver of IDA’s strategy and Gong’s decision to expand its presence in Dublin is testament to Ireland’s position as a hub for global innovation and AI. I am delighted that Gong is bringing 75 new high-value jobs and cutting-edge technology to Ireland.”

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Responsive and APMP Release European Version of 2025 State of Strategic Response Management (SRM) Report

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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Responsive and APMP Release European Version of 2025 State of Strategic Response Management (SRM) Report

Winning go-to-market teams investing in both AI and people

Responsive, the global leader in AI-powered Strategic Response Management (SRM) software, in partnership with the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP), released Winning Business in the Age of AI: UK & European Market Trends. B2B buyer expectations are continuing to rise with prospective customers expecting faster, crisper responses from potential vendors. Winning go-to-market teams are increasingly leveraging AI-powered solutions, including AI agents, to respond quickly and effectively, thereby growing their businesses faster.

Winning go-to-market teams are increasingly leveraging AI-powered solutions, including AI agents, to respond quickly and effectively, thereby growing their businesses faster.

Based on a survey of revenue leaders and practitioners across the region, the report highlights both progress and pressure. Bid and proposal teams are increasingly seen as pivotal revenue drivers (86%) and strategic business partners (79%). However, these teams are bidding into a tougher market, marked by tight deadlines, strict approval processes, and buyers who are increasingly demanding, informed, and risk-conscious.

“AI is fundamentally changing how revenue teams operate,” said Daniel Tscharner, Head of Bid Management at Swisscom. “We’re starting to see what’s possible when knowledge is no longer trapped in silos and AI agents help coordinate work across the entire pursuit. It’s early days, but the potential to shift how we qualify, collaborate, and win is enormous — and we’re building the foundation now.”

“What we’re seeing across revenue teams in the UK and Europe is not a race to adopt AI for adoption’s sake, but a thoughtful shift in how organisations align people, process, and technology—redefining roles, rethinking workflows, and embracing knowledge democratization to drive smarter, more scalable growth,” said Responsive CEO, Ganesh Shankar. “Bid and proposal management is evolving from a reactive function to competitive advantage, and AI is no longer a future ambition; it’s a present-day priority for most successful revenue and response teams.”

Key findings include:

Revenue teams are increasingly under pressure: 4 in 5 organisations feel increased pressure from buyer autonomy, tighter budgets, and faster turnaround expectations. Buyer reliance on self-guided research and delayed vendor engagement provides less opportunity for vendor influence and differentiation in the purchase experience. In the UK, 39% say greater buyer autonomy is significantly impacting outcomes.
Gaps remain in knowledge democratization: Only one-third of organisations report full implementation of core SRM capabilities like a centralised hub of reusable content (34%) and organisation-wide access to knowledge (36%), a critical shortfall given that accessible knowledge is the foundation for AI effectiveness, cross-functional alignment, and deal-critical responses.
Adoption is accelerating: 78% of UK organizations increased tech spend, and over half of all organizations are piloting or planning AI use in key revenue functions. Only 21% have fully deployed and 27% are testing AI agents, signaling a thoughtful, deliberate approach.
Bid teams are stepping into the spotlight: Most organisations view bid and proposal teams as direct and significant contributors to revenue (86%) and strategic business partners (79%).
- In the UK, those teams are more likely to be well-resourced (79% versus 60%) and report higher job satisfaction (86% versus 52%) than their EU peers.
- Over half of UK organizations increased headcount for bid teams last year—outpacing EU counterparts by more than 20 percentage points.
- In the UK, 78% of organisations have increased technology spend compared to the rest of Europe (60%).
- 71% of respondents say the role of bid and proposal professionals needs to evolve in response to AI.

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SalesTechStar Interview with Travis Rehl, CTO and Head of Product at Innovative Solutions

Paroma Sen

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July 8, 2025

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SalesTechStar Interview with Travis Rehl, CTO and Head of Product at Innovative Solutions

Travis Rehl, CTO and Head of Product at Innovative Solutions chats about the immense advantages agentic AI serves up modern sellers in this SalesTechStar interview while taking us through the key highlights of their new commercial product for pre-sales: DarcyIQ

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Hi Travis, tell us about your SaaS journey so far?

Our SaaS journey has been beautifully unexpected. We never intended to build a commercial product—DarcyIQ started as an internal solution to solve our own pre-sales bottleneck. As a Premier Tier AWS system integrator, our solution architects were drowning in proposal creation, taking weeks to deliver what customers needed in days.

When we began showcasing DarcyIQ to demonstrate our technical capabilities, something remarkable happened: customers started asking to buy the platform themselves. We realized we’d accidentally solved a universal pain point in technical consulting. With strong encouragement from our AWS partners and overwhelming market validation, we went into stealth mode to prepare for public launch.

Today, we’re onboarding new customers weekly, helping consulting firms triple their revenue by eliminating pre-sales bottlenecks. What started as solving our own problem has become a mission to transform how the entire industry approaches technical sales.

We’d love the top of mind highlights on DarcyIQ and how it’s an enabler for modern sellers?

DarcyIQ fundamentally transforms the economics of technical selling by compressing deal cycles from weeks to hours. We’ve seen partners achieve 70% faster sales cycles and handle 4x more opportunities without expanding their technical teams.

The platform delivers a number of breakthrough capabilities such as:

AI Call Coach: DarcyIQ joins your customer meetings in real-time, providing suggested questions, technical prompts, and insights that turn every team member into a seasoned expert. It’s like having your best solution architect whispering strategic guidance during every call.

Agentic Proposal Creation: After analyzing meeting transcripts and supporting documents, DarcyIQ generates complete technical proposals, architecture diagrams, and statements of work in minutes—work that previously took weeks. The quality is actually more consistent than manual creation because it learns from your best historical projects.

The result? Sales teams can pursue every qualified opportunity instead of losing deals to pre-sales bottlenecks.

What should sales teams and businesses keep in mind when automating deal flows?

The most important question isn’t “How do we automate our current process?” but rather “If we could redesign this process from scratch, what would it look like?”

Most sales processes evolved organically over years, accumulating inefficiencies that teams accept as “just how things work.” Automation gives you permission to fundamentally rethink these workflows. For example, if you could generate a technical proposal in 30 minutes instead of 3 weeks, how would that change your entire go-to-market strategy?

Smart automation creates a multiplier effect: faster proposals lead to higher win rates, which enables you to pursue more opportunities, which accelerates learning and improvement. The key is starting with your biggest bottleneck—usually the handoff between sales and technical teams—and working outward from there.

Don’t just digitize inefficiency; use automation as an opportunity to reimagine what’s possible.

How are you seeing agentic AI empower sellers across sales functions, can you talk about some interesting ways in which modern sellers/peers are using agentic AI to scale sales processes?

Agentic AI is collapsing the traditional sales tech stack into unified, intelligent workflows. Instead of juggling 8-10 different tools, modern sellers are moving toward platforms that handle end-to-end processes autonomously.

In DarcyIQ, a single conversation with a prospect can trigger an entire cascade of automated actions:

Research the customer’s technical environment and competitive landscape
Provide real-time coaching during the meeting
Generate customized technical proposals and statements of work
Submit partner deal registrations and funding requests
Update CRM records and trigger follow-up sequences

What’s revolutionary isn’t just the speed—it’s the intelligence. The system learns from every interaction, continuously improving its ability to qualify prospects, tailor solutions, and predict deal outcomes.

We’re seeing early adopters handle 300-400% more opportunities with the same headcount while actually improving deal quality. Some sellers are even opting to qualify and scope deals fully with the AI instead of leveraging peers. The AI doesn’t just make them faster; it makes them better at selling.

As sales teams and business heads start to rely more on AI to fuel different parts of a typical sales cycle, what should they keep in mind to ensure a human-machine balance?

Speed has a hidden cost: confidence. If AI handles too much of the sales process, sellers risk becoming order-takers who can’t deeply engage with customer challenges or adapt when conversations go off-script.

The sweet spot is using AI to eliminate administrative burden while amplifying human expertise. In our experience, the most successful implementations use AI to:

Handle research and documentation so sellers focus on relationship-building
Provide real-time insights during conversations rather than replacing them
Generate first drafts that experts refine rather than final deliverables

The goal isn’t to remove humans from selling—it’s to ensure every human interaction adds unique value. AI should make your best salespeople superhuman, not make average salespeople obsolete.

How will the role of a typical sales structure and team evolve in future as AI in salestech and sales becomes more mainstream?

We’re moving toward a “validation-first” sales model where AI handles initial qualification and proposal generation, while humans focus on relationship management and deal orchestration.

Expect to see:

Higher individual quotas as AI multiplies individual capacity
Elevated skill requirements focused on strategic thinking rather than administrative tasks
New hybrid roles combining technical validation with AI system optimization
Compressed team structures with fewer but more specialized roles
Deal desks evolved into AI governance centers ensuring quality and continuous improvement

The most successful sales organizations will be those that use AI to handle 4x more opportunities while maintaining the human touch that closes complex deals.

What are five thoughts on the future of salestech before we wrap up?

The transformation timeline is compressed. What we expected to happen over 3-5 years is happening in 12-18 months. Organizations that wait will find themselves competing against AI-powered competitors with fundamentally better economics.
Integration debt is the new technical debt. Disconnected sales tools will become obsolete. Start consolidating your stack now and ensure your data is AI-ready—clean, connected, and comprehensive.
Sales roles are bifurcating. High-touch relationship managers will become more valuable, while administrative sales tasks will be fully automated. The middle ground is disappearing.
Quality assurance becomes AI governance. Deal desks will need technical validators and AI engineers to continuously tune systems based on win/loss patterns. The companies that master this feedback loop will dominate their markets.
Quotas will double, but so will capabilities. Business expectations will fundamentally shift as AI-powered teams demonstrate what’s possible. The new baseline will be what only top performers achieve today.

About Innovative Solutions
About Travis Rehl

About Innovative Solutions

Innovative Solutions is a leading provider of cloud services for growing businesses. With more than three decades of experience and a 99.7% customer retention rate, Innovative Solutions has deep expertise in Generative AI, Machine Learning, Data and Analytics, Cloud Modernization, Cloud Migrations, and Managed Cloud Services. As a Premier Tier AWS Partner with Generative AI competency, Innovative Solutions is at the forefront of helping businesses leverage the power of the cloud and AI to drive growth and innovation.

About Travis Rehl

Travis Rehl is CTO and Head of Product at Innovative Solutions

Parter Raises $5.5M to Launch AI Platform for Hardware Teams Navigating Supply Chain Risk Management and Tariffs

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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Parter Raises $5.5M to Launch AI Platform for Hardware Teams Navigating Supply Chain Risk Management and Tariffs

Bringing AI to the heart of hardware manufacturing, Parter helps engineering and supply chain teams design smarter, source better, and operate with confidence – even in crisis.

Parter, the AI-powered company helping hardware teams – from engineering and supply chain to R&D – manage complexity and stay ahead of disruption, announced $5.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by StageOne Ventures, with participation from Zenda Capital, Mercer Ventures, and notable angel investors including former Sequoia partner Shmil Levy, executives from Cisco, Ariel Maislos, and founders of Avalor, Datorama, Epsagon, and Innoviz. The funding will support Parter’s product development, go-to-market expansion, and U.S. growth as the company officially launches out of stealth.

Hardware manufacturing is under pressure. With supply chain instability including tariff-driven price hikes and fragmented systems, it has become harder than ever to bring products to market. According to a 2024 survey of more than 500 manufacturing leaders, 98% reported persistent challenges with disconnected and incomplete data, leading to delays, cost overruns, and lost opportunities.

With shifting trade policies and increasing pressure to reshore production, hardware teams must adapt fast. Parter gives them the tools to manage complexity, reduce risk, and move from reactive fixes to proactive decision-making.

“Our customers are under pressure from every direction. Data is siloed, teams are disconnected, and global instability makes everything harder,” said Asaf Israelit, co-founder and CEO of Parter. “We built Parter to bring clarity. Our platform connects data, teams, and decisions so hardware companies can streamline their operations and move with confidence – all thanks to AI.”

Parter helps hardware teams move beyond scattered spreadsheets, outdated tools, and manual processes. Instead of reacting to problems after they happen, teams can proactively manage risk, act faster, and make smarter decisions with help from AI. Whether it’s a tariff, shortage, compliance issue, or supply chain bottleneck – Parter delivers the insights needed to keep production moving and teams aligned.

The platform unifies product and supplier data from BOMs (Bill of Materials), datasheets, ERP and PLM systems, PDFs, and spreadsheets into one clean, structured system. AI agents validate, enrich, and link that data to generate real-time insights and recommendations. Capabilities include risk and compliance monitoring, auto alternatives for impacted components powered by AI agents, predictive alerts for obsolescence and tariffs, sourcing and quoting automation, and collaboration tools for cross-functional teams.

Parter serves the full spectrum of electronics producers, including OEMs, ODMs, EMS, and contract manufacturers in sectors like IoT, communications, automotive, and defense.

“Parter is solving a massive, overlooked problem,” said Tal Slobodkin, managing partner at StageOne Ventures. “This team is applying AI where it’s desperately needed, turning operational chaos into strategic clarity, equipping businesses with the essential tools they need to bring their hardware manufacturing to the U.S. or nearshore accordingly. It’s a game-changer for hardware companies and couldn’t be more timely.”

“Parter has completely transformed how we manage sourcing and quoting,” said Hila Arditi, VP Supply Chain at RH Group, a global electronics manufacturer with facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. “By automating manual steps and simplifying our procurement process, Parter has helped us respond faster to customer needs and navigate today’s complex supply chain landscape with confidence.”

Parter was selected as one of just 25 startups globally to join the prestigious Palantir Foundry-backed Accelerator Programme The cohort is designed to support AI-native startups working in complex and data-rich industries, further validating Parter’s unique approach to hardware intelligence.

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McAfee’s Summer Shopping Study Reveals: It’s Prime Time for Smart Shopping

STS News Desk

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July 8, 2025

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McAfee’s Summer Shopping Study Reveals: It’s Prime Time for Smart Shopping

McAfee identifies 36,000 fake Amazon sites and a surge in delivery scam texts, warning Prime Day is prime time for scammers

McAfee Labs reveals more than 36,000 fake Amazon sites and over 75,000 delivery and Amazon impersonation scam texts leading up to Prime Day.
15% of Americans say they’ve been scammed during Prime Day or a similar shopping event. 84% of those victims lost money, with nearly 1 in 4 losing over $500 and 1 in 10 losing over $1,000.
56% are more concerned about AI-generated scams this year than they were last year.
46% of shoppers say they plan to spend more this Prime Day in hopes of saving money amid tariff-driven price hikes – particularly older people, 68% of whom say the same.

McAfee, a global leader in online protection, released its 2025 Global Prime Day Scams Study, revealing concerns about how scammers are using AI-powered technology to deceive Prime Day shoppers. McAfee Labs has identified over 36,000 fake Amazon websites and 75,000 Amazon impersonation texts designed to exploit the buzz of this event and steal shoppers’ personal information and financial details.

This year, 81% of Americans say they plan to shop online during Prime Day, making it a major opportunity for both retailers and scammers. While 89% report taking steps to stay safe online, nearly two-thirds (65%) admit they’re not fully confident in their ability to spot a scam. That uncertainty is exactly what scammers are counting on and AI has made it even easier than ever to turbocharge shopping scams. Top scams this Prime Day include fake Amazon websites, deepfake videos of influencers who appear to sell or endorse products, and a surge in fake Amazon notification texts. These Amazon impersonation messages – ranging from delivery updates, to refunds, to tariff charges – are designed to create a sense of urgency that pressures people to click before they think.

“As inflation and tariffs push more people to hunt for deals, scammers are using generative AI to craft scams that are more polished, personal, and persuasive,” said Abhishek Karnik, Head of Threat Research at McAfee. “From retailer impersonations and hyper-realistic delivery text scams, these threats are getting harder to spot. The good news is that the tools to fight back are getting smarter too. The best way to stay safe is to pause before you click, trust your instincts, and use AI-powered protection like McAfee’s Scam Detector to stay one step ahead.”

Tariffs Drive Shopping – and Scams

With people concerned about the impact of tariffs on prices, nearly half of Americans (46%) say they plan to shop more during Prime Day to stretch their budgets, a trend even more pronounced among older adults. 68% of shoppers aged 65 and up cite tariffs as a key reason for seeking out Prime Day deals.

But this surge in deal-seeking can come at a cost. Scammers often target older consumers with offers that seem too good to pass up.

Scroll, Shop, Scam

While older adults tend to be more cautious, younger shoppers are far more likely to take risks on unfamiliar brands — especially on social media. Nearly a quarter of 18–34-year-olds say they’re willing to buy from unknown retailers if the deal looks good, with 22% of 18–24s and 21% of 25–34-year-olds ready to click.

That openness comes with a trade-off. Platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping are fast becoming hotspots for scam exposure. Nearly 1 in 3 young shoppers say they’ve encountered deepfake influencer scams during past sale events, and of those, 71% say either they or someone they know lost money. With 29% of shoppers browsing TikTok Shop and 10% using Instagram Shopping, these social platforms are both a go-to for deals and a growing risk.

Scam Anxiety Meets Smart Protection

It’s not just what people buy — it’s how and when they’re shopping. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans admit they’ve clicked a suspicious link or made a purchase while multitasking or shopping late at night. And 37% say a scam, or the fear of one, has stopped them from checking out entirely.

But consumers aren’t powerless: nearly half (45%) say they’d consider using a scam detection tool to add peace of mind to their Prime Day experience, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they absolutely would.

How to Protect Yourself this Prime Day

Verify before you trust. Retailers are unlikely to call you about suspicious activity or unauthorized purchases. Always go directly to the source, such as the Amazon app, to check your account instead of trusting links in messages or unsolicited phone calls.
Protect your shopping experience. Turn on two-factor authentication for extra account protection, use strong, unique passwords, shop only on secure websites (look for “https://” and the padlock icon), monitor your bank and credit card statements for unusual charges, and go straight to the retailer’s site or app instead of clicking text or email links you’re not sure about.
Watch for red flags. If a message pressures you to act fast, demands payment through gift cards or wire transfers, asks for personal info, or insists you stay on the line or keep quiet—hit pause. These are classic scam signals. Taking a moment to think can be the difference between scoring a deal and walking into disaster.
Use AI-powered scam protection. Use trusted tools like McAfee’s Scam Detector, that spot and flag suspicious links and scams before they can do harm.
Trust your instincts. If something feels off, or too good to be true, it probably is.

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alby Transforms AI Shopping From Basic Chatbots to Intelligent Shopping Companions

STS News Desk

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July 7, 2025

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alby Transforms AI Shopping From Basic Chatbots to Intelligent Shopping Companions

New capabilities elevate AI shopping assistants to proactive guides for personalized, conversational product discovery

alby, the AI shopping agent trusted by leading e-commerce brands, announced four new tools that transform AI shopping assistants from basic Q&A chatbots into true shopping companions. The new capabilities enable alby to proactively guide shoppers like an experienced in-store associate, anticipating questions and concerns to provide confidence throughout the buying journey, while capturing insights to optimize future experiences with the brand.

“Today’s shoppers expect personalized guidance and increasingly use AI agents to help them find what they need,” said Fayez Mohamood, CEO of Bluecore. “These new features help retailers exceed these expectations with an AI agent that’s an expert in their products, brand language, and real-time shopper conversations. We’re moving from reactive chatbots to proactive shopping companions that preempt questions, give shoppers the confidence to buy, and take real action to drive purchases.”

The four new advancements—Product Advisor, Playbooks, Context-Awareness, and Recommendations—enable deeper customer engagement, increased operational efficiency, and measurable revenue growth while giving brands unprecedented control over what their AI agent is able to do.

Product Advisor: Transforms product discovery into a conversational, human-like exchange, guiding shoppers to exactly the right products through insightful questions. Like an experienced in-store associate who understands what customers really want, Product Advisor moves beyond simple searches to creating meaningful dialogue that uncovers true shopping intent.
Playbooks: Empowers brands to easily coach their AI agent using simple, natural-language instructions. Rather than just answering questions, alby can now confidently handle specific shopping scenarios, taking proactive actions that turn conversations into conversions. This feature allows retailers to coach their agent on helping shoppers find the right size jeans or pick out a gift.
Context-Awareness: Creates seamless, personal connections by enabling the AI agent to remember what shoppers have already browsed, clicked, or searched during their session. This makes every conversation feel tailored and relevant, eliminating the robotic or repetitive interactions and questions that are common with traditional chatbots. For example, the agent knows you wear size 7 shoes from your browsing and will only suggest that size.
Recommendations: Moves beyond generic suggestions to serve contextual product recommendations that shoppers genuinely appreciate. These intelligent suggestions feel timely, relevant, and personalized, adding true value rather than creating additional noise in the shopping experience.

“We’re excited to explore the new capabilities alby is announcing this launch week. At DXL, understanding and proactively meeting the needs of every customer is at the core of our strategy,” said Jim Reath, Chief Marketing Officer, DXL. “With features like Product Advisor and In-Session Context, alby will empower us to create even deeper, more personalized connections that guide our customers through their shopping journey. Bluecore and alby continue to be a strategic partner who not only bring innovative technology but actively contribute to the success of our business.”

“OLEADA is the premier workstyle brand that goes beyond business as usual: crafting thoughtfully engineered handbags that are as versatile and inspiring as the women who carry them. The new features from Alby fit right in with our approach,” said Tiffany Zhou, Founder, Creative Director, OLEADA. “We’re excited to see how Alby will simplify the shopping experience and go beyond business as usual, by helping our customers find the exact pieces to complement their WorkStyle.”

These features represent alby’s continued evolution from answering shopper questions to proactively and intelligently guiding them toward purchase decisions. The AI agent learns what shoppers care about most in every conversation and shares those insights to help marketers and merchandisers improve their experience and increase revenue.

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The shipping leader’s new rate shopping, returns, analytics and inventory solutions equip customers with greater control over their post-purchase experience

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Persistent macroeconomic uncertainty and supply chain vulnerabilities drive decline in business confidence for a third consecutive quarter

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Gong now supports 750+ EMEA customers across key markets, with a surge in adoption of AI capabilities

New Dublin HQ to support growing team with plans to add 75 new roles

New AI agents will support EMEA customers in several languages.

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Winning go-to-market teams investing in both AI and people

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Travis Rehl, CTO and Head of Product at Innovative Solutions chats about the immense advantages agentic AI serves up modern sellers in this SalesTechStar interview while taking us through the key highlights of their new commercial product for pre-sales: DarcyIQ

_________

Hi Travis, tell us about your SaaS journey so far?

We’d love the top of mind highlights on DarcyIQ and how it’s an enabler for modern sellers?

What should sales teams and businesses keep in mind when automating deal flows?

How are you seeing agentic AI empower sellers across sales functions, can you talk about some interesting ways in which modern sellers/peers are using agentic AI to scale sales processes?

As sales teams and business heads start to rely more on AI to fuel different parts of a typical sales cycle, what should they keep in mind to ensure a human-machine balance?

How will the role of a typical sales structure and team evolve in future as AI in salestech and sales becomes more mainstream?

What are five thoughts on the future of salestech before we wrap up?

Bringing AI to the heart of hardware manufacturing, Parter helps engineering and supply chain teams design smarter, source better, and operate with confidence – even in crisis.

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McAfee identifies 36,000 fake Amazon sites and a surge in delivery scam texts, warning Prime Day is prime time for scammers

McAfee Labs reveals more than 36,000 fake Amazon sites and over 75,000 delivery and Amazon impersonation scam texts leading up to Prime Day.

15% of Americans say they’ve been scammed during Prime Day or a similar shopping event. 84% of those victims lost money, with nearly 1 in 4 losing over $500 and 1 in 10 losing over $1,000.

56% are more concerned about AI-generated scams this year than they were last year.

46% of shoppers say they plan to spend more this Prime Day in hopes of saving money amid tariff-driven price hikes – particularly older people, 68% of whom say the same.

Write in to psen@itechseries.com to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programs.

New capabilities elevate AI shopping assistants to proactive guides for personalized, conversational product discovery

Write in to psen@itechseries.com to learn more about our exclusive editorial packages and programs.

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