eCommerce sales in the United States are projected to surpass $740 billion by 2023. To keep pace with the increase in digital sales over the next year, more and more e-tailers are investing in technologies that will help them streamline processes and serve customers better.

Once the stuff of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) is currently on track to becoming a key part of modern businesses. According to experts, 2020 is the year that 85% of all customer interactions with a business will occur via machine learning programs.

Google Assistant is essentially the next generation of Google Now. It performs all of the same tasks as Google Now, such as scheduling events and web searching, but has a better, more conversational interface. For a crash course in some of Google’s best AI-powered voice-commands, take a look at five of our favorites.

Artificial intelligence (AI) or “machine learning” has quickly transformed from science fiction to reality, and is currently on track to become an integral part of the corporate business environment. According to experts, by 2020 85% of all customer interactions with businesses will occur via machine learning programs.

High-quality products and services can make a business successful, but exceptional customer service is what makes customers come back. This is why companies constantly try to innovate their customer service strategy -- and some do it by adding artificial intelligence (AI) into the mix.

Google's major conference has come and gone. Its keynote speech gives consumers a sneak peek at Google Assistant and the next version of Android. This will help developers get their integrations, services and apps ready before the search engine giant releases its new stuff.

Google brought their “voice-activated insanity” as a feature of their Google Assistant Fun House at the South by Southwest (SXSW) expo in Austin this year. The limited product exhibit showcased the unique capabilities of their AI assistant platform, such as a sock-folding robot and a system to order beer from your sofa.

With so many affordable IT tools on the market, it's a great time to be a small-business owner. Most of them are basic and won’t require much training, too, so you don’t have to be tech-savvy to use them effectively. All you have to do is find the right one for your particular goals and needs.

Because Amazon Echo sold like hotcakes during the holidays, Alexa became the darling of Christmas 2017, taking over our homes and hearts. With the Android version of the app now enabled with voice control, Alexa can continue to smoothly make its way into our lives via our smartphones.

“Fad” is a dirty word for many small-business owners. Whether it’s what they’re selling or what they’re investing in, business owners need long-term and reliable investments to secure their future. With 2017 in the rearview mirror, we finally know what was a fad and what was a smart investment.