A debate is raging between some politicians and public health officials over the timing of reopening the economy. Noisy arguments in the news media, on Facebook or Twitter aside, the fact is that corporate executives need to be thinking seriously about the status of planned ERP software system upgrades or proceeding with projects that were
Software and Technology
Deepfakes Can Mean Deep Water and Deep Pockets for Your Business
By Andrew Martin, Maggie Pollitt, Abby Sunberg & Ashley Wetzel on
Posted in Software and Technology, Technology
State Farm got the Internet’s attention this year with a deepfake advertisement of ESPN SportsCenter anchor Kenny Mayne. To many, this was an introduction to a new and accessible technology that creates convincingly realistic fake videos.
Nearly anyone with Internet access can create a realistic video clip of events that never happened. Deepfakes are videos…
CIOs Worry About ERP Data Security in the Cloud During and After COVID-19
By Marcus Harris on
Posted in ERP software system, Software and Technology
As SAP and some other vendors are forcing users of ERP software systems into vendors’ proprietary clouds, a significant percentage of the world’s Chief Information Officers are concerned about the security of the data being stored there.
This is one of the main takeaways from a KPMG and Oracle survey released during the midst of…
COVID-19 and Understanding Your Force Majeure Clauses
By Jeff Kuo on
Posted in Intellectual Property, Software and Technology
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade has currently issued at least 4,811 force majeure certificates due to the COVID-19 pandemic (link). These certificates qualify the coronavirus outbreak as a force majeure event and certify that a party’s partial performance or failure to perform under an agreement be excused if there…
FDA Sounds the Alert on Potential Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
By Neal Roach Jr. on
Posted in Cybersecurity, Software and Technology
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release on March 3, 2020, to inform patients, health care providers and manufacturers about a newly discovered cybersecurity vulnerability. A vulnerability set referred to as “SweynTooth” affects wireless communication technology known as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). BLE allows two devices to “pair” and exchange information…
When ERP Projects Fail, It Often Starts at the Top
By Marcus Harris on
Posted in ERP software system, Software and Technology
The list of ERP software system train wrecks is legendary – and growing. Hardly a month passes without news appearing of another lawsuit being filed against a vendor or integrator by a customer who claims they wasted tens of millions of dollars – sometimes hundreds of millions – only to discover than an upgrade or…
The Overlooked IoT Data Security Law in California
By Marcus Harris on
Much of the business world has been focusing on ensuring it is compliant with California’s tough Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) that took effect Jan. 1, 2020. Far less attention has been paid to a second law enacted by the state legislature that came into force at the same time regulating the data security of connected …
Injunctions for Standard-Essential Patents? USPTO tells DOJ: “You’ve Got a FRAND in Me.”
By Joey Balthazor on
Ever wonder how so many devices can operate together on a unified network like 4G or Wi-Fi? Ever stop to think about why you can send a selfie from your iPhone to someone else’s Galaxy halfway across the world without distorting your smile?
Smartphones can operate together with other smartphones because hundreds of the inventions…
Avoiding ERP Grief Counseling
By Marcus Harris on
Posted in ERP software system, Software and Technology
When Elizabeth Kubler-Ross first described the five stages of grief, she was exploring how people deal with the death of a loved one. When she wrote her definitive work, ERP software systems were not even a gleam in anyone’s eye.
Yet as attorneys who have spent our careers working with ERP software systems and…
Is Upgrading Your ERP Necessary? Maybe Not.
By Marcus Harris on
Posted in ERP software system, Software and Technology
It seems a growing number of companies are coming to us to negotiate and draft contracts for an upgraded ERP software system. As part of understanding what we need to include in the contract, we ask the company’s CEO, COO, CTO or General Counsel why they are making the upgrade.
Frequently, the answer revolves around…