The fight over net neutrality heats up, Amazon is spending the week in Las Vegas, and it’s the biggest online shopping day of the year.
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Net neutrality was a trending topic last week and the conversation will get even more heated this week. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission introduced a new order over Thanksgiving Weekend titled “Restoring Internet Freedom.” But many would say that title is… a stretch. The order restores the classification of broadband Internet access as an “information service.” That would mean the FCC could no longer regulate it. Instead, the Federal Trade Commision would be tasked with providing a lighter regulatory touch. Ultimately Internet service providers will be able to choose what content gets priority on their networks. Expect to see some big public outcry on this, backed by major web brands like Google and Facebook.
Amazon Web Services is hosting its big annual conference in Las Vegas this week. re:Invent is sold out, with tens of thousands of developers flocking to the strip to hear what new cloud-based services Amazon is bringing to the market. Is voice assistant Alexa is bound to be a big part of the conversation, with more than 40 sessions planned. Last year Amazon launched the services that allowed developers to integrate Alexa into their own hardware. Some experts also expect Amazon to launch a new security service that’s powered by machine learning.
Speaking about things you can buy from Amazon, it’s Cyber Monday. Black Friday might be the busiest retail shopping day of the year. But the Monday that follows it is the busiest online shopping day of the year. Adobe’s analysis of this year’s deals shows that Cyber Monday is the best time to buy toys. Toys are discounted by 19 per cent on average today. Adobe is also finding that e-tailers are getting better at closing the deal. Conversion rates are up more than 10 per cent on both desktop and smartphones. So e-commerce websites are likely offering a better shopping experience.
That’s what’s trending this week. Hashtag Trending is produced by IT World Canada. Today’s episode is sponsored by Cogeco Peer 1, the company that enables businesses to unlock their IT potential. Learn more at CP1.com.