E-Business
M2M, Big Data to Overcome Challenges in the Retail Sector

High competition within the retail sector compels market participants to seek ways to sustain a well-organised, well-connected supply chain and develop production plans in tune with the customer’s desires.
Implementation of machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies and data analytics would be a solution to overcome these challenges.
M2M can facilitate communication between supply chain actors and promote easier management of inventory. This technology can also provide a complete shopping experience for the customer and develop innovative methods of communicating with clients.
According to Frost & Sullivan’s ICT research, the retail sector spent EUR59.0 billion on ICT products and services across Europe in 2012. By 2017, ICT spend is forecast to increase to EUR75.0 billion at a compound average growth rate (CAGR) of 5.0 percent (2012-2017). At this CAGR, the retail sector is expected to enjoy the second highest growth rate of all vertical markets in Europe, just behind the wholesale and distribution sector.
“Technological advancement in any industry helps to streamline operations. Implementation of M2M technologies, on wireless or wired networks, specifically, promotes remote management of workloads thereby reducing time spent on regular operational work,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, ICT, Shuba Ramkumar.
“Furthermore, M2M connectivity allows data collection on various parameters which can be analysed to provide better insight into the market, and in particular customer behaviour.”
In the retail sector there is a constant need to ensure operational efficiency that can help retailers to stay ahead of the competition.
Moreover, this sector is heavily dependent on a well-managed and coordinated production and distribution channels.
Being a customer facing industry, it is also important to build and maintain customer interest. All these challenges can be addressed by M2M technologies.
“One of the biggest areas for growth in M2M for retail is the associated use of data analytics to understand shopping habits of customers,” added Shuba Ramkumar. “Consumer data analytics may be done using data sets from different sources, to help retailers either increase sales or optimise operating expenses.”
Retailers stand to benefit from collaboration with service providers such as Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) who possess raw data about subscribers using their network services. Although very useful, the use of big data always raises a number of questions about privacy and security. However, the biggest obstacle, preventing the integration of data sets is the lack of common standards in data formats.
MNOs have several features that make them relevant service providers in the retail space. Their technical strength in providing connectivity, ownership of vast reservoirs of customer data via communications networks, experience with personalised marketing and advertising make them strong contenders to be IT vendors for smart shops in the future.
“The retail industry currently uses M2M connectivity in several vital areas to overcome operational challenges such as inventory management, in-store management and remote monitoring of mobile stores. With advancements in technology, development of common standards and cost reductions, retail shops will grow from using M2M connectivity for basic requirements to deriving value-added benefits from its use (for example, data analytics, personalised marketing and in-shop services facilitating customer shopping experience). Shops will therefore become smarter, reflecting the objectives of a smart community,” summarised Shuba Ramkumar.
E-Business
Attackers Target Employees with Fake HR Updates

Kaspersky has identified an advanced phishing campaign targeting employees with personalised emails and attached documents disguised as HR policy updates.
This campaign marks a significant escalation in phishing tactics, with attackers tailoring not only the email body, but also the attachments by addressing individual recipients, showcasing an unprecedented level of customisation. The goal was to lure the victim into entering their corporate email credentials.
The attackers likely prepared by parsing employee names to make the campaign targeted and more convincing.
The emails feature a deceptive body: a fraudulent “verified sender” badge to build trust, the recipient’s name, and an invitation to open the attached file to review remote work protocols, benefits administration and security standards. However, the whole email body is in reality just an image with no real text in it; this is done to bypass email filters.
The attached document, posing as an updated “Employee Handbook,” does not contain any actual guidelines – only a title page, a table of contents with the items that have supposedly been changed highlighted in red, a page with a QR code, supposedly for going to the full document and common instructions on how to read QR codes using a phone. The document features the victim’s name multiple times to convince that this document was created specifically for them.
If the victim scans the QR code and follows the link, they land on a fraudulent page where they are asked to enter their corporate credentials, which is what the attackers are hunting for.
“This campaign demonstrates a new level of sophistication in phishing attacks, and we may be seeing a new mailing automation mechanism that generates a separate attached document and a separate image for the email body for each recipient.
“This tactic allows to scale the attack and at the same time possibly evade traditional defenses. Organisations must prioritise advanced security measures and employee education to stay ahead of these threats,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.
E-Business
Temu Joins INTA to Combat Counterfeits and Elevate IP Standards Worldwide

Temu, the global online marketplace, has joined the International Trademark Association (INTA) as a corporate member and serves on its Anti-Counterfeiting Committee.
INTA is a global association that brings together more than 6,700 organizations, representing over 37,000 trademark professionals and brand owners across 181 countries. By joining INTA, Temu deepens its commitment to building a trusted online marketplace and advancing global IP protection through broader, cross-industry collaboration.
“INTA welcomes TEMU’s willingness to engage in anticounterfeiting initiatives, including in the Association’s annual Anticounterfeiting Workshop and Online Takedown Certificate Program which serve to share best practices and connect stakeholders,” said Alastair Gray, Director of Anti-Counterfeiting, INTA. “Constructive collaboration with these efforts can contribute to the protection of intellectual property rights for INTA members and support the removal of counterfeit products from the platform which ultimately protects consumers.”
At the 2025 INTA Annual Meeting held in San Diego in May, Temu participated in the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee Roundtable, serving as a moderator to facilitate discussions among brand owners, online platforms, and government officials on emerging technologies, best practices for collaboration, and strategies to strengthen global anti-counterfeiting efforts.
“Joining INTA and serving on its Anti-Counterfeiting Committee reflects Temu’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a trustworthy online shopping experience,” said a Temu spokesperson. “We value collaboration with industry peers and stakeholders and are dedicated to advancing collective efforts in intellectual property protection.”
Temu also participates in INTA-led online workshops, including the Online Platform Notice and Takedown Certification Program, which outlines the latest procedures and best practices used by e-commerce platforms and social media companies. These workshops aim to enhance the quality and accuracy of rights-holder notices, promoting more effective takedown processes and content moderation.
Since launching in 2022, Temu has made significant investments in IP enforcement. Its measures include comprehensive seller vetting and compliance training, 24/7 algorithmic monitoring with manual review, a dedicated IP protection portal and brand registry to streamline takedown submissions, and an internal enforcement team that handles claims with speed and accuracy.
E-Business
Huawei Unveils AI Computing System to Challenge Nvidia’s Flagship Product

China’s Huawei Technologies unveiled an AI computing system on Saturday that an industry expert said rivals Nvidia’s most advanced product, as the company aims to expand its footprint in the country’s booming AI sector.
The CloudMatrix 384 system made its public debut at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), a three-day event in Shanghai, attracting a large crowd to Huawei’s booth with its showcase of cutting-edge AI innovations.
The system has attracted significant interest from the global AI community since Huawei (HWT.UL) first introduced it in April. Industry analysts see it as a direct challenger to Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72, the most advanced system-level offering currently available from the U.S. chipmaker.
In an April article, Dylan Patel, founder of semiconductor research firm SemiAnalysis, stated that Huawei now possesses AI system capabilities that could surpass those of Nvidia.
Huawei staff at its WAIC booth declined to comment when asked to introduce the CloudMatrix 384 system.
A spokesperson for Huawei did not respond to questions.
Huawei has become widely regarded as China’s most promising domestic supplier of chips essential for AI development, even though the company faces U.S. export restrictions.
Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang told Bloomberg in May that Huawei had been “moving quite fast” and named the CloudMatrix as an example.
The CloudMatrix 384 system features 384 of Huawei’s latest 910C chips and, according to SemiAnalysis, surpasses Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 in certain performance metrics, despite the latter using 72 B200 chips.
SemiAnalysis attributes this performance advantage to Huawei’s strong system design, which offsets the lower power of individual chips by leveraging a greater number of them and incorporating system-level innovations.
Huawei describes the system as utilizing a “supernode” architecture that enables ultra-high-speed interconnectivity between chips.
In June, Zhang Pingan, CEO, Huawei Cloud confirmed that the CloudMatrix 384 was already operational on Huawei’s cloud platform.
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