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There are three things certain in life. We all know the two cited by Benjamin Franklin, but there's a third certainty that we all face regularly and have to cope with constantly. That's the certainty that we'll make mistakes. Everyone makes them; if it hasn't happened to your business, you haven't been in business long. Mistakes affecting customers can be embarrassing, painful, costly -- and, in the era of social media, broadcast to millions of people. How do you deal with them?

E-tailers are getting better and better at making their customers happy, according to the annual E-Retail Satisfaction Index released by ForeSee. In this year's report, a record 36 online retailers out of 100 achieved the so-called "threshold for excellence," with scores of 80 or higher on the 100-point scale. That compares with 28 sites achieving this distinction in 2010 and 2011, and six reaching it in 2009. The aggregate score for this year is 78. Amazon is at the top of the list, with a score of 89 -- an "amazing" number, according to ForeSee CEO Larry Freed.

Social network MySpace settled with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission Tuesday over charges related to how the site was using members' personal information. The social network had access to personal data from users, including their full names, ages and genders. MySpace promised users it would not share that information unless it received user consent, but the FTC said the company sometimes gave advertisers so-called Friend IDs that would allow them to view certain MySpace profiles.

The last seven days have no doubt felt surreal for executives and board members at Yahoo. It was a week ago that shareholder Daniel Loeb, CEO of hedge fund Third Point, revealed that Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson's educational credentials included a computer science bachelor's degree he never earned, spurring demands for the company to take action. The latest development is that Patti Hart, the director who headed the search that resulted in Scott Thompson's selection as CEO, will not stand for re-election to the Yahoo board of directors at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders.

There was an interesting article about airlines in The New York Times last week, "When Flying 720 Miles Takes 12 Hours," but the subtext was all about CRM, or at least where CRM has to go. If you know me at all, you know I closely attend to macroeconomics and energy issues, and they are all over this article. The story documented how small regional airlines are having trouble in an economy where fuel prices are rising and there are fewer passengers willing to pay higher prices.

Forbes released its annual list of the largest corporations in the U.S. this week, and Apple had the biggest increase. It jumped from the 35th spot in 2011 to finish 17th on this year's list, which ranks companies on the basis of revenue. Apple still hasn't climbed into the ranks of Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart or General Electric when it comes to cash flow, but in the tech world, only HP was ahead of Apple on the list. Apple's recent sales records and steady climb higher on the list of America's biggest money-makers is thanks in part to its branded retail stores.

Many people believe they can say what they want on the Internet as long as they use a pseudonym. After all, it is easy to set up an account using an anonymous alter ego. In addition to believing they can post whatever they want, they may also think they are protected by the First Amendment. They may think freedom of speech has no limits, and that even when vicious lies are posted, that anonymity will shield them from liability. They may not realize that when they sign up for an anonymous Internet user ID, they are likely agreeing to specific terms that create indemnities for the Internet host as well as limit its liability.

Facebook kicked off its IPO roadshow in New York City on Monday, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg sporting his trademark hoodie sweatshirt and sneakers. A 30-minute video was part of the presentation, along with a Q&A session in which Zuckerberg and other executives took questions. The format apparently did not suit some attendees, so Facebook made some tweaks. When the show reached Boston on Tuesday, the video was gone. So was Zuckerberg, for that matter, with no reason given for his absence. Facebook spent more time with the audience, with seasoned executives CFO David Ebersman and COO Sheryl Sandberg reportedly fielding many of the queries.

Returning to New Orleans for the first time since the Big Easy was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the International CTIA Wireless 2012 trade show kicked off with a unified call for more spectrum. "Like New Orleans, we are moving forward," said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, in Tuesday's opening keynote addresses. "As an industry, we don't stand still. We continually reinvent ourselves. It is in our DNA. We take on complex challenges and solve them."

The jury hearing the Oracle-Google copyright infringement and patent violation case rendered a partial verdict in the copyright phase of the trial on Monday. Although its findings appear to favor Oracle, the jury deadlocked on a key question about fair use, prompting Google attorneys to call for a mistrial. U.S. District Judge William Alsup will begin hearing arguments on the mistrial question on Tuesday, and expects to rule on the motion by Thursday. The jurors had to consider four questions before delivering a verdict and, as they warned last week, ultimately were unable to agree on one of them -- a key one, as it turned out.

For those familiar with traditional thin-client computing, virtual desktop infrastructure solutions feel virtually like old home week with a couple of notable exceptions. First, rather than depending on dedicated data center-to-desktop hardware resources, VDI leverages server, storage and networking components that are typically part of larger virtualized IT infrastructures. In addition, the obviously essential role of virtualization in these environments means that there are also natural affinities between VDI and cloud computing.

There's been a lot of talk recently about how BPM is gaining traction across a wide variety of industry verticals. BPM's surge is part of the larger trend of agile development; organizations are weary of growing top-heavy and employing a number of individuals to perform tedious, manual processes that could easily be handled by a single person if they had greater visibility into the complete processes and tools to automate all or certain portions of it.

Recent news that Microsoft and Barnes & Noble agreed to partner on the Nook e-reader line rather than keep fighting over intellectual property suggests the prospect of more settlement and fewer IP suits in the industry. However, the deal further obscures the blurry IP and patent landscape currently impacting both enterprise IT and consumer technology. It is good to see settlement -- something I've been calling for, while also warning against patent and IP aggression. However, this settlment comes from the one conflict in this ongoing war that was actually shedding some light on the matter, rather than further complicating it.

Dan Loeb is not letting up the pressure on Yahoo, its board of directors or, most certainly, its CEO, Scott Thompson. Loeb, manager and founder of Third Point, a hedge fund that owns a 5.8 percent stake in Yahoo, has demanded more information about the process that led to the hiring of Thompson, after charging last week that the CEO did not have a computer science degree as his resume claimed. Loeb is also seeking information about the selection of certain board members, including Peter Liguori, John Hayes, Thomas McInerney, Maynard Webb, Jr., and Fred Amoroso.

The jury hearing the Google-Oracle copyright violation and patent infringement case is expected to return a verdict on the first phase of the trial -- possibly a partial verdict -- as early as Monday. The jurors retreated to consider the charges last week, after attorneys for Oracle and Google delivered their final arguments. Oracle alleges that Google's Android operating system violates copyrights and patents on Java technology that it acquired when it bought Sun Microsystems. Oracle has argued that Google knew it needed a license for Java and ultimately opted not to get one.

The latest BriefingsDirect podcast, from the Ariba LIVE Conference in Las Vegas, explores the latest in cloud-based collaborative commerce with Cox Enterprises, a $15 billion communications, media, and automotive services company. We'll learn how Cox, through the Ariba Network, manages multiple ERP systems for an improved e-procurement strategy and has moved toward more efficient indirect spend efforts to improve ongoing operations and drive future growth across more than 50,000 employees.

The proliferation of customer service channels can be both a blessing and a curse. It can be a blessing in that companies now have more ways than ever to address customer needs and resolve customer issues, potentially leading to increased customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention. At the same time, the proliferation of customer service channels can be a curse. The reason, in large part, is that customer expectations have reached the point when companies that fail to deliver on the promise of seamless multichannel customer interactions are likely to experience negative business outcomes.

By 2016, tablet PCs will reach an inflection point, a new study predicts: That is the year tablet shipments are predicted to outpace those of notebook PCs. That is one prediction in the quarterly NPD DisplaySearch Tablet Quarterly report. It also forecasts that shipments of tablet PCs will grow from 81.6 million units in 2011 to 424.9 million units by 2017. It points to a number of reasons for the growth: the ever-increasing options for consumers, including new operating systems. New features on the devices and third-party apps are proliferating. Also, the mobile computing global supply and manufacturing chain has increased capacity to meet demand.

The chain of troubles plaguing Nokia grew longer this week with news that class-action litigation giant Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd has filed suit against the firm alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The complaint can be summed up thusly: Nokia said its shift to Windows Phone 7 would halt its slide in the smartphone market, but that hasn't happened. Also, its Lumia 900 smartphone had a glitch that saw the company compensating owners by giving them $100, driving its share price down more than 16 percent in one day.

A fresh blight has struck Yahoo, which continues to flounder as management slashes its workforce in a bid to put the ailing company back on its feet. The resume of recently hired CEO Scott Thompson claims he holds a college degree that he never actually earned. The news erupted on Thursday in the midst of a proxy fight for control of Yahoo's board. The issue of Thompson's credentials was brought up by activist shareholder Daniel Loeb, who leads the Third Point investment fund.

Facebook announced an estimated price for its long-awaited initial public offering Thursday, setting a range of $28 to $35 per share. The top end of its estimate would give the social network a valuation of $96 billion. The company's upcoming roadshow starts Monday and will stop in major U.S. cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. About 337.4 million Facebook shares will be offered under the ticker "FB," probably starting around May 17 or 18, according to sources that spoke with The New York Times.

The U.S. Federal Communication Commission may have settled for a gentle slap to Google's wrist after investigating alleged violations of the federal Wiretrap Act via its Street View program, but Google's legal woes stemming from that issue are far from over. Europe reportedly is preparing to look at allegations that Google employees may have known the service would collect personal information. Also, Google is not necessarily done with the U.S. government. Google is under investigation for many privacy issues. This particular case stems from its global Street View project launched in 2007, which collected information from unprotected WiFi systems.

Research In Motion's investors did not seem pleased with the company's latest endeavor, BlackBerry 10, which CEO Thorsten Heins unveiled at its BlackBerry World 2012 conference in Orlando, Fla., earlier this week. As the new operating system made its debut, the device maker's stock dropped on the Toronto Stock Exchange approximately 15 percent -- a decline the company could ill afford, as its share value has been steadily falling for the last year. The drop is somewhat puzzling, because the new BlackBerry software appears to hold promise.

Speculation about Apple producing a television set that will revolutionize how we watch entertainment at home has been percolating for months, as has the arrival time for the super set. Initially, it was predicted to arrive in time for the 2011 holiday season; then it was going to share the stage with the new iPad in 2012; and when that didn't happen, it was pushed to sometime in 2012 or the first half of 2013. Now, one analyst is predicting the spectral set won't appear before 2014.

Imagine walking into a department store on a Wednesday morning and spotting a pair of shoes you feel that you must acquire, or life will have no meaning. You excitedly ask the sales rep if you can try on a pair in your size and she says, "Sure, why don't you come back on Friday?" That deflating experience occurs all the time on the Web, said Ken Krogue, president of InsideSales.com. Together with MIT and the Harvard Business Review, InsideSales.com has conducted research that found the average company took 46.5 hours to respond to a lead. The industry best practice, Krogue drily noted, is five minutes.

Yelp reported a net loss in its first quarter as a publicly traded company after aggressive expansion abroad led to a sharp increase in cost. The site, which provides online reviews of local businesses, released its earnings on Wednesday for the site's first ever fiscal quarter after filing its IPO. Yelp reported a net loss of $9.8 million, or 31 cents per share, more than triple its net loss of $2.7 million from the same time last year. Revenue was up from the same quarter a year ago, though, driven by growth in visitors to the site and its number of reviews.

IBM is building out its digital marketing functionality in its Smarter Commerce portfolio with the acquisition of Tealeaf Technology, a provider of customer experience analytics. Tealeaf software records and analyzes customer interactions on a company's website and any mobile channels it offers. It allows the company to catch any mistakes or glitches in the system that may be hindering the customer experience, said Yuchun Lee, vice president of IBM enterprise marketing management within its Smarter Commerce Initiative.

I'm often blown away by the pathetically misguided marketing campaigns that clearly out-of-touch executives in large corporations green light ... and then shell out millions of dollars to put into motion. But the "Wake Up" flashmob that tumbled out of a clearly expensive bus in Sydney, Australia, had me scratching my head while simultaneously clutching my belly to ease the pain of laughing so hard. Here's what happened.

I just wrote a note to a friend of mine thanking him for his participation at a conference I recently helped organize. It was a thank you note, and he's a CRM industry influencer; I won't divulge names, because it's not important to my point, nor do I want to seen like too much of a suck-up. In any event, I was grateful for his participation in the show -- not just for his session, but for his behavior at this and every other CRM event he goes to. When he's at an event, he's not wrapped in a bubble of superiority, nor does he retreat into private meetings and become impossible to find for those who wish to ask him questions.

Congratulations to Samsung on earning the No. 1 position in the wireless smartphone sector. On the other hand, what is the problem at Nokia and RIM? What is happening? What other earthshaking changes can we expect in the wireless space next? Plenty. We are just getting started. So who and what will lead going forward? Things change quickly -- and this is just the beginning. The latest change is due to the super smartphone Wave that Apple and Google started five years ago with the iPhone and the Android OS. They have transformed the space. Many are now struggling, while smaller competitors like Samsung now lead.

Amazon is taking the long-expected step of developing its own content for Amazon Instant Video. It is doing so via its content development division, Amazon Studios, which uses audience feedback to suggest content for its customers. Now it has pushed this model further, though, inviting series creators to upload proposals for comedy and children's programming. Those selected will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video. Each month, Amazon Studios will option one new project to be tested for viability with an audience. If Amazon Studios elects to distribute a series, the creator will receive $55,000, as well as royalties.

Target has decided to stop selling anything carrying the Amazon and Kindle brands. "We still have some of the product in our stores, and we expect they'll be sold by the end of May," Target spokesperson Molly Snyder told the E-Commerce Times. There's been some speculation that this move is tied in with Apple's plans to open mini-stores in select Target retail locations, but Snyder dismissed that possibility. "We have an ongoing process, we focus on the best quality and the best product for our customers," she said.

Nokia announced Wednesday that it has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission against HTC, as well as lawsuits in the U.S. and Germany against Research In Motion and Viewsonic, claiming the three firms violated a total of 45 patents. The patents in question cover hardware inventions for power management, multimode radios and dual-function antennas, as well as software features such as application stores, multitasking, navigation, conversational message display, dynamic menus, data encryption and retrieval of email attachments on a mobile device.

Samsung is top dog in the global smartphone market. No, wait -- it's Apple that is No. 1. Well, either way, Apple is making more money than Samsung. A recent flurry of reports analyzing the state of the mobile market has provoked some head-spinning. Some issues, such as the global competition between Samsung and Apple, are being hotly disputed by dueling consulting firms. About other trends, though, there is no doubt whatsoever. "Here is what we know is true -- smartphone growth has gotten simply ridiculous," James Brehm, senior strategist and consultant with Compass Intelligence.

Motorola Mobility revealed its quarterly earnings for its first fiscal quarter of the year Tuesday, reporting a slightly higher net loss than last year. The company lost $86 million, or 28 cents per share, compared to $81 million, or 27 cents per share, for the same time a year ago. Smartphone sales were slightly up. Motorola shipped 8.9 million mobile devices during the three months that ended on March 31, and 5.1 million of those were smartphones. Its mobile device sales were helped especially by the Droid Razr Maxx and the Droid 4.

Will Apple become a wireless service provider? Absolutely, contends Whitey Bluestein, writer of GigaOm's Apple blog. But that prediction has been met with widespread disagreement as well as some support. In his blog, Bluestein outlined what he believes will be Apple's roadmap for getting into the wireless business. First, it will start selling data packages for the iPad. Then it will move to data and international roaming offerings for the iPhone. Finally, it will start buying bandwidth from carriers and reselling it to its customers.

I read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales in college, and now every April brings me back to the opening verses about springtime and renewal. This April was especially memorable in our industry, and as the month has just passed I wanted to take a moment to discuss some of the things I witnessed. Mostly, for me, there was an unmistakable sense of renewal in CRM and in the tech sector more generally. Facebook continued to primp for its assumed-to-be-historic IPO and bought Instagram, a company with an application for mobile devices and not much more than a website otherwise.

Apple revealed its latest quarterly earnings statement a week ago, and it was another period of strong sales for the company. That was thanks in part to customers in emerging markets buying iPhones. One report from Deutsche Bank this week said that Apple could sell as many as 25 million iPhones in China this year and could have 35 million iPhones there by 2013. That's not outside the realm of possibility, especially if Apple signs with China Mobile, the country's largest provider, said Michael Stanat, global research executive at SIS International Research.

E-Commerce buzz words sound great in theory, but innovation often founders on the shoals of "getting there from here" as IT managers slog through the details of converting to new systems and programs. Federal agencies have been turning to shared services, data consolidation, commodity IT and, especially, the cloud. Directives to reform IT have been flying out of the OMB at regular intervals for the past 18 months. Vendors offering a variety of software products are envisioning solid marketing opportunities at federal agencies for the next several years. A key aspect for implementing change, however, is acquiring the tools that bring change about.

The England and Wales High Court has ruled that The Pirate Bay is in violation of a copyright breach and has ordered that Internet service providers in the UK must block access to the site. The High Court ruled in February that the site and its users were in violation of copyright law and followed with the court order Monday commanding ISPs to restrict access to the site. Major British ISPs Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media agreed to block the Swedish site, which facilitates the sharing of media over BitTorrent technology.