Montreal City Hall – Beaupré Michaud and Associates, Architects in collaboration with MU Architecture, Montreal. Photo credit: Raphaël Thibodeau The Ordre des architectes du Québec (OAQ) has revealed the winners of its 2025 Awards of Excellence in Architecture. A total of eleven projects were recognized at a gala hosted by Jean-René Dufort at Espace St-Denis in Montreal. The Grand Prix d’excellence en architecture was awarded to the restoration of Montreal City Hall , a major project led by Beaupré Michaud et Associés, architects, and MU Architecture. This complex project successfully preserves the building’s historical qualities while transforming it into an exemplary place in terms of energy and ecology.  Guided by plans from the 1920s, the architects revived this building by equipping it with contemporary, efficient, more open, and more accessible features for residents. In addition to the heritage restoration, the team also reconciled old and contemporary technologies, energy efficiency, universal accessibility, and the reappropriation of spaces that had become dilapidated. The People’s Choice Award was presented to the Coop Milieu de l’île, designed by Pivot: Coopérative d’architecture. Located in Outremont, this 91-unit intergenerational housing cooperative was born from the initiative of a group of committed citizens looking to address the housing crisis by creating affordable, off-market housing. In the context of the housing crisis, the jury emphasized that this project, which is also the recipient of an Award of Excellence, designed by and for its residents, acts as a “breath of fresh air in Outremont.” Coop Milieu de l’île. Pivot: Architecture Cooperative, Montreal. Photo credit: Annie Fafard “The projects we evaluated this year were truly remarkable in their richness and diversity. The jury found in them everything that makes Quebec architecture so strong and unique: rigor, attention to detail, and respect for the context and built heritage. We saw emblematic projects, but also discreet gestures, almost invisible in the landscape. Some projects rehabilitated forgotten places, transformed historic buildings, or even imagined new spaces for collective living. All, in their own way, highlighted the powerful impact of built quality on our living environments,” said Gabrielle Nadeau, chair of the OAQ Awards of Excellence Jury. The jury for the 2025 Awards of Excellence in Architecture was chaired by Gabrielle Nadeau, principal design architect, COBE in Copenhagen. It also included architects Marianne Charbonneau of Agence Spatiale, Maxime-Alexis Frappier of ACDF, and Guillaume Martel-Trudel of Provencher-Roy. Élène Levasseur, director of research and education at Architecture sans frontières Québec, acted as the public representative. Through the Awards of Excellence in Architecture, presented annually, the Order aims to raise awareness among Quebecers of the multiple dimensions of architectural quality, in addition to promoting the role of the architects in the design of inspiring, sustainable and thoughtful senior living environments. The full list of winners include the following. Habitat Sélénite by _naturehumaine Habitat Sélénite – _naturehumaine, Eastman (Estrie). Photo: Raphaël Thibodeau École secondaire du Bosquet by ABCP | Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux | Bilodeau Baril Leeming Architectes École secondaire du Bosquet – ABCP | Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux | Bilodeau Baril Leeming Architectes, Drummondville (Centre-du-Québec). Photo: Stéphane Brügger Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes et GLCRM Architectes Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy – Saucier + Perrotte Architectes et GLCRM Architectes, Québec (Capitale-Nationale). Photo: Olivier Blouin Maison A by Atelier Pierre Thibault Maison A – Atelier Pierre Thibault, Saint-Nicolas (Chaudière-Appalaches). Photo: Maxime Brouillet Nouvel Hôtel de Ville de La Pêche by BGLA Architecture et Design Urbain Nouvel Hôtel de Ville de La Pêche – BGLA Architecture et Design Urbain, La Pêche (Outaouais). Photo: Stéphane Brügger / Dominique Laroche École du Zénith by Pelletier de Fontenay + Leclerc École du Zénith – Pelletier de Fontenay + Leclerc, Shefford (Estrie). Photo: James Brittain / David Boyer Le Paquebot by _naturehumaine Le Paquebot – _naturehumaine, Montréal (Montréal). Photo: Ronan Mézière Coopérative funéraire la Seigneurie by ultralocal architectes Coopérative funéraire la Seigneurie – ultralocal architectes, Québec (Capitale-Nationale). Photo credit: Paul Dussault Site d’observation des bélugas Putep’t-awt by atelier5 + mainstudio Site d’observation des bélugas Putep’t-awt – atelier5 + mainstudio, Cacouna (Bas-Saint-Laurent). Photo: Stéphane Groleau The post OAQ Awards of Excellence winners announced appeared first on Canadian Architect.

Reading Time: 9 minutes In the ever-evolving landscape of customer engagement, staying ahead of the curve is not just advantageous, it’s essential. That’s why, for Chapter 7 of “The Customer Engagement Book: Adapt or Die,” we sat down with Mirela Cialai, a seasoned expert in CRM and Martech strategies at brands like Equinox. Mirela brings a wealth of knowledge in aligning technology roadmaps with business goals, shifting organizational focuses from acquisition to retention, and leveraging hyper-personalization to drive success. In this interview, Mirela dives deep into building robust customer engagement technology roadmaps. She unveils the “PAPER” framework—Plan, Audit, Prioritize, Execute, Refine—a simple yet effective strategy for marketers. You’ll gain insights into identifying gaps in your Martech stack, ensuring data accuracy, and prioritizing initiatives that deliver the greatest impact and ROI. Whether you’re navigating data silos, striving for cross-functional alignment, or aiming for seamless tech integration, Mirela’s expertise provides practical solutions and actionable takeaways.   Mirela Cialai Q&A Interview 1. How do you define the vision for a customer engagement platform roadmap in alignment with the broader business goals? Can you share any examples of successful visions from your experience? Defining the vision for the roadmap in alignment with the broader business goals involves creating a strategic framework that connects the team’s objectives with the organization’s overarching mission or primary objectives. This could be revenue growth, customer retention, market expansion, or operational efficiency. We then break down these goals into actionable areas where the team can contribute, such as improving engagement, increasing lifetime value, or driving acquisition. We articulate how the team will support business goals by defining the KPIs that link CRM outcomes — the team’s outcomes — to business goals. In a previous role, the CRM team I was leading faced significant challenges due to the lack of attribution capabilities and a reliance on surface-level metrics such as open rates and click-through rates to measure performance. This approach made it difficult to quantify the impact of our efforts on broader business objectives such as revenue growth. Recognizing this gap, I worked on defining a vision for the CRM team to address these shortcomings. Our vision was to drive measurable growth through enhanced data accuracy and improved attribution capabilities, which allowed us to deliver targeted, data-driven, and personalized customer experiences. To bring this vision to life, I developed a roadmap that focused on first improving data accuracy, building our attribution capabilities, and delivering personalization at scale. By aligning the vision with these strategic priorities, we were able to demonstrate the tangible impact of our efforts on the key business goals. 2. What steps did you take to ensure data accuracy? The data team was very diligent in ensuring that our data warehouse had accurate data. So taking that as the source of truth, we started cleaning the data in all the other platforms that were integrated with our data warehouse — our CRM platform, our attribution analytics platform, etc. That’s where we started, looking at all the different integrations and ensuring that the data flows were correct and that we had all the right flows in place. And also validating and cleaning our email database — that helped, having more accurate data. 3. How do you recommend shifting organizational focus from acquisition to retention within a customer engagement strategy? Shifting an organization’s focus from acquisition to retention requires a cultural and strategic shift, emphasizing the immense value that existing customers bring to long-term growth and profitability. I would start by quantifying the value of retention, showcasing how retaining customers is significantly more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Research consistently shows that increasing retention rates by just 5% can boost profits by at least 25 to 95%. This data helps make a compelling case to stakeholders about the importance of prioritizing retention. Next, I would link retention to core business goals by demonstrating how enhancing customer lifetime value and loyalty can directly drive revenue growth. This involves shifting the organization’s focus to retention-specific metrics such as churn rate, repeat purchase rate, and customer LTV. These metrics provide actionable insights into customer behaviors and highlight the financial impact of retention initiatives, ensuring alignment with the broader company objectives. By framing retention as a driver of sustainable growth, the organization can see it not as a competing priority, but as a complementary strategy to acquisition, ultimately leading to a more balanced and effective customer engagement strategy. 4. What are the key steps in analyzing a brand’s current Martech stack capabilities to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement? Developing a clear understanding of the Martech stack’s current state and ensuring it aligns with a brand’s strategic needs and future goals requires a structured and strategic approach. The process begins with defining what success looks like in terms of technology capabilities such as scalability, integration, automation, and data accessibility, and linking these capabilities directly to the brand’s broader business objectives. I start by doing an inventory of all tools currently in use, including their purpose, owner, and key functionalities, assessing if these tools are being used to their full potential or if there are features that remain unused, and reviewing how well tools integrate with one another and with our core systems, the data warehouse. Also, comparing the capabilities of each tool and results against industry standards and competitor practices and looking for missing functionalities such as personalization, omnichannel orchestration, or advanced analytics, and identifying overlapping tools that could be consolidated to save costs and streamline workflows. Finally, review the costs of the current tools against their impact on business outcomes and identify technologies that could reduce costs, increase efficiency, or deliver higher ROI through enhanced capabilities. Establish a regular review cycle for the Martech stack to ensure it evolves alongside the business and the technological landscape. 5. How do you evaluate whether a company’s tech stack can support innovative customer-focused campaigns, and what red flags should marketers look out for? I recommend taking a structured approach and first ensure there is seamless integration across all tools to support a unified customer view and data sharing across the different channels. Determine if the stack can handle increasing data volumes, larger audiences, and additional channels as the campaigns grow, and check if it supports dynamic content, behavior-based triggers, and advanced segmentation and can process and act on data in real time through emerging technologies like AI/ML predictive analytics to enable marketers to launch responsive and timely campaigns. Most importantly, we need to ensure that the stack offers robust reporting tools that provide actionable insights, allowing teams to track performance and optimize campaigns. Some of the red flags are: data silos where customer data is fragmented across platforms and not easily accessible or integrated, inability to process or respond to customer behavior in real time, a reliance on manual intervention for tasks like segmentation, data extraction, campaign deployment, and poor scalability. If the stack struggles with growing data volumes or expanding to new channels, it won’t support the company’s evolving needs. 6. What role do hyper-personalization and timely communication play in a successful customer engagement strategy? How do you ensure they’re built into the technology roadmap? Hyper-personalization and timely communication are essential components of a successful customer engagement strategy because they create meaningful, relevant, and impactful experiences that deepen the relationship with customers, enhance loyalty, and drive business outcomes. Hyper-personalization leverages data to deliver tailored content that resonates with each individual based on their preferences, behavior, or past interactions, and timely communication ensures these personalized interactions occur at the most relevant moments, which ultimately increases their impact. Customers are more likely to engage with messages that feel relevant and align with their needs, and real-time triggers such as cart abandonment or post-purchase upsells capitalize on moments when customers are most likely to convert. By embedding these capabilities into the roadmap through data integration, AI-driven insights, automation, and continuous optimization, we can deliver impactful, relevant, and timely experiences that foster deeper customer relationships and drive long-term success. 7. What’s your approach to breaking down the customer engagement technology roadmap into manageable phases? How do you prioritize the initiatives? To create a manageable roadmap, we need to divide it into distinct phases, starting with building the foundation by addressing data cleanup, system integrations, and establishing metrics, which lays the groundwork for success. Next, we can focus on early wins and quick impact by launching behavior-based campaigns, automating workflows, and improving personalization to drive immediate value. Then we can move to optimization and expansion, incorporating predictive analytics, cross-channel orchestration, and refined attribution models to enhance our capabilities. Finally, prioritize innovation and scalability, leveraging AI/ML for hyper-personalization, scaling campaigns to new markets, and ensuring the system is equipped for future growth. By starting with foundational projects, delivering quick wins, and building towards scalable innovation, we can drive measurable outcomes while maintaining our agility to adapt to evolving needs. In terms of prioritizing initiatives effectively, I would focus on projects that deliver the greatest impact on business goals, on customer experience and ROI, while we consider feasibility, urgency, and resource availability. In the past, I’ve used frameworks like Impact Effort Matrix to identify the high-impact, low-effort initiatives and ensure that the most critical projects are addressed first. 8. How do you ensure cross-functional alignment around this roadmap? What processes have worked best for you? Ensuring cross-functional alignment requires clear communication, collaborative planning, and shared accountability. We need to establish a shared understanding of the roadmap’s purpose and how it ties to the company’s overall goals by clearly articulating the “why” behind the roadmap and how each team can contribute to its success. To foster buy-in and ensure the roadmap reflects diverse perspectives and needs, we need to involve all stakeholders early on during the roadmap development and clearly outline each team’s role in executing the roadmap to ensure accountability across the different teams. To keep teams informed and aligned, we use meetings such as roadmap kickoff sessions and regular check-ins to share updates, address challenges collaboratively, and celebrate milestones together. 9. If you were to outline a simple framework for marketers to follow when building a customer engagement technology roadmap, what would it look like? A simple framework for marketers to follow when building the roadmap can be summarized in five clear steps: Plan, Audit, Prioritize, Execute, and Refine. In one word: PAPER. Here’s how it breaks down. Plan: We lay the groundwork for the roadmap by defining the CRM strategy and aligning it with the business goals. Audit: We evaluate the current state of our CRM capabilities. We conduct a comprehensive assessment of our tools, our data, the processes, and team workflows to identify any potential gaps. Prioritize: initiatives based on impact, feasibility, and ROI potential. Execute: by implementing the roadmap in manageable phases. Refine: by continuously improving CRM performance and refining the roadmap. So the PAPER framework — Plan, Audit, Prioritize, Execute, and Refine — provides a structured, iterative approach allowing marketers to create a scalable and impactful customer engagement strategy. 10. What are the most common challenges marketers face in creating or executing a customer engagement strategy, and how can they address these effectively? The most critical is when the customer data is siloed across different tools and platforms, making it very difficult to get a unified view of the customer. This limits the ability to deliver personalized and consistent experiences. The solution is to invest in tools that can centralize data from all touchpoints and ensure seamless integration between different platforms to create a single source of truth. Another challenge is the lack of clear metrics and ROI measurement and the inability to connect engagement efforts to tangible business outcomes, making it very hard to justify investment or optimize strategies. The solution for that is to define clear KPIs at the outset and use attribution models to link customer interactions to revenue and other key outcomes. Overcoming internal silos is another challenge where there is misalignment between teams, which can lead to inconsistent messaging and delayed execution. A solution to this is to foster cross-functional collaboration through shared goals, regular communication, and joint planning sessions. Besides these, other challenges marketers can face are delivering personalization at scale, keeping up with changing customer expectations, resource and budget constraints, resistance to change, and others. While creating and executing a customer engagement strategy can be challenging, these obstacles can be addressed through strategic planning, leveraging the right tools, fostering collaboration, and staying adaptable to customer needs and industry trends. By tackling these challenges proactively, marketers can deliver impactful customer-centric strategies that drive long-term success. 11. What are the top takeaways or lessons that you’ve learned from building customer engagement technology roadmaps that others should keep in mind? I would say one of the most important takeaways is to ensure that the roadmap directly supports the company’s broader objectives. Whether the focus is on retention, customer lifetime value, or revenue growth, the roadmap must bridge the gap between high-level business goals and actionable initiatives. Another important lesson: The roadmap is only as effective as the data and systems it’s built upon. I’ve learned the importance of prioritizing foundational elements like data cleanup, integrations, and governance before tackling advanced initiatives like personalization or predictive analytics. Skipping this step can lead to inefficiencies or missed opportunities later on. A Customer Engagement Roadmap is a strategic tool that evolves alongside the business and its customers. So by aligning with business goals, building a solid foundation, focusing on impact, fostering collaboration, and remaining adaptable, you can create a roadmap that delivers measurable results and meaningful customer experiences.     This interview Q&A was hosted with Mirela Cialai, Director of CRM & MarTech at Equinox, for Chapter 7 of The Customer Engagement Book: Adapt or Die. Download the PDF or request a physical copy of the book here. The post Mirela Cialai Q&A: Customer Engagement Book Interview appeared first on MoEngage.

Are you in search of a company that resonates with your proactive spirit and entrepreneurial mindset? Your search ends here with Premier Truck Rental! Company Overview At Premier Truck Rental (PTR), we provide customized commercial fleet rentals nationwide, helping businesses get the right trucks and equipment to get the job done. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, PTR is a family-owned company built on a foundation of integrity, innovation, and exceptional service. We serve a wide range of industriesincluding construction, utilities, and infrastructureby delivering high-quality, ready-to-work trucks and trailers tailored to each customers needs. At PTR, we dont just rent truckswe partner with our customers to drive efficiency and success on every job site. Please keep reading Not sure if you meet every requirement? Thats okay! We encourage you to apply if youre passionate, hardworking, and eager to contribute. We know that diverse perspectives and experiences make us stronger, and we want you to be part of our journey. Inside Sales Representative (ISR) at PTR is a friendly, people-oriented, and persuasive steward of the sales process. This role will support our Territory Managers with their sales pipeline while also prospecting and cross-selling PTR products themselves. This support includes driving results by enrolling the commitment and buy-in of other internal departments to achieve sales initiatives. The Inside Sales Representative will also represent PTRs commitment to being our customers easy button by serving as the main point of contact. They will be the front-line hero by assisting them in making informed decisions, providing guidance on our rentals, and resolving any issues they might face. We are seeking someone eager to develop their sales skills and grow within our organization. This role is designed as a stepping stone to a Territory Sales Manager (TSM) position, providing hands-on experience with customer interactions, lead qualification, and sales process execution. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a strong drive for results, the ability to build relationships, and a proactive approach to learning and development. High-performing ISRs will have the opportunity to be mentored, trained, and considered for promotion into a TSM role as part of their career path at PTR. COMPENSATION This position offers a competitive compensation package of base salary ($50,000/yr) plus uncapped commissions =OTE $85,000 annually. RESPONSIBILITIES Offer top-notch customer service and respond with a sense of urgency for goal achievement in a fast-paced sales environment. Build a strong pipeline of customers by qualifying potential leads in your territory. This includes strategic prospecting and sourcing. Develop creative ways to engage and build rapport with prospective customers by pitching the Premier Truck Rental value proposition. Partner with assigned Territory Managers by assisting with scheduling customer visits, trade shows, new customer hand-offs, and any other travel requested. Facilitate in-person meetings and set appointments with prospective customers. Qualify and quote inquiries for your prospective territories both online and from the Territory Manager. Input data into the system with accuracy and follow up in a timely fashion. Facilitate the onboarding of new customers through the credit process. Drive collaboration between customers, Territory Managers, Logistics, and internal teams to coordinate On-Rent and Off-Rent notices with excellent attention to detail. Identify and arrange the swap of equipment from customers meeting the PTR de-fleeting criteria. Manage the sales tools to organize, compile, and analyze data with accuracy for a variety of activities and multiple projects occurring simultaneously.Building and developing a new 3-4 state territory! REQUIREMENTS MUST HAVE2+ years of strategic prospecting or account manager/sales experience; or an advanced degree or equivalent experience converting prospects into closed sales. Tech-forward approach to sales strategy. Excellent prospecting, follow-up, and follow-through skills. Committed to seeing deals through completion. Accountability and ownership of the sales process and a strong commitment to results. Comfortable with a job that has a variety of tasks and is dynamic and changing. Proactive prospecting skills and can overcome objections; driven to establish relationships with new customers. Ability to communicate in a clear, logical manner in formal and informal situations. Proficiency in CRMs and sales tracking systems Hunters mindsetsomeone who thrives on pursuing new business, driving outbound sales, and generating qualified opportunities. Prospecting: Going on LinkedIn, Looking at Competitor data, grabbing contacts for the TM, may use technology like Apollo and LinkedIn Sales Navigator Partner closely with the Territory Manager to ensure a unified approach in managing customer relationships, pipeline development, and revenue growth. Maintain clear and consistent communication to align on sales strategies, customer needs, and market opportunities, fostering a seamless and collaborative partnership with the Territory Manager. Consistently meet and exceed key performance indicators (KPIs), including rental revenue, upfit revenue, and conversion rates, by actively managing customer accounts and identifying growth opportunities. Support the saturation and maturation of the customer base through strategic outreach, relationship management, and alignment with the Territory Manager to drive long-term success. Remote in the United States with some travel to trade shows, quarterly travel up to a week at a time, and sales meetingsNICE TO HAVE Rental and/or sales experience in the industry. Proficiency in , Apollo.io , LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Power BI, MS Dynamics, Chat GPT. Established relationships within the marketplace or territory. Motivated to grow into outside territory management position with relocation On Target Earnings: ($85,000)EMPLOYEE BENEFITSWellness & Fitness: Take advantage of our on-site CrossFit-style gym, featuring a full-time personal trainer dedicated to helping you reach your fitness goals. Whether you're into group classes, virtual personal training, personalized workout plans, or nutrition coaching, weve got you covered!Exclusive Employee Perks: PTR Swag & a Uniform/Boot Allowance, On-site Micro-Markets stocked with snacks & essentials, discounts on phone plans, supplier vehicles, mobile detailing, tools, & equipmentand much more!Profit SharingYour Success, rewarded: At PTR, we believe in sharing success. Our Profit-SharingComprehensive BenefitsStarting Day One:Premium healthcare coverage (medical, dental, vision, mental health & virtual healthcare)401(k) matching & long-term financial planning Paid time off that lets you recharge Life, accidental death, and disability coverage Ongoing learning & development opportunitiesTraining, Growth & RecognitionWe partner with Predictive Index to better understand your strengths, ensuring tailored coaching, structured training, and career development. Performance and attitude evaluations every 6 months keep you on track for growth.Culture & ConnectionMore Than Just a JobAt PTR, we dont just build relationships with our customerswe build them with each other. Our tech-forward, highly collaborative culture is rooted in our core values. Connect and engage through:PTR Field Days & Team EventsThe Extra Mile Recognition ProgramPTR Text Alerts & Open CommunicationPremier Truck Rental Is an Equal Opportunity Employer We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need support or accommodation due to a disability, contact us at PI6e547fa1c5-

Reading Time: 10 minutes Picking an omnichannel marketing platform can feel like walking into a tech maze. Every vendor promises personalized customer experiences and 360-degree views. But behind the technical terminologies, most platforms just add noise. Right now, your customers expect seamless, intuitive experiences, whether they’re on your website, checking email, scrolling Instagram, or walking into your store. And they don’t care what platform you’re using. They care that it works. That it feels cohesive. And if your current tools can’t keep up, you’ll feel it in your churn rate, in your campaign ROI, and in the silence when nobody clicks. This article explains how to actually choose an omnichannel marketing automation platform that delivers a measurable, meaningful impact.   What is an Omnichannel Marketing Platform? An omnichannel marketing platform brings all your customer touchpoints—email, SMS, social, web, and more—into a single, unified connected system. It tracks customer behavior across different devices, personalizes communication in real time, and automates actions based on where each customer is in their journey. In short, such platforms allow you to completely harness omnichannel marketing — no more juggling five tools to launch a campaign or manually syncing customer profiles. It’s about delivering the right message, on the right channel, at exactly the right moment, without missing a beat. How Do Omnichannel Marketing Automation Platforms Work? At the core of omnichannel marketing platforms is automation, and it’s what makes them truly powerful. These tools don’t just streamline your marketing, they do the heavy lifting for you by intelligently responding to customer behavior in real time, on the right channel. Here’s how it works: Data Integration: The platform gathers data from every interaction your customers have with your brand, whether it’s a social media click, an email open, or a web visit. It stores and syncs that data, building a comprehensive customer profile. Behavioral Triggers: Based on that profile, the platform automatically triggers personalized actions. If a customer browses a product on your website and abandons it, the system can send them a targeted follow-up email with a discount. Or, if they engage with a post on Instagram, they might receive an SMS with relevant content. Multi-Channel Coordination: Instead of running isolated campaigns across different platforms, omnichannel automation makes sure your messaging is synchronized, no matter where your customer interacts with your brand. The experience is seamless regardless of whether it is conducted on a mobile device, desktop, or in-store. Ultimately, these platforms use automation to enable smarter, more personal marketing, allowing brands to swiftly reach their customers with the right message at the right time. Why is an Omnichannel Marketing Platform So Important for Marketing Teams? Marketing today is about being seen everywhere your customers are and delivering the right message in the right way. An omnichannel marketing platform makes that possible, and here’s why it’s crucial: Drives Better Engagement: Customers expect a smooth experience no matter where they interact with your brand. When your marketing is consistent across email, social media, and your website, it creates a sense of connection. More than just seeing your ads, they’re actually engaging with your brand in a way that feels personalized, familiar, and authentic. Makes Campaigns More Effective: With an omnichannel platform, you can monitor your campaigns in real-time and quickly adjust them if things aren’t going as planned. No more waiting for reports to trickle in. You can make changes on the fly, which means your marketing efforts are always aligned with what’s working at the moment. Allows for True Personalization: Forget generic messaging. An omnichannel marketing platform helps you gather data from every customer interaction, allowing you to tailor your approach based on what each customer is interested in. Builds Stronger Customer Relationships: When you engage with customers across multiple channels in a relevant, timely way, you make them feel seen and valued. This connection goes beyond a single sale. It turns casual buyers into loyal customers who trust your brand to deliver on their needs, no matter where they are. Delivers More Bang for Your Buck: The beauty of automation is that it frees up your team to focus on your omnichannel strategy, while the omnichannel marketing automation platform handles the routine tasks. This efficiency leads to better targeting, reduced costs, and a stronger ROI. You’re reaching the right customers at the right time without wasting effort. Helps You Make Smarter Decisions: All your customer data is centralized, so you’re not guessing anymore. Whether you need to optimize a campaign or uncover new opportunities, the insights provided by the platform allow you to make data-driven decisions that move your business forward. Responds to Customers in Real Time: When someone shows interest in your product, the last thing you want is to lose that momentum. Omnichannel marketing platforms trigger automatic follow-ups based on actions customers take, so they get the right message when they’re most interested, whether it’s through an email, text, or on social media. Keeps Your Brand Consistent: With everything tied together in one platform, your message, tone, and offers stay consistent across channels. No matter where a customer encounters your brand, they’ll have the same experience and brand recognition each time. Elevates the Customer Experience: When all of your channels work together, customers feel like they’re interacting with a brand that really gets them. The result? A better overall customer experience, which translates to stronger loyalty, higher engagement, and more referrals. In short, an omnichannel marketing platform is a game-changer for B2C marketing teams. It brings your efforts together in a way that’s efficient, intelligent, and most importantly, human, making it easier to engage your audience and deliver results.   How to Choose the Right Omnichannel Marketing Platform for Your Team Choosing the right omnichannel marketing platform is a big decision for any team. It’s an investment that can elevate your marketing strategies, enhance omnichannel customer engagement, and improve overall performance. But with so many options available, how do you ensure you’re making the best choice for your team? Here are some key factors to think about. Integration Capabilities: Your platform needs to seamlessly integrate with the tools you already use, so you can focus on what really matters. Whether it’s your CRM, email marketing automation software, or social media platforms, you don’t want to waste time and energy managing multiple systems that don’t talk to each other. Ask yourself, how easily will this platform integrate with and support the tools and platforms you already use? Ease of Use and Customization: A platform that’s difficult to use is more of a burden than a help. Look for one that’s intuitive and easy for your team to get comfortable with. The last thing you want is a tool that causes frustration and slows things down. Think about how user-friendly the platform is for your team. Can you easily customize features to fit your unique needs? Data and Analytics: An omnichannel marketing platform should give you clear, actionable insights so you can make smart, informed decisions. Does the platform provide detailed omnichannel analytics that you can use to refine your campaigns? Can it help you track customer journeys and behaviors across channels? Scalability and Support: Your business is growing, and your platform needs to grow with it. The last thing you want is to outgrow your tool in six months and have to go through the hassle of switching to something new. Check whether the platform is scalable enough to accommodate your future growth. What level of customer support is offered, and how responsive is the team? Now that you have a sense of what to consider when choosing an omnichannel marketing automation platform, let’s dive into the key features to look for.   5 Key Features to Look for in an Omnichannel Marketing Automation Platform You can’t build a high-performing marketing engine founded on disconnected tools and vague customer data. If your team is working across five different platforms to run a single campaign, something’s broken. The tool you pick will either streamline your marketing or slow it down. So, forget the bells and whistles for a moment. What you really need are features that bring clarity to your customer experience. Here are the five features that serve as the foundation of a platform that can scale with your brand. 1. Unified Customer Profiles across Channels Modern marketing starts with understanding. A powerful omnichannel marketing platform should combine customer data from every touchpoint (website visits, email clicks, mobile app activity, purchase history, and other interactions) into a single, continuously updated profile. This unified view helps your team move from being ‘reactive’ to being ‘proactive’. Instead of blasting generic messages, you can deliver relevant content tailored to where that customer is in their journey. It’s the difference between feeling like a brand knows you… and feeling like it’s spam. 2. Behavior-Driven Automation Workflows Static email blasts are outdated. Customers expect relevant, timely communication based on how they engage with your brand. The platform you choose should let you create workflows that automatically trigger actions like sending a reminder, adjusting content, or changing the message channel, based on real-time behavior. For example, a user who browses a product but doesn’t buy it, should receive a well-timed nudge — maybe an email, or a push notification. The point is: your platform needs to adapt to customer intent and behavior, not force every lead down the same path. 3. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting You shouldn’t have to wait 48 hours to know if something flopped. You need to be able to tweak your omnichannel marketing automation strategy in real-time based on what’s happening right now. Does the platform offer real-time insights into campaign performance? Can you adjust tactics immediately based on live data? Also, no one wants 20 meaningless charts. Look for a platform that shows you the vital metrics, like clicks, conversions, and drop-offs, so your team can make quick, sure choices. 4. A Centralized Campaign Builder for Every Channel If you’re logging in and out of separate tools to handle email, SMS, web and mobile push notifications, and in-app messaging, something’s broken. Your omnichannel marketing platform should let you map and launch all of those in one place, from one logic flow. That way, if you’re running a product launch, you can build the entire experience—email, follow-up text, in-app message—all from the same workspace. This keeps your messaging consistent, and it saves your team loads of time. 5. Scalable Personalization Powered by AI Everyone talks about omnichannel personalization. But if it takes your team hours to set up basic name merges or segments, it’s not scalable. A strong platform should help you personalize campaigns at scale using AI, not by making you do more, but by automating based on real customer data. Whether that’s product recommendations, timing messages based on when someone usually engages, or switching up channels depending on preferences, the goal is simple: make it feel like a one-on-one conversation, not a broadcast.   5 Best Omnichannel Marketing Platforms to Increase Customer Engagement 1. MoEngage MoEngage is a powerful customer engagement platform built for B2C marketing teams that want to create seamless, personalized journeys across channels like email, mobile and web push notifications, SMS, WhatsApp, in-app messaging, web, and more. It’s designed to help brands understand their customers deeply and act on that understanding in real time. What makes MoEngage stand out is how it brings all your customer data into one unified platform, allowing you to automate complex journeys without jumping between tools or teams. Whether you’re re-engaging an app user, launching an omnichannel campaign, or sending a personalized offer, this platform makes it easy and efficient. No wonder so many brands switch to MoEngage! How Pricing Works: MoEngage offers a tiered pricing model based on Monthly Tracked Users (MTUs). The Growth plan starts around $750/month, but it depends on what features you want to use. Larger brands can opt for the Enterprise plan, which includes more advanced features, higher limits, and dedicated support. Best For: Growth-focused brands that want to deeply personalize customer experiences at scale, particularly in industries like Ecommerce, fintech, media, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), travel, and mobile-first apps. In fact, it’s the perfect Ecommerce marketing automation platform for omnichannel customer engagement. If your team values real-time insights, automation, and customer-centric engagement, MoEngage is likely a great fit. 2. Shopify Plus Shopify Plus is an enterprise-level Ecommerce platform designed to help brands deliver a seamless shopping experience across all customer touchpoints. It enables brands to sell on various platforms, including online stores, mobile apps, social media, and physical retail locations, all managed from a single dashboard. While Shopify Plus does a great job managing omnichannel commerce, it’s not as feature-rich on the marketing automation side. If your team is looking for deep personalization, behavioral segmentation, or advanced journey building, you’ll likely need to connect Shopify with a marketing automation software platform. How Pricing Works: Shopify Plus pricing varies based on specific business requirements and sales volumes. Best For: High-volume omnichannel retail marketers and brands looking for a scalable Ecommerce solution that offers basic omnichannel capabilities and centralized management of multiple sales channels. 3. ActiveCampaign ActiveCampaign does a great job of bridging marketing automation with a personal touch. It’s built for businesses that don’t just want to send mass emails, but send smart ones. The platform shines when it comes to customer segmentation, letting you trigger emails, SMS, or even site messages based on real behavior, not just assumptions. That said, it’s not the kind of tool you just open and instantly “get.” The automation builder is powerful, but there’s a learning curve. Still, once you set it up, it runs like a machine that’s personalized, timely, and way less manual effort than you’d expect. How Pricing Works: Pricing starts at $29 per month and scales based on contact volume and feature set. Plans can go up to $149/month or more, depending on business needs. Best For: Small to mid-sized businesses looking for a cost-effective, flexible marketing automation platform with strong segmentation and multichannel engagement tools. (No, we’re not getting into the omnichannel vs. multichannel marketing debate now). 4. HubSpot HubSpot is an all-in-one platform that helps brands grow by focusing on inbound marketing, sales, and customer service. It’s well-suited for those looking to integrate their marketing efforts across various channels, without the need for complex technical skills. Honestly, HubSpot’s strength is in inbound marketing and CRM. However, its capabilities in advanced omnichannel campaign automation aren’t as extensive as those in some other platforms. If you need highly sophisticated marketing features, you may want to look elsewhere. How Pricing Works: Pricing starts at $800 per month for the Marketing Hub. For full access to all features, the Enterprise plan starts at $3,600 per month. Best For: Brands that focus on inbound marketing and CRM, looking for a user-friendly platform to manage omnichannel efforts easily.   Migrate to a Better Omnichannel Marketing Platform Today One thing’s clear: not all omnichannel marketing platforms are created equal. The right platform should feel less like another tool and more like a strategic partner, helping you understand your audience, stay consistent across touchpoints, and make marketing smarter, not harder. MoEngage stands out for this very reason. In fact, our omnichannel marketing platform is built for teams who want more than just dashboards. It’s for marketers who want results. And the best part is, migrating to a customer engagement platform has never been easier. Want to see MoEngage in action? Book a demo today and explore what better marketing looks like. The post How to Choose an Omnichannel Marketing Platform appeared first on MoEngage.

Millennium Systems International is an exciting and dynamic software company based inParsippany, NJ and was founded in 1987 to provide the beauty and wellness industry withforward-thinking, powerful management software and vital tools. We’ve built a companybased on revolutionary technology, outstanding support, and more importantly, a strongpassion to educate salon and spa owners on how to sustain success. Our software isutilized in thousands of salons and spas in over 36 countries, processes billions of dollarsin transactions per year and is used by hundreds of thousands of users. MillenniumSystems International is honored to have been named one of New Jersey's TopWorkplaces!We are currently searching for a Revenue Enablement professional to train and coach oursales professionals to drive team success. Seeking an enthusiastic and high energyprofessional who is passionate about the beauty/salon space!  This is a remote role.Key Responsibilities:• Develop and deliver training materials and resources, including presentations, e-learning modules, and manuals.• Tailor training programs to meet the specific needs of different sales teams,ensuring relevance to products, services, and market trends.• Continuously update training content to reflect changes in the product portfolio,sales strategies, and market conditions.• Teach core sales techniques such as prospecting, lead qualification, negotiation,closing strategies, and upselling.Focus on improving key areas like objection handling, overcoming customerresistance, and relationship-building.• Onboard new sales team members by providing them with a comprehensiveunderstanding of company products, sales processes, and culture.• Facilitate product and sales training sessions to ensure new hires are equipped toperform in their roles from day one.• Monitor the performance of sales representatives before and after training to assessthe effectiveness of the programs.• Conduct regular performance reviews and provide ongoing coaching to individualteam members to ensure continued development and goal achievement.• Partner with sales managers and senior leaders to understand team performancegaps and emerging needs.• Offer solutions and recommendations for improving sales performance throughcustomized training initiatives.• Train sales teams on the use of CRM systems, sales tools, and other relevantsoftware to improve efficiency and tracking.• Ensure the team is proficient in using digital tools to track progress, managepipelines, and close sales.• Track and measure the success of training programs, using metrics such as salesperformance improvements, knowledge retention rates, employee engagement andsuggest adjustments for continuous improvement.• Stay up to date with the latest trends in sales strategies, tools, and technologies.Qualifications:• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field (orequivalent experience).• 3+ years proven experience in sales, with a solid understanding of sales processesand techniques.• Previous experience in a sales training, enablement or coaching role is preferred.Skills:• Strong presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.• Ability to design engaging and impactful training programs.• Knowledge of CRM software and sales automation tools.• Analytical skills to assess performance and adjust training methods accordingly.• Organizational skills and attention to detail.• Motivational and coaching skills to help salespeople improve their performance.• Passionate about helping others succeed and developing their careers.• Creative thinker with a solutions-oriented mindset.Millennium Systems International is committed to providing all Team Members with competitive wages and salaries that are motivational, fair, and equitable. Our compensation program reflects our core values of Teamwork, Excellence, and Integrity, ensuring transparency and fairness while attracting top talent and fostering an environment that encourages growth and retention.We believe that every Team Member is integral to our collective success, and we value the diverse perspectives, creativity, and innovation they bring. Our compensation packages are designed to reflect individual contributions, taking into account skill set, experience, certifications, and work location.In line with our Client-Centric philosophy, we recognize that the success of our Team Members contributes directly to the success of our clients. As such, we offer compensation packages that not only motivate but also reward performance and excellence.The base salary range for this position in the United States is $54,000-$70,000. In addition to base pay, the total compensation package may also include commission, performance bonuses, benefits, and/or other applicable incentive compensation plans.At Millennium Systems International, we approach every challenge with Passion—striving to exceed expectations, solve challenges with urgency and determination, and create an environment where Team Members thrive and celebrate each other’s successes.We Offer:Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays: Enjoy a generous 3 weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO) that begins accruing with every pay period from your very first day! Plus, you’ll enjoy ten (10) paid holidays throughout 2025, along with five (5) paid sick days and one (1) personal day—because we believe in taking care of you!Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefits: Your well-being is a priority! We offer subsidized Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, with coverage kicking in quickly. It's all about making sure you stay healthy, happy, and well-cared for.Life Insurance: Peace of mind for you and your loved ones! We provide Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D). What’s even better? Millennium Systems International fully covers the entire cost—100% on us!Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance: Stay secure no matter what life brings your way. Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance.  And we’ve got your back—Millennium Systems International covers the full cost of Long-Term Disability at 100%.401(k) Retirement Plan: Plan for your future with confidence! You’ll be eligible to enroll in our robust 401(k) plan. When you do, you’ll enjoy a 100% match on up to 4% of your contributions, thanks to our Safe Harbor plan. It’s our way of helping you build a brighter tomorrow.Learning & Development Opportunities: We foster a culture of growth and professional excellence. As part of our benefits, we offer unlimited access to Udemy’s online courses, helping you refine your skills, explore new areas, and advance your career. Whether you're deepening your expertise or learning new technologies, we’re here to support your development every step of the way.  Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Meet JobCopilot: Your Personal AI Job HunterAutomatically Apply to Remote Sales and Marketing JobsJust set your preferences and Job Copilot will do the rest-finding, filtering, and applying while you focus on what matters. Activate JobCopilot

From lifelike avatars to automated fan interactions, AI is remaking digital modeling. But can tech ... More scale intimacy — or will it erode the human spark behind the screen?getty The AI boom has been defined by unprecedented innovation across nearly every sector. From improving flight punctuality through AI-powered scheduling to detecting early markers of Alzheimer’s disease, AI is modifying how we live and work. And the advertising world isn’t left out. In March of this year, OpenAI’s GPT-4o sent the internet into a frenzy with its ability to generate Studio Ghibli-style images. The model produces realistic, emotionally nuanced visuals from a series of prompts — a feat that has led some to predict the demise of visual arts as we know them. While such conclusions may be premature, there’s growing belief among industry players that AI could transform how digital model agencies operate. That belief isn’t limited to one startup. A new class of AI-powered agencies — including FanPro, Lalaland.ai, Deep Agency andThe Diigitals — is testing whether modeling can be automated without losing its creative edge. Some use AI to generate lifelike avatars. Others offer virtual photo studios, CRM — customer relationship management — integrations, or creator monetization tools. Together, they reflect a big shift in how digital modeling agencies think about labor, revenue and scale. FanPro — founded by Tyron Humphris in 2023 to help digital model agencies scale efficiently — offers a striking case study. Fully self-funded, Humphris said in an interview that the company reached $1 million in revenue within its first 90 days and crossed eight figures by 2024, all while maintaining a lean team by automating nearly every process. As Humphris noted, “the companies that will lead this next decade won’t just be the ones with the best marketing or biggest budgets. They’ll be the ones who use AI, automation and systems thinking to scale with precision, all while staying lean and agile.” That explains the big bet that startups like FanPro are making — but how far can it really go? And why should digital model agencies care in the first place? Automation In Digital Model Agencies To understand how automation works in the digital modeling industry — a fast-rising corner of the creator economy — it helps to understand what it’s replacing. A typical digital model agency juggles five or more monetization platforms per creator — from OnlyFans and Fansly to TikTok and Instagram. But behind every viral post is a grind of scheduling, analytics, upselling, customer support and retention. The average agency may need 10 to 15 contractors to manage a roster of just a few high-performing creators. These agencies oversee a complex cycle: content creation, onboarding, audience engagement and sales funnel optimization, usually across several monetization platforms. According to Humphris, there’s often a misconception that running a digital model agency is just about posting pretty pictures. But in reality, he noted, it’s more. “It’s CRM, data science and psychology all wrapped in one. If AI can streamline even half of that, it’s a game-changer.” That claim reflects a growing pain point in the creator economy, where agencies swim in an ocean of tools in an attempt to monetize attention for creators while simultaneously managing marketing, sales and customer support. For context, a 2024 Clevertouch Consulting study revealed that 54% of marketers use more than 50 tools to manage operations — many stitched together with Zapier or manual workarounds. Tyron Humphris, founder of FanProFanPro But, according to Humphris, “no matter how strong your offer is, if you don’t have systems, processes and accountability built into the business, it’s going to collapse under pressure.” And that’s where AI steps in. Beyond handling routine tasks, large language models and automation stacks now allow agencies to scale operations while staying lean. With minimal human input, agencies can schedule posts, auto-respond to DMs, upsell subscriptions, track social analytics and manage retention flows. What once required a full team of marketers, virtual assistants and sales reps can now be executed by a few well-trained AI agents. FanPro claims that over 90% of its operations — from dynamic pricing to fan interactions — are now handled by automation. Likewise, Deep Agency allows creators to generate professional-grade photo shoots without booking a studio or hiring staff and Lalaland.ai helps fashion brands generate AI avatars to reduce production costs and increase diversity in representation. A Necessary Human Touch Still, not everyone is convinced that AI can capture the nuance of digital intimacy. Some experts have raised concerns that hyper automation in creator-driven industries could flatten human expression into predictable engagement patterns, risking long-term user loyalty. A 2024 ContentGrip study of 1,000 consumers found 80% of respondents would likely switch brands that rely heavily on AI-generated emails, citing a loss of authenticity. Nearly half said such messages made them feel “less connected” to the brand. Humphris doesn’t disagree. “AI can do a lot, but it needs to be paired with someone who understands psychology,” he said. “We didn’t scale because we had the best tech. We scaled because we understood human behavior and built systems that respected it.” Humphris’ sentiment isn’t a mere anecdote but one rooted in research. For example, a recent study by Northeastern University showed that AI influencers often reduce brand trust — especially when users aren’t aware the content is AI-generated. The implication is clear: over-automating the wrong parts of human interaction can backfire. Automation doesn’t — and shouldn’t — mean that human input becomes obsolete. Rather, as many industry experts have noted, it will enhance efficiency but not replace empathy. While AI can process data at speed and generate alluring visuals, it cannot replicate human creativity or emotional intelligence. Neither does AI know the psychology of human behavior like humans do, a trait Humphris credits for their almost-instant success. What’s Working — And What’s Not Lalaland.ai and The Diigitals have earned praise for enhancing inclusivity, enabling brands to feature underrepresented body types, skin tones and styles. Meanwhile, FanPro focuses on building AI “growth engines” for agencies — full-stack systems that combine monetization tools, CRM and content flows. But not all reactions have been positive. In November 2024, fashion brand Mango faced backlash for its use of AI-generated models, which critics called “false advertising” and “a threat to real jobs.” The New York Post covered the fallout in detail, highlighting how ethical lines are still being drawn. As brands look to balance cost savings with authenticity, some have begun labeling AI-generated content more clearly — or embedding human oversight into workflows, rather than removing it. Despite offering an automation stack, FanPro itself wasn’t an immediate adopter of automation in its processes. But, as Humphris noted, embracing AI made all the difference for the company. “If we had adopted AI and automation earlier, we would’ve hit 8 figures much faster and with far less stress,” he noted. Automation In The New Era FanPro is a great example of how AI integration, when done the right way, could be a profitable venture for digital model agencies. Whether or not the company’s model becomes the blueprint for AI-first digital agencies, it’s clear that there’s a big shift in the creator economy, where automation isn’t only viewed as a time-saver, but also as a foundational pillar for businesses. As digital model agencies lean further into an AI-centric future, the bigger task is remembering what not to automate — the spark of human connection that built the industry in the first place. “In this new era of automation,” Humphris said, “the smartest agencies won’t just ask what AI can do. They’ll ask what it shouldn’t.”

When I launched my third “brilliant” side project last year (don’t ask about the first two), I was hit with an annoying realization: having a website is crazy expensive. Ten bucks here, $15 there, and suddenly I was paying more to keep it alive than I was hoping to make selling my cute little stickers. So I started looking for alternatives, and that’s when I stumbled onto BonoHost’s lifetime web hosting plan. No monthly bills. No tiered “basic” vs “pro” nonsense. Just one payment, unlimited everything. Naturally, I was suspicious. But I took the plunge, and months later, I haven’t paid another cent, and everything still runs like clockwork. Here’s what you actually get For a one-time fee ($58.50 with code BONO10 at checkout, normally $64.99), you get unlimited websites, domains, bandwidth, email addresses, databases, and storage. No caps. No creeping usage fees. It also includes a beginner-friendly control panel and one-click installs for 1,500+ apps—like WordPress, e-commerce stores, CRMs, and more. Basically, BonoHost gives you the tools most other providers hide behind paywalls—and the support staff hasn’t ghosted me once. What it doesn’t include (but that’s OK) You’ll still need to buy your own domain name (think: myweirdproject.com), which usually runs $10–$15/year through registrars like Namecheap or GoDaddy. There’s no way around that. Also, this is shared hosting. So, while it works great for blogs, portfolios, and small business sites, it’s not meant for running a high-traffic SaaS empire or spinning up an AI chatbot with GPU needs. A no-brainer for anyone tired of paying monthly forever If you’re launching a blog, freelancing, selling art, or just want your own corner of the internet, this hosting plan gives you what you need without the recurring charge. It’s like buying your own coffee maker instead of paying $6 at a time for someone else to do it at Starbucks. Use code BONO10 at checkout to drop the price from $64.99 to $58.50 (MSRP is usually $1,614.60, so this is a crazy-good deal on an unlimited web hosting plan). StackSocial prices subject to change. _ BonoHost Unlimited Plan: Lifetime Web Hosting Subscription See Deal

Microsoft and Google are taking distinctive approaches with AI agents in their productivity suites, and enterprises need to account for the differences when formulating digital labor strategies, analysts said. In recent months, both companies have announced a dizzying array of new agents aimed at extracting value from corporate documents and maximizing efficiency. The tech giants have dropped numerous hints about where they’re headed with AI agents in their respective office suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Microsoft is reshaping its Copilot assistant as a series of tools to create, tap into, and act on insights at individual and organizational levels. The Microsoft 365 roadmap lists hundreds of specialized AI tools under development to automate work for functions such as HR and accounting. The company is also developing smaller AI models to carry out specific functions. Google is going the opposite way, with its large-language model Gemini at the heart of Workspace. Google offers tools that include Gems for workers to create simple custom agents that automate tasks such as customer service, and Agentspace in Google Cloud to build more complex custom agents for collaboration and workflow management. At the recent Google I/O developer conference, the company added real-time speech translation to Google Meet. “For both, the goal is to bring usable and practical productivity and efficiency capabilities to work tools,” said Liz Miller, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. But the differing AI agent strategies are heavily rooted in each company’s philosophical approaches to productivity. Although Microsoft has long encouraged customers to move from its traditional “perpetual-license” Office suite to the Microsoft 365 subscription-based model, M365 notably retains the familiar desktop apps. Google Workspace, on the other hand, has always been cloud-based. Microsoft users are typically a bit more tethered to traditional enterprise work styles, while Google has always been the “cloud-first darling for smaller organizations that still crave real-time collaboration,” Miller said. When it comes to the generative AI models being integrated into the two office suites, “Google’s Gemini models are beating out the models being deployed by Microsoft,” Miller said. “But as Microsoft expands its model ‘inventory’ in use across M365, this could change.” Microsoft has an advantage, as many desktop users live in Outlook or Word. The intelligence Copilot can bring from CRM software is readily available, while that integration is more complex in the cloud-native Google Workspace. “Microsoft still has an edge in a foundational understanding of work and the capacity to extend Copilot connections across applications as expansive as the Office suite through to Dynamics, giving AI a greater opportunity to be present in the spaces and presentation layers where workers enjoy working,” Miller said. Microsoft’s Copilot Agents and Google’s Gems and Agentspace are in their early stages, but there have been positive developments, said J.P. Gownder, a vice president and principal analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team. Microsoft recently adopted Google’s A2A protocol, which makes it easier for users of both productivity suites to collaborate and unlock value from stagnant data sitting on other platforms. “That should be a win for interoperability,” Gownder said. But most companies that are Microsoft shops have years or decades of digital assets that hold them back from considering Google, he said. For example, Excel macros, pivot tables, and customizations cannot be easily or automatically migrated to Google Sheets, he said. “As early as this market is, I don’t think it’s fair to rank either player — Microsoft or Google — as being the leader; both of them are constructing new ecosystems to support the growth of agentic AI,” Gownder said. Most Microsoft Office users have moved to M365, but AI is helping Google is making inroads into larger organizations, especially among enterprises that are newer and less oriented toward legacy Microsoft products, said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates. Technologies like A2A blur the line between on-premises and cloud productivity. As a result, “Google Workspace is no longer perceived as inferior, as it had been in the past,” Gold said. And for budget-constrained enterprises, the value of AI agent features is not the only consideration. “There is also the cost equation at work here, as Google seems to have a much more transparent cost structure than Microsoft with all of its user classes and discounts,” Gold said. Microsoft does not include Copilot in its M365 subscriptions, which vary in price depending on the type of customer. The Copilot business subscriptions range from $30 per user per month for M365 Copilot to $200 per month for 25,000 messages for Copilot Studio, which is also available under a pay-as-you-go model. Google has flat subscription pricing for Workspace, starting at $14 per user per month for business plans with Gemini included.