The crm, saas & automation stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Salesforce plans to buy Cresta, whose AI agents answer customer phone calls. Businesses with a support line may soon see more AI-handled calls.
Read more: Salesforce agrees to buy Cresta, a maker of AI phone agentsAngle Health says AI voice agents handled about 80% of provider calls in a pilot, freeing nearly 9,000 staff minutes a day. Here is what it shows for any business that takes calls.
Read more: A health insurer's AI phone agents now answer most doctor-office callsA researcher showed that a booby-trapped text can knock out an Android phone's cellular service. Google's October update fixes it, but older phones may be left out.
Read more: A single text message can crash some Android phonesA new report finds fewer than half of AI analytics insights improve a business. Context is the biggest gap, and it matters if you let AI suggest or take actions.
Read more: AI analysis tools still get most business advice wrong, survey findsTrigger.dev says an attacker reached stored settings, which can include passwords and keys, for some customers of its cloud AI workflow service.
Read more: Hackers got into customers' secret settings at AI tool Trigger.devAWS added OpenAI's GPT-6.1 Terra at a much lower price and now lets AI agents run business workflows a company already has, which could cut costs.
Read more: Amazon's cloud adds a cheaper OpenAI model and lets AI run old workflowsInc. argues that when an AI tool makes a mistake at work, teams should fix the problem instead of hunting for someone to blame, while still naming owners.
Read more: When an AI Tool Makes a Mistake at Work, Who Takes the Blame?Salesforce and Meta now report real revenue and usage from AI agents that handle customer chats, and Meta has begun charging larger businesses by usage.
Read more: Companies Are Now Paying Real Money for AI Agents That Do WorkZoho Analytics now has an AI helper that learns how your business is set up, then explains sales and costs in plain questions and answers.
Read more: Zoho's New Analytics Tool Uses AI to Explain Your Business DataA Billtrust finance chief says automating invoices can leave cash uncollected, and offers a simple test for any new tool that promises to speed up billing.
Read more: Billtrust CFO: Faster invoicing doesn't mean you get paid fasterA new forecast says the market behind business texting and chat tools will more than double to over $50 billion by 2031, with AI replies and WhatsApp leading the way.
Read more: Business texting and messaging tools set to top $50 billion by 2031Bites, a company that turns work procedures into 90-second videos sent by text or WhatsApp, raised $40 million to grow in the US. Here is what it does.
Read more: Bites raises $40M to train store and restaurant staff by textA report says ChatGPT may add a Google Health link for Android users, so you could ask plain questions about your own health data.
Read more: ChatGPT may soon read your Android health dataSalesforce is buying defense startup Rune Technologies for a reported $375 million, a sign that business software makers are moving into military work.
Read more: Salesforce buys a military software startup for $375 millionServiceNow says buying Israeli startup Sweep lets big companies switch customer software in 30 to 60 days. That could change how hard it is to leave a vendor.
Read more: ServiceNow buys Sweep to cut customer software switches to weeksSquare sellers can now update their Apple Maps listing from the Square dashboard they already use, which could save time for shops and restaurants.
Read more: Square sellers can now update Apple Maps from one dashboardSaaStr says a key vendor's software failed for a full day, and its AI agent built a replacement before the vendor said when it would be fixed.
Read more: A software vendor crashed for a day, so an AI agent replaced itOpenAI plans a policy and PR push right after Tuesday's midterms, including a new name for data centers, as AI firms brace for a tougher Washington.
Read more: OpenAI plans a PR push after the midterms to win over WashingtonGoogle Photos' new Gemini Task can sort albums and tweak colors in bulk, but a hands-on test found it sometimes adds glitches and lowers quality.
Read more: Google Photos' new Gemini helper sorts photos well but can ruin editsGoogle Home can now tell when you are home or away from your phone alone, which makes simple lights and vacuum routines easy to set up with gear you may own.
Read more: Google Home can now run your house on autopilot in minutesOpenAI now caps paid ChatGPT accounts per device and card. Anyone juggling several subscriptions could be locked out and pushed toward costlier options.
Read more: ChatGPT now limits paid accounts per device and cardAskAnyModel AI Pro is a lifetime plan that puts answers from several chatbots in one window. It is on sale for $29.97, but check the credit limits first.
Read more: One $30 tool shows answers from 50 AI chatbots side by sideDesible.ai builds voice AI for banks and insurers, so your next call about a bill or claim may be answered by a machine, not a person.
Read more: Banks and insurers are putting AI voices on the phone with customersSlack's latest update lets its AI helper act on its own when something happens, and it tidies to-dos and saved items. Some features may depend on your plan.
Read more: Slack adds tools to cut busywork, including an AI helper that acts on its own
