Governed agents – Keeping the guardrails on agentic AI

As digital agents gain the ability to access bank accounts, manage supply chains, and interact with customers, guardrails need to be put in place to ensure safety, compliance, and ethical alignment. Agentic AI focuses on the ability to complete a goal with minimal human intervention. While productive, unconstrained agents pose significant risks, including unpredictable behaviour, …

Your new customers aren’t human and they’re not all the same

At 6.47 am, Natalia’s inbox explodes. Tyler, Maya’s AI assistant, wants one ergonomic desk chair with sustainability certifications and machine-readable warranties. A smart city’s building management system needs 200 chairs and API integration for their municipal procurement system. A large multinational’s corporate AI platform invites real-time negotiations for bulk office furniture. Three machine customers. Three …

El Jannah dishes Up AI-powered customer service

In the competitive world of Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), the ‘secret sauce’ isn’t always in the kitchen. For El Jannah, the iconic Australian charcoal chicken chain, it’s increasingly found in the cloud. Since launching its AI pilot in September 2025, El Jannah has transformed how it interacts with its community. By integrating Salesforce Agentforce into …

Beyond the hype – how AI is truly transforming CX in APAC

In 2026, AI-powered CX will  represent a fundamental shift toward agentic systems—intelligent entities capable of reasoning, maintaining long-term memory, and executing complex workflows autonomously. For businesses across Singapore, Australia, Japan, and beyond, the priority has moved from merely automating interactions to orchestrating outcomes that drive measurable loyalty and revenue. Major regional players, such as Singapore’s …

Mind the Gap – Why consumer perception is the new battleground for Australian SMBs

The Australian small and medium business (SMB) sector is entering 2026 facing a paradox. While business owners report high levels of confidence and gold-standard performance, their customers are signaling a different reality. According to the newly released Thryv 2025 Business Index and Consumer Report, a widening “Experience Gap” has emerged. For the modern entrepreneur, simply …

4 best billing and payment solutions for government agencies

Government agencies face increasing pressure to modernize, driven by citizen expectations for convenience and fast, secure experiences similar to those offered by private companies. However, many state and local organizations still rely on legacy systems that no longer meet today’s demands. This gap often results in slower processing times and limited payment options, frustrating users, …