Latest news with #PII
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Wildix Rolls out Fully Embedded Agentic AI for UCaaS that's Modular, Codeless, Autonomous
Real-time, codeless automation with shared memory, native privacy controls and proven ROI, now live in 1,000+ environments TALLINN, Estonia, May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wildix, a global Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provider, today announced the launch of the industry's first fully embedded agentic AI layer for UCaaS, now operational across more than 1,000 customer environments. Designed to adapt to how each organization operates, the AI layer automates interactions across voice, chat, SMS, WhatsApp and web, without relying on static scripts or bolted-on bots. The system interprets language, references past exchanges and applies contextual logic to guide each decision. Modular by design, the system can be tailored to specific workflows, whether it's routing calls in public services, handling appointments in healthcare or managing surges in retail. Configuration happens through a visual no-code studio, making deployment fast, repeatable and scalable for partners and customers alike. According to Gartner, agentic AI will autonomously resolve 80% of customer service issues by 2029, leading to a 30% reduction in operational costs. "Wildix's launch of its agentic AI solution that works across all types of communication channels is very timely," said Oru Mohiuddin, Research Director, IDC. "Businesses are increasingly looking to automate workflows that can help to drive customer satisfaction and efficiency simultaneously. Solutions that can help to achieve this will resonate closely with customer demand." Wildix brings that future forward, with contextual automation, shared memory, and no-code design that deliver ROI from day one. It reduces overflow, speeds up response and proves its value from the start. "Organizations are under pressure to accelerate service, reduce costs and improve responsiveness," said Dimitri Osler, co-founder and CIO, Wildix. "This release is designed to meet those expectations immediately. Our AI doesn't just assist. It executes, adapts and integrates natively into existing workflows with zero disruption." Core Capabilities That Support Business Outcomes Wildix AI automates the high-frequency, high-friction tasks that slow teams down — scheduling, call routing, follow-ups and FAQs, while maintaining full context across every interaction. Key capabilities include: Codeless AI studio to launch expert workflows in minutes Multilingual support in 13+ languages, across voice and chat Sentiment-aware escalation to route complex or emotional cases to humans Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, WhatsApp, and Omnichannel deployment, including browser, mobile, headsets and embeddable widgets Persistent memory across agents, channels and sessions GDPR-aligned architecture with transcription engines separated from LLMs to protect PII The system is available across the full Wildix suite, including x-bees for sales-oriented teams, x-hoppers for retail and Collaboration 7 for business operations. Real-world automation, measurable impact Wildix partners work directly with customers to define metrics before deployment, from first-contact resolution to overflow cost reduction, and configure automation to deliver visible, immediate value. In the United Kingdom, a growing network of telehealth providers implemented the AI system across more than 40 dental practices to address peak-hour call volumes. Today, the AI receptionist handles scheduling, reminders and insurance queries, reducing third-party overflow costs and increasing billable appointment time. "This is one of the cleanest ROIs we've ever delivered," said Stewart Donnor, Global Head of Sales Engineering, Wildix. "It cuts overflow costs, increases billable time and it gives clinics their front desk back." In Spain, the Valencian Football Federation uses Wildix AI to absorb seasonal surges in fan inquiries, including ticketing, schedules and match-day updates. The system handles tens of thousands of contacts during peak events, without requiring year-round staffing. "We saw the demand was going to grow before it became a problem," said Jaime Mestre, IT Manager, Valencia Football Federation. "With Wildix and the support of our Wildix Leader Network Gold Partner, we've created a system that understands our members, responds instantly and gives our staff time to focus on what really matters." Scalable AI Architecture for Long-Term Growth Wildix has spent years building AI features designed for real business use cases, from live call summaries and multilingual support to headset-triggered in-store alerts and sales coaching. This latest release consolidates those innovations into a single automation layer that can scale without disrupting daily operations or introducing third-party complexity. Upcoming enhancements include unified scoring to assess both AI and human agent performance, CRM-driven coaching with real-time next-best-action prompts, native WhatsApp automation with live handoff and expanded language support. To explore Wildix's AI-powered solutions, visit About Wildix Wildix is a global provider of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solutions, designed to simplify business collaboration and drive measurable performance. With fully integrated telephony, video, messaging, and AI capabilities, Wildix helps organizations connect securely and effectively, whether in-office, hybrid, or frontline. Its vertical retail platform, x-hoppers, delivers instant, hands-free communication to staff on the move, improving customer experience and operational speed. View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Deliah MathieuVP of Global Communications, Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Geeky Gadgets
3 days ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
Choose Secure Data Erasure Over Factory Reset for Mac
Apple Silicon or Intel-based Macs have an option to be reset to factory mode. Once the Mac device is reset, all the applications and saved personal data are formatted, and the device is restored to factory settings. This hard reset frees up storage space, deleting stored data and thereby increasing its processing speed. Several areas on the disk store data such as user credentials, built-in app data, backup information, etc., that are inaccessible to the user, operating system, BIOS, or UEFI. Existing in different forms, Host Protected Area (HPA), Disk Configuration Overlay (DCO), or Accessible Max Address (AMA), these hidden disk areas mainly contain disk utilities for the device to function smoothly. It is of utmost importance that data from these disk zones be erased to prevent data leakage. However, a factory reset is incapable of fulfilling this purpose. The Hidden Risks: Recoverable Data Post Factory Reset A factory reset only removes the pointers to the file system, removing only access to the data and not the data itself. In most cases, the actual contents of the Mac drive still reside on the Mac, which is recoverable using freely available Mac data recovery software or through forensic in-lab services. The data traces left behind after a factory reset can comprise Personally Identifiable Information (PII), Protected Health Information (PHI), credit card information, etc., which, if leaked, can ruin decades of reputation for a business in seconds, and this is just the beginning. Data protection laws and regulations like EU-GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA, GLBA, etc., require businesses to erase personal data collected for processing after the retention period is over, the purpose has been served, or the individual has requested the removal of their data. Data removal has to be permanent beyond recovery from the entire Mac device, including inaccessible disk zones HPA, DCO, and other remapped sectors. Contrary to popular belief, a factory reset does not meet the secure erase requirements such as those needed by NIST 800-88, DoD 5220.22 M, or other regulatory guidelines. On Mac devices with SSDs, data is stored in memory blocks that also have the TRIM command enabled. While TRIM helps in optimizing the performance of SSDs, however, there is no way to ensure that the data has been permanently erased, as the TRIM command can be disabled by individuals, either intentionally or due to system configurations. Further, laws also mandate a proof of data destruction to be maintained by the organization in the form of a report or certificate of destruction. A software-based data erasure tool is highly recommended if the Mac devices are in a functional state and the business intends to reuse them; however, if the device is non-functional and cannot be repaired, then the device must be destroyed using physical destruction methods. The Real World Impact: When Factory Reset Fails Consider an organization that has no policies or mechanisms in place for data destruction. For reusing, repurposing, reselling, or donating their end-of-life devices, including Mac devices, the organization performs a factory reset on all the functional devices. These reset devices are either handed over to their new owners or discarded. Since the business-critical information still remains on these devices, the threat to data privacy lingers continually. The sensitive information can be recovered from all these devices using forensic tools or data recovery software, which can then be misused or can result in a data breach episode. The 2016 Morgan Stanley data breach case is one such example where confidential data such as social security numbers, passports, and credit card information, was recovered from decommissioned IT assets. These IT assets were not only not properly erased but also were resold to a third party without sanitization verification. This unauthorized access to personal data brought the organization penalties close to USD 100 million imposed by authorities, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), over a span of more than 5 years. One data breach caused Morgan Stanley operational downtime, penalties, and loss of customer trust. The Secure Solution: Software-Based Data Erasure Organizations must devise data destruction policies, including data retention guidelines, to ensure secure erasure is performed periodically without any scope for gaps in the process. The policies should also include guidelines on how data of varying sensitivity should be securely erased from different Mac devices and what tool should be used to perform secure data erasure. For example, the Mac devices containing data related to intellectual property or financial information that is critical must be sanitized using a certified data erasure tool like BitRaser before Mac devices are reallocated or refurbished. A software-based data erasure tool applies international data erasure algorithms like NIST 800-88 Clear, NIST 800-88 Purge, and DoD 5220.22 M (3 pass). It permanently erases data from all devices, including Mac's with erasure from inaccessible hidden disk areas. It also generates immutable erasure reports and a certificate of data destruction, which assist in complying with the governing data protection laws and regulations. Resetting Isn't Enough, Erasure is Essential Organizations have always been proactive in adapting to modern-day technology to gain more profits, gain a competitive edge, and establish their brand as progressive. However, many lag in assimilating this strategy when it comes to policy implementation in terms of data destruction. The risk of a data breach creeps over every business today, whether it is a startup or an enterprise. According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, an average data breach costs USD 4.88 million. This cost is 10% higher than that mentioned in the IBM 2023 report. Clearly, there is a dire need for organizations to prevent data breaches by including secure data erasure as one of their cybersecurity strategies. To prevent this risk from turning into a tragic event, businesses must leverage data erasure programs to destroy data on their Mac devices, comply with the requirements of data protection laws, and build trust with their customers. Compliance is no longer optional, and a factory reset is not compliant. Filed Under: Apple, Guides, Laptops Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Where are India's disabled leaders? A C-suite reckoning long overdue introduction
If somebody writes an epitaph to Sangita, it should be headlined 'Happy Soul'. Nothing fazes her. No challenge is too big. A fan of James Bond's 'never say die' spirit, just like him she thrives on adrenalin rush as she fields every curveball life throws her way. Sangita is a person with multiple disabilities. A patient of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Sangita is a wheelchair user and hearing aids user. For the past 10 years, she has been whizzing past life in a wheelchair, notching professional milestones. She believes nothing is insurmountable, certainly not limitations imposed by disabilities. Sangita has three decades of experience in the media, content and communications industry across verticals and industries. She has been associated with the development and disability sector and featured in the first Directory of Development Journalists in India published by the PII. She has also functioned as a media representative of the Rehabilitation Council of India and has conducted various S&A programmes for bureaucrats. Sangita is the founder of Ashtavakra Accessibility Solutions Private Limited, a social enterprise dedicated to the inclusion of the disabled. LESS ... MORE For all the talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in India Inc., one group remains almost entirely absent from the corridors of power: persons with disabilities. While companies boast of gender ratios and ESG commitments, the question of disability—especially at leadership levels—is barely whispered. This silence is not just an oversight. It is a glaring indicator of how inclusion efforts have sidelined over 26 million citizens. This two-part article examines why, despite visible activism, legal mandates, and global initiatives like the Valuable 500, disabled professionals remain on the margins of corporate leadership—and what must be done to change that. (Continued from PART I) Is There PwD Talent Shortage? The shortage of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in senior corporate roles is not a talent issue—it is a systems failure. Research from the Disability Rights India Foundation (2022) and global benchmarks like the Disability Equality Index consistently show that even when companies commit to inclusive hiring, few go on to create sustainable career pathways for PwDs beyond entry-level roles. A 2023 report by EY and the Valuable 500 found that while 7% of global C-suite leaders identify as disabled, 80% of them have never disclosed their disability at work—pointing to the persistent stigma and fear of professional penalty. In India, the situation is even more opaque: most companies don't publicly disclose disability data, and those that do report PwD representation figures hovering well below 1% at leadership levels. Moreover, internal mobility and succession planning frameworks rarely include disability as a dimension of diversity. A 2022 analysis of Indian corporate ESG reports found that fewer than 10% mentioned disability in their boardroom or leadership pipelines. Meanwhile, PwDs remain underrepresented in mid-career mentoring programs, sponsorship schemes, and high-potential talent pools. The result? A broken pipeline. Discriminatory hiring at entry levels chokes off access to growth opportunities, and lack of visibility in leadership reinforces a cycle of exclusion. Unless organizations re-engineer their cultures to nurture and promote PwD talent systematically, we will continue to see a vacuum at the top. To summarize the critical gaps in PwD talent promotion: Scarcity in Senior Leadership: Ongoing discrimination limits PwDs' opportunities to advance into higher management and executive roles. Career Progression Barriers: PwDs face persistent biases and lack transparent, inclusive career advancement paths. Educational Inequity: Limited inclusive educational opportunities significantly restrict the pool of qualified PwD candidates. Inconsistent Accountability: Many organizations still lack concrete disability inclusion metrics and accountability at senior levels. Can We Course Correct? Identifying the barriers is only the first step. True transformation lies in converting that insight into systemic, measurable, and sustained action. Based on global best practices and emerging data from leading disability-inclusive organizations, the following interventions offer a roadmap for Indian corporates serious about bridging the disability leadership gap: Mandatory Accountability and Transparent Reporting: Companies must disclose disability representation data across levels—entry, mid, and leadership—in their annual ESG or DEI reports. Globally, firms like Microsoft and EY publish detailed data that helps drive internal change. Yet in India, fewer than 10% of companies mention disability in their leadership disclosures (Deloitte ESG Survey, 2022). Inclusive Education and Talent Pipelines: Support and fund programs that improve access to higher education for PwDs. Only 5% of Indian PwDs currently pursue higher education (Ministry of Education, 2022), limiting their entry into the formal corporate talent pool. Corporates should partner with skilling platforms and inclusive universities to source candidates and mentor them for long-term leadership tracks. Anti-Discrimination Reforms in Hiring: Create standardized guidelines to ensure disability-neutral recruitment practices across campuses and lateral hiring. PwD graduates from elite institutions like IITs and IIMs report lower interview calls and longer job search cycles despite comparable qualifications (IIM-A Campus Report, 2022). Executive Sponsorship and Internal Career Mobility: Assign senior leaders to mentor high-potential PwD employees. At Accenture and Microsoft, executive champions play a visible role in sponsorship and growth planning. This must be institutionalized in Indian corporates, backed by KPIs for leadership development of PwDs. Public Recognition and Role Modelling: Launch or support national awards that recognize corporate leaders and entrepreneurs with disabilities. Representation drives aspiration. Forbes, for example, has featured only a handful of Indian PwD founders in its 30 Under 30 lists over the last decade. India Inc. must push for greater visibility of success stories from the disability sector. Benchmarking and Standardization: India lacks a Disability Equality Index equivalent. Creating a national benchmarking framework to rate companies on accessibility, hiring, leadership inclusion, and retention of PwDs will drive industry-wide accountability. A Valuable 500-style Indian platform could be institutionalized via industry associations like CII or NASSCOM. Each of these solutions draws from global evidence and adapts them for Indian realities. The objective is not to tick boxes, but to build a corporate ecosystem where persons with disabilities are recruited with dignity, retained with purpose, and risen with power. Corporate India must move beyond symbolic gestures towards meaningful action. The Valuable 500 offers a bold and urgent framework—but it is only as effective as the action it inspires. Boards must ask hard questions. CEOs must commit to tracking and disclosing disability metrics just as they do gender or ESG goals. And most critically, HR, DEI, and leadership development programs must work together to identify, nurture, and elevate disabled talent. The path forward demands intentionality: investing in accessible education pipelines, disrupting hiring biases, and embedding disability into every layer of leadership strategy. Let this not be another performative pledge. Let it be the beginning of a reckoning. It's time to stop asking where the disabled leaders are—and start building the systems that ensure they rise. That's the real test of whether Corporate India is ready to lead inclusively. References: Secondary Research Disability Equality Index 2023 Report – Disability:IN. Ministry of Education, India – Equitable and Inclusive Education. Disability Rights India Foundation Report (2022). IIM Ahmedabad Placement Outcomes: Discrimination Evidence – JSTOR. Valuable 500 – Official Pledge and Global Strategy. Microsoft Diversity & Inclusion Report. EY US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report (2022). Accenture Disability Inclusion Initiatives. SAP Autism at Work Program. Unilever Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. MyCIL Analysis of Disability Inclusion Trends. JSA Law: Disability Inclusion in Indian Workplaces. RoboBionics Blog on Disability Rights in Workplaces. Accessible India Campaign – DEPwD. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Where are India's disabled leaders? A C-suite reckoning long overdue
If somebody writes an epitaph to Sangita, it should be headlined 'Happy Soul'. Nothing fazes her. No challenge is too big. A fan of James Bond's 'never say die' spirit, just like him she thrives on adrenalin rush as she fields every curveball life throws her way. Sangita is a person with multiple disabilities. A patient of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Sangita is a wheelchair user and hearing aids user. For the past 10 years, she has been whizzing past life in a wheelchair, notching professional milestones. She believes nothing is insurmountable, certainly not limitations imposed by disabilities. Sangita has three decades of experience in the media, content and communications industry across verticals and industries. She has been associated with the development and disability sector and featured in the first Directory of Development Journalists in India published by the PII. She has also functioned as a media representative of the Rehabilitation Council of India and has conducted various S&A programmes for bureaucrats. Sangita is the founder of Ashtavakra Accessibility Solutions Private Limited, a social enterprise dedicated to the inclusion of the disabled. LESS ... MORE Introduction For all the talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion in India Inc., one group remains almost entirely absent from the corridors of power: persons with disabilities. While companies boast of gender ratios and ESG commitments, the question of disability—especially at leadership levels—is barely whispered. This silence is not just an oversight. It is a glaring indicator of how inclusion efforts have sidelined over 26 million citizens. This two-part article examines why, despite visible activism, legal mandates, and global initiatives like the Valuable 500, disabled professionals remain on the margins of corporate leadership—and what must be done to change that. In over 25 years across five different organizations, countless corporate visits, and high-profile conferences, I have seldom encountered another person with a disability (PwD) at my side. Where are the PwD leaders of corporate India? A closer look at Forbes and other startup rankings over the past five years reveals a stark underrepresentation of disabled professionals. While exceptional individuals like Srikanth Bolla (Bollant Industries), Hunny Bhagchandani (Torchit), Alina Alam (MITTI Café), and Devika Malik (Wheeling Happiness) have featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 and social entrepreneurship circles, they remain outliers—not proof of systemic inclusion. Of these, Hunny and Alina do not identify as people with disabilities, although they have done tremendous work for the inclusion of the disabled. Why are disabled professionals so rarely seen in C-suites, leadership summits, or business awards? Why, even after graduating from premier institutions like IITs and IIMs, do they struggle for placements and recognition? Despite India's vibrant corporate landscape and participation in global initiatives, the disabled workforce remains invisible in lists like Best CEOs, promising founders, or startup success stories. Globally, fewer than 1% of senior executives identify as disabled (Disability Equality Index, 2023), and in India, the number is even lower. Is this scarcity a reflection of capability—or of systemic exclusion? Are there truly no qualified PwD leaders, or are our systems simply not built to see them? These are the urgent questions we must ask if we are to measure the real impact of initiatives like the Valuable 500. Because without intentional disruption, the silence around disabled leadership will persist—normalized by its invisibility. Why we need more initiatives like the valuable 500 Despite comprising nearly 15% of the world's population, people with disabilities (PwDs) occupy less than 1% of senior corporate roles globally—a stark disparity that reflects decades of systemic exclusion. In 2019, recognizing this urgent gap, Caroline Casey launched the Valuable 500 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This global initiative set out with a bold goal: to get 500 of the world's most influential CEOs to commit to placing disability inclusion on their business leadership agendas. Before the launch of the Valuable 500, disability inclusion was largely invisible in corporate diversity narratives. While conversations around gender, race, and LGBTQ+ rights gained prominence, disability remained an afterthought. Valuable 500 broke through that silence by demanding that inclusion extend to all identities—not just the visible or the socially prioritized. The core aim was to move companies away from charity-based approaches to a rights-based, systemic strategy—where access, leadership, and opportunity for PwDs were seen as integral to business performance and innovation. Since then, companies like Microsoft, Accenture, SAP, EY, and Unilever—leaders among the Valuable 500—have introduced targeted hiring initiatives and begun to disclose disability representation data. For instance, Microsoft reports that 5.7% of its global workforce self-identifies as disabled, and has launched Autism Hiring and Supported Employment programs. EY's disability self-identification rates in the U.S. increased from 2.3% in 2020 to 3.9% in 2022, while Unilever has publicly committed to ensuring 5% of its workforce comprises persons with disabilities by 2025. SAP, through its Autism at Work program, has hired hundreds of neurodiverse individuals, and Accenture has embedded disability advocacy into leadership goals across its global offices. These numbers show progress—but also reveal the limitations. Most companies still report less than 1% disability representation in senior roles, and only a handful of top executives or board members publicly identify as disabled. Even at Microsoft and EY—among the more transparent firms—C-suite disclosure remains the exception, not the norm. This is why we need not just one—but many more initiatives like the Valuable 500. We need frameworks that are not just global, but tailored to local realities. We need Indian industry chambers, investor groups, and leadership academies to recognize that disability inclusion is not a CSR line item—it's a measure of integrity, innovation, and equity. Because true leadership is not about who climbs fastest. It's about who makes sure others can climb too. Evaluating global progress Since its inception, companies like Microsoft, Accenture, and SAP, part of the Valuable 500, have implemented inclusive recruitment strategies, developed accessible technologies, and created accountability frameworks for leaders. These actions have significantly enhanced the visibility and hiring of PwDs within their organizations. However, representation at the C-suite level remains extremely limited. According to the Disability Equality Index (2023), fewer than 1% of senior executives globally openly identify as disabled, underscoring the deep-rooted exclusion that persists. Indian scenario and challenges India, despite being home to over 26 million PwDs (Census of India, 2011), continues to face systemic and cultural challenges in mainstreaming disability inclusion within corporate structures. While companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Mahindra have signed the Valuable 500 pledge and initiated hiring programs for PwDs, most placements are confined to junior or entry-level roles. According to a 2022 report by the Disability Rights India Foundation, fewer than 0.5% of corporate leaders in India openly identify as disabled—indicating a glaring exclusion from decision-making echelons. One of the fundamental causes behind this leadership vacuum is the lack of inclusive and accessible education. As per the Ministry of Education (2022), only 5% of PwDs in India are able to access higher education. Many government and private educational institutions still lack basic physical and digital accessibility, and inclusive pedagogy remains sporadic. Moreover, mainstream skilling programs under the Skill India initiative report minimal enrolment of PwDs due to a lack of targeted outreach, accessible curriculum, and poor industry linkage. Even those who make it to elite institutions face significant hiring discrimination. Internal reports and student feedback from the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) suggest that PwD graduates routinely receive fewer interview calls, face biased perceptions about productivity, and experience marginalisation during placements—despite having competitive academic records. Companies often avoid disclosing data on how many PwDs they hire, let alone how many progress through the ranks. Only a handful of Indian corporates include disability in their ESG or DEI reports, with even fewer offering disaggregated data on hiring or promotions of PwD employees. Furthermore, there is no national benchmarking equivalent to the Disability Equality Index in India. In the absence of a credible accountability mechanism, disability inclusion becomes more rhetoric than practice. Many corporates continue to treat accessibility as a compliance burden rather than a leadership imperative. The opportunity is immense India's expanding knowledge economy and growing digital workforce offer potential for inclusive hiring—if designed intentionally. But to unlock that potential, there must be urgent reforms in corporate reporting standards, inclusive recruitment, and workplace culture that welcomes and retains disabled professionals beyond tokenism. (Continued in Part II) Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time Business News
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Enhanced Ecommerce and Google Ads - What You Need to Know in 2025
In light of rising concerns about privacy and growing legal protection offered to safeguarding personally identifiable solutions (PII), many leading tech companies, including Apple and Google, have committed to their privacy-first solutions in marketing and advertising solutions. Google Ads Enhanced Conversion is one such method that allows Google to receive first-party user data provided on a business website which is then hashed and sent to Google, protecting PII. Google then matches this hashed data to signed in Google accounts to attribute conversions to ad events. Let's review this in greater detail Google Ads Enhanced Conversions work by providing marketers with a more robust method to track conversions using first-party data. Here's a breakdown of how it operates: Data Collection: When a user interacts with an ad and completes a conversion action (like making a purchase or signing up), Google Ads Enhanced Conversions can capture the first-party data provided by the user. This data can include email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers. Hashing for Privacy: Before sending this data back to Google, it is hashed (encrypted) to ensure that the user's privacy is maintained. This means that only anonymous, encrypted data is shared, complying with data protection regulations. In this sense, Google is protecting PII as it does not collect unhashed values of protected user data. Integration with Website: Enhanced Conversions can be integrated directly into a website or through Google Tag Manager. This allows for seamless tracking and data collection when users convert after engaging with an advertisement. Cross-Device Tracking: The use of first-party data enables better tracking across multiple devices. When a user clicks on an ad on one device and converts on another, Enhanced Conversions can help accurately attribute that conversion back to the original ad interaction. Improved Attribution: By leveraging first-party data, Google Ads can provide more accurate conversion attribution. This allows marketers to see how their campaigns are performing and understand the customer journey better. Real-Time Insights: As Enhanced Conversions provide more precise tracking and attribution, marketers can gain real-time insights into their campaigns. This helps them refine strategies, target specific audiences, and improve overall campaign performance. By using Google Ads Enhanced Conversions, marketers can enhance their understanding of customer behavior and optimize their ad campaigns more effectively in an era where traditional tracking methods are becoming less reliable. Implementing Google Ads Enhanced Conversions can be achieved through various methods, depending on your technical expertise and the tools you're using. Here are the different ways to set up Enhanced Conversions: Google Tag Manager (GTM): If you are already using Google Tag Manager, you can set up Enhanced Conversions easily by adding the necessary tags and triggers. GTM simplifies the process by allowing you to manage tags without directly modifying your website's GTM, create a new tag for Enhanced Conversions and configure it to send first-party data (like email addresses or phone numbers) when a conversion event occurs. Direct Integration via Google Ads Tag: If you prefer a direct integration, you can implement the Google Ads conversion tracking tag manually. You'll need to add the conversion tracking code snippet provided by Google Ads on your thank-you or confirmation pages where conversions that the first-party data is collected at the time of conversion and is sent securely with the conversion tracking tag. Using the Google Ads API: For advanced users or developers, implementing Enhanced Conversions can be done via the Google Ads API. This approach allows for more flexibility and customization based on your specific tracking using the API, you can programmatically send conversion data, including hashed first-party information, directly to Google Ads. E-commerce Platform Integration: Many e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento, have built-in integrations for Google Ads Enhanced Conversions. You can enable Enhanced Conversions through platform-specific settings or plugins, which often simplify the setup the documentation for your e-commerce platform to find instructions on how to activate Enhanced Conversions. Server-Side Tagging: If you are using server-side tagging solutions, such as Google Tag Manager Server-Side, you can set up Enhanced Conversions to send first-party data from your server to Google Ads. This method enhances data privacy and reduces the risk of data loss due to browser limitations. Server-side tagging is one of the most fool-proof ways to collect data in a first-party environment and exercise complete control over what information you wish to send to third-party platforms, such as Google Ads, while abiding by your organization's privacy policy. Content Management System (CMS) Plugins: Some content management systems, like WordPress, may have plugins available that facilitate the setup of Google Ads Enhanced Conversions. These plugins often provide user-friendly interfaces to configure tracking without needing to write code. By selecting the implementation method that best fits your expertise, resources, and existing tools, you can effectively set up Google Ads Enhanced Conversions to improve your tracking and attribution efforts. If you are looking for help setting up enhanced conversions for your Google Ads campaigns, contact Webtage, a technical marketing analytics company. We have helped multiple businesses set up enhanced conversions for their Google Ads campaigns and helped improve attribution and returns on investment. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
