Small and medium-sized businesses recognize the transformative nature of AI, with two-thirds of respondents in a recent ASUS survey agreeing AI is creating a significant evolution in business practices, and some even calling it “generational.” The question, then, is how best to realize AI’s potential.
For SMBs, following a simple, three-pronged strategy is a good way to get started on your AI journey, says Shawn Chang, General Manager, System Business Group, ASUS North America.
Step 1: Conduct an IT tool audit
Chances are, your employees are already using myriad AI tools, whether IT knows it or not. A survey by Business.com found 84% of SMB employees use chatbots, 67% use AI-powered search, and 41% use image generators, for example.[1] Likewise, 60% of respondents to the ASUS survey already use AI tools for virtual meetings, including automated transcripts, real-time translations, and AI-driven noise cancellation.
The key is to ensure employees use trusted applications and that multipl
People describe awkward and unnatural process as survey finds nearly half of job seekers have been interviewed by AI
Nearly half (47%) of UK job seekers have had an AI interview, research from the hiring platform Greenhouse has found.
In its survey of 2,950 active job seekers, including 1,132 UK-based workers, with additional respondents from the US, Germany, Australia and Ireland, it found that 30% of UK candidates had walked away from a hiring process because it included an AI interview.
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Microsoft will cut the price of Windows 365 subscriptions for small and mid-sized businesses by 20% next month, though analysts expect little impact on uptake of the Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform.
The price change for Windows 365 Business takes effect May 1, 2026 for new subscriptions; existing subscribers will receive updated pricing at renewal, Microsoft explained on its Partner Center page .
The company first introduced the lower rate as a promotional offer last October and is now making that reduction permanent.
At the same time, Microsoft will also introduce a new “on-demand start experience” that will result in longer time to start up Cloud PC virtual desktops when they’ve been disconnected for more than an hour.
“The impact on user experience will likely be minimal, spare a slightly longer startup time on the first connection after hibernation,” said Gabe Knuth, principal analyst at Omdia.
The Windows 365 price change comes as PC prices are set to rise this year due to
The fatigue is setting in — according to a new survey, a majority of Americans are now using AI to some degree, but 54% are "getting tired of hearing" about the budding technology.
In the first quarter of 2026, 65.6 million PCs were sold worldwide, according to data released this week by IDC. That represents a 2.5% increase compared to the same quarter a year ago. The research firm attributed the increase to customers moving to buy PCs now ahead of expected significant price hikes.
The fact that computer sales are rising despite the uncertain global situation and a worldwide shortage of RAM is seen as a positive sign, but the industry faces uncertainty in the months ahead.
“The conflict in the Middle East has introduced a new layer of volatility to the fragile computer market, which is weighing on global logistics with a double-edged sword of rising energy and transportation costs,” Isaac Ngatia, senior research analyst, IDC Devices Research, said in a statement.
As usual, Lenovo, HP, and Dell were the top PC sellers, followed by Apple and Asus. The latter accounted for the largest increase — specifically, up 17.1%.
Broken laptops are not becoming easier to fix, despite the availability of public data about their repairability and growing support for right-to-repair legislation. That’s according to US PIRG Education Fund, a consumer protection nonprofit.
Its fifth annual Failing to Fix survey found Asus to be the most repairable laptop brand — although its score dropped compared to last year — and Apple the least repairable of those surveyed. Prominent enterprise PC suppliers Dell, HP, and Lenovo fell somewhere in the middle of the rankings.
While the report looks at consumer products, many of the issues highlighted by the report would apply to businesses too — particularly Apple, which sells the same models to everyone.
“We haven’t done the research, so don’t have the exact numbers,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director or Right to Repair. “But businesses buy the same products and Right to Repair issues are even more pronounced the more expensive that the device is.”
Repairability is not just abo
U.S. and Canadian companies secured a staggering $252.6 billion in seed- through growth-stage funding rounds in the first quarter of 2026 per Crunchbase data. That’s more than 3x the total raised in the prior quarter, and the largest quarterly total of all time.
