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Edge computing solutions are key tools that help companies grapple with rising data volumes across industries. These types of solutions are critical in allowing companies to gain more control over the data their IoT devices create and in reducing their reliance on (and the costs of) cloud computing.

These systems are becoming more sought-after — 40% of companies that provide IoT solutions reported that edge computing came up more in discussion with customers in 2017 than the year before, according to Business Insider Intelligence’s 2017 Global IoT Executive Survey. But companies need to know whether they should look into edge computing solutions, and what in particular they can hope to gain from shifting data processing and analysis from the cloud to the edge.

There are three particular types of problems that edge computing solutions are helping to combat across industries:

• Security issues. Edge computing can limit the exposure of critical data by minimizing how often it’s transmitted. Further, they pre-process data, so there’s less data to secure overall.
• Access issues. These systems help to provide live insights regardless of whether there’s a network connection available, greatly expanding where companies and organizations can use connected devices and the data they generate.
• Transmission efficiency. Edge computing solutions process data where it’s created so less needs to be sent to the cloud, leading to lower cloud storage requirements and reduced transmission cost.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence examines how edge computing is reducing companies' reliance on cloud computing in three key industries: healthcare, telecommunications, and the automotive space. We explore how these systems mitigate issues in each sector by helping to efficiently process growing troves of data, expanding the potential realms of IoT solutions a company can offer, and bringing enhanced computing capability to remote and mobile platforms.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• In healthcare, companies and organizations are using edge computing to improve telemedicine and remote monitoring capabilities.
• For telecommunications companies, edge computing is helping to reduce network congestion and enabling a shift toward the IoT platform market.
• And in the automotive space, edge computing systems are enabling companies to increase the capabilities of connected cars and trucks and approach autonomy.

In full, the report:

• Explores the key advantages edge computing solutions can provide.
• Highlights the circumstances when companies should look into edge systems.
• Identifies key vendors and partners in specific industries while showcasing case studies of successful edge computing programs.

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Retailers and their logistics partners have been pushed to meet growing customer demands for increasingly speedy shipping. And the steady rise of e-commerce has caused the daily volume of parcel shipments to skyrocket — two trends that, for the foreseeable future, are only going to continue.

With fulfillment giants like Amazon constantly nipping at their heels, e-tailers have to fight to figure out a way to offer same-day shipping at low prices. To do so, they’re experimenting with nontraditional logistics strategies and startup partners to see what sticks.

Enter crowdsourced delivery — the Uber model for package fulfillment. In this article, we’ll take a look at what it is, why it’s growing, and the future of same-day shipping.

What is crowdsourced delivery?

Crowdsourced delivery, also known as crowdsourced shipping, is an emerging method of fulfillment that leverages networks of local, non-professional couriers to deliver packages to customers’ doors. While most common in meal and grocery delivery, this model seems to be springing up everywhere as traditional retailers look for ways to cut costs and maximize supply chain efficiency.

Why crowdsourced delivery?

Crowdsourced delivery is beneficial for both retailers and their customers, with the primary advantage simply being that companies can get online orders to their customers faster — sometimes in less than an hour. And with the option of on-demand or scheduled delivery, companies can meet their customers’ demands for instant gratification (which is particularly prevalent among younger, digital-first consumers), while also ensuring that packages are delivered when someone is home — eliminating the additional time and costs involved with multiple delivery attempts.

A secondary benefit of crowdsourced delivery is that it is tech-heavy and asset-light. Contracted couriers provide their own transportation to make deliveries, often from a retailer’s store location, and are typically paid per delivery or per shift. For companies, this means not worrying about warehouse operations, fleet management, or employee benefits — thereby offsetting some of the high costs and complex logistics associated with on-demand delivery.

For customers, crowdsourced delivery provides greater control over the shopping experience; it satisfies their need for speed while offering more visibility into the delivery process. Customers can select a desired time slot to ensure they won’t miss a delivery and, perhaps most importantly, they can track their packages along the way. Instead of repeatedly checking a tracking code for a status update, customers can choose to receive SMS text alerts, push notifications, or even GPS tracking on their smartphones.

Despite these benefits, the startup nature of many crowdsourced delivery services comes with inherent challenges, such as the high per-delivery costs of ad-hoc shipments, which are often absorbed by the retailer as customers become less and less willing to cover delivery fees.

As with other startups tapping into the gig economy, other major challenges of crowdsourced delivery include workforce issues — more specifically, courier shortages and retention rates. Couriers are often signed up for multiple gigs, which can make localized labor hard to come by at times. When contractors toggle among delivery, ride hailing, and other on-demand service apps looking for the next available job, they can quickly cause churn for the company from burnout, particularly when regular wages and benefits are not guaranteed.

Solving the last mile problem

In traditional shipping, the last mile problem is the inefficiency of final delivery. The “last mile” of delivery refers to the final leg of shipment, when a package arrives at the customer’s doorstep. This step of the journey is the most expensive and the most time consuming, as there are typically multiple stops along a given route — slowed down by either long distances between stops in rural areas or heavy traffic in urban settings.

Crowdsourced delivery attempts to skirt these bottlenecks by tasking someone local to both the package’s origin and customer’s door to expedite fulfillment and elevate customer satisfaction.

Future of same-day shipping

To date, crowdsourced delivery has been most commonly seen in meal delivery services in urban markets, with apps such as Postmates, Doordash, and Grubhub, but even giants like Walmart and Aldi have begun dabbling with this model for same-day grocery delivery.

Crowdsourced delivery is not limited to the food and restaurant industries either. A growing number of retailers is now experimenting with crowdsourcing as a solution to same-day shipping — an expectation of 56% of millennials, according to a survey from fraud prevention startup Trustev.

And startups like Deliv have been answering their calls. Since 2014, the crowdsourced delivery startup has been processing same-day deliveries for Macy’s, using the retail titan’s existing ship-from-store program to pick and pack orders.

These types of startups have been eliciting a response from traditional delivery providers such as DHL which launched a same-day scheduled delivery pilot for retail shipping in Germany, or FedEx, which has expanded same-day urban delivery in over 30 markets. Unlike emerging startups, these legacy providers have the advantage of leveraging their extensive logistics operations (traditionally used for non-retail deliveries), and shifting them to compete in the retail space.

And as we continue to see advancements in drone technology and artificial intelligence, it’s likely that in the future, same-day delivery will no longer depend on local couriers, but rather automation.

More to Learn

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has writtena detailed report on crowdsourced delivery that:

• Details the factors driving investment and growth in crowdsourced delivery startups.
• Examines the benefits and drawbacks of using crowdsourcing to deliver online orders.
• Explains how crowdsourced delivery startups can improve their cost efficiencies to tackle greater delivery volumes
• Explores the role that crowdsourcing will play in the future of delivery once automated delivery options, like drones and robots, arrive.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Retailers are looking for ways to deliver goods faster to consumers' doorsteps to stave off Amazon's threat and meet customer expectations.
• To accomplish that, retailers and delivery providers are zeroing in on the "last mile" of fulfillment, the most expensive and time-consuming part of the delivery process, which is when a package reaches the customer's address.
• Startups like Postmates, Instacart, and others are looking to disrupt the last mile delivery space by leveraging the "Uber model," and connecting businesses to non-professional couriers who can deliver goods instantly.
• Crowdsourcing can drastically speed up deliveries in urban areas, where there is a high density of deliveries and potential couriers to be matched.
• However, as delivery volumes increase, crowdsourced delivery startups will need to further optimize their deliveries to improve cost efficiencies.
• Many of the deliveries these startups perform today will likely be automated in the future, raising the possibility that these startups may eventually look to incorporate new technologies like delivery drones or self-driving delivery vehicles.
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• The payments ecosystem is undergoing a period of digital transformation, which will spur tremendous growth in money moved around the globe in the next five years.
• Consumers and businesses will make 841 billion noncash transactions worldwide in 2023, up from 577 billion in 2018.
• The next five years will mark a pivotal transformation in how companies and consumers handle payments.

The impact of payments’ digital transformation is rippling around the world, in both advanced economies and developing countries.

Across major global regions, the total volume of e-commerce transactions is expected to rise 91% over the next five years to hit $5.7 trillion by 2023.

With such impending immense growth, it’s crucial for any business that even touches the payments industry to understand what’s ahead.

Take, for example, noncash transactions, which include debit card, credit card, direct debit, and credit transfer transactions that are conducted either online or offline. Consumers and businesses will make 841 billion noncash transactions globally in 2023, a 46% surge from 577 billion in 2018. The rise in global card and terminal penetration, coupled with increasing digital payments volume, will will be the key drivers in this growth.

To successfully navigate this changing landscape, individuals and organizations must understand the full extent to which digital transformation will affect the payments industry, the key drivers of this growth, and how it all relates to the work they do every day.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has forecasted the future of the payments ecosystem in The Payments Forecast Book 2018— and the next five years will be critical for the following four areas:

• Global Payments: Asia, North America, and Europe will be the three main growth regions in the next five years, and will make up 70% of all noncash transaction growth by 2023.
• US Payments: In the US, P2P and retail payments combined will still be less than a quarter of the size of the B2B payments market by 2023 ($6.3 trillion vs. $27.3 trillion).
• US E-Commerce:Total e-commerce spending in the U.S. will surpass $1 trillion by 2023, and the average consumer will spend $2,959 online.
• US Emerging Payments: By 2023, 67% of US adults will have used BOPIS (Buy Online Pickup In Store) at least once in the last 12 months.

Want to Learn More?

People, companies, and organizations all over the world are racing to adopt the latest payments solutions and prevent growing pains amidst a technological transformation. The Payments Forecast Book 2018 from Business Insider Intelligence is a detailed four-part slide deck outlining the most important trends impacting the payments ecosystem around the world — and the key drivers propelling each segment forward.

Representing thousands of hours of exhaustive research, our multipart forecast books are considered must-reads by thousands of highly successful business professionals. These informative slide decks are packed with charts and statistics outlining the most influential trends on the leading edge of your industry. Keep them for reference or drop the most valuable data into your own presentations to share with your teams.

Whether you’re newly interested in a topic or you already consider yourself a subject matter expert, The Payments Forecast Book 2018 can provide you with the actionable insights you need to make better decisions.

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• Amazon Web Services announced last month that it would take a popular open source software project called Kafka and resell it to its customers as a service. 
• On Friday, Confluent — a startup founded by the creators of Kafka — announced a new license for its software that would prevent clouds like Amazon from taking its Kafka add-ons and reselling them for profit. 
• Confluent didn't name Amazon directly, but it does say that the move lets the business continue to make money from its software without having to worry about large clouds using them to make their own profits. 
• This highlights the friction between some open source startups and the large cloud companies, as several other startups have introduced similar licensing changes to defend their businesses.

In late November, Amazon Web Services announced it would sell a new service on its market-leading cloud called Amazon Managed Streaming for Kafka — a service that provides software that Amazon didn't create itself.

This new service is based on Apache Kafka, an open source software project for handling large amounts of streaming data. AWS took Kafka and repackaged it as a paid cloud service — something completely legal, as open source software is free for anyone to use as they wish. 

Originally created at LinkedIn, the engineers who started Kafka made their own company around the software, called Confluent. At the time the service was revealed, Confluent CEO Jay Kreps told Business Insider that it wasn't worried about Amazon's move, saying "I don't think this announcement will impact our business."

Just over two weeks after the announcement, Confluent announced Friday it would take what it called the "necessary step" of creating a new license, called the Confluent Community License, which would limit the ability of vendors to take its open source software and sell it, in the same way that Amazon did with the core Kafka. 

"We think this is a positive change and one that can help ensure small open source communities aren’t acting as free and unsustainable R&D for tech giants that put sustaining resources only into their own differentiated proprietary offerings,"Kreps writes in a blog post.

The post does not say that Amazon's announcement sparked this change, and the new license doesn't appear to directly impact AWS: Confluent's new license only applies to the specialized additions to Kafka that it developed in-house, while Amazon is using the original Kafka software. 

However, it highlights a growing point of friction in the open source world, as Amazon Web Services comes under fire from startups for what they see as poor open source citizenship — Amazon has been roundly criticized for using open source software to make money, but contributing little back to the open source community in return. 

When asked whether this new license was in response to Amazon's entry into Kafka, Confluent referred back to the blog post, which says: "We think the Confluent Community License is a necessary step. This lets us continue to invest heavily in code that we distribute for free, while sustaining a healthy business that funds this investment."

What did Amazon announce?

When Amazon announced its Kafka service, it pitched it as the easiest way to get started with the software. 

"There’s a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to Kafka. It’s difficult to set up, difficult to scale, handling failures is a nightmare," Amazon CTO Werner Vogels said on stage when he announced Amazon Managed Streaming for Kafka. "We really hope that you start migrating the Kafka clusters you have to [AWS's] managed Kafka service and let us do the heavy lifting for you."

After Amazon's announcement, Business Insider spoke with several startup executives who said this move could be bad news for Confluent, which makes a version of Kafka for businesses. After all, AWS has a much larger footprint than any startup, and if customers are already on Amazon's cloud, they can just use Amazon's Kafka service, too. 

At the time, Kreps downplayed these concerns, highlighting how Confluent has invested more time and focus in making Kafka palatable for enterprises than Amazon. However, he was concerned about Amazon's reputation for not contributing code back to open source projects, even the ones it uses to build paid services.

"Amazon itself doesn't typically contribute to the open source projects that they host," Kreps said at the time. "They just take them and put it on servers...We think [our product] is really strongly differentiated from Amazon taking the open source and putting it onto their servers."

More open source startups are taking action

With its new license, Confluent becomes part of a trend of open source startups making changes to their licensing to push back on cloud providers selling the software that they contributed their money and time to build.

Earlier this year, MongoDB introduced the Server Side Public License, which says that if users want to publicly offer MongoDB as a service, they either make the code available to everyone for free or obtain a commercial license. This move was explicitly designed to discourage large public clouds from making money from its open source database.  Similarly, Redis Labs added the Commons Clause, which forbids users from selling the software, as a new license.

Read more: Two software companies, fed up with Amazon, Alibaba and other big cloud players, have a controversial new plan to fight back

This kind of licensing change has resulted in some pushback from the open source community. Bradley M. Kuhn, President of the Software Freedom Conservancy, has concerns that these types of license changes are unnecessarily restrictive.

"I think it's going to be a classic situation where the implications immediately are primarily going to be on Confluent users and contributors," Kuhn told Business Insider on Friday. "If you (contributors) want your changes and improvements in their software, you must give [the company] the right to unilaterally change the license in the future. This is in direct contrast to how open source software projects operate."

Notably, Confluent is now describing its contributions to Kafka as "source-available," rather than "open source," it writes in its blog post, because under its new license, it believes it won't meet the requirements set by the Open Source Initiative. 

Startups are still figuring it out

Ultimately, many open source startups are in the midst of examining how they can balance giving away software for free while still retaining enough control to make a profit. 

Amazon doesn't exactly have a strong reputation when it comes to giving back code to open source projects, although it signaled a change may be in order after AWS made a major open source contribution with a new project called Firecracker.

That being said, Manish Gupta, CMO of Redis Labs, calls Confluent's move an "exciting announcement," and believes there are more changes like Confluent's new license to come, keeping corporations from profiting off the work of smaller startups.

"This is another example of companies behind major open source projects having to take steps to protect themselves from poaching by cloud providers," Gupta told Business Insider. "The list will continue to grow."

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The downfall of US brick-and-mortar commerce is overblown — despite sharp gains in e-commerce, which will nearly double between now and 2021, the lion’s share of purchasing continues to take place in-store. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, since the online environment can’t yet compensate for the reasons customers like brick-and-mortar shopping.

That means the point-of-sale (POS) terminal, which merchants use to accept payments of all types and to complete transactions, isn’t going anywhere. But that doesn’t mean it’s not changing. As merchants look to cut costs amidst shifts in consumer shopping habits, POS terminals, which were once predominantly hardware offerings used exclusively for payment acceptance, are evolving into full-service, comprehensive solutions. These new POS terminals are providing an array of business management solutions and connected offerings to complement payment services. 

This is where the smart terminal, a new product that’s part-tablet, part-register, comes in. Merchants are increasingly seeking out these offerings, which afford them the connectivity, mobility, and interoperability to run their entire business. And that’s shaking up the space, since it’s not just legacy firms, but also mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) players and newer upstarts, that offer these products. 

As merchants begin demanding a wide variety of payment solutions, terminal providers are scrambling to meet their needs in order to maintain existing customers and attract new ones. This is leading to rapid innovation and increased competition in both the POS terminal hardware and software spaces.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has put together a detailed report on the shifts in this landscape, how leading players can meet them, and who’s doing it most effectively.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• Evolving merchant needs are impacting POS terminal players’ strategies. Merchants select terminal providers based on four key areas: payment functionality, user experience (UX), over-the-top (OTT) offerings, and distribution/customer service. Terminal firms need to innovate in these areas, or risk falling behind.
• Larger players need to double down on existing success. Smaller players can often be more nimble, which gives them the opportunity to innovate more quickly and build in-demand solutions. That’s a disadvantage to market leaders; however, they can, and should, leverage their massive distribution networks when upgrading or updating their offerings. Meanwhile, smaller players can win by focusing on niches instead.
• It’s all about the platform. No single feature is likely to make or break a merchant’s decision to pursue a specific provider. Above all, they want a robust ecosystem that can evolve over time. 

In full, the report:

• Explains the current state of in-store retail and why terminal firms need to evolve to meet it.
• Groups features that matter to merchants and explains why they’re important and what terminal providers stand to gain from focusing on them.
• Determines the leading players in the space.
• Assesses how the leading players stack up, and which offerings are the most comprehensive.
• Issues recommendations about how to develop an attractive platform that best serves merchants' needs as the market continues to shift. 

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• In a ruling released Friday evening, a federal judge in Texas sided with 19 states arguing that key provisions of the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" are unconstitutional.
• The ruling brings new uncertainty to the country's healthcare markets, a day before the deadline to sign up for Affordable Care Act health plans in many states.
• The ruling doesn't go into effect immediately, and is almost certain to be appealed by state attorneys general who are defending the law.
• "As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster!" President Trump tweeted. "Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!"

In a ruling released Friday evening, a federal judge in Texas sided with states arguing that key provisions of the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" are unconstitutional. The decision is almost certain to be appealed, but creates new uncertainty for the country's healthcare system.

Texas led 19 states arguing that the individual mandate — the requirement that everyone must have health insurance —  is unconstitutional, after Congress gutted the key portion of the mandate, the tax penalty for not buying coverage.

U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in the Northern District of Texas agreed with those states and ruled the individual mandate unconstitutional. Because the mandate is an essential part of the ACA in the judge's view, that led him to rule that the entire health law should be struck down.

The law includes provisions that provide subsidies that help people buy coverage, its expansion of Medicaid to millions of low income people, and its protections that let people with pre-existing conditions buy insurance.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act could lead to about 15 million people losing their health insurance coverage, according to Ana Gupte, a Wall Street analyst at Leerink Partners.

"If this Texas decision on the ACA is upheld, it would throw the individual insurance market and the whole health care system into complete chaos," Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation said on Twitter. "But, the case still has a long legal road to travel before that’s an immediate threat."

Fourteen states along with the District of Columbia argued in favor of the law. However, the Trump administration sided with Texas et all. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood said the states will continue their defense of the law.

"We’ll continue to fight in court for New Yorkers and all Americans," she said on Twitter.

The ACA has been a battle between Democrats, who favor the law, versus Republicans who have voted repeatedly to repeal it. The health law was passed in 2010.

President Donald Trump quickly weighed in on Twitter: "Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!"

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• A Norwegian AirBoeing 737MAX was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Iran on Friday due to a technical malfunction.
• The two-month-old jet landed safely in Shiraz, Iran.
• The 189 passengers and crew on board were transported to a hotel near the airport.
• A relief Boeing 737-800 was dispatched from Norway along with a pair of technicians who will determine if spare parts will need to be sourced.
• It is unclear if there will be complications with parts procurement due to recent US sanctions against Iran. 

A Norwegian Air Boeing 737MAX was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Iran on Friday due to a technical malfunction.

Norwegian Air Flight 1933 was en route from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Oslo, Norway when it was forced to divert to Shiraz, Iran.

"The aircraft landed normally and taxied to a gate allowing passengers to disembark," Anders Lindstrom, Norwegian Air's director of communications in the US, told Business Insider via email.

No injuries have been reported among the 189 passengers and crew on board the flight.

Read more: Boeing just launched a new $400 million 777X private airliner, and it's a flying mansion that can go halfway around the world.

After landing, all passengers were transported to a hotel near the airport, Lindstrom said. A relief Boeing 737-800 was dispatched to Iran from Norway to pick up the stranded passengers. 

The relief flight will bring the passengers to Oslo on Saturday after the flight crew completes their mandatory rest period. 

According to Norwegian, the brand-new Boeing 737MAX suffered an unspecified "technical issue." The aircraft involved in the incident, registration LN-BKE, was just delivered to the airline in at the end of October.

However, flight tracking website FlightRadar24 pointed to a possible issue with the Boeing's CFM International LEAP 1B engines. 

Read more: The nastiest feud in the airline industry is back.

The airline sent two technicians with the relief plane. These technicians will conduct an evaluation of the stricken aircraft to determine if spare parts will be required, Lindstrom told us. 

With the US government's recent sanction on Iran, it is unclear if spare parts for the Renton, Washington-assembled jet, can be procured. The plane's engines are made by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft Engines. 

Here is Norwegian Air's statement in its entirety:

"Due to a technical issue, flight DY1933 from Dubai to Oslo, was forced to divert to Shiraz International Airport. The aircraft landed normally and taxied to a gate allowing passengers to disembark. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our number one priority.

All passengers have been accommodated in a hotel near the airport. A Norwegian relief aircraft has arrived, and after mandatory crew rest, it will bring all passengers to Oslo tomorrow morning.

Norwegian apologizes for any inconvenience caused."

SEE ALSO: An analyst explains the greatest risks to UK airlines if a Brexit deal falls apart

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In recent years, we've seen a ballooning of activity in fintech — an expansive term applied to technology-driven disruptions in financial services. And 2018 has been no different, with fintechs' staggering influence on the market evidenced by record funding levels for the industry — by Q3 2018, overall funding was already up 82% from 2017’s total figure, according to CB Insights.

Additionally, this year marked a watershed moment for the industry, with the once clear distinction between fintechs and financial services proper now blurred significantly. Virtually every incumbent financial institution (FI) is now looking inward and engaging in an innovation drive, spurred on by competition from fintechs. As such, incumbents are now actively investing in, acquiring, and collaborating with their fintech rivals.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence details recent developments in fintech funding and regulation that are defining the environment these startups operate in. We also examine the business model changes being employed among different categories of fintechs as they strive to embed themselves further in mainstream finance and prove sustainability. Finally, we consider which elements of the fintech industry are rapidly rubbing off on incumbent financial services providers, and what the future of fintech will look like.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Funding Circle, GreenSky, Transferwise, Ant Financial, Nubank, Cellulant, Oscar Health, Stripe, One97, UiPath, LianLian Pay, Wacai.com, Gusto, Toast, PingPong, Flywire, Deposit Solutions, Root, Robinhood, Atom, N26, Revolut, OneConnect, PolicyBazaar, WeCash, Zurich, OneDegree, Dinghy, Vouch Insurance, Laka, Cleo, Ernit, Monzo, Moneybox, Bud, Tandem, Starling, Varo Money, Square, ING, Chase, AmEx, Amazon, Monese, Betterment, Tiller Investments, West Hill Capital, Square, Ameritrade, JPMorgan, eToro, Lendy, OnDeck, Ripple, Quorom, Chain, Coinbase, Fidelity, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Bank of America, TransferGo, Klarna, Western Union, Veriff, Royal Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Canada, Facebook, ThreatMetrix, Relx, Entersekt, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, Gemalto, Lloyd's of London, Kingdom Trust, Aviva, Symbility LINK, eTrade, Allianz, AXA, Broadridge, TD Bank, First Republic Bank, BBVA Compass, Capital One, Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, Ally, Goldman Sachs.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Fintech funding has already reached new highs globally in 2018, with overall funding hitting $32.6 billion at the end of Q3.
• Some new regions, including South America and Africa, are emerging on the fintech scene.
• We've seen considerable scaling in older corners of the fintech ecosystem, including among neobanks and alt lenders.
• Some fintechs, including a number of insurtechs, have dipped into new markets to escape heightened competition.
• Emergent areas like blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), as well as digital identity, are gaining traction.
• Many incumbents are undertaking business transformations that aim to reimagine everything from products and services to front-end systems and back-end processes.

 In full, the report:

• Details the funding and regulatory landscape in the US, Europe, and Asia.
• Gives an overview into a number of fintech segments and how they've changed over the past year.
• Discusses how incumbents are reacting to fintechs in order to stay relevant in the changing financial services sector.
• Evaluates what the future of fintech will look like and what trends to look out for in the coming year.
  

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SEE ALSO: How the largest US financial institutions rank on offering the mobile banking features customers value most

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• The Internet of Things is fueling the data-based economy and bridging the divide between physical and digital worlds.
• Consumers, companies, and governments will install more than 40 billion IoT devices worldwide through 2023.
• The next five years will mark a pivotal transformation in how companies and jurisdictions operate, and how consumers live.

Being successful in the digital age doesn’t just require knowing the latest buzzwords; it means identifying the transformational trends – and where they’re heading – before they ever heat up.

Take the Internet of Things (IoT), for example, which now receives not only daily tech news coverage with each new device launch, but also hefty investments from global organizations ushering in worldwide adoption. By 2023, consumers, companies, and governments will install more than 40 billion IoT devices globally. And it’s not just the ones you hear about all the time, like smart speakers and connected cars.

To successfully navigate this changing landscape, individuals and organizations must understand the full extent and functionality of the “Things” included in this network, the key drivers of each market segment, and how it all relates to the work they do every day.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, has forecasted the start of the IoT’s global proliferation in The IoT Forecast Book 2018— and the next five years will be transformational for consumers, enterprises, and governments.

• Consumer IoT: In the US alone, the number of smart home devices is estimated to surpass 1 billion by 2023, with consumers dishing out about $725 per household — a total of over $90 billion in spending on IoT solutions.
• Enterprise IoT: Comprising the most mature segment of the IoT, companies will continue pouring billions of dollars into connected devices and automation. By 2023, the total industrial robotic system installed base will approach 6 million worldwide, while annual spending on manufacturing IoT solutions will reach about $450 billion.
• Government IoT: Governments globally are ushering in IoT devices to spur the development of smart cities, which would be equipped with innovations like connected cameras, smart street lights, and connected meters to provide a real-time view of traffic, utilities usage, crime, and environmental factors. Annual investment in this area is expected to reach nearly $900 billion by 2023.

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People, companies, and organizations all over the world are racing to adopt the latest IoT solutions and prevent growing pains amidst a technological transformation. The IoT Forecast Book 2018 from Business Insider Intelligence is a detailed three-part slide deck outlining the most important trends impacting consumer, enterprise, and government IoT — and the key drivers propelling each segment forward.

Representing thousands of hours of exhaustive research, our multipart forecast books are considered must-reads by thousands of highly successful business professionals. These informative slide decks are packed with charts and statistics outlining the most influential trends on the leading edge of your industry. Keep them for reference or drop the most valuable data into your own presentations to share with your teams.

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• President Donald Trump reportedly tapped Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to become his next White House chief of staff after growing frustrated that none of his top candidates would accept the position.
• Unlike other high-profile candidates who were considered for the position, Mulvaney was not formally interviewed, officials said.
• Despite Trump's assurances that the vacancy was highly desired, some Democratic lawmakers not persuaded.

President Donald Trump abruptly tapped Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to become his next White House chief of staff after growing frustrated that none of his top candidates would accept the position, a senior White House official said in a Washington Post report on Friday.

Following multiple rejections this week from candidates who were on his short list — including former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers — Trump became agitated by the news reports that painted an unflattering picture of what was supposed to be a highly sought-after job, the senior White House official reportedly said.

On Friday afternoon, Trump announced on Twitter that Mulvaney would take over as acting White House chief of staff, which was formally held by former four-star Marine Corps general John Kelly. The decision capped off a week's worth of speculation over who would replace Kelly, who was expected to leave the West Wing by December after a litany of reports of a rift with Trump and his staff.

Unlike other high-profile candidates who were considered for the position, Mulvaney was not formally interviewed, officials said to The Post. He talked with Trump on Friday for a scheduled meeting about the federal budget and then became acting chief of staff.

But one person familiar with the discussions claimed that Mulvaney actively lobbied for the position, according to New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman, and pointed to a lack of scandals stemming from the budget office as a qualification for the job.

"I look forward to working with him in this new capacity as we continue to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump said on Twitter.

Two hours after his announcement, Trump appeared to address skeptics who questioned the timing of Mulvaney's appointment and qualifications: "For the record, there were MANY people who wanted to be the White House Chief of Staff. Mick M will do a GREAT job!"

Despite Trump's assurances, some Democratic lawmakers are not persuaded.

"Very sad not a single person in America will agree to be [White House] chief of staff, formerly one of the most sought-after jobs in government," Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said on Twitter.

"Very troubling (but not surprising!) [Donald Trump] chose Mick Mulvaney to be acting [chief of staff]. He's been a leading advocate of government shutdowns," Schumer added.

"Unlike cabinet officials, Mick Mulvaney does not need to be confirmed," Rep. Ted Lieu of California tweeted. "That means he doesn't need to be 'Acting' Chief of Staff, he can simply be Chief of Staff. Unless you are hedging because you're not too sure about him."

A senior White House official told reporters Mulvaney would assume the responsibilities of a formal chief of staff and that his interim role would have "no time limit."

"He's the acting chief of staff, which means he's the chief of staff," the official said. "He got picked because the president liked him they get along."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders added that Mulvaney will not resign as overseer of the federal budget in the Office of Management and Budget, "but will spend all of his time devoted" to his new role. Russell Vought, the Management and Budget's deputy director, is expected to assume the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Mulvaney, a former Republican representative of South Carolina, took on numerous roles in the Trump administration and is widely seen as a fiscal conservative willing to curb federal spending. As the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he gutted the watchdog's 25-member advisory board after members criticized the agency's leadership, and is believed to be slow-walking regulatory practices and investigations.

SEE ALSO: Trump names Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• Democrats responded with fury on Friday night after a federal judge in Texas ruled that key provisions in the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as "Obamacare," were unconstitutional — rendering the entire law unconstitutional.
• Some conservative groups praised the ruling, while other Republican lawmakers stayed silent.
• The federal judge ruled the individual mandate was unconstitutional, and that because it is "essential to and inseverable from the remainder of the ACA," the entire law is invalid.
• Here are some initial reactions from lawmakers and organizations.

Democrats responded with fury on Friday night after a federal judge in Texas ruled that key provisions in the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," were unconstitutional— rendering the entire law unconstitutional.

Meanwhile in a tweet, President Donald Trump called for Congress to to pass a "STRONG" health care bill, and some conservative organizations and lawmakers praised the judge's decision.

US District Judge Reed O'Connor in the Northern District of Texas sided with 19 states led by Texas who argued that the individual mandate — the requirement that everyone must have health insurance — was unconstitutional after lawmakers repealed the tax penalty for not having insurance. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia were arguing in favor of the law.

The Trump administration sided with the 19 states' individual mandate argument, but also argued to keep some provisions of the bill, including Medicaid expansion and the health exchanges, according to Bloomberg.

The judge ruled the individual mandate was unconstitutional, and because it is "essential to and inseverable from the remainder of the ACA" the entire law is invalid.

The ruling could impact millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions. Since there is no injunction from the court, it is possible, one expert tweeted, that the law could stay in place while the ruling is appealed — and lawmakers like House Minority Nancy Pelosi have stated that the decision would be appealed.

Lawmakers and attorneys general quickly responded. Here are some initial reactions:

• President Donald Trump via Twitter: "As I predicted all along, Obamacare has been struck down as an UNCONSTITUTIONAL disaster! Now Congress must pass a STRONG law that provides GREAT healthcare and protects pre-existing conditions. Mitch and Nancy, get it done!"
• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: "While the district court’s absurd ruling will be immediately appealed, Republicans are fully responsible for this cruel decision and for the fear they have struck into millions of families across America who are now in danger of losing their health coverage. When House Democrats take the gavel, the House of Representatives will move swiftly to formally intervene in the appeals process to uphold the life-saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions and reject Republicans’ effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act."
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer: "If this awful ruling is upheld in the higher courts, it will be a disaster for tens of millions of American families, especially for people with pre-existing conditions. The ruling seems to be based on faulty legal reasoning and hopefully it will be overturned. Americans who care about working families must do all they can to prevent this district court ruling from becoming law."
• Sen. Bernie Sanders via Twitter: "This is an outrageous, disastrous decision that threatens the health care and lives of millions of people. It must be overturned. We must move forward to make health care a right for every American."
• Sen. Sherrod Brown:"This decision threatens the health coverage of 20 million people and undermines pre-existing condition protections for all Americans. We cannot go back to the days when insurance companies could deny coverage for people who are sick. We will fight back,” said Brown. “Enrollment is still open through Saturday and no one should be intimidated by this ruling. You can still get coverage by going to www.healthcare.gov or calling 1-800-318-2596 by Saturday."
• Sen. Chris Murphy: "This is a five alarm fire -- Republicans just blew up our health care system. The anti-health care zealots in the Republican Party are intentionally ripping health care away from the working poor, increasing costs on seniors, and making insurance harder to afford for people with preexisting conditions,” said Murphy."
• Sen. Dick Durbin: "Today’s decision by a district court judge — backed by President Trump — is politics at its worst and threatens access to care for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. But this misguided decision will be appealed, and I am confident that common sense will prevail. Americans across the country should continue to sign up for health insurance through Saturday’s deadline."
• Sen Ron Wyden:"Today’s ruling is an assault on all Americans’ basic health care rights and judicial overreach at its worst,” Wyden said. “Trump and Republicans in Congress will achieve their long-sought goals if this ruling stands: the elimination of pre-existing condition protections and Medicaid coverage for millions of vulnerable Americans. Seniors will pay more for their prescriptions and middle-class families will lose tax breaks that keep their health care affordable. This judge chose to deliver his ruling the day before the end of open enrollment - a deliberate, ideological move to sabotage the Affordable Care Act at the expense of families’ health care. If you or your loved ones need health care, you should still sign up as planned at Healthcare.gov before the open enrollment deadline at end of the day tomorrow despite this attempted sabotage."
• Sen. Joe Manchin: "This misguided and inhumane ruling will kick millions of Americans and tens of thousands of West Virginians off of their health insurance. West Virginians with pre-existing conditions will be at risk of losing their health insurance. And the thousands of West Virginians who gained health insurance through the Medicaid expansion will no longer qualify. This ruling is just plain wrong. I look forward to its appeal to a higher court, and I intend to fight to ensure that the Senate has an opportunity to intervene to defend these critical health safeguards. I urge West Virginia’s Attorney General to withdraw from this dangerous lawsuit on behalf of the tens of thousands of West Virginians who will be harmed."
• House Majority Whip: "When Democrats forced Obamacare down the throats of the American people on a purely partisan basis, they threatened that the law needed to be passed so that people could find out what was in it. Over the last eight years since it was signed into law, we have found out that the Democrats who passed it caused millions of families to lose the plans and doctors they liked, and imposed unaffordable premiums and deductibles that undermine the basic coverage that families enjoy. Not only does tonight's ruling confirm that this broken law cannot hold up under court scrutiny, but it also affirms that the law does not actually protect people with preexisting conditions."

Organizations also weighed in

• American Medical Association President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. : "Today’s decision is an unfortunate step backward for our health system that is contrary to overwhelming public sentiment to preserve pre-existing condition protections and other policies that have extended health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. It will destabilize health insurance coverage by rolling back federal policy to 2009. No one wants to go back to the days of 20 percent of the population uninsured and fewer patient protections, but this decision will move us in that direction."
• Joint statement from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and National Multiple Sclerosis Society: "This decision threatens to resurrect barriers to health care for people with serious illnesses including cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes and those with neurological conditions. If the ruling stands, anyone with a pre-existing condition could be charged more for health coverage or denied access to coverage altogether. Health plans would no longer be required to offer essential benefits necessary to prevent and treat a serious condition and could once again impose arbitrary annual and lifetime limits on coverage. Invalidating the law also would jeopardize the federal tax credits that make health insurance affordable for more than 8 million Americans, threatening their access to critical health coverage."
• Think tank FreedomWorks:"Although Republicans in Congress have failed to repeal Obamacare in its entirety, this ruling has proven that their action to repeal the individual mandate in last year’s tax reform legislation was a consequential move. FreedomWorks agrees with the Judge O’Connor’s ruling that Obamacare is unconstitutional."
• Heritage Action Executive Director Time Chapman:"Americans should not fall for the tired myth from Democrats that only Obamacare protects pre-existing conditions. If Congress returns control of health care back to the states, it will give more Americans, even those with pre-existing conditions, greater access to affordable health care."

The deadline to enroll for coverage on Healthcare.gov is Saturday, December 15.

SEE ALSO: A federal judge just ruled that Obamacare is unconstitutional, threatening healthcare chaos

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NOW WATCH: Drinking too much water could be surprisingly hazardous to your health

• GM has begun to notify hourly workers of layoffs at five plants in the US and Canada.
• The carmaker has 2,700 positions available at other facilities.
• GM is also providing severance and services to salaried employees facing layoffs or voluntary buyouts.

Last month, General Motors announced that it intended to idle five US and Canadian factories amid a shift in the auto industry away from passenger cars toward SUVs.

The carmaker has begun to notify the federal government of its layoff plans for the plants that won't have "allocated" production — in other words, no new vehicles or parts to build once current production at the facilities in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, and Canada winds down.

According to GM, a total of 2,800 hourly employees are affected. Of these, the automaker said in a statement, 1,100 have expressed interest in relocating to plants where GM needs more labor. 

Read more:GM will stop building cars at 3 North American factories and cut its salaried workforce by 15% in 2019 as it shifts to electric and self-driving cars

"Strong US and Canadian economies enable us to provide these opportunities now as we position General Motors for long-term success,” GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

"Our focus remains on providing interested employees options to transition including job opportunities at other GM plants," Barra continued. "We remain committed to working with local government officials, our unions and each individual to find appropriate opportunities for them."

GM has 2,700 positions available at factories in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. 

The company also wants to shed thousands of salaried and contract staff — 15% altogether. Similar opportunities to relocate are being offered to them, as well as severance allocations and job-training services, GM said.

Business has been good in the auto industry for the past three years, as the US market has posted record sales. But GM has been weighed down by factories that have been running well below capacity as consumer preferences have realigned to favor crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks.

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The way incumbent banks onboard and verify the identities of their customers online is inconvenient and insecure, resulting in lowered customer satisfaction and loyalty, and security breaches leading to compensation payouts and legal costs.

It’s a lose-lose situation, as consumers become disgruntled and banks lose business. The problem stems from the very strict verification standards and high noncompliance fines that banks are subject to, which have led them to prioritize stringency over user experience in verification. At the same time, this approach doesn't gain banks much, since the verification methods they use to remain compliant can actually end up compromising customers' personal data.

But banks can't afford to prioritize stringent verification at the cost of user experience anymore. Onboarding and verification standards are increasingly being set by more tech-savvy players within and outside their industry, like fintechs and e-retailers. If banks want to keep customers loyal, they have to start innovating in this area. The trick is to streamline verification for clients without compromising accuracy. If banks manage to do this, the result will be happier and more loyal customers; higher client retention and revenue; and less spending on redundant checks, compensation for breaches, and regulatory fines.

The long-term opportunity such innovation presents is even bigger. Banks are already experts in vouching for people’s identities, and because they’re held to such tight verification standards, their testimonies are universally trusted. So, if banks figure out how to successfully digitize customer identification, this could help them not only boost revenue and cut costs, but secure a place for themselves in an emerging platform economy, where online identities will be key to carrying out transactions. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• The strict verification standards that banks are held to have led them to create onboarding and login processes that are painful for clients. Plus, the verification methods they use to remain compliant can actually end up putting customers' personal data at risk. This leaves banks with dented customer satisfaction, as well as security breaches and legal costs.
• Several factors are now pushing banks to attempt to remedy the situation, including a tougher regulatory environment and increasing competition from agile startups and tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Facebook, where speedy onboarding and intuitive service is a given.
• The trick is to streamline verification for clients without compromising accuracy, something several emerging technologies promise to deliver, including biometrics, optical character recognition (OCR) technology, cryptography, secure video links, and blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT). 
• The long-term opportunity such innovation presents is even bigger. Banks are already experts in vouching for people’s identities, so if they were to figure out how to successfully digitize customer identification, this could help them secure a valued place, and relevance, in a modernizing economy.

In full, the report:

• Looks at why identity verification is so integral to banking, and why it's becoming a problem for banks.
• Outlines the biggest drivers pushing banks to revamp their verification methods.
• Gives an overview of the technologies, both new and established but repurposed, that are enabling banks to bring their verification methods into the digital age.
• Discusses what next steps have to happen to bring about meaningful change in the identity verification space, and how banks can capitalize on their existing strengths to make such shifts happen.

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The proliferation of e-commerce has transformed free shipping and same-day delivery from perks to table stakes — and retailers are paying the price. With daily parcel volumes surging and customers increasingly unlikely to foot the bill, companies have been tasked with finding new ways to offer speedy shipments without eating costs.

Among the most popular strategies is crowdsourced delivery, the Uber model helping online shops solve the most expensive part of shipping: the last mile problem. Like Uber and other ride hailing apps, a number of crowdsourced delivery solutions have been cropping up over the past few years to ease these pains by connecting customers directly with local couriers. And it’s not just startups either; Amazon, the world's undisputed e-commerce leader, is investing big in crowdsourcing deliveries.

How much does Amazon spend on shipping?

“Free shipping” comes at a high cost. According to Amazon’s 2017 annual report, the company spent $21.7 billion in shipping last year — a number that includes sortation, delivery center, and transportation costs. This is nearly double the $11.5 billion it spent on shipping in 2015. And as the expectation of free, same-day delivery becomes the standard for online consumers, even giants like Amazon need to seek alternative solutions.

The crowdsourcing solution to the last mile problem

The last mile of delivery is the most expensive and time-consuming part of fulfillment for retailers and their logistics partners, comprising 53% of the overall cost of shipment. Crowdsourcing takes the onus off of companies, instead connecting customers directly with local couriers to expedite deliveries and cut down on costs.

The crowdsourcing model is already popular among meal and grocery delivery and, seeing the success of startups like Uber, Airbnb, and GrubHub, e-commerce retailers are now eyeing it to fulfill their online orders. As a result, general use crowdsourced delivery companies have emerged to meet this need.

Here’s a look at how three companies - Amazon Flex, Hitch, and Deliv - are trying their hand in the shipping industry — and what’s coming up next.

Amazon Flex - Deliver with Amazon

Launched in 2015 and piloted in Seattle, Amazon Flex lets customers order and receive packages through its on-demand delivery service, Prime Now, which guarantees free one- and two-hour deliveries. For Prime customers with already high expectations for prompt delivery, not much changes; the service primarily markets itself as a side gig for couriers.

For the most part, the app is only open to people who have cars (except in select regions allowing commercial bicycles), so those who want to make deliveries on bike or foot might have to look elsewhere. The service is particularly attractive to rideshare drivers who may want to make extra money without having strangers or potentially disruptive passengers in their cars. Anyone 21 or older with a smartphone, car, and valid driver’s license can log into the app and schedule their availability to start making deliveries.

Shipments can originate at an Amazon location, store, or restaurant. Drivers use their smartphone camera and GPS to scan packages and get turn-by-turn directions to their destinations. As long as they deliver the package within the allotted time frame, couriers make $18-25 an hour — all through a cashless transfer to their digital wallet on the app.

Learn more about Amazon Flex.

Hitch - Crowdsourced Delivery

Founded in 2014, Tampa-based startup Hitch gives consumers, “the choice to be Shippers, Travelers, or both.” The platform touts “turning your commute into cash” by pairing up shippers (the people placing the orders) with travelers (the local couriers) who are already heading in the direction of the delivery.

Users create profiles on the app to join the socially vetted community, where they can then rate one another and verify their accounts by adding bank account information. Shippers put out requests to have packages delivered, and Travelers can input travel information to see if there are any available deliveries along their route.

The app uses GPS to find the quickest route and provide tracking, as well as camera functionality to show proof of delivery. All payments are exchanged through Hitch’s third-party payment processing partner, Stripe.

Learn more about Hitch.

Deliv - Same-Day Delivery

Deliv is a general use last mile solution offering same-day service to over 4,000 omnichannel businesses in 35 cities across the country. Some of its biggest partners include Macy’s, Best Buy, Walmart, and IBM.

Rather than just fulfilling ad hoc deliveries for consumers, Deliv seeks to be a long-term business partner solving companies’ last mile problem — evidenced by its breakdown into Deliv Small Business, Deliv Enterprise, and Deliv Fresh for groceries. It offers SLAs, performance metrics, and integrations into business’ online checkout processes.

And the company is growing. In February, 2018, it launched Deliv Rx to extend these same-day services to patients, doctors, pharmacies, hospitals, labs, and clinics. Deliveries can include things like prescriptions, x-rays, medical equipment, documents, and even pet medicine.

Learn more about Deliv.

Growth & Future of Crowdsource Shipping

Want to learn more? The Crowdsourced Delivery Report from Business Insider Intelligence examines the rise of the crowdsourcing model in the last mile delivery space.

In this report, we detail the top use cases for crowdsourced deliveries, as well as the benefits and challenges of using this model for delivering online orders. We also provide insights into how to optimize crowdsourced deliveries for e-commerce and, lastly, we explain the long-term potential of startups appearing in the crowdsourced delivery space as automation plays a bigger role.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Retailers are looking for ways to deliver goods faster to consumers' doorsteps to stave off Amazon's threat and meet customer expectations.
• To accomplish that, retailers and delivery providers are zeroing in on the "last mile" of fulfillment, the most expensive and time-consuming part of the delivery process, which is when a package reaches the customer's address.
• Startups like Postmates, Instacart, and others are looking to disrupt the last mile delivery space by leveraging the "Uber model," and connecting businesses to non-professional couriers who can deliver goods instantly.
• Crowdsourcing can drastically speed up deliveries in urban areas, where there is a high density of deliveries and potential couriers to be matched.
• However, as delivery volumes increase, crowdsourced delivery startups will need to further optimize their deliveries to improve cost efficiencies.
• Many of the deliveries these startups perform today will likely be automated in the future, raising the possibility that these startups may eventually look to incorporate new technologies like delivery drones or self-driving delivery vehicles.

In full, the report:

• Details the factors driving investment and growth in crowdsourced delivery startups.
• Examines the benefits and drawbacks of using crowdsourcing to deliver online orders.
• Explains how crowdsourced delivery startups can improve their cost efficiencies to tackle greater delivery volumes.
• Explores the role that crowdsourcing will play in the future of delivery once automated delivery options, like drones and robots, arrive.

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• In 2016, Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump's acting White House chief of staff, called then-presidential candidate Donald Trump "flawed" and said he was going to support him despite "the fact that I think he's a terrible human being."
• The comments were made six days before the 2016 presidential election.

Footage of comments made by Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump's pick for acting White House chief of staff, began circulating on the internet hours after the Office of Management and Budget director was selected to serve on an interim basis.

Six days before the 2016 presidential election, the former Republican representative debated against his Democratic opponent, Fran Person, for the state's 5th Congressional District in York, South Carolina, according to The State. Mulvaney addressed the crowd of around 80 people and appeared to be dissatisfied with presidential candidates from both parties.

"We have perhaps two of the most flawed human beings running for president in the history of the country," Mulvaney said of then-candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, in video footage found by The Daily Beast and The State. "Yes, I am supporting Donald Trump. I'm doing so as enthusiastically as I can given the fact that I think he's a terrible human being."

Mulvaney won the district with 59.2% of the vote, compared to Person's 38.7%. 

Trump won the district with 58.4% of the vote, compared to Clinton's 36.4%.

In February 2017, he was confirmed by the Senate to lead the OMB; later in 2017 he was also appointed acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

SEE ALSO: Trump reportedly grew frustrated no one wanted to be his chief of staff before settling on Mick Mulvaney

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

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Automakers are on the verge of a prolonged period of rapid change to the way they do business, thanks to the combined disruptive forces of growing on-demand mobility services and self-driving cars, which will start to come to market in the next couple of years.

By the end of 2019, Google spinoff Waymo, Uber, and GM all plan to have fleets of autonomous cars deployed in various US cities to provide on-demand rides for passengers. By eliminating the cost of the driver, these rides are expected to be far cheaper than typical Uber or Lyft rides, and even cheaper than owning a car for personal transportation.

Many industry experts are predicting that such cheap on-demand autonomous rides service will result in a long-term decline in car ownership rates — PwC predicts that the total number of cars on the road in the US and EU will drop from 556 million last year to 416 million in 2030.

This decline in car ownership represents an enormous threat to automakers’ traditional business models, forcing them to find alternative revenue sources. Many of these automakers, including GM, Ford, and Daimler, have plans to launch their own on-demand ride-hailing services with fleets of self-driving cars they will manufacture, potentially giving them a new stream of recurring revenue. This could set them up to take a sizeable share of a market that is expected to be worth trillions by 2030.

However, competing in the on-demand mobility market will pit legacy automakers against ride-hailing services from startups and tech giants that have far greater experience in acquiring and engaging consumers through digital channels. To succeed in what will likely be a hyper-competitive market for urban ride-hailing, automakers will have to foster new skill sets in their organizations, and transform from companies that primarily produce vehicles to ones that also manage vehicle fleets and customer relationships.

That will entail competing with startups and tech giants for software development and data science talent, as well as reforming innovation processes to keep pace with digital trendsetters. Automakers will also need to create unique mobile app and in-car experiences to lure customers. Finally, these automakers will face many overall barriers in the market, including convincing consumers that self-driving cars are safe, and dealing with a complex and evolving regulatory landscape.

In a new report, Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, delves into the future of the on-demand mobility space, focusing on how automakers will use fleets of self-driving vehicles to break into an emerging industry that's been dominated thus far by startups like Uber and Lyft. We examine how the advent of autonomous vehicles will reshape urban transportation, and the impact it will have on traditional automakers. We then detail how automakers can leverage their core strengths to create new revenue sources with autonomous mobility services, and explore the key areas they'll need to gain new skills and capabilities in to compete with mobility startups and tech giants that are also eyeing this opportunity. 

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• The low cost of autonomous taxis will eventually lead car ownership rates among urban consumers to decline sharply, putting automakers’ traditional business models at risk.
• Many automakers plan to launch their own autonomous ride-hailing services with the self-driving cars they're developing to replace losses from declining car sales, putting them in direct competition with mobility startups and tech giants looking to launch similar services.
• Additionally, automakers plan to maximize utilization of their autonomous on-demand vehicles by performing last-mile deliveries, which will force them to compete with a variety of players in the parcel logistics industry.
• Regulatory pressures could also push automakers to consider alternative mobility services besides on-demand taxis, such as autonomous on-demand shuttle or bus services.
• Providing these types of services will force automakers to make drastic changes to their organizations to acquire new talent and skills, and not all automakers will succeed at that.

In full, the report:

• Forecasts the growth of autonomous on-demand ride-hailing services in the US.
• Examines the cost benefits of such services for consumers, and how they will reshape consumers’ transportation habits.
• Details the different avenues for automakers to monetize the growth of autonomous ride-hailing.
• Provides an overview of the various challenges that all players in the self-driving car space will need to overcome to monetize their investments in these new technologies in the coming years.
• Explains the key factors that will be critical for automakers to succeed in this emerging market.
• Offers examples of how automakers can differentiate their apps and services from competitors’.

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Trucking is set to transform radically in the coming years, with innovative technologies enabling trucks to take over more and more driving responsibilities, saving time and money for operators and businesses that rely on shipping.

Autonomous trucks are being tested on roads around the world, and systems from startups like Peloton and Embark could make their way into commercial trucks as soon as next year. Fleets will be able to leverage autonomous technologies to cut costs and gain a critical edge over competitors.

But to start planning for, and to eventually implement, those technologies, companies need to know what sorts of systems will be ready and when, and what regulatory hurdles will need to be overcome to get autonomous trucks on the road. 

In The Autonomous Trucking Report, Business Insider Intelligence provides an early glimpse into the emerging autonomous trucking market. First, we look at the trucking market as it stands today, offering a basic profile of the industry and highlighting a number of the challenges and issues it faces. Then, we go through the three waves of autonomous technology that are set to upend the industry — platooning, semi-autonomous systems, and fully autonomous trucks — looking at who is making strides in each of these areas, when the technology can be expected to start making an impact, and what companies can do to get ahead of the curve.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Advanced and autonomous technology will enable operators and shipping firms to eradicate some of the challenges that have long plagued them. Trucks will take over more and more driving responsibilities, saving time and money for operators and businesses that rely on shipping.
• The impact of autonomous technologies on the trucking industry will come in three major waves: platooning or fuel-saving vehicle convoys, semi-autonomous highway control systems, and fully autonomous trucks.
• Change to the trucking industry will be gradual but inexorable. Companies with foresight can start to make long-term plans to account for the ways that autonomous technologies will change how goods and products move from place to place.

In full, the report:

• Analyzes the development of autonomous trucking technology.
• Explains the waves in which advanced and autonomous technologies will start to impact the trucking industry, providing detailed explanations of how a company can take advantage of the disruptive technology transforming logistics at each stage.
• Profiles the efforts of the companies that are at the forefront of new technology in trucking, looking at what they're working on and when their efforts could start to impact the market.

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• Juul told its employees on Dec. 11 that California-based employees can no longer vape at their desks, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
• The company, based in San Francisco, is enforcing a 2016 California law in which e-cigarettes are banned in the workplace.
• Juul will erect a tent outside of its San Francisco headquarters for vaping. 

Employees at Juul Labs Inc. have created the buzziest e-cigarette on the market. There's no other vape that's also a verb — "juuling."

But now, the employees of Juul can no longer use their company's insanely popular (and insanely controversial) product while working. On Tuesday, chief executive Kevin Burns emailed Juul's staff of around 800 that Juuling at work is no longer allowed, the Wall Street Journal wrote in an article on Friday.

The company, based in San Francisco, is enforcing a 2016 California law in which e-cigarettes are banned in the workplace.

"It may feel nonsensical to prohibit at-work use of the very products we work hard to create and promote," Chief Executive Kevin Burns emailed staff, according to the Journal. "But the bottom line is we need to comply with legal requirements the same as any company."

Read more: Silicon Valley e-cig startup Juul 'threw a really great party' to launch its devices, which experts say deliberately targeted youth

Previously, Juuling was a-okay throughout the office. "Nonstop, in the open, and in virtually every meeting," a current employee told the Journal, "in all parts of the building."

Instead, Juul employees will have to take to a tent that will be erected outside of the headquarters, the Journal reported. Burns wrote in his email that he would explore options for employees at Juul's other locations. 

But while Juul has banned vaping in its own offices, workplace e-cigarette usage has become something of a cultural phenomenon, the Journal wrote.

Some workers who vape do it discretely.

Others are more explicit.

Now, Juul employees will have to take their vape out in the open air.

Read the entire Wall Street Journal report here. 

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NOW WATCH: Meet the 24-year-old who's the youngest female broker in the New York Stock Exchange

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Coffee drinkers are a diverse lot, and if you're going to buy a gift for one of them, you better have the who's who down pat.

There's, of course, the quintessential café brooder, who might need a little pick-me-up. Maybe a chocolate to go along with the dreary cup of black coffee that's always glued to their hand. Or how about the peppy aerobic workout-obsessed early riser? They could probably stand to have a French press in their on-the-go life. The do-it-yourself artisan might fancy a cold brew kit for the home. And so on.

Whatever the temperament of your oh-so-temperamental coffee lover(s), you'll be sorted out below with these 22 fun and useful gifts for coffee lovers.

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

SEE ALSO: 15 fun and unique gifts for tea lovers to spread holiday cheer

DON'T MISS: 15 thoughtful gifts for book lovers to satisfy the bookworm on your list

A paired coffee and chocolate gift box

Bean Box's Deluxe Coffee & Chocolate Gift Box, available at Amazon, $68

Fresh coffee beans paired with fresh chocolate is nothing short of divine, and if the recipient of this trove can't appreciate it, their soul is surely black as coal — which is probably what you should gift them next year.

Read our guide to the best chocolate you can buy online here.

A guide to help them make better coffee

How to Make Coffee: The Science Behind the Bean, available at Amazon, $15.35

Because we could all use a few pointers on our morning cuppa. 

A mokka espresso pot

Bialetti Mokka Espresso Pot (3-cup), available at Amazon, $29.95

This should be a staple in every household. Easy, rich, and oh so crema-y when done right. Also, consider the Bialetti Express Set for two ($44.69).

Check out our full guide to stovetop espresso makers here.

• Voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa, Google's Assistant, Apple's Siri, and Microsoft's Cortana, are pegged to trigger a widespread transformation across the retail industry in the years to come.
• The current interest in, and adoption of, voice assistants for commerce is being driven by recent technological breakthroughs, advantages of the tech over existing channels, and the development of voice apps.
• As consumer demand for voice technology mounts, brands offering this functionality throughout the entire customer journey stand to gain in three key ways.

Not too long ago, if your friend had a smart speaker like Amazon’s Alexa or Google's Assistant in their living room, it seemed like a rare novelty. Within a matter of months, however, smart speakers have started becominghousehold staples — and they’re still only at a fraction of their growth potential.

One of the biggest drivers of adoption has been increased functionality. Smart speakers aren’t just changing the music and turning on the lights; they’re helping consumers find new products and make purchases — and they’re quickly becoming a preferred method of shopping.

In fact, nearly a quarter of consumers globally already prefer using a voice assistant over going to a company website or mobile app to shop. This share will jump to 40% by 2021, according to Capgemini.

Consumers are on board with the prompt, convenient nature of shopping with smart speakers — and brands who join them stand to reap massive rewards. The Voice in Retail Report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, highlights the value voice brings to the shopping funnel and how retailers can implement it throughout the customer journey.

Here are three ways brands can capture consumers with voice technology:

• Driving product purchases: Voice assistants make spending faster and easier when consumers are unable to use their hands. The ability to make a purchase on any channel and the addition of personalized, intelligent elements to the shopping experience are simplifying the transition from product discovery to product purchase.
• Heightening customer loyalty: Brands can leverage voice assistants in the post-purchase phase to track delivery status, automate part of the return process, interact with customer service, offer feedback, and collect consumer behavioral and transactional data.
• Shifting consumers’ spending behaviors: Smart device ownership has a snowball effect, so as the smart device ecosystem reaches the mainstream, consumers will flock to connected cars, smart home devices and appliances, and connected virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) headsets.

Want to Learn More?

Shoppers are interested in using voice assistants for every stage of the customer journey, from initial product search and discovery to post-purchase customer service and delivery status. And retailers that take advantage of consumers’ desire to leverage voice will be in a stronger position to heighten customer engagement, increase conversion times, drive sales, and boost operational efficiency.

The Voice in Retail Report from Business Insider Intelligence examines the trends driving the adoption of voice commerce, details the role of voice throughout the customer shopping journey, outlines how brands can benefit from implementing voice in their strategies, and explores what's ahead for the technology in retail.

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