Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced a new integration between Desk.com and SalesforceIQ that delivers smarter customer service and sales for SMBs. Now, Desk.com, the all-in-one customer service app for fast-growing companies, and SalesforceIQ for Small Business, the easy, proactive and smart sales solution that provides an intelligent way for SMBs to close more deals, are coming together to supercharge service and sales teams. Read more...

Small businesses want to stay with the one they love--their trusted community bank. But these bank customers also crave ease, efficiency, and 24/7 access. Akouba Credit (www.akoubacredit.com) is helping banks better serve their valued small business customers with customized SaaS (software as a service) platforms. Akouba Credit is giving banks a new, competitive technological edge. Read more...

Ricoh Americas Corporation today announced a new, enhanced version of RICOH Smart Presenter aimed to enable collaboration and sharing of documents, images and other information across organizations of any size for meetings. This paperless meeting solution streamlines document preparation and centralizes meeting management for improved document workflows and collaboration. Read more...

Black-owned businesses are on a roll. In 2007, African-Americans ran 7.1 percent of businesses in the United States. Five years later, that number grew to 9.4 percent—even during a recession—according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau released this September. The portion of U.S. businesses with employees led by Blacks slightly increased as well—from 1.9 percent in 2007 to 2.0 percent in 2012. Read more...