Energy startups have been using blockchain to power electricity sharing in microgrid trials from Texas to Tasmania for a year or so.

Joseph Selle, IBM's executive in charge of cognitive transformation and operations, is among technology experts who believe artificial intelligence is applicable not only across the supply chain but throughout every department and function in a company.

Logistics providers have been relatively slow in embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning. Now, the technology is finally beginning to have an impact on key business decisions throughout the industry.

Imagine being able to know not only where everything is exactly, but its condition, and what has happened to it along the way. The implications are enormous — temperature can be monitored and adjusted en route, unexpected delays can be determined and corrected, and deliveries to the wrong location can be found and quickly corrected. A much more efficient supply chain is on the way.

Gartner, Inc. forecasts worldwide enterprise security spending to total $96.3bn in 2018, an increase of 8 percent from 2017. Organizations are spending more on security as a result of regulations, shifting buyer mindset, awareness of emerging threats and the evolution to a digital business strategy.