Cortera has launched a B2B Purchase Insights offering, enabling sales, marketing and finance executives to better research and understand their customers, prospects and suppliers.

Emcien Corp. has released a new version of EmcienPatterns, its application for analyzing customer buying patterns by retailers, distributors and consumer packaged goods manufacturers.

Epicor Software Corp. has formed a new alliance with Tour de Force CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Inc.

Cheetah Software Systems Inc. has teamed up with Efreightsolutions to offer customers an integrated logistics intelligence application.

JustEnough Software, a specialist in demand-management applications for retailers, distributors and brand owners, has released a new version of its app for mobile sales force automation. JustEnough Mobile is available on the Apple iPad.

No organization can avoid coming to grips with the rapidly evolving behavior of consumers and business customers. They check prices at a keystroke and are increasingly selective about which brands share their lives. They form impressions from every encounter and post withering online reviews. These changes present significant organizational challenges, as well as opportunities. The biggest is that all of us have become marketers: the critical moments of interaction, or touch points, between companies and customers are increasingly spread across different parts of the organization, so customer engagement is now everyone's responsibility.

How much is that doggie in the window? For internet users, the answer may soon be, "It depends on who you are, and how much I know about you." And this trend may upset a host of laws concerning deceptive trade practices, fair pricing and even contract, trespass and computer crime laws.