Channels

Wurls CTV Trends Report highlights why free streaming channels are becoming an increasingly important part of any media mix. Key findings from the report include: More households are tuning in and watching longer: The number of monthly active households watching free, ad-supported channels grew 12% year-over-year, while average daily hours of viewing per household climbed 16%, producing a 29% increase in total viewing time across platforms. Deeper engagement: Viewers are not only watching more but they’re also staying more engaged. Average channel session duration increased 25%, and viewers are also exploring more channels than they did a year ago. Genre diversity offers reach and precision: Reality, Drama, and Documentary dominate viewership, while News maintains a steady share and spikes during major events like last year’s election. Premium inventory remains available: As audiences continue to shift and watch more free streaming channels, advertisers have not yet fully caught up. Ad fill rates are still lower than in previous years – signaling there is untapped opportunity in a market that’s moving in the right direction.

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TD Securities launched an AI virtual assistant in June that lets traders query the bank’s own equity research, and the early results look positive. “It’s a massive time save,” Dan Bosman, chief information officer at TD Securities, told American Banker. “It’s not unusual for people in the capital markets group to receive ten 20-page PDFs simultaneously in their email inbox. “Even if you’re the fastest reader and you’re really skim reading, you have to take that first 30 minutes in the day to pore over that before you can make your first call,” Bosman said. “Now with the tool, you’re able to get those insights and make those calls within minutes, as opposed to waiting half an hour.” Some people will still read the actual reports when they have time, he said. “The real need is, we put out so much content and folks on a trade floor are constantly bombarded with news and signals,” Bosman said. “Part of what we do is try to reduce that signal-to-noise ratio, getting the right signals to our sales traders and ultimately out to our clients as quickly as possible.” In the broader picture, this initiative is one of many at TD Bank Group, whose CEO Raymond Chun has set ambitious goals for AI at the firm. “Across TD, we’re deploying the capabilities needed to drive speed, such as AI-powered virtual assistants, AI-enabled adjudication, predictive tools and new applications,” Chun said at a recent investor day. “These new capabilities are already driving strong outcomes. We’re approving mortgages in hours instead of days. We’re pre-approving credit cards with data-driven insights for millions of clients. We’re producing reports in minutes versus hours or days, and we’re responding to clients in just a few seconds, significantly shortening call and wait times.” The bank is aiming to get $1 billion in annual value from AI, half through revenue increases and half through cost savings. TD now has 2,500 data scientists, engineers, data analysts and experts building proprietary platforms and applications. “This is huge,” Chun said. “AI is fast becoming fundamental to business and to client experience.” Elsewhere in TD Securities, Bosman’s team has given software developers coding assistants. “A year ago, folks were saying, we need this, and now seeing it’s being woven into their careers and what they’re doing,” he said.

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Walmart  has opened the first of 10 planned “Auto Care Centers of the Future” locations at a supercenter store in Fayettevile, Ark. Walmart aims to modernize its auto services with the new model, which features a contactless service model that lets customers schedule, check in and track their car’s progress through the company’s app. “We’ve built Auto Care Centers around value and convenience,” said Corey Bender, senior VP, hardlines, Walmart U.S. “By adding new technology, we’re giving customers the same trusted service — now with a seamless experience that fits their lifestyles.” Walmart has opened Auto Care Centers in 2,582 supercenters across the U.S. The centers have expanded their service offerings and auto assortment over time, including tire services and oil changes. Here’s how the new model works: •Customers sign into the Walmart app, navigate to “services,” click “auto services” and schedule their service.  •At their appointment time, customers pull into a parking spot near the auto care center and check in on the app. They enter the center, follow the instructions in the app to unlock an assigned locker and drop the keys into a locker. •Live updates of a car’s progress are available through the app. Customers are notified to pick up their keys and pay once their vehicle is ready.

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Salesforce Inc. is imbuing its 16-year-old Service Cloud with artificial intelligence agents in a new suite designed to deliver what executives described as a “conversation-first, agent-first” experience. The new cloud application provides an agentic IT service desk with the ability to answer common questions, generate service tickets and even remotely diagnose and repair some problems. All functions are compatible with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a global framework of best practices for IT service delivery. Multiple AI agents can work together as subject-matter experts to support employees and IT teams in resolving complex problems. Connectors, integrations and workflows help integrate with an organization’s existing IT portfolio. Salesforce said its Agentforce IT Service reimagines support around a conversational interface and delivery through the applications employees prefer. Instead of submitting tickets and waiting for responses, employees can ask questions such as whether they qualify for a laptop upgrade. The system automatically checks individual profiles and company policies to provide tailored answers without IT intervention. The platform also takes a proactive approach to managing some problems. During widespread issues, such as an email server outage, Agentforce can alert affected employees, deliver live status updates and track incidents through to resolution. For complex or sensitive situations, Agentforce can route requests to IT personnel along with relevant context and diagnostic insights. Salesforce said these capabilities together move IT support from a reactive, ticket-based model to a conversational, predictive and collaborative approach.

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Salesforce Inc. is imbuing its 16-year-old Service Cloud with artificial intelligence agents in a new suite designed to deliver what executives described as a “conversation-first, agent-first” experience. The new cloud application provides an agentic IT service desk with the ability to answer common questions, generate service tickets and even remotely diagnose and repair some problems. All functions are compatible with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a global framework of best practices for IT service delivery. Multiple AI agents can work together as subject-matter experts to support employees and IT teams in resolving complex problems. Connectors, integrations and workflows help integrate with an organization’s existing IT portfolio. Salesforce said its Agentforce IT Service reimagines support around a conversational interface and delivery through the applications employees prefer. Instead of submitting tickets and waiting for responses, employees can ask questions such as whether they qualify for a laptop upgrade. The system automatically checks individual profiles and company policies to provide tailored answers without IT intervention. The platform also takes a proactive approach to managing some problems. During widespread issues, such as an email server outage, Agentforce can alert affected employees, deliver live status updates and track incidents through to resolution. For complex or sensitive situations, Agentforce can route requests to IT personnel along with relevant context and diagnostic insights. Salesforce said these capabilities together move IT support from a reactive, ticket-based model to a conversational, predictive and collaborative approach.

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Salesforce Inc. is imbuing its 16-year-old Service Cloud with artificial intelligence agents in a new suite designed to deliver what executives described as a “conversation-first, agent-first” experience. The new cloud application provides an agentic IT service desk with the ability to answer common questions, generate service tickets and even remotely diagnose and repair some problems. All functions are compatible with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, a global framework of best practices for IT service delivery. Multiple AI agents can work together as subject-matter experts to support employees and IT teams in resolving complex problems. Connectors, integrations and workflows help integrate with an organization’s existing IT portfolio. Salesforce said its Agentforce IT Service reimagines support around a conversational interface and delivery through the applications employees prefer. Instead of submitting tickets and waiting for responses, employees can ask questions such as whether they qualify for a laptop upgrade. The system automatically checks individual profiles and company policies to provide tailored answers without IT intervention. The platform also takes a proactive approach to managing some problems. During widespread issues, such as an email server outage, Agentforce can alert affected employees, deliver live status updates and track incidents through to resolution. For complex or sensitive situations, Agentforce can route requests to IT personnel along with relevant context and diagnostic insights. Salesforce said these capabilities together move IT support from a reactive, ticket-based model to a conversational, predictive and collaborative approach.

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Walmart has introduced Shortboxed, what it calls one of the largest comic book marketplaces in the industry. Shortbox offers a catalog of more than 75,000 books from thousands of sellers, including top-rated dealers and comic shops, and will feature a large portion of those on the Walmart Marketplace third-party online sales platform. Walmart Marketplace is the first marketplace where Shortboxed is selling products to customers, with security and authenticity of transactions guaranteed by Walmart.  “With the launch of Shortboxed, exclusive collaborations and an expanding collectibles marketplace, Walmart is investing in the future of fan culture,” said Michael Mosser, VP and category lead, Walmart U.S. Marketplace, said. The retailer introduced Shortboxed during the annual New York Comic Con, where it also offered limited-edition comic books created in direct collaboration with publishers including DC, Marvel, Image, and Skybound as giveaways and prizes throughout the event, only at its booth.

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FIS has integrated Glia’s AI-powered customer interaction platform into FIS’ Digital One online banking platform, enabling financial institutions to deliver a multi-channel digital interaction solution that blends AI-based service with high-touch human support for superior banking experiences. The native ecosystem integration allows AI agents to quickly respond to routine inquiries 24/7 while intelligently routing complex issues to qualified human agents, delivering reduced resolution times and personalized service that instantly adapts to individual customer needs. By embedding advanced AI capabilities into FIS’ trusted digital banking infrastructure, financial institutions can modernize customer service operations without disrupting existing systems, reaping the benefits of a virtual workforce and high-touch, personalized service. The advanced Digital One platform now delivers: Seamless transfer experience across channels: Customers enjoy consistent, context-aware interactions whether they’re using mobile applications, web platforms, or speaking with live agents, eliminating the frustration of repeating information across touch points. Faster resolution times: AI agents handle routine inquiries instantly while intelligently routing complex issues to the most qualified human agents, significantly reducing wait times and improving first-call resolution rates. 24/7 availability: Customers can access intelligent assistance around the clock, with AI agents capable of handling account inquiries, transaction support and basic financial guidance outside traditional banking hours.

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Zoom Communications,  announced that Zoom Phone, its AI-first, cloud phone system, recently surpassed 10 million seats globally, marking a major milestone in the company’s mission to modernize business communications. Zoom Phone is an AI-first cloud phone system, with AI Companion, integrated calling, SMS, and voicemail, Zoom Phone enables teams to collaborate seamlessly and deliver faster, smarter customer experiences.  Built on Zoom’s reliable, scalable, and open platform, Zoom Phone offers enterprise-grade features, flexibility, and AI-first innovation to help businesses of all sizes improve collaboration and customer engagement. “Reaching 10 million seats isn’t just a milestone for Zoom, it demonstrates that organizations across the globe are rethinking what their phone system can do for their business,” said Chris Moss, general manager of Zoom Phone. “Customers are realizing tangible value via simpler management, reduced costs, and smarter interactions powered by AI. Zoom Phone isn’t just replacing old PBXs; it’s redefining what connected, intelligent communication looks like in the modern workplace.” “The achievement of 10M phone seats in such a short period of time is remarkable, but shouldn’t come as a surprise,” said Zeus Karravala, principal analyst, ZK Research. “Moving to Zoom has been an absolute game changer,” said Brock Taffe, head of operations and events, Sydney Film Festival. “The main goal was to reduce the phone bills and, with Zoom Phone, we achieved 81% cost savings during the festival’s core period.”

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First Orion, a provider of branded communications solutions, announced the launch of ENRICH Branded Messaging. This innovative solution transforms enterprise communication by delivering secure, interactive, visually rich RCS messages with unified branding across voice and messaging channels. ENRICH Branded Messaging enhances customer engagement by elevating trust and transparency in a business’s text messaging strategies. Like First Orion’s INFORM^® Branded Calling, which displays the brand’s name and logo on voice communications, customers can now experience secure communication via the RCS messaging channel. Businesses also have a direct path to creating elevated interactions with features like buttons, images, and automated standardized interactions. Key benefits to ENRICH Branded Messaging are: Build trust with verified brand name, logo, and description of business; Increase engagement with real-time application-to-person conversational messaging; Improve security by reducing reliance on outdated SMS services.  First Orion integrations with popular CRM platforms and UCaaS solutions are happening now and will continue into early 2026. Key features of ENRICH Branded Messaging include: Cross-Platform Reach: Works on Android and supported iOS versions (iOS18.2+); Seamless Integration: Easily connect to your backend systems via API; Rich Media Content: Including carousels, images, and videos; One-Tap Verification: Streamline customer interactions with suggested replies and one-tap action; Smart Calling: Native integration with First Orion’s Call Authentication feature for branded calls originating through messaging.

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