The “digital world” of telework and remote learning is more important during the pandemic, but 98% of websites have “critical accessibility barriers,” said AudioEye Executive Chairman Carr Bettis on a quarterly call Thursday. The company markets website accessibility tools for the vision-impaired. Though demand “remains very strong,” COVID-19 is impacting customers and prospects “across all our channels,” said Bettis. New business deals are being “delayed a little,” and AudioEye imposed “more flexible pricing and other options," he said. The “marginal” decrease in renewals is from factors “out of our control, such as bankruptcy proceedings or outright business closures,” he said. The pandemic is impacting businesses worldwide, “even more so” in Q2, Bettis said. “It's going to be reasonable to expect some impact on AudioEye's financial and operating performance.” The company also reshuffled management (see personals section, this issue).

Six gateway providers complied “within 48 hours” of receiving letters from the FCC and FTC in April and May demanding they cut traffic allowing COVID-19-related scam robocalls originating outside the country into the U.S. (see 2005200053), FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in letters to Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Tom Carper, D-Del., released Thursday. Hassan and Carper wrote in June urging the FCC, DOJ and IRS to “aggressively” crack down (see 2006260067). The USTelecom Industry Traceback Group confirms Connexum, IntelePeer Cloud Communications, PTGi International Carrier Services, RSCom, SipJoin and VoIP Terminator/BL “continue to be in compliance,” Pai said. “We will continue to monitor these and other gateway providers to stop illegal international robocalls before they reach consumers.” Those efforts “could be one reason that there has been a notable decrease in robocall complaints filed both at the FCC and FTC in recent months,” he said. He said the FTC reports robocall complaints decreased 68% in April 2020 from April 2019, with a 60% drop in complaints in May. Pai noted the senators’ concerns about DOJ’s recent inability to collect more than a token amount of FCC-levied fines against robocallers, saying the commission lacks "authority to force entities to pay the fines levied in a Forfeiture Order. When an entity does not pay, we must refer the case to the Justice Department for collection."

CTA’s Tech Tracker survey found 17% of U.S. homes canvassed Aug. 7-9 bought laptops that week, “as many families prepare to go back to school remotely,” said the association Thursday. That’s the highest percentage of laptop purchases recorded since CTA launched the biweekly tech-use survey at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, it said. “For many, going back to school in person isn’t an option,” said CTA Director-Research Lesley Rohrbaugh. The “collaboration” that technology enables “will be crucial for remote learning and social connection,” she said. High demand for telework and remote-learning connectivity tools sent Q2 laptop and tablet imports soaring by triple digits from Q1 (see 2008090002).

The Conference Board’s CEO confidence index had a 1-point uptick in Q3 to 45 points from the second quarter, it reported Thursday. A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses. The board compiled the index in collaboration with The Business Council. About 38% of the CEOs canvassed expect to trim their workforces in the next 12 months, the survey found. With “uncertain economic conditions likely to persist,” more than a third also don't foresee raising pay in the next year, but 37% expressed little worry in attracting qualified talent, said the board: “Without substantial containment of COVID-19, widespread uncertainty will continue being the dominant cloud hanging over America’s CEO community.” CEOs remained pessimistic about current economic conditions, “though to a lesser extent than in the second quarter,” said the board. Nearly 90% said conditions were worse compared with six months earlier, down from 100% who said so in Q2. Only 8% said economic conditions were better. About three-quarters said conditions in their own industries were worse compared with six months earlier, down from 82% last quarter. About 17% said conditions were better in their own industries, up from 10% in Q2.

In Webex, Cisco has “the most trusted secure platform for remote collaboration for the enterprise,” said CEO Chuck Robbins on a fiscal Q4 investor call Wednesday. Webex had double-digit growth in the quarter, “as businesses, governments, educators and front-line workers everywhere have embraced remote work,” he said. “We expect this momentum to continue, as we have begun to see the conversion of free trials into paid subscriptions.” Many Cisco customers are delaying their purchasing decisions in certain areas, “while increasing spend in others until they have greater visibility and clarity on the timing and shape of the global economic recovery,” said Robbins. The COVID-19 pandemic has “triggered a massive and rapid shift to remote operations and automation to maximize personal safety.” The stock closed 11.2% lower Thursday at $42.72.

Local advertising spending in 2020 likely will be about $140.4 billion instead of the previously forecast $143.3 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic's economic fallout, BIA Advisory Services said Wednesday. That would be a 6.1% decline from 2019 spending, it said. Broadcast TV and radio advertising projections of $27.9 billion are down $500 million from its previous forecast, it said, while mobile advertising will likely total $24.3 billion, also a $500 million decline, and its online/interactive advertising projection is down $300 million to $20.6 billion, it said.

Starting this week, visitors to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit must have their temperature taken using a contactless temperature kiosk at the 3rd Street NW entrance, the federal court said Tuesday. It said anyone with a fever of 100.1 or higher won't be allowed entry.

COVID-19 forced Mozilla into a restructuring that will eliminate 250 jobs, including the shutdown of operations in Taiwan, said CEO Mitchell Baker in a memo to employees Tuesday. Mozilla’s pre-pandemic plan for 2020 was “a year of change” by speeding the infusion of more “product value” in Firefox and “adjusting our finances to ensure financial stability over the long term,” she said. The pandemic “accelerated the need and magnified the depth for these changes,” said Baker. “Our pre-COVID plan is no longer workable. We have talked about the need for change -- including the likelihood of layoffs -- since the spring. Today these changes become real.” Mozilla’s “new focus” will be on product, technology, community and economics, blogged Baker: “Recognizing that the old model where everything was free has consequences, means we must explore a range of different business opportunities and alternate value exchanges.”

COVID-19 forced CTA to scrap New York’s Rainbow Room as the venue for its annual Consumer Tech Hall of Fame dinner in early November, emailed Cindy Stevens, senior director-publications. CTA “is currently planning to move ahead with the Hall of Fame dinner at this time but we are tracking the situation in NY closely,” she said Tuesday. “We plan to host it at the Metropolitan Pavilion with CES Unveiled to be held earlier in the day, and the dinner that evening.” CTA’s online calendar lists both events as “not yet announced.” New York state is in phase IV of its reopening plan, with social gatherings limited to groups of 50 people. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) continues to bar indoor dining at New York City restaurants. CTA canceled CES 2020 as a physical show, announcing July 28 it will hold it as an all-digital event in early January (see 2007280034).

Though COVID-19 is obliterating virtually all physical trade shows on the calendar, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) is forging ahead with its Certified in Exhibition Management credentials program and plans to convene the instructional CEM Week as a virtual event Aug. 24-28. “Earning your CEM designation sets you apart from others by showing that you have the academic and practical knowledge to efficiently and successfully produce exhibitions,” emailed IAEE Monday. “Now more than ever, it is crucial for you to stand out in the field of exhibitions management. Employers are looking for professionals that will get them quickly back on track when face-to-face events are back in full force.” COVID-19 forced the cancellation of physical CEM conferences in Baltimore and Austin, so IAEE is combining them in a single virtual event. By taking 10 classes over five days with five exams, participants will meet five of the nine criteria required to earn a “globally recognized” CEM credential, it said. IAEE said it created the CEM designation 45 years ago “to raise professional standards in the event industry and it continues to be the premier mark of professional achievement.”