We are thrilled to announce that Perficient has been recognized in Forrester’s recent report, “The Connected Product Engineering Services Landscape, Q2 2025.” Forrester defines connected product engineering services providers as:  

“Firms that conceive, design, develop, launch, and scale new connected (or embodied) products that combine a physical product with digital applications to directly deliver new revenue for their clients.” 

We believe this acknowledgment highlights our commitment to driving innovation and delivering exceptional value to our clients through connected product engineering services. 

Access The Connected Product Engineering Services Landscape, Q2 2025 to find out more. 

Driving Connected Product Innovation Across Key Industries 

Whether it’s enabling a shift to product-as-a-service models, managing the ongoing support and monetization of field-deployed connected products, or improving workforce productivity through modern workplace technologies, we believe our strategic and management consulting expertise empowers organizations to navigate complexity and deliver meaningful outcomes. Notably, we’ve achieved success for clients in the life sciences, manufacturing, and utilities industries when it comes to connected product innovation. Our clients rely on us not only for engineering and implementation, but also for the high-value strategic work that drives connected product success. 

What Are Connected Product Engineering Services? 

From Perficient’s perspective, Connected Product Engineering Services are a comprehensive suite of offerings designed to create products that blend physical components with digital applications. These services cover the entire life cycle of product development, including: 

Conception: Ideating new connected products that meet market needs and client requirements. 

Design: Crafting designs that integrate both physical and digital elements to ensure seamless functionality and user experience. 

Development: Building and programming the product, including hardware and software integration. 

Launch: Bringing the product to market, including strategies for deployment and initial user adoption. 

Scaling: Expanding the product’s reach and capabilities to grow user bases and evolving market demands. 

The goal of connected product engineering services is to deliver products that not only function effectively but also generate new revenue streams for clients by leveraging the synergy between physical and digital technologies. Perficient’s expertise in this area runs deep and provides clients with improved data strategy, monetization, and user interfaces that ultimately instill customer trust and loyalty. 

Common Disrupters and Challenges  

With the results from Perficient’s own research, we have found that as the connected product landscape evolves, so do the challenges and disruptions organizations must navigate. One disruptor we’re seeing in the marketplace is the growing customer expectation for seamless interoperability between connected products. Namely, 50% of commercial users responded that their connected products integrated only “somewhat well” with their existing systems and infrastructure. 

Buyers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on how well new products integrate with their existing connected ecosystems. This shift is creating a strong push for increased collaboration and partnerships between OEMs to enable cross-product connectivity, such as linking garage door openers with vehicles or syncing household appliances with mobile devices. 

Another challenge is overcoming negative customer sentiment toward connected features. Some consumers view these features as unnecessary luxuries or express concerns about privacy and data security. Only 19% of consumers feel aware of data collection practices. In industrial settings like manufacturing and supply chain, connected products are sometimes perceived as intrusive or overly surveillance-focused. 

Additionally, there’s often a gap in user education. Many OEMs struggle to implement the right structures for ongoing support and training, making it difficult for customers to fully understand and leverage all available product features. Addressing these concerns through thoughtful design, transparent data practices, and strong customer enablement programs is essential for long-term success in the connected product space. 

Perficient’s Approach to Connected Product Engineering 

At Perficient, we take a comprehensive, end-to-end approach to connected product delivery, combining strategy, engineering, prototyping, and testing to bring innovative ideas to life. Especially when it comes to connected products, we understand that it starts with a strong data foundation. That’s why we prioritize helping clients define a robust data strategy from the start.  

When the foundation is solid, identifying how to utilize that data and create new revenue streams is the next step. Subscription models are becoming a key driver of connected product monetization, and we guide clients in building scalable ecosystems that support recurring revenue. Additionally, we recognize that customer experience is a critical differentiator, often enabled through companion apps that provide seamless access to product features and functionality. These strategic considerations—data, subscriptions, and experience—are essential components of a successful connected product strategy, and they remain central to how Perficient delivers value to our clients. 

Real and actionable insights drive our strategy. We’ve based our approach for connected product manufacturers on our own research – a study on the sentiments of consumers, commercial users, and manufacturers of connected products – which you can explore here. 

Learn more about our manufacturing industry expertise. 

Why Crypto Mining Data Centers Matter to Utilities

Crypto mining has become one of the most energy-intensive industries. As blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum expand, large-scale mining data centers are drawing huge levels of power from utility grids. These facilities, packed with high-performance computing hardware, operate 24/7 to validate transactions and secure networks. This surge in electricity consumption comes with unique challenges and opportunities for utilities worldwide.

From a utility provider’s perspective, crypto mining data centers represent a new revenue stream, as they purchase vast amounts of electricity, often in bulk. At the same time, their high energy demand strains generation capacity, which can impact grid stability and complicate efforts to transition to cleaner energy sources.

Lee Bratcher is the Founder & President of the TX Blockchain Council, an industry association working to ensure Texas is a global leader in Bitcoin, blockchain, and digital assets. Due to this role, Lee interacts frequently with utility providers and advocates politically for the future of energy evolution. He mentions:

“The future of energy isn’t just about transitioning to renewables, it’s about building a smarter, more resilient system that works for everyone.”

Resiliency is the key word, as many utility providers have undergone extensive challenges in recent years due to severe weather events. Thousands of homes have gone without power for long periods due to storms, such as in Houston, Texas last year. At the same time, Texas is the national leader in crypto mining, and a rising energy demand combined with increasingly severe weather threats makes finding a solution an urgent matter.

Generation Demand and Demand Response

Crypto mining is increasing the demand for energy generation and is a key driver for utilities to create a more flexible and responsive power infrastructure. While some argue that crypto mining creates an extreme drain on energy, which can destabilize the grid, others argue that crypto mining operates in a way that stabilizes the grid and acts as a predictable user of excess renewable energy generation.

Some of the key effects include:

1. Offsetting Demand Spikes and Grid Strain: Mining operations are often located in rural areas and ramp up based on electricity prices. Crypto miners time their operations for when rate prices plummet, and energy demand is low. In Texas, crypto mining centers are largely based in rural areas and are drawing power mainly from renewable sources like wind and solar.
2. Challenges for Demand Response Programs: Utilities rely on demand response (DR) programs to manage peak loads by encouraging consumers to reduce usage during high-demand periods. However, crypto mining facilities often operate very differently from other types of factors that pull energy. Crypto miners rapidly respond to fluctuations in the energy market, while energy production is often more predictable.

 Grid Stability and the Role of Nuclear Energy

The rising energy demand from crypto, AI, and industrial data centers is pushing utilities to modernize grids and explore more energy sources. Smart grids, battery storage, alternative energy, and microgrids are helping balance loads. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Texas led the nation in wind-powered electricity generation, accounting for 28% of all U.S. wind-sourced electricity.” However, renewables may not suffice for high-load industries, making nuclear power an option for consistent, always-on, low-carbon energy. Wind power generation fluctuates greatly, which means Texas experiences very low amounts of power generation at times from renewables alone. Wind power, despite its fluctuations, plays a crucial role in Texas’s energy landscape and how advanced technologies and flexible loads, like crypto mining can help manage these fluctuations.

Nuclear energy, despite being a low-carbon solution, struggles with public perception issues. However, recent discussions among major political parties have highlighted nuclear power as a viable option for consistent, low-carbon energy generation. The advent of fusion technology and advancements in Generation 4 nuclear reactors offer promising improvements in safety, efficiency and environmental impact.

The Future of Nuclear Energy

The intersection of crypto mining, AI, and industrial data centers with utility providers is reshaping how energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. The future will depend on investments in smart grids, energy efficiency programs, and advanced power generation technologies. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Oracle and Dominion Energy have already started this advancement. Dominion Energy in Virginia is investing in the first

grid-scale fusion reactor, responding to the growing number of datacenters in the region—home to the internet and intelligence.

Hyperscalers and the AI industry are creating power demand that can’t be met without significant expansion of generation. The importance to consumers, the economy and national security give them the political power and revenue they need to spearhead the resurgence of nuclear power. This, along with the advancements of Gen4 will mean that nuclear energy will become more common and hopefully will rebalance the grid, improving resiliency.

Perficient’s deep energy industry expertise with solutions like smart grid technologies, combined with expansive knowledge about data, AI, and automation, makes us the perfect partner for utility providers looking to achieve resiliency and growth.

Explore our energy and utilities industry expertise.

The rapidly evolving payments industry is driving industry leaders to adapt their strategies in response to emerging trends. As technology advances and consumer expectations shift, staying ahead of these trends is crucial for success.

Payments Trend #1: AI-Driven Payment Innovations

The landscape of payments and financial services in 2025 will be marked by groundbreaking innovations and user-centric designs powered by Generative AI (GenAI). The industry faces numerous challenges, including protecting sensitive data, navigating evolving regulations, and outdated legacy systems. As these AI technologies evolve, they will transform consumer interactions with payment systems, fostering a more inclusive and sustainable financial ecosystem. This transformation will require a delicate balance between innovation and compliance, ensuring that advancements in AI contribute to a secure and efficient payments landscape.

Recommended Approach: GenAI can assist various payment processes by creating personalized and tailored payment experiences through loyalty programs, discounts, and curated product recommendations. Additionally, AI can enhance accessibility and mobile development through voice and conversational payments, improving user experience. The conversational nature of GenAI will be crucial in making transactions seamless and frictionless for consumers. To harness AI’s potential effectively, it’s essential to develop a strategy that considers payment regulations to ensure consumer protection, data privacy, and ethical use of AI. The future of payments promises not only enhanced efficiency and security but also personalized experiences that align with broader societal values.

Explore More: Transforming Industries, Powering Innovation

Payments Trend #2: The Rise of Real-Time Payments

Real-time payments in the US are expected to see widespread adoption across various sectors, driven by the integration of embedded finance, enhanced biometric authentication, and improved accessibility for consumers and businesses. Traditional payment methods like checks and ACH transfers are likely to decline, especially in business-to-business transactions. Consumers are increasingly using mobile wallets and embedded payments in non-financial platforms, while businesses are leveraging the momentum of business-to-business real-time payments facilitated by networks like FedNow. However, the payment industry encounters challenges such as user education and awareness, integration complexities across platforms and financial institutions, and ongoing regulatory considerations.

Recommended Approach: Payment companies should adopt and expand real-time payment solutions, leveraging networks like FedNow and RTP. Embracing advanced security features such as biometric authentication will enhance user experience and protect data. Ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all consumers, including those underserved by traditional banking systems, is crucial. Additionally, businesses should explore new revenue models through premium features and address integration complexities with robust data governance and analytics. By focusing on these key areas, companies can effectively manage the challenges and opportunities presented by the widespread adoption of real-time payments.

Success In Action: Ensuring Interoperable, Compliant Real-Time Payments

Payments Trend #3: Navigating the New Regulatory Landscape

The payment industry faces drastic regulatory changes driven by the new administration. Ongoing changes to regulators, protocols, and best practices may have a lasting impact on nonbank financial companies (NBFCs), banks, fees, buy now, pay later (BNPL) services, payment apps, and digital wallets. These changes require significant adjustments in risk management, compliance frameworks, and operational protocols. Enforcing consumer protections will become a gray area, creating operational headaches for consumers and financial institutions. Additionally, the Consumer Credit Control Act (CCCA), currently under consideration, could have significant implications for payment providers. These regulatory changes impact banks and their third-party partners, requiring reassessment of partnerships and compliance strategies. Overall, companies need to adapt to these changes, leading to higher compliance costs, operational expense, and cultural shifts to thrive.

Recommended Approach:   To navigate these changes, businesses must balance innovation with compliance. AI will be pivotal in this transition, enabling automation of key compliance processes such as know your customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) checks. Additionally, AI’s capacity for real-time transaction monitoring and fraud prevention will help companies stay ahead of evolving regulatory demands.  The fintech industry, once celebrated for its agility and innovation, now faces a future shaped by heightened regulation. Leveraging AI-driven compliance solutions will be essential for managing global operations effectively in this increasingly complex landscape.

Related: 1033 Open Banking Mandate Blueprint for Success

Payments Trend #4: Optimizing Payment Orchestration Platforms

Payment orchestration platforms (POPs) are poised to play a critical role in the evolving payments landscape in 2025, driven by technological advancements, regulatory changes, and shifting consumer demands. The growth of cross-border transactions, fueled by global e-commerce expansion, necessitates platforms that can handle multiple payment methods, currencies, and compliance requirements. Advanced analytics and AI integration are becoming essential for improving transaction success rates, fraud detection, and overall business intelligence. Additionally, regulatory developments will shape the operation of POPs, aiming to enhance security and reduce fraud. Emerging regions like Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America are key growth areas, with partnerships enabling access to local payment methods.

Recommended approach: To navigate this trend, payment institutions should focus on several strategies. POPs market consolidation is leading to more robust, full-stack solutions that integrate orchestration capabilities into broader platforms. Embracing advanced analytics and AI tools will be crucial for optimizing payment processes and enhancing customer experiences. Institutions should also prioritize the implementation of smart checkout experiences to improve authorization rates and streamline payment options. Staying up to date with regulatory developments and ensuring compliance with new regulations like the third (PSD3) in the EU and the role of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) will be essential. Finally, integrating POPs with existing financial services and e-commerce platforms will modernize legacy systems and provide more seamless payment experiences, ensuring institutions remain competitive in the digital economy.

Success In Action: At the Heart of Financial Services

Payments Trend #5: The Rapid Adoption of Embedded Payments

Embedded payments are rapidly evolving, and 2025 will mark a major turning point for their adoption in the U.S. Businesses and consumers demand faster, more seamless transactions, driving the expansion of embedded payment solutions across industries. While e-commerce and fintech have been early adopters, industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, and B2B services are now integrating payment capabilities directly into their platforms. Expect more ERP systems, procurement platforms, and business management tools to embed payment functions, reducing reliance on third-party processors. As embedded payments become mainstream, U.S. regulators will tighten compliance requirements around data security, AML, and consumer protection.

Recommended Approach: Companies must meet evolving KYC and compliance standards, fostering trust and security in digital transactions. Beyond payments, businesses should integrate lending, insurance, and investment options directly into their platforms through embedded finance. Partnering with Banking as a Service (BaaS) providers will allow companies to offer customers seamless access to financial products without switching platforms, further blurring the lines between traditional banking and digital platforms. Additionally, adopting tokenized payments, stablecoins, and decentralized finance (DeFi) integrations within embedded payment systems will be crucial. With Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal leading the charge, expect an increase in one-click, biometric, and voice-activated payments built into everyday digital experiences. Companies that fail to integrate seamless payment experiences risk losing customers to competitors offering faster, frictionless transactions.

You May Also Enjoy: Getting Started On Embedded Finance

Payments Trend #6: Crypto and Payments Intersect

In 2024, crypto made a strong comeback, with Bitcoin surpassing $100,000, driven by its integration into exchange-traded funds. The industry has matured, with blockchain innovations extending beyond crypto enthusiasts and into mainstream finance. Traditional financial institutions are increasingly leveraging blockchain to address complex challenges, while the U.S. continues efforts to regulate and integrate digital assets effectively. Emphasis on security, trust, and usability is essential for blockchain’s success. With these elements in place, financial institutions are embracing blockchain-based solutions, including tokenized money and assets, to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.

Recommended Approach: Companies should explore the coexistence of stablecoins and tokenized deposits. Banks are investigating tokenized deposits, blockchain-based representations of commercial deposits, to enable faster settlements and programmable payments. Meanwhile, stablecoins, pegged to fiat currency, are gaining traction in remittances and business transactions, with approximately $150 billion in circulation. A clear regulatory framework will strengthen their role, leading to an integrated system where tokenized assets and money interact seamlessly. Regulatory clarity will drive adoption, with the U.S. and EU providing models for certainty. Central banks focus on blockchain solutions for financial institutions, enhancing institutional settlements and facilitating faster cross-border capital movement. Interoperability and trust will be crucial, with institutional interest in crypto growing. The future of crypto is no longer speculative, it is becoming a fundamental part of the financial system.

See Also: Be at the Forefront of Innovation

Navigating the Road Ahead

We help payment and fintech firms innovate and boost market position with transformative digital experiences and efficient operations.

• Business Transformation: Create a roadmap to innovate products, enhance experiences, and reduce transactional risk.
• Modernization: Implement technology to improve payment processing, fraud management, and omnichannel experiences.
• Data + Analytics: Proactively leverage integrated data and AI to optimize transactions, manage fraud, and personalize experiences.
• Risk + Compliance: Enhance compliance and risk management to safeguard transactions and customer data.
• Consumer Experience: Deliver convenient, seamless experiences with user-friendly secure payment solutions.

Discover why we have been trusted by 25+ leading payments and card processing companies. Explore our financial services expertise and contact us to learn more.

Severe unpredictable weather, unprecedented power draw from cutting-edge technologies, and intensifying governmental and regulatory pressures have created a turbulent landscape for power and utilities providers. There is now significant concern regarding grid reliability, from resiliency to keeping up with energy consumption. Coupled with aging information technology systems and shifting consumer expectations, many utilities companies are scrambling to keep up with the fast-paced changes impacting their operations and growth.

At Perficient, we help these organizations not only pick up the pace but gain a competitive advantage. Our experts are well-versed in the many challenges facing the energy and utilities industry due to years of client-side experience, first-party research, memberships at industry associations, and being trusted advisors at many leading utilities companies. Whether it’s grid and IT modernization or grappling with the evolution of utilities customer experience, we have been at the forefront of strategy development for award-winning digital transformations. Because of this expertise, Perficient was recently recognized in a leading global technology research and advisory firm’s report featuring notable digital solutions consultancies partnering with power and utilities companies across North America and Europe.

An Unexpected Twist on Industry-First Approach

Perficient’s experts dive deep into the specifics of each industry’s trends, drivers, and disruptors to ensure their advisory and solutions are tailored and relevant, but more than ever, organizations are being challenged to look outside of their industry and capitalize on solutions from other markets. The power and utilities industry is the perfect example.

Electrification Ripple Effect

Not many factors significantly affect multiple industries, quite like the adoption of and governmental policies surrounding electric vehicles. At first glance, this sweeping development has the most impact on the automotive industry. It did not take long, however, for most to realize just how much electric vehicle adoption would rely on the capabilities of utilities providers.

Automobile companies’ transition to electric vehicles and society’s adoption of them – though slow-moving – are causing additional stress on the grid. Mandates to cease producing traditional internal combustion engine vehicles are further augmenting this pressure, compounded by consumer demand for more accessible and faster charging. For automotive companies to answer these demands, they now look to the utilities providers who must make it all possible.

Perficient’s deep expertise in automotive and utilities is helping organizations in both industries to improve their capabilities and offerings in the electric vehicle charging space and collaborate to scale rapid charging, improve electric vehicle ownership and charging experience, and ensure resiliency in the face of increased energy demand.

Transformation From Rate Payer to Customer, Provider to Advisor

The automotive industry is not the only market introducing new challenges for utilities providers. Utilities companies have experienced larger-than-average debt collection deficits, as indicated in their 10K financial reports. Consumers are coming to expect from their utilities providers the experiences that other industries are innovating, such as retail and financial services. Historically, utilities customers have been thought of rate payers, but stellar customer experiences such as through mobile apps, loyalty and rewards programs, immersive virtual experiences, and intuitive virtual assistants have challenged the industry to rethink their interface with customers.

To tackle this change, energy companies are looking outside their industry, such as to big box retail stores and successful financial institutions, for answers. Many are adopting a digital experience mindset to develop major applications, customer-facing portals, and consumer-first programs. In response, Perficient approaches collaboration with these organizations with cross-industry solutions.

We were able to replicate and apply the compassion-based debt collection strategy within utilities, greatly assisting where their income was suffering. By reaching out to late accounts in humane ways, such as text messages, these utilities companies saw greater success in attaining timely payments and collections.

“The shift towards digital-first utilities requires cross-industry solutioning. This sector looks to Perficient for our ability to digitally transform and share solutions across our entire industry portfolio.”– Sean McGrath, Principal, Energy and Utilities

Our team of experts is constantly working towards the next innovative solution for the problems of tomorrow. Learn more about our energy and utilities industry expertise.

In the face of electrification, evolving consumer behavior and expectations, sustainability initiatives, regulatory pressures, and geopolitical volatility, oil and gas companies are being challenged to shift their approach and innovate to stay competitive. While there’s a continued focus on the digital experience for customers especially in the downstream sector, companies are also pressured to address ESG policies and reporting from production to transport and sale of their products. The development of plans to utilize emerging technologies with data-driven approaches remains integral, however, they’re executing on these all while weaving through one merger and acquisition after another.

We are excited to announce that Perficient was recently recognized by a leading global technology research and advisory firm’s report highlighting notable oil and gas industry consultancies in the U.S. and Europe. Perficient experts have worked closely with organizations within the industry to overcome challenges and gain a competitive advantage with digital transformation.

“A key differentiator for Perficient is approaching each challenge with a deep understanding of the oil and gas industry while also tapping into innovative solutions that have secured real results in other industries.” – John Latham, GM, Houston

By keeping a pulse on the ever-changing trends and pain points within the industry, maintaining cutting-edge capabilities in technology, and conducting first-party research to inform strategy, we deliver results-driven solutions that our partners are seeking.

Data Analytics and App Development for Improved Worker Safety

Like in many industries, oil and gas companies are not immune to siloed and inaccessible data. We help these organizations access, consolidate, and manage that information easily. We’ve completed numerous projects in app development, such as shift handover applications and integrated many worker safety programs, including a system to monitor gas within trucks without the need to open lids and send personnel onto dangerous catwalks.

Streamlined Transitions Throughout Mergers and Acquisitions

Over the years, we’ve helped oil and gas companies navigate the growing number of mergers and acquisitions in the industry. When one company acquires another, they want system integration as quickly as possible. Post-merger integration, supply chain and logistics, supplier management, and standardizing systems across processes are playbooks we’ve written for not just oil and gas, but every industry we’ve worked in. Further, the abundance of data that occurs due to mergers is something we expertly handle to prevent further siloing.

Cross-Industry Solutions in Oil and Gas

Oil and gas companies are stretching beyond their role as service providers to act as retailers and manufacturers. They are beginning to delve into solutions like loyalty programs and hiring executives from Target and other big box retail environments. Gas stations are now mini supermarkets striving to increase foot traffic and the size of customer baskets.  Further, all eyes are on the automotive industry as energy companies are attempting to predict the demand for gasoline and what it would look like to provide electric vehicle charging stations.

Our work across industries has made us a trusted partner and resource for these organizations hoping to build on strategies and insights from other markets. Our inclusion in this report reflects the countless hours devoted to our partnerships and understanding the work that matters to them so that we deliver real results.

Learn more about Perficient’s energy and utilities expertise.

We’re pleased to announce that Perficient has been named a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Adobe Experience Cloud Professional Services 2024-2025 Vendor Assessment (Doc #US51741024, December 2024). We believe this recognition is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our dedication to delivering top-notch Adobe services to our clients.

Continue reading to learn more about what the IDC MarketScape is, why Perficient is named a Major Player, and what this designation means to our clients.

Understanding This IDC MarketScape

This IDC MarketScape evaluated Adobe Experience Cloud professional service providers, creating a framework to compare vendors’ capabilities and strategies. Many organizations need help planning and deploying technology, and finding the right vendor is critical.

According to Douglas Hayward, senior research director for CX services and strategies at IDC, “Organizations choosing an Adobe Experience Cloud professional service should look for proof that their vendor has high-quality professionals who have a track record in empowering their clients and delivering the best value for the fairest price.”

This IDC MarketScape study provides a comprehensive vendor assessment of the Adobe Experience Cloud professional services ecosystem. It evaluates both quantitative and qualitative characteristics that contribute to success in this market. The study covers various vendors, assessing them against a rigorous framework that highlights the most influential factors for success in both the short and long term.

Perficient is a Major Player

We believe being named a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape is a significant achievement for Perficient and underscores our Adobe Experience Cloud capabilities, industry and technical acumen, global delivery center network, and commitment to quality customer service. We further believe the study is evidence of our expertise and continued focus on solving our clients’ business challenges.

Hayward said, “In our evaluation of Perficient for the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Adobe Experience Cloud Professional Services 2024-2025 Vendor Assessment, it was evident that Perficient has global delivery expertise that combines an experience design heritage with strong capabilities in digital experience transformation.”

The IDC MarketScape also says, “Based on conversations with Perficient’s clients, the vendor’s three main strengths are value creation, people quality, and client empowerment.”

Our Commitment to Excellence

At Perficient, we are committed to maintaining and improving our services and solutions. We continuously strive to innovate and enhance our capabilities and offerings to meet the evolving needs of our clients, further empower them, and drive value.

Learn More

You can also read our News Release for more details on this recognition and make sure to follow our Adobe blog for more Adobe platform insights!

How to ensure your toolset matches your vision, team and long term goals.

Seems common sense right? Use the right tool for the right purpose. However, in the DXP and Drupal space, we often see folks trying to fit their project to the tool and not the tool to the project.

There are many modules, profiles, and approaches to building Drupal out there, and most all of them have their time and place. The key is knowing when to implement which and why. I am going to take a little time here a dive into one of those key decisions that we find ourselves at Perficient facing frequently and how we work with our clients to ensure the proper approach is selected for their Drupal application.

Site Studio vs Standard Drupal(blocks, views, content, etc..) vs Layout Builder

I would say this is the most common area where we see confusion related to the best tooling and how to pick. To start let’s do a summary of the various options(there are many more approaches available but these are the common ones we encounter), as well as their pros and cons.

First, we have Acquia Site Studio, it is a low-code site management tool built on top of Drupal. And it is SLICK. They provide web user editable templates, components, helpers, and more that allow a well trained Content Admin to have control of almost every aspect of the look and feel of the website. There is drag and drop editors for all templates that would traditionally be TWIG, as well as UI editors for styles, fonts and more. This is the cadillac of low code solutions for Drupal, but that comes with some trade offs in terms of developer customizability and config management strategies. We have also noticed, that not every content team actually utilizes the full scope of Site Studio features, which can lead to additional complexity without any benefit, but when the team is right, Site Studio is a very powerful tool.

The next option we frequently see, is a standard Drupal build utilizing Content Types and Blocks to control page layouts, with WYSIWYG editors for rich content and a standard Drupal theme with SASS, TWIG templates, etc…. This is the one you see most developer familiarity with, as well as the most flexibility to implement custom work as well as clean configuration management. The trade off here, is that most customizations will require a developer to build them out, and content editors are limited to “color between the lines” of what was initially built. We have experienced both content teams that were very satisfied with the defined controls, but also teams that felt handcuffed with the limitations and desired more UI/UX customizations without deployments/developer involvement.

The third and final option we will be discussing here, is the Standard Drupal option described above, with the addition of Layout Builder. Layout Builder is a Drupal Core module that enables users to attach layouts, such as 1 column, 2 column and more to various Drupal Entity types(Content, Users, etc..). These layouts then support the placement of blocks into their various regions to give users drag and drop flexibility over laying out their content. Layout Builder does not support full site templates or custom theme work such as site wide CSS changes. Layout Builder can be a good middle ground for content teams not looking for the full customization and accompanying complexity of Site Studio, but desiring some level of content layout control. Layout builder does come with some permissions and configuration management considerations. It is important to decide what is treated as content and what as configuration, as well as define roles and permissions to ensure proper editors have access to the right level of customizations.

Now that we have covered the options as well as the basic pros and cons of each, how do you know which tool is right for your team and your project? This is where we at Perficient start with a holistic review of your needs, short and long term goals, as well as the technical ability of your internal team. It is important to honestly evaluate this. Just because something has all the bells and whistles, do you have the team and time to utilize them, or is it a sunk cost with limited ROI. On the flip side, if you have a very technically robust team, you don’t want to handcuff them and leave them frustrated with limitations that could impact marketing opportunities that could lead to higher ROI.

Additional considerations that can help guide your choice in toolset would be future goals and initiatives. Is a rebrand coming soon? Is your team going to quickly expand with more technical staff? These might point towards Site Studio as the right choice. Is your top priority consistency and limiting unnecessary customizations? Then standard structured content might be the best approach. Do you want to able to customize your site, but just don’t have the time or budget to undertake Site Studio? Layout Builder might be something you should closely look at.

Perficient starts these considerations at the first discussions with our potential clients, and continue to guide them through the sales and estimation process to ensure the right basic Drupal tooling is selected. This then continues through implementation as we continue to inform stakeholders about the best toolsets beyond the core systems. In future articles we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various SSO, DAM, Analytics, Drupal module solutions as well as the new Star Shot Drupal Initiative and how it will impact the planning of your next Drupal build!

As new technologies become available within the digital space, businesses must adapt quickly by modernizing their legacy systems and harnessing the power of the cloud to stay competitive. Forrester’s 2024 report recognizes 42 notable providers– and we’re proud to announce that Perficient is among them.

We believe our inclusion in Forrester’s Application Modernization and Multicloud Managed Services Landscape, Q4 2024 reflects our commitment to evolving enterprise applications and managing multicloud environments to enhance customer experiences and drive growth in a complex digital world.

With the demand for digital transformation growing rapidly, this landscape provides valuable insights into what businesses can expect from service providers, how different companies compare, and the options available based on provider size and market focus.

Application Modernization and Multicloud Managed Services

Forrester defines application modernization and multicloud managed services as:

“Services that offer technical and professional support to perform application and system assessments, ongoing application multicloud management, application modernization, development services for application replacements, and application retirement.”

According to the report,

“Cloud leaders and sourcing professionals implement application modernization and multicloud managed services to:

• Deliver superior customer experiences.
• Gain access to technical and transformational skills and capabilities.
• Reduce costs associated with legacy technologies and systems.”

By focusing on application modernization and multicloud management, Perficient empowers businesses to deliver superior customer experiences through agile technologies that boost user satisfaction. We provide clients with access to cutting-edge technical and transformational skills, allowing them to stay ahead of industry trends. Our solutions are uniquely tailored to reduce costs associated with maintaining legacy systems, helping businesses optimize their IT budgets while focusing on growth.

Focus Areas for Modernization and Multicloud Management

Perficient has honed its expertise in several key areas that are critical for organizations looking to modernize their applications and manage multicloud environments effectively. As part of the report, Forrester asked each provider included in the Landscape to select the top business scenarios for which clients select them and from there determined which are the extended business scenarios that highlight differentiation among the providers. Perficient self-reported three key business scenarios that clients work with us out of those extended application modernization and multicloud services business scenarios:

• Infrastructure Modernization: We help clients transform their IT infrastructure to be more flexible, scalable, and efficient, supporting the rapid demands of modern applications.
• Cloud-Native Development Execution: Our cloud-native approach enables new applications to leverage cloud environments, maximizing performance and agility.
• Cloud Infrastructure “Run”: We provide ongoing support for cloud infrastructure, keeping applications and systems optimized, secure, and scalable.

Delivering Value Through Innovation

Perficient is listed among large consultancies with an industry focus in financial services, healthcare, and the manufacturing/production of consumer products. Additionally, our geographic presence in North America, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region was noted.

We believe that Perficient’s inclusion in Forrester’s report serves as another milestone in our mission to drive digital innovation for our clients across industries. We are proud to be recognized among notable providers and look forward to continuing to empower our clients to transform their digital landscapes with confidence. For more information on how Perficient can help your business with application modernization and multicloud managed services, contact us today.

Download the Forrester report, The Application Modernization And Multicloud Managed Services Landscape, Q4 2024, to learn more (link to report available to Forrester subscribers and for purchase).

Broad changes are underway in energy and utilities organizations, many influenced by trends from other sectors. These shifts are pushing companies in utilities and oil and gas to rethink their approaches, creating new cross-industry dependencies and consumer interactions.

Working to Accommodate Changing Consumer Behaviors

Energy companies are responding to evolving consumer behavior. In utilities, the shift from viewing customers as ratepayers to treating them as consumers with retail-like expectations is evident. Consumers now expect flexible payment options, including online payments, recurring billing, and credit card acceptance. Utilities are also offering smart devices, like mobile-controlled thermostats, while oil and gas companies are rolling out loyalty programs at fuel stations.

Additionally, both industries are taking on advisory roles, helping consumers manage energy use and conservation, and entering the renewable generation market. In this, they’re increasingly relying on capital markets to address grid demand and stability challenges.

How Energy Companies Flipped the Switch on Electrification

The interaction between the energy and automotive industries is accelerating due to electrification. Consumers want fast EV charging and solutions to ease range anxiety. Oil and gas companies are adding EV charging stations alongside gas pumps, while utilities balance offering charging services with maintaining grid reliability. This deepening interplay between industries has driven companies to seek talent with cross-industry expertise.

Engineering Experience No Longer Needed for Executive Roles

Traditional pathways to leadership in energy companies, which often required engineering experience, are changing. We’re seeing executives from the automotive and retail sectors take on leadership roles in utilities. The focus is now on bringing in fresh perspectives and solutions from outside industries to meet evolving consumer needs.

Cross-Industry Expertise Is Critical to Partnership

As the energy landscape transforms, partnerships with companies that bring expertise from industries like automotive, manufacturing, and retail are becoming critical. These cross-industry collaborations are key to navigating the complex challenges and opportunities ahead.

If you’d like to learn more about tapping into expertise from other industries to accelerate your transformation, explore our industry expertise.

To dive into how we’re using cross-industry solutions to optimize the utilities industry, explore our energy and utilities expertise.

In June 2024, Oracle announced fiscal 2024 Q4 and full year financial results revealing the market demand for Oracle Cloud Applications remains strong with Oracle Q4 Cloud Application (SaaS) revenue up 10% and Q4 Fusion Cloud ERP (SaaS) revenue up 14%. As Oracle customers look to reap the benefits of their investment in Oracle, many organizations will seek the expertise of Oracle services providers to guide them on their cloud journey.

Forrester released The Oracle Services Landscape, Q3 2024 report to help organizations understand the value they can expect from Oracle services providers and explore potential partners.

Oracle Services Providers

According to the report, “Technology leaders often use one or more Oracle services providers to: implement Oracle cloud products and solutions, provide continuous change management and ongoing Oracle applications support, and future-proof enterprise operational business processes.”

Perficient’s Recognition and Focus Areas

We believe Perficient has been recognized for our ability to deliver on these promises, helping clients implement Oracle cloud products and solutions, provide ongoing support, improve operational efficiencies and business processes with tangible business results. Perficient self-reported the following extended business scenarios as the top three focus areas:

• Oracle Cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP): We deliver full-cycle projects to solution, roadmap, and implement Oracle Cloud ERP solutions by leveraging deep industry expertise and accelerators to enable businesses to modernize best practices to scale and grow.
• Oracle Cloud Supply Chain Management (SCM): We help modernize and mature our clients’ end to end global supply chain through strategic sourcing and spend control, source-to-pay improvements, cycle time reduction, and inventory and materials management.
• Oracle Cloud Enterprise Performance Management (EPM): We provide quantitative insights on performance metrics and critical details to help drive corporate strategies leveraging Oracle Cloud EPM to improve the speed, flexibility, and accuracy of planning, budgeting, and consolidation cycles.

Perficient’s Expertise and Industry Focus

Forrester presented an overview of vendors in the market, including geographic and industry focuses and top use cases. They segmented vendors based on geographic focus, industry focus, deployment options, and size.

Perficient was listed among small providers in this space with $10 to <$100 million in annual Oracle services revenue. Perficient’s listing as a consultancy in this Landscape report includes our geographic presence (North America and Asia-Pacific) and industry focus areas (healthcare, manufacturing/production of industrial products, and natural resources and mining).

Download the Forrester report, The Oracle Services Landscape, Q3 2024, to learn more (Link to report available to Forrester subscribers and for purchase).

A major energy and utilities supplier has become the latest victim in a growing list of organizations targeted by cyberattacks. Without a quick response to an attack like this, energy companies can risk exposing customer data, cutting off energy supply, slowing or completely stopping operations, and more. 

According to the Department of Energy, the recent incident was responded to quickly, and had minimal lasting impact. However, these attacks are becoming increasingly frequent across industries, and the risks continue to grow. Let’s focus on one of the most common types of cybercrime: ransomware. 

Are Your Systems Susceptible to Malware? 

Ransomware attacks are pervasive, affecting various sectors including organizations like Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and Kaseya. The most frequently targeted industries range from energy and finance to healthcare and entertainment. Malicious software, better known as malware, compromises network integrity by gaining access through phishing, stolen passwords, and other vulnerabilities. 

Ransomware-as-a-Service is a cybercrime business model made possible via modular business models with low barriers to entry, creating a wide market of perpetrators. These individuals are divided into developers who create the malware and affiliates who initiate the attacks, with profits split between them. 

It is crucial to be vigilant, with the most common defense being routine basic cybersecurity hygiene, such as implementing multi-factor authentication. Other tactics include adopting Zero Trust principles and preparing for potential attacks to minimize impact. While a good defense is wise, it is still essential to have a strong relationship between the government and private sector, with collaboration being of utmost importance. Companies must share information about breaches and their efforts to disrupt infrastructure with the support of law enforcement. 

Three Simple Ways to Prevent Cyberattacks 

Now that we have identified what makes malware like ransomware possible, let us address the best ways to avoid becoming a victim. We have broken the solution down into a few simple steps: 

1. Be prepared with a recovery plan – Make it incredibly challenging to access and disrupt your system. If you make an attack economically unfeasible, you have already avoided the threat. The goal is to avoid paying the ransom for privileges that might not be returned or using keys provided by attackers to regain access. While restoring corrupted systems can be burdensome, it is better than the alternative. 

1. Limit the scope of damage – By limiting privileged access roles, you reduce the number of entry points for attackers to acquire access to critical components of your business. If they can only gain access to pieces rather than the entire system, it will deter attackers from pursuing an escalated attack. 

1. Challenge cybercriminals as much as possible – This step should not interfere with steps 1 or 2, but it is essential to create as much friction as possible for potential attacks. Make it an uphill battle for intruders attempting to gain remote access, emails, endpoints, or accounts. If they do manage to get in, ensure they cannot escalate their privileges by implementing robust detection and response capabilities. 

Perficient’s team of experts is well-versed in these incidents and what can be done to prevent them. If you would like to begin mounting more serious defenses, explore our energy industry expertise and browse the many technology partners with which we work to give companies confidence in their security, like Microsoft. 

Imagine a world where your business can effortlessly keep pace with technological advancements and continuously changing customer expectations. The ability to swiftly develop new technology products and applications is crucial to staying competitive. However, relying solely on in-house development capabilities is not always feasible for many organizations.

Forrester released its Modern Application Development Services Landscape, Q3 2024 report to help businesses understand the value they can expect from modern application development (MAD) service providers and explore potential partners.

Modern Application Development Services

Forrester defines MAD service providers as:

“Service providers that work collaboratively with their clients to cocreate custom modern applications and, in parallel, assist them in the transformation and modernization of their software development capabilities and organization.”

In Forrester’s Priorities Survey, 2024, “64% of business and technology professionals said that bringing more development in-house would be a high or critical priority for their IT organization over the next 12 months.”

According to the report, “tech execs and application development leaders implement MAD services to:

• Increase cocreation. … MAD services can cocreate with clients while supporting them in learning how to modernize capabilities with agile, DevOps, native cloud, and edge, including generative AI (genAI).

• Improve customer experience. The goal isn’t to insource 100% of all application development work, but to improve internal capabilities and be efficient partners with MAD service providers.
• Focus on business outcomes, not just outputs. The shift to assessing modern development by measuring benefit realization and business value is a reality.”

Perficient’s Recognition and Focus Areas

We believe Perficient has been recognized for our ability to deliver on these promises, helping clients navigate the complexities of modern application development and achieve tangible business results. Perficient self-reported the following extended use cases as the top three for which clients select them:

• Backend Integration and Modernization: We specialize in integrating and modernizing backend systems to ensure seamless and efficient operations, enabling businesses to stay competitive in the digital age.
• GenAI to Increase Employee Productivity: We leverage genAI technologies to help clients boost employee productivity by automating routine tasks and enhancing decision-making processes.
• Product Operating Model: We focus on developing robust product operating models that align with our clients’ business objectives, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation.

Perficient’s Expertise and Industry Focus

Forrester based its analysis of service providers on two factors: market presence and services functionality. They segmented vendors into three categories based on MAD services revenue: large, midsize, and small; and five categories based on services functionality and global reach.

Perficient was listed as a large provider in this space with $250 million or more in annual MAD services revenue. Perficient’s listing as a consultancy in this Landscape report includes our geographic presence (North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific) and industry focus areas (healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing/production of consumer products).

We are proud of this achievement and remain committed to leveraging our expertise in modern application development to help our clients succeed. For more information on how Perficient can help your business with custom application development and digital transformation, contact us today.

Download the Forrester report, The Modern Application Development Services Landscape, Q3 2024, to learn more (Link to report available to Forrester subscribers and for purchase).