Here’s a surprise: large enterprises are using substantially fewer apps today than three years ago (843 vs 1,020), according to this Mulesoft survey. The authors credit “rationalization”.  Other results are more expected: just 37% say their IT departments completed all the projects that were requested, 90% have problems with data silos, and only 18% have completely connected their customer experiences across all channels. Still, a single customer view ranks last in the list of digital transformation challenges.

We don’t write much about cryptocurrencies because they’re flaky and we are Serious People.  Then again, there’s no one more sober than 137-year old NCR, and guess what: they just bought cryptocurrency software provider LibertyX.  The deal will ultimately let NCR clients at banks, retailers, and restaurants manage cryptocurrency payments.   We are shocked.

Procrastinators of the world can throw a party whenever they get around to it: Google has once more pushed back complete third-party cookie deprecation.  The new target is “early next year.” Reasons for the delay include concerns expressed by U.K. data regulator Information Commissioner’s Office, an ongoing inquiry by the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority, and widespread discontent in the advertising ecosystem.