850 million people are active on Facebook every month. 175 million tweets were sent in through Twitter every day in 2012. Our passionate affair with social media has not burned brightly then fizzled. It is developing all the characteristics of a relationship that is here for the long-haul.

Futurists meet a need. In the midst of relentless and constant change, CEOs are looking for tools to manage uncertainty and reduce risk. But that’s not all. Business leaders don’t simply want to prepare for change; they want to influence it.

“Innovation is imperative. But there’s no point being innovative just for the sake of it. You don’t want to re-invent the wheel. If you are doing something that works, keep doing it. But if you spot a gap, you get innovative.”

Ninety per cent of smart phone owners use their phones to look up local information. Sixty per cent then act on it to visit, buy from or interact deeper.

From showrooming to virgin consumers we’re tripping over new business buzzwords at every turn. Are they simply jargon or do they tell us something about today’s rapidly changing business landscape that we should be listening to?

The Australian Government’s first Cyber Crime and Security Report was launched this month, with statistics showing that cyber crime has become ever more targeted and much more efficient. UQ Business School’s Dr Peter Clutterbuck suggests there is still plenty that businesses can do to protect their data integrity.

Consider the emerging business trends and think forward. What new skills in information management, healthcare and innovation will take the businesses of 2020 and beyond towards a prosperous future?

Credit rating agencies wield considerable power in the global financial system. With one of the big three agencies, Standard & Poor’s, being sued for $5 billion by the US department of justice, we look at what credit ratings do and why they are all over the news.

Robots are moving off the assembly line, into other areas of work. Businesses will need to adapt to take advantage of the benefits that robots can offer, while managing the impact on their human workforce. The mantras of organisational change management, leadership and culture will take on new and very real meaning.