Businesses are discovering the hard way that websites forgetting to accommodate disabled people are targets for usability lawsuits. The great irony underscoring the trend is that scores of service providers can quickly analyze your website for a few hundred dollars and advise—point for point—how to safeguard it against such a lawsuit.
As the threat of ransomware reached new heights in 2021, many businesses have doubled down on their defense against the scourge—making sure they’ve done everything they can to avoid becoming its next victim. Indeed, successful ransomware attacks on key infrastructure and supply lines in the United States have proven so visceral this year that they’ve triggered an executive order from President Joe Biden, nudging all U.S. businesses to get serious about ransomware protection.
The Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show is known across the racing and performance sector as a concentrated indicator of the industry’s latest developments and opportunities. After a forced hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2020, the 2021 trade event made its highly anticipated return to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Thursday through Saturday, December 9–11.
Not to be confused with the annual “SEMA Market Report,” the “State of the Industry Report” is released biannually in the spring and fall and details specific manufacturer and retailer data, sales trends by product category, and popular retail channels and vehicle segments. It explores the industry from a company perspective rather than at the consumer level.
Here’s a first look at the ’23 Nissan Altima while testing in Metro Detroit. The sixth-generation Altima debuted in 2018 at the New York Auto Show as a ’19 model. Since then, there have been virtually no changes made to the model other than some appearance packages and Nissan Safety Shield 360.
The ongoing supply-chain disruption has affected businesses in many ways: shipping delays, production issues, inability to find suppliers and increased costs, to name a few. However, the worst of the effects have likely passed. Most issues, including transportation delays and supply shortages, should improve throughout the year and return to more normal levels by the end of 2022. However, some elevated prices may linger into 2023. See “The Supply-Chain Breakdown” on p. 110.
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a dramatic surge in online sales beginning in 2020, and the automotive specialty-equipment sector was no exception. Online aftermarket parts sales exceeded 50% of total sales for the first time, and while in-person sales have gained traction again as the pandemic recedes and lockdowns ease, online sales still account for nearly half of total sales and are forecast to remain that way for the foreseeable future.
Industry news from SEMA-member companies, including Truck Hero Inc., VP Racing Fuels Inc., Safelife Group and more.
Eighty-four SEMA Show exhibitors came away from this year’s event proudly touting 2022 Global Media Awards (GMAs). This sought-after recognition from top international journalists serving as judges demonstrates the global appeal of the winning products.
Robert Matranga and his ’55 Chevy named “Brute Force” took the top prize in the eighth annual SEMA Battle of the Builders competition, edging out more than 240 vehicles that were entered into the internationally recognized contest. SEMA Battle of the Builders is widely known as one of the elite platforms for builders to showcase their work and compete for the coveted top honor during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.