Wednesday’s business headlines

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Here’s a look at Wednesday’s business headlines.

Salesforce

Salesforce and Siemens are partnering for new suite of touch-free tech for the workplace.

The products aim to help businesses create a touchless office environment when employees return to the workplace.

Key products will include mobile boarding passes for employees to access office buildings and elevators, and an occupancy management system that allows employees to reserve conference rooms and desks through an app.

Both companies have operations in Indianapolis.

Colleges

The Chronicle of Higher Education has been tracking over 1,000 colleges’ plans for reopening in the fall amid coronavirus concerns and found that roughly 65% of colleges are planning for in-person classes come August.

It also found that just 8% of colleges are planning to remain remote, including Harvard University.

Meanwhile, 16% of schools are planning on implementing some sort of a hybrid model combining both in-person and remote instruction, including Georgetown University and Northwestern University.

Purdue and IU have both said they will have in-person class this fall but there will be adjustments like staggered schedules and cleaning protocols.

Google workers

Over 1,600 Google workers have signed an open letter demanding the company stop selling its technology to police.

It was addressed to the CEO.

The petition references ongoing protests against racism and police brutality sparked by George Floyd’s death and calls Google out as “profiting off….racist systems.”

In 2019, the company declined to renew its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense after thousands of workers signed a petition in protest, some even resigning.

Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s said Tuesday that it plans to join the “#StopHateForProfit” campaign, halting paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in the U.S. beginning July 1.

The company said it was asking Facebook “to take the clear and unequivocal actions called for by the campaign to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate.”

Brands include Eddie Bauer, Patagonia, the Northface, REI and Upwork have said they’ll pause their advertising on the platforms.