Future of Work Expo Updates - Feb. 11-13, 2025

I’m overdue for an update on the 2025 edition of Future of Work Expo, so here’s the news.

If the event is new to you, this is my 7th year as Chair, and my main role is to develop the program and roster of speakers for the sessions. You also need to know that Future of Work Expo is co-located - along with other speciality events - with ITExpo, TMC’s long-running communications show in Ft. Lauderdale. So, aside from getting a deep dive on FOW topics, attendees also get the broader ITExpo experience, which draws over 8,000 people, along with a show floor with hundreds of vendors.

I’ve got two updates to share, and I hope this tweaks your interest to attend, as well as speak or even sponsor. First is the website for the event, where you can review things in detail, including the Agenda, which just went live yesterday. Next is the latest e-newsletter blurb, which TMC sends out to its email list, and gives a nice overview of the event experience.

• Future of Work Expo website

• E-newsletter for the event

Finally, my Watch This Space podcast has a strong focus on future of work topics, so it’s quite complementary to the event. To reinforce that, TMC is now a media partner, and giving the podcast broader exposure on their various websites. If you don’t follow my podcast, it’s another way to stay current with the event, along with other topics we explore on a monthly basis. Hope to see you there!

London, Part 1 - British Telecom, Focus 2024

This was the first of two events I attended on this week’s London trip - Focus 2024, British Telecom’s analyst event, which was a first for me in-person. The second stop was UC Expo, and I’ll get to that in my Part 2 blog post after this.

Am just sharing some of my photos here with brief commentary. I was only able to attend Day 1 of BT’s event, so my takeaways are limited. In short, BT seems to be well-along the AI path, talking a lot about automation, and building flexible networks to support today’s distributed organizations. Also heard quite a bit about network security, which is a must with the growing volumes of data these networks have to handle.

Below, CEO Bas Burger, Matt Swinden and Chet Patel

Below - Charlie - special guest speaker, and totally NDA, so no photos. In short, he shared fascinating insider insights about the global state of fraud, threats, disinformation, etc., and the geopolitics of what’s happening at a state/nation level. Of course, it’s bad, and likely worse than you can imagine. On a more positive note, the food and bar service were very good! Next - during the reception, and building lobby. They do a great job with branding - maybe a bit OTT, but that’s what big telcos do.

October - New Leaf, New Podcast and Newsletter

It’s a new month - the latest editions of both my newsletter and podcast are out now - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, and my Watch This Space podcast, now in its 7th season.

If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - the signup page is here.

For my Watch This Space podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

October starts the busy season for industry events, so Chris and I covered where our travels have been - and will be - taking us. Lots to discuss, but we also covered the usual gamut of interesting things like why 8-Track was a superior technology in its day, why mandating return-to-office is risky business, and reviewing our latest updates for the podcast. Hope you check it out, and subscribe to my newsletter.

Glenn Goldberg's Parallel Universe Podcast - My Guest Spot

You know it’s going to be a fun podcast when I get to quote one of my favorite lines from Seinfeld - “It’s not a lie… if you believe it.” As Homer would say, it’s funny because it’s true. If that’s your vibe, then I think you’ll really enjoy this podcast - my first guest spot on Glenn Goldberg’s Parallel Universe podcast.

We could go on all day long about tech, sports, music and all kinds of other things. Maybe we’ll go further on those threads next time, but right now, you should just check it out. Here’s the link for viewing it on Telecom Reseller, inclulding the transcript, or you can watch it here on YouTube.

September Writing Roundup

Lots in play during September, and almost all of it was doing podcast and video spots. For the bigger picture, all of this is covered in my newsletter, but in short, there was just one public writeup for September, and it was on my blog. More to come this month, though!

Verint Engage 2024 - Quick Pix and Top Takeaways, my blog, Sept. 27

Next Stop - London, for BT Analyst Event and UC Expo

I don’t travel overseas much, but on Monday I’m flying to London for two events. First is Focus 2024, British Telecom’s analyst event, then back again for UC Expo at the Excel Center. Will definitely be a full week, and I’ll share updates on LinkedIn as time allows.

For UC Expo, I’ll be speaking on three sessions - one is invite-only, and links are here for the other two:

Thursday at 1pm - a fireside chat on tech-driven inclusivity in the workplace

Thursday at 1:35 - Ask the Analyst panel session

If you’re attending, and want to meet up, please drop me a line. Also, the event hashtag is #UCX24.

Latest Interview - State of AI with Nutun

I don’t post a whole lot on LinkedIn - and I dropped off from Twitter/X last year - but I’m busier than things might appear based on my social media activity.

Over the spring/summer, I had two surgeries, which slowed things down quite a bit, but am past that now, and for the writing and speaking I’ve been doing, some is coming to market now.

Here’s one of them, which was recorded during the summer, and just published last week. This was a video interview, where I was the guest Episode 2 of The Global Experience. It’s probably more accurate to call it a podcast, and is available in two formats - video and audio-only. More on that in a moment.

The podcast is produced by Nutun, a BPO provider based in South Africa, and I’ve been getting to know them since first meeting at Enterprise Connect earlier this year. I was interviewed by Bryce Cressey and Natalie Billson from Nutun, and let’s just say we’ve become fast friends.

Being Episode 2, the series is brand new, and I was happy to be an early guest. The broad topic was AI, and we talked about its evolution, how it’s being used with both UCaaS and CCaaS, and where it’s going. We could have gone on much longer, and maybe we’ll get to do it again soon.

As mentioned, the replay is offered in two flavors, and here are the links to check it out. First, for audio-only, it’s hosted here on Buzzsprout. Then for the full video experience, you can watch it here on their YouTube channel. Either way, I hope you like it, and any feedback or sharing would be much appreciated.

Expanded Reach for Watch This Space Podcast - now on EM360

I’ve been a long-time contributor to UK-based EM360, and you can see more about that here on my profile page. While you’re there, I encourage you to explore their website, which has just gone through a big refresh.

My followers will know about my Watch This Space podcast, which can be picked up here on my website, along with a dedicated WTS website. While my reach is mainly North America, I now have more exposure for the EU market via EM360. Last week marked the start of them now carrying WTS on their site, and I have two links to share for that:

• First - here’s a direct link to the September episode.

• Second - link to the home page for Watch This Space on the EM360 website - once there, you’ll see an archive as well for the 10 most recent episodes.

Finally, to help promote this update to EM360 followers, Watch This Space was featured in the current issue of their LinkedIn-based newsletter, Contributors Corner. That would be Edition 15 from September 6, and here’s the link. If you check this out, you’ll see that two forms of my work have been featured here; the other being a re-posting of a guest post I recently wrote for a client’s blog.

Next Stop - Sprinklr Source 24, NYC

I’ve largely been off the road for industry events since June, and this is the first for the busy season for me. I’m really enjoying getting to know Sprinklr, and glad to be attending their analyst event, Source 24 in NYC starting next Monday. I’ll share updates on LinkedIn as time allows, and will add a follow-on writeup on my takeaways.

September - Time for New Podcast and Newsletter

The latest editions of both my newsletter and podcast are out now - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, and my Watch This Space podcast, now in its 7th season.

If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - the signup page is here.

For my Watch This Space podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month, Chris and I reviewed how streaming has really come into its own with the Olympics, and similarly how event platforms are finding broader use cases, both in the public and private sectors. I also provided a recap of the NCEC Technologies Conference that I spoke at last month, around how conversational AI is helping utilities improve customer service.

New Webinar with Zoom - The AI-Driven Workplace

I recently recorded another on-demand webinar for VentureBeat, this time in conversation with Gary Sorrentino from Zoom. Moderated by Thom Langford, we discussed how today’s “workplace” has been evolving, and the impact AI is having both for workers and organizations in general. AI is more than just technology, and we touched on related issues such as generational change, hybrid work models, and what constitutes productivity in today’s workplace.

The webinar has been posted now by VentureBeat, and here’s the registration link. I hope you give it a listen, and happy to hear your thoughts as well.

August Editions Out Now - my Newsletter and Podcast

The latest editions of both my newsletter and podcast are out now - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, and my Watch This Space podcast, now in its 7th season.

If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - the signup page is here.

For my Watch This Space podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month, Chris and I further explored the topic of “workplace strategy”, which draws from my recent No Jitter article (both newsletter and podcast include the link), and why I see this as an opportunity for both UCaaS and CCaaS vendors.

We also talked about how recent missteps from CrowdStrike, Patagonia and Ticketmaster reflect concerns about Big Tech that we regularly voice on Watch This Space. To give it a listen, here’s the link, and would love your feedback any time.

July Writing Roundup

There was no travel during July, but I kept busy on many fronts, including writing. As per below, I only had two articles with my byline, but three others were published last month that I wrote, but sans my byline. You might be surprised by the variety of ways we indie analysts ply our trade - and I’d be happy to tell you more about that any time!

No Jitter - my latest article, AI in the Enterprise - Are We Missing the Best Use Case of All?, July 17

Aizan Blog - my latest guest post: Communications Tech Events to Attend - an Analyst’s Take, June 28 (did not run in time to be included in my June writing roundup)

Catching up on July Activity

Regular followers will have noticed I’ve been blogging less frequently, and am not really sure if this is a blip or a real change. As you know, I’m pretty old school, and I don’t know too many people who have been blogging continuously as long as I have - going back to 2005.

The reality is that most of my activity is tracked on LinkedIn, along with my newsletter and podcast. I continue to blog, however, as this is the entry point for many people who learn about my capabilities and offerings once they find my website.

Speaking of the website, there are some refreshes coming, and I’m very much aware that some sections aren’t up to date, and I’d like to make the site more engaging - more to come on that.

All that aside, I have been staying busy throughout July, but that’s not reflected here on my blog. So, I’m going to rectify that right now, with a simple tally of things you might want to check out, ICYMI.

Intelligent Thinking AI Summit - was a speaker at this virtual event, July 18

No Jitter - my latest article, AI in the Enterprise - Are We Missing the Best Use Case of All?, July 17

Let’s Do Video Boardroom - finally, my first guest appearance on David Maldow’s long-running interview series: the Future of UC and Contact Centers, July 15

UC Today - was cited as being a UC All-Star, July 11

Big UC News - was part of the panel for the latest edition of this industry news roundup, July 8

Watch This Space Podcast - our July edition: HPE Discover and NICE Interactions - Reflections on Latest Industry Events, July 3

Aizan Blog - my latest guest post: Communications Tech Events to Attend - an Analyst’s Take, June 28

July Editions Out Now - My Newsletter and Podcast

Just in time for the July 4 break! The latest editions of both my newsletter and podcast are out now - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, and my Watch This Space podcast, now in its 7th season.

If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - the signup page is here.

For my Watch This Space podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month, Chris and I reviewed recent events each of us attended in Las Vegas - HPE Discover for him, and NICE Interactions for me. LOTS to talk about, and some other sidebars I think you’ll enjoy. To give it a listen, here’s the link, and would love your feedback any time.

June Writing Roundup

More writing and less spoken word for June - four public writeups, and all were reviews of recent industry events.

Zoom Perspectives - Five Takeaways, June 5, BCStrategies

Verint Analyst Days - Four Takeaways, June 10, BCStrategies

Zoholics 2024: How the Company Models a Different Path to Success, June 21, No Jitter

NICE Interactions 2024: Just CX It - Executing on the Vision, June 21, BCStrategies

Catching up on Analyst Events - 2 Reviews to Share

I’ve had four conferences over the past few weeks, and my run of travel has finally hit pause. Writing is a big challenge when on the road, and invariably this creates some gaps in getting timely analysis done, along with having time to share it.

So, in case you missed it, here’s where to find my reviews from two of these events. I’ve written reviews for the other two as well, and both are in line to publish any day now.

Verint Analyst Days - my review runs here on BCStrategies

Zoom Perspectives - this review also on BCStrategies

Newsletter and Podcast Time - June Editions out Now

The June editions of both my newsletter and podcast are out now - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, and my Watch This Space podcast, now in its 7th season.

If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - the signup page is here.

For my Watch This Space podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month, the podcast reviews two recent analyst events I attended - Zoom and Verint - along with examining the pros and cons for these companies going all-in with AI. To give it a listen, here’s the link, and would love your feedback any time.

Next Stop - Zoholics, Austin, TX

Make what you will of the event name, but that’s where I’ll be next week. Zoholics is Zoho’s customer/partner event, and they have several of these on a regional basis around the globe. Earlier this year, I attended my first Zoho event, and this will be my first Zoholics event - in Austin, woo hoo - so I’m getting to know this very interesting company a bit better now.

The weather will be hot, the BBQ will be great, and there’s no better city for live music, so it’s shaping up to be a pretty, pretty good week. I’ll post updates as time allows, and you can track the event more broadly using these tags on social - #Zoholics24 and #ZoholicsUS.

May Events - Zoom and Verint - Quick Pix

Last week I had back-to-back analyst events in the US, and just wanted to share some photos here. First was Zoom Perspectives in NYC, followed by Verint Analyst Days in Dallas. I’ll be doing a written review of these later this week. Not sure where it will run, but stay tuned.

Also, as a heads-up, I discussed takeaways from these events with my partner Chris Fine on our Watch This Space podcast, which will run next Tuesday, along with my June newsletter. I hope you check those out. Until then, here are some quick pix of mine from last week’s events.

First, Zoom Perspectives in NYC. Below - executive team during Q&A session, Gary Sorrentino, Mahesh Ram

More from Zoom - Jeff Smith, Smita Hashim, and our tour of the MLB studios, a high-profile Zoom customer - very cool

Now, on to Verint Analyst Days in Dallas. Below - Dan Bodner, Jaime Merritt, David Singer

More Verint - event sign, the “CX Automation Matrix” discussion, Jaime with the event-themed cocktails