Newsletter Time - December Edition Out Now

Had some hiccups on the back end of things, and the newsletter is uncharacteristically a week late, but it is out now for my subscribers. If you don’t know, the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which upcoming events I’ll be attending.

Subscribing to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Sidebar - although my Watch This Space podcast is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. And if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, drop me a line! The format will be changing, but new episodes are in store for 2026.

Newsletter Time - October Edition Out

Still catching up from being away last week, but wanted my broader following to know that my latest newsletter was published recently.

If you don’t know, the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which events I’ll be attending.

Subscribing to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Although my Watch This Space podcast is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website. There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. And if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, drop me a line!

Wildix Analyst Event - Quick Pix

The theme for Wildix’s first-ever analyst event in Venice was taking the mask off, and to help the broader comms world better know their story, they invited a small group of analysts and media to see first-hand what this interesting company has been up to.

They’ve been at it for 20 years, so this is hardly a startup. Focusing mainly on SMBs in the EU, the company will never get the buzz of a Tier 1 selling to large enterprises, but there are plenty of small businesses happy to be working with them.

That’s my analysis for this post, and I’ll let the photos tell the visual story. For the narrative - and there’s lots to like about Wildix - you can check out my LinkedIn posts during the event, and the podcast interview Doug Green did with me here. More is coming, namely a BCStrategies podcast that we’ll be recording this week.

Airport arrival, our hotel - right on the water, CEO/co-founder Steve Osler kicking things off

Exec session - Steve and Dimitri Osler, Jason Uslan, Emiliano Tomasoni; partner session with Kate Berry and Dr. Grant McAree

Jason Uslan, Stewart Donnor, Alberto Benigno

Next two panels - group cooking class - learned a lot, and some thank yous from Steve, Dimitri and the energy force behind this event, Deliah Mathieu

Gotta like the work/play balance when in Italy - toasting with Chris Marron, spritzer time, and with Deliah and long-time Frostie/travel companion, Elka Popova

Group shots to wrap things up - with masks on, and masks off, of course!

Next Stop - Venice for Wildix's Analyst Event

The life of a tech analyst does have its perks, and attending vendor events sure is one of them. Last week was Vienna, and next week is Venice. Those locales are pretty hard to beat, and Air Canada seems to be liking me quite a lot lately.

This time around, it’s for Wildix, a company that is not well-known outside the EU. Best I can tell, I have been following the company longer than any other analyst - pre-pandemic - so they’re not unknown to me. Led by two brothers - Dimitri and Steve Osler - they have quietly been building a successful business, mainly focused on UCaaS for SMB and mid-market customers.

As with everyone else, AI is driving the innovation, and we’re going to hear all about their roadmap, and how their channel-centric model will help them accelerate growth. They’ve already done a great job to prime us with a video covering 10 ways that Wildix is different. Kudos to that, and it’s clear already that their marketing game is in good order.

It’s also clear that they’re ready to take the next step as a UCaaS player. This is their first full-on analyst event, so they will now be on the radar of many more analysts than in the past. Also, on a branding level, I love the messaging - the underlying theme is that they’re tired of being unknown, and it’s time to get on a bigger stage. But, they’re doing this Euro-style - as their tagline says, “not another Silicon Valley story”. I’m down with that - can’t wait.

To make us feel like a local, they’ve even given us a handy guide with Italian phrases. I’ve worked in my share of Italian restaurants, so I’ll be right at home. Not to mention seeing the local sites, and the Italian cooking class I’ll be getting there. Molto buono!

SCTC 2025 Conference - Recap and Photos

This is the busy season for travel to industry events, and am trying to share updates as time allows. Our annual SCTC conference was earlier this month in Reno, and being mostly for members, the audience is pretty limited. While not a big event, this is a tight community, with lots of engagement, and first-rate content for learning.

The SCTC community is mostly comms tech consultants, with decades of hands-on experience helping buyers make good technology decisions. Lots of vendors as well, and a handful of analysts. You can learn more about SCTC here on the website.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, I posted there regularly about the event, so I’m not going to do a full review here. Instead, I’ll share some photos - mostly mine - to give you a flavor of the event. Also, if you don’t know, we have a band - the SIPtones - and we had fun, playing two sets during the opening reception - gotta like that. Let’s go…

Sir Terry Matthews doing the opening keynote - lots to talk about there - and Steve Leaden just before the opening reception.

Outgoing President Mike Smith, then Steve in fireside chat mode with Sir Terry.

Denise Munro, leading a mixed panel of consultants and vendors, talking about building better partnerships. Then, Hardy Myers from NiCE Cognigy, talking about how AI is shaping nextgen CX.

Who wore it better - the always-sharp Brian Reijngoud, or me? Not to be outdone, Brian starting off his talk in a dinosaur outfit, explaining how his company helps businesses get out of the stone age with their outdated comms tech. Loved that!

SIPtones time! Nice shot here from Blair Pleasant. Another nice one here from Fran Blackburn after the gig. I’m the little guy in the back on keyboards, and videos coming soon. Until then, you can check out more photos and older clips of us here on my website.

Newsletter Time - October Issue Out Now

The October issue of my newsletter went out yesterday, so subscribers should have it by now. Am back to travel to various industry events, and the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which events I’ll be attending.

If you want to be a subscriber to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, signing up to my newsletter is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Although my Watch This Space podcast is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website. There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. And if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, drop me a line!

New Kudo for Watch This Space Podcast

My Watch This Space Podcast has finally been getting some recognition the past few months, and I have another kudo to share, this one from Million Podcasts.

It’s not a best-of award, but one that recognizes my podcast as one of the tops in three categories, and sure, I’ll take it. Here they are, with hyperlinks to the full list in each category.

Best Digital Workplace Podcast, #45

Best Collaboration Podcast, #60

Best Remote Work Podcast, #34

If you don’t know, the podcast has been on hiatus since June - that’s why you haven’t seen any new episodes - but there are 85 in the archive you can check out any time. Am re-positioning a few things, including WTS, and if you want to hear more, am happy to chat.

What Does an Analyst Do? My Latest Interview with Bospar

If you’ve been to my website, I hope you’ve checked out the two videos on the home page about being an analyst, and the need to communicate clearly about the business benefits of technology.

If you’re still wondering about my world, here’s an update you’ll like. The worlds of public relations and analyst relations are pretty close, and I was recently a guest on the Politely Pushy podcast from PR firm, Bospar. Eric Chemi is the host, and he interviewed me about a wide range of things related to my world and the value independent analysts bring to tech vendors.

You can watch the interview here, and would love to hear from you if any questions, or if I can help with your branding, go to market, positioning, etc.

Time for Next Newsletter

The September issue of my newsletter went out yesterday, so subscribers should have it by now. With summer fading fast, it’s time to get busy again, and the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which industry events I’ll be attending.

If interested in subscribing to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, signing up to my newsletter is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Although my Watch This Space podcast is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website. There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. And if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, drop me a line!

August Writing Roundup

Writing was light for August, but my overall workload was light by design. That will change once things get back to full swing after Labor Day. Until then, I hope you check these out, and would love to hear your thoughts.

Navigating the Telecom Alphabet Soup of UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS, guest post for Aizan’s blog, Aug. 12

How Zoom is Becoming AI-First, EM360, Aug. 4

Newsletter Time - August Edition Out Now

Things slow down at this point in the summer - at least for me! - but the newsletter routine continues. My July was pretty busy - and productive - so there are definitely updates to share. As you may know, my Watch This Space podcast is on hiatus, so for now, it’s just the newsletter, which went out to subscribers yesterday.

If interested in subscribing to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, signing up to my newsletter is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Although Watch This Space is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website. There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something of interest. And if you have any topics you’d like to see covered in future episodes, drop me a line!

July Writing Roundup

Was a light month for writing, but pretty busy on the video front. The latter is a different mode, and I still put a lot of stock in writing for expressing thought leadership and articulating the impact of tech on the things that we do.

Sidebar - am definitely concerned about AI’s impact now on creativity and original thinking, and if anything, I’ll double down on maintaining my writing output. That’s another conversation, for sure, and for now, I’ll just stick to July’s writing.

NiCE + Cognigy - What Took So Long?, BCStrategies (joint byline with Blair Pleasant), Aug. 1 (including this for July since it’s breaking news now)

3 Ways UC Offers the RTO Metrics You Need, TechTarget, July 31

We Have Proof AI is Improving CX, No Jitter, July 10

And, ICYMI, my review of Infobip’s analyst event, which ran at the very end of June:

One Communications Platform - Billions of Conversations: Infobip Analyst Event Review, EM360, June 27

New Month - Time for July Newsletter

In case you’re looking for some quick beach reading during the holiday weekend, the July edition of my newsletter went out to subscribers today.

JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review has been running steady for several years now, but for the first time, it’s going solo - as in, no new Watch This Space podcast episode.

If you follow me, you should know by now that I’m taking a brief hiatus from the podcast, and that’s explained a bit further in this month’s newsletter. I hope you check that out, and if you have any bright ideas for WTS 2.0, let’s get in touch!

For the handful of you out there not subscribed, signing up to my newsletter is easy - the signup page is here.

Although Watch This Space is on pause for now, you can still subscribe on all the major platforms, or listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website. There are 85 episodes to choose from, so I’m sure you’ll find something there of interest. And if not, then we really don’t have much to talk about, do we? :-)

June Writing Roundup

Plenty on the go during June, including some new writing. I’ve got three articles to share that had my byline last month - hope you check these out if not seen yet. More coming for July.

One Communications Platform - Billions of Conversations: Infobip Analyst Event Review, EM360, June 27

The Telco to Techco Reinvention Playbook: Three Moves that Matter, Aizan guest article, June 25

How UC Can Support Return to Office, TechTarget, June 9

June is Here - Time for New Podcast and Newsletter Editions

Am on target again for publishing my newsletter and podcast on the first Tuesday of the month.

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’s podcast was special, as it marks a change in plans for what Chris and I have been doing over 85 episodes the past eight years. The Last Waltz kinda comes to mind, and we’re taking a hiatus, as it’s time for a refresh on what I’m doing with the podcast.

Will likely hit pause for 2-3 months, and to learn about our thinking and what we’ve taken away from doing all these episodes, I hope you give give it a listen - here’s the link. In one form or another, Watch This Space will be back, so just bear with me, and if you have any suggestions for topics or sponsors, please drop me a line!

May Writing Roundup

May was another month with a lot of video activity, but I managed to get some writing done as well. Aside from published articles, I’ve decided to include here some writeups I posted on LinkedIn, as they would be easy to miss if not following me regularly. Caveat - you do need to be logged into LinkedIn to read them - but if you can’t do that, please let me know, and I could share any of those posts in another format. With that said, here’s the digest.

8x8, Q4 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 23

Legacy to Leadership: Telcos Rewrite Their Future as Techcos, Aizan, May 19

NICE, Q1 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 16

RingCentral Q1 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 14

The Difference Between a Traditional and Hybrid Meeting Room, TechTarget, May 12

Catching Up - Latest Updates

Finally off the road for a few weeks, but staying busy on several fronts. I haven’t blogged much lately, so am sharing a few recent updates in this post.

• Will start things off with an award, why not? I recently did a podcast with PolyAI’s CEO for EM360, and it was just named winner of the Most Engaging Podcast for Q1 2025 - yay.

• My takeaways on NICE’s Q1 earnings results - here on LinkedIn

• Was part of the most recent BCStrategies podcast, where a group of analysts reviewed industry highlights for Q1 - you can check it out here.

• Was a guest on the latest episode of the AI Show, hosted by Rob Scott and Kevin Kieller, with a catchy title - AI Just Ate the Enterprise - here’s the link, and if you can’t get in, I can get you the link to watch on their AI News YouTube channel.

• Another podcast to share, this time with GoTo. I was a guest on their Practically Tomorrow podcast, speaking about the value AI can bring for SMBs - details are here on LinkedIn, including a teaser clip - and you can watch the full episode here on their Spotify page.

• My takeaways on RingCentral’s Q1 earnings results - here on LinkedIn

That should keep you busy for now, and I’ll be back to more regular blogging next week, including updates on where my next travels will be taking me.

New Month - Time for May Podcast and Newsletter

My target date for publishing is the first Tuesday of the month, and for May, things were on target. Both newsletter and podcast editions went live yesterday, and I hope you check them out.

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’s podcast was a recap of the industry events Chris and I took in last month; namely Jeff Pulver’s vCon, 8x8’s analyst event, Cloud Communications 2025, and Vector Institute’s Remarkable event. Never a dull moment, and you can check it all out here.

April Writing Roundup

Was a busy month on several fronts, and event travel kept me on the move. I have three writeups to share from April, and I hope you give these a read.

What is a Hybrid Meeting?, TechTarget, April 28

Cloud Connections 2025 Takeaways, LinkedIn, April 18

8x8 Analyst Summit Takeaways - Track Some Mud on the Carpet, BCStrategies, April 10

8x8 Analyst Summit - Photo Highlights

Been going full-out since back from last week’s 8x8 analyst event in Southampton, UK. I’ve written an extensive review on the BCStrategies website, which has just been updated, so that’s another reason to go visit.

My review just went live - read it here - and before doing that, I’ll share some of my photos from the event, along with some social time while there. I hope you enjoy these, along with my review of the event.

Below - CMO Bruno Bertini and CEO Sam Wilson

Hunter Middleton and Fabio Ramos

At the harborside hotel, and an obligatory Guinness at the soccer match

Customer panel, onsite at the stadium; some images from their new branding

Partner panel, executive Q&A panel near the end of the event

More social - at the soccer stadium, pub stop with Blair Pleasant, followed by dinner with Simon Harrison

Inside the stadium before the game, and the marching band outside - loved it