Enterprise Connect - Preview of My Speech Tech Update on No Jitter

The 2021 edition of Enterprise Connect is about a month away, and I’ll be presenting my annual update there on the state of AI and speech technology in the enterprise. Most of the attention for this corner of the tech world is focused on consumers and contact centers, but there are plenty of interesting use cases for enterprises right now, as well as on the horizon.

My latest No Jitter article is a preview for what I’ll talking about during my Enterprise Connect session, which runs at 11am on Monday, September 27. I hope you give it a read, and details are there if you want to register and join me then.

Newsletter Time Again - August Issue - Podcast Too

August is August, so this month’s newsletter will likely be the lilghtest of the year, but that doesn’t mean I’ve taken the summer off. Am as busy as ever, and there will be lots of new stuff to share next month and beyond, so stay tuned.

JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review went out yesterday, and for everyone else, here’s an easy way to subscribe if you want to follow what I’m up to. Analyst work in the collaboration and contact center spaces is never dull, and for more on that, you should check out my podcast, Watch This Space.

My partner Chris Fine and I are well into our 4th season, and this time around we weighed in on what could well be the most important M&A deal of 2021 in our space - Zoom’s acquisition of Five9. We talk a lot about future of work as well, and for the August episode, we discuss the current state of hybrid work in the broader context of how everyday life is starting to open up again - sort of.

July Writing Roundup

I don’t usually do this roundup until the new month starts, but that’s the way the calendar falls at the moment. July writing was really light - just one published article with my byline - mainly because I was offline much of the month dealing with family issues, but am slowly getting back on track.

Hybrid Work - Trust Holds the Key to Productivity, No Jitter, July 13

Hybrid Work - Trust Holds the Key to Productivity - My Latest for No Jitter

Been offline for the past week or so, but back now, and a few things to catch up on. This is my latest post for No Jitter, so am posting here in case you missed it. There are lots of ways to look at hybrid work, and this one draws from a new research study by Fuze, and with their permission, I’ve added my take on the data. I hope you like it, and as always, sharing and comments are welcome.

Newsletter Time Again - July Issue - Podcast Too

Being the first week of the month, the current issue of JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review is out now, along with our latest Watch This Space podcast. If the topic as per the thumb below piques your interest, you can give it a listen here. Otherwise, feel free to peruse earlier episodes here on my website, and same for past newsletter issues. And, to become a subscriber, just sign up here.

June Writing Roundup

June was a busy month with virtual events and client work, along with early signs that the fall will be very busy as live events resume. Already, I have one live event to travel to almost every week through early November - geez. Still managed to get some writing done, though, and here’s my June digest. For more on what’s keeping me busy, next week my July newsletter and podcast both come out.

Genesys Xperience - My Perspectives on CX and DX on BCStrategies, BCStrategies, June 30

What Technologies are Essential for Effective Teamwork?, TechTarget, June 21

Voice Technology Triumphs Telephony - Here’s Why, No Jitter, June 8

My Next Webinar with Ingram Micro Canada - Guiding Your Customers to Hybrid Work

My next webinar is for a targeted audience, so it’s not open to all, but it’s another opportunity to share my views about hybrid work, and in this case, how channels can help their customers adapt. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and if you’re a Canadian reseller looking to do this, you might find this Ingram Micro Canada webinar of interest. I’ll be presenting next Tuesday, July 6 at 2pm, and details to register are here.

Future of Work Session Tomorrow - Hybrid Work - It's Complicated!

Busy tying up loose ends for TMC’s Future of Work event, starting tomorrow - Wednesday - at 9am ET, running through Friday. I’m conference Chair, but due to travel restrictions, I can’t travel from Canada to be there. Colleague Phil Edholm will be running the sessions in the room, so we’re in good hands there. However, I’ll be moderating two virtual sessions, with the first one running at 9am tomorrow, and the one below at 11am.

Joining me for our session about hybrid work will be Bryan Martin from 8x8, Simon Lau from Otter, and Lisa Walker from Fuze. Here’s the full agenda, and if you’re attending ITExpo, I hope you’ll join us. Also - not on the agenda yet - Phil and I will be doing a joint session from 2-3 tomorrow, providing “the analyst perspective” on future of work.

Future of Work Session Tomorrow - Post-Pandemic Workplace

Busy tying up loose ends for TMC’s Future of Work event, starting tomorrow - Wednesday - at 9am ET, running through Friday. I’m conference Chair, but due to travel restrictions, I can’t travel from Canada to be there. Colleague Phil Edholm will be running the sessions in the room, so we’re in good hands there. However, I’ll be moderating two virtual sessions, with the first one running at 9am tomorrow.

Joining me will be Gary Sorrentino from Zoom, Dave Silke from Mitel, and Brian Gilman from Vonage. Here’s the full agenda, and if you’re attending ITExpo, I hope you’ll join us. My next post will provide details for the second virtual session I’m moderating. Also - not on the agenda yet - Phil and I will be doing a joint session from 2-3 tomorrow, providing “the analyst perspective” on future of work.

Spotlight Video Interview with Onalytica

There are lots of ways for an analyst to get visibility, and while I’m the one usually doing the writing or asking the questions, it’s nice every so often to be the subject of an interview. That’s the case here, where I’m in conversation with Joe Fields of Onalytica, talking about my practice, but also my views on which companies are doing innovative work, and which technologies are the most important to stay close to.

If you follow my blog, you’ll know I’ve been on a roll lately with Onalytica, being included in two of their recent “Who’s Who?” reports - one for telecoms, and one for Unified Communications. They also featured me in this Q&A interview, which now includes an embedded link to the video segment, which you can also watch down below.

Future of Work Event, During ITEXpo - June 23-25

Am back for Year 3 as Chair of this event, which runs under the much larger ITExpo banner, which is TMCnet’s flagship event. This is the first in-person event I’ve been involved with during the pandemic, and it’s difficult to say what the turnout will be. Being in Canada, travel is off the table for now, so I’ll be running some of the sessions virtually, while colleague Phil Edholm will be doing others in person.

Details about the program are here, and as we get closer to go-time, updates will be coming with new speakers. No doubt lots of people are keen to travel again, and it’s hard to complain about going to Miami as a destination. I’ll have more updates as the show approaches, and am still keeping the door open for new speakers, so don’t be shy to ask.

Voice - Bigger Than Ever - My Latest on No Jitter

Voice has long been one of my core focus areas as an analyst, and while it’s easy to take for granted, the technologies behind it have evolved substantially over the years. There’s still a lot of telephony-centric thinking about voice, and while that remains a valid connection, with today’s technologies, voice has become so much more.

I explored that recently with colleague Chris Fine in our History of Telephony micro-course with PulveREDU, but there are many tangents that need their own track. One is the idea that voice is bigger than ever, and while it’s a big claim, I believe it’s warranted. My latest No Jitter post helps make the case, and if this piques your interest, I’d love to hear back.

UC Awards 2021 - Applications Open and Judging Again

Been busy on the awards judging front lately, and UC Awards 2021 is the latest. I was part of the judging cohort last year, and for 2021 we applied some lessons learned to make it better. This is a fun one, and you’ll be hearing more about it soon.

More details are in this article from UC Today about the event, including the various categories, and how to submit an entry. If you’re still considering this, entries must be in my June 14, fyi.

May Writing Roundup

My newsletter goes out later tdoay, and subscribers will see how busy May was, so my public writing output was limited. Unlike April, however, at least I got some pieces out, and here’s the digest.

Companies Must Rethink Video Conferencing Usage in 2021, May 24, TechTarget

How Could BYOD Support Touchless Meeting Rooms?, May 19, TechTarget

10 Essential Benefits of Unified Communications, May 12, TechTarget

Five9 Analyst Summit - My Quick Take, May 6, my blog

CCaaS: Rethinking Your CX and Customer Service Strategy, May 4, No Jitter

Will Video Fatigue Drive Users Back to Voice Calls?, May 4, TechTarget

More From Onalytica - Profile Interview

Earlier this week, I posted about being included for the second time in a “Who’s Who?” guide produced by UK-based Onalytica. It’s always great to get industry recognition, and to keep that vibe going, they just published a profile interview of me, conducted by Joe Fields, their Head of Influencer Marketing.

You can read the interview here, and if interested, I think you’ll find both guides to be useful resources. Just check my blog posts for details on how to download them.

Who's Who in Unified Communications? - Latest from Onalytica

I’ve recently landed on the radar of Onalytica, a UK firm focused on influencer marketing. We didn’t have terms like that in my MBA days, but it’s defnitely a thing now, and better to be on their radar than not.

They produce a series of “Who’s Who” reports, and I was included in last month’s report covering “Telecoms”. That was nice to see, and there’s more of the same in their latest report, Who’s Who in Unified Communications? The reports are fairly similar, but different enough to be worth getting both. They also did a profile interview with me, and I’ll share that here shortly.

Cloud Conventions 2021 - May 12-14 - Next Speaking Spot for Me

Cloud Conventions starts this Wednesday, and I’ll be speaking early in the program at 10:30 ET. Details are below, along with a 5 minute video interview that organizer Carolyn Bradfield did with me as a preview. Hope you can join us!

I’ll be providing the analyst perspective about how cloud is shaping the future of work, especially as we come out of the pandemic. If you’re attending, I’ll be speaking live as part of the Digital Transformation track at 10:30 ET on May 12. Then at 11:30, I’ll be joined by Mike Cromwell for an informal Meet The Experts scrum.

Details about my topic are here, along with all the other sessions - just scroll through a bit, and you’ll find me. If you haven’t made plans to attend, here’s where to register.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Newsletter Time Again - May Issue - Podcast Too

Subscribers got the May edition of JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review around this time yesterday, and with that comes the latest Season 4 episode of our Watch This Space podcast.

There are several ways to access and/or subscribe to our podcast, but the newsletter is primarily available via subscription, which is free. Links to that can be found on my website, and to make it easy, here you go.

Whether you subscribe or not, I hope you give our latest podcast a listen. As the title below suggests, we took on a big topic, which of course can’t be covered in one episode. We picked out some core themes, which Chris Fine and I will explore further during our upcoming PulveREDU course on May 13, and you can register for that here. Hope you’ll join us!

Cloud Conventions 2021 - May 12-14 - Next Speaking Spot for Me

I really enjoyed being involved with last year’s inaugural Cloud Conventions, especially with Carolyn Bradfield. We’re back at it for the 2021 edition, which runs virtually from May 12-14. This is a channel-centric event, with a wide range of topics to help end customers migrate to the cloud.

I’ll be presenting again, providing the analyst perspective about how cloud is shaping the future of work, especially as we come out of the pandemic. If you’re attending, I’ll be speaking live as part of the Digital Transformation track at 10:30 ET on May 12. Then at 11:30, I’ll be joined by Mike Cromwell for an informal Meet The Experts scrum.

Details about my topic are here, along with all the other sessions - just scroll through a bit, and you’ll find me. If you haven’t made plans to attend, here’s where to register.

Also, any day now, I’ll be posting a short video chat I did with Carolyn about the event and the themes I plan to talk about - stay tuned.

Back to School - Our First PulveREDU Course: The New Voice

Jeff Pulver is a long-time visionary, entrepreneur and community-builder in the communications technology space; especially around VoIP, which he had a direct hand in establishing as the successor to TDM. He keeps moving with the times, and PulveREDU is his latest venture. In short, he’s developed an accessible, affordable platform for learning and knowledge-sharing - think along the lines of The Learning Annex, but online.

PulveREDU’s model is to offer one-hour courses/programs, led by established experts, and at a $20 price point, it’s an affordable way to get up to speed on a topic and engage directly with the educators. This isn’t about earning credits or completing a curriculum, but it provides richer learning than just consuming content from the Web. Plus it’s live and interactive, so there’s lots of room for dialog.

The programming calendar is a work in progress, as this is still pretty new, but as the track record builds, enrollment for courses will grow, as will the roster of educators. That’s the leadup, and here’s the pitch.

Our inaugural PulveREDU course is coming soon - it runs live, on Thursday, May 13 from 11:30-12:30pm, EST. I’ll be co-presenting the course with long-time colleague and Watch This Space podcast partner, Chris Fine. Our topic is close to home for us, titled: The New Voice - Exploring New Worlds Beyond the Phone Call, and registration details are here. We really hope you’ll join us, and if you think others will be interested as well, please pass this along.