Next Stop - Nashville and Genesys CX18

Haven't blogged in a while, mainly due to being so busy. Last week was MoNage and Cisco's customer care event, and this week has been month-end writing, getting plans in place for next week's Genesys event, and practicing music for the SIPtones gig we have next Wednesday night during CX18. Also been very active developing new projects based on inquiries from recent industry events, so things are never dull here.

Just doing a quick shout-out now about next week's event, and I'll be there from Tuesday through Thursday. Details about the event and our SIPtones gig can be found in the Event Calendar section of my website. While there, I'll be tweeting as time allows - @arnoldjon - and you can follow the event feed at #CX18.

Next Speaking Spot - MoNage - Emerging Communications and the Digital Workplace

Regular blog followers and/or subscribers to my newsletter will know that I've been speaking at and supporting Jeff Pulver's MoNage conference from the beginning. My history with Jeff goes back much further, and with MoNage still fairly new, it's small - but highly focused and definitely gaining momentum.

Feel free to search my blog about my earlier talks at MoNage, but it's time to talk up the Spring 2018 event. Details can be found in the Event Calendar section of my website - quickly, it's being held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, and our talk will be at 10:30 next Wednesday. I'll be co-presenting on this topic with my long-time partner, Chris Fine.

If you're still considering attending, please contact me for a discount offer on the registration fee. Otherwise, you can review the program agenda here, and if you're joining us, I'd love to connect - I sure won't be hard to find, esp if using the social handles - @arnoldjon, @MoNageConf, #Monage 

Shout-Out for my April Newsletter - Subscribe Here

My newsletter - Communications and Collaboration Review - is starting to become a thing now, and the April edition has just been sent to subscribers. To get it, you need to sign up, so with every new edition, I need to support it with a blog post so people will know it's out there. So, as I did for last month's newsletter, here's the story...

Visitors to my website will know that I produce a newsletter, available on a sign-up basis. I'm not asking much - just your interest to learn more about what I do, and your email address - and over time, am hoping that will drive more engagement with some of you.

Many followers sign up for alerts for my new blog posts via RSS, but I don't know who you are. If that's all you want, great, but to get my newsletter, you need to sign up. For now, the newsletter provides exclusive content, and aside from amplifying my recent thought leadership and industry activities, I'll increasingly be creating original content, along with citings from my 10+ year archive of blogs posts and photos.

That's my soft pitch to encourage you to sign up, and if you do that soon, I'll make sure you get the April edition. Sign-up forms can be found here, or on any page of my website. Otherwise, I encourage your feedback and ideas for future topics.

Also, for the right circumstances, I'm happy to consider forms of sponsorship and possibly guest posts. My newsletter is really your newsletter, so all input is welcome - thanks.

Is the Contact Center Going the Way of the PBX?

That's the question posed for my latest No Jitter writeup, and it stems from several takeaways from last month's Enterprise Connect 2018. You don't have to look far on my blog to see what I've already written about the conference, but for No Jitter, it just seemed that a number of learnings from Enterprise Connect pointed to that big question.

I'm not saying it's happening tomorrow, but the parallels are strong, and perhaps you'll agree after giving it a read. And if you don't, I'd still love to hear from you, as would the folks at No Jitter. Are you there?

March Writing Roundup

March was light on the writing front, but I kept busy otherwise, doing a webinar, a couple of podcasts, attending/speaking at Enterprise Connect, and being a source for several stories that ran in the media, especially around Enterprise Connect.

Looking ahead, I'm also in prep mode for a speaking spot at the upcoming MoNage conference, and soon after that, I'll be playing music again with the SIPtones at the Genesys conference in Nashville. Updates coming on those soon.

On the writing front, below is a summary of what kept me busy last month. Aside from this, I also produce a newsletter for my subscribers. It's still quite new and is taking shape one month at a time, and the April edition should be out in the next few days. If you'd like to get that, please sign up here, and I'll make sure to get you on the subscriber list right away.

Media Citings Summary Following Enterprise Connect, my blog, March 27

Enterprise Connect 2018 - First Impressions, Literally, BCStrategies, March 19

What Does Messaging Have That Voice Doesn't?, Toolbox.com, March 15

Why the "New Voice" is Happening Now, Toolbox.com, March 12

Talking Speech Tech for the Enterprise - podcast, No Jitter On Air, March 8 (scroll down the list - registration required, but I can help with that)

3 Things IT Needs to Understand About the Digital Workplace, Toolbox.com, March 7

Enterprise Connect - BCStrategies Podcast Review

Many of us with BCStrategies both attended and presented at Enterprise Connect earlier this month, so there was a lot of collective insights in our circle. The best way to bottle that is with a podcast, and after recording it a few days ago, it's now been posted to our portal.

Here's the link, and I think you'll find this a very good way to tap into the essence of what came out from the conference. For more, there are several posts on our portal related to Enterprise Connect, along with various posts from us on No Jitter.

Preview for Enterprise Connect - Our BCStrategies Podcast

The week is flying by, and the biggest conference in our space is next week, so time is short. I've already done shout-outs about my session there - and more to come - but we're going bigger picture here. Since many of us at BCStrategies (nee UCStrategies) are speaking at Enterprise Connect, we put this podcast together so you can hear all about that in one place. 

Our fearless leader, Jim Burton, did a great job moderating, and he's pulled it all together nicely, with both our podcast, and a summary table for all our speaking spots at the show. It's a lot to follow, posted now on our portal.

Sidebar - I rarely post two images, but it fits this time. Below is our BCStrategies logo, and a shout-out for my speaking spot. Also, fyi, if you register before March 9 with this link, you'll get $500 off your registration.

Thoughts on ITExpo - Where the Phones Are

That's the title of my latest analysis, wearing my BC Expert hat for BCStrategies. For this month's post, I've done a recap of last week's ITExpo in Fort Lauderdale. I posted about it here on my blog a few times leading up to the expo, and now it's time for my post-expo takeaways.

ITExpo is certainly a different vibe from next month's uber-event, Enterprise Connect, and I've been posting about that here as well. Not too many analysts make it to both events, so I'll be doing a similar recap about Enterprise Connect for BCStrategies later next month. Until then, here's my take on ITExpo, and if you were there, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Preview of my Speech Tech Tutorial at Enterprise Connect on No Jitter

Got a few messages to unpack in that headline, as preparations for Enterprise Connect 2018 kick into high gear.

1. This is my first time at Enterprise Connect, and I'll be one of the very first speakers, presenting a tutorial on speech technology at 8am, Monday, March 12.

2. I wrote a preview article about my tutorial - all the details are there - and it's running now on No Jitter. Would love it if you could attend my session!

3. This may be my first rodeo with EC, but I'm a regular contributor to No Jitter - here's my profile page if you want to see my other posts.

4. We're all in sales, and here's my modest pitch if you haven't made plans yet. Use this link to register by midnight, March 9, and you'll get $500 off the price.

5. I hope you like the preview article, and if you do, I'm pretty sure you'll like my tutorial. Don't be shy - be social - use #EC18 and @enterprisecon to share.

ITExpo Preview #3 - The Rise of Messaging in the Enterprise

Here's the final preview post for the sessions I'll be moderating next week at ITExpo in Fort Lauderdale. We're getting our share of snow here in Toronto, so let's just say the change of scene will be nice!

This session will be on the Friday at 11am in Room 210, and joining me will be David Frankel of ZipDX, Brad Blanken of Bandwidth.com, and David Walsh of VoIP Innovations. More detail about the session and the expo in general can be found in the Event Calendar section of my website.

Also, for detail about the other two sessions I'm moderating, here are the blog posts from earlier this week. Otherwise, I hope to see you there, and to follow the event, the twitter hashtag is #ITEXPO2018.

ITExpo Preview #1 - Making Chatbots Your Most Valuable Asset

That's the title of the first panel I'll be moderating a week from now at TMC's ITExpo in Fort Lauderdale. All told, I'm moderating three sessions, and there's more detail here in a recent post on my blog.

Joining me on the chatbot session will be David Lee of RingCentral, and Akshay Sharma from neXt Curve, and we're hoping to add another speaker shortly. There's a lot of ground to cover, but basically, we'll talk about how to get beyond the science experiment stage to make chatbots a new driver of business value and deeper engagement with customers.

For those attending, we'll be in Room 209, starting at 10 - see you there!

January Writing Roundup

I was so busy through all of January, am just realizing now that I didn't do a writing roundup for December. That's getting a bit long at this point, but I'll include just a couple of items from December in this writeup. Many of my posts aren't that time sensitive, so the analysis often has a longer shelf life than the news-based posts that drive most of social media. That's not what I do, and to show the difference, here are some writing highlights from January and a bit beyond.

New Research from BroadSoft - Cloud UC is Growing, Toolbox.com, Jan. 30

Can you Collaborate without Voice?, Toolbox.com, Jan. 22

How to Navigate the Enterprise Collaboration Market, TechTarget, Jan. 16

What to Look for in a Hosted UC Partner - Who are they Selling to?, Toolbox.com, Jan. 15

2018 Outlook - The Shape of Collaboration, No Jitter, Jan. 9

Collaboration in 2018 - AI is Coming, Toolbox.com, Jan. 10

Hackonomy - How BroadSoft Helps Service Providers Succeed with the Cloud, my blog, Jan. 3

CCaaS - Another Slice of the Collaboration Spectrum, Call Center Scheduling Magzine, and  Internet Telephony Magazine, Q4 2017, Dec. 15

Shakeups and Shakeouts in Collaboration - Setting the Stage for 2018, UCStrategies, Dec. 13

Next Up - ITExpo, Ft. Lauderdale - Moderating 3 Sessions

There's something about Fort Lauderdale and February - sure works for me. That's the story for my next conference - TMC's ITExpo, and I'll be there from February 14-16. It's been a while since my last conference, but am not complaining as I've been full-out busy fulfilling client work the past few months.

Things ease up on that front after January, and starting with ITExpo, I have at least one conference happening each month through June, and others will certainly pop up along the way.

Speaking of TMC, you may not be aware that I've been writing a regular column for years for their flagship publication, Internet Telephony Magazine. It's one of several places I'm regularly published, and my latest Rethinking Communications column is running in their Q1 2018 issue.

This is my first shout-out for ITExpo, and I'll have specific posts coming about each session I'm moderating over the next week or so. For a snapshot of what I'll be up to there, details can be found on my Event Calendar page. I won't be hard to find  at the show, and if you want to connect, please drop me a line.

My Next Ziff Davis Webinar - 3 Collaboration Trends for 2018

Told you it was a busy month.  I've got two webinars coming up this month, and this one is with my mainstay, Ziff Davis. Being January, I've got another 2018 outlook theme, namely how three trends are now driving collaboration - chatbots/AI, messaging and the changing role of voice.

They're all connected, but each is having its own impact, and I'll be breaking that down, along with a review of the major consolidation moves from last year that are setting the table for 2018. Here's the registration page, and I'll do a couple more shout-outs to keep it on your radar.

2018 Business Comms Forecast - our Latest BCStrategies Podcast

Eventually, I'll transition fully from UCStrategies to BCStrategies, and hopefully this doesn't cause confusion. Two names, two websites, but the content is the same, and so are the people. Am hoping it will just be BCStrategies at some point in 2018, and I'm getting on the bandwagon now.

I stand corrected on my earlier blog post, saying that our podcast about Net Neutrality was the last one for 2017. Forgot about that one, and this one is our lookout for what 2018 holds for the always expanding/ever-confusing world of communications/collaboration/customer care.

Whatever you choose to call it, this podcast is a good roundup of analysts and consultants - myself included - who are all close to the trends shaping this space. I think you'll find it time well-spent, and here's the link to hear what we had to say. Feel free to add your take, and I'll be back to blogging early next week. Happy New Year!

November Writing Roundup

Another busy month, and while my public writing output was on the light side, other things are helping keep my plate full. Here's a digest of my November posts that may still be of interest if you didn't see them before.

Will AI Become Like Organic Food?, UCStrategies, Nov. 30

Can AI Really Improve Collaboration?, Toolbox.com, Nov. 29

How do you Measure Collaboration ROI?, TechTarget, Nov. 29

Learning from Oreos and Hackonomy to Improve Collaboration, Toolbox.com, Nov. 17

Three Reasons to Focus on Outcomes with Collaboration, Toolbox.com, Nov. 14

Using Hackonomy to Create Relevance for Customers, No Jitter, Nov. 7

3 Things Businesses Need to Know About Amazon Connect, Toolbox.com, Nov. 2

Will AI Become Like Organic Food?

That's the title of my latest post wearing my UC Expert hat for UCStrategies. I think it's a valid question as AI becomes the trend-du-jour in our space, and everyone wants to be on the train as it pulls out of the station. Where that train is going, nobody knows, but so long as you believe AI can be a force for good, you need to be there.

As a marketing guy, I have concerns that "AI" is already getting over-used, and that could undermine its true value - presuming we start seeing some true innovation. Lots to think about, and I hope this post piques your interest.

As a sidebar, I didn't realize it's been so long since my last blog post. Apologies for the gap - just been full-out busy finishing up white papers, getting regular client work done, and getting a bunch of new projects mapped out. Inquiries keep coming in, so it never gets dull.

Am also trying to squeeze in time to get some exclusive content out to my blog subscribers! You know who you are, and apologies for this taking so long. Won't be much longer - promise. Until then, I hope you enjoy this UCStrategies post of mine.

RichCall Blog - Summary of Key Contact Center Technologies and Experts

This crossed my path recently, and wanted to share it as a good resource/overview of technologies currently leading the contact center space.

RichCall is a contact center vendor I didn't know previously, and they recently compiled a pretty extensive summary, based on industry research and insights from analysts/consultants/experts in this space. This is a handy reference post if you want a 5 minute snapshot of what's driving contact center technology and what's coming next.

There's a solid list of industry experts - myself included, thanks - and if you're not sure who to follow to stay on top of things, this cohort covers the ground pretty thoroughly. Otherwise, there's some useful stats from Dimension Data's 2017 benchmark report, and if you like what you see, am sure RichCall will be happy for any sharing - and likewise for keeping our names out there.

October Writing Roundup

Was a busy month, with more travel than usual, and attending/speaking at four events. Also made some good behind-the-scenes progress on my website, and had a good jump in new followers for my blog.

I've been talking about providing regular - and exclusive - updates for my subscribers for some time, and it's looking good to finally get that going this month, so please bear with me. All of this has cut into my writing a bit, but here's what was keeping me busy on that front during October.

Understanding Cisco's Acquisition of BroadSoft - I Think Taher Behbehani Knows Why, UCStrategies, Oct. 27

How do Huddle Rooms Fit in Video Conferencing Strategies?, TechTarget, Oct. 25

Why is Walmart Using Facebook for Collaboration? Should You?, Toolbox.com, Oct. 20

Why Messaging is the new Driver for Collaboration, Toolbox.com, Oct. 16

Chatbots - 10 Risks you need to Consider, Toolbox.com, Oct. 12

6 Reasons to Use Chatbots in your Business, Toolbox.com, Oct. 4

Market Analysis - How Mobility and Messaging are Transforming CX, JAA Blog, Oct. 3

Podcast - BC Summit Recap

The month has zoomed by, and the BC Summit was one of four events I attended and/or spoke at in October. Am glad to be done travelling for a while, but the BC Summit kicked the month off on a strong note.

As always, the mix of content was strong, and there was something for everyone.  Highlights have been posted already in written form, but we did a podcast as well, and it's finally been prepared for posting. You can access it now on our portal, and if you'd like to ask more questions, just drop me a line.