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A short note for navigating this section - scroll below for the most recent posts, and then for more, click on the Blog Archive box, where you can view all of my posts, going back to the beginning in March 2005.
Been doing a variety of 2024 year-ahead pieces - writeups, videos and podcasts. Here’s the latest one - a podcast I recorded with Matt Harris at UK-based EM360. Much to discuss for what I think is coming for 2024, and I hope you give it a listen - it just went live today.
Going into the last month of the year, it’s time for the final 2023 editions of my newsletter and podcast, both of which went live yesterday.
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 click to listen to the current episode here. The topics Chris and I discussed are timely, and hopefully thought-provoking, and we hope you check all of this out.
Much less travel last month than October, and that gave me a chance to recap some of my recent events, which drove a lot of my current writing. Here’s a digest of my public posts, and hope you check these out.
Everyone Thinks AI Will Change Communications Tech - and Understanding How is Key, No Jitter, Nov. 30
AI Speech Technology Offers Enterprise Benefits, Risks, TechTarget, Nov. 30
Cisco WebexOne Event - Three Takeaways, JAA blog, Nov. 10
VON Evolution - What You Missed, JAA blog, Nov. 9
NICE Analyst Summit 2023 - What Leadership Looks Like, But Some Cautions as Well, BCStrategies, Nov. 6
Enhancing CX with Integrated Messaging Apps, Aizan blog, Nov. 6
I have one more event from my recent run of travel to post about, and that will clear up a big backlog I’ve been trying to get through. The event was Cisco WebexOne, hosted in Anaheim, CA – right across the street from Disneyland. As with other events, I shared updates regularly on LinkedIn, and I’ve included a tally of those posts below. Aside from that, I’m going to cite three main takeaways and messages from WebexOne here, along with some photos not shared earlier, except for one.
Right off the top, Jeetu Patel talked about how Cisco – and Webex in particular – will be “an AI-first company”, with AI being “the core fabric” for all their platforms. There really are two messages here, with the first being all AI, all the time. All the vendors are on this journey now, so nothing surprising there – in the blink of an eye, AI has become more than just table stakes; it’s starting to sound like their raison d’être.
Fair enough, but the stronger message is how the idea of core fabric means that AI is becoming part of the DNA across their entire portfolio as well as their partner ecosystem. For example, one of their updated offerings – AI Assistant – is part of both their UCaaS and CCaaS platforms.
Bigger picture, though – AI-driven applications will now be infused across all the portfolio elements – Webex Suite for UCaaS, Contact Center for premises-based deployments, Connect for CCaaS, all their devices and endpoints, as well as Control Hub, which ties everything together. As such, their AI story is now holistic and very much platform level, so it’s much bigger than a collection of AI apps and point solutions.
Taking this down a level or two, they made the fundamental assertion that all the AI in the world won’t make a difference unless you have a great user experience. When it comes to communications and collaboration – either in the workplace or the contact center - that means having great audio and video capabilities. These fundamentals are easy to take for granted, and I really liked how they parsed out what they’re doing, not just for UX, but for how Cisco is trying to differentiate.
The main update is AI Codec (ultra-low bit-rated resilient codec), which uses generative AI among other things to ensure high quality audio across all network conditions. So, when bandwidth is variable or spotty, packets will drop, and that degrades audio quality. I’m not an engineer, but they explained how these packets carry multiple copies of the audio, so if one drops, the others will get through – that’s redundancy to cover packet loss. A key part of the AI piece is how the codec removes extraneous elements like background noise so that only the voice signals are heard. Got it.
My photos below aren’t great, but the first one shows how AI Codec maintains top quality performance across the spectrum of low levels of bandwidth – between 1 and 6 kbps. Compare that to the right side of that chart, which shows the industry standard Opus Codec, and how it only maintains that level of performance at much higher bandwidth levels – 16 kbps. So, when it comes to supporting the varying bandwidth scenarios for hybrid work, Cisco maintains their new codec is better aligned.
The photo on the right is clearer, and shows another data set to support their audio quality story. In the speech recognition world, Word Error Rate (WER) is a benchmark for accuracy, where the lower the metric, the more accurate the speech engine. Cisco’s capability here comes largely from its Voicea acquisition, and this chart shows their market standing in two ways.
In absolute terms, the current version of Voicea leads the pack at 11.5% (meaning an 88.5% level of accuracy), well ahead of the leading brands. Then, in relative terms, the chart shows four data points for Voicea, and how their WER has steadily improved from 14.6% to 11.5%. This is where Machine Learning comes into play with continuous improvement, adding another layer to Cisco’s AI story.
Disclaimer – I’m a market researcher by trade, and I don’t know the source of this data. Every speech rec player seems to find a data set that shows them to be the best, and I cannot vouch for how authoritative Cisco’s claims here are. Note to self to follow up on this.
Before this post becomes too long, there are other pieces that help make for better audio and video experiences, such as their newly-touted Real Time Media Model (RMM), which they view as a complement to Large Language Models (LLM), something that all the vendors are behind as part of their AI stories. I’ll move on now, but I hope you get the main idea for how Cisco sees audio and video as core to the Webex value proposition.
Not to be outdone by Jeetu and Javed, Snorre Kjesbu added the importance of devices to the equation, and in my mind, it’s just as important. No other vendor brings all these pieces to the table – and of course the networking gear – making this another way for Cisco to differentiate; and as always, Snorre has a very clear vision of how they do this.
First off, he maintains that the devices playing field really isn’t that strong – maybe – so there’s room for them to do things their way. A great example is the new Cisco 950 ear buds, produced – and equally important, branded – with Bang & Olufsen. Top quality audio quality and Scandinavian design cred aside, this is a high-end, premium product that helps position Webex as a leading brand. That should resonate nicely with their enterprise customers – which is where they want to be – but not so much down market, where picking up buds at Best Buy will do the job.
Bigger picture, Snorre talked about “distance zero” being their “North Star” (am starting to hear that term a lot lately, so be careful not to over-use it) – meaning that their devices deliver experiences that take distance out of the equation. The idea is being able to “lead from anywhere”, whether you’re at home or in-office. Since the focus here is mostly on meetings, the idea also applies to any type of space or configuration – big board room, huddle space, lecture hall setup, auditorium seating, in the round (campfire), etc.
Their portfolio of meeting room devices is built to support all of these scenarios, showing a strong recognition for how the post-pandemic workplace is evolving. There’s lots more to talk about in terms of these devices and the experiences (such as Cinematic Meetings), but the takeaway here is that they have a really impressive lineup of devices – all being AI-powered to support their holistic approach to AI – that not only makes for smarter, more equitable collaboration, but is easy enough to use that AV specialists aren’t needed (hey, design thinking).
Finally, as noted above, here are links to my LinkedIn posts during the event to give you more of an in-the-moment feel for the WebexOne experience.
Am a bit off schedule for November publishing, but new editions of JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review newsletter, and the Watch This Space podcast are out now. If you don’t know, October was a very travel-heavy month for industry events, and covering that was the main focus of the podcast. We also talked about the state of hybrid work, and why this is a great time to be an entrepreneur - I hope you check out the latest episode.
If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - the signup page is here. For my podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or click to listen to the current episode here. Hoping you’ll check both out, and would love your feedback any time.
ASIDE from the insane global travel across all of October, it was a good month on the writing front, with five public writeups - with my byline (others don’t have that, but I can’t share those here obviously) - and all with very different storylines. I hope you read ‘em all!
Avaya Rejuvenation - Can They Do It?, EM360, Oct. 30
Tianjin Port - the Leading Edge of 5G, AI and IoT, Silverlinings, Oct. 25
Setting Realistic Expectations with Contact Center AI, Genesys blog, Oct. 25
Spotlight on Operator Connect, TeamMate blog, Oct. 18
Latest Ipsos Research Validates the Value of UCaaS and AI for Improving Productivity, No Jitter, Oct. 9
My run of travel for fall events continues, and I’ve got a back-to-back coming for next week.
First stop is SCTC, for our annual conference, which this year is in Raleigh. For the most part, it’s a member-based event, but certainly open to consultants and members who might consider joining. For those who know me, one of my SCTC hats is being in the SIPtones band, and we’re playing a set or two on Sunday night - that should be reason enough to come! On Monday, I’ll be speaking as well as moderating a panel session, so I’ll be earning my keep there.
My time at SCTC will be abbreviated, though, as I’m flying out on Tuesday to LA for Cisco’s WebexOne event. They’ve got an impressive list of celebrity speakers to draw a crowd, and an analyst-only program for our tribe. I’ll also be speaking on a panel session on Wednesday, so this will make for a busy week. I’ll share quick pix on LinkedIn for both events as time allows, and soon after a recap post here.
My latest guest article for TeamMate has been posted to their site, and it’s perhaps a contrary look at the “other side” of Operator Connect, and the realities faced by cloud providers as their customers decide to go with Teams.
The momentum behind both of these Microsoft offerings remains strong, but having success with both may be harder than it seems. I hope you give it a read, and as always, comments and sharing are welcome.
Jeff Pulver’s VON event has gone through many iterations, and if you really want to know where voice is heading, you might want to mark this on your calendar. Having tracked telephony and voice for 20+ years, I’ve seen a lot, and Jeff has a knack for being on the leading edge for what’s next.
This edition takes place at City Winery - Hudson River Park location - running Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, and all the details are here on the event site. If I’m not reason enough to come - check out the eclectic list of speakers - it’s pretty rich. :-) Would be great to see you there, and no doubt Jeff will feel the same way too.
Am totally on the go these next few weeks, so blogging kinda has to be on the fly.
Last week was London and the UC Expo, and all told, it was a worthwhile event. Crowds were sizeable, the exhibit hall was pretty full, and the vibe seemed good. It’s always hard to gauge these things, as it all passes pretty quickly, and I didn’t have many quiet moments.
In terms of sessions, there were three for me - moderated one, was a speaker for one, and I facilitated a private roundtable with customers for a sponsor, but I can’t do any sharing for that one. Also did two on-the-floor video interviews - with EM360 - see below (click to view), and UC Today - coming soon.
Otherwise, plenty of good networking, and making more in-person connections with EU companies, both clients and prospects.
Not much else I can say for now, but maybe you’ll find some other takeaways from the interview below. Following that are some photos from the trip.
Rob Kurver leading the CPaaS panel, group selfie from Dave Michels for the analyst panel, and a full room for the session I moderated with RingCentral about AI and the contact center.
Very fun - had VIP front-row seating for this special session with math whiz Hannah Fry and famed Irish comic/tech guy Dara O Briain, Storm Troopers taking over the 8x8 booth, and a race car that really can’t go all that fast here.
With Chris Bain, in front of signage for my panel session, with Jeff Pulver, being interviewed by EM360
Kinda cool hardware of a different kind, start planning now for 2024, and my parting shot leaving the venue after the show.
London town - endlessly spectacular views from the Shard, very familiar touristy spot that’s just about everywhere, and a typical alley entrance to a courtyard where it’s nice and quiet.
It’s not everyday I’m in the newspapers - yes I still get it delivered to my door - especially mainstream media like USA Today, but that’s the story here - no pun intended. I had an opportunity to be interviewed for an article about how hybrid work and digital transformation are driving the future of work, and it ran on Friday.
We don’t get USA Today in Canada, so I didn’t run out to buy a copy - does that ever happen any more? To read it, you’ll have to make do online - here’s the link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/special/contributor-content/2023/09/29/distributed-workforce-is-the-future-of-work-and-the-future-is-now-says-jon-arnold/71002261007/.
Another bonus for getting into mainstream media - when friends and family ask what I do for a living, this is exactly the thing I need to show them! Hope you like, and feel free to share.
Next week, it’s UC Expo at the ExCeL London. I recently posted about a session I’m moderating, and here’s another one I’ll be on. This is the ask-the-analyst panel, on Thursday at 2:10 pm, where I’ll be joined by colleagues Dave Michels, Oru Mohiuddin and Prachi Nema, and moderated by Gill Rowbotham. Should be fun, and hope you can make it!
I’ll be on two other sessions, including an invite-only roundtable, so I won’t be hard to find - maybe I’ll see you there. Details are here about the event, the agenda and registration.
Am on the move over the next several weeks - enroute now to NYC for short trip, attending the Cloud Communications Alliance Financial Summit. It’s just a half-day, but a solid agenda, and looking forward to attending. I’ve known CCA for many years, but this is my first time going to an event with them, where I know I’ll be seeing many familiar faces - looking forward to it!
And so it begins…
I’m not a super-frequent flyer, but Fall is the busy season for industry events, and I’ve never had a run like this before. Planning for these events has been in the works for quite some time, and it’s just about time to go.
Starting on Sunday, I’ll be travelling to 8 events over the next 7 weeks. Not continuously - phew - so I’ll be home in between each trip, but it’s going to be quite the ride. First stop is Shanghai, followed by New York, London, Machu Picchu, Dubai, Raleigh, Anaheim, and finally NYC again.
There will be lots to talk about at each stop, and I’ll blog as time allows - same for posting on social. I’m just about done now with X, so that basically means Linkedin. Next task - put in delivery stops for the newspaper. I’m so analog, huh….
Well, this was fun. Zak Anderson from Evolve IP sought me out recently, and we recorded a lengthy video interview about a variety of topics and trends. This is part of their Channel Champions video podcast series, and our chat was Episode 17. The main focus was about the role that independent analysts play, especially in helping channel partners better educate their customers about new technologies.
Zak and his team have done a great job to make our discussion more consumable by breaking it up into shorter segments, and you check all that out here on their website. To help get you there, here’s a short teaser clip. Have a look, and I hope you check out the rest!
Am returning to UC Expo - pretty much same place and time as last year - October 4-5. Best I can tell, it’s the top event in the UC space in the EU, and they sure draw a big crowd.
Aside from attending, I’ll moderating two panels, along with being on the ask-the-analyst session during Day 2. Banner below showcases one of the sessions I’m moderating, and I’ll add the other one when it’s ready. If you haven’t registered, here’s the link, and maybe I’ll see you there!
Haven’t been able to post til now, and wanted to share a bit from last Thursday’s CCTC networking event here in Toronto. Telecom events are very rare in Canada, and given the community involved, it was great to attend and support this one. In case you’re wondering, CCTC is the Canadian Communications and Technology Consultants group, and colleague Cheryl Helm is the driving force. Happy to tell you more!
We had a solid turnout, and the content was consistently good all day long. I’m not going to recap the sessions here, but the feedback I’ve seen has been overwhelmingly positive - both the experience and the education from the sessions was worthwhile.
Kudos to Cheryl and the organizing team for putting this together, and the event bodes well for doing it again next year. Will leave you with a few photos that tell the story pretty well - all are mine, except the photo of me - thanks Nancy Gates.
Below - Cheryl Helm kicking things off - and yes, red was the color theme. Photo of the attendees, showing a pretty full room.
Scott Murphy leading the vendor panel on the future of comms tech - with Genesys, Mitel, Twilio, RingCentral and Avaya. Next - Roberta Fox on the state of 911 - nobody does it better. Roberta is retiring now, so this was her final conference session, and we gave her a nice sendoff - definitely the emotional highlight of the event.
As always, Martha Buyer giving us a rich legal perspective on AI, especially ethics - lots to think about. Next was David Dame - very inspiring locknote talk about his work at Microsoft, and his broader perspective on how input from those with disabilities can drive innovation, both in general, and for making technology more accessible. Finally, I was both a presenter and a moderator during the event.
Still feels like summer, but it’s a new month, so it’s time for new editions of JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review newsletter, and the Watch This Space podcast.
If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - the signup page is here. For my podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or click to listen to the current episode here. Hoping you’ll check both out, and would love your feedback any time.
Having been away on vacation all last week, the August editions were published a bit later than normal. However, they’re out now, so this post is an fyi for JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review newsletter, and the Watch This Space podcast.
If you’re not a subscriber, signing up to my newsletter is easy - the signup page is here. For my podcast, you can subscribe on all the major platforms, or click to listen to the current episode here. Hoping you’ll check both out, and would love your feedback any time.
Writing output was on the light side in July, but it’s just one of multiple channels I use for thought leadership, and I was busy on all these fronts last month. Hope you enjoy these writeups, and definitely more to come for August.
3 Considerations to Choose the Right Communication Channel, TechTarget, July 26
MWC Shanghai - Quick Take and Photos, my blog, July 13
Avaya ENGAGE - Takeaways for Act III, BCStrategies, June 30 (not posted til July 5)
J Arnold & Associates is an Independent Technology Research and Analyst, helping businesses understand the strategic value of communications technology as they adapt to the digital transformation of work
Who’s Who in Telecoms?, March 2021
Top 100 Unified Comms Influencers Revealed, September 2020
Unified Comms Influencers - Top 50 for 2019 Revealed, August 2019
TOP VoIP Bloggers to Follow VoIP Review, 2018
Top 10 Telecom Experts to Follow on Social Media - June 2017
