JAA's Communication and Collaboration Review - March 2026 Issue

What’s Up? JAA Highlights from February

Below is a digest of J Arnold & Associates activities from last month, including my other forms of original content, along with my social media stats. Details and links for most of these activities can be found on my blog, or posted on my website.

• Industry events – three in a row last month:

  • ITExpo, Feb. 10-12, Ft. Lauderdale – I moderated four panels

  • Zoho Analyst Day, Feb. 17-19, Austin

  • RingCentral Analyst Summit, Feb. 25-27, Scottsdale

• Podcast/video - segments recorded and published:

  • Technology Reseller News; ITExpo review, in conversation with Doug Green, Feb. 13

  • EM360; AI and CX for auto dealerships, in conversation with Ben Chodor of CallRevu, Feb. 12

  • BCStrategies; Industry Buzz podcast on pricing trends, Feb. 12

  • Big UC News; AI hype cycle, Zoom news, state of industry events, Jan. 29 (given the late publishing date, adding it here, ICYMI)

• Podcast/video – recorded but not published yet:

  • Big UC News; current event topics – pricing strategies - recorded Feb. 23

• Kudo update – my EM360 podcast with Dialpad was nominated last month for a Most Engaging Podcast Award for Q4 2025 episodes – and has subsequently been voted winner

• Writing roundup for February – busy month with 5 articles published

• Media citings – 1 for February, which you can review here

• Social media highlights – since these stats change every day, they are just a basic snapshot, but they provide a good sense of my industry reach beyond my blog and newsletter. For my business, I use LinkedIn – and here are my approximate tallies during February:

  • 31,843 total views and 36 posts – with travel resuming in February, tallies are much bigger compared to prior months when there was no event travel

  • My top LinkedIn post registered 4,043 views

  • Overall, 9 posts had 1,000+ views, and 18 had 500+ views

  • New stat - my tally of followers is steadily growing – I have added 194 new followers during the past 28 days, and 554 the past 90 days, so that’s roughly 6.2 new followers per day on my LinkedIn feed

What’s Coming? JAA Outlook for March

• Industry events – four for March:

  • Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, March 2-5

  • Enterprise Connect, Las Vegas, March 10-12 – am moderating 2 sessions, see below

  • vCon Spring, Dallas, March 24-25 – am presenting about Voice AI

  • Zoom Perspectives, Half Moon Bay, March 31-April 2

• Enterprise Connect update – am now moderating two sessions, and if you’re attending, I hope you can check them out:

  • AI Success at Scale—Identifying & Documenting ROI; Vendor Strategies & Buy vs. Build, Tues. March 10 at 10:35

  • How We Will Communicate as AI Transforms the Enterprise Workplace, Thurs. March 12 at 9:15

• Active work to keep watch for:

  • Completed/near-completed articles that will run in early March:

    • My review of the RingCentral analyst event

    • Next guest post for Aizan – Copper Sunset, part 2 

    • New writeup for TechTarget about CX trends

    • New article for ICMI and being strategic with AI in the contact center

  • Continued guest posts coming – some with my byline and some without – will post about these as they are published – those with my byline will be shared as they are published

  • Updates are very much in play for: my website, my Watch This Space podcast, and a new publishing platform that I plan to be quite active on, starting now – see below.

    • ITExpo, Feb. 10-12, Ft. Lauderdale – will be moderating four panels

    • Zoho Analyst Day, Feb. 17-19, Austin

    • RingCentral Analyst Summit, Feb. 25-27, Scottsda

• Active work to keep watch for:

  • Guest blog post about a market research study on AI adoption in the workplace for a leading cloud provider

  • Featured article for the February edition of Contact Center Pipeline

  • Continued guest posts coming – some with my byline and some without – will post about these as they are published – those with my byline will be shared as they are published

  • Updates are very much in play for: my website, my Watch This Space podcast, and a new publishing platform that I plan to be quite active on in early 2026

Hey, Did You Know?

… after moving off Twitter/X some time ago, I’ve been looking for another social channel to replace it. After doing my research, all signs pointed to Substack, and this is my first public notice about it. You’ve probably heard about Substack, and maybe even using it, but in my circles, there’s not much analyst presence there. In that regard, I think I’ll be a new voice in the Substack universe, and as I start building my brand there, the hope is to broaden my audience.
 
I’m very much doing this in soft launch mode, so you won’t see a lot of fireworks about it, but as a newsletter subscriber, nothing really changes for you. I’ll still be publishing it here, and all of you will be getting an email request to follow or subscribe to my Substack feed. I sure hope you follow me there, as I’ll be creating new expressions of thought leadership that I can’t really do using my current channels.
 
My activity on Substack will be additive to the newsletter, and while it’s primarily a platform for writers – that’s me – I’ll also be doing video segments, podcasts, interviews, and in time, sharing things from my personal passions, such as music, travel, cooking, cinema, photography, etc. You’re definitely among the first to know, and to get started, here’s my handle - @jonarnoldanalyst - and a link to my home page there.

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Time for April Newsletter

The April edition of my newsletter is out now, and am pretty sure it’s the largest one to date. I had travel every week last month, so there was lots to share from those events, including some highlight photos.

As subscribers will see, there was a lot of writing last month as well, along with several video spots from the various events I attended. Lots of ways to share what I’ve been seeing and where I’ve been.

This is as good a time as any to give it a look - it’s free - and from that point on, you’ll stay current on my output and activities as in indie tech analyst. Subscribing to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review is easy - the signup page is here.

March Writing Roundup

Travel was a constant all through March, and along the way, I managed to keep busy on the writing front. Some was related to the events I attended, and others were just part of my regular cycle of writing for various outlets.

Overall, six writeups were published, and here’s my digest of this output for March. Hope you check any/all of them out, and would welcome your feedback and sharing!

How to Develop an AI Strategy to Improve Customer Service, ICMI, March 25

Telcos and the Copper Crossroads: Where Strategy Meets Complexity, Aizan blog, March 16

Enterprise Connect 2026 – My Three Thoughts, LinkedIn Pulse, March 16

Mobile World Congress 2026 – First Impressions and Takeaways, EM360 Tech, March 11

“AI Cannot Replace Communications” – My Review of RingCentral’s 2026 Analyst Summit, LinkedIn Pulse, March 9

Identity-first CX Blends Customer Convenience and Security, TechTarget, March 3

Next Stop - Zoom Perspectives, Sunny California

Am off to Zoom’s analyst event, taking place in upscale Half Moon Bay. Never been before, but have heard how nice it is, so no complaints.

This will be my 7th industry event over the past 8 weeks, and looking forward to a break from travel once back. Before that, though, I’ll be looking forward to the latest from Zoom. CMO Kimberly Storin is one-year into her tenure, and being a marketing guy, am keen to hear how her vision is unfolding.

Nick Tidd was a highlight for me last year, as the channel is an important piece of their go-to-market puzzle. Also noteworthy will be the updates on innovation from CTO Xuedong Huang, and the product roadmap from Jeff Smith, Head of Product for Workplace AI. Closer to home will be an update on Zoom’s AR strategies from Cheri Hulse. Plenty to look forward to, and I’ll be posting updates here as time allows.

Enterprise Connect 2026 Redux - Summary of Interviews

The Las Vegas edition of Enterprise Connect may have been two weeks ago, but we’re still talking about it in my circles. There was a lot of talking, both during and after the event, and I wanted to summarize the various spots I did all in one place.

Since some of these were only posted in the last day or so, I need to wait til now to put this post together. Whether you check one or all of these out, there’s plenty here to give you a flavor - my take, at least - of the Vegas vibe.

BCStrategies group review of the event - with Kevin Kieller, Blair Pleasant, Robert Harris, Moshe Beauford and myself. Posted March 23.

Zoom blog post about ZVA - Zoom Virtual Agent. Review with input from various analysts, including my comments from the demo I did with them on the show floor. Posted March 23.

TR News interview, with Doug Green. Posted March 20.

TR News interview, with Moshe Beauford. Posted March 20.

UC Today - Rob Scott did a series of short interviews with analysts about the event. Posted March 13 by CX Today, with both video clips and full-length article about the takeaways.

Luke Jamieson - interviewed me about how the event has evolved, and what it’s like now. Posted March 10.

Finally, my written review of the event was published on LinkedIn on March 16.

Next Stop - vCon Spring 2026, Dallas

It’s been quite a run for me recently, with 5 industry events the past 5 weeks. Am home this week, but then 2 more events over the next 2 weeks.

Next up is the Spring edition of vCon, where Jeff Pulver continues to evangelize virtual conversations as the next wave of innovation with communications technology. If this is new to you, a good place to start would be my recap post from the last event - here.

The Spring 2026 event runs next week, with the main event being the full day of sessions on Tuesday. I’ll be speaking on one of the afternoon breakouts at 2:45, and as I’ve often done at Jeff’s events, will be in tandem with long-time colleague Chris Fine.

Our topic is Redefining Unified Communications for AI Voice, so we’ll be tying together strands from the UC space, AI Voice trends, and the future of work.

If you’re still thinking about attending, it’s not too late, and if you’re going, am sure I’ll see you there!

March Newsletter Out Now

It’s a new month, and the March edition of my newsletter is out now. As subscribers will see, there was a lot of writing last month, and a full slate of travel to industry events over the next few weeks. Am at MWC this week, Enterprise Connect right after, then finally a week at home. Never dull, that’s for sure.

If any of that is of interest, I encourage you to subscribe - it’s free - and from that point on, you’ll stay current on my output and activities as in indie tech analyst.

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

Writing Roundup for February

February turned out quite busy, both for event travel and writing. Overall, there were five writeups, and you can review any/all of them below.

ZohoDay26 - My Analyst Perspective, LinkedIn article, Feb. 27

The Case for Agentic AI in CX is Accelerating, RingCentral Pulse, Feb. 9

How to Make a Business Case for Unified Communications, TechTarget, Feb. 6

Assess UC Pros and Cons for Hybrid Work, TechTarget, Feb. 6

Will AI Shrink the Contact Center?, Contact Center Pipeline, Feb. issue

Next Stop - Barcelona, and Mobile World Congress

Another week, another event. This will be stop 4 of 7 over an 8 week run, so am getting into the rhythm of packing, unpacking and repacking. Later today, I’m flying to Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, and this will be a first for me. I’m going there to provide support for Infobip, a company I’ve been following closely for some time.

I’ll be posting steadily from the event on my LinkedIn feed, so please follow me there if you want to follow along. Also, as per below, if you’re there, I won’t be hard to find!

Next Stop - RingCentral, Scottsdale, AZ

The stop-a-week run continues, and starting tomorrow, I’ll be attending the RingCentral Analyst Summit 2026. More warm weather for this one - going to Scottsdale - so no complaints about the change of scene from Toronto.

Lots of news to get a deeper dive on, starting with the presentations about their performance, roadmap and portfolio. Agentic Voice AI has become the centerpiece of their offerings, with the three main pieces being AVA, AIR and ACE. If these acronyms are new, follow me on LinkedIn during the sessions, and I’ll tell you more.

Aside from what’s on tap about these things during the sessions, I’ll be looking to hear more about their new integration with OpenAI to power their portfolio. The AI story seems to be driving everything now, including financial performance. Their Q4 2025 results were just announced, and it was another strong quarter.

Overall revenues were up 5%, which is pretty respectable in such a crowded market, and yes, they’re making money. Also worth noting is the start of paying dividends, something you don’t generally see in tech - maybe a sign they have shifted from a growth play to a more stable long-term company to stick with. You can read all about it here, and I’ll share more about the numbers as they’re discussed during the event.

How AI is Driving CX for Auto Dealers - New Podcast

Clever title, huh? If you’re looking for solid use cases of AI for CX in a vertical sector, this is the podcast for you. I recently spoke with Ben Chodor, CEO of CallRevu about the success they’re having, as they’re helping dealerships get into the digital age to address some pretty big problems.

Not only is customer service a major weak link in this business, but when incoming calls don’t get answered or are handled poorly, that costs them new customers. Definitely a lively conversation; it’s my latest podcast with EM360, and am looking forward to doing the next one soon. You can check out the podcast here on their site - you can also pick it up directly here on their YouTube channel, or on Spotify if more convenient.

Next Stop - Zoho Day, Austin - And So It Continues

Am flying to Monday for Zoho Day 26 in Austin. Never did figure out why they term this event in singular, when it runs for more than one day. Yes I’m a wordie, and these things keep me up at night.

Definitely looking forward to the updates, as it’s been a year since their CEO stepped aside to focus on AI innovation. Given that much of their AI is homegrown, am keen to learn what forms this is taking. Unlike most of the vendors I track, Zoho has its fingers in many pies, so I’ll also be learning about their activities and roadmaps in enterprise spaces well outside the worlds of UCaaS and CCaaS.

Bigger picture for me is that this is stop 2 of 5 for traveling to industry events over a 5 week period. Now, as it stands, that run has been extended, where I’ll be going to 7 different events over an 8 week period. More on those other events soon, but for now, it’s Zoho time!

Next Stop - ITExpo - And So It Begins...

I’ve been off the road for about two months, but that’s about to change.

Next week, I’ll be going to TMC’s ITExpo in its usual spot - Ft. Lauderdale. If you don’t know, I was Chair of the Future of Work Expo, which was part of ITExpo, and it ran for eight years. The event has run its course, though, and I’m coming back just wearing my moderator hat for ITExpo.

Before getting to the sessions, ITExpo marks the first of five weeks I’ll be travelling to various industry events, so this will keep me very much on the go til mid-March. I’ll have posts coming soon about each of these events, so stay tuned.

As things stand, I’ll be moderating four panels next week, and another one might be added. I’ll soon be posting details about the speakers for each session, and otherwise, you can check that out, along with the abstracts here on the event agenda page. Hope to see you there!

Moderating aside, I won’t be hard to find, either walking the show floor or in the press room. Drop me a line or text if you want to connect.

The Next Era of Cybersecurity: From Defense to Business Enabler

Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:45am-12:30pm, ITC 03

Is This the Year for RCS? Unlocking Trusted, Feature-Rich Messaging at Scale

Tuesday, February 10, 2026                 3:15-4:00pm          SP-06

Proactive Voice Trust: Real-Time KYC/KYT, STIR/SHAKEN, and Fraud Analytics

Wednesday, February 11, 2026           2:00-2:45pm        SP-09

Next-Gen Messaging & Identity: RCS, CPaaS, Branded Calling, and Verified Sender

Thursday, February 12, 2026               1:00-1:45pm          SP-14

February Newsletter Out Now

It’s a new month, and the February edition of my newsletter is out now. As subscribers will see, there was a lot of writing last month, and a full slate of travel to industry events starting next week. More on that shortly.

If any of that is of interest, I encourage you to subscribe - it’s free - and from that point on, you’ll stay current on my output and activities as in indie tech analyst.

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

January Writing Roundup

For those who follow me, you’ll know I did a lot of writing in December, and much of that ran in various places over the course of January. Here’s the digest of all that, and I hope you check them out.

Platforms Not Pipes: the Three Business Drivers Shaping the NextGen Telco, preface on Telecom Reseller News for a longer article I wrote for Aizan Technologies, Jan. 27

Three Strategic Ways to Use AI for CX, ICMI, Jan. 19

Future of Work - Key UCaaS Trends for IT Leaders, TechTarget, Jan. 12

CX Trends Enterprise Leaders Should Know, TechTarget, Jan. 7

What Will 2026 Bring for Contact Centers?, Contact Center Pipeline, January issue (pg. 8)

Telecom Reseller News - Am Now a Contributor

The longer my run as an indie analyst goes, the more places I end up publishing in. So long as there’s a fit between the audience being served and the focus of my work, I view this as a win-win.

The latest example would be Telecom Reseller News, and it makes me wonder why this took so long. Doug Green is the driving force there, and we’ve been pairing up regularly at industry events for years. Turns out he’s from Toronto, and we have a lot of common ground outside of tech.

Their platform goes both wide and deep - definitely a broad reach across the communications tech space, but also with multiple niches, mainly with service providers - carriers, mobile players, MSPs, etc. I can’t think of a better place to reach that kind of audience, and I’m now on their roster of contributors - which you can see in the Thought Leadership section under the Writers tab.

I’ll be doing a mix of original posts there, along with sharing of things I’ve published elsewhere - both articles and reportage from industry events. Aside from my writing, of course, Doug’s main focus is producing video segments, usually 1:1 interviews. I’ve done several with him, and you can check those out in my profile.

While you’re there, this might become a rabbit hole for industry news and insights, and then you just might make this one of your go-to sites for staying current in an industry that never stands still.

Next Podcast - Talking Headless, with Shashi Bellamkonda

Shashi Bellamkonda wears many hats - analyst, podcast host, writer, foodie (yes!) - and we’ve been following each other for some time. I recently moved further into his orbit, and now we’ll be doing a podcast episode (it’s video, so not really sure if it’s still a podcast - ?).

He’s the host of Talking Headless, and we’ll be doing a LinkedIn Live episode next week - January 28 at noon ET. Joining us will be Arthur Bailey, and we’ll be talking about the analyst ecosystem, and how analysts and Analyst Relations folks navigate ways of finding value for each other. AI is making this trickier for sure, and it’s one of many themes we’ll explore.

If that’s on your radar, am sure you’ll enjoy the dialog. More details here from Shashi, including how to tune in, and watch later from his archive on YouTube.

Enterprise Connect 2026 - Am Speaking There

Lots of change this year for Enterprise Connect - that’s another blog post - and this is the first of several shout-outs I’ll be doing in the lead-up to the show, which runs from March 10-12 in Las Vegas.

For those who follow me, you may know that for 8 years, I did an annual update on the state of speech tech and AI for the enterprise, so I’ve been following this space for some time.

For this year, I’ll be doing a variation on that, but as part of a new track called Future Shock. This is a forward-looking focus on where things are going, and under that umbrella, my session is about how AI is going to change how we communicate in the workplace.

I’ll have more details coming soon, but to mark your calendars, the session is on Thursday, March 12 at 9:15am. For more detail, here’s the link from the event website.

Also, ICYMI, here’s a short video interview I did with Informa’s Erica Marois about what to expect at my session.

Otherwise, as usual, see my discount code below to save $400 on registration. Let me know if you take advantage of that, and hope to see you there!

January Newsletter Out Now

New month and new year- first newsletter edition for 2026 is out now. As subscribers will see, last month was pretty busy on both the video/podcast and writing fronts. If any of that is of interest, I encourage you to subscribe - it’s free - and from that point on, you’ll stay current on my output and activities as in indie tech analyst.

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

Writing Roundup for December

With a light travel schedule last month, I closed out 2025 with a busy month otherwise. Aside from doing 6 video segments - details on those coming in my next newsletter - I did 7 writeups, 4 of which were published in December. The rest will run in January, and here are the links if you want to check out the latest articles:

Platforms, Not Pipes - Three Business Drivers Shaping the Next-Gen Telco, Aizan blog, Dec. 22

AI Creating New Contact Center Jobs for Agents, TechTarget, Dec. 11

How UCaaS Solves the Cost of Poor Communications, TechTarget, Dec. 11

My vCon Event Takeaways - the Power of Conversations, Building Trust, and Navigating AI, LinkedIn Article, Dec. 10