Next Stop - Maui and the NiCE Analyst Summit

This is the busy season for industry events, and am about to start a three-week run. I’ve been busier with travel in the past, but there’s plenty here to keep me going.

Next stop is Hawaii - wow - for, you guessed it, the NiCE 2026 Analyst Summit. Nobody does exotic locales better in my world, and no doubt, it will be great as always.

I’ll be sharing updates as time allows while there, followed by a review of the event overall.

Hawaii is about as far west as you can go in this hemisphere, and after that, there are events in the LA area and then working back east to Orlando. I’ll have details on those events in upcoming posts.

Lots of airplane miles ahead, but more important will be the in-person interactions and first-hand updates on where things are going in spaces that are quickly becoming re-defined by AI. More to come on all those fronts, for sure.

October Newsletter Published Now

The October edition of my monthly newsletter - JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review - is out now. Event travel was light last month, but writing was the main event. Over a roughly six week period, I had 11 distinct writeups published, and you can read all about that in my newsletter, and here on my blog.

As mentioned last month, with writing being core to what I do as an independent analyst, all of my work is human-centric - written by me and not AI, and written for humans to read, not for bots to mine.

For non-subscribers, now might be a good time to check out the newsletter, and I hope you do. Subscribing is easy, and you’ll get the October issue very quickly - the signup page is here.

September Writing Roundup

For those who follow me, you’ll know that August was writing-heavy (and some of July too), with many of these pieces being published during September. Some were published during late August, and there was some new writing done and published during September as well. All told, 11 writeups were published during this run - am sure that’s the most ever for me, so writing is alive and well, at least here.

Specific dates aside, I’ve been doing a lot of research and writing about a wide range of comms tech and AI topics over the past several weeks, and now that it’s all been published, this is a good time for a summary post.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but these days I kinda have to - all of my writing is done by me, not AI. No slop here. Every writeup is original with a distinctly human point of view. AI definitely has many valid use cases, but this isn’t one of them.

I don’t expect anyone to read them all - but maybe you should - and if you do, I’ll happily buy you a drink or two if our paths cross at a future event! Here goes…

Alianza Navigate26 - It’s a Matter of Time and Getting to the Crux of What Telcos Need to Modernize in the Age of AI, LinkedIn Pulse, Sept. 18

Why Network Monitoring Modernization is Crucial for Telecom Evolution, Aizan Guest Article, Sept. 16

What Am I Most Worried About with AI?, LinkedIn Pulse, Sept. 16

Getting Voice Infrastructure Right When Deploying Voice AI for CX, CIO Magazine, Sept. 15

My book review for The Negotiator’s Compass, by Dr. Howard Thaw, Amazon, Sept. 15

Why eSIM Holds the Key to Unlocking True Mobile UCaaS, No Jitter, Sept. 14

How AI Agents Transform UCaaS Workflows and ROI, TechTarget, Sept. 11

Where Voice as a Contact Center Channel is Headed in an AI World - co-written with Blair Pleasant, No Jitter, Sept. 8

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing a CX Provider, TechTarget, Sept. 3

How to Take a Strategic Approach to Agentic AI for CX, Part 2, ICMI, Aug. 31

Moving up the AI Maturity Ladder, RingCentral Pulse, Aug. 26

August Writing Roundup

Had seven writeups on the go during August, so I was in full writing mode most all month. Only two ran during August, so I’ll have much more to share in the next roundup.

Part Two: How to Take a Strategic Approach with Agentic AI for CX, ICMI, Aug. 31

Moving Up the AI Maturity Ladder, RingCentral Pulse, Aug. 26

August Newsletter is Out

The August edition of my monthly newsletter - JAA’s Communication and Collaboration Review - is out now. July was fairly quiet, with some writing published, and a lot more in the works right now for August and beyond.

Highlight was going to Croatia, first for Infobip’s analyst event, and then a seven-day road trip there. A few photos are in the newsletter for a taste of what we saw.

For non-subscribers, now might be a good time to check out the newsletter, and I hope you do. Subscribing is easy, and you’ll get the August issue very quickly - the signup page is here.

July Writing Roundup

Output was light last month, but I now have a full slate of writing, with seven new pieces in the queue. Just three for July, and if you give any a read, I’d love to get your thoughts.

How to Take a Strategic Approach with Agentic AI for CX, ICMI, July 17

3 Themes from Infobip’s 2026 Analyst Summit, LinkedIn Pulse, July 21

How to Choose a CX Provider - a Practical Buyer’s Guide, TechTarget, July 29

It's June - Newsletter Time

A tad delayed this month, but the June edition of my newsletter is out now.

With no event travel last month, it’s on the light side, but that will change next issue given my busier schedule for June. That said, I think you’ll find my writing output of interest, along with two new kudos and one new partnership - all of which I’m happy to share.

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.

Next Stop - 8x8 Analyst Summit, Campbell, CA

After a much-enjoyed lull, am back to travel next week - two events, actually. Main event is 8x8’s 2026 Analyst Summit, held at their HQ in Campbell, CA. The company is doing well, as evidenced by their recent Q1 results, which I posted about on LinkedIn.

There’s a boldness in their approach, which I really like. One example is their Power of You campaign, which is a very customer-centric form of branding, and also personified by their “power your CX ambitions” tag line.

Another is the Executive Insights section of their website, which features articles and interviews from their leadership team. The perspectives are candid and thought-provoking - a cut above what you usually see on vendor sites.

Finally, there’s the product portfolio, fine-tuned now to address all the needs for CCaaS, UCaaS and CPaaS, but for the most part without those terms. Instead, the offerings are Work, Contact Center, Communications APIs, Engage and AI Studio. Add to that a specific offering to support MSFT Teams. AI runs through everything, but not in an overbearing way, and that’s a good thing.

If you want to hear more about all of this, I’ll be posting on LinkedIn as time allows, and I’ll follow that with a review after the event.

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.

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.

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 - 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.

November Writing Roundup

Finally back on the writing front. Seem to be doing more video and podcasts lately, and with event travel, I’ve been sharing a fair number of my photos on my blog. All told, the writing has been lighter than usual. For November, there were three writeups, and a bunch more coming for December.

Talkdesk Analyst Summit 2025 - My 3 Takeaways, LinkedIn article, Nov. 25

NiCE 2025 Analyst Summit Review, EM360, Nov. 4

The Copper Sunset Countdown: Preparing for the End of Traditional Telephony, Aizan guest article, Oct. 31 (I wasn’t able to include this for October, so it’s here for November)

Next Stop - Talkdesk Analyst Event

This event looks to be my last stop for the 2025 busy season with industry events in our space. Next week I’ll be in Savannah, GA - first time visiting - for the 2025 edition of Talksdesk’s Analyst Summit.

Last year’s event was in Charleston, SC - also a first visit - and the Deep South vibe never gets tired for me, especially for smaller coastal spots and warmer weather. Talksdesk continues to hold their own as an independent pureplay CCaaS provider, and the summit will serve as an in-depth update on what’s behind that.

Also, they just completed their 2025 CX Innovators Awards, where I returned as one of the judges. Am sure they’ll have interesting updates on the winners, so watch for updates on that. If you didn’t catch this earlier, the details are here.

As usual, I’ll post updates on LinkedIn during the sessions, with more to come soon after.

NiCE Analyst Summit - My Photo Review

Every analyst event that NiCE puts on is magical, and last week’s summit in Vienna was no exception. They have kept the bar very high, and there was so much to talk about as well as see. This post is about the latter, with my photos both from the event itself, and all the cool stuff we did around it.

I have other takeaways coming both on video and article form, and during the event, I regularly posted commentary and photos on LinkedIn. NiCE had its largest-ever cohort of analysts there - so for everyone else, here’s a taste of what last week was like - first for the event, and then all the other stuff. Here goes…

Below - CEO Scott Russell solo, and with Jeff Comstock - key pieces for the new team.

NiCE Cognigy CEO Phil Heltewig, then as part of the Exec Q&A session.

Tim Harris talking about workflow automation, then Benno Schindler of Allianz with the most memorable visual from the event, talking about the success they’ve been having with Cognigy.

GM Q&A session, and Carmit DiAndrea demonstrating Automated Insights - next-level AI for the contact center.

Their Analyst Relations A-Team, Schevone Johnson, Chris Irwin-Dudek, and Bernard Hartley. And, the last word goes to LVB, a very apropos quote for the passion NiCE brings for making CX better.

Now for the fun stuff. Arriving to the ballroom banquet in style - is there really any other way with NiCE?

On to more ordinary things, but still pretty special. Opening night including a gallery showing - of artwork NiCE commissioned with local artists to create for each of us individually. Wow, huh? So, all of their work was on display, and it was quite the experience to see all of their creations, with the artists on hand. Am pictured here with the artist who created something about me. Apologies - I did not get her name, and it’s definitely on the abstract side. You’ll never figure it out, but I’ll be happy to tell you the story any time. Just one of many creative touches from the NiCE events team to capture the spirit of where we are, surrounded by art, music and culture.

And, the best time to tell stories is at the bar - here’s our local hangout at the hotel. I kinda liked the Borat-style claim of it being the best hotel bar in Austria, and yes, it was… very nice. Did you see what I just did there? AI would never come up with something so clever. If you don’t get it, we need to talk.

I love to cook, and the food sure was great. Below - teppanyaki-style Japanese dinner at the hotel - a bit bland, actually, but very dramatic. Next - group outing to a local winery - in the city, btw - and a hearty Austrian-style meal. Best for last - we had a group cooking class, and I was on the schnitzel team. We did everything end-to-end, so I have a new dish to add to my cooking repertoire.

Quick coda to wrap this up - from low-brow to high-brow, we saw it all on this trip. Traditional trio playing at the winery visit - including the corny-but-fun chicken dance, and walking by the famous Vienna opera house.

Next Stop - NiCE Industry Analyst Summit

This is the busy season for industry events, and NiCE has been setting the pace for doing things right, at least in my small circles. This year is no exception, and the mise en scene will be Vienna - wow, huh? Never been, and very excited about the week ahead. I’ll be flying out Sunday, and will share updates on LinkedIn as time allows. There will be more to come, for sure, so stayed tuned.

Yes, we all know about the culture, the history, the coffee culture, etc. for Vienna, and this will be a great backdrop for the main focus - deep engagement between the NiCE leadership team and a cadre of analysts who follow the company and the broader CX space very closely.

That aside, for the cinephile in me, other things come to mind for Vienna, namely one of my all-time fave films, set in Vienna - The Third Man (Orson Welles/Carol Reed) from 1949. Not to mention my all-time fave opening sequence of music and credits. I’d love to get into all that, but not here or now. Much better done at a Viennese cafe, or wherever else the stars line up for this. I was keen to learn there are Third Man walking tours in Vienna - which I would love to do, but they’re booked up on the one free day I’m there. Guess I’ll have to go back another time for that!

Next Webinar - Agentic AI for Healthcare, with Cognigy and CT Pro

Time for another webinar, this time with Cognigy and Converged Technology Pros. We’ll be talking about Agentic AI, and the opportunity for the healthcare vertical. This is the world of patient experience, with a multitude of use cases where AI-driven automation can raise the bar. Lots of ground to cover, and if this sounds like your reality, you really should check it out.

I’ll be presenting on industry trends, both for Agentic AI, and healthcare challenges. Then, I’ll be in conversation with Alan Ranger from (what is now) NiCE Cognigy, and Joe Rittenhouse, CEO of Converged Technology Professionals.

The webinar broadcast will be Thursday, Oct. 23 at 1pm ET, and you can register to attend here.

Verint Engage 2025 - Our BCStrategies Review

Verint recently had its annual Engage event in Orlando, and in light of the big changes from just being acquired by Thoma Bravo, there was a lot to hear about. Of course, much of this is still in a quiet period, but with the CX space moving so quickly, we had updates on many fronts.

Our group of BC Experts did a recap podcast about the event, and we hope you watch our review. For this BCStrategies segment, I was joined by Blair Pleasant and Nicolas De Kouchovsky. Here’s the link, and while you’re on the site, there’s plenty of other great content, including Blair’s standalone review of the event.

Next Stop - Verint engage25, Orlando

I haven’t done one of these in a while, but it’s time to get back to industry events. This is a big part of analyst life, and things pick up after Labor Day, with a steady run of events through November. Am scaling travel back a bit overall, but next week is Verint engage25.

This is mainly a customer/partner event, but there is plenty of programming specific for analysts. With the recent acquisition by Thoma Bravo, this could be their last large-scale event, at least in its current form. Aside from being acquired, Verint will now be merged with Calabrio, so there’s a lot in play, and there will lots to learn next week. Stay tuned!

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!