SCTC 2025 Conference - Recap and Photos

This is the busy season for travel to industry events, and am trying to share updates as time allows. Our annual SCTC conference was earlier this month in Reno, and being mostly for members, the audience is pretty limited. While not a big event, this is a tight community, with lots of engagement, and first-rate content for learning.

The SCTC community is mostly comms tech consultants, with decades of hands-on experience helping buyers make good technology decisions. Lots of vendors as well, and a handful of analysts. You can learn more about SCTC here on the website.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, I posted there regularly about the event, so I’m not going to do a full review here. Instead, I’ll share some photos - mostly mine - to give you a flavor of the event. Also, if you don’t know, we have a band - the SIPtones - and we had fun, playing two sets during the opening reception - gotta like that. Let’s go…

Sir Terry Matthews doing the opening keynote - lots to talk about there - and Steve Leaden just before the opening reception.

Outgoing President Mike Smith, then Steve in fireside chat mode with Sir Terry.

Denise Munro, leading a mixed panel of consultants and vendors, talking about building better partnerships. Then, Hardy Myers from NiCE Cognigy, talking about how AI is shaping nextgen CX.

Who wore it better - the always-sharp Brian Reijngoud, or me? Not to be outdone, Brian starting off his talk in a dinosaur outfit, explaining how his company helps businesses get out of the stone age with their outdated comms tech. Loved that!

SIPtones time! Nice shot here from Blair Pleasant. Another nice one here from Fran Blackburn after the gig. I’m the little guy in the back on keyboards, and videos coming soon. Until then, you can check out more photos and older clips of us here on my website.

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!

Newsletter Time - October Issue Out Now

The October issue of my newsletter went out yesterday, so subscribers should have it by now. Am back to travel to various industry events, and the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which events I’ll be attending.

If you want to be a subscriber to JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review, signing up to my newsletter is easy - it’s free - the signup page is here.

Although my Watch This Space podcast 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!

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.

New Kudo for Watch This Space Podcast

My Watch This Space Podcast has finally been getting some recognition the past few months, and I have another kudo to share, this one from Million Podcasts.

It’s not a best-of award, but one that recognizes my podcast as one of the tops in three categories, and sure, I’ll take it. Here they are, with hyperlinks to the full list in each category.

Best Digital Workplace Podcast, #45

Best Collaboration Podcast, #60

Best Remote Work Podcast, #34

If you don’t know, the podcast has been on hiatus since June - that’s why you haven’t seen any new episodes - but there are 85 in the archive you can check out any time. Am re-positioning a few things, including WTS, and if you want to hear more, am happy to chat.

What Does an Analyst Do? My Latest Interview with Bospar

If you’ve been to my website, I hope you’ve checked out the two videos on the home page about being an analyst, and the need to communicate clearly about the business benefits of technology.

If you’re still wondering about my world, here’s an update you’ll like. The worlds of public relations and analyst relations are pretty close, and I was recently a guest on the Politely Pushy podcast from PR firm, Bospar. Eric Chemi is the host, and he interviewed me about a wide range of things related to my world and the value independent analysts bring to tech vendors.

You can watch the interview here, and would love to hear from you if any questions, or if I can help with your branding, go to market, positioning, etc.

SCTC Conference - Am Speaking on the Analyst Panel

Time for another update on the SCTC annual conference. This year, it’s running in Reno, NV from Oct. 12-15.

I couldn’t attend last year’s event, and this time around, my speaking role will be as a panelist. Colleague Blair Pleasant and I will talk about trends impacting enterprises, and how consultants need to support them in a world of constantly-changing technology. We’ll be doing this fireside chat-style, moderated by industry colleague and SIPtones bandmate, Steve Leaden.

We’d better come prepared, as we’ll be following the opening keynote from Sir Terry Matthews - yeow. You’d better come prepared too, as the agenda is full of great sessions from consultants and others who are living with communications technology every day.

Plus, if you’re there Sunday night, you’ll get to see our SIPtones band - we’ll be doing two sets during the reception - can’t wait!

Our analyst panel is at 10am on the Monday, and the full agenda is here, along with details for registration.

Finally, if you haven’t seen this, we just released a set of video segments featuring 11 different SCTC members, talking about the various ways SCTC provides value to both the consulting and vendor communities.

Hat tip to Robert Cassard for doing such a great job putting these together - they’re really well done. You can check out all the videos here, and if you’re wondering how SCTC can be good for your business, all the answers are here.

To make life easy, here’s the link to my segment - it’s 4 minutes, so it won’t take too much time out of your day. Hope to see you in Reno!

Time for Next Newsletter

The September issue of my newsletter went out yesterday, so subscribers should have it by now. With summer fading fast, it’s time to get busy again, and the newsletter is the best way to keep tabs on what I’m writing about, speaking about, and which industry events I’ll be attending.

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 my Watch This Space podcast 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!

August Writing Roundup

Writing was light for August, but my overall workload was light by design. That will change once things get back to full swing after Labor Day. Until then, I hope you check these out, and would love to hear your thoughts.

Navigating the Telecom Alphabet Soup of UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS, guest post for Aizan’s blog, Aug. 12

How Zoom is Becoming AI-First, EM360, Aug. 4

July Writing Roundup

Was a light month for writing, but pretty busy on the video front. The latter is a different mode, and I still put a lot of stock in writing for expressing thought leadership and articulating the impact of tech on the things that we do.

Sidebar - am definitely concerned about AI’s impact now on creativity and original thinking, and if anything, I’ll double down on maintaining my writing output. That’s another conversation, for sure, and for now, I’ll just stick to July’s writing.

NiCE + Cognigy - What Took So Long?, BCStrategies (joint byline with Blair Pleasant), Aug. 1 (including this for July since it’s breaking news now)

3 Ways UC Offers the RTO Metrics You Need, TechTarget, July 31

We Have Proof AI is Improving CX, No Jitter, July 10

And, ICYMI, my review of Infobip’s analyst event, which ran at the very end of June:

One Communications Platform - Billions of Conversations: Infobip Analyst Event Review, EM360, June 27

New Month - Time for July Newsletter

In case you’re looking for some quick beach reading during the holiday weekend, the July edition of my newsletter went out to subscribers today.

JAA’s Communications and Collaboration Review has been running steady for several years now, but for the first time, it’s going solo - as in, no new Watch This Space podcast episode.

If you follow me, you should know by now that I’m taking a brief hiatus from the podcast, and that’s explained a bit further in this month’s newsletter. I hope you check that out, and if you have any bright ideas for WTS 2.0, let’s get in touch!

For the handful of you out there not subscribed, signing up to my newsletter is easy - 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 there of interest. And if not, then we really don’t have much to talk about, do we? :-)

June Writing Roundup

Plenty on the go during June, including some new writing. I’ve got three articles to share that had my byline last month - hope you check these out if not seen yet. More coming for July.

One Communications Platform - Billions of Conversations: Infobip Analyst Event Review, EM360, June 27

The Telco to Techco Reinvention Playbook: Three Moves that Matter, Aizan guest article, June 25

How UC Can Support Return to Office, TechTarget, June 9

The Telco-to-Techco Reinvention Playbook, Part 2

I’ve been doing guest posts for Aizan Technologies for some time, and my latest article is running now. A theme I’m following with interest at the moment is “telco-to-techco”, where service providers are trying to evolve from the legacy telephony business model to being an AI-driven platform play built around digital applications.

It’s a major shift on many levels, and this post builds on Part 1, where I outlined the tech trends that are making this change necessary. For Part 2, the focus is on what telcos need to be doing for this to work. I hope you give both of them a read, and the link to Part 1 is in the article here.

June is Here - Time for New Podcast and Newsletter Editions

Am on target again for publishing my newsletter and podcast on the first Tuesday of the month.

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 listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month’s podcast was special, as it marks a change in plans for what Chris and I have been doing over 85 episodes the past eight years. The Last Waltz kinda comes to mind, and we’re taking a hiatus, as it’s time for a refresh on what I’m doing with the podcast.

Will likely hit pause for 2-3 months, and to learn about our thinking and what we’ve taken away from doing all these episodes, I hope you give give it a listen - here’s the link. In one form or another, Watch This Space will be back, so just bear with me, and if you have any suggestions for topics or sponsors, please drop me a line!

New Month - Time for May Podcast and Newsletter

My target date for publishing is the first Tuesday of the month, and for May, things were on target. Both newsletter and podcast editions went live yesterday, and I hope you check them out.

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 listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month’s podcast was a recap of the industry events Chris and I took in last month; namely Jeff Pulver’s vCon, 8x8’s analyst event, Cloud Communications 2025, and Vector Institute’s Remarkable event. Never a dull moment, and you can check it all out here.

April 1 - No Foolin' - New Podcast and Newsletter Editions Out Now

Last month, publishing was a week late, but for April, we’re right on time. Both newsletter and podcast editions are live now, and I hope you check them out.

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 listen to any episode directly here on my website, or here on the dedicated WTS website.

This month’s podcast was a recap of three March events - Leesman Focus Forward, Enterprise Connect, and Cognigy’s Nexus 2025. Lots to talk about, and you can hear all about it here.

March Writing Roundup

Was a busy month with event travel, plus planning for an even busier April. As summarized in my April newsletter, I did a lot of video segments, and public-facing writing was limited - here’s the summary.

Enterprise Connect 2025 - Photo Review and Media Summary, JAA blog, March 28

Cognigy Nexus 2025 - Quick Take and Pix, JAA blog, March 26

The Death of the Desk Phone?, Aizan blog, March 10

What is a Hybrid Meeting?, TechTarget, will publish in early April

February Writing Roundup

Am posting this on the late side, mainly due to February being a short month, along with my recent travel schedule. Along those lines, I’m including a writeup that ran in early March, which were in fact, written last month. Here’s the digest of my public, bylined writeups for last month.

The Future of the Workplace Requires a Total Rethink, No Jitter, Mar. 4

RingCentral Analyst Summit - Quick Take and Photos, my blog, Feb. 28

ZohoDay25 - The AD Era, Build vs. Buy, and Playing the Long Game, No Jitter, Feb. 13

New Research From Aizan - Reimagining the On-Hold Experience, Aizan blog, Feb. 10

Enterprise Connect - Speaking Update

Enterprise Connect 2025 is about three weeks away, and I’ll be there for just about all of it. My calendar is getting pretty full for meetings and briefings, and if you wanted to meet, please get in touch ASAP - jon@jarnoldassociates.com. No promises at this point, but nothing to lose for trying.

If you don’t know, I’ve been presenting a state-of-the-market update on speech tech for the enterprise during the past seven years, but we’re moving on now to other things. During that time, I’ve certainly gained a deep understanding of where speech tech is going for businesses beyond the contact center - especially of course, for how AI is driving this in ways we couldn’t have imagined a few years ago. I still work closely with vendors on this topic, and if it’s a space you need some help in, feel free to reach out.

In terms of speaking, I’ll be a panelist on two sessions, both on Thursday.

First, at 10am, is a session on the “future of the workplace” - details here. Having recently run my Future of Work Expo tracks at ITExpo, this is a topic I’m well-versed in, and will share some of these perspectives on this panel.

Next is the Locknote session at 11:15am, which closes out Enterprise Connect. The format is to hear collective perspectives on the event - and the year ahead - from analysts and consultants. This is my first time being on the Locknote, and will be in pretty good company, namely Sheila McGee-Smith, Dave Michels, Brent Kelly, and Steve Leaden - details here.

Finally, as a speaker, I get to offer a discount code on registration, so if you want to save $400, use promotion code ARNOLD400. Hope you can use it, and if so, you can buy me a coffee there!

Future of Work Expo Recap - Photos and Media Coverage

I’ve been Chair of the Future of Work Expo for eight years now, and as technology evolves, the future of work is always interesting. Last week’s 2025 edition went to plan, and we had a solid roster of speakers, a timely mix of topics, and an attentive audience.

During the event, I posted photos and commentary regularly on LinkedIn, so you’ll have to check out my feed to pick up on that. At this point, I’m not going to write anything more, and instead will share some photo highlights, along with media coverage in the form of articles about specific sessions, covered by Future of Work News.

First, here are the writeups from FOW News:

• Cybersecurity and Privacy panel session

• Review of Jabra’s solo presentation - Great Expect AI tions - Welcome to Work in the Age of AI

• Role of UCaaS in Shaping the Future of Work

Now for the photos.

There are too many speakers from the panels to cite here, but you can find them all on the Agenda page. Unfortunately, Squarespace isn’t letting me insert a hyperlink now, so here’s the URL - www.futureofworkexpo.com/agenda.aspx.

Below - I, Robot - the future of work? Very cute! Next - Day 1 program, and me with Mr. TMC, Rich Tehrani.

My opening keynote, joined by special guest, Jeff Pulver.

Glenn Goldberg moderating the panel on AI Business Transformation, and John Stafford with the panel on the Changing Role of IT with FOW. Thanks guys!

With Hardy Myers of Cognigy; thumbs way up with Justin Robbins of Metric Sherpa; Khurum Shafi of Twilio, with his souped-up BlackBerry (yup!) to record the session on the evolving role of the contact center.

Moderating panels on the evolving role of contact centers with FOW, and how UCaaS is driving the FOW.

Nice roundup representing SCTC attendees - Vern Fernandez of Jabra, myself, Tom Brannen of OnConvergence, Bill Magnuson of NexusBlue, and Dave Clardy of Mitel. Next - from my UCaaS panel, with Leo Boulton of Zoom, and Luiz Domingos of Mitel.

With Jeff Pulver; Harry Chapin and his classic hit, Taxi. Sorry folks, but you had to be at my keynote to get what this has to do with the future of work.

Panel of AI Innovation and FOW Skills Gaps; and Employee Engagement session.

With Brett Shockley of Journey; reprising my keynote talk in the Solutions Theater on the showfloor; speaking during opening session.

Thanks to those who took many of these photos - too many to credit here. Also, still to come - some video clips of me being interviewed by Rich Tehrani, by Tom Brannen, and a clip from my keynote talk.

Finally, if you like what you see, I’d love to tell you more about the event. It’s never too early for me to start planning for 2026, so if you want to speak, moderate, sponsor or exhibit - or just share your thoughts about the future of work - I’m not hard to find!