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.

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

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!


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

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!

May Writing Roundup

May was another month with a lot of video activity, but I managed to get some writing done as well. Aside from published articles, I’ve decided to include here some writeups I posted on LinkedIn, as they would be easy to miss if not following me regularly. Caveat - you do need to be logged into LinkedIn to read them - but if you can’t do that, please let me know, and I could share any of those posts in another format. With that said, here’s the digest.

8x8, Q4 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 23

Legacy to Leadership: Telcos Rewrite Their Future as Techcos, Aizan, May 19

NICE, Q1 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 16

RingCentral Q1 earnings - my takeaways, LinkedIn, May 14

The Difference Between a Traditional and Hybrid Meeting Room, TechTarget, May 12

Catching Up - Latest Updates

Finally off the road for a few weeks, but staying busy on several fronts. I haven’t blogged much lately, so am sharing a few recent updates in this post.

That should keep you busy for now, and I’ll be back to more regular blogging next week, including updates on where my next travels will be taking me.

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 Writing Roundup

Was a busy month on several fronts, and event travel kept me on the move. I have three writeups to share from April, and I hope you give these a read.

What is a Hybrid Meeting?, TechTarget, April 28

Cloud Connections 2025 Takeaways, LinkedIn, April 18

8x8 Analyst Summit Takeaways - Track Some Mud on the Carpet, BCStrategies, April 10

8x8 Analyst Summit - Photo Highlights

Been going full-out since back from last week’s 8x8 analyst event in Southampton, UK. I’ve written an extensive review on the BCStrategies website, which has just been updated, so that’s another reason to go visit.

My review just went live - read it here - and before doing that, I’ll share some of my photos from the event, along with some social time while there. I hope you enjoy these, along with my review of the event.

Below - CMO Bruno Bertini and CEO Sam Wilson

Hunter Middleton and Fabio Ramos

At the harborside hotel, and an obligatory Guinness at the soccer match

Customer panel, onsite at the stadium; some images from their new branding

Partner panel, executive Q&A panel near the end of the event

More social - at the soccer stadium, pub stop with Blair Pleasant, followed by dinner with Simon Harrison

Inside the stadium before the game, and the marching band outside - loved it

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:

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!

New Month - Time for New Watch This Space Podcast and Newsletter

The February editions of my podcast and newsletter were published 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.

The current episode is an excess review of all the excess around AI at the moment. Inspired by DeepSeek’s entry into the fray, we started there, then moved on to various forms of deepfakes that pose all kinds of risk to just about everything we do.

As always, we framed this through our analog lens, a perspective that digital natives lack, and we feel provides some levity to all this. Chris and I didn’t stop there, and to get the whole story, you can listen to the February episode here.


January Writing Roundup

Very disjointed month, as I was in Israel for two weeks, then flattened with a cold the entire week after getting back. Totally good now, though, and thankfully I got all my latest work done ahead of all this, so I do have some writing to share from January.

The Channel Partner Opportunity to Deploy UCaaS, CCaaS Together, Channel Futures, Jan. 28

How Call Testing and Monitoring Enhances Telephony and CX for Brands, No Jitter, Jan. 10

Getting Past the AI Hype, Contact Center Pipeline, January edition