3 Takeaways from Genband Perspectives17

Following my first-take post about Genband's Perspectives17 event the other day, I've put together my more considered thoughts, and that writeup is running now on the UCStrategies portal.

There 's a lot to like about Genband, and it sure will be interesting to see where things go once the Sonus merger is done. That said, I found their messaging uneven and at times hard to follow, and I'm not the only analyst who feels this way. So, I've tried to present a balanced perspective in my writeup, and whether you were there or not, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Genband Perspectives17 - Quick Take

As usual, I just have time to post a quick take on Day 1 from the conference, along with some photos. I'll be writing up my thoughts in a separate post after the event, and will be posting that on UCStrategies, so watch for that over the next few days.

In short, Genband is making big strides with Kandy as a platform play to help carriers compete in today's hyper-competitive market. Much like how Cisco is focusing heavily on Spark for their collaboration story - instead of all the other pieces around this LOB - Kandy is the main story so far here. Genband is transitioning away from hardware - but it's still the biggest part of their revenues - and so far, we haven't heard anything about those lines of business. So, to whatever extent Kandy is actually generating revenue, it's the big focus here, and perhaps it's necessary to keep their carrier customers in-house rather than drifting over to the unspoken competitor, BroadSoft.

That said, there's a lot to like about what Genband is doing with Kandy, and I'll have more to say about that in my proper analysis. So far, Genband has done a great job articulating the opportunity for carriers to differentiate via Kandy, but takeup has been slower than expected, and there are lots of reasons around this.To be fair, we heard about lots of success stories, so good things are happening here. Otherwise, Genband is in a "quiet period" with Sonus, so nothing is being said about where that's going, but it seems like a logical move, especially if you view Genband as a consolidator along the lines of what Mitel is doing, most recently with Toshiba.

The other partnership of note is with Five9, and we heard a good update from Wendell Black. Adding contact center may seem like a stretch for Genband, but the integration with Kandy makes this an appealing option, especially for SMBs who are frustrated by how long it takes for their incumbent vendor to make changes to enable a better customer experience. Given how service providers are being wooed away by the likes of Twilio and various OTT players, this is an important move by Genband to help their customers retain more business, especially as the lines between UC and the contact center become blurred.

Time's up, so I'll stop now, and hope you'll read my follow-on post after I digest everything from the conference. Until then, here are some photos to give you a sense of the vibe here from Day 1. Otherwise, you can keep tabs in real time by following the conference twitter feed - #GBP17.

patrick Joggerst, EVP

patrick Joggerst, EVP

CEO David walsh

CEO David walsh

Judit andrasi, ceo immmr

Judit andrasi, ceo immmr

network evolution panel

network evolution panel

the soul tones - great band, keeping the energy level high

the soul tones - great band, keeping the energy level high

this private tour on monday was really great and would love to see a game here someday.

this private tour on monday was really great and would love to see a game here someday.

view from the press box - everything is original here for the 3rd oldest ball park in mlb - even the phones!

view from the press box - everything is original here for the 3rd oldest ball park in mlb - even the phones!

the WS trophy case - a lot of what we saw isn't open to the public - this stuff was great.

the WS trophy case - a lot of what we saw isn't open to the public - this stuff was great.

great statue for dodger legend #1

great statue for dodger legend #1

only in la - palm trees, baseball and a great skyline view

only in la - palm trees, baseball and a great skyline view

Next Stop - LA and Genband

If I play my cards right, this will be the last industry event for me til fall. Am definitely looking forward to Genband's event next week, but have also been on a continuous run of events since May, and I hear summer might actually start soon.

As always, Genband puts on a great conference, and I'll be flying to LA on Sunday to be there. For a change, I'm just attending the event, but I've got my share of meetings lined up, and given their recent merger with Sonus, and partnership with Five9, there will be lots to catch up on.

For a quick overview of the conference, check out this press release. I'll be blogging and tweeting as time allows, and you can follow the twitter buzz at #GBP17.

June Writing Roundup

Sure was a busy month, and capped off a roughly two-month run of continuous events I either attended or spoke at. Somehow, I got my regular fill of writing done, along with a podcast, a webinar, and the launch of one of my current white papers.

Finally had a chance to exhale, put this digest together for my June writing, and gear up again for what hopes to be a quieter month. Something tells me things won't stay quiet for long, so gotta get back to work now.

Is the Enterprise MoNage-Ready?, UCStrategies, June 29

My New White Paper - Real-Time Collaboration and Proactive Customer Service, my blog, June 28

What UC is Really About in 2017, Toolbox.com, June 27

MY Q&A with David Crook, Enghouse Interactive, my blog, June 23

Mid-Year Pause, 6 Weeks, 7 Events and the State of Collaboration, No Jitter, June 20

What Businesses can Learn from Millennials about Collaboration, Toolbox.com, June 14

New Kudo - Top 10 Telecom Experts to Follow, my blog, June 14

Cloud-Based UC Cost Factors - Network Operations, Toolbox.com, June 12

Why is the Cloud an Essential Component of Your Agile Business?, Enterprise Management 360, Q2 2017 edition, pp. 34-35, June 9

The Five UC Apps You Need, TechTarget, June 6

Canadian Telecom Summit, Quick Take, my blog, June 6

When the Push from Management Becomes the Rationale for the Cloud, Toolbox.com, June 1

Is the Enterprise MoNage-Ready?

That's the title of my current contribution to the UCStrategies portal, where I've been a UC Expert since 2013. I publish monthly there, plus I participate in our Industry Buzz podcasts regularly. All told, it's the best resource out there for the collaboration space, and after reading my post, I encourage you to explore what else we have on offer.

So, my reference to MoNage is a tech conference run by Jeff Pulver that I've been speaking at a few times recently. The event is rapidly evolving, and is doing a great job staying on the leading edge of chatbots, AI and messaging.

I've also been active with several other industry events lately, and based on all this, my message is about how enterprises should be looking at these technologies, especially for how they can enhance collaboration. Lots of implications across the whole collab ecosystem, and I'd love to hear your thoughts after reading my post.

My New White Paper - Real-Time Collaboration and Proactive Customer Service

Been plenty busy the past few months, and have just finished up white papers for two clients. One of them is CafeX, a contact center vendor I've been following for a while. They've developed some strong real-time applications with an analytics layer that can really help contact centers cope with today's CX requirements. 

The white paper is titled "The Value of Real-Time Collaboration and Analytics to Drive Proactive Customer Service", and was just launched yesterday. Here's the link to download it from their website, and if you do that, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Alexa, What's Amazon Up To? Our Latest UCStrategies Podcast

Good question, and we've got some pretty good answers. Amazon seems to be asserting its will wherever it wants lately, and whether that's a good thing is a matter of opinion. If you want to hear a few of those, you've come the right place, as that's what we talked about for our latest UCStrategies podcast. It's running now on the portal, and if you'd like to weigh in, we'd love to hear from you.

My Q&A with David Crook, Enghouse Interactive

The scope of my ongoing industry research is broad, and from time-to-time, it includes doing executive interviews. Sometimes those interviews turn into longer conversations, and when there's a good story to tell, I'll share it here on my blog. The following Q&A is a good example of that, where I got to connect with David Crook, who recently joined Enghouse Interactive as their SVP of Sales and Marketing, Americas. 

Enghouse Interactive is quietly doing good things in the contact center space, and it's easy for that to get lost in the noise as bigger players have recently been making pretty big moves that take up most of the headlines. Being based in Toronto, I'm always happy to feature Canadian companies, but as a marketing guy, what's particularly interesting to me, is how David's role covers both sales and marketing. Much like we're seeing contact center and UC coming together, this mix is going to be interesting to watch. That's my spoiler alert, so it's time to stop talking, and let David take over.

Let’s start with the present, and work back a bit. When did you come over to Enghouse Interactive, and what attracted you most to the company?

I came to Enghouse Interactive in January of 2017. Before accepting the position, I was aware of Enghouse Systems as an acquisitive software company with a strong balance sheet; plus, they are a Canadian success story. Being Canadian myself, the company’s heritage was quite appealing.

After digging a little deeper, I saw that Enghouse Interactive was a great company with exciting technology that is uniquely positioned to advantage of the disruption in the contact centre market. What sealed the deal for me is the people at Enghouse – an energized, veteran group that is passionate about their work.

Now let’s hear about your role as SVP Americas for  Sales and Marketing. How much is this about taking over from your predecessor, and how much is this a new role within Enghouse Interactive, or one you’re in to transform?

The role of Senior Vice President of North America Sales & Marketing is new for Enghouse Interactive. The company recognized a need for and benefit of having one voice to lead both sales and marketing, as the two disciplines must be aligned for long-term growth. My mandate is to build on the success of my predecessors and help our team achieve new levels of performance. It’s an exciting challenge as we’ve raised the bar for everyone, setting higher expectations across the board and establishing a predictable operating rhythm.

To define the role, what’s the core vision, and what priorities are driving your goals for 2017?

We give our customers choice and control. The vision for Enghouse Interactive is be the world’s leader in omni-channel contact centre software and services. We want to own the customer interaction solutions marketplace by providing our partners and customers with the right applications in whatever environment they desire (i.e. public cloud, on-premise, managed private cloud or hosted on any UC platform), and the choice of consumption by subscription or perpetual licensing.

As such, our priorities for 2017 are two-fold: 1) tell the Enghouse story, and 2) enable and engage our channel partners

What specific opportunities you’re targeting from a S&M perspective? How much focus are you placing on vertical markets, and if so, which ones? What about on the product side – what problem sets are you focusing on right now? How about new markets or segments that you’re looking to move into for 2017?

Healthcare and financial services are two verticals that continue to present us with opportunities, as new regulations like M.A.C.R.A. and the DOL Fiduciary Standard, respectively, are creating new demand.

Consumers today want an effortless service experience and we understand what businesses need to address this reality. Enghouse Interactive offers a myriad of solutions that cater to small, medium and enterprise customers in need of a sophisticated, customized, omni-channel platform. As a global software company with expansive resources, we have the means, ability and expertise to integrate our products with multiple telephony platforms and applications – a tall order in today’s vendor ecosystem.

I also want to highlight our success in the Microsoft Partner Community. Not only is our Communications Center platform one of the most widely-deployed contact centers on Skype for Business, but TouchPoint Attendant is one of the first operator consoles native to both Skype4B and Office365.

James Skay, senior product marketing manager, Skype for Business Developer Platform, put it best by explaining how Enghouse Interactive helps Microsoft fill gaps in its portfolio by providing contact center, attendant console, and other applications that are native to their platform.

Looking more broadly at the contact center market, what are the top forms of disruption or evolution that you’re seeing? These are impacting everyone, and how do you see Enghouse Interactive adapting to stay ahead of the curve? Could you comment on this for both the overall portfolio as well as how you go to market?

There is a lot of disruption in the contact centre market today: traditional ‘legacy’ vendors are struggling as native cloud players are emerging; and industry giants are invading the ‘telecom or ICT’ space. The last 18 months has shaken up the market, marked by mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies.

Debt-free with a very strong balance sheet (and a parent company with a $1 billion+ market cap), Enghouse Interactive offers customers stability in these volatile times.

Our customers, as well as the marketplace at-large, are demanding greater flexibility to meet the continuously evolving needs of consumers - in real time. Unfortunately, many companies feel trapped. They want choice and control from a vendor they can trust to deliver. That is what Enghouse Interactive offers.

I believe that change breeds opportunity and the organizations that can execute effectively will be able to capitalize on disruption.

Speaking of go to market, let’s shift now to your partner ecosystem. With so much change in the market, how do Enghouse’s partners need to adapt, and what do you need to see from them to have continued success? Conversely, what do they need from Enghouse, and how are your partner programs evolving to ensure Enghouse stays top of mind with them?

With so much change it is very easy to just follow the pack, to become a “me too” in search of revenue. Perhaps we are seeing that with a few partners.

Our partners have had success – and will continue to have success because each of them brings a unique value proposition to the market. Choice and control with great technology.

Unlike so many vendors, we do not have an appetite to compete with our partners. We believe in “win/win” partnerships that go beyond chasing revenue at all costs.

Continuous improvement is a sign of a good organization, and our commitment to partner enablement and education has never been stronger. We will provide comprehensive “air cover” to partners sales teams digitally, and with those who influence buying decisions. Central to this task is concise messaging and communications, which manifests into value for our partners every day.   

To close out here, working back a bit, you gained solid experience with Avaya. What best practices and lessons learned have you brought over to Enghouse?

I learned many things at my time with Nortel and Avaya – those were invaluable experiences. One of many best practices is the important foundation of a partner ecosystem. And that’s why enabling and engaging our partners is a priority in 2017.

As with the contact center space, the S&M space is evolving, especially in the use of analytics to better engage and address core business challenges. In that regard, what new best practices do you expect to add in 2017?

To reiterate my earlier point, I would say that precision messaging and communications are essential.

Sales and marketing teams work best with prescriptive structure and discipline. Everyone knows and plays their position, working together towards a common goal. Each of us is accountable and sales and marketing success will be measured quantitatively.

Mid-Year Pause: 6 Weeks, 7 Events, and the State of Collaboration - My Latest on No Jitter

If you follow me here, you'll know May through early June was non-stop events and conferences, so I'm pretty plugged in to what's happening with collaboration. Am happy to have a breather, although I'm flying to Boston today to speak at yet another event, but then I'll finally have a break til mid-July.

Collaboration remains a moving target, but the possibilities only get more interesting, and my latest No Jitter article distills what I've been seeing the past 6  weeks. It's just been posted to the site, and would love to hear your thoughts. As always, if you like my analysis, any and all sharing is greatly appreciated.

Next Webinar - IP Phones are Hot - Who Knew?

Another month, another webinar. My busy-ness continues, and I've got another Ziff Davis webinar coming up. The date is Tuesday, June 27, and based on the title above, the topic should be self-explanatory.

It's easy to say we're in a post-PBX world, and if you've moved on to other things, you might be surprised to see that innovation is alive and well with desk phones. That's what I'll be addressing during the webinar, and with interest already strong, thought I'd start getting the word out now from my end. For more detail and how to register, here's the link, and I hope you can join us.

Next Stop - Boston - Speaking at MoNage Networking Event

Well, Waltham actually - just west of Boston.

Been socializing this for a while, and am finally getting a chance to post here. Next Tuesday, I'll be joining Jeff Pulver and Chris Fine, as we reprise the networking event we held here in Toronto last month. Aside from that link, all the details for our Waltham event, including the Eventbrite registration form, can be found in the Event Calendar section of my website.

The event is free, and if you're in the area and can join us, we'd love to see you there!

 

 

New Kudo - Top 10 Telecom Experts to Follow

The anonymous nature of the Internet leads people to behave in unusual ways, but its vastness also means that we all get lost in the crowd. Everyone has an opinion, but that doesn't mean everyone else is interested, and it doesn't stop folks from sharing it online. So, it's really hard to know who knows about stuff, and that's where top 10 lists can be of value.

Everyone has an agenda, and we never really know what goes into these efforts, but it's always nice to be recognized. Yesterday, I was cited in one such list, from U.K.-based Telco Bytes. At least this site is industry-based, and by looking through the list, they've gone beyond their local market to include North American industry-watchers, so it's not just friends and family.

I'll take it, and it's great see fellow colleagues Ronald Gruia, Evan Kirstel and Gary Kim in there too. The others are new to me, but after checking them out, I can say I'm in good company, and you wouldn't go wrong following any/all of them. Here's the posting of their top 10 list, and if you like it, please share.

How Cloud Helps Enterprises Become Agile - My New Article in EM360 Magazine

I write occasionally for Enterprise Management 360, a U.K.-based publication, and that gives me some visibility outside North America. My latest was recently published in their Q2 edition, and is titled "Why is the Cloud an Essential Component of Your Agile Business?".

The digital edition is out now, and my article runs on pages 34-35. There's lots more great content there, and I hope you enjoy it - here's the link. As always, comments and sharing are welcome.

Canadian Telecom Summit - Quick Take

Yesterday was Day 1 of the 16th Canadian Telecom Summit here in Toronto, and I was happy to attend. Hosts Mark Goldberg and Michael Sone always put together a strong program, including an opening keynote from the Hon. Navdeep Bains, Canada's Innovation Minister. He is strongly advocating for more affordable access to mobile broadband, especially for lower income Canadians. It's long been a charged issue, as previous efforts to legislate more competition to bring down prices hasn't really worked, and maybe things will be different this time around. For more on that, here's some coverage of his keynote in today's Globe and Mail.

Following that, we had a full day of other keynotes and panel sessions, and the all-day espresso bar kept the audience alert and focused. The highlight for me was the cybersecurity panel, and as always, Dr. Ann Kavoukian pulled no punches about the dangers of new technology and how it's pushing us closer to becoming a surveillance state. I totally agree with her message about taking our personal privacy very seriously, because it's impossible to get back once you give it up.

Closer to home for me, I really enjoyed the customer experience panel, and while Canadian companies have a long way to go, we heard some great examples of how companies like Telus and Rogers are working hard to reinvent CX around how people engage with technology today. That message also came through loud and clear from keynote sponsor Netcracker, as their CTO, Aloke Tusnial talked about the need for CSPs - communications service providers - to evolve into DSPs - digital service providers. Totally agree.

While I'm not able to attend CTS today, I'll be back tomorrow, and here are some photos from Day 1. Otherwise, the twitter feed has been active, so you can follow all the buzz there - #CTS17.

Michael Sone and Mark Goldberg with their opening remarks

Hon. Navdeep Bains, Canada's Innovation Minister

Panel sessions - customer experience, and cybersecurity

May Writing Roundup

If you follow me, you'll know the whole month has been non-stop, but aside from all the travel to conferences and speaking spots, I managed to keep a pretty full slate of writing going - mostly for clients, but also for my own blogging. Here's a digest of my activity, and that will give you a sense of the trends I'm seeing in the collaboration and customer care spaces right now.

Tech Leader Talk - Digital and Customer Experience: Are We There Yet? - Facebook link to live-streamed video, May 30, Schulich School of Business, Global Alumni Network 

NEC and Frank Viola - "Raising a Family" - My Q&A on Frank's Retirement, May 30, my blog

How Can Near Real-Time Communication Modes Offer Context?, May 25, TechTarget

CX17 - Genesys and ININ - Quick Take, May 25, my blog

Thinking Clearly About the Cloud for Collaboration, May 23, Toolbox.com

Our Drivers of the Digital Economy Event - Thanks for Coming all!, May 17, my blog

Messaging, Slack and Facebook - It's Complicated, May 15, Internet Telephony Magazine (am also cited in three other articles in their Q2 edition - links are here)

Vertical Market Collaboration Scenarios - Healthcare, May 12, Toolbox.com

NEC Advantage 2017 - Quick Update, May 12, my blog

Takeaways from Cisco's Customer Care Analyst Event, May 10, UCStrategies

Assessing the Total Impact of Digital Transformation, May 8, Toolbox.com

How the Customer Journey Drives CX, May 2, Toolbox.com

Messaging, Chatbots, AI - Finding the Enterprise Opportunity, May 2, No Jitter

Next Stop - Here - Canadian Telecom Summit

There are SO few industry events in Canada, although lately I've been speaking at a couple, but they're pretty small, at least compared to what I usually attend in the U.S.

Well, we do have one big conference - the Canadian Telecom Summit - and it's been running 16 years now. It's here in Toronto, and I'll be attending over the course of its run next week from Monday to Wednesday. For more details, please see the Event Calendar section of my site.

I'll be tweeting as time allows - #CTS17 - and will post some highlights here in due course.

Next Speaking Slot - Locknote at the SCTC's Canadian Regional Group Event

May was my most go-go month ever, and it continues through early June. Next week, I'll be attending the Canadian Telecom Summit through Wednesday, then on Thursday, I'm the locknote speaker for the SCTC, of which I'm a member.

The event takes place just outside Toronto, and is being run by our CRG - Canadian Regional Group. It's a day-long event, and being titled 2017 Canadian Technology Outlook, we'll be covering a lot of ground.

We actually have a very strong agenda, and it's a great value, but is only open for SCTC members or non-members from the telecom/comms consulting community. If that's you, and would like to attend, here's the link for the event brochure with the full agenda and registration details.

NEC and Frank Viola - "Raising a Family" - My Q&A on Frank's Retirement

37 years is a long time to be doing anything, and careers this long are unheard of these days in the corporate world. Frank Viola has had an amazing run at NEC, and I was lucky to be with him at their Advantage event earlier this month, when he announced his retirement. Another NEC stalwart we all know and love, Larry Kollie, made a similar announcement - there's a writeup in the works about that, so stay tuned - so, come June 1, there will be a major change of the guard at NEC. 

I've always gotten along well with Frank, and he very gracious to do this Q&A with me as way to honor his career and provide a look at what the road ahead holds. For those who know Frank, there won't be any surprises here, but I think you'll find this a good read nonetheless. Frank has lots to say, so it runs long, but I don't think anyone will mind. I hope you enjoy it, and will once more thank Frank for this and wish him the best for life-after-NEC!

JA - Let’s go back to the beginning when you joined NEC in 1981. How did that come about, and what drew you to wanting to work there?

It was sometime in February 1981 and at the time, I was working for the Suffolk County Executive’s office in Hauppauge, Long Island. I developed a good reputation over the years as a programmer/analyst and had been involved in several high-profile projects for the County. NEC had called me and asked if I would be interested in working for them. My wife was 7-8 months pregnant with our first child and the job would require extensive travel. I explained that to the person calling and declined the offer. I didn’t know anything about NEC so I did a little research. The deeper I went, the more I was impressed with the depth of this relatively quiet international giant. 

In mid-April my wife gave birth to our first child, Christina. Shortly after, NEC called me again and I agreed to interview. I was flown up to Boston to meet with the folks at NEC Information Systems where they asked me to write a quick program as part of the interview process. The interviews went well and I was hired to start on June 15, 1981. 

My first project was to develop a call accounting system for NEC’s flagship product, the NEAX 22 series. (Incidentally, Jim Burton created the key system version for NEC.) Unfortunately, all the software development resources were located in Lexington, Mass., which would require me to spend a great deal of time up there. Starting the second week, I began travelling to Lexington, two weeks up and one week home for several months. I had the pleasure of working with folks like Kent Bradley, who managed the Lexington office. The product was named NEAX Astra CCS, and we began promoting it in September 1981 at TCA in San Diego.

In 1983 we announced the NEAX 2400 and I was tasked to develop a sophisticated quoting tool specifically for this unique communications platform. It was the first modular and scalable system in the industry where you only purchased what you needed and was capable of growing well beyond your needs by simply adding modules. It was truly revolutionary for the time.

After a few years, my role began to evolve. I was promoted to manage the national sales engineering team. This group provided our sales group both sales and technical support through high level presentations, complex configurations, responding to RFP’s, etc. I was later promoted to manage the marketing team. One of my first agenda items was the NEAX Users Group. I was not exactly eager to work with this group, as there appeared to be a great deal of tension between NEC and this outspoken group of customers. The issues revolved mainly around function and feature requests.

Over time, we developed long lasting friendships and relationships and worked through the issues. I was also overseeing the Consultant Program. Working with many consultants over the years, I had the privilege of making great friends and developing great working relationships with some of the finest group of industry experts in the business. In ’93, Bob Talty and I created the Advantage Invitational Executive Conference and NEC’s Consultant Symposium. Bob was the lead guy who drove and presented the content. I pulled all the details together and emceed the event.  It’s hard to believe 24 years has passed since starting this event. I eventually moved over to the Sales side but kept responsibility for the Advantage Executive Conference and the Consultant Program which was now managed by one of the nicest and hardest working guys in the business, Larry Kollie.

For a period of time, I was responsible for Copier and Fax sales. I am proud to say, we grew this part of the business for several years straight.  Over the past few years, my responsibilities included the development of our Software Assurance renewal business, channel sales programs, sales incentives, working closely with the NEC Dealers Association to develop strategies for mutual growth, etc.

JA - You’ve had an incredible run with NEC, so what has kept you going with them?

I’ve always enjoyed the challenge. I think what kept me going for the most part was the fact that my role was never boring. Working with many versatile groups (employees. customers, industry consultants, vendors and our channel partners), I was always changing gears trying to see things from their perspective which helped me deal with things in a more reasonable and logical manner. Through this process, great relationships were built and we were very effective in accomplishing many endeavors.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the constructive working relationships and the friendships that helped solve issues and move in a forward direction. I am so grateful for the many friends I have made and for a lifetime of fond memories.

JA - With all that history, what’s been the most memorable time or achievement for you?

I have a few milestone achievements;

1.       The development of the NEAX Astra CCS. It was the first for NEC and why I was hired.

2.       The development of the first sophisticated quotation system, AutoQuote.

3.       Developed the Software Assurance renewal business.

My most memorable, was the move from NY to Texas in 1993. We basically started over in so many ways. I had to build a new team, my son got very ill, adapting to a new culture, finding a home, dealing with drastic weather changes, etc.  

JA - How about the funniest or most unlikely thing?

The funniest thing to me was this “programmer” who spent most of his life alone writing code in a quiet room and then attending his first trade show ever, TCA. It was a free-for-all. I was exposed to things I thought were only myths or exaggerations from old legends. From the moment we landed in San Diego, it was like the first time your parents left you alone for a weekend. In the interest of protecting the innocent, I will leave the rest to your imagination and can only say, “What happened at TCA, stayed at TCA”.

JA - Talk a bit about what you’ve most learned from being with NEC, and likewise, what do you think your colleagues there have learned from you?

Good question. It was a huge learning curve in those days as everything in telecom seemed completely opposite from the “computer” world. I not only learned all about the telecom industry, but learned all about the rich history of NEC and the things they’re doing as we move into the future. I would like to say everything my colleagues know came from me. But, I am like a sponge and learn from others on a regular basis. I learned a ton from my colleagues and continue to learn from them more than they know.

JA - Coming back to the tech question, NEC continues to innovate - and what breakthroughs or new technologies are you most excited about for their future?

The Smart Enterprise is the future and will change how we apply technology in business. Infusing and integrating technologies such as facial recognition, retinal technology, sensor technology, SDN and so on, combined with bulletproof platforms will not only broaden offerings for our sales channels, but will provide customers with a much higher level of technology usage, offering efficiencies, productivity increases and a more safe and secure environment. I’m very excited for the things yet to come from NEC.  

JA - Having been through so many innovation cycles, as you move on, what qualities will NEC’s management need to have success going forward?

I believe any leadership team has to have a vision. Without a vision, you don’t have a future. NEC’s Smart Enterprise is a powerful vision similar to Dr. Koji Kobayashi’s (past Chairman of the Board and CEO of NEC Corporation) announcement in 1977 of his C&C concept whereby Computers and Communications would someday be converged. 

JA - What are you going to miss most come June?

The interaction with the various communities and being directly involved in the business.

JA - You and I have talked about the importance of family, and you’ve said how you’ve helped raise a family with NEC. What do you mean by that?

I was 25 when I started at NEC and my daughter was only 2 months old. There’s’ no denying I was green and very naïve, not only to the industry but to Japanese business culture.  NEC’s Japanese management was very patient with me especially in the beginning. In the early days, there were difficulties in communicating with one another and mistakes were made. I learned to be a bit more patient and listened much more carefully when someone spoke. I believe this helped me better communicate with our children.

Additionally, I was given many opportunities to grow within which provided us a good living and a better life for my family. I’m forever grateful to NEC for the opportunities. I grew as a person and became a better father and a better husband. I always tell people “while I was raising my family, NEC was raising me”.

JA - Let’s close out talking about that other family – your own. You’re very proud of the foundation you created in your son’s honor, and it’s been very successful. Please share some of that story, as I think many will find it quite inspirational.

There are many things that occur in our lives that impact us in very profound ways. Things that give us hope, inspiration, ambition and ultimately shape us to be the people we are. Then there are events that completely shatter our dreams and gives us pause. 

On November 17, 2013 we received the notice that our beloved son Alex, a member of the US Army Special Forces was killed in action in a remote part of Afghanistan known as Shah Wali Kot. His life was lost to an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) while disarming others to clear the way for his team.

Our life changed forever that day. We were lost, confused, and severed from life as we knew it. Our children are everything to us. There’s nothing else that matters more. Losing a child is not the normal progression of life and there’s no mental or emotional preparation. Losing a spouse makes you a widow or widower. Losing a parents makes you an orphan. Losing a child…there’s no label.  

Alex was the best son a parent could ever dream of having and he and I had a very special relationship. We had a common interest in cars. He was my sidekick and my right hand. We travelled the country to many race events, to local car shows, we spent four years together building his first car, a 1968 Chevelle, etc. We spent a great deal of father-and-son time together. Cruising to a car show I would always think to myself, he could be with his friends and I wouldn’t mind it, but he chose to be with his Dad. It was awesome.

At age 9, he had fallen sick with something that attacked his muscle system. It would be a year before it left him but it took its toll. He lost so much muscle that he could not attend school for a year and had to do home study. I remember night after night, having to carry him to bed. We would never know what caused it as all tests came back negative. The doctor suspected it was a virus that eventually worked its way out. It was then that his true character would be revealed.

During his recovery, he asked for a pair of rollerblades. I thought that was nuts since he could barely walk. We got him the rollerblades and he went to work. He never stopped and never gave up. He felt ready and joined a roller hockey team which eventually led to ice hockey. In high school, he became the captain and the leading scorer on the Keller Hockey Team. He was graceful, fast and fun to watch.

After high school he went to the University of North Texas. He graduated with a BA in Mechanical Engineering and left for Navy OCS (Officer Candidate School) in Newport, Rhode Island. He graduated with top honors both in academics and physical training and received the Medal of Honor Award.

He was accepted to Navy SEAL Training (BUDS) and was injured 2 days before “hell week”, the final week. He made it half way through but his injury caught up and he was pulled out. As an officer, you’re only allowed one try. He was devastated and requested a transfer knowing he would give up his officer status and half of his pay. He went into the Army and was accepted to Special Forces training. He graduated as Green Beret and later enrolled into Combat Dive School, the hardest school in the entire military. He received his certification and was 1 of 80 members of the US Army Special Forces with a Combat Diver Certification.

He was recruited to US Army’s 7th Special Forces Group and was stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Destin, Fla. He was deployed to Afghanistan in September, 2013 only to lose his life on November 17. 

A year or so went by and my family started talking about doing something to keep Alex’s memory alive. On one of his deployment forms, he indicated supporting the Green Beret Foundation and the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. My family and I decided to start the SSG Alex Viola Foundation to fundraise for these two great organizations. Both groups are very efficient, and over 90% of all funds go towards the cause. They provide support for the families of wounded and fallen warriors in many ways. They provide college education for children, housing for wounded and disabled, etc.

Since Alex was a car nut, we decided on doing a car show as our foundation vehicle to raise money. On November 21, 2015 we held the first SSG Alex Viola Memorial Car Show. We had over 240 cars and raised $20k which was divided and donated to the two organizations. In 2016, we had even more cars and raised $25k. This year, our event will be held on November 11 (Veteran’s Day) and we’re expecting 300 cars. More info can be found on our website: www.ssgalexviola.org.

For us, the Foundation is like therapy. It somewhat restores purpose and gives us a little hope and inspiration while helping those who protect us and are in need of help.

JA - With your passion for cars, I know you’ll have no trouble keeping busy after NEC. Can you say a bit about your favorite car, and any special projects you’ve got planned?

Over the years with the help of many friends, I have built a 1969 Chevelle and a 1936 Ford. However my favorite build was the 1968 Chevelle that my son and I built. It was truly a basket case and probably should been in a junk yard. We replaced the engine, transmission, rear axle, the entire interior, both front fenders, the rear quarter panels and more. But, the experience of building it with Alex was well worth it as it will always be a great memory.

JA - These are great stories, Frank, and I really appreciate your sharing them here. You certainly are an inspiration, not just for building a great career, but also for how your strong family values have provided a great sense of balance at home and at work. I want to wish you all the best for the future, more time with family, and keeping close still with your NEC family as well.  On that note, the final word is with you.

My journey with NEC was absolutely incredible and I feel extremely blessed to have had such a great career. I have met so many people and made many lifetime friendships. I can’t thank you enough for the outpour of support during the most difficult time of our lives. That will never be forgotten. I hope our paths will cross again someday and thank you for a lifetime worth of great memories.

CPaaS Perspectives - Our Latest UCStrategies Podcast

I haven't been on a regular schedule with our UCStratagies podcasts lately, but managed to take part in last week's gathering. The topic was the changing nature of CPaaS and what this space really is all about. It's very easy to put CPaaS in the UC bucket, but that really doesn't do justice to either.

To explore this further, Phil Edholm was our moderator, and if you're wondering about these things like we are, you'll find our podcast of interest. It's posted now on the portal, and once you're there, I hope you wander a bit and see what else we have on offer.

Next Stop - Indianapolis and Genesys/ININ

This will be US stop #3 for me this month, and then things finally slow down on the travel front. Am flying on Sunday to Indy for CX17, where the event tagline is "Together", referring to the combined conference for Genesys and Interactive Intelligence.

I posted the basic details about the conference already in the Event Calendar of my website, so please go there for that. I don't get to do this often, so I'd be remiss to not do another shout-out for our SIPtones gig next Tuesday during the conference. More info about that is also in the Event Calendar listing, including a link to a video compilation of our last show in Indy. Enjoy!