October Writing Roundup

October turned out to be a good month for writing activity as well as new projects, so no complaints here. I still don't know if there's a causal link, but something tells me if I keep writing, business will keep coming. I'm good with that, and I hope you are too, as this virtuous circle keeps me close to the trends driving the comms space, which is central to what I need to do as an analyst. On that note, here the highlights from October that I think you'll still enjoy reading if you didn't catch them first time around.

Hits and Misses - 6 Takeaways from Unify's Circuit Launch, UCStrategies, Oct. 30

More Ado About doing nothing with UC, part 2, Adtran UC blog, October 30

Is VoIP Cool Enough for you Yet?, Toolbox.com, October 30

Is the Internet of Things Good for your Business?, Internet Telephony Magazine, October issue

Bring your own 'danger', am cited in this feature about BYOD security risks - Toronto Star, October 20

Who are you really selling to with UC?, Adtran UC blog, October 16

Three Things you Lose with VoIP, Toolbox.com, October 15

What to look for in a Contact Center Solution when Deploying Lync with UC, UCStrategies, October 7

UCStrategies Interview with Jon Arnold About the State of UC, UCStrategies, October 3

Hits and Misses - 6 Takeaways from Unify's Circuit Launch

Earlier this week, I was part of the UCStrategies podcast that did a collective debrief of last week's Unify event, along with the Tuesday launch of Circuit. By now, I'm sure you've seen lots of buzz from Unify as well as the industry at large, so there's lots to digest.

As someone who there last week first-hand, I had more to say than my allotted three minutes on the podcast, so I've pulled my thoughts together and distilled things down to six takeaways. In the spirit of balance that characterizes being an analyst, I've got three hits and three misses. There is lots to like about Circuit, but there are definitely shortcomings, and if you want to know more, please read my post that's running now on the UCStrategies portal. I hope you like it, and would love to hear your thoughts - and no doubt, Unify would as well.

What's the latest with Huawei? UCStrategies podcast update

While everyone in the UC space has good reason to fear the big outsiders like Amazon and Google for the disruption they bring, the one player that pretty much all the UC vendors worry about is Huawei. They've been working hard for years, and you knew it was just a matter of time before their footprint was too big to ignore. That's certainly the case outside of North America, and it's hard to see how that domino isn't going to fall on our home shores at some point in the near future. They're simply too big, too well backed and too smart to not succeed when pursuing growth opportunities.

To better understand that, UCStrategies finally lined up a podcast session with Huawei, and on this call, we were joined by Edward Diender, their CTO for Western Europe operations. We covered a lot of ground, and while it's clear they still have work to do before becoming a major force in North America, they are in active learning mode, and I wouldn't underestimate their capabilities. To better understand that, I think you'll enjoy the conversation, which was finely moderated by Blair Pleasant. The link has been posted to the UCS portal, along with a transcript if you'd rather just read along.

Unify, Ansible and now Circuit - UCStrategies Podcast

Many of us with UCStrategies attended last week's Unify summit for analysts and consultants, where we got an up-close preview of Circuit. This is the go-to-market name for their new offering which is based on the well-received Project Ansible. Beyond that, it's hard to concisely say what Circuit is, but you'll catch on really fast.

Speaking of fast, we've never turned around a podcast so quickly at UCStrategies, and for that, hats off to moderator Dave Michels. We recorded this yesterday so it would be ready for posting just after 10am EST today, which is when Unify's press embargo ended. It pays to play nice and respect the rules - otherwise we'll never get invited by back to swank spots like Scottsdale - can you blame us?

Since the Circuit news is spreading its way across the Web now, I hope you add our podcast to the list to stay uber-informed. You won't go wrong with our group, as we shared a range of opinions based on our first-hand exposure to Circuit last week. It's a mixed bag for sure, and I'll have more to say in my own analysis of Circuit, hopefully by tomorrow. Until then, here's the podcast, including time markers for when each of us is speaking.

Unify Analyst Summit - Quick Thoughts

Am at the 2014 Unify Global Analyst Summit in Scottsdale, AZ, and can only share some high level thoughts. This isn't a long event, but it has a purposeful, singular focus. Unify has been a work in progress for a while now, both as an organization and as an enterprise-grade vendor in the ever-changing UC&C space.

Most of what we're hearing is under embargo til early next week, so we're getting a preview of things to come, and no doubt you'll be hearing about it in a couple of days. Basically, we're getting a deep dive on Project Ansible, their UC platform, and suffice to say they have something bigger and better under wraps. That's all I can say for now, but once things go public, I'll have more to share then. In the mean time, I can at least share a few photos of yesterday's executive speakers.

CEO Dean Douglas

CMO Bill Hurley

EVP WW Channels, Jon Pritchard

Next Stop - Unify's Analyst Event

I've quietly been productive doing my regular writing along with new project work, and haven't travelled on business since June. Some people think I travel all the time, and it's not the case - these trips come in waves, and now I have a couple of trips on the horizon.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Scottsdale, AZ for Unify (nee Siemens Enterprise Comms) and their Global Analyst Summit. For sure, the weather will be better than the dreary drizzle here in Toronto, but more importantly, we'll get a close-up of how the major re-branding for Unify is panning out.

Their UC&C offerings are on par with anyone's, and I don't think there's much to complain about there. While they have a great global brand, the company has always struggled getting their share of the North American market. We all have our theories, and by the end of this week, I expect to have a better sense of that, and will share my thoughts here and elsewhere. If you want my in-the-moment commentary, follow my tweets - @arnoldjon - and otherwise, check back with me here in a day or so.

Is the Internet of Things Good for your Business?

I'm sure the time is not far off when MBA programs will have course titles like this, and maybe even full-blown majors. I was still writing papers on typewriters when doing my MBA, so that tells you how much things have changed. Let's just say my POV is a bit different from the Millennials that I write so often about. I proudly cling to what we were weaned on back then, and am not shy to say it produces superior results to what people produce these days, but I can also see where they now have access to much richer tools, but how well they use them is another story.

If I'm baiting you into an exchange of opinions, bring it on! I love debating stuff like this, but with a purpose - I just think people are underachieving - more like overwhelmed - with all the apps and gadgets at their disposal.  I'll let that simmer for a bit, and steer you to my latest Rethinking Communications column for TMCnet's Internet Telephony Magazine.

I've been writing regularly about IoT and IoE, and after cloud, I think it's the next big frontier that will wash over everything we do - and eventually, think about. If you thinking I'm hinting at my favorite dystopian subext - 1984 - you're correct, but I'll stop talking now and hope you'll read my article. It's early days yet for IoT, but it's coming for sure, and the sooner you get it on your radar, the safer your future will be.

IoT is as much about what it can do for your business as what you cannot seem to do today without it. We're already drowning in data, and IoT will ramp this up by a few orders of magnitude, and unless you somehow get a handle on Big Data, IoT will kill your business. I'm being a bit dramatic here, but a lot of people underestimated the Internet, and the same for mobility. IoT is simply the next big thing, and sometime soon, those MBA grads you hire could be the saviors of your company - especially if they take my course, if only some school will come along and ask me to teach it!

Canadian Contact Center Trends - my Next Speaking Appearance

Industry events are few and far between in Canada, and am usually pretty receptive when I get asked to speak at them. If you follow me, you'll know I recently spoke at a couple of CTCA events in the Toronto area, and I've got something else coming this week.

On Wednesday, Interactive Intelligence is hosting its annual Canadian Customer Conference Day, and I'll be speaking on one of the panels. This year, the event is being held at Microsoft Canada's HO, which makes total sense since they're close partners. If you want to know how close, I just wrote an analysis about the challenges of integrating contact center solutions with Lync, and that's something that Interactive Intelligence does very well.

Along those lines, I'll be speaking on a panel addressing current contact center trends, and we'll be looking at things like social media, the cloud and multichannel. This is a closed event, so it's just for Interactive's partners and customers, but if you're there, I hope you'll catch our session at 2pm.

Deploying Cloud-Based Contact Center Solutions with Lync

This is a big topic for any business looking at the cloud when deploying Microsoft Lync and looking for the best way to support their contact center. These days, if you don't have a contact center, there's no excuse not to, as the cloud makes it feasible for any size of operation. If you don't know why having a contact center is essential, drop me a line - that's a whole other topic.

Let's stick to the program - you're going with Lync for UC, and now you have to decide how best to integrate the contact center with this new regime. Since Lync is becoming so popular, there's a lot of interest here, and that's exactly what UCStrategies focuses on.

As you likely know, I'm a UC Expert, and was engaged to write my analysis about this on behalf of Interactive Intelligence, who has recently partnered with UCStrategies for some thought leadership. Being a sponsored post, you should still take it at face value, as my focus is on the issues and challenges facing all businesses in this situation. My conclusion does touch on the virtues of what Interactive Intelligence brings to the table, and I'll leave that for you to decide.

More importantly, I've tried to present an industry-based perspective on what to consider when making this particular decision. The article has been posted now to the portal, and I can think of a few parties other than myself who will be quite keen to hear your thoughts. I hope you can give it a read, and after that, the floor is yours.

UCStrategies Talks UC with... Me

The community of Experts in the UCStrategies circle is pretty broad, and we have a healthy mix of seasoned analysts and consultants. New faces such as Evan Kirstel continue to expand our roster, and I can't think of a better place to stay on top of all things UC.

One way we do this is to share our personal views, and I was recently interviewed by UCStrategies to tap into those views. The interview isn't very long, but it's a good snapshot of my current thinking about what's driving UC. As you likely know, I do a lot of writing, and every now and then it's always nice to be asked for your opinion instead of putting it out there in the hope that people are actually interested.

There's a fine line there where everyone's an expert online, and people will do anything for their 15 milliseconds of fleeting fame - as opposed to being schooled in knowing how to write for an audience. I'll save that thread for another time - for now, I invite you read the interview, and in the spirit of our community, I hope you share your thoughts back with us.

Gartner's Magic Quadrant for UCaaS - UCStrategies Weighs In

Acronyms are a fact of life in this space, and UCaaS is one of the more awkward terms, but it's accurate. When we talk about UC as a Service, we're really talking about hosted UC or cloud-based UC. Yes, that's basically three ways of saying the same thing. Don't dwell on that too long - these are the problems people like me make a living trying to understand and then explain to our followers.

The cloud is fast becoming the home for everything, and UC is no exception. This says a lot about how technology keeps changing, but it says even more about how this change is impacting the UC landscape. Whereas conventional - premise-based - UC was the sole domain of vendors, they are just one class of player with UCaaS. Since this deployment model is hosted away from the customer's operation, UC can now be provided by anyone with a carrier-grade cloud infrastructure.

That cues the music for service providers to enter the game, and that's where the mix gets more interesting when it comes to the Gartner Magic Quadrant. The criteria for inclusion into this circle differ from the premise-based market, so to get the big picture, you really have consider both sets of analysis. Our latest UCStrategies podcast was all about the UCaaS MQ, and if this side of the coin is new, you'll definitely want to check it out.

Speaking of awkward terms, I'm not sure if "podcast" is the right label since this edition was done via video. If you close your eyes and just listen, sure, it's a podcast, but if you want to see what we all look like in living color, now's your chance. The session was ably moderated by Dave Michels, who is leading the  "more video" charge with UCStrategies, and we were greatly enabled by Vidyo, who provided the video conferencing platform. I'm happy to give them a plug here, and the experience was great, and as you'll see, the Hollywood Squares tile format is pretty easy on the eyes.

We may not be the most exciting bunch to watch, but nobody really is when you're just talking from your desk. Anyhow, it's the commentary that really matters, and to help you navigate this 53 minute production, Dave has broken out the times when each of us is talking. I'm at the 8:36 mark, but I hope you'll set the time aside to view the full session. Where else can you get this much free advice from people who look so good on camera?

September Writing Roundup

I'm probably the only person out there who sees everything I write, and I'm ok with that! As much as it seems we're in a post-literate world, I'm not going reduce all my ideas to clever 140 character missives or infographics that, by the way, take way way way longer to put together than a long-form post.

Rant over. If you like my take on all things telecom/disruptive tech, here are the posts you'll enjoy from last month:

Can Cisco Crack the Code for Video? Do They Need To? UCStrategies, September 29

Making Sure you get Quality of Service with VoIP Toolbox.com, September 28

Where's the Fun in UC? ADTRAN UC Blog, September 25

Will Messaging Displace Voice? Internet Telephony Magazine, September issue

What IoT Looks Like in the Healthcare Sector Toolbox.com, September 20

Getting out of the Box and Making UC Social ADTRAN UC Blog, September 18

VoIP's Hidden Value for SMBs Toolbox.com, September 10

VoIP, the Internet of Things and Business Transformation Toolbox.com, September 3

Can Cisco Crack the Code for Video? Do They Need To?

These are big questions, and my take might surprise you. The analyst community was recently updated on Cisco's collaboration roadmap, and the emphasis was very much on the new WebEx and desktop video. I wasn't expecting this much focus here from Cisco, but they have their reasons, and that's what I examined in my current posting on UCStrategies.

As a UC Expert, I contribute a monthly column to the portal, and this time around, I think there are as many questions as answers, and you can never have enough debate when it comes to big moves from market leaders like Cisco. There are several disruptive technologies in play here, and that's what makes Cisco's update so interesting. I'd love to hear your thoughts, so I'll steer you now to the portal and hope you give my post a read.

Sept 30 Webinar - Cloud TCO and the Contact Center

Time flies, and we're just days away from next Tuesday's webinar, hosted by Interactive Intelligence. Registrations have been very strong, and I can see we'll have a great turnout.

As per my last post about this, here's what you need to know:

Tim Passios will speaking from their side of table about the merits of the cloud for contact center deployments. ININ is a real leader in this space, and while that may be their agenda, I'm sure you'll come away learning some best practices for the cloud business case.

To keep Tim honest, the always-questioning Dave Michels will provide the voice of reason, and I'll be by his virtual side to do the same. We won't be ganging up on Tim, but we'll be asking the kind of questions you'll want answers to, and if that doesn't do the job, the audience will have their shot as well.

Otherwise, here are the registration details - we start at 11:30 ET - hope to see/hear you there!

Will Messaging Displace Voice?

I think that's a pretty provocative topic, and there certainly are trends happening now to support that position. Just as the telephone replaced the telegraph, we may end up coming full circle where short form communication is favored over the open-ended mode of voice.

Real time is still more important than near real time, but as we struggle and endlessly juggle 10 things at once, brevity often carries the day. This doesn't help improve our grammar, penmanship or civility, but messaging goes a long way to keeping our jobs, right?

That's the teaser for the latest iteration of my Rethinking Communications column on TMCnet's Internet Telephony Magazine. It's been a while since my last column, mainly because the pub ran a double issue during the back end of summer. They're back now to monthly publishing, so my upcoming posts won't be so far apart. With that said, here's the link to my current article, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Social Customer Service - new Podcast

As a UC Expert, I gladly participate in the regular podcasts run by UCStrategies. I can't think of a better forum where you can hear from so many analysts and consultants at one time, and this should be part of your regular diet to stay current in the UC space.

Our current topic was social customer service, and this time around we were joined by Karina Howell of Interactive Intelligence. As you may know, ININ is at the forefront of trying new things, so it was great to counter our voices with a vendor that is in the trenches figuring out how to make social media part of the contact center experience.

Not surprisingly, Blair Pleasant moderated the podcast, and we all had our say, both feeding off of Karina's insights as well as sharing best practices across the business space. The podcast has been posted now to the UCS portal, along with a transcript, so you have two ways to take in the content. Whatever format you choose, we'd love to hear your thoughts, as well as suggestions for new topics you'd like to see us discuss.

My CTCA Presentation - Millennials and Collaboration

September has started off strong, and while I won't be travelling to any conferencs for another month or so, I do have an event this week closer to home.

Tomorrow, I'll be giving a keynote presentation at the CTCA's annual golf tournament, held at the Shawneeki Golf Club in Sharon, Ontario. I've never been there, and with the weather being so nice now, I'm really looking forward to going.

The topic is what Millennials can teach us about collaboration, and it's an extended analysis based on an article I wrote last month for UCStrategies. Since we're still in back-to-school mode, I thought the timing was good for reflecting on what we can learn from the younger generation, especially for something they tend to know more about than we do.

You may recall that I was invited to keynote back in April for CTCA's annual conference, and it looks like that went well enough to have me back for more. Am happy to do it, and if you're coming up for the event, I look forward to seeing you there!

Upcoming Webinar Q&A Panel - Cloud TCO and the Contact Center

Sure glad I got all my leisure trips done this summer. Have hit the ground running this week, with lots happening on many fronts. Am doing an early heads-up here for a webinar that I'll be speaking on at month end, Tuesday, September 30.

The sponsor is Interactive Intelligence, and Tim Passios will speaking from their side of table about the merits of the cloud for contact center deployments. ININ is a real leader in this space, and while that may be their agenda, I'm sure you'll come away learning some best practices for the cloud business case.

To keep Tim honest, the always-questioning Dave Michels will provide the voice of reason, and I'll be by his virtual side to do the same. We won't be ganging up on Tim, but we'll be asking the kind of questions you'll want answers to, and if that doesn't do the job, the audience will have their shot as well.

If this sounds like an offer you can't refuse, then register here, and we look forward to having you join us on September 30.

August Writing Roundup

Tough getting back to writing, but write we must. August was a pretty light month given I was away for about half of it, but there were a few posts worth sharing for my monthly writing roundup.

I have plenty going on to kickstart my fall, and will be back to my regular volume of writing in no time. With that said, if you didn't catch these posts from last month, now's your chance:

There's Something Bigger than the Internet of Things, Toolbox.com, August 29

Top 10 Risks you take with UC, Part 2, Adtran UC blog, August 28

Five Things We Can Learn From Millennials About Collaboration, UCStrategies, August 27

VoIP's Hidden Value for SMBs, Ziff Davis B2B webinar, August 26 (presentation available upon request)

BadUSB and the Risk of Remote Working, Toolbox.com, August 14

Top 10 Questions to ask UC Vendors, Adtran UC blog, August 7

How VoIP can Transform your Business, Toolbox.com, August 4

Five Things We Can Learn From Millennials About Collaboration

That's the title of my August post for UCStrategies, and if you want to know what the intersection of what collaboration and Millennials looks like, this is a good starting point.

As you may know, I'm a UC Expert with UCS, and it's a great collective of expertise aligned with this space. There are lots of strong voices in our group, and if you don't follow us regularly, I hope this gets you going! My post can be found here, and after that, I urge you poke around and see what else is on tap at UCS.