ETS15 in Austin, March 25-26 - my Smart Grid Hat and new Articles

Many of you know I've been active in the Smart Grid space for years, as there's a lot of overlap with the IP communications market. It's actually a great growth opportunity going both ways, and I try to straddle both as best I can.

I'm an Advisor with Austin-based Zpryme Research, and that keeps me rooted in the latest trends for Smart Grid and energy overall. Last March, Zpryme launched the inaugural ETS - Energy Thought Summit, and I had a few roles for that event. If you don't recall, we had Steve Wozniak keynote, and for a first-time event, it was quite successful.

This coming March is ETS15, and I'll be posting/tweeting regularly to help drive attendance. I'll be wearing even more hats at this event, and I won't be hard to find if you're planning to attend. I'm donning one of those hats as the ETS Community Advocate, and have just started a series of posts specific to the event that will run on the ETS Insights portal. This is the go-to spot for all the news about the summit, and my first post is running now.

If this space is of interest, I hope you sign up for regular updates, including my articles. All I can tell you is that ETS15 is going to be a great experience, and you'll be hard-pressed to get a more intense overview of where energy is going. The warm weather and live music scene aren't too bad either, and I know where I'm going to be March 25-26.

ITExpo Preview #2 - Panel: Customer Experience and Telco 2.0

I'll be moderating two panels next week at TMC's ITExpo, and yesterday I posted about the first one. My second panel is on Friday at 10am, and I hope you can join us.

The session is titled Customer Experience and Telco 2.0, and we'll be speaking about the kinds of experiences that service providers need to deliver in order to meet the expectations of today's subscribers. Almost anyone can be a "service provider" now with cloud-based platforms, so the competition has never been more daunting and the hold over subscribers has never been so tenuous.

Whether you're an operator trying to figure out how to stay in the game, or a subscriber trying to better understand what's out there in the ever-expanding service provider universe, I think you'll find this an engaging session.

Joining me will be Rene Sotola of CGI, and we're hoping to add a couple more speakers this week. By the time next Friday rolls around, you shouldn't have any trouble finding us in Room B213, but just in case, all the details are here - just scroll down the Conference Program page until you find our date and time.

Last call - today's ShoreTel webinar - noon ET - not 2pm

Just  one more quick post to keep/get this on your radar. In about 2.5 hours, I'll be presenting highlights from my new White Paper about how BYOE is driving value for UC. Registration details are here.

Apologies, today's webinar is at 12pm ET, NOT 2pm as originally posted.

ITExpo Preview #1 - Panel: What is Real UC, Really?

The 2015 East edition of TMC's ITExpo is just a week away now, and weather-wise, I'm ready. I'm also ready for the conference, during which I'll be moderating two panels.

First up is on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 12:30, and as the title suggests, we'll be exploring the real nature of UC - what it is, what it should do, what benefits should you really expect, etc. Joing me will be David Byrd from ANPI, Asif Rehman from BroadSoft, Joshua Haslett from Mitel, and a TBD speaker from West IP Communications.

There may be more questions than answers, but if you're still trying figure UC out, coming to our session should be an easy decision. We'll be in Room B213, and for more details, just scroll through the conference agenda to our date and time.

2015 UC Forecast - UCStrategies Podcast

Well, this didn't take long to get posted. On Tuesday, the UCStrategies Experts gathered to share their 2015 outlook thoughts, and as usual, we all had something to say. Nobody knows what the future holds, but it's clear that UC will continue undergoing fundamental shifts as our world becomes increasingly defined by the cloud and those bright, shiny mobile devices.

I think the outlook for UC as we know it is bleak, and my thoughts were the starting point after which everyone else shared their views on the call. To better understand my perspective, you might want to check out our last podcast, which focused on 2014 and how that sets the stage for 2015. If you can do that, great - otherwise, your next stop should be this week's podcast, and you can pick it up here.

Omni-Channel Contact Centers - my Current TMC Column

I've been writing a monthly column for some time for TMCnet, and under the banner Rethinking Communications, I address a wide range of trends that are shaping today's comms landscape. My columns usually run in their flagship pub, Internet Telephony, but given the focus, this one is running now in Customer magazine.

Omni-channel sounds big and complicated, and it actually is. This doesn't mean, however, you should ignore it, as the upside for improving the customer experience is pretty exciting. The best place to start is at the beginning, and my article breaks down the concept and explains what got us to omni-channel. I hope you find it a good starting point for this topic, and here's a direct link to the post.

ITExpo Preview - JAA Interviewed by TMC: "The Tech Road Ahead"

I started posting about the upcoming ITExpo recently, and will be doing more of that over the next two weeks. This is TMCnet's flagship event, and when the weather is this cold, Miami Beach can't come soon enough.

If you're keeping score, I'm moderating two panels, and you'll be hearing about those very soon. For now, I'm going to share an interview TMC did with me to help set the stage for ITExpo. It's titled "The Tech Road Ahead", where I share my views on various tech trends you can expect to see covered at length at the show. Here's the link, and if it inspires you to book your trip to join us, I'll buy you a fancy cocktail - and perhaps TMC will buy me one too!

2014 UC Review - UCStrategies Podcast

In my books, we've passed the point now for wishing each other Happy 2015, but 2014 is still fresh, and there was a lot of change last year in the UC space.

You won't find a more diverse and informed collection of UC perspectives than UCStrategies, and our weekly podcasts - as best we can - are a great way to showcase this. The theme for last week's session was the "most significant" events we surmised over the course of 2014.

Dave Michels was our more-than-able moderator, and we all took our turns on the topic in three minutes or less. Lots to digest here, and placeholders are provided for when each of us starts speaking.

My segment starts at the 28:40 mark, but I'm just one of many voices, and I encourage you give this a listen, as it will set the stage nicely for what's coming this year. In fact, that's the focus of this week's podcast, so if you like this one, you'll definitely want to catch the 2015 version, which should be posted around this time next week.

Until then, here's the link to the MP3, and we'd love to hear your thoughts after giving it a listen.

My New White Paper - How BYOE Drives Value for UC

I write my fair share of White Papers, and this is my second one with ShoreTel. As the title indicates, my focus is on BYOE and how it's impacting the value proposition for UC.  We all know how UC is becoming more end-user driven, and since this means many different things, UC is morphing in new directions. This is part of UC's ongoing evolution, but it's clear now that end users are bringing new expectations into the workplace that conventional forms of UC can no longer address.

There's lots to consider here, and my paper examines what BYOE needs to look like for vendors to sell UC today, along with what it means for end users. The concept is still very new, so there's also a lot to learn, and my intention is to provide business decision-makers with a foundation rooted in what's happening today.

The White Paper has just been published on ShoreTel's website, and here's the link to register and download a copy.

If you didn't catch my earlier post today, there's a companion to this in the form a webinar I'm doing next Tuesday that will feature highlights from the White Paper. Here's the post with details, and I hope can join us!

ShoreTel Shout-out #1 - Next Week's BYOE/UC Webinar

Just wanted to keep the message out there about my webinar next Tuesday with ShorteTel. I'll be presenting key highlights from my just-published White Paper (more on that in my next post) about how BYOE - bring your own experience - is driving value for UC in new ways.

I'll be joined by one of ShoreTel's top channel partners - the LANAIR Group - so you'll have a chance to learn from both my industry research along with the everyday realities of selling and supporting UC in the trenches. BYOE is a great example of how the UC value proposition is shifting from the needs of IT to end users, and this has major implications right across the value chain.

I hope you can join us next Tuesday at 2pm ET, and for more details on the webinar and how to register, just follow this link.

Metaswitch Technology Day: Canada - Speaking Jan. 26

There aren't many Canadian events in my space, and it's nice to see Metaswitch running one here in Toronto. I've closely followed them for years, and they've done a great job winning a lot of business up here with independent carriers. As such, this is a good opportunity to gather that community and share their roadmap along with updates on industry trends.

This is a one-day event, and I'll be speaking at 10:15 about how hosted services provide opportunities for carriers to keep their customers and drive new revenues. The event will be in Toronto, Monday, Jan. 26, and for those who might find this worth attending, all the details are here.

Next ZD Webinar - UC and BYOD - Feb. 24

I have a full plate to keep me going in early 2015, and next month will be another Ziff Davis B2B webinar. Regular followers will know that I write frequently for their Toolbox.com portal, and some of my themes become developed into webinars.

That's what we'll be doing on Tuesday, February 24 at 2pm ET. The webinar is titled "Why BYOD Matters with UC - Strategies for Success", and if this topic is on your mind, you'll want to join us. I'll be presenting an overview of how BYOD is impacting business communications, and what SMBs need to do to incorporate this into their UC deployment plans.

I'll do more shout-outs as the date approaches, and to learn more now as well as register, here's the landing page for the webinar. I hope you can join us.

December Writing Roundup

Happy 2015! Hope you had some good time away from telecom/tech. I sure did, but now it's back to work and looking ahead to what the new year holds in store. Before doing that, I wanted to share my top posts from December - some of which have a 2015 focus.

Will UC be About Process or Outcomes in 2015?  Adtran UC blog, Dec. 30

2015 UC Outlook - Who's Driving the Bus?  UCStrategies, Dec. 29

Business Continuity - how VoIP Brings Agility  Toolbox.com, Dec. 23

Three Trends Behind Remote Working  Toolbox.com, Dec. 18

Do you know your VoIP?  Network World, Dec. 12

What Happens with UC when all your Employees are Tech-savvy?  Adtran UC blog, Dec. 4

Big Picture Benefit #2 - Every Business can use VoIP  Toolbox.com, Dec. 4

Next Webinar, with ShoreTel - Understanding BYOE and Driving Value for UC

If you follow me, you'll know that I often write about user experience, especially for UC. There are many ways to create value, and lately this sure seems to be a big one. Most recently, I've been exploring this via research for a White Paper commissioned by ShoreTel. The paper is due for publication shortly, and to build on the findings, I'll be featured in their upcoming webinar on Tuesday, January 20.

That's just a few short weeks out, and thought I'd start socializing it before the New Year. All the details are here on the registration page, and if you're wondering how BYOE and the user experience drives value for UC, you'll want to join us then.

2015 UC Outlook - Who's Driving the Bus?

That's what I want to know, and while I don't profess to have all the answers, you might enjoy my take on the UC space as we head into the New Year. I have a pretty good idea of who's driving the bus, and it doesn't bode well for the status quo among vendors. Nobody is really on terra firma these days, and long-term success with UC remains elusive.

Small changes are easy to manage, but when they're on the scale we're seeing now, there is no certainty about when to jump or how high. It's possible that everyone will just muddle along in 2015, but I think we're more likely to see some big changes either in terms of exits/consolidations or new entries that really shake things up. Probably not as confrontational as Uber, but the fundamental challenges facing UC are on the same level.

This is starting to sound like a blockbuster movie script, so I'd better stop now - unless someone wants to bankroll me! A safer bet is to read my December column on UCStrategies, and then tell all of us what you think 2015 holds in store.

ITExpo is Coming - R U Going?

Looks like Xmas in Toronto will be the warmest on record, but a month from now I have no doubt that Miami will be looking really nice compared to being here. Blogging slows down now, but this seems like a good time to start talking up the conference.

As you may know, TMC has been running ITExpo for ages, and Miami Beach has become the familiar spot for their winter show. I'm a regular, and while the program is still rounding into shape, I'll be moderating two panels:

What is Real Unified Communications, Really?

Customer Experience and Telco 2.0

I'll post more in the new year about these sessions, and if you're attending the show, I hope to see you at the sessions and maybe on the beach.

Of course, there are many other reasons to go, including C-level keynotes from Mitel, Intel, Oracle and HP. If that suggests a bit of push up into the enterprise, you're right, and I suspect that trend will become clearer as more speakers are announced.

More posts to follow, and until then, check out the show site, and if you register to attend, even better!

My New Column with Network World and First Post: "Do you know your VoIP?"

Just like the world of IP communications, nothing stands still. I've been writing about VoIP for a long time, but there's still lots to learn and explain, and I now have a new channel for doing that.

I recently got re-connected with the folks at IDG, and I now have a new blog there under their Network World banner. The publication and online presence has a large following, and I'm hoping this will help me reach a new audience - something you just have to keep doing as a writer.

My new column is called Reinventing Voice Communication, so it shouldn't be hard to figure out what I'll be writing about. For my first post, I've focused on the murky world of unregulated VoIP, and why businesses need to be careful when partnering with VoIP providers.

Hopefully you know that not all VoIP markets - or carriers - are created equal, and when serving global markets, that's pretty important. I'll leave it at that, and hope you now hop over to the site and read my post in full. I'd love to get your feedback, as well as suggestions for future topics - and if you really like it, I hope you follow me and share it with your crowd.

Fonolo's Top Contact Center Analysts Review - JAA Included Again

Fonolo may be a small player here in Toronto doing cool things in the contact center space, but CEO Shai Berger stands out from his peers as a thought leader in his own right, as well as being very proactive engaging with industry analysts.

This is the third year Fonolo has done this, and am happy to say I've made the list each time. For the 2014 edition, they've expanded the group to 21 analysts, mainly as a reflection of how emerging trends like WebRTC, the cloud and social customer care are adding new layers to the contact center technology ecosystem.

Fonolo has just announced this and have put together a nice presentation profiling all the analysts. So, if you want to know who the smartest people are to follow in this space - at least in Fonolo's eyes - hop over to their blog for the post - as well as lots of other thoughtful insights from their regular posts.

Next Webinar - VoIP and the Business Case for Remote Working

Just a quick shout-out for my next Ziff Davis B2B webinar on the topic of remote working and the value that VoIP brings. Not every business is comfortable with remote working, but it's becoming the preferred option for many employees, and VoIP has something to do with that.

I'll be exploring the VoIP angle, along with other trends and developments that are giving businesses good reason to re-think remote working. Whether you're considering this for a few employees or pretty much everyone, I think you'll get some helpful insights from the webinar.

The date is next Friday - December 12, at 1pm ET, and I hope you can join us. For more details about the webinar and how to register, here's the event page.

November Writing Roundup

Time flies when you're busy, and it's time for my November blog digest. Here are my top posts from last month that are still timely reads and current examples of what I'm seeing in the UC&C space.

UC Outlook, 2015 Technology Resource Guide, Backbone Magazine, November 2014, pp. 16-17

What's your Plan for Tech-Savyy Employees with UC?, Adtran UC blog, November 26, 2014

Can Cisco and Project Squared Drive Innovation? UCStrategies, November 25, 2014

Post-Deployment with VoIP - your Legacy Migration Plan, Toolbox.com, November 23, 2014

Your Boss Just Heard From Your Tablet - You're Fired, Internet Telephony Magazine, November issue

VoIP Deployment Checklist - Three Employee Considerations, Toolbox.com, November 17, 2014

What to do with UC when Employees are Laggards, Adtran UC blog, November 13, 2014

Ease of Deployment - More Hidden Value for VoIP, Toolbox.com, November 4, 2014