CX17 - Genesys and ININ - Quick Take

This my third U.S. conference this month, and I'm speaking at two others back home in Toronto, so am now at that saturation point where everything is a big blur. However, I got to the airport early, found a quiet spot, and wanted to get a quick post out while I'm still in the moment.

I just want to share some high level thoughts here, and will have a more considered analysis next week, and hopefully you'll stay with me for that. First off, having been to several Interactions events in Indy, not having Don Brown  here to share his vision was a big sign of how much has changed in a year. Those are big shoes to fill, and  given how much integration has been done by Genesys in a short period of time, kudos are due to CEO Paul Segre and his team.

The contact center space is going through unprecedented - but expected - disruption, so much so, I don't think that term will be in use much longer. End users and vendors alike are going through an existential crisis with all this new technology, and from what I saw, Genesys gets that in spades. I didn't attend the technical breakout sessions, but I hardly heard any references to IVR, ACD, call recording, etc. - the stock in trade of most contact centers.

Today, it's all about omnichannel, CX and customer journey, and the new vernacular is about AI, machine learning, automation, chatbots, conversational interfaces, journey visualization, biometrics, and of course, AR/VR. Digital transformation is definitely happening here, and Genesys has a pretty good handle not just on what is happening, but how their customers need to adapt.

Genesys, too, needs to adapt, and I really liked the overall tone of their messaging, mainly around their G-NINE framework, along with how they've branded their three core offerings - PureCloud, PureConnect and PureEngage - into a complete product family - the Genesys Customer Experience Platform.

All of this needs unpacking, and I'll get to that in an upcoming post. Until then, here are two key takeaways that stuck with me, along with a few photos for posterity. I really hope we get back to Indy at some point, but this may well have been the last one now that ININ is fully in the Genesys fold.

1.  Meet Kate - that's their new chatbot, but there's much more to the story. Gender politics aside - yes, that's a thing - what stuck with me was how they call this "blended AI".  The language for our brave new digital world is still evolving, and since nobody really owns it, we can call these new things whatever we want. For now, that term seems to work, with the idea being that Kate strives to leverage micro-services/applications efficiently when interfacing with machines (for lack of a better word - that's definitely a holdover from pre-digital times that will surely fade away), but also with empathy and a personal touch when dealing with people - both customers and employees.

2. Branding update. So, the "big reveal" at the end of the general sessions was ably handled by CMO Merijn te Booijj. This initiative was done thoughtfully and with purpose, and he did a great job explaining it. Given all the integration with ININ, and their future-forward vision for CX, there's a lot of ground to cover when coming up with new branding that's going to hit the mark. Being a marketing guy, I really admire good branding, and I'd say they've succeeded. The new logo is a bit amorphous - almost like mutating cells - but hey, isn't that what's really been happening with Genesys, evolving into a higher life form, so to speak? Maybe. More on that later, and if you haven't seen the new logo/tagline yet, it's in the gallery below.

Not quite the Indy 500 starting line, but my timing was good here.

Genesys CEO Paul Segre

Not quite the iconic monolith slab from Kubrick's 2001 Space Odyssey, but at least here, the message is easier to understand - "moments connected" - I hope!  :-)

I got to play again with the SIPtones here on Tuesday night, and it was a lot of fun. If you were there, I'd love to hear from you or see your pix!

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!

My Next Webinar - Digital Transformation and Collaboration

Am busy enough this month with conferences and speaking at events, but I still need to manage my regular workload with clients. Aside from various writing engagements, I'm doing another Ziff Davis webinar on May 30 - and another one after that in June.

The full title is "How Collaboration Helps Businesses Adapt to Digital Transformation", and the main idea is that collaboration offerings can help workers in many ways as they adapt to the impact of digital transformation. These are two big themes, and I'll be exploring how they intersect on this webinar. Details and registration form is here, and I hope you can join me.

Our Drivers of the Digital Economy Event - Thanks for Coming All!

Just a quick note of thanks and appreciation for all those who came out to our event in downtown Toronto last night. The room was full, the energy was great, and I think the audience came away with a better idea of Jeff's vision, the opportunity he's trying to address with his MoNage event, and the community he's trying to build to use technology for good in our world.

Props to Steven Pulver and Caravel Law for hosting and providing the pizza and drinks in true startup style. Special thanks to the many VON alum who turned out, especially Alan Percy and Garrett Smith who made the drive from Buffalo, getting there JIT.

Chris Fine and I really enjoyed reprising the presentation we gave at MoNage in San Jose, and for those who hadn't seen Jeff before, I know they came away inspired on a few levels. He has that effect on people, and we need more of that!

Also - we're happy to share our slides, and if you didn't get a chance to pass on your card to me last night, drop me a line and I'll get them to you.

Jeff mentioned that some of the event was live-streamed on Facebook, but I haven't come across that yet - fyi.

Got a few pix to share here. The lighting wasn't great, but here's a few. If you were there and had good shots, you're welcome to share, and I'm happy to amplify.

Talk about true startup style - from humble beginnings with a simple sign, directing people downstairs to the space.

Photo - Ron Gruia

Photo - Jessica Fowler

Photo - Sara Belmont

My Next Speaking Event: The Digital Experience - Are We There Yet?

If you follow me, you'll know May is an unusually busy month - 3 out of town industry events, 2 local speaking events, and 1 music gig with the SIPtones in Indianapolis next Tuesday.

Tonight, I'm speaking at Jeff Pulver's networking event here in Toronto about chatbots, AI and enterprise messaging, and we're expecting a big crowd. It's not too late to join us, however, if you're free.

Next up on the local front, I'm leading a panel session on May 30. Also downtown, it's with my MBA alma mater - Schulich - at their Tech Alumni Group. They do quarterly events, and I'm hosting the panel for the next one, focused on the impact of digital transformation on both the employee experience and the customer experience. 

We have a great lineup, and joining me will be speakers from Cisco Canada, Sears Canada, the Compass Group, and Couch & Associates. I'll be socializing this more as the date nears, but we're ready to promote it now, and if you register before May 26,  the registration fee is only $20. If you're local, hope you can join us!

Messaging, Slack and Facebook - it's Complicated

That's the title of my latest Rethinking Communications column for TMC's flagship publication, Internet Telephony magazine.  I've been writing this column for a few years now, but you haven't heard from me about it for some time. The reason is that at the start of 2017, the magazine cut back its publishing cycle from monthly to quarterly, reflecting the broader trend of reduced print readership. I got my start in the trade publishing business, and can totally relate to what they're up against.

As such, I haven't posted about my column since January, and for whatever reason, their Q2 edition has been slow to publish. However, it's out now, both in print form, and digitally, and here's the link to read it online. The title is self-explanatory, and I've been writing a lot lately about how players from outside the collaboration space are having a big impact on the market. I hope you like it, and comments are welcome.

 Aside from that, I'm also cited in three different features in that issue:

• Avaya Files Chapter 11: What Now?
• Team Collaboration - Why Everyone is Rushing to Pick Up the Slack
• Go Big or Go Home: Why More UC Outfits are Going Global and Upmarket

I hope you get a chance to read these as well, and any sharing is always appreciated!

NEC Advantage 2017 - Quick Update

This week has been a blur, and before it passes, I just wanted to share some photos from NEC's Advantage conference in Chandler, AZ. Very nice spot, and they did a great job updating us on their roadmap. Their offerings are a few steps removed from the world of collaboration as I know it, but that's my problem, not theirs. Today's technologies are so diverse, who's to say that biometrics can't be part of collaboration or streamlining workflows? NEC really stands out this way, and I'll have more to say about that in a follow up post.

Until then, the big news for people in my circles is two major retirement announcements. Both Frank Viola and Larry Kollie are taking leave end of May, and they'll both be missed in a big way. Continuity is another thing that makes their culture special, and these guys truly personify that.

To honor that, I'll be working on a couple of pieces about each of them very soon. I'm putting together a Q&A with Frank that I'll be posting here, and the piece about Larry is still taking shape. Stay tuned.

Not a great photo of frank viola, but i have a much better one coming with my q&a piece.

Nec's virtual attendant - a bit cartoonish, but she did catch my eye!

neo face watch - very cool - but really, i'm not a threat, guys

big shoes to fill after larry, and that's on kurt martin - good guy, and nice to see more youth in this group

plenty of water with the gila river nearby - very zen vibe at this place - really hard to leave

Takeaways from Cisco's Customer Care Analyst Event

Last week, I was in Montreal for this event, and wearing my UC Expert hat, I wrote up my thoughts for UCStrategies. The post is running now on the portal, and I hope you find it a good read. As always, sharing and comments are welcome.

Movers and Shakers - Our Latest UCStrategies Podcast

It's been a while since the stars have lined up for me to be on a UCStrategies podcast, but we had a good one last week. Building on the updates from the recent Enterprise Connect conference, there was lots to talk about in terms of which companies are driving change in the collaboration space. The podcast has been posted now to the site, and being moderated by Dave Michels, the conversation was never dull. Hope you like it, and your comments are most welcome.

Next Up - Speaking at Jeff Pulver's MoNage Networking Event in Toronto

For a change, I don't have to travel to speak, and this is actually the first of three events I'll be speaking at over the next few weeks, all in Toronto. That's never happened before, and around this, I have three industry conferences to attend in the US, so I'm a moving target right now.

Busy is good, and I'm happy to support Jeff Pulver as he works to grow his MoNage event - Messaging on the Net - and build community around the emerging space populated by chatbots, AI, machine learning and enterprise messaging.

I spoke at the last MoNage in March (and wrote about it here), and am helping Jeff organize this free event here in Toronto next Tuesday, May 16. I'll be reprising the talk I gave in San Jose along with my colleague Chris Fine, and then Jeff will share his vision for the space and what he's got planned for the next MoNage this October in Boston.

Jeff and I have been promoting the event privately for a while, and registrations have been strong. The space is fairly limited, and hopefully we won't top out, so to make sure you can make it, please register ASAP. All the details are here, including the Eventbrite registration form. Hope to see you there!

Next Stop - Chandler, AZ and NEC

Last week was Montreal, and tomorrow is sunny, hot Arizona. With all the rain and chilly weather lately, I won't mind the change of scene. Am back for another NEC Advantage conference, and while I won't be playing there with the SIPtones this time around, am still looking forward to the analyst updates.  NEC tends to fly under the radar in the collaboration space - at least in North America - and given their size overall, you can't underestimate their ability to bring leading edge capabilities to market.

Go Time for May - First Stop, Montreal and Cisco

I'm in Montreal about to start Day 2 for Cisco's 2017 Customer Care Analyst event. Been really good so far, and more to come today. I'll be writing about this shortly, so stay tuned.

After this, I'm in Phoenix for NEC's event next week, then I'm speaking in Toronto for a networking event hosted by Jeff Pulver about the chatbot/AI space. Week after that, I'm in Indy for the Genesys/ININ event, plus am playing piano there as part of the SIPtones - that should be fun. Following that, I'm speaking again in Toronto at a networking event hosted by my MBA alma mater, Schulich, running a roundtable discussion about digital transformation. 

Something different every week this month, so never dull, that's for sure. Somehow, I'll get my regular set of writing done, along with finishing off two white papers and prepping for a webinar I'm doing later this month. It's go time, and the Cisco folks are ready to start here - out for now, back soon.

April Writing Roundup

Well, this must be the longest I've ever gone without blogging - my last post was a month ago, doing my March writing roundup. Wow, time sure flies!

I had no business travel in April, but was away on vacation for 9 days, and had a more than full writing schedule, including writing two white papers, and prepping for several upcoming conferences and speaking spots. So, no blogging for April, but here's a digest of what I was writing about.

How CX Impacts the Entire Business, April 28, Toolbox.com

How to Get Management's Buy-In for Today's Contact Center, April 27, RingCentral blog

Does Your Business Have a CX Strategy?, April 20, Toolbox.com

Messaging Platforms Flout Traditional Real-Time Telephony, April 19, TechTarget

Three Things End Users will Like About Today's IP Phones, April 12, Toolbox.com

IP Phones are Hot - What's Up with That?, April 7, Toolbox.com

How Will AI Tools Affect the Future of Contact Centers?, April 6, TechTarget

What Businesses Think About Collaboration Technologies, April 4, Toolbox.com

March Writing Roundup

Things continue to remain busy in the early goings of 2017; fulfilling client work, new projects/clients, speaking at conferences and lining up new things for Q2. During March, I produced 21 different forms of content, including articles, a webinar, a conference presentation, and preliminary research for two new white papers. My website remains a work in progress, but everything can be accessed there. To give you a sense of what I was writing about last month, here are some highlights.

Monage 2017 - Chatbot Challenges and New Life for UC, UCStrategies, March 27

How Workers Use Collaboration for Digital Transformation, Toolbox.com, March 23

Monage, San Jose - Quick Thought and Pix, my blog, March 23

Have Mobility and Messaging Trumped Business Voice Communications?, TechTarget, March 22

How Collaboration Impacts Digital Transformation, Toolbox.com, March 17

How Contact Center Adds Value to Hosted UC, Toolbox.com, March 15

Amazon Chime - Did AWS Buy the Wrong Company?, No Jitter, March 14

Outbound Communication - Taking Your Contact Center to the Next Level, RingCentral Blog, March 14

Future of Work Survey - Cloud Adoption Drivers, Toolbox.com, March 6

How Channels Can Own Collaboration, Toolbox.com, March 2

Monage 2017 - Chatbot Challenges and New Life for UC

That's the title of my first writeup of takeaways from last week's Monage conference in San Jose. This writeup was done wearing my UC Expert hat for UCStrategies, as I wanted to  address implications for the UC/collaboration/customer care space from the conference. Most of the content was consumer-focused, and really interesting, but that's a topic for another time. 

I was a presenter at Monage, and shared some of that talk in this writeup, and will have more to say about that in a future post. So, for now, I hope you hop over to the UCStrategies site and give the post a read, and would love to hear your thoughts. Maybe you'll like it enough to consider attending the next Monage this fall in Boston - I'll be there.

If you weren't there last week, you may enjoy my photos, both of the event and my short walkabout the nice and not-so-nice parts of San Jose.

Monage, San Jose - Quick Thoughts and Pix

Just sharing some quick thoughts and photos from the first two days of Monage, here in San Jose. Time is running short, and my session is in an hour. Got LOTS to say, but it will have to wait til after the event, although I've been tweeting a fair bit - #Monage.

In short, Jeff has delivered a great program as usual, with a wonderful diversity of speakers and perspectives on where things are going with chatbots, AI and messaging. It's mostly a consumer story, and in our session, we'll be giving the enterprise version of things. Check back with me in a day or so, and I'll have something more coherent to say - ears still ringing from the Herding Cats party last night.  :-)

Jeff Pulver and his welcome comments

Oisin Lunny of OpenMarket, talking about mobile engagement trends

Amir Shevat from Slack, talking about how bots are used in the enterprise

Regulatory panel - so, why is Jeff smiling? What's Jeff thinking? Guess I caught the moment, here, huh? Perfect for a meme!

chris fine leading the millennials panel - very interesting, wish my kids were up there too! Photo courtesy of Mike Jablon.

NFV and hosted comms panel, moderated by Mike Jablon, including RingCentral, 8x8 and the Infield Group

Expo Hall - it's small, but engaging. Well, VON started small too.

Johnny Digzz holding court - just press go and away he goes - great stories and tech perspectives

jon and jeff! Photo courtesy of Uncle Jerry.  :-)

Night time is the right to get out and have some fun - that what happens when the herding cats play - still sounding great!

  As good as it looks, and a local landmark for sure. ok, time to take a walk...

A few blocks south - not everyone can afford to eat at Joe's,  and they'll go to Trine's instead. Not everyone in San Jose is a tech millionaire. or will be part of the bot economy. be thankful for what you have!

If Trine's is too busy, go a little further south to the Burger Bar - the price sure is right!

Think I walked a bit too far - better keep going - not quite feeling it for this spot.

Outbound Communication and Taking Contact Centers to the Next Level

That's the title of my latest guest post to the RingCentral blog. There's a good chance you don't follow it, and I'm just one of many third party contributors, so it's good resource for current trends in UC and customer care. I hope you give my post a read, and from there, I'm sure you'll find other posts of interest as well.

Monage Spotlight: Bots, Messaging and UC in the Enterprise

That's the title of the session I'll be speaking on at next week's Monage conference in San Jose. Joining me will be Chris Fine, where we'll reprise the topic from last fall's inaugural Monage in Boston. Here's the full event schedule, and if you scroll down the page to Thursday, you'll see our session is scheduled for 11am.

More importantly, it's not too late to attend, and if you're still deciding, you should explore the Monage website, especially the impressive speaker roster, and the YouTube clip on the home page with Jeff Pulver giving his personal pitch to come, as only Jeff can! It's great, and if you follow him on Facebook, he's got a new clip there you won't want to miss.

Amazon Chime - Did They Buy the Wrong Company?

Based on what I see in the ever-changing collaboration market, I think it's a fair question. My reasons and perspectives are shared in my latest column posted now on No Jitter.

In short, the underlying technology is important when making these acquisitions, but given how quickly things evolve these days, nobody nails it going in, and other factors will ultimately dictate success.

My view is that this is more about going with a strategy that works in this market, and my analysis looks at two paths - being a disruptor or an innovator. If you give it a read, you'll know what I think, and then I'd love to hear what you think.

Here Comes Gen Z - My Webinar is Tomorrow

Just one more post as a reminder about my webinar tomorrow at 2pm ET. 

This is my latest Ziff Davis webinar, and the title is self-explanatory. If you want to learn more about how Gen Z is different from Gen Y, and how businesses need to think about collaboration with them, then you'll want to join me. More info is here on the registration page.