Industry Update

The iPhone and iPad have broken more records than the iPod did CDs. Microsoft buying Skype was a game changer, but the new game remains a mystery. Here is the current industry round-up. Read it quickly as things are changing fast.

• Cisco’s soft stock caused it to “flip” out and disconnect 6,500 extensions. Watch for the firm to return as it hits the ‘any’ key to continue.
• Microsoft insists on UC evolution, even if it means giving away the missing Lync.
• Avaya is tweaking its minimum pieces of flare policy.
• When Nortel dropped, Can-Tech’s billion club membership dropped to one, but now the RIM Reaper may be calling.
• NEC has a ria good idea for Christmas.
• It’s a new beginning for Genesys, again.
• Matthews, Mitel’s Lawnmower Man, still wants to make every phone ring via a virtual reality.
• ShoreTel’s extending its creed of KISS to collaboration. An employee was spotted dressed as Gene Simmons.
• Digium may rename its SMB product so it isn’t.
• Best Buy makes a major MindShift about retail and is now messaging a host of services.
• Skype gives Facebook status.
• Toshiba discovers pure VoIP, and pedges allegiance to it.
• Polycom is trying to replace travel by partnering with it.
• Aastra’s normal course continues to be acquisitive and may have found an undervalued company to buy.
• IBM wants to jam more Connections into the social business.
• Amazon thinks Kindle should have a nice ring to it.
• SEN did not mind the gap in the name of its new  OpenScapeCloudContactCenter
• Apple Siriously responded to the heat from Amazon’s Fire and Google’s bots.
• Google’s UC components ad up, but is still Searching for a UC enterprise strategy. Perhaps it is just +1 thing too much. Although Apps may be getting a lift from Chevy.

Things are so busy that the UC space can currently be described as ‘Off the Hook.’