Post 11, Avaya 2018
There’s been lots of Avaya coverage recently, both here on TalkingPointz and everywhere else. Avaya is the most misunderstood UC and contact center company in the industry. That’s because everything just changed, and the dust is still settling. One of…
Vidyo Got a Cloud
No other vendor in enterprise communications solicits such broad reactions as Vidyo. I think it is one of the most misunderstood companies simply because it’s not quite like any other vendor. Some people see their enterprise solutions and see a…
New Genband 2Pager
I recently attended what will likely be the last ever Genband Perspectives.* It’s been a good series of events. This was the first time they upgraded to a west coast venue. Genband is a complex company with a diverse portfolio…
New Mitel 2Pager (MitelElite)
Mitel Elite took place at the end of May and it was a very interesting event. Turns out the teams in Texas, Ottawa, and Stockholm have been quite busy with premises, cloud, and (surprise) IoT. In San Antonio I saw…
New TalkingPointz 2Pager on Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise
ALE has new leadership, owners, and services that deserve a closer look. All in all, ALE is in an optimistic position. The company is finally clearing it’s backlog on innovation and making a hard pivot to cloud services. The go-to-market…
2Pager on 8×8’s Communications Cloud
On March 8, 8×8 issued two press releases that describe 8×8’s vision of a Communications Cloud. What does it all mean? Download this 2Pager. For additional information see my post on NoJitter. See other TalkingPointz 2Pagers here. The press releases…
New Avaya 2Pager
I’ve been asked regularly about my opinion on Avaya ever since attending Avaya Engage. My answer is “it’s complicated.” In many ways everything is just great. The conference was well attended. The mood was good. The vendors in the expo…
Post Ignite #Skype4B 2Pager
I was really looking forward to attending Microsoft Ignite. No other UC product has impacted the enterprise more than Skype4B. The product was on a fairly linear development path that started with basic IM over a decade ago. But things accelerated over…
#IoT Networking Guide
The Internet of Things (IoT) is not about the Internet. Many IoT devices don’t even connect to the Internet. IoT is really about enchanted things. Things become smarter with connectivity. We know this when we are in dead zones and…
IBM and Cisco at the Sametime
On today’s WSJ front page is an article about pre-bubble Internet stocks being hot again. Needless to say there’s plenty of pre-bubble Internet stocks that aren’t around any more. What did catch my attention is the fact that these two companies…
Engaging Conversations -ININ 2Pager
Each year Interactive hosts its annual conference called Interactions. It’s a unique event, and the only time I ever make it to Indiana. I’m looking forward to going next year to see the new statue of Denver Bronco’s quarterback Peyton Manning….
Genband Update
I recently attended Genband Perspectives. Genband provides real-time communications software and solutions for service providers, integrators, and enterprises. I last attended Perspectives in 2014 and a lot has changed – particularly Kandy. Perspectives is an unusual conference because Genband is an unusual…
Vonages Expands from UCaaS into CPaaS
Surprise! Vonage announced its intent to acquire Nexmo. The surprise wasn’t Nexmo, I’ve been expecting someone to acquire them – the surprise was Vonage – at least at first. Download Free 2Pager on Vonage-Nexmo Nexmo is a CPaaS provider, the…
Huawei Today
Recently I learned everything I know about Huawei. Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Huawei thrives just off my radar. Their UC products are not available in the US, and they don’t exhibit at many US events….
Avaya Partners of the Year + 2Pager
Just published a new 2Pager on Avaya. This year the Avaya Executive Partner Forum (AEPF) took place in San Diego. Last year it was in Cancun, and while that may sound more exotic I’ll take San Diego. Although named for partners, the…
Unify is Back #UnifyCO16
In the classic Animal Crackers movie by the Marx Brothers Groucho sings: “Hello, I must be going, I cannot stay, I came to say, I must be going. I’m glad I came, but just the same, I must be going.”…
Corvisa in Queue at ShoreTel
Twas a few nights before Christmas when ShoreTel announced its intent to acquire Corvisa, a Milwaukee, WI-based hosted provider. Corvisa is an unusal cat. It’s part UCaaS, part PaaS, and part carrier. Download the TalkingPointz 2Pager on ShoreTel’s acquisition of Corvisa. PaaS…
Will the Smartphone Replace Enterprise UC
One of my favorite topics over the past decade is the future of the desk phone. There’s been a debate about how and when it will die. At first its nemesis was the desktop softphone. Gradually over the years the…
2Pager Posted on Cisco-Tropo
The first time I met Jonathan Taylor was soon after the announcement of Voxeo Labs. Taylor founded Voxeo (now acquired by Aspect) and feared that its growth and operations were potentially distracting Voxeo from ongoing innovation. Voxeo Labs later became Tropo –…
2Pager Freemium Research
Did you know ‘freemium’ isn’t in the dictionary? One of those words that most of us know and use, but there’s some ambiguity about what it means, though not so much within IT circles. Many associate Freemium with consumer services – the old…