Another interesting and timely topic for our weekly UCStrategies podcast - the unexpected shelving of Cisco's Cius tablet. A number of us - including myself - have written about Cius on the portal, and on Tuesday, we shared our thoughts about the news.
Pretty mixed set of views, and most of us felt it was just too difficult to compete against the iPad, and the BYOD trend which shortly followed Cius has been too strong for a vendor-centric tablet like theirs survive. I still think they can salvage Cius as part of a vertical market solution, and I'm not alone on that front.
Hopefully, that makes for a good teaser, and for the full discussion, the podcast is running now on the portal.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The Future of Communications - UCS Podcast
I may be dating myself, but do you remember Alvin Toffler and Future Shock? It came out in 1970 was the first of its kind to talk about how the pace of change in today's world was disrupting our modern sense of individuality, family and society. It was right up there at the time with Kubrick's 2001 for making us think about how were evolving as a species.
Fast forward to the week before last, and Dave Michels did a great Q&A on No Jitter with futurist Thomas Frey. Dave's communications-focused questions and Thomas's thought-provoking comments prompted the UCStrategies team to weigh in on these issues on last week's podcast, hosted by Marty Parker. Very interesting stuff indeed, and we all had our own take on where Thomas's thoughts fall into the UC milieu.
I was particularly focused on how we manage all the information coming at us 24/7 and then trying to filter that into knowledge and things we can actually use. Alvin Toffler popularized the term "information overload", and if he thought it was a problem before we had PCs, mobile phones and the Internet, I'd love hear his take today. I'm of the mind that the Internet makes us stupid, but let's save that for another time. Otherwise, hop over to our portal, and give the podcast a listen, which was just posted following the long weekend layover.
Fast forward to the week before last, and Dave Michels did a great Q&A on No Jitter with futurist Thomas Frey. Dave's communications-focused questions and Thomas's thought-provoking comments prompted the UCStrategies team to weigh in on these issues on last week's podcast, hosted by Marty Parker. Very interesting stuff indeed, and we all had our own take on where Thomas's thoughts fall into the UC milieu.
I was particularly focused on how we manage all the information coming at us 24/7 and then trying to filter that into knowledge and things we can actually use. Alvin Toffler popularized the term "information overload", and if he thought it was a problem before we had PCs, mobile phones and the Internet, I'd love hear his take today. I'm of the mind that the Internet makes us stupid, but let's save that for another time. Otherwise, hop over to our portal, and give the podcast a listen, which was just posted following the long weekend layover.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Rethinking Communications - my new column for Internet Telephony Magazine
If you've followed me for a while, you'll know I've had a long history with TMC on several fronts. I've written for them wearing different hats, mainly via my Service Provider Views column, along with my ongoing thought leadership for the Smart Grid portal. I'm not writing those currently, but I also participate regularly in their long-running ITExpo conference - will you be coming to the next one in Austin, October 2-5? Finally, switching back to my smart grid hat, I also co-produced the highly successful Smart Grid Summit with TMC for two years, so I've had a stint being a hands-on show producer as well.
With that preamble out of the way, my latest partnership with TMC went live yesterday. I've started a new monthly column with them, and I'm calling it Rethinking Communications. As the title implies, I'll be writing about current trends that should give us all pause to consider what we're doing in this space. We live with disruption around us 24/7, and nobody has all the answers. I certainly don't either, but I see a lot of things, and this is my soapbox to create some fresh dialog.
The column runs in the print edition of their widely-read Internet Telephony magazine, and made its debut in the May issue. I haven't received my copy yet, but the online edition was posted yesterday. So, you don't have to be a print subscriber to read my column - you just have to wait a couple of weeks until it goes online. I'm sure TMC will be happy to get their content to you both ways, and signing up for a print sub is easy - here's the form. Otherwise, I'd love you to read my column right now, so here it is online. As you'll see, the title "Is Dial Tone Done?" is self-explanatory, and as always, your comments are welcome.
With that preamble out of the way, my latest partnership with TMC went live yesterday. I've started a new monthly column with them, and I'm calling it Rethinking Communications. As the title implies, I'll be writing about current trends that should give us all pause to consider what we're doing in this space. We live with disruption around us 24/7, and nobody has all the answers. I certainly don't either, but I see a lot of things, and this is my soapbox to create some fresh dialog.
The column runs in the print edition of their widely-read Internet Telephony magazine, and made its debut in the May issue. I haven't received my copy yet, but the online edition was posted yesterday. So, you don't have to be a print subscriber to read my column - you just have to wait a couple of weeks until it goes online. I'm sure TMC will be happy to get their content to you both ways, and signing up for a print sub is easy - here's the form. Otherwise, I'd love you to read my column right now, so here it is online. As you'll see, the title "Is Dial Tone Done?" is self-explanatory, and as always, your comments are welcome.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Modern Tailor - the Suit Fits - Just Like UC
Well, I'm sure only my most hard-core readers have been on the edge of their seats wondering about this.
Since the Fall, I've had a sponsorship deal going with Modern Tailor, a Web-based tailor service based in China. This may seem unusual for my blog - and it is - but I see it as a consumer-based extension of what we try to do in the world of UC - collaborate. Can't get much further away than China, and this has been a great example where geography is no longer a barrier in what has always been a highly personal, sensory-rich type of business.
If you need a refresh on the backstory or my experience with previous Modern Tailor orders, you can start here, and then follow the links embedded throughout that post.
So, just like dating a girl, you start small and work up to the good stuff. They made a couple of shirts for me and let me order a tie. The shirts required my measurements, and then I had to choose through a practically unlimited selection of fabrics/patterns/styles, along with a long list of customized features and accents. I know it's just a shirt, but doesn't this sound familiar? Y'know, a bit like personalizing your UC settings and preferences. It's the same thing in my book - that's what the Web and IP brings to just about everything we do now in terms of customization and self-provisioning.
I've already posted about how well those experiences went, and that goes a long way towards building up trust, which again, is essential for getting beyond the routine applications with UC. So, now it's time to step up to getting a suit. This is a much bigger leap of faith, and wouldn't be happening for me without that track record. The selection isn't as wide as for shirts, but the process was basically the same - with one exception.
Getting a suit to fit right is far more challenging than a shirt, so for a first-time order, there was an extra step involved. To get the best fit possible, I needed to send them a suit of mine that fits me well. I was ok with that, and they provided very clear instructions. I had to bear the cost - about $60, but keeping the big picture in mind, I know I'll be getting the suit back along with a new custom-fitted suit. There was some trepidation about ever seeing my suit again, along with getting it back in wearable condition, but I had faith, and they handled all of this just fine.
The only inconvenience really, was the time involved. I didn't ship at the cheapest rate, and certainly not the most expensive. From Toronto to Shanghai, my suit was enroute for about 5 weeks, so if you're in a hurry or can't be without that particular suit for a while, this isn't going to work. Add to that the time they need to make the new suit, then ship both back to me, and I'm out of pocket garment-wise for the better part of 8 weeks.
Fair enough, but I managed just fine wardrobe-wise, and for me the results were definitely worth it. The process I went through to select what I wanted in a suit was easy to follow, and the end product was very much as expected and as advertised. I don't wear suits every day, but I like dressing well, and there's nothing like a custom-fitted suit.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Like a lot of things, once trust is in place and expectations are met - or exceeded - most of the friction is removed from the relationship. Presuming my body holds up ok, they only need my suit once, and then it's easy. Then, it's just a matter of selecting what I want, knowing that the fit will be fine. Their pricing is very fair, and you can easily spend a lot more off the rack without getting a great fit. Sure you'll get your suit a lot faster, but I'm in no rush. If that sounds like you, Modern Tailor should be a great choice for your next suit.
Since the Fall, I've had a sponsorship deal going with Modern Tailor, a Web-based tailor service based in China. This may seem unusual for my blog - and it is - but I see it as a consumer-based extension of what we try to do in the world of UC - collaborate. Can't get much further away than China, and this has been a great example where geography is no longer a barrier in what has always been a highly personal, sensory-rich type of business.
If you need a refresh on the backstory or my experience with previous Modern Tailor orders, you can start here, and then follow the links embedded throughout that post.
So, just like dating a girl, you start small and work up to the good stuff. They made a couple of shirts for me and let me order a tie. The shirts required my measurements, and then I had to choose through a practically unlimited selection of fabrics/patterns/styles, along with a long list of customized features and accents. I know it's just a shirt, but doesn't this sound familiar? Y'know, a bit like personalizing your UC settings and preferences. It's the same thing in my book - that's what the Web and IP brings to just about everything we do now in terms of customization and self-provisioning.
I've already posted about how well those experiences went, and that goes a long way towards building up trust, which again, is essential for getting beyond the routine applications with UC. So, now it's time to step up to getting a suit. This is a much bigger leap of faith, and wouldn't be happening for me without that track record. The selection isn't as wide as for shirts, but the process was basically the same - with one exception.
Getting a suit to fit right is far more challenging than a shirt, so for a first-time order, there was an extra step involved. To get the best fit possible, I needed to send them a suit of mine that fits me well. I was ok with that, and they provided very clear instructions. I had to bear the cost - about $60, but keeping the big picture in mind, I know I'll be getting the suit back along with a new custom-fitted suit. There was some trepidation about ever seeing my suit again, along with getting it back in wearable condition, but I had faith, and they handled all of this just fine.
The only inconvenience really, was the time involved. I didn't ship at the cheapest rate, and certainly not the most expensive. From Toronto to Shanghai, my suit was enroute for about 5 weeks, so if you're in a hurry or can't be without that particular suit for a while, this isn't going to work. Add to that the time they need to make the new suit, then ship both back to me, and I'm out of pocket garment-wise for the better part of 8 weeks.
Fair enough, but I managed just fine wardrobe-wise, and for me the results were definitely worth it. The process I went through to select what I wanted in a suit was easy to follow, and the end product was very much as expected and as advertised. I don't wear suits every day, but I like dressing well, and there's nothing like a custom-fitted suit.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Like a lot of things, once trust is in place and expectations are met - or exceeded - most of the friction is removed from the relationship. Presuming my body holds up ok, they only need my suit once, and then it's easy. Then, it's just a matter of selecting what I want, knowing that the fit will be fine. Their pricing is very fair, and you can easily spend a lot more off the rack without getting a great fit. Sure you'll get your suit a lot faster, but I'm in no rush. If that sounds like you, Modern Tailor should be a great choice for your next suit.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Videoconferencing webinar with Vidyo, May 23
Got a shout-out for another webinar I'm doing. It's been a busy month, and next week I'm presenting on a webinar sponsored by Vidyo, and hosted by UBM TechWeb.
The webinar is titled "Videoconferencing: Business and the Big Picture", and I'll be talking about the trend driving the demand for video as well as the business value it brings for everyone involved. It's next Wednesday - May 23 - from 2-3pm ET, and you can register any time now. Here's the landing page and registration form, so sign up, and I hope you can join us!
The webinar is titled "Videoconferencing: Business and the Big Picture", and I'll be talking about the trend driving the demand for video as well as the business value it brings for everyone involved. It's next Wednesday - May 23 - from 2-3pm ET, and you can register any time now. Here's the landing page and registration form, so sign up, and I hope you can join us!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Cisco Plus Event, Toronto
It's very rare for me to have back-to-back local events, but that's what's happening this week. Yesterday I attended Cisco Plus Canada 2012 here in Toronto. As Canadian telecom events go, it's pretty big, and Cisco is one of the few vendors up here who could draw a crowd like this. It's an annual showcase of all things Cisco, primarily for IT buyers, and it sure looked like all-hands-on-deck for Cisco Canada - they were everywhere.
Lots of traffic and a healthy exhibitor space filled with key partners of all kinds. The big telcos were there - Bell, TELUS and Allstream - of course - along with a good mix of vendors, integrators and technology partners, such as Dimension Data, Exony, Flexity Solutions, CBCI Telecom and Esnatech. Adjacent to the show floor was an overwhelming mix of Cisco presentations, with in-depth sessions on every variation of collaboration imaginable. I sat in on several, and while the content was geared towards buyers, I found the quality high and the audiences pretty attendant.
The highlight for me was the TELUS demo bus outside. I've seen this before with both NSN and Ericsson - it's an impressive way to take your story on the road. What I liked most about the TELUS bus was the overall concept. This is really their Trojan Horse to win business from Bell on their home turf in Quebec. The bus is all done up in French and goes around Quebec to showcase all this cool technology. I think it's a great strategy, not just for getting business there, but also to evangelize collaboration. SMBs aren't generally the most tech-savvy, so instead of waiting for them to discover it, why not bring the technology to them? Good plan. Oh, and if you think this was also a clever ploy to divert attention from the event host, I'll keep them happy by noting that most of the gear on display inside the bus is Cisco (and Tandberg). Check out the photos below!
Lots of traffic and a healthy exhibitor space filled with key partners of all kinds. The big telcos were there - Bell, TELUS and Allstream - of course - along with a good mix of vendors, integrators and technology partners, such as Dimension Data, Exony, Flexity Solutions, CBCI Telecom and Esnatech. Adjacent to the show floor was an overwhelming mix of Cisco presentations, with in-depth sessions on every variation of collaboration imaginable. I sat in on several, and while the content was geared towards buyers, I found the quality high and the audiences pretty attendant.
The highlight for me was the TELUS demo bus outside. I've seen this before with both NSN and Ericsson - it's an impressive way to take your story on the road. What I liked most about the TELUS bus was the overall concept. This is really their Trojan Horse to win business from Bell on their home turf in Quebec. The bus is all done up in French and goes around Quebec to showcase all this cool technology. I think it's a great strategy, not just for getting business there, but also to evangelize collaboration. SMBs aren't generally the most tech-savvy, so instead of waiting for them to discover it, why not bring the technology to them? Good plan. Oh, and if you think this was also a clever ploy to divert attention from the event host, I'll keep them happy by noting that most of the gear on display inside the bus is Cisco (and Tandberg). Check out the photos below!
ShoreTel/Smart IP UC demo, Toronto
It's been a busy week, and am catching up on postings today. On Tuesday, I attended an event here in Toronto sponsored by Smart IP, one of Canada's leading systems integrators. They have a pretty strong focus on UC, and brought out a room full of customers and prospects to get an update from ShoreTel about their UC capabilities.
Many in attendance were telephony-only ShoreTel customers, and it was interesting to see how the value proposition is presented for them to move up to UC. ShoreTel's Dan Brown did most of the talking, and his presentation emphasized the familiar simplicity theme that runs through most of their messaging. I thought Dan did a great job breaking down the core elements of UC and reviewing the trends that are leading businesses to get beyond IP telephony. A key message was how well ShoreTel works across multiple vendors, and that resonates well with Avaya/Nortel customers who are looking for simpler, less costly options.
Dan's storyline was brought to life by a customer case study presented by Claude Vezina of BDO, a national accounting firm. Claude cited many exmaples of how "ridiculously simple" ShoreTel was to deploy, and he spoke well of the system's reliability in the 5 years they've had it, as well as the consultative nature of ShoreTel's support process. The strongest message for me from Claude was his assertion that "IP telephony is an application - accept it". I liked his tone about that, and it served as a wakeup call for customers with a telecom-centric mindset that UC is much more than VoIP.
Overall, the event was nicely done. To get people in a transformational mindset, things got started with an inspirational talk from Mike "Pinball" Clemons, a CFL/Argo legend - arguably the most famous athlete in Toronto. He's good - very good, and had the audience in the palm of his hand from the get-go. After the sessions, we enjoyed the Blue Jays/Rays game at the Rogers Center - no complaints.
Pinball Clemons getting the audience in the right frame of mind for UC - sweet!
Dan Brown talking about ShoreTel's UC capabilities
Jays/Rays game. Sorry folks, but are we in Toronto or Tampa Bay? Pretty hard to tell from the crowd, huh?
Many in attendance were telephony-only ShoreTel customers, and it was interesting to see how the value proposition is presented for them to move up to UC. ShoreTel's Dan Brown did most of the talking, and his presentation emphasized the familiar simplicity theme that runs through most of their messaging. I thought Dan did a great job breaking down the core elements of UC and reviewing the trends that are leading businesses to get beyond IP telephony. A key message was how well ShoreTel works across multiple vendors, and that resonates well with Avaya/Nortel customers who are looking for simpler, less costly options.
Dan's storyline was brought to life by a customer case study presented by Claude Vezina of BDO, a national accounting firm. Claude cited many exmaples of how "ridiculously simple" ShoreTel was to deploy, and he spoke well of the system's reliability in the 5 years they've had it, as well as the consultative nature of ShoreTel's support process. The strongest message for me from Claude was his assertion that "IP telephony is an application - accept it". I liked his tone about that, and it served as a wakeup call for customers with a telecom-centric mindset that UC is much more than VoIP.
Overall, the event was nicely done. To get people in a transformational mindset, things got started with an inspirational talk from Mike "Pinball" Clemons, a CFL/Argo legend - arguably the most famous athlete in Toronto. He's good - very good, and had the audience in the palm of his hand from the get-go. After the sessions, we enjoyed the Blue Jays/Rays game at the Rogers Center - no complaints.
Pinball Clemons getting the audience in the right frame of mind for UC - sweet!
Dan Brown talking about ShoreTel's UC capabilities
Jays/Rays game. Sorry folks, but are we in Toronto or Tampa Bay? Pretty hard to tell from the crowd, huh?
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