Avaya Execs Discuss Future of Work, Cloud Office

As remote work increases globally, organizations must adapt to new ways for employees to communicate, collaborate, and be productive, regardless of their location or the device they’re using.

 

Naturally, this is theme that’s persistent throughout this week’s Enterprise Connect Virtual event, including during today’s keynote from Avaya (available on demand). The imperative today is about “putting in place communications that fit the way you work, even in uncertain times – a truly unified communications experience that goes beyond the normal system – and extending your old office to your new office, wherever that may be,” Bartolo told Enterprise Connect Virtual attendees.

 

That said, CIOs, CTOs, and other business leaders are struggling to address the new needs of today’s “experience economy,” added Simon Harrison, CMO, at Avaya. “Today we live in an unplanned world, with the need for hyper-decision making, a less hierarchal process, and more engaged, empowered staff as part of a globally connected workforce,” he said.

 

Customer and employee experience are two sides of the same coin, and enterprises must consider the technology needed to support both “as a combined thing in equal measure,” Harrison said. And, they must place “significant focus on how to support feelings, because customers don’t remember what was said or done, but they do remember how they were made to feel. Employees have journeys too, and feelings directly translate to the memorable experiences they create for customers,” he added.

 

With this goal in mind, Bartolo formally announced availability of Avaya Cloud Office (ACO) by RingCentral, starting April 2 under various licensing plans. This all-in-one cloud-based business tool lets you do it all – call, chat, meet, collaborate quickly and easily on any device from any location with customers, partners, and colleagues, he said.

 

No Jitter has written extensively on ACO since its introduction in October 2019, but the company shared a platform recap. ACO:

Separately, Avaya is offering 90-day complimentary licenses for contact centers with agents who need to work remotely during COVID-19, Bartolo added. Over the last few weeks, Avaya has helped customers on its premises platforms such as Call Center Elite, Oceana, and Aura transition over 300,000 agents to remote work around the globe, as Sheila McGee-Smith, principal at McGee-Smith Analytics, noted earlier this week during her Enterprise Connect Virtual session, “Market Report: The Cloud Contact Center Challenge — Transition, not Technology” (available on demand).

 

In addition, Avaya is offering a free version of Avaya Spaces, a cloud meeting and team collaboration app and one of three winners of the just announced Best of Enterprise Connect Award for Best Innovation for Meeting Rooms, to educational institutions and eligible non-profit organizations worldwide.

 

Lastly, Avaya has set up a hotline for customers and partners to expedite customer inquiries during these unprecedented times. The hotline number is 1800-352-4003 and you can find more information on Avaya's website.

 

As COVID-19 continues to change the way we work, the message around the world remains consistent – keep your people safe, and keep your business evolving. With Avaya cloud solutions, you can do both and stay connected.