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No Jitter On Air: 3 Experts on 3 Cloud Services

Slowly, but surely, large enterprises are migrating from premises-based communications to cloud, across contact center, video conferencing, and UC systems. Whether taking baby steps into the cloud or making the move fully without trepidation, enterprises have lots to consider before picking the path forward.

Cloud communications today, in general, can be a confusing mess. Which is the best architectural choice? Which cloud service providers are best suited to meet enterprise needs, today and into the future? Will the provider I pick today be gobbled up or pushed out of business in the next year or two? What feature sets are available, and how are they priced? How can I tell if the cloud service is reliable and secure -- and how am I going to manage it? And so on, and so on.

Given the growing significance of the cloud movement for enterprise communications, we asked a trio of top industry analysts to help us kick off our new podcast, No Jitter On Air, by sharing their perspectives on cloud's progress in the contact center, video, and UC markets, respectively.

In "Cloud Contact Center: The New Normal?," we heard from Sheila McGee-Smith, founder and principal analyst at McGee-Smith Analytics, and longtime chair for the Contact Center/Customer Experience track at Enterprise Connect Orlando, including this year's conference taking place March 27 to 30. In a preview of her similarly titled session at Enterprise Connect, McGee-Smith explains the market dynamics and enterprise decision making that's shaping cloud contact-as-a-service options today.

Click on the player below to hear what McGee-Smith has to say about topics such as:

  • The disconnect between vendor development focus and current sales models
  • Enterprise deployment drivers, including in greenfield implementations
  • The role of a hybrid architecture in the modern contact center
  • Relationship between cloud contact center and advanced technologies like AI and bots

 

 

In "What You Need to Know About Cloud Video Services," Andrew Davis, co-founder of Wainhouse Research, and longtime chair for the Video track at Enterprise Connect, brought his communications and collaboration expertise to bear in helping us sort through the myriad video conferencing-as-a-service (VCaaS) options available today, as well as how to go about making the best decision about which is best for your organization's unique requirements.

Click on the player below and learn about:

  • The differences in types of VCaaS offerings, and how VCaaS providers differentiate themselves
  • Key decision points for evaluating VCaaS options
  • Where VCaaS and traditional video room system environments dovetail
  • What happens to VCaaS with the rise of persistent team collaboration

 

 

And in "UCaaS Ins & Outs: Eye on the Enterprise Opportunity," Elka Popova, program director and senior fellow with Frost & Sullivan, shared a preview of the UCaaS market overview she'll be delivering at Enterprise Connect. Get foundational knowledge about UCaaS, and essential guidelines for large enterprise implementations.

Click on the player below for Popova's thoughts on topics such as:

  • What UCaaS is and isn't -- and how to distinguish among different types of providers
  • UCaaS market outlook: consolidation vs. growth
  • Essential requirements for enterprise UCaaS implementations
  • The impact Microsoft, with Skype for Business Online, has had on the market

 

 

Tune in to these No Jitter On Air episodes, and come back next week, when Kevin Kieller, a partner at UC&C consultancy enableUC, longtime No Jitter blogger, and Enterprise Connect speaker, will be sharing his advice on how to make the right choices regarding Microsoft's Skype for Business UC platform.

Register now for Enterprise Connect using the code NOJITTER to receive $300 off an Entire Event pass or a free Expo Plus pass.

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