The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications 2014 is here, highlighting several important trends and changes in the UC landscape. Let's look first at the quadrants, then focus on what this means and on how the market is changing, from Gartner's perspective. (Note: If you are a Gartner subscriber, this is Research Report G00262527. Also, Microsoft offers a reprint link here.)
The vertically-integrated silo of the PBX is obsolete. A like-for-like replacement of any PBX - TDM or IP - should be challenged before making any investments. We saw this happen with mainframe computers several decades ago (See "Only the Paranoid Survive" by Andy Grove, Chairman Emeritus, Intel). Now it has happened with PBXs, the mainframes of voice communications. So, what would you buy instead?
Lots going on at IBM's Connect 2014 conference last week in Orlando. From Seth Meyers (SNL, moving to "Late Night") and Scott Adams (Dilbert) to much evidence of IBM's continued concerted push into social business as the future way to organize work.
Key to much of the conference was some important rebranding-"IBM Connections" has emerged as the new umbrella brand encompassing mail, meetings, chat, office tools, collaboration, social business, analytics, and content management.
In this Industry Buzz podcast, the UCStrategies Experts review 2013 in unified communications.
There are many important features required for end user adoption of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) tools and solutions, but chief among them is a good user experience. Many vendors have begun to realize just that, and are making adjustments accordingly.
In this Industry Buzz podcast, Blair Pleasant moderates a discussion among the UCStrate
In this Industry Buzz podcast, Phil Edholm moderates two discussions: PBX augmentation vs.
Amy Ewing, Marketing Manager of IBM, discusses the shift from unified communications to social communications
Networking giant IBM has announced that before the middle of 2013 it will launch several new communications and collaboration products including an upgrade for its social networking tool, Connections enterprise social networking platform, and a brand new suite designed to improve human resources tasks. The company intends to display the new features at the IBM Connect 2013 conference in Orlando.
IBM Connect (nee Lotusphere) is a big darn deal in the IBM customer community. This week, thousands of IT professionals from around the globe convened here in Orlando, Florida, at IBM Connect 2013 to share and learn, both from each other and from IBM.
Each year, the Opening General Session (OGS in the parlance) sets the tone for the event. The message this year is all about Social and Analytics: Social is driving business change, and Analytics inform decisions in the Social world as well as other parts of the enterprise.