TalkingHeadz Podcast

Dave and David discuss and reflect on 2024.

Ever wonder what's in a monthly Insider report? The September 2024 report included this:Hey Google, Tell Me About It: Google’s NotebookLM uses LLMs to convert lengthy text from articles, research papers, and other documents into knowledge. NotebookLM has a new trick that turns knowledge into an audible story: an AI-generated podcast that includes playful conversations between male and female ”hosts.” It’s a new summarization trick, this time with voices. Making generative AI trustworthy is the progress we need.This podcast episode is an autogenerated podcast based on the sole input of the September 2024 Insider Report. Subscribe for the full, written reports. https://talkingpointz.com/insider-report-for-september-2024/

In this episode of TalkingPointz Talking Headz, David Danto and Dave Michels, joined by Metrigy Research’s Irwin Lazar, dive into the hot topic of Amazon’s recent push to bring employees back to the office full-time. They unpack the real motivations behind the memo, revealing its connections to industry-wide layoffs and corporate real estate pressures and other explanations. This candid conversation offers a fresh perspective on what the return-to-office push from Amazon’s CEO is truly all about..

I was conflicted when Scott Wharton announced his plans to leave enterprise comms to save the world.  I was elated the world would now be saved, but what a loss. It was like one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for episodes of the Twilight Zone.  - Dave Michels. Scott Wharton is a seasoned expert in enterprise comms and video, with a notable career spanning influential roles at Broadsoft, Vidtel (a company he founded and sold), and Logitech. His vision and leadership have always aimed to revolutionize the industry by enabling seamless communications across modalities and platforms. His insights into the complexities and missed opportunities within the enterprise video space continue to shape the industry's ongoing discourse, highlighting the challenges and potential for future advancements.At Logitech, he worked to mitigate the impact of the industry's trend towards platform-specific ecosystems.  Wharton's commitment to innovation and user-friendly solutions remains evident in his current role as CEO of Tandem PV, a solar energy company.

Microsoft’s ambitious plan to unify device ecosystems under one platform has hit several delays. Originally intended to create a unified version of Android for all Microsoft Teams Room (MTRoA) devices, the rollout has so far been non-existent. In this podcast, Dave and David discuss potential reasons why it's taking so long. Recorded August 2024.

Microsoft has a new operating system, it's based on open source Android, will appear first in Teams meeting rooms, and it's called MDEP. The latest TalkingHeadz podcast has Dave Michels and David Danto chatting with with Microsoft’s Ilya Bukshteyn exploring the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP.) This will be a customized Android distribution aimed at enhancing device interoperability and security through centralized updates and rigorous standards. It addresses challenges like inconsistent Android versions across OEMs, emphasizing long-term benefits such as improved stability and reduced maintenance. While MDEP is poised to become integral to Microsoft Teams device certification, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem for users and partners alike, it has questions and challenges.  These include some confusing aspects and some industry reluctance. These factors - both exciting and challenging - are thoroughly explored in this extensive conversation.

In this engaging episode of TalkingPointz - Talking Headz, hosts Dave Michels and David Danto chat with Kevin McMenamy, the CTO of Neat, to delve into his fascinating journey through the video conferencing industry. Kevin shares insights from his early days at Cisco, where he contributed to pioneering video technologies like IP telephony video and telepresence, to his current role at Neat, where cutting-edge video solutions are developed. The conversation covers the evolution of video conferencing, the challenges and triumphs of integrating multiple firms into Cisco, and the vibrant, innovative culture at Neat that keeps Kevin passionate about his work. This episode offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the industry's transformation and the key players driving its future. Tune in to hear about the technological advancements that shape how we connect globally and the personal stories of those at the forefront of this revolution.

Dave Michels and David Danto dive into the Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) ecosystem, examining its evolution, current dynamics, and future implications. They highlighted Microsoft's milestone of surpassing 1 million MTR installations and discussed the market impact of Cisco joining the ecosystem, potentially disrupting vendor success and market strategies. It's an impressive ecosystem of vendors that has expanded over the years to meet the growing needs of the Teams community. However, one of the last vendors to join the ecosystem, Cisco, is also one of the largest. The inclusion of Cisco, described as a significant and potentially disruptive addition, will likely have an impact on the ecosystem. Something just might have to give? The Dave's discuss the possible shake-out that could occur.

In this episode of Talking Points Chatz, Dave Michels and Dave Danto discuss the high turnover rates among C-suite executives in various industries, particularly in the tech sector. They note that numerous high-profile leaders, including the CEOs of Nice, AWS, Twilio, and Bandwidth.com, have announced their departures recently. Danto highlights that a record number of CEO changes have occurred in the US, attributing it to factors such as the stress of navigating companies through the pandemic and current economic uncertainties. Michels and Danto explore the impact of AI, financial instability, geopolitical tensions, and the breakdown of trust within organizations. They conclude that these challenges are creating a "perfect storm" of uncertainty and stress, likely making this high turnover the new normal.

Microsoft announced it was what we beleive to be the first Meetings provider to reach one million connected meeting rooms. Just for fun, it also dropped that it has 20 million PSTN users! HUGE. The two Daves discuss the accomplishment, what it tells us, and what it doesn't reveal. Episode adapted from this video discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/MhW_ETMfF8c?si=88DOkXsa0jrLV4ak

TalkingHeadz is a series of interviews with the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with Brad Hintze, EVP Marketing at Crestron. Brad beleives that the foundation for marketing success is contingent on the combined strength of one's ability to: a) build (and ship) fantastic products, b) clearly communicate why one's product is excellent, and c) create the right tools to win more customers. While that may sound interesting to some, it's 1 Beyond that got us hooked. Crestron has a built a strong collaborative reputation with its Flex video conferencing systems, and that story got better about a year ago when it acquired 1 Beyond. 1 Beyond has been in business for 20 years, but the past seven have seen exceptional growth. The story got even strong with the  when it opted to acquire 1 Beyond.  Crestron was demonstrating its new capabilities earlier this year at ISE Barcelona, where seven One Beyond cameras collaborated so effectively that any meeting can become compelling. Crestron's Flex solutions integrate video conferencing, wireless presentation, and smart room control. The company works closely with Microsoft Teams and other platforms as well, and 1 Beyond isn't it's first date to the rodeo either: Crestron has announced partnerships with Huddly, Shure, and Jabra, too.Prior to joining Crestron, Brad served as the Vice President of Consumer and Brand Marketing at SnapAV, where he designed and led marketing efforts and strategies. Before assuming that role, Brad held the position of Senior Director of Product Marketing at Control4 where he was responsible for directing product marketing strategy and development.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with David Petts, SVP Cloud to Cloud Business Group at Mitel. Our podcast was recorded just a few days after Mitel announced its acquisition of Atos Unify. We do discuss it, but there's more unknowns than knowns. David Petts is a seasoned sales and customer success executive with a proven track record of driving revenue growth and profit improvements across multiple product segments. With extensive expertise in enterprise servers, PC's, systems management software, business mobility, unified communication, and content licensing, David has a comprehensive understanding of the technology industry.David is well-versed in adapting go-to-market strategies to the specific dynamics of different geographic. David is a team-oriented leader who values collaboration and is dedicated to achieving success for both his team and the company.Mitel is a leading global provider of communications and collaboration solutions. Founded in 1972, the company has a long history of innovation in the telecommunications industry and has grown to serve customers in more than 100 countries around the world.Mitel's product portfolio includes a wide range of solutions for businesses of all sizes, from small and medium-sized enterprises to large enterprises and government agencies. In addition to its core products, Mitel is also known for its commitment to customer service and support.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with Michael Beckley, Founder and CTO of Appian. Appian is the unified platform for change. It promises to accelerate businesses by discovering, designing, and automating important processes. The Appian Low-Code Automation Platform unifies key capabilities needed to accelerate workflow. As CTO, Michael drives the technical vision for Appian. He leads Appian’s product and solutions marketing teams, and oversees customer initiatives worldwide. Michael serves on the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Virginia’s Computer Science Department and is a graduate of Dartmouth College.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with Raluca Monet of Google's Chrome Enterprise Recommended (CER) Team. Chrome is a very popular internet browser, but there's more to than many realize. Chrome Enterprise offers organizations a number of advanced features. Chrome Enterprise Recommended recognizes solutions that leverage Chromebooks, Chrome Desks, and ChromeOS. Chrome Enterprise offers a number of management and security features that can benefit a variety of use cases. There are several CER programs, and in this episode we dive into CER CCaaS. Although Chrome can work with several premises-based solutions, the CCaaS sectors have embraced the browser over traditional software clients. Once the agent's desktop is on a browser, why bother with a full PC?  Chromebooks are less expensive to purchase, secure, deploy, and maintain. Raluca  works directly with CXO level executives to improve profitability and create sustainable growth for corporations. Raluca’s areas of expertise include strategy formulation, organizational transformation, operational strategy, profit improvement and performance measurement. She joined Google in 2015.

The 2022 Season Finale of TalkingHeadz features Jeff Lawson, CEO and co-Founder of Twilio.  Jeff is always clear, articulate, and friendly. I'm proud to say Twilio was born during my shift as a telecom analyst, and it's been exciting to watch it grow and transform. Jeff presented to analysts before the recent Twilio Signal Conference. He claimed that Twilio is always ahead of the industry. That's a bold (fighting words) statement, but he backed it up with a common sense observation. Twilio's customers create solutions that, in general, can't be purchased (yet). Lawson and Twilio more or less created the CPaaS category, an enterprise comms sector that is becoming a little crowded. That's probably one of Twilio's motivations to go broader and become a customer data platform (CDP) provider. CDP may seem totally unrelated to CPaaS, thus many perceive the change as a pivot. While there's some truth to that, Jeffs sees it as more of a logical extension. A lot of the CPaaS use cases support marketing, but they tend to be transactional rather than strategic. Twilio wants to better activate the information on customers that enterprises have, and the first step is to create a consolidated view.  Regardless of how you spin it, this public, multi-billion dollar company is once again a startup that's defining (or converging) a new category. Check out this interview to get a better idea of what is on Jeff's mind.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with Sid Rao, the  GM of Amazon Chime SDK. I fondly remember Biba, a WebRTC video/messaging startup . There was a lot of excitement over WebRTC about ten years ago. Biba was acquired by Amazon and relaunched as the Amazon Chime app in 2017. Chime was a lot like Webex and Zoom, but worked entirely in a browser. Both Vonage and CenturyLink (now Lumen) were early resellers of the meeting application.  The app worked well, but wasn't a bit hit. Vonage moved to its own video solution, and CenturyLink turned to apps such as Zoom and Teams. AWS discovered that its customers were more interested in Chime's underlying WebRTC than the meeting app. Amazon created WebRTC APIs,  effectively making WebRTC a service rather than a tech stack. This model was a better fit for AWS, so at its reInvent conference in 2018, AWS launched the Chime SDK.  Then came the pandemic and a boom in most things video. AWS customers and partners used Chime to create all kinds of solutions. K-12 education, for example, needed video for remote education.  Chime obliged, and did so with simple hardware requirements for end users. Blackboard presented its success story at reInvent 2021. As for the original Chime app, it's been getting better thanks to new capabilities of the Chime SDK. The Chime app isn't particular popular,, nor marketed. It does well within Amazon, both as an internal meeting and chat app and with many of AWS's large customers.

Most TalkingHeadz episodes are interviews, but in this episode we Dave and Evan cover current events. TalkingPointz Insider Reports publish the first week of every month and cover the enterprise news that mattered the prior month. In this podcast, Dave and Evan discuss the most recent Insider Report covering the news of October 2022. The October 2022 Insider Report was published on Nov 2.Most Insider Reports are about 10 pages long, but designed for easy skimming. This podcasts only covers a condensed selection of topics. Subscriptions to Insider Reports can be purchased here. A personal subscription is $588/year.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format podcast series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we chat with the CMO of NICE Ltd, Einat Weiss.Einat has over 24 years of experience spearheading messaging, digital transformations, marketing strategies, and brand recognition.  She joined team NICE in 2018, and has held the CMO position for over four years. The same four years that NICE has blossomed into a comprehensive provider of customer engagement solutions.  Einat holds an MBA, Marketing degree and a BA in Computer Science.  Prior to joining NICE, she held marketing positions at BMC, SAP, and Alvarion.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format podcast series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests.  In this episode, we check in with the new CEO at Avaya: Alan Masarek. Many people in the industry met Alan while he was the CEO of Vonage.  Alan was one of the more accessible of the comms CEOs to customers and analysts. It's not clear if his experience at Vonage or his  bicycle ride across the US was better preparation for his new job.  Some might say that Avaya doesn't have a cloud, but Masarek certainly arrived under one.  His appointment in late July coincided with a disastrous quarter (which still hasn't been filed), and that was just weeks after a major fund raising round. The cloud over Avaya is so dark, it's very survival is questionable. A major change at Avaya was clearly needed, and Alan appears to have the credentials, experience, and vision. The question is if he will have enough time to right the ship.

TalkingHeadz is an interview format podcast series featuring the movers and shakers of enterprise communications - we also have great guests. In this episode  Dave and Evan  realize that NEC is one of the largest companies in enterprise communications, and when it comes to the NEC family of UNIVERGE products, there's a good chance Ram Menghani is involved.Ram has broad experience in all aspects of product and business development. He's been with NEC for over 21 years. We suspect he has worked  for other companies, but he doesn't list any on LinkedIn.  He has reason to call at least three countries home which makes him an SVP of the world. In this discussion we get into the broader NEC line for UCaaS solutions and how it's partnership with Intermedia is so unique.