Our May episode started with my takeaways from Five9’s analyst event in Porto, Portugal, with a parallel discussion about how they’re using AI to transform customer service, along with how broader generational changes are increasingly AI and tech-centric. Our analog lens pre-dates these changes, and we explored how digital transformation is taking automation to new levels. We don’t know where it’s heading, but there’s a big difference between automating tasks and processes and automating thought and emotion. The singularity could be closer than Kurzweil predicted – 2045 – and we left off with the robotics of the mind for our listeners to ponder.

For those of you who don’t subscribe to our podcast directly from a commercial platform – you can access it anytime here on the new Watch This Space website. Otherwise, the easiest platforms and sources to find WTS are Apple Podcasts, Google Chrome/Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music. Believe it or not, we’re also getting found on LinkedIn, Safari, and Alexa-enabled devices. For a more extensive replay archive, you can access all of our podcasts here on my JAA website.

What’s Up? Part 2 – JAA Highlights from May

While the Watch This Space podcast is the main form of original content for this newsletter, Part 2 here is a digest of JAA activities from the previous month, including my other forms of original content, along with my social media stats. More detail and links for most of these activities can be found on my blog or posted on the website.

Industry conferences – only one May, but it sure made for a great trip:

Five9 Analyst Summit, May 8-10, Porto, Portugal

Guest blog post:

How to Manage Telecom Fraud, Contact Center Pipeline, May issue

Podcasts:

Cresta – Generative AI in the Contact Center, hosted by EM360
NICE – Improving Fraud Detection Through Training and AI

White Paper:

Aizan – Re-Thinking the On-Hold Experience

Webinar:

Mapping Out Your Business Case for a Successful Digital Transformation, hosted by RCR Wireless

Judging – returning to be a judge for the UC Awards 2023
Kudo – Top 16 UCaaS Influencers to Follow in 2023, 8x8
Writing Roundup for May – summarized here - it’s a monthly digest of my thought leadership across various channels, including Tech Target, No Jitter, Channel Futures, Contact Center Pipeline and BC Strategies
Media citings – two citations last month
Social media highlights - since these stats change every day, the metrics are just a basic snapshot, but they provide a good sense of reach beyond my blog and newsletter. For my business, I use Twitter and LinkedIn, and here are some approximate tallies for May:

For LinkedIn – I had 20,286 views and 21 posts – lighter from recent months, mainly due to higher-than-normal personal travel that kept me off social media
My top LinkedIn post registered 1,993 views, and overall, 4 posts had 1,000+ views, and 12 had 700+ views
For Twitter – there were 4,703 impressions, 171 profile visits, 38 mentions, 9 tweets and 5 fewer followers – another light month, and as Elon Musk continues to tinker with the platform, its utility becomes more problematic
My “top tweet” was about a new podcast with NICE, with 1,757 impressions

What's Coming? JAA Outlook for June

Only one industry event at the moment, but two others are still in the works:

Avaya Engage, June 19-21, Orlando, FL

Active work to keep watch for:

Recording a second podcast segment for a contact center vendor about Generative AI
Three guest posts coming – one about AI, one about Generative AI, and one for the contact center space
New white paper publishing this month – in the collaboration space for an EU provider
In discussion with a handful of vendors and agencies about new projects, some of which could be starting this month
Future of Work Expo 2024 – next February seems far away, but am already in planning mode – if interested in speaking on a panel or helping develop a topic for us to explore, please get in touch

Hey, Did You Know?
…Even though I had just one industry event, it was a pretty good month for travel. Three trips across successive weeks, with two being to Europe – that was a first for me. From Porto to the Palace, I got a taste of Portugal and the UK.

If you follow my social feeds, you’ll know I was at the Five9 Analyst and Influencer Summit in Porto; and if you follow me on Facebook, I’ve posted a bunch of photos there from that trip with my partner, Sara. In lieu of that, here are some snippets from those travels.

From Porto – very Porto with that skyline and tile roofs everywhere, bunny house (?), Five9’s Jonathan Rosenberg giving a great overview of ChatGPT, and how this is not about chatbots.

From London – road to the Palace, what’s more British than a British Telecom phone box?, and highlight of the trip – finale from the Jeff Beck tribute concert at Royal Albert Hall – bet you’ll never see this collection of legends onstage together again - wow.