While we intended to discuss a few current topics, our current episode ended up being mostly about June’s Avaya ENGAGE event. Given how interesting Avaya’s situation has become – what I now call Act III – our discussion also reflected on the broader state of technology, and how the pervasiveness of Big Tech should be of concern to all of us. Whether you want to see Avaya succeed or fail, I think you’ll find our take of interest, especially if you’re in the former camp.

For those of you who don’t subscribe to our podcast directly from a commercial platform – you can access it any time 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 June

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 – two events last month, and both were notable:
- Avaya Engage, June 19-21, Orlando, FL
- Mobile World Congress Asia, June 27-29, Shanghai, China

Guest blog post:
- Raising the Bar for A2P Messaging, Aizan blog
Podcasts:
- Telecom Reseller – Enreach White Paper, June 21
- EM360 – Talking Generative AI with Cresta’s CMO, June 1
White Paper:
- Enreach – Converged Contact – Going Beyond Mobile UCaaS to Give Businesses a Competitive Edge
Judging – completed judging for the UC Awards 2023 – winners to be announced during the awards event on July 27
Writing Roundup for June – 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 June:
- For LinkedIn – I had 24,510 views and 22 posts – up about 20% from May
- My top LinkedIn post registered 2,303 views, and overall, 7 posts had 1,000+ views, and 13 had 700+ views
- For Twitter – there were 7,973 impressions, 598 profile visits, 31 mentions, 16 tweets and 6 fewer followers – as with May, another light month due to travel, but numbers were notably higher
- My “top tweet” was about the Avaya ENGAGE event with 1,640 impressions, and 5 posts overall with 500+ impressions
SIPtones update – have finally managed to add two recent video clips, both from our 2021 show in San Diego – Heard it Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight version!) and a more polished version of Oye Como Va, one of my favorites. Others will be added in time for the August newsletter, both from the 2021 show, and our most recent gig in Dallas from October 2022 – hope you check these out!

What's Coming? JAA Outlook for July

For a change, no industry events or travel, and I’m not the least bit disappointed!
Active work to keep watch for:

My takeaways from the MWC event I just attended in Shanghai
Video interview I did with a tech blogger during my China trip
Second podcast segment coming for a contact center vendor about Generative AI
Four guest posts coming – one about AI-driven voice applications, two about integrating telephony with Teams, and one about how AI is impacting the contact center
Webinar on the role of AI in transforming customer experience for a leading CCaaS provider on July 20 – registration details coming soon
Interview to preview my session and what’s coming for UCX USA in September
Prep for my presenting role as a judge for the 2023 UC Awards on July 27
Prep for two sessions I’m speaking on at an August event in the Smart Grid space about Generative AI
Prep for my next guest article for Contact Center Pipeline
Prep call to plan out my speaking role for Enterprise Connect 2024
In discussion with a handful of vendors and agencies about new projects
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?

…they have Five Guys in China? Who knew? Well, they have a whole lot more than that of course, and being my first trip to Asia, I took a whole lot of photos. Am just going to tease you here with some, and I’ll be sharing others in various places soon.
So, Five Guys is alright, but I didn’t come to China for burgers. If you know me, then you’ll know that I’ll take the local food any day…

At Mobile World Congress in Shanghai – busy place and barely got through one of the five exhibit halls. Here’s a great demo from the Huawei exhibit – 3D video on a PC screen – without any 3D glasses. Can’t do it justice here, but very impressive.

As with all big cities, incredible contrasts, and the same can be said for what Iittle of China I saw. View from a Shanghai river boat - most spectacular skyline I’ve ever seen, and a humbler – but guarded - gateway entrance to an apartment courtyard near my hotel.