News

News

• May 26, 2017 26 May'17

  Genband-Sonus merger spotlights real-time communication tools

  In UC news this week, Genband and Sonus are set to merge; Polycom and Zoom combine forces; and Genesys updates its contact-center platform with artificial intelligence tools.

• May 12, 2017 12 May'17

  Cisco to build MindMeld artificial intelligence services in Spark

  Cisco plans to build MindMeld artificial intelligence services into Spark. The AI maker also develops natural language interfaces for software and devices.

• May 10, 2017 10 May'17

  Salesforce AppExchange releases vendor-facing upgrades

  The improvements to the Salesforce AppExchange benefit companies and ISVs building on AppExchange, with lower pricing and more tools.

• May 08, 2017 08 May'17

  Jive acquired in enterprise collaboration software merger

  In UC news, Jive is in the midst of being acquired by a private equity firm and is expected to merge with CRM provider Aurea. Plus, UC cloud service provider Fuze gets more money.

• April 18, 2017 18 Apr'17

  UCC market evolution driven by digital transformation

  In UC news, a report finds digital transformation initiatives are driving the UCC market, while CoreDial and VeloCloud partner to bring SD-WAN features to cloud UC services.

• April 10, 2017 10 Apr'17

  Microsoft, Google vie to be masters of the universal OS

  Developers and IT admins have to manage and build apps for a multitude of different operating systems and device types. Windows 10 and Google's universal OS could change that.

• April 04, 2017 04 Apr'17

  IT pros share API deployment challenges, offer insights

  Communications APIs promise quick and easy deployments, but this new technology has its challenges. Three IT professionals share their API deployment experiences.

• March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17

  ShoreTel launches team collaboration tool for remote workers

  A new ShoreTel team collaboration tool supports persistent, virtual chat workspaces for remote and mobile employees, jumping into that market offering flexible ad hoc workspaces.

• March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17

  Unified communications users weigh vendor consolidation

  Unified communications users shared their successes and setbacks, with vendor consolidation as a key theme in a panel discussion at Enterprise Connect 2017.

• March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17

  Cisco using Spark hybrid hardware to nudge customers to the cloud

  Cisco unveiled at Enterprise Connect Spark hybrid video conferencing to help companies move to the cloud. The new Room Kits run off Spark or on-premises gear.

• March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17

  Avaya bankruptcy leaves customers in backup planning mode

  Avaya UC customers are in limbo with the vendor in bankruptcy. Consultants at Enterprise Connect offer Avaya bankruptcy contingency plan steps to prepare for the worst.

• March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17

  Unified communications vendors outlooks on cloud differ

  While hybrid deployments are the reality now, some unified communications vendors might disagree on the future of cloud communications and on-premises systems.

• March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17

  Microsoft adds enterprise features to Skype for Business telephony

  Microsoft has added call management features to Skype for Business telephony. The company introduced the improved version of the cloud-based software at Enterprise Connect.

• March 27, 2017 27 Mar'17

  8x8 launches contact center service for teams, small businesses

  8x8 has launched ContactNow, a contact center service for small businesses and teams that offers contact center capabilities with a pay-as-you-go cost model.

• March 27, 2017 27 Mar'17

  RingCentral updates focus on team messaging, integrations, AI

  Ahead of Enterprise Connect 2017, RingCentral unveils a slew of updates targeting collaborative communications, including a new user interface and chatbot technology.

• March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17

  Latest collaboration products on display at Enterprise Connect 2017

  Vendors will exhibit their latest UC products at Enterprise Connect 2017, from collaboration tools for huddle rooms to apps that support enterprise mobility.

• March 23, 2017 23 Mar'17

  AI advances can slow a Salesforce cloud migration

  Showing incremental improvement and investing over time are keys to successful cloud implementations, especially in government.

• March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17

  Team collaboration apps headline Enterprise Connect 2017

  Slack, Cisco Spark, Microsoft Teams and other team collaboration apps are tweaking traditional UC systems. Plus, Amazon and Google enter the fray as potential players.

• March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17

  Samsung Knox gives IT control over Android OS updates

  Knox's E-FOTA feature lets IT test Android OS updates before users install them on their Samsung devices, preventing apps from breaking.

• March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17

  Enterprise Connect 2017 conference coverage

  The unified communications industry is undergoing changes. Track these latest trends in our comprehensive coverage of Enterprise Connect 2017.

• March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17

  Google Hangouts apps for business carry uncertainties

  The latest Google Hangouts apps are a competitive team collaboration offering from a vendor with a spotty track record in enterprise technology.

• March 10, 2017 10 Mar'17

  Cloud UC and video conferencing adoption see uptick

  Cloud-based unified communications and video conferencing adoption are seeing gradual increases, according to a new survey. Plus, Cisco and Microsoft still reign supreme.

• March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17

  Six tips for simple, effective SMB cloud CRM implementations

  Thrush Aircraft flew through a cloud-based CRM implementation by engaging employees all along the way. Here are tips based on its success.

• February 24, 2017 24 Feb'17

  ShoreTel offers Google Chrome integration with G Suite

  In UC news, ShoreTel integrates its Connect platform with Google G Suite, while RingCentral Glip achieves HIPAA compliance for secure team chat in healthcare.

• February 02, 2017 02 Feb'17

  Slack Enterprise Grid needs more than tech to beat Microsoft Teams

  The new Slack Enterprise Grid has the technology basics for business. But winning large enterprise deals will require a better strategy against Microsoft.

• January 27, 2017 27 Jan'17

  Cloud migration challenges continue to vex enterprises

  Analysts discuss how providers can support cloud migrations, how workflow automation aids digital transformation, and Zoom's position in the cloud video market.

• January 26, 2017 26 Jan'17

  Software creation is not for every startup

  While it may be beneficial in the long run, creating AI software requires patience, investment and the right cast of employees. For one company, the investment paid off.

• January 19, 2017 19 Jan'17

  A hybrid deployment gives organizations UC flexibility

  Two factors are driving the hybrid deployment of unified communications: infrastructure needs and business value. But enterprises need to navigate certain deployment turbulence.

• January 18, 2017 18 Jan'17

  Quip acquisition of Unity&Variety beefs up subsidiary

  Salesforce hopes to add visual and creative elements to its document tool, while Commerce Cloud's integration with Facebook Ads hopes to make buying easy.

• January 06, 2017 06 Jan'17

  AI, messaging top unified communications industry trends

  Unified communications industry analysts explore the trends that will affect organizations in 2017. Artificial intelligence, messaging and infrastructure are key areas to watch.

• January 03, 2017 03 Jan'17

  Three key 2017 technology trends to know

  Predictive analytics, voice-activated devices and artificial intelligence will take shape as significant technology trends in 2017. Some still await further maturity.

• December 16, 2016 16 Dec'16

  Salesforce-AWS partnership expected to benefit customers

  By switching to Amazon Web Services, existing Salesforce customers could gain insight from AWS apps that will easily integrate with Salesforce.

• December 06, 2016 06 Dec'16

  Why has the Microsoft-Salesforce partnership soured?

  While the Microsoft-Salesforce partnership was touted with great fanfare just two years ago, the relationship has since soured.

• November 29, 2016 29 Nov'16

  Insightly adds CRM security to its product

  With smaller security budgets and IT teams than enterprise businesses, small and medium-sized companies are more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Insightly's new security features hope to combat that.

• November 14, 2016 14 Nov'16

  Inside the Salesforce strategy: Acquisitions, AI and Commerce Cloud

  Salesforce Einstein and Commerce Cloud are at the forefront of this year's Salesforce strategy, but the company works to gain momentum around IoT Cloud.

• November 02, 2016 02 Nov'16

  Election Protection helps voters with call center technology

  Election Protection handles upward of 100,000 calls per day as Election Day nears, routing calls from high-call-volume states using Genesys.

• October 26, 2016 26 Oct'16

  Abacus aims to find missing data in marketing expenses

  By combing CRM data, Abacus looks to provide finance teams with a clearer picture on costs accrued during marketing campaigns and events.

• October 06, 2016 06 Oct'16

  Collaborative tool Quip furthers Salesforce integration

  Pinterest used Quip to enhance collaboration between different departments in order to create new video advertising for its popular social media application.

• October 05, 2016 05 Oct'16

  Predictive lead scoring among new Sales Cloud features

  Einstein offers sales reps insight to smarter lead scores, but users wonder how deep the predictive capabilities of Salesforce's newest feature will go.

• August 18, 2016 18 Aug'16

  Salesforce Inbox adds another layer of integration Calendar

  Salesforce hopes to reduce the need for sales reps to toggle between apps while on the go by combining email and calendar events in one app.

• August 15, 2016 15 Aug'16

  Inside Ted Cruz's presidential campaign management software strategy

  Sen. Ted Cruz didn't clinch the Republican nomination, but not for lack of technology. Campaign management software on Salesforce tracked donations, volunteers and voters.

• August 04, 2016 04 Aug'16

  Quip joins growing stable of Salesforce apps

  With the addition of Quip, Salesforce users can perform word processing tasks without leaving the CRM provider's platform -- which may spell bad news for Microsoft.

• June 30, 2016 30 Jun'16

  Why communication is critical to implementing ERP

  In this podcast, ERP implementation consultant Bill Baumann of Panorama Consulting reveals how companies can use a good communication plan to avoid failure in implementing ERP.

• June 27, 2016 27 Jun'16

  LinkedIn purchase may signal new era of open APIs

  Microsoft's LinkedIn purchase may open up APIs and enable new competitors to take advantage of the treasure trove of social CRM data in LinkedIn.

• June 27, 2016 27 Jun'16

  Microsoft buys LinkedIn database for treasure trove of CRM contacts

  Microsoft bought the LinkedIn database. How will the professional contacts data enhance existing information in Dynamics CRM?

• May 25, 2016 25 May'16

  Maximize growth through sales collaboration

  OHL, a global supply chain management company, grew sales with successful collaboration between sales teams and marketers.

• May 19, 2016 19 May'16

  Salesforce Government Cloud, app sharing ease agency collaboration

  Salesforce Government Cloud Lightning eases government agencies' security concerns, allows for app sharing and improves communication among agencies and citizens.

• April 12, 2016 12 Apr'16

  Mobile microchip technology plays a major role in the future

  Mobile devices are nothing without powerful chips. Advances in the semiconductor industry will be critical to pushing smartphone innovation forward.

• April 06, 2016 06 Apr'16

  Blockchain as a service may be in your future -- like it or not

  Although consumers have been reticent about digital payments, new services -- such as Venmo and blockchain -- are making the benefits of mobile payments difficult to deny.

• March 04, 2016 04 Mar'16

  ERP projects need organizational change management to succeed

  The success of ERP projects depends on organizational change management, the right ERP software selection and executive buy-in, says a panel of ERP experts.

• February 24, 2016 24 Feb'16

  Users discontent with data insights from analytics apps

  Companies use analytics apps to derive meaningful data insights, but survey results indicate they are discontented with their BI tools. Can Salesforce Analytics Cloud fill the void?

• February 15, 2016 15 Feb'16

  Salesforce exec discloses plans to boost one-to-one marketing

  Traditional mass marketing methods don't cut it anymore. Salesforce discusses its plans to bring one-to-one marketing to customers.

• February 08, 2016 08 Feb'16

  Omnichannel customer service is no small feat

  Seamless, efficient customer service is the elusive goal of omnichannel. Salesforce expects to deliver it using IoT to give contact centers 'spooky intelligent' systems.

• January 25, 2016 25 Jan'16

  Salesforce IoT Cloud still on road to maturity

  Offerings such as Salesforce IoT Cloud are open for business. But are IoT-connected devices ready to generate meaningful data?

• December 22, 2015 22 Dec'15

  Emerging CRM technologies took center stage in 2015

  New CRM technologies such as the Internet of Things and native analytics apps piqued interest in 2015. But adoption of these technologies has yet to reach critical mass.

• December 17, 2015 17 Dec'15

  Marketing automation adoption takes off: 2016 technology trends

  As we look ahead to the 2016 IT trends to watch, one key CRM theme is marketing automation adoption, which is poised to grow, says an expert.

• November 20, 2015 20 Nov'15

  Oracle Marketing Cloud updates mobile capabilities

  Updates to the Oracle Marketing Cloud aim to give marketers and salespeople more mobile customer engagement options, as well as testing capabilities for marketing content.

• November 04, 2015 04 Nov'15

  Another Worthwhile DISM Source "Trick"

  In my continuing efforts to maintain the health and well-being of my Windows 10 installations, I've continued messing about with the built-in deployment image servicing and management tool ...

• October 27, 2015 27 Oct'15

  Oracle Marketing Cloud updated, with focus on data

  Oracle's latest updates to its Marketing Cloud are designed to help marketers make better use of data to segment and target customers, as well as manage campaigns more efficiently.

• October 09, 2015 09 Oct'15

  NetBIOS Tweak May Be Needed for Win10 NAS Access

  In response to a question from an old friend and colleague, I started researching what might cause a NAS connection to vanish following an upgrade to Windows 10. It turns out that certain network ...

• September 14, 2015 14 Sep'15

  Will Salesforce Wave Analytics' upgrade be persuasive for users?

  After a year on the market, Salesforce Wave, the BI platform, gets an upgrade. But there are continuing question marks about its value.

• September 01, 2015 01 Sep'15

  FinancialForce project management tool boosts Lexmark's ECM services

  When Lexmark took on FinancialForce to manage its technology services projects, its ability to provide services blossomed

• August 27, 2015 27 Aug'15

  Kronos shift scheduling software a grind for Starbucks worker

  On-call scheduling software gets criticized in workers' rights debate, but top employment lawyer says the software helps manage costs.

• July 24, 2015 24 Jul'15

  Oracle Sales Cloud update aims to boost sales, efficiency

  Oracle updates its Sales Cloud to increase sales; Infer announces new lead gen product; and Xactly Strategic Services aims to drive workforce management.

• July 22, 2015 22 Jul'15

  Driver Difficulties Return in Win10 Build 20140

  For the last three builds of Windows 10 (10159, 10162, and 10166) the OS was remarkably well-behaved in installing drivers for my newest PC (a less-than-one-year-old Dell Venue 11 Pro 7139 with an ...

• June 18, 2015 18 Jun'15

  Salesforce releases Wave Analytics Apps and Sales Wave Analytics

  Wave Analytics Apps, the latest offering from Salesforce, makes crunching the numbers easier through tighter integration with Salesforce 1.

• May 28, 2015 28 May'15

  Salesforce ties Wave analytics tool to big data platforms

  Salesforce is getting more involved in big data analytics, with new partnerships that open up its cloud-based Wave analytics technology to Hadoop and other big data systems.

• May 14, 2015 14 May'15

  Best of Citrix Synergy 2015 Awards winners

  The Best of Citrix Synergy 2015 Awards recognize the best products on display at Citrix's annual user conference.

• May 08, 2015 08 May'15

  Why you need mobile infrastructure

  IT shops need to invest in modern mobile infrastructure to meet the growing demands of mobility in the enterprise.

• April 13, 2015 13 Apr'15

  Microsoft Convergence focuses on analytics, cloud

  Microsoft Convergence attendees explored the new cloud-based Power BI analytics tool at the conference.

• March 24, 2015 24 Mar'15

  Has Microsoft cloud strategy evolved?

  Microsoft is trying to lead customers to the cloud with hybrid offerings, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. But will that succeed?

• March 24, 2015 24 Mar'15

  Create apps that focus on end-user needs first

  Many companies approach mobile app development backward and don't even realize it. Prioritizing user needs over business needs will breed better results.

• March 10, 2015 10 Mar'15

  Why SMAC will change your company's content management strategy

  Trends like social, mobile and cloud have become entrenched in business operations but also pose serious challenges to managing and securing information.

• March 02, 2015 02 Mar'15

  Mobile customer service gives citizens a voice with government

  Philly 311, a new mobile customer service app for the city of Philadelphia, helps citizens report neighborhood incidents and engage more deeply with city government.

• February 10, 2015 10 Feb'15

  Customer data becomes the turf for companies' competitive advantage

  Corporations are using customer data to gain a competitive edge in the market, but new analytics technologies pose privacy downsides.

• February 06, 2015 06 Feb'15

  Win10 Gets Smart About Paging Files

  In working on a Windows 10 story for SearchEnterpriseDesktop this week, I came to an interesting realization. In Windows 10, MS has finally broken with tradition when it comes to sizing the paging ...

• January 23, 2015 23 Jan'15

  CloudOn app to shut down after Dropbox acquisition

  Following a partnership with Microsoft, Dropbox acquired CloudOn and will pull the plug on the collaboration tool, removing an Office alternative.

• January 19, 2015 19 Jan'15

  Affordable Apple MDM option emerges for IT on a budget

  One real estate services company needed device management and found JAMF's Bushel to be a cost-effective MDM for its Apple devices.

• December 18, 2014 18 Dec'14

  New per-user Windows license pricing cuts VDI costs

  Early quotes for Windows' new per-user Software Assurance licensing could save significant money for IT shops doing VDI.

• November 21, 2014 21 Nov'14

  BlackBerry pins enterprise future on BES12, partnerships

  BlackBerry's return to QWERTY keyboard devices and improvements to BES12 are steps in the right direction, but is it too little, too late for many IT shops that have already moved on?

• November 03, 2014 03 Nov'14

  Best practices for financial planning and analysis

  In a Q&A, Dave Murray summarizes takeaways from a BPI Network survey that polled dozens of executives on their budgeting and forecasting challenges -- and how technology can help.

• October 01, 2014 01 Oct'14

  The buzz: New 4-D printing gets itself together

  And you thought 3-D printing was avant-garde? Get a load of this one-upper: The 4-D process prints parts that can assemble or repair themselves. That is, in theory.

• July 22, 2014 22 Jul'14

  Microsoft talks up services, mum on Windows strategy

  Microsoft has acknowledged that users aren't just tied to desktop OSes, shifting its focus to Office 365 and DaaS rather than its Windows strategy.

• May 16, 2014 16 May'14

  BlackBerry 10 open APIs extend MDM support without BES

  BlackBerry's move to open its BlackBerry 10 OS APIs to other MDM tools is a welcome one for IT shops that don't want to stick with BES.

• April 29, 2014 29 Apr'14

  A SharePoint upgrade can educate users about information governance

  Upgrading or migrating to a new version of SharePoint gives companies a chance to clean up their content and revive information governance training.

• April 10, 2014 10 Apr'14

  BPM projects must come from top down, says Oracle Collaborate speaker

  While trends such as mobility have changed BPM from the bottom up, BPM projects should come from the top down, said an Oracle Collaborate speaker.

• March 28, 2014 28 Mar'14

  IT admins, MDM vendors mull Apple Device Enrollment Program integration

  Apple is listening to IT with device enrollment and volume app purchasing programs updates, yet vendors and IT pros are left to sort through it all.

• March 21, 2014 21 Mar'14

  Plantronics pins hopes on next-gen wearable technology to ‘unify UC’

  Imagine using your headset not just for calls, but to adjust the temperature of your conference room or pull up documents you need for your meeting. With the advancement of next-generation wearable technology, those capabilities may not be so far ...

• March 18, 2014 18 Mar'14

  Will the dying desk phone reinvent itself as a ‘multimedia device’?

  ORLANDO – With the use of mobile devices and BYOD growing in the enterprise, will desk phones go the way of the rotary phone, or can they be reinvented for the future?

• March 17, 2014 17 Mar'14

  ShoreTel rounds out cloud offering with new 400 series for ShoreTel Sky

  ORLANDO — ShoreTel announced today at Enterprise Connect 2014 that it is now shipping its 400 series IP phones for ShoreTel Sky, a series of three new deskphone options for cloud customers.

• March 14, 2014 14 Mar'14

  Microsoft moves deeper into cloud with Office Graph, OneDrive updates

  Microsoft looks to the enterprise future with Yammer-inspired Office Graph for collaboration, standalone OneDrive for Business taking on Dropbox, Box.

• January 21, 2014 21 Jan'14

  As ECM systems mature, BPM becomes central to ROI

  ECM systems have matured beyond content repositories to include automated workflow, which can optimize business processes and justify the cost.

• December 20, 2013 20 Dec'13

  Enterprise mobile device wars to heat up in 2014 with Apple, Samsung

  Apple and Samsung will continue their battle for enterprise in 2014. Could Microsoft, or even BlackBerry, seize an opportunity amidst the fight?

• December 18, 2013 18 Dec'13

  Compare Cisco and Lync UC platform features while market is ripe

  Are you deciding between Cisco and Lync UC platforms? This article compares features from each vendor and explains why the competition is so tough.

• December 09, 2013 09 Dec'13

  Cloud storage and file-sharing service features, pricing comparison

  With all the cloud storage and file-sharing platforms available, it can be hard to choose. Use our chart to compare features, pricing and more.

• December 05, 2013 05 Dec'13

  BlackBerry enterprise management in focus with CEO letter, BES 10.2

  On the heels of an impassioned letter from its new CEO, BlackBerry tells everyone who'll listen that it's still the go-to for EMM with a BES 10 update.

• November 26, 2013 26 Nov'13

  SharePoint 2013 out-of-the-box features

  Let's give thanks for some of SharePoint 2013's out-of-the-box features, some of which have made serious strides since the previous release.

• September 27, 2013 27 Sep'13

  SkyDrive Pro offers another corporate cloud storage service option

  Cloud-based storage is in high demand, but will Windows 8.1 with SkyDrive meet the need for an enterprise-grade service?

• August 19, 2013 19 Aug'13

  "Run as Administrator" Adds to WinDirStat File Visibility

  I've written repeatedly about a great, free SourceForge utility called WinDirStat for this blog over the years. But just this morning, I learned something about the program I didn't know -- namely ...

• August 06, 2013 06 Aug'13

  BMC's Partnerpedia acquisition to yield unified enterprise app store

  BMC, RES Software and other vendors offer enterprise app stores akin to Apple's Mac App Store to deliver apps and services to corporate employees . Here's how.