Communications platforms and integrations
Integrating UC with other business apps and workflows can enhance collaboration and productivity. With offerings like CPaaS, businesses can use APIs and other development tools to connect disparate systems and enable a more seamless communications experience.
Top Stories
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Feature
06 Dec 2023
Stepping into the collaborative workplace in virtual reality
Some see immersive, 3D collaboration spaces as an upgrade from video conferencing because they offer better opportunities for socializing, brainstorming, onboarding and training. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2023
Mural intros Mural AI, integrates with Microsoft 365 Copilot
The integration of Copilot into the visual collaboration platform shows how vendors are working together to bring customers generative AI tools that interoperate between systems. Continue Reading
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News
03 Oct 2023
Project management vendor Asana brings AI to Work Graph
The project management platform vendor brings 'smart' tools to its work efficiency monitoring tool to unearth specific problems and identify concrete ways teams can solve them. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2023
Everbridge 360 emphasizes communication, preparedness
Everbridge envisions its new 360 critical event management platform as a multiyear release. Features are heavy on the ability to communicate in a disaster. Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2023
Google releases Duet AI for Workspace; new Meet, Chat tools
The tech giant released its collaboration suite virtual assistant and unveiled new tools to help users summarize and translate meetings and enable teleprompts for presentations. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Aug 2023
RCS vs. SMS: What's the difference?
SMS is being supplanted by RCS to let carriers compete against WhatsApp and Messenger and open new avenues to business messaging. Learn the difference between RCS and SMS. Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2023
Slack launches redesign to centralize notifications, tasks
The collaboration vendor is out with a new interface to centralize workspaces for Enterprise Grid customers and display notifications and unify create functions in one view. Continue Reading
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News
02 Aug 2023
Salesforce offers tighter Slack integration with Sales Cloud
The CRM giant released tools that bring customer data and insights to the collaboration platform, such as instant account updates sent directly to channels for review. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Jul 2023
Exchange Online post-migration steps for admins
A move to the hosted email platform is an opportunity to streamline how users work with other Microsoft 365 services. But it requires IT to stay current with the product roadmap. Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2023
Hybrid workplaces need accessible, integrable UC platforms
Users want videoconferencing to interoperate with on-site hardware, virtual whiteboards that integrate into workflows and design platforms that are accessible to all contributors. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Jul 2023
How IT departments structure collaboration management
Today, there are countless apps used to communicate across companies. IT departments are taking two approaches to organize the teams responsible for collaboration deployments. Continue Reading
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Feature
27 Jun 2023
Collaboration tool sprawl challenges and how to address them
Using multiple communication and collaboration tools can cause productivity headaches. There are steps IT can take to avoid these issues and manage collaboration tool sprawl. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Jun 2023
How to evaluate top UCaaS providers and vendors of 2023
In a growing UCaaS market, there are many considerations to make when evaluating which providers best suit your business communications needs. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jun 2023
UCaaS vs. CCaaS vs. CPaaS: What's the difference?
It can be difficult to make sense of popular cloud communications service models. Compare UCaaS vs. CCaaS vs. CPaaS to understand their differences and how they can be used together. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jun 2023
Sport teams drive sales leads with an AI digital assistant
American soccer club Louisville City and the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks use Conversica to target the most promising leads for their sales teams and drive profit for their organizations. Continue Reading
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Tip
17 May 2023
CPaaS brings cloud contact center features to on premises
Organizations with on-premises contact centers don't need to make a full cloud migration to modernize their systems. CPaaS can enable cloud features and drive key business metrics. Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2023
Zoom takes on Anthropic's AI assistant for Contact Center
The video and collaboration platform vendor has allied with OpenAI spinoff Anthropic and is integrating Anthropic's chatbot, Claude, for a decentralized approach to training AI. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 May 2023
Follow these steps to decommission Exchange Server
An Exchange Server migration includes a lot of moving parts but it's important to cover the training aspect to make sure your users aren't left behind. Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2023
20-year evolution of Everbridge critical event management
Everbridge critical event management has reached Ukraine and work-from-anywhere users. CEO David Wagner explains how he's guided the company through difficult times. Continue Reading
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News
04 May 2023
Slack GPT quickly summarizes channels and creates canvases
The CRM giant unveiled a generative AI assistant for its Slack collaboration platform to let users quickly summarize channels, draft messages and create whiteboard-like canvases. Continue Reading
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News
02 May 2023
Microsoft releases Teams Payments app for small businesses
The tech giant brings transaction capabilities to its Teams platform, expanding digital commerce options for small businesses that offer online services through Teams. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Apr 2023
Microsoft and Cisco certification deepens interoperability
These UC blogs review Microsoft's and Cisco's latest integrations and the business strategy driving them, as well as how to ensure collaboration security in the workplace. Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2023
Slack releases updated API platform for developers
The instant messaging collaboration vendor released its updated API platform for developers to create functions that interact with APIs. Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2023
Atlassian unveils generative AI-backed tools for Confluence
The collaboration software vendor incorporated a virtual assistant supported by OpenAI technology to summarize meetings and draft tweets in Confluence, its collaboration space. Continue Reading
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Tip
19 Apr 2023
Tap collaboration devices for employee experience data
Collaboration devices play a key role in supporting employee experience, from extracting engagement data to improving hybrid meeting parity. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Apr 2023
How generative AI for business enhances collaboration
Generative AI has become a leading technology topic. Digital assistants and idea generation are two ways the technology could increase employee productivity. Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2023
Cisco provides extra-secure Webex for U.S. government
Cisco will provide a higher-security cloud-based unified communications platform for U.S. national security and defense personnel to monitor classified data, starting in 2024. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Apr 2023
3 common video conferencing problems and how to solve them
Employees have grown more skilled with video over the last few years. But video problems still plague meetings today. Learn how to address the most common challenges. Continue Reading
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Video
10 Apr 2023
Recap Enterprise Connect hybrid work trends, generative AI
Analysts discuss the top trends from Enterprise Connect 2023, including generative AI and how to make hybrid work more inclusive. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Apr 2023
Extend collaboration tools with 'Google Workspace User Guide'
Collaboration tools are key as businesses shift to hybrid work. Google Workspace supports productivity with Google Classroom, Marketplace apps and Google Assistant. Continue Reading
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News
30 Mar 2023
IT pros face hybrid work technology challenges
Enterprises need specialized video conferencing equipment for office spaces that are usually empty to accommodate both in-office and remote participants during meetings. Continue Reading
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News
28 Mar 2023
Microsoft updates Teams for faster online collaboration
The tech giant's popular collaboration platform gets new features including enabled multi-tenant accounts, QR code sign-in for hot desking and interoperability with Cisco devices. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Mar 2023
Meeting room hardware supports hybrid employee experience
Meeting room hardware must evolve to support the hybrid employee experience. Meeting Owl 3 and Owl Bar are two devices aiming to create a more equitable meeting experience. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Zoom to boost Zoom IQ with generative AI-backed capabilities
The videoconferencing platform's new Open AI-backed tool will provide email writing suggestions. More updated tools include a chat composer and meeting summarizer. Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2023
Amazon Chime SDK gets new tools for call analytics insights
The communications service's new call analytics tool set enables users to conduct voice tone analysis to track customer sentiment and send the data to their preferred data lake. Continue Reading
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News
21 Mar 2023
Vonage's API tools embed video and add bulk messaging
Vonage drops an embedded video conferencing tool that can live on any platform and a mass communication tool to let enterprises customize messages at scale. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 Mar 2023
How to prepare for the next version of Exchange Server
The Exchange Server roadmap charts several twists and turns that shows Microsoft deviating from its typical course with the server-based email platform. Continue Reading
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Conference Coverage
20 Mar 2023
Everything Enterprise Connect 2023: News, trends and insights
This guide gathers the latest news and analysis from Enterprise Connect, one of the largest enterprise communications and collaboration conferences in 2023. Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2023
Microsoft unveils AI-backed Copilot for Teams, Word and more
Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates AI-supported tools into Microsoft's productivity apps to help users write and organize emails, garner insights, and corral disparate data. Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Mar 2023
Cisco hybrid work bundle enhances employee experience
This series of UC blogs examines Cisco's hybrid work bundle, Neat's new Neat Pulse offering and how Zoho Workplace increases work productivity. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Mar 2023
Why you should plan to migrate to Exchange 2019 soon
An upgrade to the latest Exchange version will bring added functionality for end users and security enhancements. But it will also help ease the transition to Exchange vNext. Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2023
Microsoft Teams AI updates for chat, Rooms Pro Management
The tech giant's $10 billion investment in OpenAI brings AI-supported updates to its basic Teams offering, on top of features supported by GPT-3.5 to Microsoft Teams Premium. Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2023
ClickUp 3.0 built for scalability with AI, universal search
The new platform moves to the modern cloud infrastructure and offers a streamlined inbox, an AI-supported writing tool and universal search to access files across many apps. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Feb 2023
Slack workflow automation enhances Shipt productivity
After Shipt deployed Slack's workflow automation tools, the company saw greater productivity and communication with its employees and shoppers. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Feb 2023
Understanding UC interoperability challenges
The growth of remote and hybrid work has driven demand for better interoperability among collaboration tools. But supporting interoperability isn't without its challenges. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 Feb 2023
UC vendors extend mobile telephony capabilities
UC providers like Cisco and Microsoft are expanding mobile voice services in their platforms, enabling employees to use native dialing and more advanced mobile features. Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2023
Microsoft boosts Teams Premium tools with OpenAI's GPT-3.5
Microsoft leverages OpenAI's large language model in Teams Premium to draw meaningful information from recorded meetings. More AI features are on the roadmap. Continue Reading
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Answer
07 Feb 2023
Comparing visual collaboration and ideation for productivity
Visual collaboration and ideation each play a specific and significant role in increasing worker productivity, while also working toward growing today's market. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
New Teams Rooms features aim to streamline user control
Microsoft's latest changes to Teams Rooms include easier access to its most-used buttons, a scroll-through calendar preview and more ambient theme background display options. Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Feb 2023
What's new with the EXO v3 module for Exchange admins?
Microsoft made several significant improvements in the Exchange Online PowerShell v3 module for added reliability and performance when managing the hosted email platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jan 2023
Microsoft's OpenAI investment to boost work productivity
This series of UC blogs examines Microsoft's investment in OpenAI, Amazon Chime's advancements that increase productivity and RingCentral DaaS. Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2023
Zoom adds chatbot virtual assistant to CCaaS offering
The Zoom chatbot uses conversational language and proprietary AI to assist people calling Zoom's contact center as a service. Zoom launched its CCaaS last year. Continue Reading
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Tip
31 Jan 2023
Compare Microsoft Teams Operator Connect vs. Direct Routing
As more companies migrate their telephony to Microsoft Teams, IT departments have two options to bring their current PSTN provider to the Teams platform. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Jan 2023
Can Microsoft Teams send text messages?
As more companies move to remote work, IT teams can enable sending text messages through Microsoft Teams for quicker and easier communication among users. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jan 2023
Top UC and collaboration news of 2022 highlights 4 key trends
Review the 2022 UC and collaboration news highlights to learn about the trends that drove the market, and discover how these trends will influence the market in 2023. Continue Reading
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Tip
29 Dec 2022
Understanding hot desking pros and cons for the hybrid office
Hot desking is one way to manage workspaces in a hybrid office. Learn some hot desking pros and cons to decide if it's the right approach for your company. Continue Reading
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Tip
18 Nov 2022
How to approach a Webex-Teams integration and make it work
Cisco and Microsoft are finally breaking down the interoperability barriers between Webex and Teams apps. Companies will be able to soon reap the benefits. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Nov 2022
Enterprise applications of the metaverse slow but coming
From holographic avatars to training surgeons, metaverse applications for enterprises are many. But the technology for organizations is still in its infancy. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Oct 2022
How asynchronous video communication boosts remote work
When it's time to share information with colleagues, a full-blown video conference isn't always necessary. Maybe an app like TikTok could help. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Oct 2022
Balancing remote work privacy vs. productivity monitoring
Weighing employee productivity monitoring against remote workers' privacy is a serious issue that requires protecting personal and corporate data and setting the right policies. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Sep 2022
How to decide on what Office 365 add-on licenses to use
Missing certain functionality and want to supplement your subscription to Office 365 or Microsoft 365? Find out what extras make sense for your organization. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Sep 2022
Consider Azure AD group-based licensing for Office 365 users
Administrators who manage many users can go one step further toward streamlining license assignments by taking advantage of a new feature from Microsoft. Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2022
New Everbridge CEO takes over at critical time
New Everbridge CEO David Wagner details his areas of focus for the company. Investor Ancora has suggested that a private equity firm should acquire Everbridge. Continue Reading
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News
26 Aug 2022
Zoom updates Contact Center, but features lag rivals
Zoom has added new Contact Center tools for supervisors and agents, giving management better insight into metrics while offering agents more ways to help customers. Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2022
Zoom IQ provides more intelligence for sales teams
Zoom's latest enhancements to IQ for Sales represent a product diversification strategy focused on delivering better intelligence to sales teams. Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2022
Microsoft releases cloud contact center platform
Contact center platform technology buyers have another option: Microsoft assembles a CCaaS from Nuance, Power Platform, Teams and -- for those who need it -- Dynamics 365 tech. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jul 2022
Zoom One bundles services to draw single-vendor customers
Zoom ties its services together in Zoom One as it evolves from a video conferencing app to a communications platform. The company targets firms that want a single UC vendor. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2022
Understanding WebRTC security architecture
WebRTC is a secure technology for real-time communications, but security also depends on the application using it. Find out how developers can maintain that security. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Jun 2022
Do you meet all the modern authentication requirements?
Microsoft's push to a more secure method for user authentication and authorization could catch some enterprises flat-footed if IT hasn't done its homework. Continue Reading
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Tutorial
27 Jun 2022
How to set up Exchange Online modern authentication
Microsoft plans to tighten up security on its hosted email platform to prevent attackers from gaining access to user credentials. Is your organization ready? Continue Reading
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Answer
23 Jun 2022
How do you evaluate UC applications for frontline workers?
UC offerings differ depending on business goals and intended users. When evaluating tools for frontline workers, consider factors based on communication, endpoints and workflows. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jun 2022
Cisco links Webex to ThousandEyes internet intelligence
Integration between the Cisco Webex Control Hub and ThousandEyes lets IT administrators spot internet problems before they can affect video conferences. Continue Reading
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Tip
03 Jun 2022
UC, employee experience management offer complex insight
New research shows that many organizations are rethinking the employee experience amid remote work. Here are the methods, platforms and tools to consider in your evaluation. Continue Reading
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Tip
10 May 2022
Microsoft modern authentication deadline looms over Exchange
Support for basic authentication will end this year, giving administrators who haven't switched to a newer authentication method little time to prepare for a smooth transition. Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2022
Salesforce pushes automation for Slack
Salesforce's low-code automation tool Flow and programming language Apex will soon work on Slack. The company said the move will help workers avoid rote tasks. Continue Reading
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Answer
29 Mar 2022
What's the difference between speech and voice recognition?
It's easy to be confused about the difference between speech and voice recognition. Each has a specific role to play in business collaboration and contact centers. Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2022
Microsoft integration tightens bonds between Teams, Outlook
Microsoft's upcoming integration will add Teams' collaboration capabilities to the Outlook email client. The update should save time for corporate workers. Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2022
Companies face legal uncertainties defending against NFTs
Companies enter a legal gray area when protecting their intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks against NFT makers. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2022
Zoom launches virtual conference floor for online events
Zoom wants virtual events to feel more like in-person sessions. The company's 2D virtual show floor, Expo, aims to re-create that sense of presence for remote attendees. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Jan 2022
Pairing SD-WAN, UCaaS together has benefits and challenges
Organizations may combine SD-WAN and UCaaS to gain synergies and avoid multivendor complexities. But the combination of the two technologies can create challenges. Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2022
Meta makes frontline worker push with Workplace, WhatsApp
Meta will allow businesses to send Workplace announcements over WhatsApp this year. The integration lets HQs use a popular consumer app to communicate with frontline workers. Continue Reading
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Answer
25 Jan 2022
Video streaming vs. video conferencing: What is the difference?
Companies are finding that video streaming and video conferencing can serve the same purpose. That doesn't mean, however, they are interchangeable. Find out why. Continue Reading
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Feature
22 Dec 2021
UCaaS for frontline workers poised for adoption 'explosion'
The unified communications and collaboration market has historically neglected customer-facing and field workers. But experts suggest a frontline UCaaS boom could be on the horizon. Continue Reading
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News
15 Dec 2021
Avaya pushes OneCloud customization
Avaya aims to create an ecosystem of customers, developers and partners that use its many integration tools to tailor the OneCloud platform for their individual needs. Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2021
Legal experts back Section 230 reform
Section 230 reform and addressing the liability protections afforded large tech companies is a divisive debate that has yet to result in bipartisan bills. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
Zoom to blur lines between video, phone meetings
Zoom Phone head Graeme Geddes said the lines between video meetings and phone calls will blur, allowing workers to choose the best communication tool for their needs. Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2021
Ericsson to acquire Vonage for 5G development
Ericsson plans to use Vonage's developer community and cloud-based communications platform for 5G software development. The $6.2 billion deal is expected to close next year. Continue Reading
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Answer
18 Nov 2021
How do you set up Zoom breakout rooms?
Breakout rooms might seem difficult to configure, but it's not so challenging once you have the right options enabled. Our expert outlines how to set up Zoom breakout rooms. Continue Reading
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Answer
22 Oct 2021
What are the use cases for programmable video?
Programmable video is a growing trend in the CPaaS market to integrate video with apps and websites. Learn the use cases driving adoption of programmable video APIs. Continue Reading
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Tip
15 Oct 2021
Consolidate UCaaS platforms for the post-pandemic workplace
Enterprises preparing for the post-pandemic workplace are reevaluating their UCaaS platforms. Learn the benefits of a consolidated architecture and why it's not for everyone. Continue Reading
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News
04 Jun 2021
Facebook focuses on business-to-consumer messaging
Facebook announced tools to make it easier for enterprises to reach customers on Instagram and WhatsApp, saying customers prefer messaging businesses. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2021
Salesforce-Slack deal heralds the future of collaboration
Deeper platform integrations, widespread communications tools and a dash of workflow automation are some of the elements that shape the future of team collaboration. Continue Reading
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Tip
05 Feb 2021
WebRTC standard designation highlights technology's evolution
The WebRTC standard is official. Learn how the technology evolved beyond facilitating embedded video communications and the future of the standard. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Dec 2020
Virtual visits to mature in 2021
The pandemic forced virtual care's hand in 2020, but healthcare systems and patients have found that the benefits of telehealth outweigh the drawbacks. Continue Reading
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Answer
30 Nov 2020
How has COVID-19 driven CPaaS API adoption?
New CPaaS use cases are emerging as business requirements for digital communications services evolve in response to COVID-19. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Nov 2020
CPaaS market growth broadens amid new use cases
While the pandemic didn't have a significant effect on CPaaS market growth, organizations accelerating their digital transformation plans are driving demand for APIs. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2020
Integrated collaboration environments offer new ways to work
By integrating with several other business operations, team collaboration platforms can provide a central workspace for virtual teams to organize their productivity. Continue Reading
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Tip
30 Oct 2020
Microsoft and Amazon take on CPaaS market share
The CPaaS landscape is evolving as Microsoft and Amazon introduce their own communications APIs. Learn how cloud computing vendors entering the market is changing the CPaaS game. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Sep 2020
Making the business case to migrate to Microsoft Teams PBX
Replacing an on-premises PBX with Microsoft Teams Phone System offers organizations flexibility with pricing, hardware and collaboration capabilities but does have limitations. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Aug 2020
CPaaS industry growth driven by pandemic communications
The CPaaS industry is accelerating as the pandemic drives new use cases for communications APIs, from virtual patient visits in healthcare to contactless pickup in retail. Continue Reading
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Answer
26 Jun 2020
Will remote work spur unified communications interoperability?
Unified communications interoperability is gaining more attention as more employees work from home. But, while some progress is being made, there is a long way to go. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Apr 2020
Gains in WebRTC technology making it increasingly versatile
WebRTC technology is now an important part of today's unified communications environment. But its road to adoption didn't come without a few bumps along the way. Continue Reading