Month: March 2023

‘Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service’ Marks a Big Step Forward for Microsoft’s Contact Center AI Capabilities

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

• Microsoft is capitalizing on two key contact center trends: the pivot from a multi-channel orientation to an omni-channel orientation and the emergence of AI.

• Microsoft must rationalize its contact center portfolio and establish integration with Teams.

This month Microsoft launched a limited preview of ‘Microsoft Dynamics 365 Copilot’. The offer features Microsoft’s new Copilot generative AI and natural language processing (NLP) engine built natively into various Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM and ERP apps. Employees in functions such as sales, customer service, marketing, operations, and supply chain leverage the Copilot capabilities in the apps to create content faster, complete complex tasks, and gain insights into their work.

Continue reading “‘Copilot in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service’ Marks a Big Step Forward for Microsoft’s Contact Center AI Capabilities” →

Avaya is Making Bold Moves to Rebuild, but Differentiation Remains Key

by Gregg Willsky, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate
G. Willsky

Summary Bullets:

• The restructuring agreement is the beachhead of Avaya’s go-to-market strategy and brings significant benefits.

• Avaya faces challenges at multiple levels as it conducts its metamorphosis.

In August 2022 Alan Masarek was appointed CEO of Avaya, replacing Jim Chirico, who had led the company since 2018. Masarek has been charged with reversing disappointing financial results, rightsizing the company, and improving the cloud product portfolio.

Continue reading “Avaya is Making Bold Moves to Rebuild, but Differentiation Remains Key” →

A Sino-Centric Approach by Gulf Nations and Telcos Should be an Alarm Bell for Western Tech

by Ismail Patel, posted in Big Data, IT Leader, Network, Secure
I. Patel

Summary Bullets:

• For China, brokering political stability in the Middle East means investment opportunities. It is working at both in tandem as an overture to its long-term strategic interests in the region.

• Policy and government diktat will not compensate for the fragmented approach by Western governments and tech companies when challenging the likes of Huawei in eastern markets.

After a seven-year stand-off that involved the Saudi and Iranian Embassies gathering dust in each other’s countries, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) announced a rapprochement with Tehran (Iran) under the auspices of Beijing (China) on March 10, 2023. This was a surprise announcement made by representatives from the two countries attending a summit in China with analysts across all sectors pouring over what it means. Technology is one sector that is worthy of analysis comment to determine the wider implications for the international technology market.

Continue reading “A Sino-Centric Approach by Gulf Nations and Telcos Should be an Alarm Bell for Western Tech” →

Google’s AI Move Gives Devs Another Reason to Upskill on GCP

by Charlotte Dunlap, posted in Cloud Enable
C. Dunlap Research Director

Summary Bullets:

• Google pads its AI arsenal via ML and app platforms.

• Generative AI/ML is now at the heart of the cloud wars.

Google is targeting a broad array of developers with its new roll out of AI-enabled APIs, tools, and capabilities, including a new generative AI model being made available to this community for the first time. Foundational to these services are Google’s growing AI portfolio including:

  • PaLM API, which accesses Google’s large language learning model;
  • Vertex AI, a machine learning platform;
  • Generative AI App Builder, a new app development platform for creating bots, chat apps, digital assistants, and custom search engines;
  • Workspace, a simplified app development/management toolset (including Cloud Code); and
  • MakerSuite, a simple browser-based tool for building apps with Google’s Foundation Model.
Continue reading “Google’s AI Move Gives Devs Another Reason to Upskill on GCP” →

Underwater Data Center Going Swimmingly

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Cloud Enable
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

• A mini edge data center is being used to heat a public swimming pool in Devon, southwest of England (UK).

• Innovation is symptomatic of how sustainability issues – and marketing opportunities – can be addressed using imagination and technology.

UK company Deep Green is heating a public swimming pool in Devon (UK) with a ‘washing machine-sized’ edge data center. The data center’s computers are surrounded by oil to capture heat, which then is passed by convection/heat exchanger into the swimming pool and heated to about 30 degrees Centigrade. The pool, run by the local (Exmouth) council, gets the heat for free, and Deep Green and its customers can rest knowing they are contributing to dealing with climate challenges and supporting a free-of-charge municipal service. Seven further municipal pools have subsequently signed up for the service in the face of multiple swimming pool closures as a result of energy costs.

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UK SOHO Market Heats Up

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, Network, Secure
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

• Infrastructure-focused Giganet has launched a wholesale connectivity offering targeting the SOHO market for its reseller, managed service provider, and ISP partners.

• This re-emphasizes both the importance of the SOHO and SME markets as a key target as well as of the fragmentation of the supply/value chain.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small office/home office (SOHO) businesses are becoming the telecoms target markets of preference across many countries at the moment. Given the background of deglobalization and trade wars, combined with many individuals choosing to pursue their own path or work on side businesses as a result of the pandemic as well as associated experience of working from home for white-collar workers (or laid-off blue-collar workers), smaller business is where much of global growth is being delivered, presenting an opportunity for many companies across all verticals, including the telecoms sector.

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2023 Update on Cybersecurity Investment Trends and Considerations for Investors

by Rajesh Muru, posted in IT Leader, Network, Secure
R. Muru

Summary Bullets:

• Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in cybersecurity continues to cause uncertainty in the investment community, but latest Q4 2022 projections show investments have picked up.

• Success for investors will entail investing in the right cybersecurity technology segments and ensuring investors back companies that are visionaries and have strong customer alignment.

Cybersecurity Revenues Remain High, but Investment Reservations Exist
GlobalData’s deals database highlights that in value, cybersecurity deal activity decreased previously by 98% in Q3 2022 compared to the Q3 2021 total of $7.7 billion. Similarly, deal volume also remained flat in Q3 2022, compared to Q3 2021, and was even lower by 33% in the same quarter in 2021. These trends indicate that although revenues among cybersecurity companies remain positive, there are still investment reservations in cybersecurity due to the unsettling economic climate and a possibility that cybersecurity stocks could follow in a similar fashion to tech stocks.

Continue reading “2023 Update on Cybersecurity Investment Trends and Considerations for Investors” →

MWC23: T-Mobile Touts Network Advancements, Developer Tools, and FWA Gateways at MWC

by Kitty Weldon, posted in Mobilize
Kathryn Weldon – Research Director, Business Network and IT Services – Americas

Summary Bullets:

• US operators don’t generally make announcements at MWC, as it tends to be more of a European and international event. They often show up to meet analysts and potential customers, but rarely note new service launches. T-Mobile, however, made three key announcements.

• At MWC, T-Mobile further illustrated that it is increasingly aligned with Deutsche Telekom. Its announcements make clear it is taking every opportunity to showcase initiatives across developer, enterprise, and 5G network services.

T-Mobile made three announcements (so far) at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023. On Day 1, the ‘Un-Carrier’ announced that Cisco and T-Mobile will offer businesses Cisco Meraki’s first-ever 5G cellular gateways for fixed wireless access (FWA), the MG51 and MG51E. In addition, Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US introduced network application programming interfaces (APIs) and a joint developer platform in Germany and the US. On Day 3, T-Mobile announced higher speeds and Apple support for its 5G standalone (SA) network.

Continue reading “MWC23: T-Mobile Touts Network Advancements, Developer Tools, and FWA Gateways at MWC” →