BYOD! Is Cisco’s Idea of Bring Your Own Device Really Working for Business?

BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device, and they’re not just talking about a friendly get-together, but an actual business policy that states workers ought to bring their own iPad, iPhone, PDA or laptop.  More companies are jumping on the bandwagon, and workers have no problem obliging since they are familiar and comfortable with their own Smartphone. 

The claim is that these companies can increase productivity among employees as well as contribute to their own satisfaction by supporting BYOD.  (Workers no longer have to learn a new company system)  Of course with new opportunities for growth also comes significant challenges.  Not everyone is on board…why some companies are still banning employees from taking their Smartphones and tablets to work, since they are considered a distraction and a security risk.  Some companies even “block” these systems. 

According to an IBSG Horizon Study, the Cisco Company states that a whopping 76% of organizations (600 surveyed businesses in the United States) were in favor of the BYOD, particularly for IT departments.  About 95% of the surveyed companies stated that employees are allowed to bring their own devices to work.  Furthermore, statistics reveal that by 2014, connected devices per worker will reach 3.3, a notable increase.  So we’re not just bringing units to work…we’re bringing more than one!

Cisco has supported the BYOD concept, even going so far as to launch a new Smart Solutions kit that helps businesses learn how to take advantage of this increased mobility—and also avoid the most common mistakes associated with such a policy.  Cisco says that BYOD is going to be part of its so-called “Cisco Unified Workplace” portfolio, which is a specially created environment allowing workers all the information they need to work more efficiently.  Cisco’s Senior Vice President Padmasree Warrior told the press that the “intelligence network” would help workers to “work anywhere, anytime and [the way] they want.”

The Way Business is Heading

One thing’s for sure.  Whether or not big business approves of BYOD, everyone knows what it is—and has a strong opinion on it.  About 98% of all respondents said they were aware of the option for BYOD and about 68% said worker jobs (particularly knowledge-oriented workers) can be done using desktop virtualization.  A centralized network of information may be precisely what workers and companies need to feel comfortable.  It’s a win-win situation that is starting to look very attractive to pragmatic thinkers.

As for the prejudice against BYOD and bringing “phones to work” only time will tell if the climate changes.  We do know that Bring Your Own Device concept is making a lot of noise in big business and the popularity of mobile devices is pressing the issue.  If we don’t use all of this great technology, are we not squandering resources AND micromanaging workers’ free time?

What do you think?  Are we going to see a widespread BYOD vision fulfilled in the near future?

Avaya’s Aura Conferencing 7.0 Software is set to Debut and Change Business Conferencing for the Better

Avaya’s Aura Conferencing 7.0 Software is plugged as the next big thing in conferencing software.  It is a multi-modal system and one that is going to be compatible with Apple iPads and MS Windows PCs.  In addition to the Aura Conferencing 7.0 system, the company will also debut the Avaya Flare Experience.

The conferencing software on its own will give users the chance to enjoy unified web and voice collaboration regardless of whether they use PCs, Macs, Smartphones or even tablet PCs.  The “open standards-based SIP architecture” (the new standard in business) allows multiple device transmission as well as enhanced security.

However, besides the standard features, the company is also debuting an effective interface design, known as the intuitive Avaya Flare Experience.  This interface will allow easy voice collaboration, consolidated directories and real time document sharing, along with instant messaging capabilities.  Other benefits of using the system include:

• Secure Collaboration (not just encryption but also corporate network deployment and the ability to block unauthorized access)
• Unified conferencing elements, meaning users can actually share applications at their own speeds.  This will allow demonstrations and presentations in real time.
• Record and playback abilities, slide shows and even white boarding.
• And 50% savings from usual conferencing expenses.

The system is said to have the capability of maximizing return on investment in a quick turnaround time—perhaps only half a year.  The ability to take video conferencing and all other PC operations “on the road” and from almost any location is certainly an attractive feature.
Collaboration is not dependent upon shares software—it works with any web browser, even a Smartphone web browser.  This includes PCs, laptops and iPads.  Bandwidth usage is also reduced, which is a major relief on resources, thanks to the design’s superior architecture and “built-in functionality.”

This is perhaps the most significant feature, as the inability to reduce networking resources and budget is what prevents many companies from embracing this technology in the first place.  The fact that video conferencing is now becoming affordable is a huge step in the right direction, and is sure to convince more companies to take their communications to the web.


For more information on this or any other Avaya product, please contact one of our skilled professionals at avaya.broadconnect.ca

Is this really the next iPhone?

Over the past few days, the latest round of purported pictures of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 5 have hit the web. And I can't be the only potential customer who is deflated by what they see. In fact, I'll go far enough to say that, if the iPhone 5 looks like the pictures that have recently appeared, Apple may be screwed.

Why?

Because, the "iPhone 5" looks pretty much like the iPhone 4S. Which looked exactly like the iPhone 4, a phone that is now two years old.

In the meantime, Samsung and other manufacturers have come out with phones that make people's jaws drop, such as the Galaxy S3, which has a (relatively) humongous screen. Although the Apple faithful may start hyperventilating about things like the movement or elimination of a button, most phone buyers couldn't care less. Now that most phones do the same things and work pretty much the same way, the most obvious (and, arguably, important) difference between them is the screen.

In short, the Galaxy feels like a next-generation phone. The iPhone, meanwhile, looks small and old. And the pictures that purport to be of the iPhone 5 show a phone that is pretty much the same small, old phone.

(Yes, they've moved the camera an inch. And it's longer. And it has a metal back. Whoop-de-do.)

(And, yes, apparently the screen is a little taller. Somehow that isn't the same. Check out the size difference in the photo below between the current iPhone and the Galaxy: A bit taller won't cut it.)

To be sure, regardless of what the iPhone 5 ends up looking like, the Apple faithful will scarf up tens of millions of them. They'll line up around the block and sleep outside the stores. They'll rave about the amazing slickness and geniosity and sophistication of Apple, especially as compared to the plebeian "bigness" of Samsung (the Galaxy will no doubt be dismissed as the McMansion of phones).

But, secretly, a lot of those faithful will be disappointed.

And, more importantly, so will tens of millions of other customers and potential customers.

As they should be.

Because it will make it clear that one observation that many Apple skeptics make is dead-on correct--namely that each new generation of the iPhone offers less and less improvement over the prior generation, and, thus, gives customers less reason to upgrade. This, combined with carriers increasingly making moves to discourage customers from upgrading frequently (see AT&T's stealthy changes, which may have helped hurt Apple's iPhone sales in the June quarter), will stretch out the upgrade cycles. And that will mean fewer sales--and less growth--for Apple.

Which screen would you rather spend 18 hours a day using?

Apple's competitors, meanwhile, are on a tear.

In the past year, as Apple moved back its iPhone release schedule and then released a phone that seemed like only a modest refresh of the prior version, Apple's competitors have been gaining ground. Samsung sold 52 million smartphones in Q2, twice as many as Apple, and is now the clear worldwide smartphone leader. Samsung's Galaxy S3, which some reviewers say is better than the iPhone, has sold very well in its first couple of months on the market.

Despite the amazing success of the iPad (which will soon face serious, low-priced competition of its own), the iPhone is still by far and away Apple's most important product. The iPhone generates about half of Apple's revenue, and, likely, a lot more than half of Apple's profits.

If Apple's stock is to power its way to the the $1,000 that most analysts and investors now expect, the iPhone has to keep going gangbusters. And releasing a phone that looks pretty much like the same old iPhone--with a screen that now seems small--probably won't get the job done.

So here's hoping those pictures aren't actually of the iPhone 5.

(Source:  Business Insider )

(Shameless Self Promotion)

BroadSoft Introduces Office Launch, iPad app

Here is BroadSoft's official Press Release:

GAITHERSBURG, MD, July 18, 2012 – BroadSoft, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSFT), today announced Office Launch, an iPad app that enables BroadSoft's global telecommunications service provider customers to simplify the configuration of enterprise hosted Unified Communications (UC) services. BroadSoft customers can download Office Launch free of charge in the iTunes app store.

A common challenge service providers face in delivering hosted UC services is quickly handling the configuration details of an enterprise customer's new, hosted service. The Office Launch iPad app, developed for BroadSoft, provides an intuitive interface for implementation engineers and office administrators to quickly modify service information, such as the configuration for Auto Attendant phone trees, Front Desk and Hunting and Station services, as well as designate call routing to an employee's preferred mobile device or desk phone. And because the app leverages the BroadSoft Xtended open APIs, the service provider can easily deploy and customize the app to meet its specific needs.

By automating hosted UC service detailing for enterprises, Office Launch will enable service providers to:

    Accelerate customer deployment – Once a salesperson enters customer order information into the app, the install technician references the app on his or her iPad to easily complete and tailor the service configuration requirements at the enterprise's location.

    Improve sales productivity – Office Launch allows a service provider's sales team to shift installation fulfilment to its technicians, who can more quickly and seamlessly deploy the hosted service.

    Simplify the transition to hosted UC services – The Office Launch iPad app reduces the complexities associated with migrating enterprises from legacy PBXs to next generation communications services.

"Enterprises are rapidly transitioning from legacy phone systems to hosted Unified Communications services. Office Launch is designed to ensure the timely deployment of these modern communications services, which enables employees to efficiently communicate with their peers, partners and customers," said Leslie Ferry, vice president marketing, BroadSoft. "During customer trials, Office Launch proved to be an invaluable tool to simplify the configuration and installation of new hosted communication services, and we are excited it is now broadly available."

Service providers can download the free BroadSoft Office Launch iPad app by visiting the iTunes App store and searching for BroadSoft Office Launch.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "can," "enable," "will," "allows" and other similar terms and phrases, and such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the statements regarding the capabilities and benefits to service providers, enterprises and end users of the Office Launch app. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to whether the Office Launch app will be downloaded, installed and deployed and the resulting financial and other benefits to BroadSoft, as well as those factors contained in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on February 29, 2012, and in BroadSoft's other filings with the SEC. All information in this release is as of July 18, 2012. Except as required by law, BroadSoft undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement made herein for any reason to conform the statement to actual results or changes in its expectations.

About BroadSoft

BroadSoft is the leading provider of software and services that enable mobile, fixed-line and cable service providers to offer Unified Communications over their Internet Protocol network. The Company's core communications platform enables the delivery of a range of enterprise and consumer calling, messaging and collaboration communication services, including private brand exchanges, video calling, text messaging and converged mobile and fixed-line services.

(Source: BroadSoft )