News

News

• June 26, 2019 26 Jun'19

  Talkdesk Boost turns legacy ACDs into cloud contact centers

  Large businesses that aren't yet ready to abandon legacy call routing can now link that equipment to the Talkdesk cloud contact center through a SIP trunk.

• June 21, 2019 21 Jun'19

  Challenges lie ahead following Slack public offering

  Following Slack's public debut, analysts say the company needs to boost enterprise sales and retool third-party integrations to attract users who aren't as tech-savvy.

• June 17, 2019 17 Jun'19

  UC benefits flexible working models in mortgage industry

  Choosing a UC platform with the tools to support remote workers helped American Pacific Mortgage move to a more flexible working model and cut down on brick and mortar costs.

• June 14, 2019 14 Jun'19

  Cisco's People Insights raises questions about accuracy, privacy

  Cisco's People Insights is coming to Webex Teams and Jabber this summer. The vendor's embrace of the product comes as the tech industry is under fire over data privacy.

• June 13, 2019 13 Jun'19

  Intel Unite Cloud brings flexibility to meeting collaboration

  Boasting the same capabilities and features as its preceding on-premises software, Intel Unite Cloud Service enables users to deploy Intel Unite software from the cloud.

• June 12, 2019 12 Jun'19

  BlueJeans Events, meetings mobile app receive upgrades

  BlueJeans Network has launched user experience updates, among others, to its BlueJeans Events software, as well as the BlueJeans meetings mobile application.

• June 12, 2019 12 Jun'19

  Cisco unifies Webex calling, messaging and meetings

  Cisco is embedding BroadSoft-powered Webex calling into Webex Teams and will let businesses connect on-premises PBXs to the app.

• June 12, 2019 12 Jun'19

  GoToRoom video conferencing software adds Dolby Voice

  LogMeIn Inc. and Dolby Laboratories have teamed up to bring Dolby Voice hardware to LogMeIn's GoToRoom video conferencing service software for businesses.

• June 11, 2019 11 Jun'19

  Cisco Jabber client gets tighter integration with Webex Teams

  Cisco has redesigned the Cisco Jabber client to "look and feel like" Webex Teams, the latest step in the company's push to bring together its on-premises and cloud-based UC apps.

• June 07, 2019 07 Jun'19

  Google adds advanced analytics to G Suite Enterprise

  Google has released a tool for tracking adoption of G Suite Enterprise. The program also gives businesses insight into use of Microsoft apps.

• June 06, 2019 06 Jun'19

  Users can now connect to Microsoft Teams rooms based on proximity

  Users of Microsoft Teams can now connect to nearby meeting room systems through proximity-based pairing, a feature already supported in Cisco Webex.

• May 31, 2019 31 May'19

  AWS could disrupt cloud UC with aggressive voice pricing

  Amazon Web Services is offering usage-based pricing for its new business calling plan, a pricing model that could shake up the cloud UC industry if successful.

• May 30, 2019 30 May'19

  Avaya-Google integration targets SMBs with cloud UC

  Avaya is giving partners the ability to deliver cloud UC through containers running on the Google Cloud, a cheaper and simpler deployment model.

• May 24, 2019 24 May'19

  Expanded deal with Collab9 brings Avaya cloud to governments

  Avaya has expanded its partnership with Collab9 to bring Avaya cloud UC and contact center products to federal, state and local governments.

• May 23, 2019 23 May'19

  Microsoft Outlook mobile app supports native Teams scheduling

  Users can now schedule Microsoft Teams meetings through the Outlook mobile app. The feature is advancement toward parity between Teams and Skype for Business.

• May 17, 2019 17 May'19

  PDP Gaming seeks immediate ban on Poly's use of logo

  PDP Gaming is seeking an immediate injunction against Poly's use of a disputed logo. The escalation comes despite the two companies initially pursuing a settlement.

• May 16, 2019 16 May'19

  Zoom Phone adds support for third-party calling services

  Zoom Phone is now compatible with third-party calling services, and the product will launch in beta in the United Kingdom and Australia later this month.

• May 15, 2019 15 May'19

  Call queue, auto attendant enhanced in Microsoft Teams calling

  The latest enhancements to Microsoft Teams calling improve auto attendants and call queues, but both features still lack some key capabilities.

• May 09, 2019 09 May'19

  Avaya revenue dips as company entertains potential buyout

  Avaya revenue missed the mark in the second quarter amid operational missteps and rumors of a private buyout. The company said it was considering financial maneuvers as significant as selling itself.

• May 09, 2019 09 May'19

  New compliance controls added to Microsoft Teams PowerShell

  Microsoft Teams PowerShell now gives IT administrators the ability to restrict communications between employees, a significant expansion of the app's tools for regulatory compliance.

• May 08, 2019 08 May'19

  Workplace by Facebook gets user interface overhaul

  A planned overhaul of the Workplace by Facebook user interface will streamline notifications and prioritize groups and chats.

• May 03, 2019 03 May'19

  Cloud Skype phones require firmware update by July 1

  Businesses face a July 1 deadline for updating the firmware and permissions of cloud Skype phones.

• May 02, 2019 02 May'19

  Users press for more Slack security, compliance features

  Users want more Slack security and compliance controls in the Standard and Plus subscription tiers.

• May 01, 2019 01 May'19

  Unify Square adds Slack, Zoom, FB to IT management software

  Unify Square will add support for Slack, Zoom and Workplace by Facebook to its IT management software. The vendor previously worked exclusively with Microsoft apps.

• April 26, 2019 26 Apr'19

  Slack revenues show enterprise growth ahead of public listing

  Slack revenue reached $400 million in fiscal 2019, with 575 large businesses contributing 40% of the total. The startup will begin selling stock publicly later this year.

• April 25, 2019 25 Apr'19

  Slack Workflow Builder enables no-code customization

  Slack Workflow Builder gives users templates for creating automated messages and forms in Slack. The product launched in beta this week.

• April 25, 2019 25 Apr'19

  Slack-Zoom partnership takes on Cisco, Microsoft

  The new Slack-Zoom partnership will focus on advancing Zoom calling and meetings in Slack, potentially making the collaboration app a stronger rival to Cisco and Microsoft.

• April 24, 2019 24 Apr'19

  Slack integration links chats and email

  A new Slack integration will give users the ability to receive and reply to Slack chats through email, which remains a cornerstone of enterprise communications.

• April 18, 2019 18 Apr'19

  Zoom IPO demonstrates power of freemium pricing

  The Zoom IPO on Thursday demonstrated the strength of the video collaboration market and validated the strategy of freemium pricing.

• April 17, 2019 17 Apr'19

  Cisco brings Webex controls to G Suite for business

  A Webex add-on will give users the ability to manage the settings of Webex meetings within G Suite for business. It's the latest in a series of integrations between Cisco and Google.

• April 11, 2019 11 Apr'19

  G Suite for business adds enterprise voice, IT controls

  Google released an enterprise phone system and plans to add new IT controls to G Suite for business in an effort to attract larger companies.

• April 11, 2019 11 Apr'19

  Mitel partners with Talkdesk for cloud contact center

  Mitel this month will begin selling the Talkdesk cloud contact center under the brand MiCloud Connect CX. The companies are working to integrate their UC and contact center products.

• April 09, 2019 09 Apr'19

  Slack-Office 365 integrations link email, calendar, documents

  The latest Slack-Office 365 integrations include calendar syncing and an add-on for exporting email messages from Outlook to Slack.

• April 05, 2019 05 Apr'19

  Microsoft Teams media bypass comes with limitations

  Microsoft Teams media bypass for direct routing customers is now available, but the configuration may be less beneficial to enterprises than an equivalent feature in Skype for Business.

• April 04, 2019 04 Apr'19

  Symphony app brings online meetings to mobile phones

  The Symphony app for iOS now supports audio and video meetings. The team collaboration vendor's Android client will get the feature this summer.

• April 03, 2019 03 Apr'19

  Amazon Alexa for Business adds skill blueprints

  Amazon Alexa for Business now provides companies with templates for programming custom voice commands.

• March 29, 2019 29 Mar'19

  PDP Gaming alleges Poly copied its logo

  The gaming accessories company PDP Gaming has sued Poly in federal court, alleging the Plantronics-Polycom merger copied PDP's logo.

• March 27, 2019 27 Mar'19

  Cisco's collaboration unit mum on Webex Teams adoption

  Cisco's collaboration unit has declined to provide statistics on the use of Webex Teams, even as rivals Slack and Microsoft Teams have attempted to demonstrate momentum for their apps.

• March 22, 2019 22 Mar'19

  Achieve UC success with strong user adoption strategies

  Unified communications is not just about the technology; it's about the people, too. IT leaders at Enterprise Connect share their tips on how to support end-user adoption.

• March 22, 2019 22 Mar'19

  New Lifesize conferencing systems bring 4K video to huddle rooms

  Lifesize's latest Icon video conferencing systems are designed to meet the challenges presented by smaller, ad hoc meeting spaces, like the huddle room.

• March 21, 2019 21 Mar'19

  Contact center AI trends take center stage at Enterprise Connect 2019

  Several vendors at Enterprise Connect 2019 focused on contact center AI innovation and virtual agents. But are businesses actually ready for the technology?

• March 21, 2019 21 Mar'19

  Microsoft to support cloud meetings with on-prem Skype for Business

  Microsoft bows to customer demand to keep on-premises Skype for Business for calling and messaging, while using Teams only for cloud meetings.

• March 20, 2019 20 Mar'19

  Fuze and Samsung partner to bring mobile UCaaS to the frontline

  Mobile UCaaS is the focus of Fuze and Samsung's new partnership. The providers are working to expand the use of collaborative communications for remote and customer-facing industries.

• March 20, 2019 20 Mar'19

  Polycom Trio integrates with Alexa for Business

  Poly, the new name for the merger of Plantronics and Polycom, has added Alexa for Business to voice-activate meetings on the Polycom Trio conference room phone.

• March 19, 2019 19 Mar'19

  Zoom Phone cloud PBX expands features, partnerships

  Zoom Phone works with desk phones from Polycom and Yealink and integrates with contact center products from Five9 and Twilio.

• March 19, 2019 19 Mar'19

  Cloud migration planning key to successful UCaaS deployment

  Making the move from an on-premises system to UCaaS can be full of hurdles. Cloud migration planning can help navigate the pitfalls and give a clear path to successful UCaaS deployment.

• March 19, 2019 19 Mar'19

  Cisco enhances Webex Assistant with AI meeting, call controls

  Cisco added new capabilities to the Webex Assistant that should make it easier to place calls and join meetings. The vendor plans to roll out additional AI features later this year.

• March 15, 2019 15 Mar'19

  Vendors showcase latest UC offerings at Enterprise Connect 2019

  The Enterprise Connect 2019 expo floor will feature more than 140 vendors with their latest offerings in the UC space, including team collaboration tools and digital whiteboard technology.

• March 13, 2019 13 Mar'19

  New widget for RingCentral integrations targets enterprises

  RingCentral released several new tools for enterprises ahead of Enterprise Connect 2019, including a widget for adding RingCentral integrations to CRM and help desk apps.

• March 12, 2019 12 Mar'19

  News and trends from Enterprise Connect 2019

  Follow our Enterprise Connect conference guide to get the latest scoop and expert analysis on unified communications industry trends, vendor announcements and product news.

• March 08, 2019 08 Mar'19

  Cisco Webex to support wireless screen sharing outside meetings

  Cisco Webex will support wireless screen sharing outside of online meetings beginning next month, a feature sought after by customers.

• March 07, 2019 07 Mar'19

  New Avaya video devices target huddle rooms

  Avaya released new video hardware for huddle rooms this week, while also announcing plans to rent certain Avaya video devices through a monthly subscription.

• March 06, 2019 06 Mar'19

  After delay, Microsoft to nix Skype Meetings App for Mac

  Microsoft plans to eliminate the Skype Meetings App for Mac next month, despite complaints from users that the move will make it harder to join meetings as a guest.

• March 01, 2019 01 Mar'19

  Talkdesk cloud contact center integrates with on-premises PBXes

  Talkdesk is opening its cloud contact center to on-premises PBX systems from vendors, including Avaya and Cisco -- a move that should help the company win larger customers.

• February 28, 2019 28 Feb'19

  LogMeIn products Jive and GoToMeeting to be unified

  The LogMeIn products Jive and GoToMeeting will be combined under a new brand, an integration that analysts say is necessary for the vendor to remain competitive.

• February 22, 2019 22 Feb'19

  Upgrades to on-premises Avaya products will be released in bits

  Feature upgrades for on-premises Avaya products will roll out in 'very small, manageable' chunks moving forward, the company said. Avaya is looking to more closely align its on-premises and cloud portfolios.

• February 21, 2019 21 Feb'19

  Why enterprise adoption of cloud UC should accelerate in 2019

  Enterprises like Pacific Dental and PTC are adopting cloud UC to get a consistent, reliable experience across various offices and geographies without overextending IT staff.

• February 19, 2019 19 Feb'19

  Connectivity issue downs Microsoft Teams app for hours

  Many users of the Microsoft Teams app were unable to connect to the service through the web and desktop clients for several hours Monday.

• February 13, 2019 13 Feb'19

  Block Kit developer tool could improve Slack integrations

  A new framework for building third-party apps for Slack could help developers design simpler, more interactive Slack integrations.

• February 12, 2019 12 Feb'19

  Avaya revenue report misses mark in first quarter of 2019

  Avaya revenue fell short of projections for the first quarter of fiscal 2019, as the company continues to focus on selling more software and services.

• February 08, 2019 08 Feb'19

  Trustwave finds security flaw in old Lifesize video products

  Trustwave publicly identified a flaw in several legacy Lifesize video products this week, after the vendor initially indicated it had no immediate plans for a patch.

• February 08, 2019 08 Feb'19

  8x8 X Series integrates with Slack, Microsoft Dynamics

  8x8 X Series has new APIs for embedding communications into third-party apps. Meanwhile, the vendor said it could now deliver speech analytics to larger contact centers through the public cloud.

• February 06, 2019 06 Feb'19

  Logitech Tap meant to simplify meeting room controls

  Logitech has released its first advanced meeting room controller, Logitech Tap. The touchscreen device works with web conferring apps from Microsoft, Google and Zoom.

• February 01, 2019 01 Feb'19

  Plantronics releases USB video system for huddle rooms

  The new Polycom Studio from Plantronics is a USB video system for huddle rooms. Research released this week shows USB cameras are the fastest-growing segment of the video conferencing market.

• January 31, 2019 31 Jan'19

  Google Voice for G Suite expected to launch this spring

  Google Voice for G Suite, a business version of its cloud calling service, will be available in at least nine countries, and its launch could come as soon as the early spring.

• January 30, 2019 30 Jan'19

  Number of daily Slack users surpasses 10 million

  The number of daily active Slack users surpassed 10 million this month. More than 85,000 organizations now pay to use the messaging app.

• January 25, 2019 25 Jan'19

  Avaya delivers cloud workforce management for contact center

  Users of Avaya's contact center platforms now have access to cloud workforce management software through the vendor's partnership with Verint.

• January 24, 2019 24 Jan'19

  Slack integration signals shift in Avaya collaboration strategy

  In launching a Slack integration this week, Avaya signaled that it would open its ecosystem to the collaboration apps of other vendors.

• January 23, 2019 23 Jan'19

  Businesses to get quicker access to Avaya cloud UC

  A new delivery model for single-tenant Avaya cloud UC promises to make it quicker and easier for businesses to migrate users from on-premises products to the cloud.

• January 17, 2019 17 Jan'19

  RingCentral contact center expands with Connect First acquisition

  RingCentral's intention to acquire contact center provider Connect First follows a growing trend toward offering cloud contact centers as part of UCaaS environments.

• January 17, 2019 17 Jan'19

  Yealink, Crestron release first Microsoft Teams phones

  Yealink and Crestron have received certification for their Microsoft Teams phones. Microsoft is expected to greenlight devices from Polycom and AudioCodes in the near future.

• January 16, 2019 16 Jan'19

  Avaya follows Cisco into market for UC headsets

  Avaya has begun manufacturing UC headsets, following the lead of rival Cisco in a trend that is shaking up the market for such devices.

• January 11, 2019 11 Jan'19

  G Suite for business faces uphill battle against Office 365

  Google continues to invest heavily in G Suite for business, adding new features, but the collaboration platform struggles to keep pace with Microsoft Office 365.

• January 08, 2019 08 Jan'19

  Cisco adds Webex Teams integrations for OneDrive, SharePoint

  New Webex Teams integrations with Microsoft's OneDrive and SharePoint are the latest in a series that link the Cisco collaboration suite with Office 365 productivity tools.

• January 04, 2019 04 Jan'19

  Amazon contact center now supports real-time voice streaming

  The Amazon contact center, Amazon Connect, now supports real-time voice streaming, a feature that opens the door to several emerging applications of AI.

• January 03, 2019 03 Jan'19

  Ex-Cisco exec Jonathan Rosenberg named CTO of Five9

  Jonathan Rosenberg is now CTO and head of AI for the cloud contact center vendor Five9. Rosenberg was previously a top executive in Cisco's collaboration division.

• December 21, 2018 21 Dec'18

  Nixing of Skype Meetings App for Mac irks Microsoft customers

  Microsoft is delaying plans to eliminate the Mac version of the Skype Meetings App after customers complained the move would make it harder for external guests to join meetings.

• December 20, 2018 20 Dec'18

  Cisco collaboration group loses another top executive

  Tom Puorro left the Cisco collaboration group this week to become an executive vice president at Plantronics. He is the latest in a series of top executives to leave the unit in recent months.

• December 19, 2018 19 Dec'18

  Microsoft Teams room system ecosystem expands

  Polycom and HP have partnered to release a Microsoft Teams room system. Meanwhile, Microsoft has announced it will bundle the licensing for conference room products into a single bill.

• December 14, 2018 14 Dec'18

  Lifesize Icon 700 series delivers 4K video conferencing

  Lifesize has overhauled its cloud infrastructure to support 4K video conferencing with use of the new Icon 700 series room system.

• December 13, 2018 13 Dec'18

  Businesses can now rent Avaya phones

  Businesses looking to reduce large one-time capital expenditures can now rent Avaya phones for a monthly fee.

• December 12, 2018 12 Dec'18

  Online store launched for Avaya cloud products

  Organizations can now buy multi-tenant Avaya cloud products through a self-service website targeted at small and midsize businesses.

• December 07, 2018 07 Dec'18

  Oculeus unveils cloud service for toll fraud prevention

  Oculeus-Protect, a toll fraud prevention service, automatically ends phone calls determined to be the result of PBX hacking -- a threat that costs businesses billions of dollars annually.

• December 06, 2018 06 Dec'18

  New Microsoft Teams calling features narrow gap with Skype

  Microsoft will complete its Microsoft Teams calling roadmap in the coming weeks, with the release of four advanced call controls targeted at enterprise users.

• December 05, 2018 05 Dec'18

  Avaya earnings show growth in contact center, decline in UC

  Avaya earnings began to level off in fiscal 2018, as the vendor began to grow its contact center business again. However, Avaya's UC products continued to struggle.

• December 04, 2018 04 Dec'18

  Cisco brings Webex Teams messaging to Jabber client

  Cisco is bringing Webex Teams messaging, file sharing, presence and search features to the Jabber client as part of a broader effort to streamline its UC apps.

• November 30, 2018 30 Nov'18

  WeWork reportedly halts rollout of Amazon Alexa for Business

  WeWork, one of the premier early adopters of Amazon Alexa for Business, has reportedly shelved plans to deploy the AI voice assistant after a two-month pilot.

• November 30, 2018 30 Nov'18

  Tango Networks acquisition expands enterprise mobility services

  In UC news, Tango Networks acquires Simetric Telecom to expand mobile telephony, Speechmatics and Clique partner for transcription service and Jabra intros wireless enterprise earbuds.

• November 29, 2018 29 Nov'18

  Videxio MeetingConnect uses QR codes to join meetings

  Weeks before its planned merger with Pexip, Videxio has unveiled a new cloud service, Videxio MeetingConnect, which seeks to simplify the process of joining online meetings from a conference room.

• November 28, 2018 28 Nov'18

  Microsoft Teams app adds controls for IT admins

  Microsoft has released a set of APIs for automating the creation and archiving of teams within the Microsoft Teams app.

• November 21, 2018 21 Nov'18

  BroadSoft cloud calling begins to eclipse Cisco HCS

  Cisco is pushing BroadSoft service providers to sell into the midmarket and above, raising questions about the future of Cisco HCS.

• November 16, 2018 16 Nov'18

  Cisco pushes BroadSoft partners to sell Cisco phones, displays

  At BroadSoft Connections, the sponsors of which included Polycom and Yealink, Cisco wasn't shy about encouraging BroadSoft partners to begin selling Cisco phones and displays.

• November 16, 2018 16 Nov'18

  New RingCentral platform, UC mobile app and AI partnerships

  RingCentral introduced a new customer engagement platform, mobile app and AI voice analytics. Learn how the new offerings improve the user experience.

• November 15, 2018 15 Nov'18

  Cisco folds BroadSoft UC-One into Webex cloud

  Cisco is looking to streamline its portfolio of UC apps, starting with the merger of BroadSoft UC-One and Webex Teams in the Cisco Webex cloud.

• November 14, 2018 14 Nov'18

  Cisco targets huddle rooms with Webex Room Kit Mini

  Cisco has launched the Webex Room Kit Mini. The video conferencing kit is for rooms that seat as few as two people and competes with products from Logitech and Lifesize.

• November 13, 2018 13 Nov'18

  Cisco brings BroadSoft cloud PBX to Webex Teams

  The integration of the BroadSoft cloud PBX with the messaging and meetings app Webex Teams gives midsize Cisco customers a clearer migration path to a cloud-only UC environment.

• November 09, 2018 09 Nov'18

  In strategic shift, Avaya expands portfolio of open SIP phones

  Avaya is doubling down on a decision to open its hardware to the software of competing UC vendors with the release of more than a dozen new open SIP phones.

• November 08, 2018 08 Nov'18

  Talkdesk iQ provides AI analytics, monitoring in contact center

  Talkdesk iQ, the cloud contact center startup's new AI platform, includes an analytics dashboard and bot development tools. The vendor also announced a new 100% uptime SLA for enterprise calling.

• November 07, 2018 07 Nov'18

  Microsoft fixes flaws in Skype Meetings App

  Microsoft announced upgrades to the Skype Meetings App to ease installation and setup. The vendor plans to eliminate the Mac version of the product in favor of the desktop app.

• November 02, 2018 02 Nov'18

  Amazon opens Alexa for Business to third-party devices

  Amazon's AI voice assistant platform for enterprises, Alexa for Business, is now compatible with third-party devices from vendors including Polycom.