
The UC and CX landscapes are undergoing significant transformation driven by economic pressures and technological evolution. Rising tariffs are accelerating cloud migration as hardware costs increase, while analytics capabilities are becoming essential for optimizing communications infrastructure performance. Collaboration platforms are rapidly integrating AI-powered search and real-time features to combat information fragmentation and streamline workflows. Most notably, agentic AI is emerging as a transformative force in customer experience, though a clear implementation gap exists between technological readiness and organizational preparedness. While the technology components for autonomous AI systems are maturing, successful deployment remains challenged by data quality issues and user adoption barriers, highlighting the need for strategic implementation approaches that balance innovation with practical operational considerations.
Tariffs reshape UC hardware costs and supply strategiesRising tariffs are significantly increasing unified communications hardware costs, forcing vendors to restructure supply chains and raise prices. In response, many organizations are accelerating their migration to cloud-based communications solutions, marking an important market shift that UC decision-makers need to factor into their strategic planning. | No Jitter Roll: Avaya Plans to Adopt Model Context ProtocolAvaya announces plans to adopt the Model Context Protocol to enhance its AI implementations, while partnerships form between Cognigy and TeKnowledge as well as Bloomreach and Snowflake. This move by Avaya represents an important step toward standardizing how context is managed in AI-driven communications systems, potentially improving accuracy and relevance in customer interactions. |
The insights and benefits of unified communications analyticsUnified communications analytics provides organizations with valuable insights into network performance, collaboration patterns, and security events across their communications infrastructure. This analytical capability enables IT leaders to optimize system performance, enhance user experience, and strengthen security posture through data-driven decision making. |
Slack Enterprise Search: How to Use Slack AI SearchSlack has introduced AI-powered Enterprise Search to help users efficiently locate information scattered across collaboration tools, documents, and communication channels. This feature addresses the growing challenge of information fragmentation in digital workplaces, offering significant productivity benefits for organizations heavily invested in collaborative work environments. | Smartsheet Gets Smarter: New AI Update Targets Real Business Work Management Pain PointsSmartsheet has launched a comprehensive platform update featuring intelligent automation, AI-driven insights, and infrastructure improvements aimed at addressing specific business work management challenges. This evolution represents a significant enhancement to the platform’s capabilities, positioning it to better support complex workflow management and team collaboration needs in enterprise environments. |
Webflow Launches Real-Time Collaboration for Web TeamsWebflow has introduced real-time collaboration features designed specifically for web design and development teams. This enhancement enables multiple team members to work simultaneously on web projects, streamlining workflows and reducing development cycles for organizations that rely on efficient digital presence management. |
Forrester: AI Agents Are Ready, People and Data Are NotForrester reports that while the technological components for autonomous AI agents are being assembled, widespread adoption faces significant barriers including user mistrust and lack of usable data. This highlights the gap between AI technological readiness and organizational preparedness that CX leaders must address when planning AI implementation strategies. | How Salesforce deploys its AI agents internallyThe article examines Salesforce’s internal implementation of AI agents, providing insight into how the CRM giant is operationalizing its own AI technology. This real-world case study offers CX leaders valuable perspectives on practical AI deployment strategies and realistic expectations for productivity gains in enterprise environments. |
Salesforce rewires Slack for agentic AI, enterprise searchSalesforce is integrating agentic AI capabilities and enhanced enterprise search functionality into Slack ahead of its Dreamforce conference. This development signals a significant evolution in how collaboration platforms are being transformed to leverage AI for improved productivity and information accessibility across organizations. | Anticipation Is the Real Power of Agentic AI in Customer ExperienceThe article explores how agentic AI’s ability to anticipate customer needs represents its most transformative potential for customer experience. This predictive capability enables organizations to move beyond reactive service models to proactive engagement strategies that can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty. |
When discussing UC or CX solutions, create a detailed map of your prospect’s current systems and processes before presenting alternatives. Document existing pain points, integration challenges and workflow inefficiencies with specific metrics where possible. This approach transforms theoretical benefits into tangible business outcomes directly relevant to their environment. For example, rather than highlighting general collaboration features, demonstrate how specific capabilities address their documented communication gaps between departments. This evidence-based approach helps stakeholders justify investment internally and positions you as a consultant who thoroughly understands their business context rather than simply promoting technology.


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