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Author: Richard Westlund

Building Successful CX Initiatives

March 22, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When it comes to digital services, customers continually raise their expectations. They want easy-to-use self-service features, coupled with the ability…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Digital Initiatives Expected to Increase IT Spending in 2023

March 16, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today, the global economy is filled with uncertainties. Will inflation rise or fall? Can stock markets resume their upward climb?…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Rethinking Customer Experience: Understanding User Needs

March 7, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

For IT leaders, one of today’s biggest challenges is orchestrating the many touchpoints your organization offers consumers, such as voice,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

UK Ambulance Service Benefits from Customized CCaaS

February 28, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When a UK regional ambulance service migrated from its legacy contact center platform to Avaya OneCloudTM CCaaS, it became clear…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Seneca Foods Benefits from Moving to ACO

February 17, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Moving to Avaya Cloud Office (ACO) can bring significant benefits, according to a North American IT professional who presented his…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Best Practices for Meeting Room Interoperability

February 7, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If you organize large-scale hybrid collaborative sessions, you understand why meeting room interoperability is a concern for enterprises around the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Case Studies

How AI Can Help Deliver a World-Class Customer Experience

January 25, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

From artificial intelligence (AI) tools to workforce engagement management (WEM) applications, technology investments can help organizations deliver a world-class customer…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Are Your Telecom Systems Compliant?

January 18, 2023 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Did you know that France and Germany have different rules for activating new telecom numbers? Or that emergency notification requirements…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

Are Your Telecom Systems Compliant?

December 13, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Did you know that France and Germany have different rules for activating new telecom numbers? Or that emergency notification requirements…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

A Path to Leadership for Women in Technology

December 9, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Becoming a mother is a big step in a woman’s life. But there’s no reason to let the birth of…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

Tips for Reducing Costly Contact Center Turnover

November 29, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Agent retention has been a major headache for IT leaders since the dawn of time – or at least the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Case Studies, Leadership

Avaya Delivers Product Roadmaps for 2023

November 8, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Artificial intelligence (AI) noise removal, auto-answer E911 calls and Microsoft Teams integration are just three of the nearly 300 enhancements…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Boosting Innovation in the Contact Center

October 28, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Learning from your peers is an ideal way to troubleshoot, improve operations and advance innovation in the contact center. That’s…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Mobile-First Strategies Can Pay Off

October 21, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Not long ago, enterprises began adjusting to the rapid growth of mobile devices in the consumer market. But BYOD (bring…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

How IT Can ‘Connect the Dots’ In the Workplace

October 7, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

It’s relatively easy to launch a new communication, collaboration or contact center application. But it’s much more challenging to integrate…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Contact Center Investments are Vital to Business Growth

September 28, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today, enterprises around the world recognize that the contact center is a key driver of business growth and are stepping…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

What Are Skill-Building Priorities for IT Leaders?

September 14, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Learning about new technologies, building leadership skills and managing cyber risks are among the top priorities for information technologies, according…

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Posted in: Leadership

Women IT Professionals Face Gender Pay Gap

September 2, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

In a year of turmoil and disruption, information technology (IT) professionals were in high demand in 2021. At a time…

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Posted in: Leadership

Two Strategies for High-Performing Voice Experiences

August 11, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When adding AI-enabled speech technology applications, IT leaders have a choice of strategies: invest in best-of-breed tools from a specialized…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Tips for Improving Agent Engagement

August 3, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Empowering contact center agents can lead to lower turnover, higher productivity and an improved customer experience (CX). But many organizations…

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Posted in: Case Studies

Do Your SLAs Reflect Desired Business Outcomes?

July 25, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When moving your communications platform to a cloud or hybrid environment, it’s essential to be sure your contract reflects your…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

How You Can Use CPaaS to Boost CX

July 19, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

As Avaya shifts to a cloud-based, recurring-revenue business model, IAUG members are taking a close look at the potential customer…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

A Midyear Trends Update from Gartner

July 13, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

With supply chain concerns and the war in Ukraine affecting organizations around the world, a new Gartner survey shows significant…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Tips for Adding Digital Channels to Your Contact Center

July 7, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today, more and more customers are using chat, email, text and social media to reach out to your organization. But…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Some Surprising Trends in Cyber Attacks

June 28, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If your organization offers financial, healthcare, business, or professional services, you face a high risk of a cyber attack, according…

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Posted in: Case Studies

Tools for Achieving Video Meeting Equity for All Participants

June 23, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today, everyone on a video call expects the best possible experience, whether working at home, at a desk, in the…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

AI Driving New Uses for Speech Technology

June 14, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today’s voice transcription services are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential applications for speech technology…

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Posted in: Leadership

Your Company Culture and Hybrid Office Strategies

June 8, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Today’s hybrid workplace environment poses multiple challenges for IT leaders, including how best to manage an in-house technology team or…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Where AI Can Pay Off in the Contact Center

June 3, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Intelligent routing, sentiment analysis, chatbots and social media analysis are some of the ways artificial intelligence (AI) tools can pay…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

IT Leaders Discuss Strategies for Hybrid Workforce

May 23, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Collaboration tools, diverse user experiences and smart meeting room technologies are front and center for IT leaders looking to support…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Assessing the Risks of Not Moving to the Cloud

May 17, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Most enterprises still rely primarily on on-premises communications systems, Where there are advantages to maintaining control of organizational data and…

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Posted in: Case Studies

Capitalizing on Composability

May 10, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

While composability is still an emerging concept in the communications sector, it can offer significant benefits to organizations seeking to…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Using Automation to Boost CX

May 3, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Ted Lango knows that providing automated support to front-line agents in the contact center can be an excellent strategy for…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Making a Successful Migration to CCaaS

April 25, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If you are considering moving at least some of your contact center operations to the cloud, having a solid game…

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Posted in: Case Studies

Avaya Focuses on Delivering a Total Experience

April 13, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

A cohesive customer experience strategy is crucial for cultivating loyalty, sales growth, and sustained business success. That’s why Avaya is…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Some Crazy Contact Center Predictions!

April 7, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

What lies ahead for the fast-paced contact center market? Will enterprises need to deploy transformative technology or implement new processes…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Bringing AI and Automation to the Contact Center

March 23, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

With the self-service IVR, customers could easily tell the difference between machine and human assistance. Now, the lines are blurred…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Tapping the Power of Avaya Spaces

March 16, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Tapping the Power of Avaya Spaces In today’s work-from-anywhere environment, Avaya Spaces can deliver a professional-level communication and collaboration experience,…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Protecting Against SBC Attack Vectors

March 4, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Cyber attackers typically follow certain patterns when trying to breach session border controllers (SBCs) and penetrate an organization’s network.  That…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

How Is Legislation Impacting E911 Implementations?

February 25, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

A properly programmed E911 system might have prevented the death of California teenager Jose Manuel Beltran Salas in 2015. When…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Business Continuity: Addressing Post-Crisis Challenges

February 18, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

To say that the COVID pandemic was a challenge for organizations around the world is certainly an understatement. In March…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Avaya ENGAGE 2021 Delivers Valuable Learning Sessions for IT Professionals Worldwide

January 28, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Cloud migration, contact center as a service, E911 and personalizing customer experiences were key themes for IT professionals from around…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Leadership Advice for Women in Communications

January 19, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

At a time with IT talent is at a premium, it’s risky to make assumptions about a woman’s preferred career…

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Posted in: Leadership

Creating Safer Workplaces through E911

January 14, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

As principal UC engineer for Alaska Airlines, Dan Olson faces a number of E911 challenges. “We have a lot of…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

How Is Legislation Impacting E911 Implementations?

January 6, 2022 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

A properly programmed E911 system might have prevented the death of California teenager Jose Manuel Beltran Salas in 2015. When…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

Five Practical Uses for Meeting Room AI

November 23, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If you’re updating your organization’s meeting rooms, it’s time to get smart. Adding an artificial intelligence (AI) application to your…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

New Technologies Are Driving Up the Value of Voice

November 10, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Voice is the most natural way to communicate, and the “stickiest” UCaaS application in the enterprise. Now, speech and AI technologies…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

How to Manage the IT Skills Gap

October 26, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

In today’s employment market, IT professionals are in high demand, making it difficult for enterprises to recruit people with the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

What to Do With Your Legacy PBX

October 19, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Running a legacy PBX is like driving a car with 200,000 miles on the odometer.  It is reliable and functions…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Case Studies Filed under: Avaya Solutions

Empower Your Frontline Workers!

October 6, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When enterprises think about UCaaS solutions, the focus typically is on knowledge workers.  But in many organizations, it may be…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya Solutions, Digital Transformation, Unified Communications

Get More Done With Less Stress!

September 28, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Like many IAUG members, Lori Wodrich begins her workday with a plan in mind, only to find herself scrambling to…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Professional Development, Remote Work

Applying Science to Cybersecurity

September 21, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Phil Quade believes in taking a scientific approach to cybersecurity. “Just as there’s no sense trying to fight the laws…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

The Changing Role of the IT Leader

September 14, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic placed enterprise IT leaders in the spotlight. Senior leadership realized the importance of technology professionals…

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Posted in: Leadership

Deploying Collaboration Tools in the Workplace

September 8, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Here’s a new survey that won’t surprise any Avaya IT professional. Nearly 80 percent of workers are using collaboration tools…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Building Faster and Better Workflows

August 31, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

In the enterprise world, it can take weeks or months for developers to automate an important business process, such as…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Defending Against Ransomware Attacks

August 24, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

A ransomware attack is a nightmare scenario for IT professionals and their organizations. Along with the costs of recovering data…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Security

Upgrading Your Team’s Digital Skills

August 10, 2021 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Whether you are an experienced IT professional or a newcomer to the field, there are always new things to learn.…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

IAUG Members Offer Insights on Remote Work Challenges

August 3, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Whether your organization is moving to a hybrid workplace this fall or maintaining a work-from-home (WFH) strategy, be prepared for…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

Unlocking the benefits of collaboration in the workplace

July 27, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

In the past year, the office workplace has changed dramatically, creating new opportunities for forward-thinking organizations.  For example, team collaboration…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

Be Careful When Training AI Applications

July 20, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

As artificial intelligence (AI) applications make their way into the contact center and unified communication sectors, IT professionals need to…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence

Investing in CX Pays Off!

July 6, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Longtime Navy Federal Credit Union knows that investing in customer experience (CX) pays off. The longtime IAUG member ranked in…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience, Investing

IT Leaders Can Guide CFOs Through Digital Transformation

June 29, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

For Avaya IT professionals, the ability to apply technology investments to business strategies has never been more important. When considering…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Digital Transformation

Choosing the Right Professional Mentor

June 25, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

IAUG board member Adriane Davis understands the impact a mentor can have on one’s life. “There are many professionals who…

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Posted in: Leadership

Five Ways AI Will Support the Future of Customer Service

June 15, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Automation tools and artificial intelligent (AI) assistants are high on the list of contact center investments this year, according to…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience

Harnessing Call Center Data

June 8, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications can benefit contact center operations in many ways. For instance, they can schedule health and wellness…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

Addressing Email Security Threats

June 2, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Effective email security is one of the best ways to prevent costly ransomware attacks, data breaches and wire fraud.  Cyber…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Cybersecurity, Security

Mitigating Bias to Build Successful Teams

May 19, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Nicole Calhoun experienced the pain of racial discrimination at an early age. She was playing in a park with another…

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Posted in: Leadership

Managing Disruptions in a Remote Environment

May 12, 2021 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Many things can disrupt employees’ performance and productivity when working from home or another remote environment.  It might be a…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Remote Work

Moving CX Investments to the Cloud

May 5, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

For IT professionals around the world, improving the customer experience (CX) is a top priority for their organizations.   Over the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Cloud, Customer Experience

Avaya OneCloud™ CCaaS Offers Expanded Digital Capabilities

April 28, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

For a growing number of enterprises around the world, Avaya OneCloud™ Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) delivers scalability, security…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Solutions Portfolio

How to Show the Value of Cybersecurity Investments

April 20, 2021 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

It can be easy to measure the financial impact of IT investments that reduce hardware, licensing, trunking or labor costs.…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Professional Development, Security

The Future of Video Conferencing

April 14, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Does the future of video conferencing lie in delivering a better user experience, updating meeting room systems or looking for…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Innovation, Tools

Best Practices for IT Strategic Planning

April 6, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When looking ahead at the next three years, IT professionals can expect the shift to cloud-based solutions will accelerate. Supporting…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership

How Team Collaboration Is Changing

March 30, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

With powerful collaboration tools like Avaya Spaces and Microsoft Teams, the enterprise communication landscape continues to evolve. Today, a key…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Leadership, Professional Development

Improving Workplace Communication

March 23, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When Avaya IT professionals talk about communication, technology is probably the first thing that comes to mind.  It might be…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Professional Development

Exploring Security Needs for Cloud Solutions

March 16, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Moving your communications platform to the cloud can solve a number of cybersecurity issues. You don’t have to worry about…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Cloud, Security

Building Your Digital Leadership Skills

March 9, 2021 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

As an IT professional, you understand the importance of staying current with technology. That might mean tracking new Avaya solutions,…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Leadership, Professional Development, Remote Work

Tips for Operating Contact Centers in a Remote Environment

March 2, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

In 2020, enterprises around the world quickly transitioned to operating their contact centers in a remote environment. While many of…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Contact Center, Remote Work

Should You Implement a Cybersecurity Mesh Strategy?

February 16, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When data centers were housing in a secure, on-premise location and the computer network had a clear boundary, IT organizations…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

A Look at the State of the Industry

February 9, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Communications technology is always changing, but there are some clear trends that will be shaping this sector in 2021, according…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous Filed under: emerging technology, industry updates

Will 5G be a Game Changer – or Not?

January 19, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If you watch television, it’s hard to escape the advertisements from AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile about their high-speed 5G networks.…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio

Building Your Digital Leadership Skills

January 12, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

As an IT professional, you understand the importance of staying current with technology. That might mean tracking new Avaya solutions,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Professional Development

Strategies for Living in a Bot World

January 5, 2021 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

If you work in telecommunications, you are already living in a bot world. With new developments in machine learning, artificial…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

What Are Your Budget Priorities for 2021?

December 16, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

When setting budget priorities for 2021, communications professionals shouldn’t focus all their attention on technology.  Along with considering new IT…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: budget

Balancing Remote and Office Work

December 8, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

As IT professionals look to the year ahead, one timely issue is delivering the right level of support to enhance…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Remote Work

How the COVID Crisis Shifted UC&C Priorities

December 1, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

For enterprise IT professionals, the COVID-19 crisis created opportunities as well as challenges.  In many cases, it accelerated the deployment…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Security

Best Practices to Improve UC&C Security

November 24, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Have you confirmed the identity of everyone participating in your virtual conference session?  If you are transcribing or recording the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Security

Moving the Needle on Diversity in the Workforce

November 18, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

A diverse workforce can help spur innovation in the IT department. It can lead to greater productivity throughout the organization, resulting…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Diversity

10 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Meeting Rooms

November 10, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, enterprises around the world are rethinking how to use their on-premise meeting rooms. How do…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya Solutions, COVID-19, Remote Work, Virtual

Diving into Avaya OneCloud™ CCaaS

November 3, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

What if you could empower customers to interact effortlessly across touchpoints, fully engage employees, maximize limited resources, and gain the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya OneCloud, CCaaS

Developing Leadership Skills for Women in IT

October 20, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

As technology becomes a strategic driver for enterprises around the world, leadership skills are increasingly important for IT professionals.   Today’s…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Leadership Filed under: Women in Tech

Avaya Celebrates 20 Years of Service

October 13, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Twenty years ago, Avaya began its journey to global leadership in the communications, collaboration, and contact center markets.  While there…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous Filed under: Avaya

Best Practices to Improve UC&C Security

September 30, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Have you confirmed the identity of everyone participating in your virtual conference session?  If you are transcribing or recording the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Security

Creating Career Opportunities for Women in IT

September 23, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Based on demographics, there should be as many women as men in today’s IT organizations.  But gender parity is still…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Career, Professional Development, Women in Tech

The Future of Video Looks Bright!

September 10, 2020 Richard Westlund 4 Comments

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, video was a solution looking for a problem. Now, it is a solution with an almost…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Collaboration, Remote Work, video, Virtual

Building Scenarios Can Help Your Post-Pandemic Planning

September 2, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

If you are wondering what the business world will look like in 2021 and beyond, you are certainly not alone.…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous

How the Pandemic Is Reshaping IT Priorities

August 26, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, IT professionals are assessing their priorities, particularly in collaboration and contact center implementations.  With the…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: CCaaS, Contact Center, CX

Navigating the Multi-Cloud Maze

August 12, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, enterprises around the world are deploying multi-cloud solutions to support remote workers. When done carefully,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Cloud, Multi-Cloud

Avaya Cloud Office™ Provides Foundation for the ‘New Normal’

July 28, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Throughout the world, organizations are deploying cloud-based UC solutions to support their workforces. After launching Avaya Cloud Office™ by RingCentral…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya Solutions, Cloud, Cloud Office, RingCentral, UCaaS

Keep Robocalls Out of Your Enterprise!

July 21, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Almost everyone has been plagued by robocalls on a home or mobile phone. Last year, there were 58.5 billion robocalls,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Robocalls, Vishing

Are You Looking for a Flexible Contact Center Solution?

July 14, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down global economies, many enterprises scrambled to find work-around solutions to keep their contact centers…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Contact Center

Best Practices for Monitoring Telephony Performance

July 7, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Voice is enjoying a resurgence these days. Traditional phone calls are vital for real-time conversations and collaborations in an office…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE, SIP, Voice

Avaya’s Smart IoT Solution Turns Data into Action

June 30, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Today there are billions of sensors, wearables and other devices around the world feeding data into the Internet of Things…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE, CRM, IoT

Guiding First Responders to Emergency Locations

June 23, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

It’s not easy to construct an E-911 system for a single building, and the issues multiply when trying to cover…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: 911, Contact Center, Innovation

Succeeding in the ‘Multiexperience’ Economy

June 16, 2020 Richard Westlund 5 Comments

It’s no longer enough to pay attention only to the customer experience (CX).  To be effective in serving your market,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya Solutions, Customer Experience

Practical Tips on Avaya Solutions from IAUG Leaders

June 9, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

If you’ve been wondering about the value of an IAUG membership, consider the practical, expert advice available from Avaya professionals…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Avaya Solutions

Avaya Unveils Solution Roadmaps for 2021

May 26, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Avaya is planning new features and availability for its cloud, collaboration and contact center solutions in 2021. “Our goal is…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Avaya Solutions

Will Going to the Cloud Work for You?

May 19, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

While it’s easy to deploy cloud-based applications, moving the communications infrastructure to the cloud is a much bigger decision.  Since…

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Posted in: Business Strategies

The Future of the Digital Customer Experience

May 12, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Domino’s Pizza, Comcast and BMW are delivering an engaging digital customer experience (DCX). Their investments in people, processes and technology…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

Video Collaboration Security: Do You Have All the Bases Covered?

May 5, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

In today’s work-from-home environment, video collaboration security has never been more important. IT professionals must provide the right tools, training…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation, Innovation

Using Outbound to Manage Crisis Situations

April 28, 2020 Richard Westlund 3 Comments

In times of crisis, almost everyone has an urgent need for information – employees, customers, community members – causing businesses,…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Partner Solutions

Plan Ahead for the COVID-19 Rebound

April 21, 2020 Richard Westlund 3 Comments

Many IT professionals have been in a rapid response mode since the COVID-19 pandemic led to business shutdowns and shelter-in-place…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

Avaya IX Workplace Boosts Collaboration for Care Teams

April 14, 2020 Richard Westlund 2 Comments

Collaboration among hospital care teams is essential for positive patient outcomes. Doctors, nurses, laboratory techs and pharmacists all need to…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Avaya Solutions, Healthcare

Augmented Humans: A New Cybersecurity Challenge

April 7, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

Your enterprise may have strict access and authentication policies to reduce the risk of a security breach by an insider. …

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity

Setting Short- and Long-Term IT Priorities in the Coronavirus Outbreak

March 31, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

In the short term, CIOs and other communication leaders have been hard-pressed to meet organizational demands in response to the…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Community, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Team Building

Arkansas Health System Takes a Journey to the Cloud

March 10, 2020 Richard Westlund 1 Comment

An in-depth planning process provided the foundation for Arkansas Children’s Hospital to migrate its communications infrastructure to the cloud.  “If…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: Cloud, Digital Transformation, Healthcare

A User’s Perspective on Avaya Mobile Experience

March 4, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Avaya Mobile Experience can help businesses improve their customer interactions, and offer potential cost savings, according to Dustin Fails, telecommunication…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Contact Center, Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

Transforming a Bank’s Traditional Call Center

February 25, 2020 Richard Westlund Leave a comment

Community banks, like other financial service providers face a number of challenges in providing a distinctive customer experience and delivering…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: Contact Center, Customer Experience

Avaya Helps Control Spread of COVID-19 in China

February 21, 2020 Richard Westlund

While Supporting Business Operations Avaya and its business partners have responded quickly to the unexpected outbreak of COVID-19, donating remote…

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Posted in: Business Strategies, Miscellaneous

What the Rise of the Remote Workforce Means for IT

January 14, 2020 Richard Westlund

IT professionals around the world are wrestling with the challenges associated with supporting a remote workforce; ensuring security, providing training,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE, Multi-Generational Workforce, Team Building

5 Sessions You Can’t Miss at Avaya ENGAGE

January 7, 2020 Richard Westlund

Avaya ENGAGE is one of the best places for telecom IT professionals to make new connections with peers and hear…

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Posted in: Miscellaneous Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE

Digital Disruptions and the Art of the Possible

December 31, 2019 Richard Westlund

Consumer preferences are changing faster and faster, disrupting traditional service patterns and challenging organizations to keep up. It takes careful…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

What CEOs Need to Know About Cybersecurity

December 3, 2019 Richard Westlund

IT professionals know that defending against cyberattacks is a complex task with no guarantees of 100 percent protection.  But many…

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Cybersecurity

How Work Environments and Employee Age Affect Desktop Communication Choices

November 19, 2019 Richard Westlund

Deskphones, softphones and mobile phones – in today’s workforce, there’s no one size fits all for communication choices. In fact,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation, Innovation, Multi-Generational Workforce

Key Trends Shaping the Analytics Sector

November 5, 2019 Richard Westlund

Business leaders rely on analytics to measure the performance of units, teams and individuals. Avaya’s contact center solutions, for instance,…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Data Management, Digital Transformation

Why AI is the New Frontier in Cybersecurity

October 22, 2019 Richard Westlund

With breach attempts and cyberattacks increasing, many enterprises are looking at artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to identify and thwart incoming…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity

Work Flow Strategies Can Help Enterprises Address the Digital Talent Gap

October 15, 2019 Richard Westlund

Many enterprises today are facing a digital talent gap.  It can be difficult for IT managers to find enough qualified…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation, Multi-Generational Workforce

Issues to Consider Before Deploying Kiosks as Consumer Touchpoints

October 8, 2019 Richard Westlund

Building brand awareness, engaging prospective customers and adding easily accessible consumer touchpoints are three reasons many enterprises are adding video…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation, Innovation

Making Smart CC/CRM Choices

October 1, 2019 Richard Westlund

Veteran IAUG members know that love affair between contact centers and CRM began back in the 1990s, as enterprises realized…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: CRM, Customer Experience, Digital Transformation

‘Eternal Vigilance’ Needed to Counter Cyberattacks

September 17, 2019 Richard Westlund

It’s no surprise to IT professionals that cyberattacks are on the rise.  In recent months, hackers have taken over municipal…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Cybersecurity, Data Management

Overcoming the Human Factor in UC Deployments

August 28, 2019 Richard Westlund

Unified communication (UC) solutions can promote collaboration regardless of time zone or geographic distance. IT professionals need to simplify the use of these tools and address the other concerns of users for them to be adopted within the organization,.

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience

How Are Enterprises Planning for Constant Change?

August 7, 2019 Richard Westlund

Simplifying communications, improving the user experience, and creating excitement about change are top priorities for leading enterprise IT professionals.

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation

How UCC Is Enabling the Multi-Generational Workforce

July 31, 2019 Richard Westlund

In 2019, five generations are sharing the North American workforce: the older Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and the young Gen Z workers. With their different personal experiences, communication styles, and comfort levels with technology, how can today’s IT leaders set them all up for success?

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Team Building

How Enterprises Can Evaluate UCaaS Providers

July 10, 2019 Richard Westlund

When considering a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution from a provider, pay attention to the user experience, along…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Customer Experience

Best Practices for Digital Transformation Metrics

June 26, 2019 Richard Westlund

If your organization is embarking on a digital transformation imitative, it’s essential to set clear and measurable business goals. You should also think about how you will measure your progress and determine if the project has been successful.

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Digital Transformation

Texas Tech Improves Campus Safety with E911

May 29, 2019 Richard Westlund

Like many educational institutions, campus safety is a top priority for Texas Tech University. That’s why the university’s IT team, supported by IR Prognosis and Path Insight, recently rolled out a new E911 system to provide alerts and accelerated responses to emergencies.

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: 911

Mastering Avaya Endpoints for Your Contact Center

May 8, 2019 Richard Westlund

Digital transformation is occurring in banking, healthcare, media, logistics, retail, utilities, and many other sectors. As a result, the contact…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE, Avaya Solutions, Customer Experience

How Can AI and UC Help Your Organization?

May 1, 2019 Richard Westlund

Artificial intelligence (AI) can play an important role in helping organizations improve their unified communications (UC) infrastructure. However, you have…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Avaya Solutions

Become a Communications Champion in Your Organization

April 17, 2019 Richard Westlund

What must you do to become the go-to person for driving digital transformation in your organization?

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Posted in: Leadership Filed under: Digital Transformation

Integrating Emerging Technologies into Today’s Platforms

April 4, 2019 Richard Westlund

Artificial intelligence (AI), cloud-based platforms and the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing the communications landscape and driving digital transformation.…

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, IoT

Deploying AI for Customer Service

March 7, 2019 Richard Westlund

Artificial intelligence (AI) has great potential for improving customer service, according to Dr. Val Matula, vice president and CTO, Emerging Products & Technology, Avaya.

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Posted in: Business Strategies Filed under: Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience

A Roadmap for Avaya OneCloud

February 21, 2019 Richard Westlund

It’s a sunny day for businesses considering shifting their unified communication (UC) and contact center (CC) operations to the cloud.…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Avaya Solutions, Cloud

Three Users Outline Their Customer Experience Journeys

January 30, 2019 Richard Westlund

Implementing a digital customer experience can lead to higher satisfaction scores, and increases in new business, while reducing operational costs,…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: Avaya ENGAGE, Avaya Solutions, Partner Solutions

Avaya Customer Success with the Modern LAN

January 22, 2019 Richard Westlund

Adapted from NVT Phybridge case studies A U.S. school district, government agency and university are among the many Avaya customers who have…

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Posted in: Case Studies Filed under: Avaya Solutions

What’s Next for Your CS1000?

January 14, 2019 Richard Westlund

If you have a CS1000 or Communication Manager (CM), you’re probably still satisfied with its reliability.  But at the same…

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Posted in: Solutions Portfolio Filed under: Avaya Solutions
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