Dave Michels
Telecom/VoIP/UC/Mobility enthusiast. Blogolyst, Consultant, and Analyst publishing independent telecom and UC research at TalkingPointz. Dave is CEO of Verge1 which offers independent analysis and interpretation of business communications systems and technologies. Dave works with the major vendors, end users, and media sources. His independent research is available for download at www.talkingpointz.com. Dave regularly contributes to this site and other major sites focused on communications. His blog PinDropSoup is one of the most popular independent telecom oriented blogs on the web.
Microsoft and Me
Regarding desktops, tablets, and smartphones – I am considering going pure Microsoft. That will mean two new mobile devices, and then switching to IE and Office 365. I will lose apps on my mobile devices and hinder my path to WebRTC. It will be a difficult transition. Why? It really boils down to two frustrations. […]
The Prophecy of Meraki
I like to prognosticate around the end of the year, but sometimes the signs (omens) just can’t wait. I am referring of course to the Prophecy of Meraki, or Cisco’s Wi-Fi from the clouds. I’ve always liked Meraki, I think the concept makes a lot of sense. But it’s over. Meraki is unlikely to see 2015. […]
Google Voice Disconnected
I was using Grand Central long before Google bought them. Grand Central was an exciting concept as it brought advanced telephony features to existing phone services. You could not use Grand Central unless you already had a phone. Ater Google re-launched Grand Central post acquisition as Google Voice, the world was prepared for Google to […]
The Googrilla Grows
I recently published the Googrilla in the Midst which posits that the influence and impact of Google Apps is largely underappreciated and untapped by the UC community. We are reasonably confident that the cloud in general, and Google Apps specifically, will continue to grow. We also are sure that UC and VoIP have a bright future and […]
The Contact Center in the Sky
Hosted voice continues to grow in subscribers and scope. Many hosted providers have already expanded from dialtone to robust UC solutions, but now there seems to be a frenzy around contact center offerings. Here’s a short roundup of announcements made in just the past few weeks. Interactive Intelligence Has offered a robust contact center service […]
The Cloud Dissipation Problem
Google has decided to kill Reader. This is not the first time a product I use and value has been discontinued. I continue to use lots of products that were discontinued, such as my TV and car. The difference is my TV and car continue to work just fine. I can still get service, and […]
Enterprise Connect and Innovation Showcase
Coming up is the Enterprise Connect Conference (March)- unquestionably the biggest UC event of the year. The conference, used to go by the name VoiceCon, takes place every Spring at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando. The conference is put on by TechWeb, the same masters of conversation behind NoJitter.com. I typically don’t leave the hotel […]
Irked by IRQs
PCs use interrupt requests known as IRQs to manage various devices such as sound cards and modems. When the device has a need for processing power, it sends an interrupt request to the processor. It’s a silly design as the mere request is an interrupt itself. This is my day. It’s like when someone says […]
RIM:Back From the Brink?
I am a sucker for the underdog. I love the battle, the strategy, the market dynamics. The ‘We’re Not Number One, So We Try Harder’ mentality. I think that’s why I was originally attracted to Android. I saw the potential of the OS early in the game (bought the first Android phone). I’ve been an […]
Voice in the Clouds
The voice in the cloud is not the creator of the universe, but rather some 800 service providers after your wallet. And they are getting it. Hosted voice and UCaaS is growing at an impressive clip. The premise vendors can’t ignore it any more. While Avaya, for example, touts that it grew IP office sales 46 percent […]
The Emerging UCaaS Cloudscape
My trip to BroadSoft’s Connections conference got me thinking more about the cloud and hosted UCaaS. The space is growing, energetic, and optimistic. Infonetics recently reported the number of seats for hosted business voice-over IP and unified communication services is on track to “more than double” between 2012 and 2016. I put the emphasis on […]
Harvard’s Cyberposium
Harvard hosted an event called a Cyberposium where hundreds of business school students gather to hear from tech company founders and visionaries. I did not attend the event, but read a post at GigaOm by Barb Darrow where she identifies five surprising themes. I want to add my two cents to her five points. Founders […]
The End of Legacy
The first time I heard “Legacy Systems” was in the early 90s when working at Coors. It was in reference to the mainframe and dumb terminals around the campus. I was far more excited about the cutting edge stuff like Windows For Workgroups including Schedule Plus. We were busy installing this stuff via Novell Netware […]
Apple iPhone 5 – Meh
The iPhone 5 is breaking all iPhone sales records, another hit on their hands. Or not? I think it’s the beginning on long slide south for Apple. Yes, it is going to sell well. Very well. So why is Apple going to decline? Two very simple irrefutable reasons: What Goes Up Must Come Down, and […]
The Magic at DreamForce 2012
Dreamforce is an impressive conference, though I have never actually attended one. At least not in person, I always make it a point to watch the posted videos as the show has some truly impressive content. This year there was decidedly less video posted, I think the CMOs that get featured are increasingly restricting their […]
