Enterprise Connect
Gaylord Palms
Orlando, FL
March 17 – 20, 2014
Attendees: 5,800
Exhibitors/Sponsors: 180+
Media/Analysts: 90
Calysto Overview
It’s been around for more than 20 years. In the 90s, it was called the PBX Conference, in 2000 it became VoiceCon, but today it’s now known as Enterprise Connect. The conference humbly began with a focus on voice communications, which developed into unified communications and has now evolved into business collaboration with an emphasis on video. “Communications Transforming Business” was the theme of the 2014 conference hosted by UBM Tech.
Enterprise Connect was created to help guide business and tech leaders’ decisions about migrating, designing and implementing the best communications and collaboration products, services, software and architecture for the enterprise.
The 5,800+ attendees at Enterprise Connect were made up of decision-makers in enterprise IT, telecom and networking, applications developers, equipment manufacturers and service providers, systems dealers, value-added resellers and systems integrators, media, analysts and investors.
The 2014 edition of Enterprise Connect was reportedly the best attended yet. “Based on my un-scientific measurement (trying to find a parking spot), I have to agree. The show floor was larger than ever, there were more sessions and virtually all of them were very well attended,” noted Alan D. Percy of AudioCodes.
More than 180 of the leading enterprise communications equipment, software and service providers displayed their wares at this year’s event. Some of the top names include: Avaya, Cisco, Microsoft, AT&T, Ericsson, HP, Oracle, Samsung, Sprint, Verizon, Alcatel-Lucent, Genband, Polycom, Level 3 Communications and Panasonic.
Enterprise Connect’s conference tracks included:
- Cloud Communications
- Contact Center
- Managing & Securing Converged Networks
- SIP Trunking
- Social Apps & Networks
- Video
- Mobility
- Unified Communications
Keynotes
Cisco – According to attendee David Danto of Dimension Data “Rowan Trollope’s keynote address on Tuesday just outshined every other presentation and announcement.” Cisco’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Collaboration Technology Group, spoke about user the experience with collaboration. He argued that the experience currently offered does not match the way end users want to work. Joined onstage by Rajen Sheth of Google, Cisco announced a partnership with Google with a promise to bring Google apps into WebEx. Onstage, the two shared a prototype of a WebEx experience on Chromebook. This was undoubtedly the biggest news to come out of the show.
Avaya – The Avaya keynote featured CEO Kevin Kennedy still riding high after providing the network for the recent winter Olympic games. While the athletes and journalists at Sochi were quick to share their experiences about the rather poor conditions, to Avaya’s credit, there was no talk of any network issues at the games. Unfortunately, the Enterprise Connect audience wasn’t as generous. Kennedy was criticized on social media for “dwelling too much on stories of Sochi successes,” as well as “trying to tell a story of simplicity using overly complex slides.” He also didn’t win many brownie (or should I say cupcake) points for bringing out TLC’s ‘The Cake Boss’ to talk cupcakes during his presentation.
Microsoft – Gurdeep Singh Pall from Microsoft (the man behind Lync) gave the final keynote. This session was standing room only. However, his vision of video collaboration and all of its benefits, topped off by a few feel good, true stories of how it is changing the world was perceived by some as preaching to the choir. According to David Maldow, Esq. of Telepresence Options “my fellow analysts did roll a few eyes and mumble a few ‘tell us something we don’t know’ type of lines.” Pall’s speech was also criticized because it was nearly identical to the keynote he presented at the Microsoft Lync Conference a few weeks earlier. During his keynote,
Attendee Bill Lapp Jr. tweeted “……I want a cupcake…” indicating that even Avaya’s keynote was more appealing than this one.
Panels – There was more buzz about the quality of the panel sessions at Enterprise Connect this year. One exhibitor sarcastically complained that the sessions were so good that they were taking away from the time he had planned to walk the show floor.
In the show’s first keynote panel, Fred Knight, publisher for NoJitter.com and vice president and general manager of Enterprise Connect, suggested that enterprises shouldn’t bend over backwards to cater to the whims of a younger generation, and that Millennials should be “grateful to be out of the basement, and have jobs in the first place.” Not all agreed with his sentiments, Julie McPherson of Cisco tweeted “Hey Fred, the millennials are already out of the basement…& attending #enterprisecon” indicating that he may be a little out of touch.
Buzz – The hottest topics at Enterprise Connect were video, cloud, and WebRTC, which are being embraced by both traditional vendors as well as startups.
According to Phil Hippensteel of AV Technology Magazine, the biggest buzz was about “the battle between the giants, Microsoft and Cisco, and the excitement about WebRTC. Most vendors that were showing more traditional telephony products and services seemed to shrink into the background. The conference’s main takeaway for tech managers was the emphasis on business collaboration with a focus on video.”
There was definitely a huge interest in learning about WebRTC at the conference. During one of the opening breakout sessions, the Gaylord Palms Resort had to expand the room just to accommodate the unexpected number of attendees. There were also WebRTC capable products on display in nearly every vendor booth on the show floor.
What product was on every attendees’ wish list? The Roominator™ from The Blue Jeans Network, self-proclaimed as “the device that lets you ride a rickshaw, deliver a baby, and race through the streets of LA all while participating in a seamless video conference.” Watch the video here.
Media & Analysts – There were 90 representatives from the enterprise technology media and analyst community onsite covering the show. Official Enterprise Connect media partners included: No Jitter, Information Week, Mobile Enterprise, FierceEnterpriseCommunications, Telecom Reseller, Powersource Online and Dr. Dobbs.
Summary – Enterprise Connect has a long-standing history of being one of the go to shows for those within the unified communications space. This still holds true, even more so for companies involved in video. While the keynotes were at times controversial, they also proved to be fairly entertaining. EC offers attendees plenty of opportunities for education and networking. Additionally, there are a few opportunities for targeted press coverage should you have an important announcement to make at the show and schedule meetings with media and analysts far in advance. But if you don’t get anything else out of Enterprise Connect, at least you get your picture taken next to a kick-ass sandcastle…
Up Next – The 2015 Enterprise Connect will be held March 16-19 at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida.
Articles of Interest
The TPO News Enterprise Connect 2014 Wrap Up (Part 1)
By David Maldow
Telepresence Options
March 25, 2014
Dispatch from Enterprise Connect 2014
By Phil Hippensteel
AVNetwork
March 24, 2014
A View From The Road Volume 8, Number 2 -2014 Enterprise Connect
By David J. Danto
Telepresence Options
March 24, 2014
The Enterprise Connect 2014 Whirlwind
By Blair Pleasant
UC Strategies
March 24, 2014
Enterprise Connect 2014 – A Look Back
By Alan D. Percy
Telecom Reseller
March 22, 2014
Reflections on the Enterprise Connect 2014 Locknote
By Sheila McGee-Smith
No Jitter
March 21, 2014
Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up Enterprise Connect
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 20, 2014
Enterprise Connect Keynote: Microsoft Looks to the Future
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 19, 2014
Enterprise Connect: Avaya’s Sochi Simplicity
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 18, 2014
Enterprise Connect: Cisco and Google Team up
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 18, 2014
WebRTC at Enterprise Connect Orlando 2014
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 17, 2014
Enterprise Connect Day 1: Focusing on the User
By Eric Krapf
No Jitter
March 17, 2014