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From ATI

Communication Challenges for Small Business Owners

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March 22, 2016

- From ATI

While small business owners definitely face a lot of challenges on a daily basis, one that can have a major impact on whether the business is able to thrive or not is communication. Between vendors, employees and customers, great communication can be a big hurdle. After all, great writing skills and perfect oration are hardly a prerequisite for the dream of owning your own company. Following are five communication issues that are common among small business owners as well as the communication solutions that can help to ease this daily stressor.

1. Missing Communication

A lack of communication is always a problem. When employees or vendors are simply not communicating, small issues can quickly snowball into insurmountable stresses simply because no one knows what is going on. More communication seems like the simple answer here, but a better way to frame it is setting expectations. Whether that means scheduling check ins with remote employees or freelancers or asking for reports from vendors it is important that everyone is on the same page about how often they are expected to communicate progress to you.

2. Micromanagement

On the other end of the spectrum is micromanagement. When you hover over employees and try to manage every aspect of their job, you are not only fostering an adversarial and distrustful environment, you are wasting everyone’s time. There are a few ways to solve micromanagement – or overcommunication – issues. In the long run, it is essential to hire people that you trust and allow them to do the job you hired them for. Sometimes, communication can feel like micromanagement when it isn’t and this is an easier fix. For example, when you’re constantly calling an employee or scheduling meetings, they feel compelled to stop whatever they’re doing to address your needs and it can weigh them down and cost everyone efficiency. If what you have to say can be communicated in an email instead, the employee has the option to respond at their convenience. This simple assessment of the best technology for certain communications can have a big impact on relationships and overall communication efficacy.

3. No Down Time

Overcommunication isn’t limited to micromanagement. A chief complaint among many employees and managers/business owners is that they feel as if they are always connected. The advent of the smartphone has made it impossible for people to unplug. In fact, only 25% of people with paid vacation time take all of it during the year. As a communication solution for this particular issue, be sure to encourage employees to take down time. This can range from actual vacations to simply turning off email notifications or phone calls for the time when they are not on the job. This can lead to overall happier and more productive employees in the long run.

4. Maximizing Meeting Efficacy

Scheduling regular meetings is an essential part of managing any team, no matter what the size. But inefficient meetings can lead to to a lot of frustration for those that have to attend them – not to mention the damage they can cause to overall productivity. One study suggests that employees can waste an average of 31 hours a month in unproductive meetings. Setting expectations can be a great communication solution for this particular issue as well. Have a meeting agenda and stick to it. There are plenty of business advice books and programs that can give you a good framework for scheduling meetings. Find one that works for you and make sure no one is dreading your next staff meeting.

5. Scattered Employee Base

Utilizing freelancers and offsite employees can be a great option for small business owners who need to cut down on overhead. You don’t have to find office space or even computers for these employees. But a scattered base of employees can create some difficult communication problems for you as well as for your customers. A unified communications solution can be a way to make sure that remote employees feel part of the team and are able to contribute seamlessly. UC options like VoIP can make it possible for people to answer customer calls from home as if they were in the office with access to all the same features and reliability. No matter what the size of your business, when you are able to communicate effectively with your team and your customers, you will be able to more effectively accomplish your bigger business goals.
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From ATI

Employee Motivation Ideas for the CFO

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March 17, 2016

- From ATI

Did you know that according to the National Business Research Institute, they estimate that an engaged employee will save their company 5% or more off the costs they’re responsible for? That kind of savings can add up quickly when more and more employees become engaged with the financial future of their organization. This statistic is powerful, and should motivate more CFO’s to look into creative solutions as to how they can create a more financially engaged workforce at their organization. But how can they do it? Consider these employee motivation ideas:

Name a “CFO of the Day”

What better way to get employees to understand the financials of the company than to put them in the shoes of the person who manages it? The employee selected will have to present figures at a weekly or monthly staff meeting regarding the financial matters of the business. As each staff member hears from others’ who are serving in the temporary role, it will motivate them to improve the statistics they are presenting about when they are taking on the position. Because the employees now understand how the company operates from a financial perspective, they will be motivated to make small adjustments to improve the overall bottom line.

Consider the Removal of Standardized Performance Reviews

Make a commitment to your employees by showing that you care about the environment in which they work. Consider the possibility of doing away with the more formal performance reviews that stress highly corporate processes that establish a “pass or fail” mentality.  Most of these reviews focus solely on performance and disregard many of the other accomplishments or outside struggles of that review time frame. It can often be perceived by employees as a demoralizing process where the boss serves as their judge. Instead, start an interactive coaching program that guides the person towards improvement, learning, as well as how they can bring their productivity to the next level.

Showcase Employee Success and Contribution

People generally love playing a role in something that is bigger than themselves rather than just collecting a paycheck. If work is considered to be a waste of time and effort, they are demotivated almost instantly. CFO’s should align the work of the employee with the day-to-day operations to foster value and success for both the organization and employee.

Encourage Positivity

ARS Research shows that employees with a high level of enthusiasm, confidence, and inspiration are 5 times more engaged than employees with negative tone and emotions. To encourage more enthusiastic employees, CFO’s and other leaders should always lean toward an optimistic approach rather than a negative tone. Leaders should be a trusting source of the organization, they need to focus on consistency and transparency as well as avoid inter-office gossip and negativity. Doing so will encourage employees to do the same. We hope you found these employee motivation ideas helpful as you look to improve your CFO engagement and improve productivity at your business.
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From ATI

Making Connections: Communication Solutions for Office Managers

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March 15, 2016

- From ATI

According to a recent study, 75% of employers’ rate teamwork and collaboration as very important to their business. In order to be an effective team member and collaborator, you must be an effective communicator. Yet many office managers struggle with communication, both electronic or in person. It can be difficult to get across your point while also putting it in the right context and the right tone. Luckily, there are communication solutions that can help office managers and other essential team members to communicate more clearly and effectively, and therefore help your business run more smoothly.

Saying What You Need

First and foremost, business communication should be concise. That means that whether you are composing an email, a presentation, or a phone call you should make the goal of the conversation to be saying what you need. Communications expert Karen Friedman recommends adhering to the tried and true journalistic method of establishing:
  • Who
  • What
  • Where
  • When
  • Why
for your business communications. That means if you are assigning a task to someone, you need to not only make clear what it is you need, but what the larger purpose of the task is as well as a clear deadline. This rule can make communication a lot clearer.

Non-Verbal Cues Are Still Important

Because we do a lot of our communication electronically these days, it can be easy to let in-person communication skills fall by the wayside. Whether that means staring at your incoming emails while an employee is trying to talk to you or simply letting your mind wander when you’re on a conference call, you can take physical steps to make your communication come across better. Making eye contact is one easy way to improve face-to-face conversations, as is taking you hands out of your pockets and adopting a comfortable, open stance. On the phone, try smiling or maintaining a neutral expression. And do your best not to read emails or attend to other tasks while on the phone. The other person will notice.

Cultivate Good Listening Skills

Listening is not antithetical to communication. In fact, listening can be one of the best communication solutions. Office managers often have to act as a liaison between different departments and even different offices. This means that it is especially important that you are able to listen to the needs of different employees and managers so that you can effectively communicate them to others. While good listening is important in all scenarios, pay close attention to your own attention when it comes to employees offer suggestion or ideas, team collaboration environments, and emotional situations. Unfortunately, communication solutions are not one size fits all. Some offices communicate better via email while others prefer phone calls or meetings. Use these communication tips to better understand what your office needs and how you can be a more effective manager through communication.  
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From ATI

5 Public Speaking Tips for Better Communication

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February 11, 2016

- From ATI

Scared of Speaking?

February 11, 2016 – Widely known as the #1 fear among Americans, public speaking can be a scary thing. According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, about 74% of people report they have some form of speech anxiety. That’s the feeling you get right before a big presentation or speech that produces symptoms like sweaty palms, an upset stomach, and maybe even body trembling. It’s annoying, distracting, and most people would agree they’d like to have some tools to stop it from happening. The good news is that it is possible to control the problem, but it takes some practice and preparation. Here are our 5 public speaking tips to help decrease the anxiety for better public communication:

  1. Preparation is Key

The problem for public speaking is usually the nervousness it causes. However, those nerves can be significantly decreased with proper preparation. Going over and outlining exactly what it is you will say helps to improve the delivery of your speaking as well as the quality of the information you are presenting. Most often, public speaking goes horribly wrong when someone has not thought through or practiced what they were going to say beforehand. Also, if you will be public speaking time and time again, ask someone to videotape it so you can identify some of the unconscious things you do that may be distracting to your audience.

  1. Focus on the Opportunity

Many times we are so focused on “getting it over with” when it comes to public speaking that we don’t give any appreciation to the opportunity we have been given. You have been asked to speak to a particular audience because your knowledge and expertise is of value to them, and that’s something to embrace and appreciate. When you walk into a public speaking environment, try to change your mindset from simply getting through it to an opportunity for you to educate and help others.

  1. Make Eye Contact

Eye contact has always been an important communication tool, and even in today’s tech-savvy world, eye contact remains key when it comes to public speaking. Don’t just gaze over the eyes of your listeners either, try to look deeply into them. Doing so makes the audience feel a direct connection with the speaker, keeping them engaged and eager for more of what you are saying.

  1. Make Friends with TED

There are some amazing public speakers out there today, and they are available right at your fingertips. TED Talks are some of the most viewed and highly-rated public speakers today. Observe the various ways they are able to connect and motivate their audiences, then try to replicate those observations within your own speech delivery.

  1. Watch Your Watch

Did you know the average attention span of an adult is 20 minutes? A common problem among many public speakers is talking too long talking about something they’ve already articulated their point about. Making the first 20 minutes of your speech the most informative and dynamic it can be is key to an effective delivery. If you are talking for longer than 20 minutes, it’s also your opportunity to capture the attention of the audience so you can keep them engaged with you for the rest of the presentation. We do hope these 5 public speaking tips (along with a few deep breaths beforehand!) will help you to become the most dynamic and engaging public speaker possible.
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From ATI

How the Right Data Solutions Can Keep Employees Motivated

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February 4, 2016

- From ATI

Keeping employees motivated during all times of the year can be difficult but especially challenging in winter months with holidays causing distraction and cold dreary weather singing the blues. However there are a lot of ways to keep employees motivated and you’ve probably heard a few, but do you know that your data solutions can help you implement some employee motivation tactics? Keep reading to find out how.

Celebrating Milestones & Achievements

The employee birthday party might be the standard for celebrations, but being able to recognize employees for a variety of reasons is a great way to keep motivation and morale levels high. Luckily, when all your data is in the cloud, it’s easy to keep track of a synchronized employee calendar with milestones like work anniversaries and birthdays.

Job Flexibility

Giving employees the ability to work from home – and to have flexible hours – can be extremely motivating. In fact, one study found that when managers allowed employees to set their own schedule, they actually worked on average 7 hours more than those who had a prescribed schedule. With a virtual desktop solution for your office, workers can set their own work hours and work from their home – or anywhere in the world – during the summer.

Get Outside

By the same token, even workers who choose to work from the office benefit from some sunshine and fresh air during warm months. Some HR managers suggest holding meetings outside for employees who are happier and healthier, but you can even take that another step further and have workers conduct all types of business outside. Both virtual desktop solutions and mobile phone management – through Bring Your Own Device technology  – means that employees can spend time outside, taking advantage of great weather, and still pick up important calls and work on business documents without compromising security.

Be Creative

Perhaps the most important thing that any company can do to keep employees motivated is to be creative and to foster creativity. If that means finding ways to celebrate and recognize employees, to host social gatherings or friendly competitions, or just to get to know employees on a more personal level, it will encourage healthy relationships among employees and keep them motivated to do a good job for their team and their company as a whole. And the importance of creativity does not only extend to management and HR actions. Allowing employees to be creative with their time, to work on independent projects (e.g., Google’s 20% rule), and to bring fresh new ideas to the table is the best way to keep employees interested in their jobs and to improve company morale. Check out more ways to keep things fresh in the cloud here.
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From ATI

ATI Leadership

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February 3, 2016

- From ATI

Business Communication Solutions: Promote Diversity with Communication

March 3, 2016 – Promoting and encouraging diversity in the workplace is a key component in running a successful and inclusive organization. Simply adopting the attitude that “people don’t see color” or the thought that “gender bias never happens here” puts a company at risk for an increase in employee turnover, low morale, and distrust within the entire organization. In order to effectively embrace diversity among all employees, you must enhance the communication in the workplace in a way that promotes, recognizes and encourages a diverse environment. But how do you do this in a professional and respectful way? Here are some business communication solutions that will help your organization enhance diversity in the workplace:

Acknowledge Differences

Simply pretending differences don’t exist isn’t practical in today’s business landscape. Take time to sit down, discuss, and celebrate the differences among your employees. Provide opportunities for them to promote and educate each other on their individualities.

It’s Okay NOT to Know

If another employee honors a different culture or religious practice, ask them questions to learn more about it. It’s okay to admit and be up-front with what you don’t know as long as it’s done tactfully. Who knows? The information they share with you may help you connect or converse with a potential client or another coworker more effectively in the future.

Address Racial Issues

One of the biggest issues among workplace diversity is when a particular group is made the target of a stereotype or bias. If an employee is showing racial or gender bias, it is your responsibility to address it with them and implement a plan to change their actions.

Listen to Others

Words are a powerful tool, and they can easily be used to unintentionally offend someone else. If you listen to coworkers describe their culture or background, pay attention to the words they use to describe themselves: do they say black or African American; Persian or Iranian; Asian or Korean? The words they use are likely the terms they would prefer others use to describe them.

Avoid Assumptions

Just because someone is a part of a particular gender, race, or religious group doesn’t automatically mean they are supporters of a specific political party or that they fit some stereotypical opinion created by others. Avoid using statements like, “Asian people just know…” These types of statements are patronizing and can be hurtful.

Watch Your Writing, too

We might be masters at communication in the workplace and representing a diverse atmosphere in-person, but don’t forget to transfer that attitude to email, messaging and texting. For example, often times men are written with both their first and their last names where women often are named just by their first. Additionally, replace anything that may be judgmental with factual information. For example, when pointing out someone’s age, don’t use “elderly,” instead use their actual age. Today in business, leaders have a major responsibility in creating, embracing and encouraging diversity at their organization. The fact remains that the more inclusive a work environment is, the more encouraged and motivated the employees are. Promoting diversity is more than just a best practice, it’s also good for business.
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From ATI

Fostering Communications Between IT and Non Tech Employees

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February 2, 2016

- From ATI

Fostering Communications Between IT and Non Tech Employees

February 2, 2016 – Across all job titles, regions, and industries, the communication happening between IT and their non-IT coworkers is often described as insufficient. And according to a recent Executive Council benchmark survey, only four out of 100 IT leaders believe they are effectively communicating with their non-IT coworkers. The reason for this issue is due to an absence of effective communication, trust and a cohesive vision within the organization. Reports show that many IT departments are unsatisfied with executive leadership decisions regarding the company’s digital strategies and innovation processes. Clearly there is a major communication problem within business information technology, but what exactly can companies do to fix it? Some communication tips to battle the problem include:

#1: Train them on the ENTIRE business

Don’t let IT leaders become isolated “techies” within the organization. They should have a true understanding of the perspective of all roles and parts of the business. Having a cohesive understanding helps them to gain an understanding of why certain business decisions are made so they can effectively implement the changes needed. Allow IT professionals to job shadow in the various departments of the business, and if needed, rearrange the teams or floor plans to establish convergence.

#2: Educate About Stakeholders

IT decisions made during projects are often the result of the needs of the stakeholders rather than some leadership or other departments. If you educate your IT leaders on who these people are as well as why their decisions are important or needed, they will likely respond more effectively to why certain changes are happening.

#3 Encourage Normal Language

IT professionals seem to unintentionally create their own language that’s cluttered with technical jargon and acronyms that other departments simply don’t understand. IT leaders need to make a continuous effort to simplify their conversations and eliminate the use of confusing acronyms.

#4 Insert Metrics into Discussions

IT leaders love metrics, so it’s a great tool to use to drive a conversation with someone with a more technical brain. During the right time, this can be a powerful tool to help make conversations easier and more effective.

#5 Outsource When Needed

If communication issues are holding your IT department back, don’t be afraid to look for some help from an expert. Outsourcing the help of an IT Communications Director can implement processes and tools to enhance the business information technology communication. Using an expert can also help to identify the nuances that are hindering your specific organization’s communication process and provide realistic suggestions on how to improve on it. IT leaders of today simply must be willing to work through and discuss the complexities of the digital world with effective communication. Doing so helps the organization solidify strategies, expand abilities and ultimately, encourages growth.  Additionally, improving the communication between IT and the rest of the business helps the entire organization understand their digital processes, growth goals and the future plans of the business, which is beneficial for all.
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From ATI

Communication for Better Leadership

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January 29, 2016

- From ATI

When you meet an exceptional communicator, you usually know it within seconds of talking with that person. They radiate a confidence about their message that typically resonates with you. From the tone they speak with to the body language they use, it is clear they have dedicated time and energy into making sure their words are heard and better yet, that those words inspire action from those they are speaking to. So, what’s the secret to becoming a great business communicator? It starts with focusing on a few key business communication solutions, including:

Always Consider Your Audience

Walking into a room full of people who are eager to hear what you have to say means scaling back on trying to sound like an expert or bragging about your accomplishments or expertise. Truly understanding your audience means knowing what that audience wants and providing them with quality information they can actually do something with. A word of caution though, this doesn’t mean simply telling your audience exactly what you think they want to hear, you need to be honest and thorough, even if it means the content they receive isn’t exactly what they had hoped for.

Open Ears Creates an Open Mind

Excellent business communicators know how to use their ears, too. Communicating is a two-way process and great leaders know that often what they hear from others is more important than anything they may have to say. Great communicators don’t interrupt or try to formulate what they are going to say next before the other person has finished speaking, they wait until the other person stops speaking so they can fully process the other perspective.

Take Responsibility for Your Words

When a great communicator says something wrong, they admit it. They aren’t waiting around for someone to point out what they did wrong, they take ownership of it before it becomes a distraction from the rest of the information they are trying to convey. Accountability is important for both the words used as well as the actions taken. This is true even if it would have been easier to not point out the error at all. Also, when a great communicator admits a mistake, they do it with humility and tact.

Ask for Feedback

Experienced communicators know that there is always room for improvement, so they are constantly asking for feedback (both positive and negative) to learn and grow from. They verify their message was understood by the audience and they humbly accept suggestions as to how that message could have been conveyed more clearly. They also never blame an audience for the lack of understanding, but they adjust their message to better meet the needs of their audience. One of the main similarities between all great communicators is their ability to be honest and authentic with others. They value the importance of communication in the workplace and with an audience and because of this, they excel in many other areas of leadership. Check out a phone system that promotes great communication with 9 octaves of hi-fidelity sound, compared to the 3 octaves of most other brands.
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From ATI

Phrases Not to Use at Work

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January 14, 2016

- From ATI

Top 5 Phrases Not to Use at Work

Our workplace, it can often be an overwhelming, frustrating and downright maddening place. The reality is that when we spend such a significant part of our lives somewhere, it’s bound to cause a few frustrations. Having work-related irritations is a very normal thing, the problems arise when we allowed those frustrations to go from just floating around in our head to flowing out of our mouths. Communicating with a negative attitude is one of the main reasons people fail to receive promotions or advancements, even if they are performing exceptionally with regard to their workload. Unfortunately, many people don’t even realize some of the common “water cooler conversations” could be exactly what’s keeping them off that promotion list. So, what are some of the most used phrases you should ban from your at-work vocabulary? Here are our Top 5:

1.  “That’s not my job”

If someone asked you for help and you received the above response, I’d assume you’d be a little taken back. Being an active and engaged member of a team means stepping out of your job description once in awhile to offer someone else some help or outside perspective. However, this is not to say you should allow this to dominate your day. If you are overwhelmed and have been asked to help with something outside of your responsibilities, speak to your manager and let them know you would be happy to help, but you need to know what other assignments should be put on hold so you can focus on the outside project.

2.  “I don’t get paid enough for this.”

Realistically, when you signed on for your position you were given a detailed list of your roles and responsibilities. If not, you should be able to have a polite conversation with your management team about what they are so expectations are clearly identified. If you are being asked to work on projects that you believe do not meet your level of education or skill, it should be something you can discuss with upper management so they know you are not capable of offering the best assistance to that project. Outlining where your skills are best used may help to increase productivity and employee morale.

3.  “I hate this place.”

Nothing says immaturity like throwing around judgmental statements about an employer. That may seem a bit harsh, but there are much better ways to identify and voice frustrations than making rash statements just to blow off some steam. With most companies, there are policies and procedures in place to properly communicate a problem or issue within the organization, follow those steps before lashing out to the person in the next cubical.

4.  “You guys”

This may seem strange, but calling a group of people (which may include women) “guys” can be seen as slang and unprofessional. Although it has become a casual and friendly way to address people, it should be reserved for social conversations among friends rather than colleagues.

5.  “That’s impossible”

Are you sure you have thought through every possible circumstance or solution and you have deemed there is no way to solve the issue or need? Even if the resolution suggested is impossible, saying it out loud displays a very negative and pessimistic attitude. Leadership wants to see a motivated and problem-solving person moving up within the organization and making statements saying the opposite aren’t well received. If you find yourself at a dead end, try using phrases like “What can we do instead to make this better?” Or, “Even though we can’t seem to find a way to make this happen, maybe we can try another approach instead?” Maybe you are reading this and you know these statements are common talk around your office. The best thing you can do is be the first to set the example for a more positive environment. Enlist a buddy to keep you in check when you make a statement like the ones above. Or, record yourself during a meeting or presentation to see if you are saying some of the wrong things or not coming across with a motivated and engaged tone. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start to see yourself on that promotion list after all!  
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From ATI

ATI Featured In Two CRN Articles

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May 28, 2015

- From ATI

May 28, 2015 – CRN, a leader in news, analysis, & perspective for technology integrators, recently sat down with ATI’s very own COO, Russ Zielezinski, and Director of Marketing, Jeff Becker to discuss two industry hot topics: The Shift to Cloud & ShoreTel’s new Hybrid offering. In case you missed them, the articles are below, with ATI’s input highlighted in red. Let us know what you think. “Adapt Or Die: UC, VoIP On-Premises Must Shift To Cloud, Analysts Say” “ShoreTel Teases New Hybrid Platform”

Adapt Or Die: UC, VoIP On-Premises Must Shift To Cloud, Analysts Say

Solution providers in the unified communication and VoIP space need to start shifting from on-premises to cloud-based solutions or risk being left in the dust. That’s the conclusion of VARs and analysts, who say 2015 is the most significant year for partners to make the transition to offer more cloud-based services in order to stay on pace with the market and capitalize on recurring revenue streams. “It’s important for partners to get aggressive in the cloud, because customers right now are trying to decide what partner and what solution provider to use,” said Zeus Kerravala, principal analyst at ZK Research. “Anytime there is a big shift in the market like this, it creates an opportunity to take some shares. … It’s really imperative that UC resellers and VARs make cloud part of their service offer, or they’ll be the ones on the outside looking in.” On-premises PBX systems have been stagnant in the market, with low-single-digit growth rates over the past few years, compared with hosted services growing in the double digits, according to an Infonetics Research report. Infonetics expects Cloud PBX and UC services to be a $12 billion market by 2018. “On-premise-based industry is growing at 2 or 3 percent,” said Kerravala. “The cloud portion has been growing in the high 20s. I fully expect the industry to stay that way.” UC and VoIP solution providers say transforming their companies toward cloud services can be challenging, but it is a necessity in 2015. “There’s some reluctance in some partners that were legacy premise partners, like ourselves,” said Russ Zielezinski, chief operating officer at Advanced Telecommunications of Illinois, a ShoreTel and Mitel partner based in Naperville. “But we see the market for cloud telephony exploding. We’re seeing that shift in 2015 and expect that to increase. The customer demand is for that hosted solution or hybrid hosted solution — people want to move away from [on-premises] only.” Joe Rittenhouse, president of business development and managing partner at Converged Technology Professionals, said vendors like ShoreTel “opened our eyes to” the changing industry. Converged Technology Professional partners with Aerohive Networks, ShoreTel and Hewlett-Packard. “It’s really an eye-opening experience to come into this new market … because the market has obviously been here,” Rittenhouse said. “The success that we’re starting to achieve has been more along the lines of taking the blinders off and being more open to the way that the business world is consuming products, features and applications.” Heather Tenuto, vice president of worldwide channel programs and sales enablement at ShoreTel, said the company in enabling their channel community to embrace cloud solutions through programs and leading marketing campaigns for partners. ShoreTel unveiled a cloud partner program last year that allows the channel to start selling its suite of cloud-based VoIP services. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based vendor also recently launched a turnkey cloud campaign for its partners called Big Sky No Limits, which includes e-books, thought leadership content and social media outreach plans for partners. “The way the market buys cloud products is very different from the way they bought traditional PBXs, so the partners are generally not prepared for that,” said Tenuto. “You have some partners that say, ‘I don’t see a lot of demand for cloud telephony,’ and then they have this awakening when they discover the opportunities. … Maybe customers weren’t finding you because your website doesn’t say anything about cloud, so of course you’re not seeing any demand. Once [partners] change those things, they start to see the demand.” Tenuto said more than half of ShoreTel’s partners are participating in their cloud partner programs. The market research firm MarketsandMarkets expects the UC-as-a-Service sector to grow from $13 billion in 2014 to $23.3 billion in 2019, representing a compound annual growth rate of around 12 percent. “2015 is a significant year for this shift,” said Jeff Becker, director of marketing, for Advanced Telecommunications. “The cloud has really taken full hold of the industry. http://www.crn.com/news/networking/300076309/adapt-or-die-uc-voip-on-premises-must-shift-to-cloud-analysts-say.htm

ShoreTel Teases New Hybrid Platform

Unified communications and VoIP vendor ShoreTel is set to unify its on-premise and cloud platforms in an effort to push more cloud services through the channel. With the major shift from on-premise to cloud solutions becoming more relevant than ever in 2015, ShoreTel is launching a hybrid platform to help partners make the transition to the cloud, according to Heather Tenuto, vice president of worldwide channel programs and sales enablement at ShoreTel. “Once we deliver that product, it’s really going to accelerate ShoreTel,” said Tenuto, in an interview with CRN. “We’re really leading the way in creating this hybrid category in UC where you’ll see even more rapid adoption of cloud because people can pick and choose what pieces of their service they do want in the cloud. The new platform will offer four different flavors of creating a hybrid between on-premise and cloud platforms.” Tenuto said a large part of the market is still hesitant around cloud telephony and cloud UC. “This new platform will give them an entry point that’s more comfortable for them,” said Tenuto. “Depending on what they like about cloud and what they don’t like about cloud, what they like about on-site and what they don’t like about on-site — this single platform allows us to create hybrid situations that will help more people take advantage of the cloud services that they’re comfortable with.” The official unveiling of the new platform is planned for ShoreTel’s One Champion Partner Conference next month in Orlando, Fla. By 2016, over 50 percent of midsize and large organizations in North America will be running some of their unified communications applications over either a private or public cloud service, according to an Infonetics survey released on Monday. “Businesses continue to migrate their unified communications applications to the cloud, citing flexibility as the key reason,” said Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP, UC and IMS at Infonetics Research, in a release. ShoreTel partners said the hybrid platform is needed for solution providers wanting to ease their way into the cloud who might be currently selling on-premise, with little to no cloud services. Partners also get to capture recurring revenue streams through a hybrid platform. “Historically, in the premise-based-only business, you kind of rode a rollercoaster of sales,” said Russ Zielezinski, chief operating officer at Advanced Telecommunications of Illinois, a ShoreTel and Mitel partner based in Naperville. “With monthly revenue streams, you know it’s coming in every month that makes it easier to manage our business … ShoreTel knows, and is listening to, the market and that’s why you’re seeing [a new hybrid platform].” The Infonetics study found the top device used by businesses is smartphones, ahead of desktop computers and laptops. An increasing part of UC for businesses is web and videoconferencing, as well as text messaging, according to the study. “Cloud solutions are inherently more flexible than premises-based solutions, offering businesses the ability to scale users up and down, centralize management and deploy new features and applications quickly,” said Myers. http://www.crn.com/news/networking/300076319/shoretel-teases-new-hybrid-platform.htm
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