Workflows have changed a lot, says InFocus director of product marketing Glenn Jystad. That’s one reason unified communications and collaboration (UCC) have become so important. It’s also why he feels flexible collaboration solutions like InFocus Mondopad are a better fit for nimble organizations than the rigid UCC ecosystem he says is required by larger providers like Microsoft and Cisco.
[related]“Tech is always an exciting industry,” Jystad says. The reason is because it provides “the opportunity to introduce new kinds of solutions.”
It’s also great that organizations now have more options than ever when it comes to their solutions. “That’s very true in the video collaboration space,” he says.
In a video interview for Commercial Integrator, Jystad talks about how video conferencing, once price-prohibitive for many organizations, has become more accessible. “There are a lot of competing ideas” when it comes to how to address organizations’ varying UCC needs.
“This is where the rubber meets the road for this industry.”
Considering Your UCC Ecosystem
One option for integration firms and their clients when it comes to UCC ecosystem solutions is working with relatively large providers, but Jystad points out that going that route requires the organization to commit to a path.
“For large companies like Microsoft and Cisco, they’ve got an ecosystem to keep in mind that they want everybody to buy into,” Jystad says. “They have some really great products but they make a big assumption that you’re going to commit to their ecosystem throughout your entire workflow.”
When it comes to the “monster organization,” he says, “every product they make appropriately is an effort to promote that particular ecosystem.
“While at the same time you’ve got a lot of really innovative products coming from hardware and software technology sectors.”
Customers are “in the middle,” Jystad says, trying to figure out the right solution for getting their work done. More choices, he adds, are great.
“Work is getting more interesting and richer. We have really normalized the virtual workplace. Only having your employees in one building is really becoming increasingly rare.”
The flexibility demanded by customers has spawned a “great time in the industry,” Jystad says.
“What we are definitely seeing is a fight for the heart of the customer. For large companies like Microsoft and Cisco, they’ve got an ecosystem to keep in mind, that they want everybody to buy into.
“They have some really great products but they make a big assumption that you’re going to commit to their ecosystem throughout your entire workflow.”
For organizations with remote employees and very mobile work environments, committing to one ecosystem for UCC isn’t always realistic. “Our customers are coming to us because they’re saying that’s not real world for them,” Jystad says.
Watch Jystad’s entire video interview to learn more about InFocus’ approach to video collaboration.
