Tuesday, March 31, 2015

UC Trends and Smart Grid Opportunities - Lessons for Both

I'm a bit of an odd fish, as I swim in two ponds that sometimes blend into one another. Communications tech is my main focus, but you may know that smart grid is another space I'm close to. I've given the backstory on that a few times lately, so if you still need that, just search a bit on my blog, or drop me a note.

Anyhow, last week, I wore my smart grid hat, and was involved with the Energy Thought Summit in Austin, TX. The details are in the post I'm about to steer you to, so I'll just move on. While many of the themes have direct implications for the energy economy, I sure saw a lot of parallels - and learning opportunities - for the UC space. A key reason why I'm active in smart grid is because the transformation challenges that utilities are now facing are very similar to what telcos have been going through ever since VoIP came along.

Not only do I see parallels, but also learning opportunities. It's clear to me that one way UC vendors can have success is by offering a deep set of applications for a specific vertical market. Smart grid - and the broader energy space - is a distinct market, and you won't succeed there unless you understand the opportunity.

If that piques your ineterest, then I think you'll enjoy my current contribution to the UCStrategies portal. It's running now, and while you're there, I welcome you to check my previous posts, as well as the rich content there from my fellow UC Experts.

To carry this a step further in the smart grid vein, watch for my next post here for another article of mine that's running now on the ETS portal.

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