In this episode of TalkingPointz Talking Headz, David Danto and Dave Michels, joined by Metrigy Research’s Irwin Lazar, dive into the hot topic of Amazon’s recent push to bring employees back to the office full-time. They unpack the real motivations behind the memo, revealing its connections to industry-wide layoffs and corporate real estate pressures and other explanations. This candid conversation offers a fresh perspective on what the return-to-office push from Amazon’s CEO is truly all about..

I was conflicted when Scott Wharton announced his plans to leave enterprise comms to save the world. I was elated the world would now be saved, but what a loss. It was like one of those be-careful-what-you-wish-for episodes of the Twilight Zone. - Dave Michels.

Scott Wharton is a seasoned expert in enterprise comms and video, with a notable career spanning influential roles at Broadsoft, Vidtel (a company he founded and sold), and Logitech.

His vision and leadership have always aimed to revolutionize the industry by enabling seamless communications across modalities and platforms. His insights into the complexities and missed opportunities within the enterprise video space continue to shape the industry's ongoing discourse, highlighting the challenges and potential for future advancements.

At Logitech, he worked to mitigate the impact of the industry's trend towards platform-specific ecosystems. Wharton's commitment to innovation and user-friendly solutions remains evident in his current role as CEO of Tandem PV, a solar energy company.

Microsoft’s ambitious plan to unify device ecosystems under one platform has hit several delays. Originally intended to create a unified version of Android for all Microsoft Teams Room (MTRoA) devices, the rollout has so far been non-existent. In this podcast, Dave and David discuss potential reasons why it's taking so long.

Recorded August 2024.

Microsoft has a new operating system, it's based on open source Android, will appear first in Teams meeting rooms, and it's called MDEP.

The latest TalkingHeadz podcast has Dave Michels and David Danto chatting with with Microsoft’s Ilya Bukshteyn exploring the Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP.) This will be a customized Android distribution aimed at enhancing device interoperability and security through centralized updates and rigorous standards. It addresses challenges like inconsistent Android versions across OEMs, emphasizing long-term benefits such as improved stability and reduced maintenance. While MDEP is poised to become integral to Microsoft Teams device certification, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem for users and partners alike, it has questions and challenges. These include some confusing aspects and some industry reluctance. These factors - both exciting and challenging - are thoroughly explored in this extensive conversation.

In this engaging episode of TalkingPointz - Talking Headz, hosts Dave Michels and David Danto chat with Kevin McMenamy, the CTO of Neat, to delve into his fascinating journey through the video conferencing industry.

Kevin shares insights from his early days at Cisco, where he contributed to pioneering video technologies like IP telephony video and telepresence, to his current role at Neat, where cutting-edge video solutions are developed. The conversation covers the evolution of video conferencing, the challenges and triumphs of integrating multiple firms into Cisco, and the vibrant, innovative culture at Neat that keeps Kevin passionate about his work.

This episode offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the industry's transformation and the key players driving its future. Tune in to hear about the technological advancements that shape how we connect globally and the personal stories of those at the forefront of this revolution.

Dave Michels and David Danto dive into the Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) ecosystem, examining its evolution, current dynamics, and future implications. They highlighted Microsoft's milestone of surpassing 1 million MTR installations and discussed the market impact of Cisco joining the ecosystem, potentially disrupting vendor success and market strategies.

It's an impressive ecosystem of vendors that has expanded over the years to meet the growing needs of the Teams community. However, one of the last vendors to join the ecosystem, Cisco, is also one of the largest.

The inclusion of Cisco, described as a significant and potentially disruptive addition, will likely have an impact on the ecosystem. Something just might have to give? The Dave's discuss the possible shake-out that could occur.

In this episode of Talking Points Chatz, Dave Michels and Dave Danto discuss
the high turnover rates among C-suite executives in various industries,
particularly in the tech sector. They note that numerous high-profile
leaders, including the CEOs of Nice, AWS, Twilio, and Bandwidth.com,
have announced their departures recently. Danto highlights that a record
number of CEO changes have occurred in the US, attributing it to
factors such as the stress of navigating companies through the pandemic
and current economic uncertainties. Michels and Danto explore the impact
of AI, financial instability, geopolitical tensions, and the breakdown
of trust within organizations. They conclude that these challenges are
creating a "perfect storm" of uncertainty and stress, likely making this
high turnover the new normal.

Microsoft announced it was what we beleive to be the first Meetings provider to reach one million connected meeting rooms. Just for fun, it also dropped that it has 20 million PSTN users! HUGE. The two Daves discuss the accomplishment, what it tells us, and what it doesn't reveal.
Episode adapted from this video discussion: https://www.youtube.com/live/MhW_ETMfF8c?si=88DOkXsa0jrLV4ak