Just four months on from their last big event Avaya welcomed customers and partners from around the globe to GITEX, one of the biggest technology exhibitions in the Middle East.
CEO Alan Masarek is keeping his strategy simple. It is one of transparency and presence. Whilst in the region, Masarek would meet with key customers, partners and media to deliver a consistent message. Avaya is on the comeback trail.
UC Today’s David Dungay spent the week talking to key executives, partners, analysts and customers about the vision, the portfolio and the roadmap. Here are the top takeaways from the week.
1 - Generative AI has Landed at Avaya
On the run up to GITEX Avaya released several Generative AI solutions for its contact centre customers which auto-generate new workflows and insights. Avaya has developed a journey mapper, a natural language search function and an AXP integration to help improve agent and customer interactions.
On the stand, Avaya was showcasing how they can overlay the technology onto a customer platform which was being used in a metaverse use case. DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) has partnered with Avaya to enable a range of customer services through their DEWAVerse.
The initial appearance of an elaborate use-case designed to gain column inches soon evaporated as the solution was demonstrated as functioning in real time already. DEWA’s interactive engagement hub allows customers and agents to communicate and transact through the virtual world, all enhanced by AI.
You don’t get government-run cutting edge use-cases in the western world typically but this was a fantastic example of how public services can lead the private sector in technology innovation.
2 - People Attract People
Masarek announced his new board just 4 months ago at Avaya Engage in the US. Predictably, we were treated to a wheel-barrow full of heavy hitters, many of whom had worked with Masarek previously. Most weren’t ready to speak to the press at the time, as they were just days into their tenure. Now we are 4-months in and they are not only ready to talk, their impact is already being felt across the business.
The new board are not just changing products, structure, mindsets and process they are also attracting their own trusted relationships into key management positions beneath. These are people that don’t typically get highlighted in the press, but they are experienced, believe in the mission, and are having a ‘multiplier effect’ on the decisions at the top.
This was compounded through the week with existing staff and new starters all telling a similar story.
3 - Building a ‘Destination Workplace’ means back to the office
Serious change means making some serious decisions. Like many vendors in the space, Avaya has U-turned on its hybrid working policy. Masarek has mandated employees get back to the office five days a week if they live within 40 miles of an office. After a few years of hybrid working for the majority of the business, the decision has received a mixed reaction from staff.
Despite this, Masarek has stood firm – according to him, building a good working culture means doing it in person.
How Masarek fares in his ‘Culture Quest’ is still playing out of course. One thing is for sure, it's going to take more than free donuts and unlimited Um Bongo.
4 - CX is the North Star, but UCaaS hasn’t been forgotten
Everything coming out of the Avaya camp right now is centred around the Experience Platform (AXP) and Avaya Customer Experience Services (ACES). However, they still have a sizeable number of customers sitting on Avaya’s on-premise UC offering - IP Office.
Avaya’s previous big UCaaS play was its RingCentral deal (Avaya Cloud Office). However, a low percentage of the base actually converted to ACO (as little a 5% according to some) for numerous reasons.
Many partners didn’t like the terms of the ACO deal (this was especially true in the UK) and many customers were happy with their on-premise system and weren’t ready to move to the cloud.
