Since its inception in 2005, Comms Vision has closely tracked the evolution of business communications technology and the role of the channel in bringing it to market successfully.
Here, four of this year's keynote speakers provide insights into the key themes and messages that will be considered and debated at this year's gold standard event, writes Comms Vision Content Director Paul Cunningham.
Strong leadership and close customer engagement are key to the future success of the comms channel. Why? Because the current rate of innovation and disruption in technology-led marketplaces is dizzying to the point of distraction. Furthermore, the move towards a cloud-based virtualised and rented comms platform means that customers no longer 'own' the products supplied by the channel, and the channel may no longer 'own' the services they offer. But is something bigger and more disruptive happening behind the scenes? Andy Lippman, Associate Director of MIT's Media Lab and Comms Vision opening keynote speaker, observed: "Today's disruptions such as Uber, AirBnB, Bitcoin and Kickstarter are challenging deeply rooted social and commercial institutions by transforming heavyweight social practices into massless and weightless viral phenomena.
"Viral systems are grassroots ideas that start small, scale and gain value in scaling. They can be a programme, a hardware design, a communications system or means of social interaction. A characteristic of many of today's explosive ideas is that they are striking deeper at the heart of social and business institutions than they did in what you might consider the 1st Internet revolution. Uber is more than a new way to hail a cab. It challenges transportation at every level, from the organisational and regulatory to the operational."
Ironically, pointed out Lippman, most disruptions are not based on any great technical invention. Instead, they are a combination of societal readiness and rapid growth. At Comms Vision we will ask the question - what other technologies can move from being rigid to becoming viral? Keynote speaker Matt Griffin of 311 Institute observed: "If you ask a customer what product they'd like you to create they'll more than likely make reference to an existing product suffixed with 'er' - faster, smaller, bigger, cheaper etc. None of these customers would have considered creating an iPad. Therein lies the innovator's dilemma because customers simply aren't innovative or creative enough to be much help. Customers don't buy products because they want to, they buy products because they fulfil particular needs.
"By focusing on and understanding outcomes that drive customer behaviour, teams can create powerful and compelling products. However, outcomes take on many forms so you have to identify the outcomes that the majority of customers want, that have not yet been met by a solution. For example, consider customers who want to reduce their energy bills as well as wanting integrated communications and content. Once you understand what the common outcomes are you can design solutions like the Connected Home using intelligent sensors and systems to help reduce energy consumption combined with unified, on demand Over the Top (OTT) content in a single experience."
The digitalisation of our society, economy and industry is leading to a significant transformation in the way that organisations research, evaluate, acquire and manage technology for business. In a world where the ratio between the cost of acquiring the customer and their lifetime value is a key metric, there is less time available for the discovery process, making it essential to lead with discovery. This change can best be characterised by the question, 'how can customers who need what we have find (and engage) with us?', rather than 'how can we find customers who need what we have?'.
Comms Vision keynote speaker Richard Robinson of customer engagement specialist Turn commented: "As businesses get larger and more mature, it is hard for them to remain agile. Responsiveness is something that you have to build into all of your processes so that the willingness to adapt and experiment does not get lost. You have to be prepared to go the extra mile to compete. You have a lot of information readily available and you need to learn to gather and filter it wisely, so that it provides your business with the advantage it needs to succeed.
"There is no excuse for not knowing who your audience is, or what your competitors are all about. Use the information that is available to make your business stand out. When you have the opportunity to present your proposal, be prepared and know that those to whom you are presenting have also fully researched the solutions to their business needs online. It is easy to be sidetracked and to start expending hours of your valuable time on tasks that do not add any value or income to your business. We all need a reminder that we need to stop and take stock of what we are doing, so that we can refocus those efforts if necessary."
A primary example of potential distraction in the current marketplace is the prevalence of cloud-based messaging and content pouring into the average business user from a huge number of service providers, vendors and media. Factors such as organisational structure, geographic distribution, security, capital investment policy and the need for advanced software functionality all play their part in determining whether a business might make the move to the cloud for their communications needs. What seems likely is that the successful comms channel player will soon (if not now) need to offer a blend of on-premise, cloud and hybrid solutions, matched to the needs of their customers.
Communications technologies are taking a leap forward with the advent of software defined and virtualised solutions at a carrier level. For the business customer traditional software applications are being challenged by web and app-based solutions and the Internet of Things is about to revolutionise how devices, processes and people interact based on context, location, status and many more previously unattainable factors.
There is also a strong consensus that channel businesses will only succeed and survive by building and sustaining a culture of excellence and innovation. This requires the identification of cultural values, technologies and processes that represent the best opportunities to change and excel in channel business operations.
Leading global business coach, author and Comms Vision keynote speaker Darren Rudkin commented: "Leadership teams in top performing companies spend significantly more time getting aligned than 'ordinary' companies. Leaders in these businesses see it as their job to create the heart of the company and then create the conditions and culture that both brings this to life and invites others to step forward and bring it to life for themselves. They see culture as a driver for competitive advantage. A leadership vision isn't credible if it's stuck on a wall in the office. You are a role model whether you want to be or not."