Global leader in UC and CC solutions, Avaya, recently held their Avaya ENGAGE 2018 event, where they shared their innovations, views, and announcements with a broad collection of business partners, customers, and interested attendees.
Since exiting Chapter 11, Avaya has started the new year on a positive note, with a strategic plan for cloud-focused development in the years ahead. Not only does the company already have new products in the pipeline, but they're also announcing exciting strategic acquisitions, and agile development plans under the watchful eye of their Cloud Vice President and General Manager, Mercer Rowe.
Though Rowe has only been working with Avaya for around five weeks now, he's already making huge strides on the behalf of the company, and he even appeared on the Avaya ENGAGE 2018 stage to share his vision for the months ahead. I was lucky enough to not only witness Mercer's speech but have a one-to-one conversation with him about his experiences in Avaya.
How Did You Come to Work with Avaya?
During his keynote speech, Mercer noted that he was thrilled to be speaking to customers and partners after only a month of working in the heart of Avaya. Mercer comes from a strong voice and communications background, and he has plenty of experience in the cloud too. "I've been doing cloud solutions for about 17 years now, starting in 2001 with a hosted IVR system. I've gone through a lot of business transformations, dealing with apps, artificial intelligence, and infrastructure, and I have the scars to prove it."
Mercer told me that he started his career in Nortel, building his knowledge of voice before he moved into IT. During his time in the industry, he made a lot of connections:
"Jim (Chirico, Avaya Global CEO) reached out to me and said that Avaya was going to do something big. They wanted to turn the business around and make it into a growth engine. I believe the brand is ripe for innovation. It has the right support, the right teams, and the right technology. Now, all it needs is a vision to present to its people."
Mercer noted that when he first spoke to Avaya he wasn't sure whether they were truly ready to transform into the cloud. Yet, after some due diligence, he began to discover that Avaya was poised to make a real impact on the future of communications. "Avaya has everything they need to go to the cloud. They have the technology, with 3 million seats already in the cloud infrastructure, they have the expertise in voice, and they have the exceptional partner and customer base."
For Mercer, the decision to work with Avaya simply felt like a "can't miss" opportunity.
What's the Plan on Your Whiteboard Right Now?
Mercer is a man completely focused on the transition to the cloud, and how that can make a company more agile, and more competitive. In his keynote speech, he suggested that people aren't exactly "running towards" the cloud. Instead, "they're making decisions on an application by application basis. They're looking for the tools that make sense to keep on-premises, the ones that should be moved to the cloud, and what can be hosted and run by partners. Avaya has the ability to offer all three options."
Rowe highlighted the fact that Avaya is investing in the new year, using the money it opened with its restructuring process to develop new teams, new investments, and new products. We're seeing a new Avaya, driven by speed, agility, and innovation, and the company is consistently simplifying their model with faster solutions for innovation.
"Cloud is no longer an afterthought or bolt-on feature. Everything in our platform from now on is going to be built from a cloud-first perspective. This means you'll be seeing more focus on innovation, more solutions, and more options from Avaya. In 2018, you can expect more open, transparent partnerships from Avaya as we react more to our customers and partners, talk to them, and listen to their needs."
