Modality Systems is a powerful consultancy company dedicated to helping companies change the way that they communicate on a “unified” level. In today’s age of ever-increasing UC demands, Modality Systems are the company on hand to help businesses understand how they can use technology to develop the right collaborative solutions for their organisation.
Currently, the brand employs around 150 staff in various corners of the world. Although the organisation began in the UK, with most of the team located in England, they’ve also expanded to North America, Sydney, Melbourne, and most recently, Germany.
I spoke to James Rodd, the CEO of Modality Systems, about his growing company, and where he thinks the future of UC is headed now that we’re officially entering 2018.
Tell Us About Yourself and Modality Systems
As the CEO, general manager, and one of the co-founders of Modality Systems, I thought that there was no better person to tell me about the benefits of this software solutions based consultancy company than James Rodd. James informed me that the business was formed in 2007 by himself, and John Lamb – an ex-Microsoft employee.
James and John witnessed the evolution of a new Comms Space as the market began to change and embrace a more unified approach to communications.
“After a few months, we chose to form our own company in 2007, Modality Systems. We decided our business would offer a consultancy system that helped people understand how to effectively unify their communications.”
The Modality Systems company has transformed today, though it still specialises in collaborations with an emphasis on Microsoft technology. Ultimately, James and his team offer customers guidance for a complete service wrap built around three core value pillars – usage, health and future.
What Did You Learn in 2017?
For many companies in the UC space, 2017 was a time of change and evolution. I was interested to find out how Modality Systems evolved during the previous years, particularly with the evolution of Microsoft from Skype for Business to Teams.
“Right now, everyone is talking about Teams. We’ve always had to remain agile with our customers and work alongside various credentials with Microsoft, so we have an in-depth knowledge of their adoption programmes. We know the capabilities and limitations of Teams, and we know how to help our customers respond positively to the change.”
Though James and his team haven’t felt the impact of the Teams change much financially, they are aware that it’s more important than ever for them to remain agile and ensure customers are getting what they need out of Microsoft UC as their business evolves. Modality Systems have always been on the cutting edge of the latest Microsoft evolution, but they’re aware that the latest transformations in the industry have put a lot of pressure on a lot of people.
“Cloud matured a lot in 2017, and Microsoft’s progress has been phenomenal. However, it’s important to remember that there’s something of an assumption today that the end-customer can do everything they need to with a single vendor. However, at no point in this industry has that been true. I think customers are forgetting that they might not be able to get a one-size-fits-all product anywhere.”
What Are Your Predictions for 2018?
With our feet firmly in 2018, I was interested to get an insight from James on where the UC world is heading this year. He told me that the markets and the buyers in UC are changing. For Modality Systems, the two biggest areas of growth right now are in adoption or helping people to get the right software, and toolset management, to help people get the most out of the software they use.
In terms of predictions for the year ahead, James told me that he thinks Microsoft and many other vendors will need some time to let the dust settle.
“There have been a lot of big consolidations and acquisitions, and a lot of people gaining market share. It’s tough to see who the winners will be right now, and I think Microsoft is going to need to spend some time explaining how Teams is going to exist alongside the Skype Server and Skype for Business.”
It’s not just Microsoft facing some confusion this year either. James went on to suggest that Cisco and BroadSoft will be going through a similar transformation.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of explanations this year while vendors settle down some. There’s also going to be more conversation about the definition of communication vs collaboration and whether one thing can actually exist without the other.”
What Do You Think About the Changing Marketplace?
I was interested to find out whether James felt that other players could have an impact on the marketplace in 2018. Right now, when it comes to battling giants like Microsoft and Cisco, the only real vendor that seems to stand a chance is Amazon. James also suggested that Facebook might be in the game as a “different kind of vendor”, or a brand that’s hoping to do collaboration slightly differently.
“I think the big challenge that new players in the mid-to-enterprise space are going to face will be the sheer dominance that Cisco and Microsoft have in that area. Amazon is probably the most significant outsider to make a play, but there are other companies out there that could consolidate to address Cisco and Microsoft’s historical dominance.”
James told me that creating a UC strategy today isn’t as hard as it seems, but there is a challenge in delivering the security for companies that is required alongside functionality. “The world is getting smaller, but the rules around communication and collaboration are becoming tighter.”
Any Finishing Top Tips for Partners?
James told me that today, the focus for businesses will be deciding which pieces of tech are right for which user, and that will place a greater pressure on understanding the user base in the years ahead.
“The one message I’d try to get out there is that people need to start putting emphasis on the end customer and ensuring they understand how they can get the most out of their UC solutions. Additionally, I’d like to ask vendors to start seeing their decisions and investments through. Customers need to make choices that they can stick with for a period of time, so vendors and partners need to respect that.”
