Judges

Rob Scott is a tech-savvy serial entrepreneur and the founder and publisher of Today Digital. Rob heads up multiple B2B tech publications, including UC Today, CX Today, and XR Today.

With over two decades of experience in business communications, Rob is a thought leader and expert in his field. His passion for technology and innovation keeps Today Digital ahead of the curve, providing global technology brands access to the group's ever-growing audience of industry professionals and decision makers.

Connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter to join the conversation about the latest stories in tech.

Zeus Kerravala is the founder and principal analyst with ZK Research and has an exclusive focus on emerging technology in the areas of communications, networking and security. He’s the only UC/CC analyst in the AR power 100 rankings and in 2020, was the Ranked #6 Analyst by Apollo Research.

Kerravala provides a mix of tactical advice to help his clients in the current business climate and long term strategic advice.

Kerravala provides research and advisory services to the following constituents: End user IT, vendors of hardware, software and services, the reseller community and the financial community looking to invest in the companies he covers.

Melissa is a recognized independent consultant and expert on communication technology, including VOIP, Unified Communications, and Contact Center at Swartz Consulting, LLC. She offers completely independent vendor agnostic technology consulting to guide clients in selecting and implementing the best solutions for their individual needs.

Specialties include VOIP, Contact Centers, Cloud and UCaaS, Premise, Project Management, Unified Communications, RFP creation and consulting.

Blair Pleasant is President & Principal Analyst of COMMfusion LLC and a co-founder of BCStrategies (formerly UCStrategies). As a communications industry analyst, she provides strategic consulting services and market analysis on business communication applications, technologies, and markets, aimed at helping end-user and vendor clients both strategically and tactically.

Her primary areas of focus are Unified Communications and Collaboration, contact center and customer engagement. Blair provides clients with a variety of custom consulting services, including market analysis, surveys and research, white papers, product assessment, competitive analysis, strategic development, vendor analysis, marketing and product positioning, partner development, and more.

She is a frequent speaker and participant in industry conferences, webinars, podcasts, and other events to help educate customers, solution providers, channel partners, investors, and others about the evolving Unified Communications and Collaboration and Contact Center markets.

Dom has worked in the telecoms and technology sectors for the past decade providing research on the UCaaS, CCaaS and Microsoft Teams enablement markets.

Cavell Group works primarily with service providers, channel organisations and carriers helping them understand how the market is developing and what they should be doing to be successful.

I’m a B2B thought leader, content creator, industry expert and top technology influencer with an aggregate social media audience of over 550,000 people (420K Twitter, 56K LinkedIn, 70K Instagram, 6K Clubhouse, 5K YouTube) as well as 35K newsletter subscribers. I'm a content entrepreneur. So like a media company, I deliver information consistently to a group of people.

I am building a loyal audience with an organic social media reach in the tens of millions, and my Linkedin, YouTube and Twitter livestreams reach into the millions per video. I've been named as the top 20 most mentioned and REtweeted by Both CIOs and CMOs and am the #1 influencer in areas like Telecom, Cloud, Unified Communications, 5G, IoT arena, CX and more.

Jon Arnold is Principal of J Arnold & Associates, an independent analyst practice providing thought leadership and go-to-market counsel, with a focus on the business-level impact of digital transformation on the future of work. Core areas of expertise include unified communications, collaboration, cloud platforms (UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS) Artificial Intelligence, speech technologies, Internet of Things, contact centers and customer experience.

He has been consulting in many of these areas since 2001, and his independent practice was founded in 2005. JAA is based in Toronto, Ontario, and serves clients across North America as well as in Europe.

Kevin is the co-founder and Principal Analyst of EnableUC, where he and his team help organizations select and successfully implement leading collaboration, communication and cloud technologies, focusing on delivering positive business outcomes. He helps vendors generate awareness and demand, position their products, and make the most of the Microsoft ecosystem.

Kevin is a globally recognized Unified Communications, Collaboration and technology strategist, and thought-leader. He leads the elite BC Strategies Expert group and writes regularly for several industry publications. He regularly presents at industry conferences, and participates in many other webinars, podcasts, and events focused on technology effectiveness.

Amanda Sterner is a Technical Architect at Advania, where she helps her customers make the most out of their Microsoft investment focusing on Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams.

Amanda is a four time awarded Microsoft MVP and actively contributes to the community by organizing events, presenting at conferences and shares collaboration topics in her blog and LinkedIn. Amanda's goal is to help others understand how Microsoft Teams and other tools can improve their daily work and make their days a little better.

In summary, Amanda is a tech enthusiast, educator, and community builder who is passionate about sharing her knowledge and empowering others through Microsoft Teams.

Craig Durr leads the Workplace Collaboration practice, focusing on the services, technologies, and devices that empower seamless connections between businesses, employees, and customers.

His expertise encompasses comprehensive market analysis, sizing projections, product evaluations, emerging trends, and end-user and buyer expectations, and he is recognized by ARInsights as an ARchitect Power 100 analyst.

In addition to following the technology, Craig also studies the human elements of work - organizing his findings into the workforce, the workplace, and the workflows – and charting how these variables influence technologies and business strategies.

Beth English is the founder of EE and Associates/Global Tech with a career dedicated to transforming the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) landscape of multi-location and global enterprises. Her unique blend of expertise, comprehensive knowledge, and an unparalleled commitment to excellence has made her a sought-after advisor for organizations of all sizes.

Beth's primary focus lies in assisting multi-location and multinational organizations in achieving their ICT objectives. Her wealth of experience includes working with both enterprise and government clients, guiding them through transformative projects, and leveraging the latest technological innovations for sustainable growth. Her understanding of the intricate challenges associated with diverse geographical locations and complex operational structures has earned her a reputation for crafting tailor-made solutions that deliver tangible results.

Fazil is a cloud, telecommunications & networking consultant, and industry analyst with both global & local coverage in US, Europe & other markets.

He produces UCaaS, CCaaS & CPaaS reports quarterly, focusing on market shares, market sizing, ARPUs, forecasts and more. Reports are off-the-shelf market segment views, or custom cuts that tightly align with company needs.

With his consulting hat on, he provides services on product development, product management, go-to-market & corporate development to vendors and service providers.

Prior, Fazil was BroadSoft’s lead on competitive and market intelligence programs, as well as providing strategic consulting services to telecommunications service providers globally.

Michael Brandenburg is a senior industry analyst with Frost & Sullivan, covering infrastructure, programmable communications, and unified communications and collaboration services as part of the Information and Communications Technologies group.

Prior to Frost & Sullivan, Michael has covered the enterprise networking space in editorial roles at TechTarget and Network Computing, and as an enterprise networking analyst for the competitive analysis firm Current Analysis.

Michael’s early technology background includes over 15 years of technology experience, serving in developer, system administrator, and IT management roles.

Dan Balitewicz has over 15 years of experience in leveraging technology for business transformation. With expertise in Microsoft 365 and Azure, Dan excels in crafting tailored solutions that align with clients' strategic objectives.

Dan bridges the gap between technology and business needs, ensuring seamless integration and tangible results. Dan's passion for innovation extends beyond his role, as he actively engages with the tech community to stay at the forefront of industry trends. Committed to driving efficiency and fostering long-term partnerships, Dan Balitewicz is a driving force in shaping the future of workplace architecture.

Rob Kurver is a distinguished expert and thought leader in the fields of cloud communications and CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service). As the Founding Partner of the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance, he is dedicated to fostering collaboration and innovation among technology providers, telecom providers, developers and businesses, creating a powerful synergy to drive the industry forward.

With over 25 years of experience in telecom and technology, Rob’s multifaceted career includes roles as a founder, analyst, sales trainer/coach, consultant and event organizer. As a speaker and advisor, he is known for his ability to engage audiences by presenting complex concepts in an accessible and insightful manner.

In his current role with the CPaaS Acceleration Alliance, Rob’s commitment to driving the adoption of CPaaS solutions has helped the organization grow into a strong network of industry leaders, all working together to revolutionize communication experiences. Outside of his work, Rob enjoys mentoring the next generation of tech entrepreneurs in small and large organizations, and exploring new cultures and landscapes through his passion for travel and diving.

Simon Leyland, CEO of CloudInteract, boasts over two decades of diverse experience in the IT sector. With a background spanning system integrators, consulting services, and direct client engagements in Telecoms and Digital Workplace Services, Simon has garnered profound insights into the industry's intricacies.

Over the past decade, he has spearheaded transformative initiatives at esteemed enterprises such as Jaguar LandRover, AstraZeneca, Sony, and Burberry, positioning himself as a trusted leader in global digital transformations. Simon's leadership is characterized by strategic vision and a relentless drive for innovation, propelling CloudInteract to the forefront of technological advancement. His commitment to excellence and deep understanding of business dynamics continue to shape the company's trajectory, empowering organizations to thrive in the digital era under his guidance.

Tom Brannen is the founder and principal analyst of OnConvergence, a modern industry analyst firm focusing on enterprise communications technologies. In addition to traditional solutions such as Contact Center, Unified Communications, and Team Collaboration, Tom also covers emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence and Virtual/Augmented Reality, where he is sought for his insights into the present and future of these technologies and their effect on enterprise communications.

For more than 25 years Tom was an independent IT/Telecom consultant, most of those years being with the consulting firm he started in 1998. In that role, Tom worked in all aspects of business communications, including contact centers, data networks, mobility, Unified Communications, and more. In 2019, Tom pivoted into a new role as an independent analyst, launching OnConvergence to provide thought leadership through blogging, creating video content, public speaking, and writing.

Tom is also the co-creator of the podcast “Your Call is Very Important to Us” which seeks to uncover why customer service organizations still struggle to provide good service despite advancements in technology.

Tom is a proud member of BCStrategies, the Society of Communications Technology Consultants, XR4Work, and the CPAAS Acceleration Alliance and is a frequent contributor to nojitter.com.