As the first month of the new year continues to drag on, the UC and Collaboration vendors of tomorrow are doing everything they can to keep us connected.
Most of us are heading into 2021 with new expectations surrounding everything from remote work to video conferencing, and the work from home trend is stronger than ever. In this world of distributed people, collaboration and communication technology have never been more valuable.
In the last 7 days, we’ve brought you news on everything from Microsoft Teams’ new features to hints of Zoom acquisitions. Here are the top stories you don’t want to miss.
What’s Next for ScanSource Europe?
The future of ScanSource Europe may be in turmoil according to sources close to UC Today. Vendors, channel partners, and distributors note that the outlook doesn’t look good, with some indicating that ScanSource could be on the verge of shutting down entirely. Various UK employees have already begun the redundancy process.
At this time, the full details surrounding ScanSource Europe’s future are cloudy, with some experts speaking about difficulties associated with procuring stock. Other execs say that the company has told its vendors it’s not going to be placing any additional orders. If ScanSource Europe is shutting its doors, does this mean that acquisitions could be on the horizon? At this point, it’s hard to say.
The Latest Teams Features for 2021
Microsoft is currently the market leader in the collaboration landscape with it’s Teams UCaaS offering. To stay ahead of the competition, the brand frequently rolls out various new features and upgrades, ranging all the way from call enhancements, to better video meetings. At the start of 2021, Microsoft welcomed users into the new year with a range of new features, including 1:1 live caption support, bigger meeting options, and Cortana voice assistant.
Microsoft Teams’ mobile apps will now allow users to access files that they need for work without having the best internet connection. There’s also a range of specialist changes happening for education, healthcare, and government companies too.
Could Zoom be Lining Up a New Acquisition?
Financial reports say that Zoom, the world leader in video communications, is set to make around $1.75 billion in funding soon. According to the company, it’s likely that some of this cash could go towards acquisitions that will further strengthen the Zoom feature portfolio and drive better outcomes for video conferencing users.
In a filing with the SEC, Zoom noted that it has various plans for its new funding injection, including using at least some of the proceeds for strategic investments. Zoom notes that at present, it doesn’t have its eye on any companies, but there are plenty of opportunities out there for the brand to continue its evolution into the UCaaS environment.
Explaining the Changes to Microsoft Call Recording
At the close of 2020, Microsoft revealed some significant changes in how Teams meetings are stored and recorded. The first instances of these changes have now begun to come into effect. Recordings of Teams meetings are stored in SharePoint and OneDrive by default, rather than staying within Microsoft Stream. This ability was introduced at the start of October and will become the default unless you choose to delay the change.
According to Microsoft, just because you see the policy set to “Stream” doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be saving your content there. Admin will need to make sure that they have the right settings in place before they start using Microsoft features, to avoid any problems with storage.
Rivals Set Their Sights on ScanSource Europe
As the waters grow murkier for ScanSource Europe’s future, it’s probably no surprise that companies are already lining up to place their bids. Rumours have been circulating about the potential demise of the European company for a while now, with various partners reporting difficulties in acquiring stock. Rival firms have been quick to jump into action, with many discussing potential purchases.
According to the rumours we’re hearing at UC Today, it seems that Nuvias could be a front-runner for a potential purchase. Matt Townend, Director of Research & Consulting at Cavell, said that he believes it’s highly likely ScanSource Europe will find a new owner soon.
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