Despite potential wildfires and electricity brownouts, last week marked the successful inaugural launch of the IMCCA’s “Collaboration Week Silicon Valley,” held Oct 28-30, 2019. IMCCA, a leading voice for the UCC (Unified Conferencing and Collaboration) industry, was the primary host at this unique event that pulls vendors and thought leaders together with end-users in the Silicon Valley area to meet and discuss the trends and technologies of business collaboration. Compunetix also served as a corporate sponsor of the week.
The California conference, modeled after IMCCA’s widely successful “Collaboration Week New York” this past February, combines on-site presentations at some of the industry’s most prominent vendors, as well as real-world deployments and one-of-a-kind tours of participating end-user locations. Locations last week included an insightful tour at Intuit’s new facility as well as thought-providing discussions, presentations and meals at both Poly and at Amazon.
The week was anchored by Tuesday evening’s gala dinner where the industry gathered to recognize the lifelong contributions of Bob Hagerty with the IMCCA ‘s Emerging Technology Fellow, Lifetime Achievement Award. Bob, current chairman of Poly, is a longtime member of the collaboration community working with storied organizations such as Plantronics, Polycom, Logitech and SMART Technologies.
The busy agenda of “Collaboration Week Silicon Valley” was kicked-off on Monday with an overview session by David Danto, Poly’s Director of UC Strategy and Research as well as an IMCCA Executive Board member. Other noted speakers included Intuit’s Peter Kolak, Karl Hantho of Pexip, and Rob Woods of Bluejeans. IMCCA member and collaboration consultant Dr. S. Ann Earon discussed capturing users mindshare, and Nemerte’s Irwin Lazar presented on the evolving state of UC analytics. At Amazon, participants listened to presentations on communication and device security by Josh Srago, consultant and law school student, and on the “Workspace of the Future” by Mark Peterson, Principal, Shen, Milsom & Wilke.
“Collaboration Week is an important industry initiative that offers the opportunity for organizations and other interested parties to learn more about our industry and how the technology is being used to craft intelligent and cost-efficient UC and collaborative solutions,” said Carol Zelkin, Executive Director, IMCCA. “Our goal is to continue providing industry professionals with learning and networking experiences that are accessible and pertinent for their geographic region.”
The Interactive Multimedia & Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) is a not-for-profit user application and industry focused association with membership comprised of service and product providers, consultants and users. Jerry Pompa, Compunetix Senior VP and IMCCA Board Member added, “Like the three days in NYC, this week marked another successful IMCCA effort promoting modern business collaboration. A special thank you to Carol, David and Ann for coordinating and hosting both the educational sessions and the gala dinner.” To learn more about Collaboration Week Silicon Valley and sponsorship opportunities, contact Carol Zelkin, Executive Director at 516-818-8184 or email at czelkin@imcca.org.
