WhatsApp: The Silent Front Door to AI Over the last two decades, we’ve watched communications shift, from desktop dialers and browser-based apps to mobile-first, message-driven interactions. We’ve seen the rise (and often the fall) of platform plays. But now, as AI becomes the next wave, the real story isn’t in new apps. It’s in existing … Read more
UCaaS
Why I Say “Press 1” Is Dead
Since the early days of VoIP, we’ve been talking about the demise of legacy telephony structures. “Press 1 for sales” was always a symptom of old-school thinking. Now, with OpenAI’s real-time SIP integration, that era is finally over. For years, I’ve advocated for smarter systems. In 2018, when Dialpad acquired TalkIQ, I wrote how AI … Read more
Why the HIPAA Conduit Exemption Should Be Dead and Gone
The HIPAA conduit exemption is a narrow carve-out in the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. It says that if an entity merely transports protected health information (PHI) from point A to point B without storing it or having routine access to it, they’re not considered a business associate and therefore don’t need a Business Associate … Read more
Why We Must Move Beyond Gigabit Internet in the Next Decade
There was a time when “gigabit” sounded like science fiction. The idea that you could move a billion bits per second to your home or office was the stuff of press releases and futurist conference keynotes. Fast-forward to today, and “gigabit” is like a high-performance sports car you only drive in school zones—more capacity than … Read more
The Digital Dinosaur’s Final Roar: What AOL’s Dial-Up Death Tells Us About Tomorrow’s Internet
The iconic screech of AOL’s dial-up modem—that distinctive digital handshake that welcomed millions to the internet—will finally fall silent on September 30, 2025. I find this moment oddly poignant, not for nostalgic reasons, but because it perfectly illustrates how dramatically our connectivity landscape has evolved. Taking a step back, I think there are a few … Read more
Agentic AI Has Arrived — And It’s Not Waiting for You to Catch Up
A few weeks back, I shared my early take on Agentic AI and why it matters. At the time, it felt like I was seeing around corners. This week confirmed it: Agentic AI isn’t just coming. It’s already here, and the pace of activity is dizzying. Let’s start with security. CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform helped bring … Read more
Telephony-First Voice AI: Why Most Startups Get It Wrong—and Who’s Getting It Right
The recent CB Insights* report on Voice AI consolidation is a clear sign of the sector’s heat. But while capital is flowing and M&A is looming, most of the startups being celebrated have one major flaw: they’re not telephony-first. They treat voice like a data event, not a communications foundation. They analyze conversations after the … Read more
Why Telecom Needs Agentic AI: A Strategic Imperative for the Next Decade
Over the years, I’ve written extensively about telecom’s transformation—whether it was the rise of VoIP, the impact of cloud-based communications, or the integration of AI with platforms like Dialpad and TalkIQ. But what’s coming next isn’t just an evolution—it’s a revolution. And it’s being led by Agentic AI. 📡 From Reactive to Proactive: Why Now?The … Read more
Send the Bot and Skip the Meeting
There’s a new kind of meeting attendee showing up on Zoom, Teams and Google Meet, the silent, invisible kind that never turns on their camera, never unmutes, and never speaks. No, it’s not your disinterested coworker. It’s their AI note taker. And you know what? That’s a good thing. The Washington Post recently spotlighted how … Read more
Zoom Gets Smarter, More Social, Oh, and More Competitive
Zoom just rolled out a major set of upgrades, and if you’re watching the collaboration space closely, this is more than just a routine refresh. It’s a signal: Zoom wants to own more of your workday. The June 30, 2025, updates position Zoom as more than a video meeting app. It’s now a serious platform … Read more