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Dialpad, 8×8 and Skype In The News

Today Dialpad announced they raised $50 million more from a group of prior investors and one new one. Skype, which is seeing a flattening on user growth, announced a more mobile like version for the desktop, while giving the prior version an end of life date of September 1.  At the same time 8×8, a … Read more

2016 Les Halos de Jupiter Cotes du Rhone

Over the past half a dozen years or so I have gotten very familiar with wines that have the touch of "the Grenache God" Philippe Cambie. Cambie advises hundreds of producers, large and small, on winemaking and more, and while each maintain their own style, a credit to Cambie for not trying to make them … Read more

Why a Google Voice Number is Still Needed

I have a friend whose mobile phone died over the weekend. Another close friend had their phone drop into water. In both cases their mobile number was the way people stayed in touch with both, either by phoning them up or by text. And, since in both situations, their phones were dead, they were out … Read more

RIP Bruce Bigelow

It's been just over three years since I moved away from San Diego, and yet, between friends and business interests, I still keep tabs on things. But I'll admit, I missed the news about Bruce Bigelow passing away. Bruce was not a close friend, but he was in the world I'm in, a colleague of … Read more

Where Vonage Is Heading

Tsahi has a transcript of a really good interview with Vonage CEO Alan Masarek on his BlogGeek.me blog along with a video. In reading the interview, it struck me that Vonage has clearly moved into the business communications market fully, following the successful integration of all of their acquisitions which included two Comunicano clients, Simple … Read more

Do The Blockchain Shuffle

I had to laugh in a very twisted way as I read the Wired article today entitled "The Hustlers Fueling The Cryptocurrency's Marketing Machine." No not because in some ways with some clients past and present I could be easily cast in that lot, but more because of the similarities of what my agency, Comunicano, … Read more

The Traditional Phone Call is Dead

Like many, I've been a Skype user forever. I also use WhatsApp, Facebook's Messenger and a host of other "calling apps." Many of my calls are scheduled, so it's UberConference or Zoom and sometimes GoToMeeting or WebEx. For some "personal" calls its a combination of Apple's FaceTime and Google's Hangouts. And as far as the … Read more

WeWork and Regus Both Need An Affiliate Model

When it comes to co-working spaces WeWork is the elephant in the room. They are the giant. The monster. The leader far and away. About the only organization that can compare, albeit with a different goal and model, is Regus, perhaps the first mover in the world of co-working. But both have gaps in their … Read more

Microsoft Moves More into Conversational AI

Last week when 8×8 made an acquisition I remarked that there would be more. A day later Dialpad announced their purchase. Today, it's Microsoft's turn with the purchase of Semantic Machines. It's easy to speculate why its become a BUY vs. BUILD game surrounding AI. The smart money on the BUY side recognizes that there … Read more