About this Video

• Video Title: Mitel's Next Chapter: Leadership in Hybrid Communications
• Channel: evan kirstel
• Speakers: Evan Kirstel, Eric (Mitel)
• Duration: 00:21:33

Introduction

This video features an interview with Eric from Mitel, a unified communications company, during Enterprise Connect week. The discussion centers on Mitel's recent financial restructuring, its strategic positioning in the hybrid communication market, key partnerships (Zoom, Genesys), and future innovation plans.

Key Takeaways

• Financial Restructuring: Mitel successfully completed a pre-packaged agreement with its lenders, significantly reducing debt and improving financial flexibility to capitalize on market opportunities. This restructuring had no negative impact on employees, customers, or partners.
• Hybrid Communications Strategy: Mitel's hybrid approach caters to diverse organizational needs, offering a blend of on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud solutions (UCaaS/CCaaS) to meet compliance and security requirements. A 2023 Tech Isle survey indicated 92% of surveyed leaders favored this hybrid strategy.
• Key Partnerships: Mitel's partnerships with Zoom (for visual collaboration) and Genesys (managed services) enhance its hybrid offerings and provide best-in-class solutions. A recent significant win with a 21,000-seat European customer demonstrates the success of these partnerships.
• Innovation Focus: Mitel is focusing on AI-driven innovations, including Workforce Workflow Studio (a low-code/no-code workflow solution), a new version of its expert solution for mission-critical scenarios, and an AI-enabled depth headset for retail and other applications. Mitel is also improving its UI and focusing on workforce experience innovations.

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Eric describes Mitel's go-forward plans in several ways throughout the interview. Here are some key excerpts summarizing his statements:

• Financial Agility and Market Opportunity: "That's really going to give us the agility we need to capitalize on the market opportunity that we see before us...the business is there, Mitel's very well positioned for it...we needed that flexibility and agility to really capitalize on the opportunity." This highlights the improved financial situation enabling them to pursue growth strategies.

• Continued Investment in Innovation: "Continue to invest in everyday innovation...continue to invest in modernizing and transforming our go-to-market to take advantage of those opportunities." This points to a commitment to ongoing product development and market adaptation.

• Hybrid Strategy and Portfolio Approach: Eric emphasizes their hybrid approach: "It's a combination of everything...for some, a UCaaS or CCaaS solution may be perfect...others need Prem or private cloud...we call it 'need to have it' or 'want to have it'...a blend of deployment models." This illustrates their plan to offer flexible solutions catering to diverse customer needs.

• Partnerships for Enhanced Capabilities: The partnerships with Zoom and Genesys are central to their plans: "It made sense to add that to the portfolio...we're really excited about that...complementing those specialized frontline worker scenarios." This illustrates using partnerships to strengthen offerings.

• Specific Product Developments: Eric mentions several specific products under development or soon to be launched: Workforce Workflow Studio (low-code/no-code AI workflow solution), a new version of their expert solution, and an AI-enabled depth headset. These show concrete steps in executing their innovation strategy.

• Focus on Workforce Experience: "We're really really trying to think hard and drive innovation around workforce experiences...that sort of spans the full gamut from common UC all the way to specialized mission-critical scenarios." This shows a broader focus on improving the overall user experience across various industries and use cases.

In short, Mitel's go-forward plans involve leveraging their improved financial position to invest heavily in innovation, particularly in AI-driven solutions and a flexible hybrid communications strategy, all while capitalizing on strategic partnerships. They aim to provide tailored solutions for diverse customer needs across multiple industries.

Eric pitches Mitel by highlighting its historical strength, its current strategic positioning, and its future-oriented approach, particularly emphasizing flexibility and a comprehensive portfolio. Here's a breakdown:

• Established Leader with a Strong Foundation:

  • "Mitel is a unified Communications player, been around for over 50 years now, a leader in the industry."
  • "we have the largest install base in terms of seats globally."

• Agility and Resilience through Financial Restructuring:

  • "That's really going to give us the agility we need to capitalize on the market opportunity that we see before us."
  • This financial restructuring is framed as a positive step that "ensure[s] us to be able to basically move forward, recapitalize our financial structure."

• Strategic Focus on Hybrid Communications:

  • "Hybrid and cloud and hybrid Communications is a big theme in the industry right now and something you're squarely positioned for."
  • He explains that hybrid is essential because "no two organizations are the same" and their needs vary, requiring a "combination of everything."

• Portfolio Approach - The "Right Tool for the Right Job":

  • This is a recurring theme. He states, "It really is a portfolio strategy that combines sort of the best of all those worlds...does the right thing based on the problems that a customer needs to solve."
  • This extends to their partnerships: "It really gives us a level of flexibility that's unparalleled compared to some of the pure service players...in terms of really being able to sort of surround and support the business requirements with the right tool for the right job."

• Leveraging Strategic Partnerships:

  • He highlights partnerships with Zoom for "best-in-class visual collaboration component that's AI enabled" and Genesys for managed services, emphasizing how these augment Mitel's own offerings.

• Innovation and Future-Forward Thinking:

  • "Continue to invest in everyday Innovation."
  • He discusses upcoming innovations like Workforce Workflow Studio, AI-enabled headsets, and advancements in their MCX product, all designed to drive "workforce experiences."
  • He also mentions driving "Innovation for our industry."

• Understanding Diverse Customer Needs (CX and Frontline Workers):

  • He stresses the need for "the right tool for the right job" in contact centers and CX, acknowledging that large enterprises often need "more than one type of solution."
  • He also addresses the needs of frontline and specialized workers, aiming for an "inclusive environment where the entire estate can interact, collaborate, operate as one organization."

In essence, Eric pitches Mitel as a proven, established leader that has successfully navigated financial challenges to become more agile. They are strategically positioned to lead in hybrid communications by offering a flexible, comprehensive portfolio of solutions and by driving continuous innovation, often through strategic partnerships, to meet the diverse and evolving needs of their customers, from core UC to specialized mission-critical scenarios.

Eric describes Mitel at a high level as a unified Communications player with a long history and a significant global install base. He emphasizes their recent financial restructuring as a key positive development that enhances their agility. Their core strategy revolves around offering hybrid communication solutions, which cater to diverse customer needs by combining various deployment models and technologies. He also highlights their commitment to innovation and strategic partnerships as crucial elements for future growth and for providing comprehensive workforce experiences.

Here are some direct quotes that capture this high-level description:

• History and Scale: "Mitel is a unified Communications player, been around for over 50 years now, a leader in the industry... we have the largest install base in terms of seats globally."
• Financial Improvement and Agility: "what we announced this past week is a really positive milestone for the company...that's going to ensure us to be able to basically move forward, recapitalize our financial structure...that's really going to give us the agility we need to capitalize on the market opportunity that we see before us."
• Hybrid Strategy: "hybrid and cloud and hybrid Communications is a big theme in the industry right now and something you're squarely positioned for... it's a combination of everything makes sense to varying degrees by organizations."
• Portfolio and Innovation: "It really is a portfolio strategy that combines sort of the best of all those worlds... Continue to invest in everyday Innovation... drive Innovation around workforce experiences."

Here's an elevator pitch for Mitel based on Eric's comments:

"Mitel is a 50-year leader in unified communications with the largest global install base. We've recently strengthened our financial foundation, giving us the agility to fully capitalize on the growing demand for hybrid communication solutions. We offer a flexible, portfolio-based approach – the right tool for the right job – combining UCaaS, CCaaS, and on-premises options to meet diverse customer needs. Through strategic partnerships and a strong focus on AI-driven innovation, Mitel is driving the future of workforce experiences, from essential UC to specialized mission-critical scenarios."

Eric discusses Mitel's approach to innovation by highlighting several key areas and strategies:

• Commitment to Ongoing Investment: He states that Mitel plans to "continue to invest in everyday innovation" and "continue to invest in modernizing and transforming our go-to-market." This shows a proactive stance on keeping their offerings current.

• Focus on AI-Enabled Solutions: Artificial intelligence is a significant driver of their innovation. He mentions:

  • Adding AI-enabled features to their visual collaboration with Zoom.
  • AI capabilities within their MCX product.
  • An "AI-enabled depth headset."
  • Using AI to "increase that productivity at an agent level" in contact centers.

• Developing New Workflow Tools: The "Workforce Workflow Studio" is presented as a key innovation. Eric describes it as "a low code no code Communications and AI workflow solution that complements whatever platform you're using." This aims to empower customers to customize and optimize their communication processes.

• Enhancing Specialized and Mission-Critical Scenarios: Innovation extends to specialized hardware and software:

  • A "new version of our expert solution," which is a "purpose built piece of hardware" for scenarios like trading desks, air traffic control, and defense.
  • New certifications to support the US Department of Defense.

• Improving User Experience: They are working on "new versions of our expert solution" and "improvements in our UI" to enhance user interaction with their platforms.

• Driving Innovation Across the Industry: Eric expresses excitement about "driving innovation for our industry" and constantly challenging themselves to "reimagine." This suggests a broader ambition to push the boundaries of communication technology.

• Intersection of Hardware and Software: He specifically notes that Mitel's strength lies in "that intersection of hardware and software," allowing them to create "really thoughtful things that benefit customers." This integration is seen as a key enabler for unique innovations.

In summary, Eric frames Mitel's innovation strategy as forward-looking, with a strong emphasis on AI, flexible workflow solutions, and specialized hardware, all aimed at enhancing both general communication needs and specific, mission-critical applications, ultimately improving the overall workforce experience.

Eric touches on Mitel's go-to-market strategy in a few key areas:

• Transforming the Go-to-Market: He states that they will "continue to invest in modernizing and transforming our go-to-market to take advantage of those opportunities." This indicates a strategic effort to adapt and improve how they reach and engage with customers.

• Leveraging Partnerships: The strategy heavily involves partnerships, which are seen as critical for expanding their reach and capabilities:

  • The Zoom partnership is about "co-developing that hybrid experience" and adding "best-in-class visual collaboration." He notes a quick win with a large European customer, demonstrating early success in this channel.
  • The Genesys relationship is framed as an expansion of existing managed services for customers transitioning to the cloud.

• A Portfolio Approach to Sales: Their go-to-market is underpinned by offering a diverse portfolio rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. This means:

  • They aim to provide the "right tool for the right job" to meet specific customer requirements.
  • They support "a blend of deployment models" (UCaaS, CCaaS, on-prem, private cloud).
  • Their Professional Services team is a significant asset (25% of the organization), enabling them to "stitch it all together and make it work" for large enterprises.

• Focus on Customer Needs and Experiences: The strategy is driven by understanding what customers need, particularly in terms of:

  • Hybrid work environments, aiming for an "inclusive environment where the entire estate can interact collaborate operate as one organization."
  • Customer experience (CX), where they aim to help organizations "arrive at the right conclusions" and "bring the right Solutions."

• Challenging the Status Quo and Driving Dialogue: From a marketing perspective (as CMO), Eric emphasizes:

  • "Motivating my team to sort of challenge the status quo."
  • Encouraging dialogue and provocative thinking to "get people to really think as opposed to just follow." This suggests a go-to-market that aims to educate and lead the conversation, not just sell products.

In essence, Mitel's go-to-market strategy is evolving to be more agile, partnership-driven, and customer-centric, offering a flexible portfolio of solutions and actively engaging with the market to address the complexities of modern communication and collaboration needs.

Here are the top 5 key messaging terms from the interview, reflecting Mitel's core strategy and value proposition as presented by Eric:

1. Hybrid Communications: This is the overarching theme, emphasizing Mitel's ability to offer a blend of on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud solutions to meet diverse customer needs.
2. Agility & Flexibility: Frequently linked to their financial restructuring and their portfolio approach, this term highlights Mitel's capacity to adapt and provide tailored solutions.
3. Portfolio Strategy: This term encapsulates Mitel's approach of offering a range of solutions (UCaaS, CCaaS, hardware, software, services) and ensuring the "right tool for the right job."
4. Workforce Experience: This broader concept covers how Mitel aims to improve how all employees, from frontline workers to knowledge workers, interact, collaborate, and are productive.
5. AI-Enabled Innovation: This points to their focus on integrating artificial intelligence into their products and services to enhance capabilities, productivity, and user experience.

Here's a breakdown of keywords for each of the key messaging terms:

1. Hybrid Communications:

   • Mixed deployment
   • On-premises
   • Cloud (Public/Private)
   • UCaaS
   • CCaaS
   • Flexibility
   • Adaptability
   • Seamless integration

2. Agility & Flexibility:

   • Adaptable
   • Responsive
   • Nimble
   • Resilient
   • Customizable
   • Scalable
   • Financial strength
   • Market opportunity

3. Portfolio Strategy:

   • Comprehensive solutions
   • Integrated offering
   • Best-of-breed
   • Right tool for the job
   • Hardware & Software
   • Unified Communications
   • Contact Center
   • Managed Services

4. Workforce Experience:

   • Employee collaboration
   • Productivity
   • Inclusive environment
   • Frontline workers
   • Knowledge workers
   • Remote work
   • Modern workplace
   • User interface (UI)

5. AI-Enabled Innovation:

   • Artificial Intelligence
   • Machine Learning
   • Automation
   • Workflow optimization
   • Low-code/No-code
   • AI headset
   • Intelligent agent assistance
   • Future-ready

Yes, Eric references several buzzwords and provides commentary on industry trends throughout the interview.

Here's a breakdown:

Buzzwords & Industry Trends Referenced:

• Hybrid Communications/Hybrid Work: This is the central trend discussed. Eric elaborates on why it's crucial, noting that "no two organizations are the same" and that a "combination of everything" makes sense for different businesses. He highlights the need to balance "flexibility and productivity" in this model.
• UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) & CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service): These are mentioned as specific types of solutions within the broader hybrid strategy.
• Hyperscaler Cloud: He contrasts Mitel's hybrid approach with solutions solely reliant on hyperscale cloud providers, suggesting a need for alternatives.
• AI (Artificial Intelligence) & Gen AI (Generative AI): These are presented as key areas of innovation, with explicit mentions of AI-enabled features in products, AI workflow solutions, and AI's role in boosting agent productivity.
• Low-Code/No-Code: Mentioned in relation to the "Workforce Workflow Studio," this trend signifies a move towards easier customization and development of communication workflows.
• CX (Customer Experience): He discusses the rising customer expectations for seamless experiences and the importance of the contact center as a primary interface between a brand and its customers.
• The Future of Work: This broader trend is woven throughout the discussion, particularly in relation to hybrid work models and the evolving needs of the workforce.
• Digital Transformation: Implicit in many of his comments about modernizing go-to-market, investing in innovation, and adapting to new technologies.

Commentary on Trends:

• Shift from "Pure Solution" Hype: Eric comments on the shift away from the hype around "Final Destination being a pure Solution One Direction or another" post-pandemic. He suggests organizations are now more pragmatic and looking at their specific needs.
• Complexity of Hybrid Needs: He emphasizes that hybrid is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Organizations have varying needs based on compliance, security, business continuity, and their existing infrastructure investments.
• Importance of the Right Tool for the Job: This is a recurring commentary, especially regarding CX and contact centers. He stresses that enterprises often need multiple solutions because different business units have different requirements, and a single solution can be "overkill" or insufficient for certain lines of business.
• The Evolving Nature of Work: He touches on the differing approaches to remote work (banks returning to office vs. embracing remote) and the challenges this presents for organizations in balancing flexibility and productivity.
• Need for Partnering in CX: He notes that companies need a partner to help them "arrive at the right conclusions" and "stitch it all together" for complex CX requirements.
• Challenging the Status Quo: In his commentary on marketing, Eric encourages his team to "challenge the status quo" and drive dialogue, suggesting that leading and innovating in a dynamic market requires a proactive, thought-provoking approach.

Eric touches on the role of the CMO by discussing his own approach and philosophy within his marketing leadership position at Mitel:

• Driving Dialogue and Provocation: He sees a part of his role as "poking the bear a little bit here and there to be a little bit more provocative" because "dialogue is an important thing in our industry." He aims to encourage deeper thinking and challenging assumptions.

• Challenging the Status Quo: He motivates his team to "sort of challenge the status quo" and find fresh ideas. This indicates a forward-thinking marketing approach focused on innovation and new perspectives.

• Collaborating with Product and Strategy: Eric emphasizes his interaction with product teams, specifically mentioning his "very constructive relationship" with the Head of Product. This collaboration involves brainstorming, challenging each other on brand narrative, product strategy, and future market directions.

• Connecting Market Needs to Innovation: He works with product teams to "reimagine" and "think hard and drive Innovation around workforce experiences," linking market understanding to the development of new solutions.

• Motivating the Team: He finds it "motivating for the team" to constantly challenge themselves and reimagine strategies.

In essence, Eric views the CMO's role not just as promotion, but as a strategic driver who fosters critical thinking, encourages innovation, collaborates deeply with product development, and motivates the marketing team to lead conversations and challenge industry norms.

Eric mentions AI in several key contexts, highlighting its growing importance and Mitel's integration of it into their offerings:

• AI-Enabled Visual Collaboration: In relation to the Zoom partnership, he notes that they are providing a "best-in-class visual collaboration component that's AI enabled."

• AI in Workflow Solutions: The "Workforce Workflow Studio" is described as a "Communications and AI workflow solution." This signifies AI being embedded to automate and enhance business processes.

• AI in Hardware Devices: He explicitly mentions an "AI enabled depth headset," indicating AI is being incorporated into their hardware offerings for new functionalities.

• Boosting Agent Productivity in Contact Centers: Eric states that Mitel is focused on "how we increase that productivity at an agent level to optimize skills" using AI. This points to AI's role in improving customer service operations.

• Part of Broader Innovation: AI is presented as a core component of their overall innovation strategy, alongside other advancements like UI improvements and specialized solutions.

• Leveraging AI for Emerging Technologies: He notes that organizations want the ability to "adopt some of the emerging Technologies like AI" as they move towards future states.

In summary, Eric frames AI as a critical driver of innovation for Mitel, enhancing collaboration, automating workflows, improving hardware capabilities, and boosting agent productivity within their product portfolio.

Yes, Eric speaks about how technology is impacting how people collaborate at work, particularly in the context of hybrid work and the need for inclusive environments.

Here are the key points he makes:

• The Need for Modernized Communications and Connectivity: He references the Tech Isle survey finding that "modernizing their Communications and the connectivity between employees was really important." This underscores the role of technology in bridging gaps in the workplace.

• Creating an Inclusive Environment for the Entire Workforce: A significant part of his commentary revolves around the idea of a "level playing field" and an "inclusive environment where the entire estate can interact collaborate operate as one organization." This directly addresses how technology should enable all employees, regardless of their location (remote, in-office, frontline), to collaborate effectively.

• Complexity in Hybrid Environments: He acknowledges the complexity that arises when you have a mix of remote workers (at home or in remote offices) and those in more traditional headquarters. Technology plays a crucial role in managing this complexity for collaboration, security, and resiliency.

• Complementing Specialized Worker Scenarios: He talks about how Mitel's solutions aim to complement "specialized Frontline worker scenarios" and those in "mission critical Communications" environments, implying technology's role in enabling collaboration for diverse job functions.

• Visual Collaboration as a Key Component: The partnership with Zoom is highlighted for providing "best-in-class visual collaboration," emphasizing technology's contribution to how teams interact visually, which is essential in modern collaboration.

In essence, Eric believes technology's impact on collaboration is about enabling seamless interaction, creating inclusivity across different work setups, and providing the necessary tools for various types of workers to connect and operate as a cohesive unit.

Yes, Eric makes a few forward-leaning statements and offers commentary that suggests trends in marketing. His perspective as a CMO is evident here:

• The Importance of Dialogue and Provocation: He sees a trend towards more dynamic and challenging conversations in the industry. His own approach of "poking the bear a little bit" and being "more provocative" suggests a marketing strategy that aims to spark thought and dialogue rather than just present information. This implies a move towards content that engages and questions.

• Challenging the Status Quo: His emphasis on motivating his team to "challenge the status quo" indicates a belief that marketing needs to be innovative and not just follow existing patterns. This points to a trend of seeking fresh ideas and disruptive approaches.

• Collaboration Between Marketing and Product: The way he describes his interactions with the Head of Product suggests a growing trend of marketing being deeply integrated with product strategy. This isn't just about promoting what's built, but about influencing what gets built and how it's positioned in the market.

• Connecting Market Needs to Innovation: His discussion about how marketing influences product strategy ("whether it's some of these angles around product strategy") suggests a marketing role that is more strategic and insights-driven, feeding directly into the innovation pipeline.

• Focus on "Workforce Experiences": While this is a product/strategy term, it also has marketing implications. The focus on the experience of the workforce, rather than just the features of a product, points to a marketing trend of humanizing technology and focusing on the user's journey and outcomes.

In essence, Eric's commentary suggests that forward-thinking marketing is becoming more about driving conversation, challenging norms, fostering deep collaboration with product teams, and focusing on the holistic user experience, rather than just traditional advertising or lead generation.