No Jitter recently posted a debate between two industry analysts, entitled, Focus on AV or AI? Like many debate propositions, this dichotomy is a little artificial – as with so many issues, the real answer for most observers is going to be, “Both.” But the debaters, David Danto of TalkingPointz (Team AV) and Kevin Kieller of EnableUC and BCStrategies (Team AI) use the question to get closer to the issue of what enterprises are trying to do with each of these functions, and what IT must prioritize as it seeks to provide better employee experience.
I stress “employee experience” here because this discussion really centers on internal communications rather than customer-facing applications, where the drivers are different. In the No Jitter debate, Danto seems to focus more on the experience itself, while Kieller is concerned with business issues.
Danto advises technology suppliers, “Keep tending the garden that users actually notice: crystal-clear audio, consistent video, better UI, consistent connections between enterprises, rooms that behave, and generally reliability that brings video meetings in-line with what we spent a half century experiencing with analog phones.”
Kieller, on the other hand, argues that, “Slightly better audio or video, while nice, are not going to deliver a meaningful ROI.”
The idea that communications technology for knowledge workers must deliver ROI tends to be more honored in the breach than the observance. In the ancient days when voice mail was new, management consultants did studies that tried to quantify how much time users saved, but enterprises ended up buying voice mail because it was broadly useful and people wanted it because they had answering machines on their home phones. Similarly, text/instant messaging came in through the BYO back door of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and other IM tools. IM ultimately became the foundation of modern collaboration applications like Skype and Jabber, the precursors to Microsoft Teams and Cisco Webex.
Even video bypassed the ROI test. For years vendors pushed travel avoidance as the foundation for an ROI case for video – but in the end, what made it ubiquitous was Covid, which changed what people thought work looked like.
In the end, these technologies spread because people built their work habits around them. The enterprise had to provide these functions for the same reason they needed to provide desks: People expect them and can’t work without them. But what’s the ROI on a desk?
AI isn’t necessarily on the ROI track either, as another No Jitter post by Kevin Kieller, “Integration Is Copilot’s Real Power, Not LLM Model,” illustrates. Kevin runs through some detailed scenarios of how he’s tried to use Microsoft Copilot across Office applications, with at best limited success. The easy, BYO application of generative AI has already happened: People started using ChatGPT to help them with writing and research; some enterprises subsequently pushed end users onto enterprise-grade or internally-developed chatbots. As Kevin demonstrates, anything more complicated for knowledge workers will require more sophisticated tools and integrations, which will take time and some degree of industry consensus (not to mention security) in order to advance.
It so happens that AI and AV will both be topics of the half-day Summits that we’ll be running on the opening day of Enterprise Connect 2026. This new program feature aims to give a deep dive on key issues in 3 major areas (CX in addition to AI and AV); we believe this will serve as a great opening for those attending the full conference, while offering a contained, 1-day experience for those who want to sample EC with our brand-new one-day Summit pass. Registration is open now for the conference, so I hope you’ll check out the event website for all the details.
Reimagine Collaboration and Communications with Enterprise Connect
All In on What’s Next
For over 35 years, Enterprise Connect has been the premier event where IT leaders, solution providers, and industry analysts come together to define the future of enterprise communications. As the most trusted conference in the industry, we deliver cutting-edge insights, world-class networking opportunities, and hands-on solutions that drive real business success.
Enterprise Connect is more than an event—it’s an experience that empowers enterprise communications leaders to reimagine the future of work. With elevated content, curated networking, and an engaging atmosphere, it remains the must-attend conference for professionals shaping the industry’s evolution.
Our mission is to equip you with the tools, strategies, and actionable insights needed to address your organization’s unique challenges. With industry transformation in mind, this year’s program introduces fresh new conference tracks, including:
- Legacy Unleashed: Optimizing Your Communications Backbone
- Workplace Reimagined: Engineering Tomorrow's Collaboration
- Tech Disruption Zone: Implementing Without Imploding
- Achieving Transformation: Architecting Your 3-5 Year Roadmap
- Future Shock: Communications Tech Beyond the Horizon
Featuring the most comprehensive program of objective content and an expansive vendor-neutral expo hall, Enterprise Connect is your ultimate resource for advancing collaboration, CX, and AV strategies. Join us to stay ahead, connect with industry trailblazers, and lead the transformation of enterprise communications.