Past Best of Enterprise Connect Winners/Finalists

Winners:

Best of Enterprise Connect Overall Winner:

• UJET: CX Intercloud, a new product that advances application redundancy for UJET’s contact center platform running across multiple public clouds

Category Winners:

Best Innovation in Customer Experience (Four-way Tie):

• 8x8: 8x8 Agent Workspace
• IntelePeer: Atmosphere Marketplace, an intuitive bundled multi-application solution featuring no-code and low-code applications, equipped with a step-by-step plug-and-play setup
• Journey: Journey Elevate Orchestration Engine
• LiveVox: SpeechIQ with Quality Management, seamlessly integrating multi-channel interaction analytics with robust quality management tools

Most Innovative Use of AI:

• Virsae: VSM Everywhere, a cloud-based dashboard service that captures and analyzes critical performance and technical data in unmanaged Work From Home (WFH) environments
• Thrio (runner-up): ThrioRedact, a new AI-powered data loss prevention capability to help reduce the risk of personally identifiable information falling into the wrong hands

Best Innovation for Virtual Meetings (Tie):

• BlueJeans by Verizon: BlueJeans Studio, which brings professional-grade production tools to BlueJeans Events, giving organizations and creators the ability to easily produce TV-quality live streams
• Vonage: Vonage Interactive Broadcast with Experience Composer enables developers to quickly and easily create more engaging live events with the flexibility to capture dynamic sessions any way they choose to customize the experience

Best Innovation for Meeting Rooms:

• DTEN: DTEN ONboard: With its 4K 55-inch display and 10-capacitive touch screen, DTEN ONboard enables everyone – both in-office and remote users – equal access to its shared whiteboard. It natively supports Zoom, while also compatible with other major platforms
• Zoom (runner-up): Zoom Events, an all-in-one platform for creating a wide range of interactive and immersive virtual events to reach and engage audiences of any size

Finalists:

• AWS: Automated Chatbot Designer, a recently launched feature of Amazon Lex that helps customers design conversational bots using existing conversation transcripts in hours rather than weeks
• Five9: Agent Assist (Version 2.0)
• IntelePeer: Atmosphere Marketplace, an intuitive bundled multi-application solution featuring no-code and low-code applications, equipped with a step-by-step plug-and-play setup
• RingCentral: Meeting Summaries (Phase Two Version)
• Zoom: Zoom Events, an all-in-one platform for creating a wide range of interactive and immersive virtual events to reach and engage audiences of any size

Winners:

Best of Enterprise Connect Overall Winner:

• BlueJeans by Verizon: BlueJeans Telehealth is an application that enables delivery of virtual care in an easy-to-use, customizable way.

Category Winners:

Best Innovation in Customer Experience:

• Sprinklr Conversational Commerce: Analyzes conversations in real-time and uses AI to optimize product, offer, or service recommendations — via bot or live agent assistance. Conversational Commerce is a component of Sprinklr’s Modern Care solution.
• Voximplant (Runner-up)

Best Application of Artificial Intelligence (Tie):

• AWS: Machine learning-powered contact flows, providing Amazon Connect users a single interface for turning on and off intelligent routing, queuing, voice biometrics, customer profiles, agent-assist tools, and other capabilities to provide customers with a low-effort experience.
• Five9: Inference Studio 7.0, the latest iteration of the company’s cloud-based intelligent virtual agent platform, featuring a no-code development interface that allows businesses to build and deploy a digital workforce across multiple channels and multiple languages.

Best Innovation for Virtual Meetings:

• Mio: Universal Direct Messages, for powering intercompany communications across Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom Chat, via the use of webhooks and APIs.

Best Innovation for the Post-COVID Workspace:

• Newline Interactive: Newline Flex, an all-in-one touch monitor designed for desktop collaboration, including video meetings.

Finalists:

• 8x8: Frontdesk, a receptionist dashboard that is the first in a series of products aimed at erasing the lines between UC and contact center capabilities
• Five9: Inference Studio 7.0, as noted above
• Mio: Universal Direct Messages, as noted above
• TSG Global: TNID, which provides a shared chain of custody and attested identity record relating to telephone numbers
• Voximplant: Voximplant Kit, a no-code drag-and-drop cloud contact center.
• Wahsega: Carina, a mass notification and safety Internet-of-Things platform

Winners:

Best of Enterprise Connect Overall Winner:

• Journey: Journey Identity Platform, which aims to make it easy for enterprises to establish trusted interactions with their customers that simultaneously solve for security, customer experience and privacy using an encrypted network and a platform of best-in-class identity solutions that can be dynamically applied using the enterprise’s existing mobile app.

Category Winners:

Best Innovation for Meeting Rooms:

• Avaya: Avaya Spaces, a simple cloud solution that integrates friction-free web meetings and team collaboration into one app
• Kramer Electronics: VIA GO², which gives iOS, Android, Chromebook, PC, and Mac users instant wireless connectivity with advanced presentation technology, featuring content streaming for 4K mirrored images and video playback
• RingCentral: for a new product to be announced shortly

Best Innovation in Customer Experience:

• Journey: Journey Identity Platform, described above

Best Application of Artificial Intelligence:

• Genesys: Genesys Predictive Engagement, new capabilities now working within Genesys Cloud to enable businesses to anticipate individual customer needs, building on every interaction across multiple channels and events to improve and personalize future engagements
• Pexip: Adaptive Composition, an AI-powered technology with real-time face detection, auto-framing and optimized use of screen real estate; works with any camera-enabled device
• Theta Lake: Compliant Collaboration Archive, a new module within Theta Lake’s Compliance Suite for recordkeeping, archiving, and eDiscovery requirements for video, audio, and collaboration chat, with on-demand compliance risk analysis using AI and machine learning across leading UCaaS platforms (RingCentral, Cisco Webex, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, LogMeIn, Red Box).

Best Innovation for Advancing Employee/End User Engagement:

• Embrava (winner): Embrava Desk Sign, a smart sensor IoT device designed for hot desking, office hoteling, and activity-based working
• Mio (runner-up): Mio's new intercompany federation for Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Cisco Webex Teams enables users to seamlessly chat with external business contacts who use a different messaging app than they do

Finalists:

• Genesys: Genesys Predictive Engagement, new capabilities now working within Genesys Cloud to enable businesses to anticipate individual customer needs, building on every interaction across multiple channels and events to improve and personalize future engagements
• Glia: Glia Conversational Compliance AI Framework, a part of Glia's digital-first customer service platform that provides guidance for provisioning, measuring, and managing AI-driven virtual assistants that converse with customers and operator assistants that guide agents
• Mio: Mio's new intercompany federation for Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Cisco Webex Teams enables users to seamlessly chat with external business contacts who use a different messaging app than they do
• Omilia Natural Language Solutions: Omilia Cloud Platform miniApps, zero-touch natural language microservices that handle a single dialog task; instantly deployable to any call center provider and seamlessly adapted to any CCaaS service creation environment
• Pexip: Adaptive Composition, an AI-powered technology with real-time face detection, auto-framing and optimized use of screen real estate; works with any camera-enabled device

Winners:

Best of Enterprise Connect Overall Winner:

• Microsoft: Microsoft Teams for firstline employees and new workspaces

Category Winners:

Application of AI:

• Optanix: The Optanix Platform uses advanced analytics and intelligence to provide predictive and proactive full-stack monitoring and management of IT infrastructure and services

Innovation for Collaboration:

• Mio: Mio synchronizes real-time messaging between Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex Teams for seamless workplace communications

Upgrade to an Existing Product:

• AWS: Amazon Web Services (AWS): A machine learning-based solution addition to the Amazon Connect contact center service
  Microsoft: Microsoft Teams for firstline employees and new workspaces
  Communication/Collaboration Device:
• Poly: Polycom Studio is a plug-and-play video bar that marries high-quality audio and video with USB connectivity for video collaboration

Finalists:

Best of Enterprise Connect Overall Finalists:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): A machine learning-based solution addition to the Amazon Connect contact center service
• Cisco: The AI-driven Cisco Webex Room Kit Mini for huddle spaces provides "cognitive collaboration" intelligence that optimizes how Webex Meetings participants interact and form relationships, available to all through mass scale deployment
• CounterPath: Bria Teams is a subscription-based cloud service that unifies team communications and collaboration on desktops and mobile devices
• Mio: Mio synchronizes real-time messaging between Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Webex Teams for seamless workplace communications
• Poly: Polycom Studio is a plug-and-play video bar that marries high-quality audio and video with USB connectivity for video collaboration
• Talkdesk: The Enterprise Cloud Contact Center Winter 2019 release adds omnichannel, enhanced analytics, a visual routing flow designer, mobile support, and a self-service SDK, all powered by a new AI layer, Talkdesk IQ

Application of AI Finalists:

• Noble Systems: Noble Conversations Analytics Now applies real-time speech analytics to live customer interactions and provides immediate feedback to agents and managers
• Omilia: Version 9.0 of Omilia's Natural Language Understanding and Dialog Management Platform provides customer care voice and chatbots with conversational user interfaces for enterprise contact centers
• Voximplant: For automated customer service, Dialogflow Connector integrates telephony with a machine learning-powered backend built with Google Dialogflow
• Innovation for Collaboration Finalist:
  Microsoft: Teams Solution for firstline employees

Upgrade to an Existing Product Finalist:

• Talkdesk: The Enterprise Cloud Contact Center Winter 2019 release adds omnichannel, enhanced analytics, a visual routing flow designer, mobile support, and a self-service SDK, all powered by a new AI layer, Talkdesk IQ

Communication/Collaboration Device Finalists:

• Cisco: The AI-driven Cisco Webex Room Kit Mini for huddle spaces provides "cognitive collaboration" intelligence that optimizes how Webex Meetings participants interact and form relationships, available to all through mass scale deployment
• Kaptivo: When attached to conference room whiteboards, the Kaptivo device captures and digitizes content in real-time for simultaneous sharing in video conference calls
• Lifesize: The Lifesize Icon 700 video conferencing system offers 4K video quality and full-motion 4K content sharing with ultra-clear audio

Winner:

• Microsoft: A reimagined vision for workplace productivity with Teams, the company's team collaboration and communications platform built on Office 365.

Finalists:

• Cisco: The Cisco Spark Room 70 video conference and collaboration room system features voice-activated controls and face detection, as well as delivers intelligence on meeting room use.
• Oracle: Live Experience Cloud enables enterprises to create context-driven customer engagements across Web and mobile, leveraging communications capabilities such as annotations, screen share, HD video, and HD voice.
• Plantronics: The self-adjusting Habitat Soundscaping system uses physical and digital nature scenes, natural sound, and intelligent software to reduce speech distractions in open office environments.
• Polycom: The Pano conference room solution allows meeting participants to share up to four simultaneous content streams, including video and annotation capabilities, over wireless connections and via touch control.
• TTEC: Humanify Digital Worker Factory offers customizable omnichannel-ready intelligent virtual assistants for customer engagement.

Winner:

• Cisco: Spark Board 55 is a cloud- and touch-based team collaboration device that combines wireless presentation, digital whiteboarding, and video conferencing while providing connectivity to the Cisco Spark service for continuous workflow

Finalists:

• BroadSoft: BroadSoft Business provides an integrated portfolio of enterprise-ready cloud PBX, UC, team collaboration, and contact center applications
• Genband: UC client focused on dynamic integration of applications
• Plantronics: Plantronics Manager Pro v3.9 analytics suite provides operational, historical, and contextual data on voice interactions and headset usage patterns
• Polycom: EagleEye Director II is an in-room smart camera featuring active speaker technology and picture-in-picture room display, plus data analytics
• Vonage: The Nexmo Voice API, integrated with Vonage's carrier-grade network, enables development of high-quality contextual voice applications in the cloud

Winner:

• CafeX: A WebRTC-based pervasive communications solution that integrates with and augments enterprise video conferencing and room collaboration systems

Finalists:

• 8x8: a next-generation cloud-based contact center platform
• AudioCodes: CloudBond 365, an all-in-one Skype for Business appliance for the data center or customer premises
• Cisco: Cisco Spark Service, a business collaboration service from the Cisco cloud that includes messaging, meeting, and calling capabilities
• Sprint Business: Mobility-as-a-Service, an all-in-one approach to procuring wireless services, devices, and applications
• Vidyo: An offering enabling the integration of multiparty video communications and collaboration into business workflows, applications, and Internet of Things form factors
• Vonage Business: Vonage SmartWAN, an SD-WAN-based service for use with the Vonage MPLS network or bring-your-own broadband network connections

Winner:

• Sprint Business: A new integrated and fully managed IT and communication solution that allows businesses to stop over-provisioning and over-spending.

Finalists:

• 8x8, Inc.: 8x8 Virtual Office Analytics is a A big data suite of analytics and reporting tools designed to deliver customizable insights into an organization’s historical and real-time communications environment to improve enterprise decision-making.
• Acano: Acano Open brings Lync and virtually all non-Lync users together.
• IBM: A cloud-delivered, mobile-optimized personal assistant that helps users prioritize and personalize their business communications.
• Unify: Unify Circuit brings together voice, video, messaging, screen share, and file sharing in a single pane of glass, with one unified view across virtually all devices.
• Vidyo: VidyoMobile for Smart Glasses delivers hands free video communication for integrated augmented reality and see-what-I-see workflow applications.

Winner:

• CafeX: CafeX Fusion Live Assist, which "integrates video conferencing and much more with existing business web and mobile applications, allowing customers to initiate personal interactions with in-house personnel at the touch of a button."

Finalists:

• Acano: Acano coCloud enables flexibility of deployment and makes an organization’s transition to cloud easy and more cost effective. This Software-defined Infrastructure provides all of the benefits of the cloud at drastically reduced bandwidth costs. Packaged with multi-tenancy and cobranding options, Acano coCloud allows service providers to customize hybrid deployment models for their customers.
• AirWatch: AirWatch Workspace Management, which "provides complete separation of corporate and personal data on devices, securing corporate resources and maintaining employee privacy."
• Dolby: Dolby Voice, "an audio conferencing solution that makes virtual meetings sound and feel more like in-person meetings. BT MeetMe with Dolby Voice is a BT Conferencing service that delivers the Dolby Voice experience."
• Samsung: Samsung WE VoIP, "a mobile SIP phone client that makes your smartphone an extension of the office phone system. A dual mode smartphone and phone system communicate with each other over a private Wi-Fi network in the office and a public Wi-Fi or 4G/LTE network when out of the office."
• VOSS: The VOSS UC Migration Solution, which "comprises an advanced on-boarding toolset (OBT) to help organizations rapidly and efficiently migrate large volumes of users, devices and UC services, by using the latest technology developed for 'big data' and applying it to a next generation UC migration project."