Enterprise Connect AI to Highlight 'Enormous AI Opportunity' for Channel

ENTERPRISE CONNECT AI — Today marks the commencement of Enterprise Connect AI, Enterprise Connect's inaugural event spotlighting the influence artificial intelligence (AI) has on the unified communications and collaboration space, from security to compliance.

Eric Krapf, who serves as general manager at Enterprise Connect, told Channel Futures that AI presents a "big opportunity for channel partners" while also acknowledging that the event's timing couldn't have come at a more pivotal point.

Enterprise Connect's Eric Krapf

"Enterprise Connect AI comes as AI continues to have a major impact on the UCC world," said Krapf.

(Informa owns both Enterprise Connect and Channel Futures.)

Canalys research (also owned and operated by Informa) backs up Krapf's assertion, suggesting that generative AI will become a more than $158 billion opportunity for the channel by 2028.

That could indicate that an event of this magnitude will likely only be the advent of many more industry events — notably ones that concentrate on the practicality of AI in the UCC space.

According to that same Canalys insights report, generative AI does, indeed, deliver an "enormous prospect for the channel ecosystem where partners have to leverage it to unlock revenue for new services and enhance internal productivity."

Authors Lisa Lawson and Jay McBain also note that "channel partners should prepare today to capitalize on these opportunities while safeguarding against over-investment, depending on their business model."

To do so, the report's authors note that channel partners must define their AI strategy and offerings while simultaneously constructing expertise and strategic AI alliances. Continued investment in ongoing AI development is also key.

AI Continues to Raise Concerns

For all AI has to offer, Krapf likewise acknowledged the concerns that many, including those in the channel partner community, continue to express around AI.

"IT pros in this space share the concerns that many are expressing about AI — security and compliance, the need for proven ROI and value, and the need to prepare your organization to implement AI successfully," the Enterprise Connect AI exec said while hinting at the impetus for the first-year event.

Krapf says Enterprise Connect AI is here to "help address these concerns and move AI forward constructively."

Enterprise Connect AI Attendees in Store for Packed Agenda

The two-day event at the Santa Clara, California, Convention Center is where experts will gather to discuss everything AI.

The event will also feature speakers like David Glick, SVP of enterprise business services at Walmart, who will spotlight the multinational's efforts on the operational front and how AI played a part in creating said "operational excellence."

Rohit Tandon, managing director; Lauren Littlefield, managing director; and Vinita Kumar, who heads up business development at Deloitte, are likewise set to showcase the importance of AI in UCC and the kind of growth it could spur.

Together, they will deliver a keynote titled, “The AI Advantage: Elevating Customer Interactions," where they will highlight what they see as "reimagined customer journeys enabled by AI," along with the methods to reworking customer experience (CX) and how AI will advance that service experience.

With topics ranging from personalizing the customer experience with AI to getting your data AI-ready, look for sizable vendor representation at this year's Enterprise Connect AI, with the likes of RingCentral, Webex, AudioCodes Cognigy, Google Cloud, Nextiva, Bandwidth, DialPad, Genesys, Zoom and Cyara all in attendance.  

Diane Smith, CEO and president at ChoiceTel, told Channel Futures why she and her team are attending the event, saying she looks "forward to hearing directly from industry analysts, other consultants and cutting-edge suppliers."

ChoiceTel's Diane Smith

The express goal is to gain insight regarding "their ongoing developments, use cases, and as always, to develop valuable relationships and partnerships," we learned.