Watch This Space Podcast
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Hiatus Time for Watch This Space - Review of the Most Impactful Tech Since 2018, and What We're Watching for Next
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While not quite The Last Waltz, all good things must come to an end, at least for now. This marks the final episode in our eight-year run doing Watch ...
Spotlight on Innovation with AI and Communications Technology
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
April was a busy month for industry events, and the main focus for this episode was Jeff Pulver’s vCon event, held in Hyannis, MA. Chris spoke at th...
Return to Office and Agentic AI Realities
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
March was another busy month, with Chris attending Leesman’s research event in NYC, and Jon doing the same for Enterprise Connect in Orlando, along ...
Future of Work Expo Review
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
February was a busy month, but the highlight was the Future of Work Expo, with Jon returning as Chair for the eighth year. Co-located with the big-ten...
AI Overload - DeepSeek, Deepfakes, Paul McCartney's Cautions, Churchill at War, Roadrunner, Agentic AI - Do Consumers Really Care?
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the out-of-nowhere DeepSeek news turning the world of AI upside down, we went into an extended discussion about what it is and what it means, alo...
2025 Outlook - Workspace Evolution, Small Language Models and AI Everywhere; Plus The MANIAC, AlphaGo and Our Analog Sensibilities
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Season 8 of Watch This Space began with our look-ahead to 2025, where the main topics were how we see workplaces and workspaces evolving, why small la...
Book Review - With Folded Hands - Where is AI Talking Us? Where is Today's Bob Dylan?, Events Roundup, and 2024 Takeaways
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We mixed things up for the December episode, with our first-ever book review. A novelette, actually, from the sci-fi genre, that we found to be very t...
Takeaways From Fall Conferences - AI Evolution for EX and CX, Getting Workers Back to the Office, and Future of Work Expo Updates
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With travel to industry events in full swing during October, we had a lot of ground to cover. Jon recapped both events from earlier in the month – V...
Fall Tech Conference Preview, Amazon's Return to Office Mandate, and Updates for Our Podcast
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
October marks the start of the busy season for technology events, and we provided a preview of what’s coming, namely Jeff Pulver’s new-and-improve...
The Joys of Summer - How Streaming Found Its Voice at the Paris Olympics, and How Conversational AI is a CX Game-Changer for Utilities
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our September episode began by talking about the best things that came from the summer. In terms of technology, the highlight was how good streaming h...
Workplace Strategy - It's a Thing, and Why It's an Opportunity for UCaaS and CCaaS Vendors
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our main focus for this episode was on the recent Leesman Corporate Real Estate Poll, and the emerging need for enterprise leaders to develop a workpl...
HPE Discover and NICE Interactions - Reflections on Latest Industry Events
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Both of us attended major industry events during June, with Chris at HPE Discover, and myself at NICE Interactions – both in Las Vegas, as it turns ...
The AI Revolution - Are We at the Beginning or the End? Reflections on Analyst Events from Zoom and Verint
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With AI moving so quickly - yet without much ROI to speak of – it’s fair to ask if we’re at the beginning or the end with this revolution. For t...
The Future is Digital - Exploring Innovation for Workplace Security and Visual Collaboration
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, we explored what technology innovation looks like both in physical and virtual spaces. Just back from the ISC West event, Chris shar...
Takeaways from Enterprise Connect, and How Did We Get Here with AI from the Days of PBX and Legacy Telephony?
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Having returned from Enterprise Connect the night before, the time was right to talk about takeaways from the 2024 edition, of which there were many. ...
Takeaways From the Future of Work Expo, and Where's the Fit for AI, Apple and the Metaverse?
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Chris and Jon reflect on key highlights from the recent Future of Work Expo, where Jon serves as event Chair, and Chris was both a s...
What Constitutes Work in a Digital World, and Future of Work Expo Preview
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We continue with Season 7 for Watch This Space, where the focus is my upcoming Future of Work Expo in Ft. Lauderdale. Our sessions will cover a lot of...
2024 Outlook - How IT Leaders Need to Think About Deploying AI - an Analog Perspective
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode marks the start of Season 7 for Watch This Space, and as always, is our look-ahead into the coming year. With AI becoming ever-more perva...
Musings on Big Tech, Looming AI Backlash, and Takeaways From Verint’s Analyst Event
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our discussion for this episode centered on Big Tech, triggered by the recent rollercoaster with OpenAI. Aside from exploring concerns and implication...
State of Play with Hybrid Work, and Jon’s World Tour Revue - London, Peru, Dubai and the US
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Before getting to Jon’s travelogue of industry events, we reviewed how businesses are still facing challenges getting hybrid work right, and what ve...
New York City Events Roundup - Cloud Communications Alliance, CREtech and WorkTech23
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During September, Chris and I both attended industry events in New York City, and we had lots to talk about. First up was the Cloud Communications All...
Is It Still Customer Service if They Don’t Want You?
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The same technologies that contact centers have now embraced to better understand the customer journey can also be used to determine which customers a...
East Meets West - Takeaways From Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Bleeding Edge of 5G
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We usually cover multiple topics on Watch This Space, but my recent trip to China was so fascinating – and touched on so many tangents – that we d...
Act III for Avaya - Why We Think They May Succeed, and Is It Too Late to Push Back on Big Tech?
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While we intended to discuss a few current topics, our current episode ended up being mostly about June’s Avaya ENGAGE event. Given how interesting ...
How Five9 is Using AI to Re-Think Customer Service, Generational Changes for Automation, and Robotics of the Mind
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our May episode started with my takeaways from Five9’s analyst event in Porto, Portugal, with a parallel discussion about how they’re using AI to ...
Conference Roundup and AI Anxiety - Extreme Networks, Fenway Park Experience and VON Evolution
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our May episode took us to Boston and New York, where Jon recounted takeaways from Extreme Networks’ analyst event, and Chris did the same for Jeff ...
Conference Roundup - 8x8, Enterprise Connect, VON Evolution, HPE Aruba - and the State of Enterprise Communications
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our April episode served as a roundup of recent and upcoming events on our calendar, namely 8x8, Enterprise Connect, VON Evolution and HPE Aruba. Chri...
Future of Work Expo Review - ChatGPT, Hybrid Working, AR/VR, Contact Center Realities and More
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the course of 3 days, we had 18 sessions, dozens of speakers, and a very engaged audience – to find out what you missed, this is the podcast fo...
Future of Work Expo Preview, and Highlights from the Leesman Powering Hybrid Work Study
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jon is returning as Chair for Future of Work Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, and Chris will be active there too, so with the event fast-approaching, we starte...
Our 2023 Outlook - High Hopes for AI, But Analog Tech is Still Cool, and Future of Work Expo Preview
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As we usually do at this time of year, Chris and I provide our take on what to expect in 2023. We haven’t had this much economic uncertainty in many...
Zoom + Tesla, Twilio and Digital Execution, Mavenir and Industry 4.0, and 2022 Takeaways
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I attended three more industry conferences during November, and along with Chris, we explored the future of work implications – and there were many....
October Events Roundup – Surveillance, Audio Watermarking, Intelligent Customer Service, Private 5G and Another SIPtones Gig
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Industry conferences were in full swing last month, and the topics in this title provide a sense of what Chris and I talked about. October travel took...
Quiet Firing, Return to Office, and Digital HQ from Salesforce
04 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The hybrid work pendulum continues swinging back and forth, and following our discussion of quiet quitting last month, we look at the flip side this e...
Crashing Tech Stocks and Quiet Quitting - is There a Connection?
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Quiet quitting has become the nom du jour in hybrid work circles, and in this episode, we examine the implications, as well as if there might be a con...
EY Work Reimagined Study - Getting Employees and Employers on the Same Page
02 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our last podcast focused on highlights from Future of Work Expo, which included a keynote about this new study from Ernst & Young. The findings reveal...
Future of Work Expo Review - Making Hybrid Work Work
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having just returned from the Future of Work Expo in Ft. Lauderdale, Jon recaps the key themes, and co-host Chris Fine adds his perspective as to why ...
The Metaverse, Innovation and Invention -Thinking Bigger About Future of Work
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What started as an exploration of the continued challenges faced by businesses to get workers back to the office, veered into the unchartered waters o...
Channel Partners Expo - Money Talks, Muddling Through Hybrid, HP Acquires Poly
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With in-person conferences back in full swing now, Jon and Chris had some follow-on takes on Enterprise Connect, along with perspectives from the Chan...
Enterprise Connect Recap - The Return to In-Person Industry Events!
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The title says it all, and with Spring and baseball around the corner, the timing was great for Enterprise Connect 2022. This is the most important ev...
The Technology of Trust – Digital Identity, Communications and the Future of Work
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jon and Chris examine the relationship between personal identity and communications in today’s digital world, which lacks the security safeguards na...
VON3 - Finding Intersections with Communications, Web3, NFTs, and Future of Work
01 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot to unpack in that podcast title, and that’s what we did, not just as attendees of Jeff Pulver’s VON3, but as speakers as well. Com...
Technology Innovation: From Telecom to Space Exploration to the Metaverse
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With Omicron extending the pandemic, Chris and Jon explore the longer-term implications of hybrid work, including how virtual experiences are becoming...
2021 in Review – Hybrid Work Realities and Consolidation Trends
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
2021 did not lack for interesting developments, and Chris and I summed things up by focusing on two broad trends that we feel will set the stage for 2...
Copper Sunset - Why We‘ll Be Losing More Than a Telephony Network
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Recent news regarding British Telecom’s plans to decommission their copper telephony network spurred us to explore the implications of Copper Sunset...
Can Collaboration Technology Save The Great Resignation?
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Flipping the switch from summer to fall seems much easier than coaxing workers to shift from home to office, and we explore what’s behind the curren...
How to Make Virtual Work Work, and Where Emerging Technologies Can Help
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Labor Day is a good time to think about the longer-term implications of virtual work, and on this episode, we explore how this checks many boxes for w...
Zoom/Five9 Deal and Back to the Office - Really?
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our timing was good to talk about the acquisition of Five9 by Zoom. Many implications to consider, especially for the remaining pure play contact cent...
Who's the Boss? New Priorities for the Post-Pandemic Workplace
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we review the emerging dynamics of the post-pandemic workplace between employees and employers. Both will need to be flexible in new ...
Should Network Providers Be in the Content Business?
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With AT&T spinning out Time Warner, it’s not hard to understand why Amazon just acquired MGM. Jon and Chris examine parallels here to last month’s...
Lessons Learned from the History of Telephony - Preview of our PulveREDU Course
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Telephony has a long and rich history, and provides the template for the rise and fall of all forms of technology innovation that have followed. Chris...
Hybrid Work: It’s Complicated! Microsoft's 2021 Work Trend Index Report
06 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft's new report has timely data around a hot trend these days – hybrid work. This is going to be the way forward as we come out of the pandem...
The New Voice - Exploring New Worlds Beyond Telephony
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For our latest episode, Chris and Jon look ahead to a post-pandemic world, but also to a new course we'll be offering on a new learning network, Pulve...
Making Work From Home Work - Are We Putting Too Much Trust in Big Tech?
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode, Jon and Chris explore issues around trust with the Internet, social media and Big Tech, and the challenges that poses to keep the wo...
Looking Ahead for 2021, and Thinking Bigger with AI - Beating COVID-19
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Season 4 of Watch This Space kicks off with an episode looking ahead to 2021 for the future of work, and thinking bigger about AI. There is nothing mo...
How Did We Really Do in 2020? Reflections on COVID-19, Technology and the World of Work
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
To close out Season 3, Jon and Chris recap a year like no other, looking at what went well and not-so-well with tech and the future of work in the age...
Why Zoom is Much More than Video, Plus Keith Jarrett and Yes, Alicia Keys
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about highlights from three major events from last month – Zoom, Slack and Twilio – with Zoomtopia commanding most of...
How Virtual is Becoming the New Reality
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jon and Chris talk about how the growing need for broadband access presents challenges and opportunities for service providers, espe...
Why Collaboration is the Right Technology for COVID Times
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
COVID has been good for business in the collaboration space, and in this episode, Chris and Jon explore what's driving this success, and where we ...
How Communications Technology Drives Employee Engagement with Work From Home
01 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today's technology is so good and so easy to use, and it's a major reason why Work From Home is even possible. Chris and Jon explore both the p...
The Evolving Collaboration Landscape During Pandemic Times
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our July 2020 podcast was spurred by the recent announcement of Connect from Slack, which draws a clearer line in the sand for those who do or do not...
Workplace Perspectives in Pandemic Times
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our June 2020 podcast took a longer view on the implications of COVID 19 on both work and the workplace. Both are evolving as remote working becomes ...
The Evolving New Normal for Work, Daily Life and the Economy
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our May 2020 podcast focused on lessons learned as WFH - work from home - becomes more established, with implications that go beyond the world of ...
The New Age of Remote Work
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our April 2020 podcast took a broader look at remote working in terms of how technology enables borderless living, both for our work and personal wor...
February Conferences Review for Collaboration, Contact Center and Future of Work
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our March 2020 podcast recapped a busy February for attending industry events, and sharing our takeaways from each. This episode also marked the debut...
Drivers for the Digital Workspace, and Cool Voice Innovations from Chattanooga
02 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our February 2020 podcast reviewed two January events - Future Offices, and Project Voice 2020 - and how today's technology is shaping these space...
What's Ahead for 2020 - AI and CX
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Our January 2020 podcast picked up where the December 2019 left off, going from the year in review to what we see in store for both a new year and a ...