I did a little research on the whole BYO… concept and was surprised to learn how many different options for ‘Bringing your own’ there are. BYOB is definitely the most familiar and probably most widely used (at least by anyone who has attended a party, hosted a party, or spent any time at all in college) but did you know that BYOA stands for Bring Your Own Apps? Are you familiar with BYOD? That’s been a buzz word in our industry for the past few years. Bring Your Own Device. Use your smart phone or desk phone or computer for call handling; whichever device you choose.
And now, just like a new version of software, there is a new version of BYO. BYOE – Bring Your Own Experience. I was skeptical at first, but it really makes sense. I sat in on an end user training class yesterday. Our project manager was preparing the employees at The Louisville Water Company for the new ShoreTel phones and software they will begin using today. As I listened to the questions coming from the participants I realized that everyone will have a different experience with this new equipment. Some will use it minimally and stick to the basics on the phone on their desk. Others will customize the UC software on their computers and completely change the way they work on a day to day basis.
So, Bring Your Own Experience began with mobility and the acceptance of smart devices in the network. When it became more about the computer than the telephone, less about the IT/technical attributes and more about the end users, more about the features that drive processes; we made the shift from BYOD to BYOE. And this, in my opinion, will be a very good thing.
A ShoreTel webinar on the subject provided a bullet list of “What BYOE looks like with UC”. Some of the key enhancements were
- Launch ad hoc conferencing with a few clicks and no downloads or plug ins
- Seamlessly hand-off to/from fixed line and mobile devices without losing access to work in progress
- Integrated contact files across multiple directories
- Consistent user experience across all endpoints, operating systems and network environments
Today’s younger workers are bringing elevated expectations and experience, needing more, wanting more. Successful UC incorporates what resonates from end users. And it’s not just the younger workers. There are ‘older’ workers out there completely embracing the latest technology because it is making their life easier.
The difference between BYOD and BYOE
- BYOE can’t be easily measured. It’s a user centric approach to UC. When they start using it, the results will be clear.
- Employees will become more productive. Each department will find a different meaning of UC.
- The most important metric is NPS. Customers involved with BYOE UC have the highest NPS scores.
- The concentration is on end users, business needs and processes.
- BYOE UC provides different apps for different users i.e., iphone, ipad, voice dialing, press to join conference
- Each individual will have a different end user experience.
The old PBX and Key Systems could only do so much; answer, transfer, hold voice calls. Today the platforms available go beyond voice. It’s total communication via smart phone, email integration, desktop applications. It’s getting your job done with whatever tools you need to use to accomplish the task.
According to a ShoreTel webinar White Paper research identified 8 attributes that characterize vendors/their offerings in terms of understanding BYOE and its impact on UC. It is a must read for anyone considering a new communications platform.
Tell us what experience you want to bring and we will deliver with an experience you can’t help but talk about.
