January proved an eventful month for Constellation Research, Inc. We participated in our second annual Winter Wonderland company retreat, we expanded the team, analysts spoke at a number of events, and published a range of research.
Constellation's Winter Wonderland Retreat
Once a year, the entire Constellation Research, Inc. team meets at the Stanford Faculty Club for Constellation's Winter Wonderland Retreat. During this three day event, we plan our research agendas, discuss how we can better serve our clients, and gain inspiration from external speakers. Highlights from this year's retreat include:
Mind Expanding Speeches by Notable Speakers
Roman Stanek, CEO GoodData - shared his view on the Future of Mobility
Nigel Cameron, Constellation Board of Advisors - shared the latest on the political trends affecting the tech industry
Christian Gheorghe, CEO Tidemark - shared his view on the Future of Applications
Wendy Lea, CEO GetSatisfaction - discussed her view of what's next for Social Software and Next Gen Customer Experience
Establishment of New Research Themes
Constellation's analysts identified several business problems, both current and on the horizon, that they will address with these new research themes. New themes include:
- Technology Optimization
- Future of Work
- Big Data and Analytics
- Matrix Commerce
- Next Gen Customer Engagement
Each of these themes will have a unique research agenda. Look for these themes to launch shortly!
New Analyst
Constellation welcomed veteran unified communications analyst, E. Brent Kelly to the team. Kelly will serve as VP and Principal Analyst covering the unique intersection of Unified Communications, Collaboration, Social Business, and Mobility.
Analysts Speaking
Yvette Cameron spoke with Bill Kutik about business effectiveness applications on the Bill Kutik Show. Listen to the recording here.
R "Ray" Wang and E. Brent Kelly both spoke at Lotusphere. Watch the recording of R "Ray" Wang's Demystifying Enterprise Gamification speech here.
New Research
Quark: Steps to Developing an Effective Social Media Response Strategy by Elizabeth Herrell.
This piece is is designed to guide business decision makers through the essentials of developing an effective social media response strategy. Included in this quark are six steps essential for effective social media response.
Quark: The Cultural Issues Surrounding Supply Chain Synchronization by Jeff Ashcroft.
Chief Supply Chain Officers must develop an understanding of the impact that people and related cultural issues can have on the company before they can fully experience lasting supply chain synergy. Those who proceed without addressing these cultural issues will find themselves unable to initiate a viable supply chain synergy transport operation. This Constellation Research, Inc. quark focuses on the six cultural issues surrounding supply chain synchronization.
Premium Research - Trends: Is Microsoft 365 a Viable Hosted Unified Communications Offering for You? by E. Brent Kelly
This report lists nine factors that are driving organizations to cloud-based unified communications and collaboration services, but it also balances these drivers with five inhibitors executives must also consider. It provides actionable advice and insights into one of the most popular of these services, Microsoft’s Office 365. It answers the questions, “Is Office 365 right for my organization? Why or why not?”
