AI, messaging top unified communications industry trends

As the unified communications industry continues to evolve, analysts are eyeing key trends that could affect organizations in 2017. These trends could shape all aspects of an organization, including employee communication workflows and contact-center services. Interest in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, has grown, as organizations tackle digital transformation initiatives to improve business processes and interactions with employees and customers. AI could see more widespread adoption across the unified communications industry in 2017, according to some analysts. "Recent case studies prove that AI and machine learning can make an organization's processes, applications and resources smarter," Jim Sinur, analyst at Aragon Research in Palo Alto, Calif., wrote in a blog.