Matt Hurst, Senior Director of Strategic Business Architecture at Ribbon, joins Tom Arbuthnot to discuss the significant changes occurring in telco infrastructure with AI, analytics, and automation. Matt clearly explains how Automation, Containerisation and AI work and apply in telco and also large enterprise infrastructure.

The telecommunications industry is embracing containerisation and automation to address competitive pressures, security requirements, and operational efficiency challenges. Traditional hardware deployment models are being replaced by flexible, cloud-native approaches that enable rapid scaling and automated management.

• Containerisation breaks network functions into modular components that scale dynamically based on demand
• Automation reduces manual patching, testing, and configuration whilst improving security compliance
• AI-powered chatbots guide junior engineers through complex troubleshooting using integrated documentation
• Infrastructure as code creates single source of truth for network configurations across multiple sites
• Adoption is being driven by security operations requirements and specialised skills shortages

Thanks to Ribbon, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support. 

Tom Arbuthnot discusses Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption with Karoliina Kettukari, Head of Modern Work at OP Financial Group in Finland.

OP Financial Group has licensed approximately half their workforce for M365 Copilot, with strong support from senior management and eager employee adoption. The organisation also utilises Copilot Chat for an additional 50% of their licensed user base, particularly for roles working primarily in customer systems rather than M365 applications.

• Meeting summaries and note-taking represent the primary use case, delivering immediate time savings
• Organisation uses a tiered approach with basic training for general users and advanced documentation for power users
• Teams-based sharing of use cases within departments proves more effective than organisation-wide libraries
• Agent development shows promise but faces technical barriers requiring Copilot Studio expertise
• Regulatory compliance creates additional approval processes for new AI features in financial services
• Support delivered through Teams channels and Viva Engage communities rather than traditional training methods

The transition from personal productivity use cases to team-based and process automation represents the next phase of their adoption journey.

Thanks to Neat, this episode's sponsor, for their continued support.

Bo Pintea from Huddly talks about the evolution of multi-camera setups and their role in creating more immersive and equitable meeting experiences. 

Bo shares insights from his Microsoft journey and current role at Huddly, covering:

• Why IP-based AV and edge AI are critical for scalable multi-camera deployments
• The science behind camera angles, spatial reasoning, and reducing hyper-gaze fatigue
• How AI agents are reshaping meeting dynamics—from intelligent shot selection to real-time transcription
• The future of corporate knowledge, digital twins, and who owns the data we generate
• Why SMBs might leapfrog larger enterprises in adopting AI-first business models

Bo also reflects on the shift from human-centric UC to AI-augmented collaboration, and what it means for the next generation of workplace tools.

Thanks to AVI-SPL, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support. 

Leon Wright, Global Lead for Converged Communications at Microsoft, discusses how AI is transforming Teams Phone, telco partnerships and customer engagement.

• How AI is driving renewed interest in Teams Phone and enabling new productivity use cases
• The evolving roles of SIs and telcos in delivering scale and strategic value
• Why partners integrating AI into Converged Comms are seeing 20%+ growth
• The convergence of Teams and Dynamics in Microsoft’s AI business solutions strategy
• Microsoft’s shift to transparent roadmap sharing and early partner feedback

Thanks to Pure IP, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Prashi Badkur, Senior Product Manager Lead for Teams phone devices at Microsoft, talks about the evolving role of physical desk phones.

Despite predictions that physical phones would disappear, there remains a strong demand for Teams phone devices across various industries, including healthcare, finance, and emergency services. Specific roles value the tactile buttons and instant functionality for high call volumes and efficiency.

• AI features including Copilot-powered call summaries for transfers and voice commands for device navigation
• Enhanced line key capabilities with remote configuration through Teams Admin Centre
• Shared line features with LED indicators and custom ringtones for multi-store scenarios
• Queues app now available on desk phones for agent opt-in/opt-out functionality
• Contact management for common area phones allowing admins to preload emergency contacts
• Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) support for phones
• Future roadmap

Thanks to Ribbon, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support. 

Alexander Ivanov, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Teams explains how the Technology Adoption Programme (TAP) helps shape Microsoft Teams Android devices and drive quality.

• How TAP enables customers to test features early and influence product development
• The role of customer feedback in shaping Teams device experiences
• Why TAP is more than a preview—it’s a partnership with customers.
• Insights into certification, firmware updates, and the importance measuring satisfaction

If you are interested in participating in the Technology Adoption Program, you can fill in this form here to be considered: aka.ms/TeamsDevicesTap

Thanks to Logitech, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud

Microsoft Teams Monthly Update - August 2025

• Microsoft Q4 2025 Earnings In-Car Teams Video Calls
• Trigger workflows using emoji reactions
• On-Behalf-Of Outbound Teams Phone Calls Change
• First Unify Certified Contact Center
• No more Paid Teams Metered APIs
• GPT-5 is here in M365 Copilot and more
• Summarise Email with Copilot Chat
• Improved M365 Copilot in Word

Thanks to Logitech, this month's benefactor, for your support of Empowering.Cloud and the community.

Note that this is an audio-only version of the update, so if you would like to see the accompanying slides, please watch the video version on Empowering.Cloud

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Jim Gaynor, Editorial Vice President at Directions on Microsoft, reflects on the evolution of Microsoft Teams and its shifting role in Microsoft’s strategy.

• How Teams evolved from a Slack competitor to a central productivity platform
• The impact of the pandemic on Teams adoption and scale
• Why Teams Premium is becoming the home for advanced features
• Microsoft’s pivot to Copilot and what it means for Teams
• How customers are approaching Copilot adoption, ROI, and data governance
• Jim’s perspective on Microsoft’s long-game approach to AI and platform strategy

Thanks to AudioCodes, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support of Empowering.Cloud.

Neil Milliken, Global Head of Accessibility at Atos, looks at how accessibility is evolving in the enterprise—driven by AI, inclusive design, and upcoming regulation.

Neil shares insights from over two decades in assistive technology and accessibility, including how mainstream tools like Microsoft 365 are increasingly embedding features that benefit everyone—not just those with disabilities.

• The growing role of AI in assistive tech and how it’s improving productivity and inclusion
• How features like captions, voice input, and personalisation are becoming everyday tools
• The impact of the European Accessibility Act and what it means for private sector organisations
• The convergence of enterprise audio tech and hearing support, including innovations from Jabra and others
• Why accessibility is a business imperative, not just a compliance checkbox

Neil also discusses how organisations can prepare for the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the importance of inclusive design in product development, and how accessibility features are increasingly used by a wider audience—including those with temporary or situational needs.

For more on this, check out Neil’s podcast

Thanks to Jabra, this episode’s sponsor, for their continued support. 

Mark Herbert (https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbertmark/), co-founder of Call2Teams (at Qunifi, acquired by Dstny) and now launching Haptap Call Manager, explores how partners are enabling Microsoft Teams Phone for SMB and mid-market.

Mark shares industry insights from his Teams journey and working with UCaaS vendors and partners to bridge SIP trunks into Teams. He gives a demo of Haptap Call Manager (https://www.haptap.com/), a cloud-hosted management tool for simplified management of Microsoft Teams phone services.

• The evolving Teams Phone opportunity in SMB and mid-market • How AI and Copilot are driving interest in Teams Phone
• The challenges partners face managing voice at scale
• Haptap’s approach to multi-tenant Teams Phone management
• Why Dstny backed Haptap as an innovation-led startup within the group