CTLink - Unified Communications: The Leading Authority

UM Update – Evaluating UM Solutions

Tuesday, October 07, 2008
I recently updated a UM market study I wrote a year and a half ago. The new study, "Evaluating Unified Messaging Solutions 2008" provides insights for evaluating UM vendors, while providing useful tips on moving to UM.

Handsets for Everyone- Except the Enterprise

Friday, October 03, 2008
Just as summer inevitably brings a wave of new movies, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without a bunch of new cell phones. While the Christmas buying season might not be as jolly this year, it won’t be for a want of new cell phones.

Mashup: Skills Absolutely Needed for Unified Communications

Friday, October 03, 2008
"It's becoming a software business" and "we should all be focused on solving customer problems". This refrain is said constantly by solutions providers when Unified Communications (UC) is discussed. If it's true, doesn't it make sense to examine

A consulting firm specializing in voice, data, video & wireless communications and collaboration

Jim Burton is Founder and CEO of CT Link, LLC. Burton founded the consulting firm in 1989 to help clients in the converging voice, data and networking industries with strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and distribution issues.

In the early 1990s, Burton recognized the challenges vendors and the channel faced as they developed and installed integrated voice/data products. He became the leading authority in the voice/data integration industry and is credited with "coining" the term computer-telephone integration (CTI). Burton helped companies including Microsoft and Intel enter the voice market and helped AT&T (now Avaya), Mitel, NEC, Nortel, Siemens and Toshiba with their CTI strategies.

In the late 1990s, venture capitalists turned to Burton for help in evaluating potential investments in IP PBX start-ups. He went on to help these and other companies with strategic planning and partnering, including NBX (acquired by 3Com, Selsius (acquired by Cisco), ShoreTel and Sphere Communications.

In the early 2000s, Burton began focusing on what he believed were emerging technologies that would have an even more profound impact than IP on the converging voice and data industry.