AI Takes Center Stage: My Preview of Enterprise Connect 2025

I've been tracking the enterprise communications landscape for years now, and I can tell you — Enterprise Connect 2025 is shaping up to be more of a transformative gathering than in recent years. As I scan through the agenda for the March event at Orlando's Gaylord Palms, I'm struck by how dramatically the conversation has shifted from "what is AI?" to "how do we actually implement this stuff?"

This year's theme — "Charting Your Course" — couldn't be more appropriate. In telecom, we're all navigating uncharted waters in this AI-powered future, and frankly, many organizations are feeling a bit adrift. Let me walk you through what I'm seeing as the major currents that will define this year's conference.

AI: From Buzzword to Backbone

Remember when AI was just the shiny new object everyone wanted to talk about but nobody quite knew what to do with? Those days are firmly behind us. What fascinates me about this year's Enterprise Connect is how AI has matured from theoretical concept to practical tool in just three short years.

The dedicated "AI & Automation" track isn't focused on explaining what large language models are (thank goodness!) — it's tackling the nitty-gritty implementation challenges that could "make or break enterprise AI in 2025." That's a significant shift, and one that reflects what I'm hearing from IT leaders across industries.

What's particularly interesting is how end users are driving this transformation. They've gotten their hands on Microsoft Copilot, Zoom AI Companion, Dialpad’s VoiceAI and Google Gemini, and — surprise! — they actually like these tools. They're incorporating them into daily workflows without waiting for formal corporate rollouts. This bottom-up adoption reminds me of the early smartphone era, when employees started bringing their personal devices to work before IT departments had BYOD policies in place.

Dialpad’s AI implementation (I’m a shareholder,) Five9's Genius AI Suite and Zoom's AI Companion 2.0 are perfect examples of how vendors are responding to this shift. They're not just showcasing AI capabilities; they're demonstrating how these tools can be customized, personalized, and integrated into existing systems. It's no longer about having AI — it's about having AI that actually works for your specific needs.

The Customer Experience Revolution Continues

If there's one area where AI is making its most immediate impact, it's in customer experience. Having watched this space evolve for over a decade, and the pace of change has never been more dramatic.

The dedicated CX/Contact Center track reflects this reality, with a heavy emphasis on "equipping your contact center agents" — which, let's be honest, is code for "helping humans work alongside AI." Five9 and Dialpad are showcasing AI-powered customer intelligence platforms that promise to transform how businesses understand and respond to customer needs.

What strikes me as particularly significant is how the conversation has evolved from "automating away agent jobs" to "creating superhuman agents." The most forward-thinking organizations aren't replacing humans — they're augmenting them with AI tools that handle routine tasks while freeing people to tackle complex, emotionally nuanced interactions. It's a more sophisticated approach, and one that acknowledges the continued importance of human connection in customer relationships.

Security: The Elephant in the Room

Here's something that keeps me up at night: as our communication systems become more sophisticated, they also become more vulnerable. The dedicated "Security & Compliance" track at Enterprise Connect 2025 suggests I'm not alone in this concern.

TC&C's Deepfake Guard — a finalist for Best of Enterprise Connect — addresses what might be the most terrifying security threat of the AI era: synthetic media fraud. Imagine a world where anyone can create a convincing video of your CEO announcing a merger, or an audio clip of your CFO requesting an emergency wire transfer. Actually, don't imagine it — it's already happening.

The inclusion of sessions on "Cybersecurity Best Practices for Modern Communications Systems" reflects a growing recognition that security can't be an afterthought in enterprise communications. It needs to be baked into every platform, every tool, every implementation from day one.

The Pendulum Swing of Hybrid Work

Remember when we all thought remote work was the future and offices were dinosaurs headed for extinction? Yeah, about that...

The "AV/Video" track at Enterprise Connect 2025 acknowledges a reality I've been observing for months now: the hybrid work pendulum is swinging back toward office-centric models. Major companies are implementing return-to-office mandates, and suddenly those video collaboration technologies that seemed like temporary solutions during the pandemic are being reimagined as permanent bridges between in-office and remote workers.

What's particularly fascinating is how AI is being leveraged to improve room-based video experiences. The goal isn't just to connect people — it's to create genuinely equitable meeting experiences regardless of where participants are located. That's a much harder problem to solve, and one that requires both technological innovation and thoughtful implementation.

Strategy Takes Center Stage

Perhaps the most telling addition to this year's conference is the new "Strategy & Management" track. This signals a maturation of the enterprise communications industry — we're moving beyond "how does this technology work?" to "how does this technology serve our business objectives?"

The inclusion of case studies and enterprise-led sessions suggests a recognition that theory only gets you so far. Real-world implementation stories — with all their messy details, unexpected challenges, and hard-won victories — provide the most valuable insights for organizations charting their own course.

My Take: The Human Element Remains Essential

As I look at the Enterprise Connect 2025 agenda, I'm struck by an apparent paradox: in an increasingly AI-powered world, human judgment and strategic thinking have never been more important.

The technologies showcased at this year's event aren't designed to replace human decision-makers — they're designed to augment them, to handle routine tasks while freeing people to focus on complex problems that require creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking.

That's why I'm particularly excited about the emphasis on strategy and real-world case studies. The most valuable insights at Enterprise Connect 2025 won't come from vendor presentations about theoretical capabilities — they'll come from enterprise IT professionals sharing their experiences implementing these technologies in complex, messy, real-world environments.

If you're heading to Orlando in March, I'd love to hear your thoughts on these trends. The future of enterprise communications is being shaped right now, and events like Enterprise Connect provide a crucial forum for collaborative learning and strategic thinking.

In a world of AI-powered automation, these human connections have never been more valuable.