The focus of Enterprise Connect 2016 is bringing Unified Communications (UC) into the cloud, and Zig Serafin, corporate VP of Skype Business Services at Microsoft, is at the forefront of a team that is transforming the Microsoft public cloud into a purpose-built communications cloud that offers businesses an alternative to traditional PBX and conferencing systems.

“Enterprise expects a simple, intuitive system that works across many platforms and devices,” said Serafin.

Chatting with John Furrier, cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, and Jim Burton, cofounder of UCStrategies.com, at Enterprise Connect 2016 in Orlando, Florida, Serafin discussed the expectations of enterprise customers and the benefits of combining the cloud computing power of Azure with the unified communication power of Skype for Business in Office 365.

Unified management, analytics and reporting

Burton remembers a conversation he had with Serafin 10 years ago, where Serafin told him that a UC platform “needed to have one management system.” Serafin responded with a short history of Skype4B, which he said from the very beginning aimed to create a unified experience for both the customer and IT personnel.

With the current innovations, a single pane of glass provides access to mission-critical, real-time communications, with management, reporting and analytics across voice, video, and messaging available in conference rooms, on desktops and mobile devices.

Watch the full video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Enterprise Connect 2016.

Photo by SiliconANGLE