The Interactive Multimedia and Collaborative Communications Alliance (IMCCA) has announced the recipients of the 2020 UC Industry Impact Awards, which honor organizations that deserve recognition for their contributions and outstanding support during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The names, as selected by a panel of five independent, industry-expert judges, were unveiled during the live IMCCA Collaboration Thanksgiving Webcast, which took place on November 17.
Nominees for the Industry Impact Awards (all of which can be seen at www.collaborationweek.org/2020-impact-award-nominees) were selected by IMCCA Executive Board and Board Members. Then, the panel of judges selected the top three nominees from each of the categories under consideration: Collaboration Platforms; Hardware and Peripherals; Integrators and Service Providers; and Distributors and Miscellaneous Organizations. The judges were Irwin Lazar of Nemertes Research, Blair Pleasant of COMMfusion, Roopam Jain of Frost & Sullivan, Tim Banting of Omdia and Sound & Communications’ Editor, Dan Ferrisi.
The winners are as follows:
Collaboration Platforms
- LogMein/GoToMeeting
- Microsoft Teams
- Zoom
Hardware and Peripherals
- Crestron
- Logitech
- Poly
Integrators and Service Providers
- AVI-SPL
- Poly
- Yorktel
Distributors and Miscellaneous
- AtlasIED
- Legrand AV
- IMCCA
Sound & Communications reached out to several of the honorees to get exclusive comments on the recognition they earned.
AVI-SPL earned plaudits for pivoting quickly to provide newly assigned home workers with technology starter kits and dedicated courses on “working remotely for first timers.” The speed and quality of its solution demonstrated an enormous commitment to customer service. According to Danny Rogers, VP, Global Accounts, “AVI-SPL has a long-held respect for the great work the IMCCA does tirelessly supporting and educating our industry. So, in the most challenging of years, for AVI-SPL to have won [a] UC Industry Impact Award is truly special. We’re proud of how this award recognizes our continued global delivery of high-quality AV and UC programs, as well as advanced managed services, to companies in all corners of the globe.”
Another honoree, AtlasIED, provided tens of thousands of medical-grade protective face shields to first responders and those on the front lines, helping ease the crunch for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. The company manufactured and shipped face shields to almost all 50 US states at no cost. According to AtlasIED’s President, John Ivey, “In these uncertain times, AtlasIED felt it necessary to do what it could to ensure the safety of the nation’s healthcare workers. Through the commitment of our employees, we were able to execute timely development and distribution of face shields to medical facilities throughout the country. At the same time, we are able to keep everyone at the manufacturing facility fully employed.”
The only company to earn two awards was Poly. In the Hardware and Peripherals category, the company was recognized for the fact that, whether in the school, enterprise or living room, people using Poly’s devices during COVID-19 had professional meeting experiences without hassle. In the Integrators and Service Providers category, the company was recognized for the fact that, when COVID-19 struck, Poly’s Global Services team offered free consulting with UC experts to guide businesses, organizations and individuals on the best technology to enable remote working, network readiness and workspace design. According to Edie Kissko, Poly spokesperson, “We’re honored to be named [a] winner in the 2020 UC Industry Impact Awards’ Hardware and Peripherals and Integrators and Service Providers categories. Poly is committed to providing customers with the best hardware and services that enable work from anywhere. We are focused on helping our customers do their best work.”
Another honoree, Yorktel, responded to the pandemic’s surge in demand by developing and building hundreds of rapid-response carts in a matter of weeks. That was just one of the steps that the company’s pandemic-response team took to support thousands of global customers. According to Ken Scaturro, President and COO, Yorktel, “We are deeply honored to have received this UC Industry Impact Award from the IMCCA and its group of independent judges. As the IMCCA is the leading trade organization supporting UC, the award has even greater meaning. I want to recognize the efforts of the entire Yorktel team [for] the work they did to help our customers stay connected during this unprecedented time.”
Scaturro continued, “Once it became clear that work from home was going to be the new norm during the pandemic, and [once we saw] the needs for clinicians to utilize more broad telehealth solutions, our department heads and their staff worked together to develop solutions that would keep our customers communicating and collaborating. On behalf of the entire Yorktel family, I’d like to thank the IMCCA for this recognition.”
To view the entire “IMCCA Gives Thanks” webcast, during which industry personalities presented the awards and discussed timely topics, go to tinyurl.com/IMCCAGivesThanksOnDemand.
Further coverage of the 2020 UC Industry Impact Awards: SYNNEX Corp. Nominated In 2020 UC Industry Impact Awards Program
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