So, this morning I am reading my USA Today while having a cup of coffee and just like the last week or so Apple is in the spotlight.  Not just 1 article either but at least 2, one on the new iPad (of course) and another on what we can expect to see from Apple technology this year.  After reading both of these articles I start remembering a not so distant past where there was another player always in the headlines.  Like many other technology people, I got my start in this career field as a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE).  People still recognize this certification as something special even though it has been retired for quite some time.  People also fondly remember Microsoft as a mover and shaker.  Microsoft was the one to watch if you were interested in seeing the latest in technology.  Since that time Microsoft has really fallen to the wayside, people try to make a big deal when there is a new release but the innovation of the old days just isn't there anymore.  They call it a new release when something comes out but from what I have seen most of the time it is a face lift with some patches or a new application so they can say "Me too!".  Don't get me wrong, I still like the company and hope they get out of this rut.  They have lost focus on what made them great!  I think we can look back through history and find that truly great companies maintained a focus on what made them successful.  When they lost that focus, they lost market share.  Today we have battle between tech giants that in recent history were more complimentary than competitive, Microsoft and Cisco.  Now at some point someone will win that battle I believe but I would much rather see them be innovators in what made them great than to see one of them fail.

Today's world is about innovation just like it has been throughout history.  Successful innovators will be successful today and in the future.  Those that lose that focus will become just another name or worse yet history themselves.  Mitel is truly an innovator and has maintained that focus throughout its history as a company.  Today Mitel can deliver on a disk what most of the competition is delivering in mass quantities of hardware.  A communications system that delivers on the corporate promise, free from "Walled Garden Architectures" and "Freedom to Choose Your Own Device".  Today the buzz statements are Unified Communications (UC) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), what will it be tomorrow?  For almost 40 years Mitel has been bringing innovative solutions and maintaining the focus on solid communications solutions that work for large and small organizations.  I am sure it will still be that way 40 years from now!

Thanks for reading!

SE Up North