It’s all connected. We’ve witnessed the world become wired together and computerized, then watched the computer shrink to palm size. Kevin Miller’s last two decades at the nexus of Telecommunications and IT give him a unique perspective on Unified Communications – where all your devices work together.
The industry has morphed into the smartphone age, bringing features once associated with a central switchboard to individuals and groups unbound by geography. Server banks, satellites, and microwave transmission will soon fully replace hard-wired phones.
“WE GIVE EACH CLIENT ONE PHONE NUMBER ACROSS ALL DEVICES. THIS MAKES DISTRIBUTED WORK FORCES – UBER STYLE – EASIER TO ASSEMBLE AND MANAGE”, SAYS MILLER.
The Strategist
Communications strategy is focused on designing solutions to meet top business objectives. Miller’s experience is deep. Just after 9/11, he spearheaded the creation and build out for The NY Times business continuity plan. He then implemented their content distribution system, later making a VPN (virtual private network) for reporters and stringers around the world covering the 2003 Iraq war.
Among many other achievements are a broadcast network for the Associated Press coverage of President Reagan’s funeral on 40 hours notice, setting up the network for the Athens Olympics, Overseeing the full integration of Merck and Schering Plough’s mobility network spanning 43 countries – among the largest acquisitions in the Pharma industry—and winning the coveted IT Innovator of The Year Award from Johnson & Johnson. We’re talking aggregated contract values across the globe in excess of $300,000,000, plus 16 leadership and service awards (Linkedin).
We were curious about the seeds of this high-performance career and by way of background, Miller described his initiation into entrepreneurship.
Catching the Sales Bug
In 1996, he walked dormitory hallways at school – Stony Brook University – peddling dollar bottles of Ginseng – a natural study and sports enhancer. He bought them wholesale in the Bronx, 10 for a $1.50, quickly evolving the micro business into a some $50 an hour job that put him through college.
The process taught him the power of customer-centric thinking before its vogue.
Fast Arriving Future
Jumping forward, we asked where communications will be in the next 24-48 months. What are the main trends? “Mobile devices which allow employees to work from wherever they are, will eventually replace traditional desk phones” Kevin began.
“Also, natural voice technology – a more advanced version of present day SIRI and Amazon Echo – will infiltrate communications computing,” he said, adding, “some level of AI (Artificial Intelligence) will inform much of the near future tech, and will continue to improve the customer’s experience.”
The Mentor Connection
Outsourcing communications strategy for an entire organization requires placing a great deal of trust in an individual. Big money is at stake. The constant flux of technology makes choosing the right adviser all the more critical.
And C-suite level sales has always been about contacts. This is where business meets charity to bring like-minded people together. Kevin Miller first came onto TechinAmerica’s radar for his work at the Ambassador Horace G. Dawson scholarship where he works one-on-one with mentorees. Here, Kevin lends the benefits of experience and access to high school aged, college bound kids.
From One Generation to the Next
It’s a real example of giving back as he too has a mentor, Kenneth Miller (no relation). Kenneth’s background includes business development strategies and project leadership on national and international environmental and facility contracts. He acted as General Contractor for the nation’s first and largest 36-mile Stream Clean-up Project for the City of Atlanta, oversaw federal mid-west remediation sites, Brownfield Management and Permitting on New York’s Hudson River, and served as Chief Environmental Strategist for the Government of Bahamas. “I value character and great listening skills. Early on I recognized these traits in Kevin, which are paramount in business and mentoring”, says Kenneth Miller.
The relationship between Kevin and Kenneth follows the model of identifying someone whose career path is worthy of emulating, and directly acquiring skills and advice in a one-to-one relationship.
Mentoring creates an environment of trust, fosters many new connections, and brings along the next generation of business people. “No matter how much you know, there’s always a lot more you don’t know,” Kevin Miller said.
This synergy of good deeds, personal growth, and business brings us full circle to our first statement – It’s all connected. Global Communications Strategist Kevin Miller reminds us of connectivity’s end goal to bring people together in the process.
Connect with Kevin Miller via kevin.miller@8×8.com.
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