September 26, 2011 archive

Mitel Rolls Out UC Apps for iPhone and iPad

Good to see that Mitel is joining the iOS application space with Unified Communications apps for the iPhone and iPad. These apps will work with Mitel's "Freedom" architecture to allow people to use their own iPhone or iPad device with the Mitel corporate phone system.

Per Mitel's news release, the app allows users to:

  • Search the corporate directory and click-to-dial from corporate contact list to place calls through the corporate network.
  • View missed, dialed, and received calls.
  • Access visual voicemail from your office extension and manage messages by preference rather than sequence.
  • Automatically update presence status and call routing preferences based on your location, or time of day.

Given enterprise users' desire to use their own devices, it is not surprising to see these type of apps coming out from a vendor like Mitel. It will be interesting to see how this helps Mitel in the marketplace.

Kudos to the Mitel team for creating the apps.

The Frustration of Breast Cancer: Dealing With Hypotheticals And Going On Faith

Lori perkinscove sept2011 300

No question perhaps highlights the frustration of breast cancer than the one I am frequently asked:

So how is Lori doing?

You see... physically she is doing perfectly fine.

At least... she has been doing perfectly fine up until today when they will inject her with various noxious, toxic chemicals to make her worse so that in the end she will theoretically be better.

This is the conundrum of early stage breast cancer.

There are no physical signs.

You are not "sick" in any noticeable way.

You feel perfectly fine.

In fact, my wife is probably in the best physical shape she's ever been in. She's walking 5-6 miles a day and just in great shape all around.

Physically.

You would have no clue that inside her MAY lurk a few random cells that can morph and evolve in such a way that they can cause other problems and even death.

It would be much easier in so many ways if she was sick in some way. With some other forms of cancer, the pain and sickness are very apparent.

You are sick... therefore you need drugs and other treatments to make you better.
Simple. Easy.

But with early stage breast cancer you have no signs.

You are dealing entirely with hypothetical situations.

The studies say that you have a 60% chance of not having cancer after 10 years if you do this.

The studies say that you have a 70% chance of not having cancer after 10 years if you do this.

The studies say that you have a 90% chance of not having cancer after 10 years if you do this.

With again the reality that

you might not have any cancer in you today...

... if only we had some way to know.

But we don't.

And so, as a friend said to me this morning, we are "going on faith".

Faith in the medical system. Faith in the doctors and nurses who have been treating her - and all the research and analysis they have done. Faith in the scientists who have performed all these studies and spent the long hours in their research. Faith in the accuracy of the very human people who have been administering all these fancy tests - and in the designers behind all the software and systems.

Faith in the fact that this course of treatment that will make her very sick in the short term will give her better chances in the long-term.

Going on faith.

It's insanely frustrating, but in the end it's all we have...