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Mitel is at the forefront of innovation and automation in business communications and collaboration, trusted by enterprises of all sizes around the world. Compass Intelligence recently recognized Mitel for the company’s industry-leading work in hybrid unified communications (UC). A Leader in Driving Digital Transformation for Businesses In the spring of 2025, Mitel was selected as the recipient of the Compass Intelligence Award for Enterprise Communications, recognizing the company’s leadership in hybrid UC solutions. This accolade highlights Mitel’s commitment to delivering flexible and scalable artificial intelligence (AI)-powered communication platforms that empower businesses to thrive in a hybrid work environment. Mitel is the frontrunner in business communications, delivering modern hybrid UC solutions and AI-driven tools, empowering enterprises to do what they do best. Its innovative approach to hybrid UC and AI integration positions it as a leader in driving digital transformation for businesses. Mitel’s secure, future-proof solutions enable businesses – no matter the size – to unlock new levels of performance. Whether through AI-enhanced customer engagement tools like Mitel CX or powerful analytics platforms like Mitel Interaction Recording (MIR) Insights AI, Mitel turns businesses’ communications infrastructure from a utility into a strategic asset.  An Industry-Defining Approach to UC By offering flexible deployment options, advanced AI capabilities, and strategic partnerships, Mitel empowers organizations to enhance customer experience, streamline operations, and best serve business needs. Here’s a snapshot of Mitel’s award-winning approach to AI and hybrid communications:
Now, let’s dig a little deeper into exactly how Mitel’s comprehensive UC solutions empower businesses to better serve their customers and stay ahead in today’s competitive digital landscape with features like flexible hybrid deployments, virtual assistants, real-time analytics, and intelligent workflow automation. Embracing Hybrid Communications for Control, Choice, and Flexibility Mitel’s commitment to hybrid communications allows organizations to choose between on-premises, cloud, or hybrid deployment models. This versatile approach delivers a communications infrastructure tailored to your business’ specific operational, security, and compliance requirements. The use of a Common Communications Framework allows for seamless, flexible integration across many platforms and devices, leaving the door open to scaling tech in the future while maximizing usability today. A New Era of AI-Enhanced Customer Experience Launched in early 2025, Mitel CX is an AI-assisted customer experience platform designed to transform how businesses interact with their customers. Supporting omnichannel interactions, including voice, video, chat, and social media, Mitel CX enables businesses to deliver personalized and efficient service across all touchpoints. Using AI tools to enhance the customer experience with even more personalization and contextual feedback, Mitel CX offers:
Strategic Partnerships to Enhance AI Capabilities Mitel understands collaboration is the path to innovation. They’ve enhanced their AI-driven solutions through strategic partnerships with other industry leaders. Together with Zoom, Mitel offers Zoom Workplace, which combines AI-first capabilities with a highly integrated user experience to create the most versatile hybrid UCC solution for in-office, remote, and front-line workforces alike. Mitlel is also teaming up with Genesys, combining Genesys’s AI-powered experience orchestration with Mitel’s top-of-the-line UC capabilities to deliver comprehensive customer engagement solutions for large enterprises. Innovation Rooted in Excellence With a proven track record in reliable, flexible, and secure business communications, Mitel helps businesses compete in today’s fast-paced world with award-winning hybrid communications platforms, dynamic customer experience solutions, and tools powered by AI. Operational excellence is at the core of Mitel’s strategy. The company is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes achieve measurable outcomes through seamless, efficient communications systems. Their hybrid UC solutions are engineered to streamline operations, boost collaboration, and maximize ROI across industries. As the technology landscape evolves, Mitel empowers businesses with future-proof, AI-driven communications that deliver transformative results. The Compass Intelligence Award recognizes Mitel not only for its innovation and leadership, but as a trusted partner in turning UC solutions into businesses’ strongest strategic advantage.
Smart Cities Connect Spring 2025: Driving Innovation in Urban Transformation The Smart Cities Connect Spring 2025 Conference & Expo was held in San Antonio, TX, from April 14–16, 2025 and convened with over 200 city leaders, technologists, and innovators to explore the future of urban development. Key Themes and Sessions:
As part of my personal view and attending sessions, here is my highlight! One of the first sessions I attended was listending to how Skydio uses UAS drones for high mass light tower inspection and is working with Texas Department of Transportation saving time from what took 95 minutes that is now whittled down to only 16 minutes. Skydio also mentioned we have moved to a 1:1 relationship for managing drones in cities to a 1 to many relationship where UAS docking and preprogramming is advancing drone operations within cities. Additional use cases are event driven including those for public safety, rail inspection, bridge inspection, and building management. Another session I enjoyed was listening to University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA, and my MBA alma mater) and the team share more about their digital twin research project for City of San Antonio. The digital twin was built using geospatial, AI, machine vision, large language models (ChatGPT), 3D visualization, and NVIDIA Omniverse. The team also mentioned using the electric utility network for distribution to showcase CPS Energy data and information. Some of the primary use cases for the city included heat island identification, flood monitoring, and in the future planning for EV charging infrastructure build out and predicting the overall impact to enterprise fleets. A highlight of the event for me was the workshop, "Immersive Experiences Driven by Intelligent Data for the Modern Urban Environment. Here is my summary of that workshop. How Smart City Leaders Are Powering the Future with Real-Time Data and Integrated Solutions This workshop event held at Smart Cities Connect focused on advancing smart city innovation, with a panel of industry leaders from NVIDIA, AMSYS Innovation Solutions, True North Software Solutions, and Ipsotek shared insights on how technology is reshaping urban infrastructure, public safety, and city services, and in the end citizen or patron experiences. Laying the Foundation for Smarter Cities Bill Pugh of True North Software Solutions kicked things off by outlining the key steps cities should take to begin their smart city journey. He emphasized the importance of leveraging operational dashboards and digital twins—not just to analyze historical data, but to harness real-time information. By doing so, cities can make critical, data-driven decisions that directly impact public safety, transportation, and municipal services. True North’s approach goes beyond the typical “reactive” data model. Their operational dashboards integrate live data streams, enabling secure dynamic decision-making that supports a range of city department and agency services in real time. Frisco, Texas: Scaling Innovation Across Departments Wade Medlock from the City of Frisco, Texas, shared how their SAFER initiative has grown far beyond its original scope. What began as a modest goal has evolved into a wide-reaching program supporting multiple city departments and agencies. Today, Frisco has roughly 85 applications running across its network—each playing a role in making the city more efficient, secure, and responsive to residents’ needs. Wade discussed how it is working with AMSYS and the rest of the partner team to elevate SAFER to the next level for the city. Smarter Surveillance with Intelligent Cameras Sean Grimm of Ipsotek brought attention to the capabilities of smart cameras—many of which are already deployed on city streets. Far from being limited to traffic monitoring, these cameras can now provide advanced insights into public safety and city operations. This tech represents a massive opportunity to extract more value from existing infrastructure. NVIDIA Blueprints in Action Jumbi Edulbehram of NVIDIA helped define AI for the audience and gave a great example (You had to be there!). In addition he shared how NVIDIA is working collaboratively with AMSYS and their partners to provide the blueprints so execution of these services for applications such as intelligent traffic management and public safety response become a reality and scale efficiently. Bringing It All Together with “The Collective” John Rohrer and Jacque Istok of AMSYS Innovative Solutions described their role as a master systems integrator, highlighting their collaboration with a network of trusted partners known as “The Collective.” Their mission: combine best-in-breed solutions to transform how cities function. They discussed how getting started with AMSYS is a conversation and mutual relationship in learning, collaborating, and bringing the right solutions to the table. From elevating campus experiences and improving patient care in hospitals to streamlining city services, their integrated approach is delivering powerful results. They shared examples of projects across a variety of industries and use cases. Final Thoughts - Smart Cities Should Work For You, Not To You: Traffic management has long been the flagship use case for smart city technology. But as IoT, artificial intelligence, and intelligent data systems evolve, the potential use cases are expanding rapidly. These technologies are now enabling new services and experiences that go far beyond simply managing congestion. The message from these industry leaders is clear: smart city solutions should empower communities, not overwhelm them. As cities continue to adopt cutting-edge technology, the focus must remain on practical, people-centered outcomes—solutions that work for the city, its workers, and its residents.   The closer we get to real world simulation, experiential modeling, and replication of operational and business scenarios, the closer we get to true automation and useful business intelligence. With both World Foundation Models (WFM) and Digital Twin Technologies we introduce transformative tools to support in the reshaping of how industries and government simulate, analyze, and interact with real-world environments. While both are grounded in simulation and real-world representation, their purposes and applications diverge in key ways.
World Foundation Models for AI As shared during Jensen's #CES2025 keynote, the future of powering robots and self-driving cars will be boosted by world foundation models #WFM. World foundation models are large-scale #AI systems designed to simulate and understand real-world complexities. As we simulate and train, we garner intelligence to streamline, automate, predict, and act. These models are built on vast datasets and trained to comprehend language, patterns, and environments, enabling them to generate predictive insights, autonomous decisions, and advanced simulations. They are commonly applied in fields like climate modeling, urban planning, robotics, autonomous vehicles and systems to understand how systems behave under varying scenarios. Digital Twin Technologies Digital twins, on the other hand, are virtual replicas of physical assets, systems, or processes. SIDE NOTE: If you really want a #digitaltwins 101 course, I highly recommend you speak with Bill Pugh⚡️. With digital twins, a business-city-agency-manufacturer-military can mirror the state and behavior of their operational-production-supply chain-logistics-traffic real-world counterparts in real-time, allowing users to monitor, analyze, and optimize performance. Digital twins are widely used in manufacturing, energy, military, and healthcare to simulate operational scenarios, predict failures, and improve efficiencies. Finding Common Ground in Simulation and Real-World Scenarios There are 3 primary similarities between world foundation models and digital twin technologies.
Why Both are Important for Digital Transformation Both offer focal points that support in automation and business intelligence, and thus advancing digital transformation journeys of businesses and government. Foundation models emphasize understanding and solving large-scale, abstract problems, while digital twins focus on replicating and optimizing specific physical entities or processes. In addition, the real-time and real-world features of world foundational models and digital twin technologies promote prediction and arming businesses and government with accurate information to make informed decisions. Digital twins are inherently tied to real-time updates from physical counterparts, whereas foundation models are more predictive and exploratory in nature. By understanding their unique strengths and shared capabilities, developers, engineers, business managers, and researchers can choose the right tool—or combine both—to tackle complex challenges and drive innovation.  In the ever-evolving landscape of in-building wireless connectivity, the role of Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) is being re-evaluated. Traditionally favored for their ability to enhance cellular coverage within large buildings and venues like stadiums, DAS is now seen as less viable for smaller, less complex environments due to high costs and inflexibility. Emerging technologies such as small cells, Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), and private LTE networks are stepping up as the new champions of indoor connectivity, promising more scalable, cost-effective solutions especially as we move into the era of 5G. To stay competitive, businesses must modernize their infrastructure to support applications like automation and asset connectivity, enabling optimized 4G/LTE performance, expanded 5G capabilities, and a smooth transition to 6G networks. "To further the scale and cost challenges, Mobile Network Operators are making decisions to no longer finance DAS. The carriers are pushing for a business or venue funded model, shifting the financial burden to the venue, building owner, or business decision-maker." - Compass Intelligence Four key factors contribute to DAS shutdown or DAS replacement needs:  DAS Limitations & Financially Attractive Alternatives DAS systems, once the standard for large-scale cellular coverage, are increasingly becoming impractical to maintain and manage. Their complexity, reliance on extensive cabling, and high installation and maintenance costs limit their scalability and adaptability for modern needs. DAS setups require custom designs tailored to each building, further driving up costs per deployment. Additionally, with mobile network operators (MNOs) withdrawing funding for DAS installations, the financial burden has shifted to businesses and venue owners. This, along with their limited flexibility in accommodating multiple carriers, challenges the sustainability of DAS in today’s cost-conscious and rapidly evolving connectivity landscape. Push Towards Cost-Efficient Multi-Carrier Modern networks embrace Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN i.e., neutral host) because they enable multiple carriers to share a common infrastructure, which reduces costs, increases efficiency, and accelerates deployment in areas with limited coverage. In a MOCN setup, operators share base stations while maintaining independent core networks, simplifying physical infrastructure requirements, and reducing equipment duplication. This is particularly beneficial in locations where building separate networks would be financially or logistically challenging, such as dense urban areas and high-traffic indoor spaces like multi-floor buildings, venues, and hotels. Compass Intelligence believes DAS solutions initially cost on average between $2-$4 per square foot, and ongoing maintenance, upgrades, and servicing increases that investment. These solutions also require significant infrastructure and can be more challenging for ongoing maintenance and upgrades, especially as the industry transitions to 5G. Costly Infrastructure Upgrades Upgrading DAS requires significant infrastructure investments, driven by factors such as the system’s complexity, scalability challenges, and evolving technology demands. These upgrades are often necessary every 2 to 4 years, depending on the infrastructure, configuration, and demand. Each DAS system is customized for specific venues, requiring tailored cabling, antennas, amplifiers, and base stations, which may need to be replaced or heavily modified to support new network technologies. In contrast to small cells, which are modular and designed for easy scaling and updating, DAS installations typically demand substantial physical modifications to accommodate increased data speeds, bandwidth, and user capacity required by new standards. Furthermore, each upgrade cycle often involves specialized labor for re-engineering coverage zones, rerouting cabling, and adding new hardware, all of which drive up installation and maintenance costs. Funding Shifting from MNOs to Businesses As mobile network operators (MNOs) withdraw funding for DAS installations, the financial burden is shifting to businesses and venue owners, raising concerns about the sustainability of DAS in an increasingly cost-conscious market. This shift is expected to accelerate, reshaping the landscape of in-building wireless connectivity. AT&T, for example, is moving toward replacing DAS with small cells as part of its transition to 5G, while Verizon is also moving away from DAS as part of its expansion strategy. AT&T sees small cells as ideal for dense urban areas, where wireless networks face a range of challenges. Meanwhile, T-Mobile continues to support DAS installations for large venues, such as buildings over 500,000 square feet, but is also investing in more modern solutions like small cells and other in-building wireless systems. All three carriers are planning to phase out DAS and replace it over the next 2 to 5 years. As cellular networks advance, several factors support the case for small cell solutions as a replacement for DAS. Below we dive a bit deeper. 1. Support of 4G/LTE with Flexibility of 5G Transition The integration of 5G technology into in-building wireless strategies is perhaps the most significant factor driving the shift away from traditional DAS. While updated DAS systems can support 5G, the high costs and extensive retrofitting required to upgrade existing DAS for 5G compatibility are prompting a shift toward alternative technologies. Small cells, designed to support 4G/LTE today, are inherently more adaptable to 5G. They offer a cost-effective solution for managing higher data speeds and increased connectivity demands. Unlike DAS, small cells can be quickly deployed in much larger numbers and positioned closer together to handle the increased data load that accompanies 5G, while still supporting 4G/LTE. This results in better performance, lower latency, and improved coverage, which are crucial as 5G continues to roll out. The integration of 5G technology into in-building wireless strategies is perhaps the most significant factor influencing the shift away from traditional DAS. The updated DAS systems can support 5G; however, the high costs associated with upgrading existing DAS to be 5G-compatible are prompting a reconsideration of alternative technologies. Small cells and CBRS are inherently more adaptable to 5G, offering a cost-effective way to manage higher data speeds and increased connectivity demands without the extensive retrofitting required by DAS. 2. Smarter Economics, Modern Solutions Small cells offer a modular, cost-effective, and quick-to-deploy solution for expanding cellular coverage. Their incremental deployment makes them ideal for managing the growing demand for mobile data, especially in dense urban environments. Designed for easy updates, small cells align well with the rapid rollout of new cellular standards, including 5G. Similarly, CBRS has emerged as a powerful tool, offering secure, reliable connectivity that is particularly attractive for enterprise applications. With its flexibility and capacity to support a wide range of applications—from IoT to tailored business services—CBRS is a future-proof technology that could replace DAS in many scenarios. Modern systems require modern solutions, and small cells are the ideal choice. Easier to install and scale than DAS, small cells can be deployed incrementally, allowing coverage to expand as demand increases without the extensive infrastructure needed by DAS. This capability is especially crucial for 5G, which requires dense coverage with smaller cells distributed across urban areas, multi-floor buildings, and high-rise commercial properties. Enterprises and mobile network operators (MNOs) are embracing small cells for their affordability, quicker deployment timelines, and ability to support long-term cellular use cases. As the industry continues to modernize, small cells will play a central role in enhancing both indoor and outdoor connectivity. 3. In-Building Wireless Requires Flexible Options As multi-carrier connectivity becomes the norm for enterprises and multi-use buildings, the need for flexible options to support diverse user needs—whether for patrons, office workers, or residents—has never been more critical. Below, we explore key trends and developments that underscore the shift away from traditional DAS and highlight the growing adoption of solutions like small cells, open networks, and ORAN (Open Radio Access Networks).
The Future Landscape As we look to the future, the trajectory is clear: the dominance of DAS is waning in favor of more agile, economically viable technologies. Small cells and CBRS are not only addressing the current limitations of DAS but are also setting the stage for a more connected future. With MNOs and businesses focusing on reducing costs and increasing efficiency, the shift towards these newer technologies is likely to accelerate, reshaping the landscape of in-building wireless connectivity. This transition from DAS to technologies like small cells and CBRS underscores a broader movement towards more dynamic, scalable wireless solutions that can adapt to the rapid technological advancements defining the telecommunications industry today. As we continue to advance, the focus will undoubtedly remain on solutions that combine cost efficiency with robust performance to meet the ever-growing expectations of a connected world. As enterprises and property owners plan their connectivity strategies, the small cell neutral host model offers a path to future-proofing networks with flexibility, cost-efficiency, and operational simplicity. Embracing this technology now will ensure businesses are equipped to meet the demands of an increasingly connected and data-driven world. Those who start planning now will be well-positioned to provide seamless, reliable service that meets the needs of today’s increasingly connected world. The transition from DAS to newer technologies marks a pivotal step in creating a connected enterprise, ensuring both resilience and scalability for years to come. ___________________________ Written by Stephanie Atkinson, CEO of Compass Intelligence About Compass Intelligence Compass Intelligence is a market research and advisory firm specializing in metrics-driven market intelligence and insights for the mobile, IoT, and high-tech industries serving tech clients for more than 18 years. Compass Intelligence offers executive insights, market sizing/forecasting and modeling, competitive analysis, strategic consulting, advisory services, trending analysis, and survey research services. Compass Intelligence helps guide strategic business decisions and supports the success of our clients through delivering content engagement, go-to-market planning, competitive positioning, and strategic advisory. For more information, please visit https://www.compassintel.com.
At Embedded World in Austin, TX in October 2024, Stephanie Atkinson sits down with Nakul Duggal of Qualcomm to discuss the age of industrial intelligence.
This ExecChat is joined with Nakul Duggal of Qualcomm interviewed by Stephanie Atkinson of Compass Intelligence. As we enter into the age of industrial intelligence, we are not only connecting supply chains, assets, industrial equipment, and autonomous systems, we are also bringing intelligence to the edge. Qualcomm announces 2 big announcements at Embedded World 24 held in Austin. Explore some of the latest announcements and Nakul's take on the future of the industrial workplace.  Stephanie Atkinson to sit down with Brandon Satrom for a fireside chat on October 8th at IoT Stars to discuss Blue's "Twelve Factor Thing."
GET TICKETS NOW AT 25% off FOR FRIENDS OF COMPASSINTEL! Following up on the press release this week, Dense Air announced the availability of the Millenium Garages Use Case study report written by Stephanie Atkinson of Compass Intelligence. The primary objectives of the Millenium Garages and Dense Air collaboration (pilot/case study) included a four-phased approach to achieve seamless cellular connectivity in the Chicago-based deep underground parking garage.
The 4 PHASES include the following:
Dense Air’s end-to-end partnership with Millennium Garages provided a turnkey solution that bridged connectivity gaps and is set up to drive operational efficiency. Dense Air delivered a robust network that was swiftly deployed and continually supported. They enhanced cellular coverage using denseWare™ analytics, strategic infrastructure reuse, and an OpEx funding model. The entire process ensured seamless communication for enhancing the parking experience and allows for future sophisticated technological integrations, including smart parking and IoT applications. Millennium Garages is now better positioned as a technologically advanced facility, benefiting daily operations and enhancing user experiences. Discover how Dense Air's innovative cellular solutions can transform your facility's connectivity. DenseAir.net  The utilities industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the integration of automation, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced sensor systems. Automation is taking place in water conservation, waste management, oil monitoring, and energy usage/conservation. A number of key technologies are revolutionizing how utilities operate, enabling more efficient monitoring, enhanced asset management, and a stronger commitment to sustainability.
Key trends such as Lightweight Machine-to-Machine (LwM2M) protocol adoption, smart metering (AMI - advanced metering infrastructure), and predictive maintenance are paving the way for a smarter and more sustainable future. Below are some key trends in the utilities industry: Grid Modernization The industry is undergoing a shift to modernize key infrastructure, delivery, and services. The aging electrical grid is currently experiencing modernization with advanced technologies such as smart meters, sensors, and automation systems. This is expected to improve grid reliability, enhance outage management, and better the integration of renewable energy sources. Renewable Energy Integration As part of sustainability across utilities, we are seeing an increasing adoption of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, along with the push for electric vehicles (EVs).The goal is to reduce carbon emissions, provide a diversification of energy supply and resources, and align with sustainable development goals (SDGs). While EVs have not taken off as expected due to lowering demands, the infrastructure is also playing catch up as charging stations continue to be constructed across the U.S. Energy Storage Solutions Along the lines with a strong focus on renewable energy and resources, there is a growing trend in the deployment of large-scale battery storage systems to store energy generated from renewable sources. This trend is expected to enhance grid stability, improve the demand response capabilities, and enable efficient energy utilization.  In today’s connected world, seamless and reliable indoor cellular coverage is a necessity. As technology advances and the industry transitions from 4G to 5G, enterprises and cities face challenges in providing consistent and ubiquitous connectivity. In partnership with industry analyst, Stephanie Atkinson, of Compass Intelligence, we dive deep into these challenges and explore solutions to ensure reliable, secure, end-to-end connectivity for businesses and communities in my latest position paper: “Industry Insights: Streamlining Indoor Connectivity.”
Read report: https://denseair.net/news |
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