[cisco-voip] Bye Bye Cisco Spark, Hello Webex Teams

Thu Apr 19 10:43:27 EDT 2018

My thoughts were similar but opposite - as in the case of tissues, those tissues are in fact the name of the product prior to branding. Whereas "Teams" in relations to chat software wasn't a generic term. Checking trademark listings, it looks like the Trademark is for "Microsoft Teams" and not just "Teams" so I'm guessing Microsoft came to the same conclusion about common phrases. It'll make for some really nice confusing material for third-party VC software compatibility. "We're compatible with Teams" - "Which one?"

That said, all these corporate chat softwares that M$ and Cisco are putting out are entertaining in how they aren't really useful as a recognizable product name but great for incorporating into sentences.

"I'll send you a Lync"
"I'll Jab you that information"

"I'll post it in the Team"

I just never saw the brand appeal of Spark, especially when they tried to push way too hard on the Spark branding. Yeah, the "Spark Board" sounds fancier, but "Webex Board" probably would've moved more units.

________________________________
From: Ryan Huff <ryanhuff at outlook.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2018 10:31:53 AM
To: Matthew Loraditch
Cc: Ben Amick; Lamont, Joshua; cisco-voip voyp list
Subject: Re: [cisco-voip] Bye Bye Cisco Spark, Hello Webex Teams

Security Notice: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please exercise caution and DO NOT open attachments or click links from unknown or unexpected senders.

Common words and phrases can be trademarked if the person or company seeking the trademark candemonstrate that the phrase has acquired a distinctive secondary meaning apart from its original meaning. That secondary meaning must be one that identifies the phrase with a particular good or service.

https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/BasicFacts.pdf

I don’t think “teams” would qualify; I couldn’t imagine saying “teams” to anyone and them automatically thinking, “Oh, that Microsoft thing”.

If the users won’t come to Spark, I guess you bring Spark to the users and put a little dressing on it (to distance the platform from those early on scale based outages ;).

It’s a pretty creative way get valuation for the product if you think about. Tap into a well known and loved branding message with a massive pre existing user base with a high adoption to churn ratio. It’s all about fiduciary responsibility ;).

- Ryan -

On Apr 19, 2018, at 10:19, Matthew Loraditch <MLoraditch at heliontechnologies.com<mailto:MLoraditch at heliontechnologies.com>> wrote:

I can’t imagine they didn’t thoroughly vet it before doing this. Also teams has a very generic meaning. It’s Like saying Kleenex Tissues or Puffs Tissues. Both providing the same service. That’s my mostly uninformed two cents.

Matthew Loraditch
Sr. Network Engineer

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From: cisco-voip <cisco-voip-bounces at puck.nether.net<mailto:cisco-voip-bounces at puck.nether.net>> On Behalf Of Ben Amick
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2018 10:09 AM
To: Lamont, Joshua <joshua_lamont at brown.edu<mailto:joshua_lamont at brown.edu>>; cisco-voip voyp list <cisco-voip at puck.nether.net<mailto:cisco-voip at puck.nether.net>>
Subject: Re: [cisco-voip] Bye Bye Cisco Spark, Hello Webex Teams

Smells like a lawsuit from Microsoft waiting to happen.

________________________________

From: cisco-voip <cisco-voip-bounces at puck.nether.net<mailto:cisco-voip-bounces at puck.nether.net>> on behalf of Lamont, Joshua <joshua_lamont at brown.edu<mailto:joshua_lamont at brown.edu>>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 9:54:43 AM
To: cisco-voip voyp list
Subject: [cisco-voip] Bye Bye Cisco Spark, Hello Webex Teams

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Announcement today at noon to be livestreamed on Cisco.com<http://Cisco.com>

Some pre announcement details here: https://www.nojitter.com/post/240173438/bye-bye-cisco-spark-hello-webex-teams

Joshua Lamont

Senior Telecommunications Engineer

Brown University

office (401) 863-1003

cell    (401) 749-6913

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