RingCentral ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
“ The business really grew up alongside the internet . We ’ re operating with our RingEX platform now , but back in the beginning it was AOL , and AIM instant messenger . I had my first email in 1989 , and it was ten years between then and the beginning of RingCentral . I had access to the internet earlier than most people , through my work in the military . I went to West Point , and experienced how they used the internet in the early days . My entire career and adult life have been involved with it . I noticed that , especially at the beginning , internal communication inclusion was a bit clunky , to say the least . When you ’ re operating online , like most businesses do nowadays , that kind of communication is the glue that helps people work together . It ’ s important .
Strengthening the supply chain
“ That ’ s where RingCentral started . The company began as a voiceover IP operation . From there , it continued to grow and expand . A few years later , we launched our MVP product ( now RingEx ) alongside our app . If you aren ’ t familiar with our app , you should be , because it ’ s amazing . You can get messaging , videophone , collaborative calls , and ties to your Outlook calendar all in one place . We don ’ t compete with platforms like Teams , we enhance their offering and work alongside them ,” he elaborates . Today RingCentral is a leading provider of AI-driven cloud business communications , contact center , video , and hybrid event solutions .
Four years ago , when online communications became a lifeline for businesses the world over , RingCentral played an integral role in keeping people connected . As Eric asserts : “ It ’ s no secret that the world
. . . we launched our MVP product ( now RingEx ) alongside our app . If you aren ’ t familiar with our app , you should be , because it ’ s amazing changed in 2020 . The pandemic had a huge impact on RingCentral , as suddenly everyone in the world needed to figure out how to work remotely from home . We were able to help lots of businesses with that transition . The most exciting part about working with us at the time would have been developing the tools that helped keep the world going .”
Seeing an increased demand for digital communication tools and AI solutions following the pandemic , the people behind RingCentral decided to expand its operations . To accommodate such significant growth , the company ’ s global supply chain network needed to be revolutionized - and that ’ s where Eric comes in . With a lifetime of experience in communications , sales , procurement , and logistics , he now works to ensure RingCentral has a supply chain fit for the future . “ I ’ ve been with RingCentral for nearly two years , and before that I worked for a large-scale electronics company . I came out of the military with an engineering degree and after my time in the Army I began working in tech sales .
Experience and expertise
“ That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me , because once I learned how to approach sales , I realized that procurement was more or less the same thing , you ’ re just selling internal solutions rather than external ones . A lot of the time , it ’ s about selling your approach to the supplier . I continued working in sales , moving from business to business , and getting a feel for the industry . I then decided to complete my MBA , which landed me a job at Dell , where I was at the very forefront of their outsourcing operation .
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