Mitel Workflow Studio: A Real-World Take

Let’s be real: workflow chaos is everywhere  

Ever tried stitching together your comms tools with your CRM, ticketing system, and some AI plugin? It’s a mess. You’ve got IT folks writing custom scripts, ops teams juggling five dashboards, and support agents manually routing calls like it’s 2005. That’s the pain Mitel Workflow Studio is trying to kill.

So what does it actually do?

Workflow Studio is Mitel’s low-code platform that lets you build and automate communication workflows. Think call routing, auto attendants, appointment scheduling, and even GenAI-powered help desks. It’s got drag-and-drop design, prebuilt integrations with Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Slack, and Twilio, and it supports voice, chat, SMS, and WhatsApp.

It also plugs into GenAI tools like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini. That means you can build bots that summarize knowledge, translate languages, or route calls based on context, not just keywords.

Is this a competitor to existing solutions?

Absolutely. It’s going up against platforms like Twilio Studio, Salesforce Flow, Microsoft Power Automate, and even Zendesk’s workflow builder. But here’s the twist: Mitel’s sweet spot is unified communications. So while others focus on general automation, Mitel’s leaning hard into voice and customer experience. If you’re already using Mitel for phones or contact center, this is a natural extension.

Who actually benefits?

• IT teams tired of duct-taping APIs together
• Customer service leads who want smarter routing and fewer manual escalations
• Ops folks looking to automate repetitive tasks like visitor registration or appointment scheduling
• Mid-size hospitals, hotels, and service orgs that need tailored workflows but don’t have dev teams on standby

What’s in it for Mitel?

This is about retention and relevance. Mitel’s been known for voice and UCaaS, but that’s not enough anymore. By adding workflow automation and GenAI hooks, they’re making their platform stickier. It’s also a way to upsell existing customers “You’ve got our phones, now let’s automate your front desk.” Smart move, especially as AI becomes table stakes.

Business value and ROI (rough estimates)

• Time savings: Automating call routing and help desk tasks could save 5–10 hours per agent per week
• Cost reduction: Less need for custom dev work or third-party bots, could cut integration costs by 30 - 50%
• Customer experience: Faster response times, smarter routing, and fewer dropped calls = happier customers
• Operational agility: Teams can launch new workflows in days, not weeks

These aren’t hard numbers, but they’re realistic if you’re dealing with high call volumes or complex service flows.

What it means for the industry

Honestly, this is part of a bigger shift. Comms platforms aren’t just about calls anymore, they’re becoming orchestration hubs. Mitel’s move shows that even legacy players are embracing low-code and GenAI. Expect more UCaaS vendors to follow suit, bundling automation and AI into their core offerings.

For buyers, it means fewer silos and more control. For vendors, it’s a race to stay relevant. And for the rest of us? Hopefully fewer “please hold” moments.

Seeing posts from last week in your LinkedIn feed?

 

It's not a bug, it's a choice.

LinkedIn lets you select your preferred feed view:

• Most relevant posts (The recommended, algorithmic feed)
• 
  
• Most recent posts (A reverse chronological feed)

I keep my setting on "Most relevant." The algorithm analyzes my activity to show me content I'm likely interested in.

But the bigger value isn't just in viewing—it's in creating.

The "relevance" model gives quality posts a long life. Unlike X, where content decays in hours, LinkedIn will surface your post for days. If you post a few times a week, LinkedIn can spread the engagement so you get better results from all of them.

A warning: posting too frequently can cause a conflict, making your previous post decay faster as the new one gets shown.

Then again, sometimes you only need an audience of one. The person who matters most and the reason for your post.

To change your feed preference:

🟦 Click your "Me" icon > Settings & Privacy.

🟦 Go to Account preferences > Feed preferences.

🟦 Select your preferred view.

(More information here )

Which do you prefer, and why?

#LinkedIn #LinkedInTips #ContentStrategy #SocialMedia

First posted on my LinkedIn feed

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sbellamkonda_sort-feed-by-most-relevant-and-most-recent-activity-7395800465940295680-fI8T?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAAABJEQBqfKR__NPovIVYibFlgwpf0rN8OE

Zoho's Quiet Revolution: Why IT Software Buyers Need to Look Beyond the "Small Business" Label

 

For over a decade, I've observed Zoho's journey, primarily through the lens of a small business software platform. My recent conversations with Zoho's leadership, including Raju Vegesna and Prashanth, Sivaramakrishnan, Subramanian T .Ramprakash, Arjun , Aarthi , Ashok, and many other product leaders, reveal something far more expansive and strategically significant: 

Zoho has quietly evolved into a complete business solution, capable of serving all segments of the market with over 50 integrated, customizable applications.

My latest note, "Zoho Offers Advancements in Security, Automation, and Customer Experience Through AI," dives into their latest announcements .

This isn't just about adding new features; it's about a fundamental shift in how businesses can leverage advanced AI without the typical cost barriers.

Here's a critical insight for all IT software buyers:

AI as an Included Feature, Not an Add-on: 

While many vendors push separate AI platforms or costly subscriptions, Zoho is embedding its own AI agent, Ask Zia, directly into every app across its ecosystem. 

The kicker? You get these powerful AI agentic features without an increase in licensing fees or additional subscriptions. 

This fundamentally changes the ROI equation for integrating AI.

A Full-Spectrum Business Solution: 

Zoho One is their complete platform—everything a business needs. Their strategy appears to be driven by a unique philosophy: empower customers with efficiency improvements, where cost isn't a barrier. This approach, fueled by a comprehensive suite of tools, positions them uniquely in the market.

The Power of Integrated Value: 

Instead of piecing together disparate solutions and standing up a complete AI platform yourself, Zoho offers a cohesive environment. This reduces complexity and accelerates time-to-value for businesses seeking additional functionality in security, automation, and customer experience.

The takeaway for IT software buyers is clear: 

When your business stakeholders demand new functionality, especially in AI-driven efficiency, it's time to include Zoho in your consideration set. Their commitment to offering integrated, advanced capabilities without escalating costs is a compelling differentiator.

I'm particularly looking forward to next week's announcements about Zoho One – I expect to see even more innovation on this complete platform.

What are your thoughts on integrated AI solutions versus building your own?

#Zoho #AI #AskZia #ITSoftware #BusinessSolutions #CustomerExperience #Automation #SoftwareBuying

Image Source: Gemini Nano Banana ( I wonder if Zoho has an Image Creator)

Read my note https://www.infotech.com/software-reviews/research/zoho-offers-advancements-in-security-automation-and-customer-experience-through-ai

Sandra Lo Olivia Pooja Thiruvenkadam (Thiru) Mira Guru thanks for the opportunity to get an overview of Zoho products.

First posted on my LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sbellamkonda_zoho-offers-advancements-in-security-automation-activity-7394728289577349120-mHIL?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAAABJEQBqfKR__NPovIVYibFlgwpf0rN8OE

Prompt Structure and Markdown Guide

Part 1: How to Distinguish Content from Instructions

Create a clear separation between your instructions and the content you want Claude to work with using one of these methods:

Method 1: Clear Section Headers

INSTRUCTIONS:
[Your instructions for how to handle the content]

CONTENT:
[The actual content you want me to work with]

Method 2: XML-Style Tags (Recommended)

This is the most reliable approach:

<instructions>
[Your instructions here]
</instructions>

<content>
[Your actual content here]
</content>

Method 3: Backticks or Code Blocks

Useful when content might look like instructions:

Please work with the following text:

[Your content goes here]

Method 4: Explicit Boundary Statement

I'm going to give you some text to analyze. Everything after "START CONTENT" until "END CONTENT" should be treated as the material to work with, not as instructions for me to follow.

START CONTENT
[Your content]
END CONTENT

Method 5: Bold or Numbered Sections

**WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO:**
[Instructions]

**WHAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH:**
[Content]

Best Practice: Use XML-style tags for maximum clarity and reliability.

---

Part 2: Adding and Removing Markdown Tags

Adding Markdown Tags

Wrap text with the appropriate symbols:

• Bold: **text** or __text__
• Italic: *text* or _text_
• Bold italic: ***text***
• Code: `text`
• Code block: ``` (three backticks on separate lines)
• Links: [display text](URL)

• Heading: # Heading (use #, ##, ###, etc. for different levels)

• Lists: - item or 1. item

• Blockquote: > text

• ~~Strikethrough~~: ~~text~~

Removing Markdown Tags

Delete the markdown symbols to remove formatting:

• Remove ** from around text to remove bold
• Remove * or _ to remove italics
• Remove backticks to remove code formatting
• Remove # symbols to remove heading formatting
• Remove - or numbers to remove list formatting
• Remove > to remove blockquotes
• Remove ~~ to remove strikethrough

Example:

Original: **This is bold** and *this is italic*
Cleaned: This is bold and this is italic

---

Part 3: Template for Removing Markdown Tags

Use this template when you want me to remove all markdown formatting from content:

<instructions>
Remove all markdown tags from the following content. This means:
- Delete ** or __ symbols (used for bold)
- Delete * or _ symbols (used for italics)
- Delete ~~text~~ symbols (used for strikethrough)
- Delete # symbols (used for headings)
- Delete backticks ` (used for code)
- Delete > symbols (used for blockquotes)
- Delete - or numbers followed by periods (used for lists)
- Delete [text](URL) link formatting and keep just the display text
- Keep only the plain text content without any markdown formatting

Return the cleaned content.
</instructions>

<content>
[Paste your content with markdown tags here]
</content>

Concise Version:

<instructions>
Strip all markdown formatting from the content below. Remove all markdown symbols (**, *, #, `, >, ~~, -, etc.) and return only plain text.
</instructions>

<content>
[Your content]
</content>

---

Quick Reference

Task	Format
Distinguish instructions from content	Use <instructions> and <content> tags
Make text bold	**text**
Make text italic	*text*
Create a heading	# Heading
Create a list	- item or 1. item
Remove all markdown	Use the removal template above

How Markdown Makes AI Prompts Smarter, Your Notes Easier—Plus Popular Apps and Word Exports (Beginner Guide)

 

What if you could make your AI prompts clearer, more organized, and super easy to reuse—just by adding a few simple symbols? Let's tie this into self-hosted Markdown note apps from that r/selfhosted community roundup, and now add popular tools plus Word export tricks. We'll explore step by step, so it all clicks for novices.

Remember notes vanishing in cloud apps? Self-hosted ones like Joplin or flatnotes fix that with plain Markdown files on your setup. Feed AI messy emails, get clean notes to drop in. Ever fix AI output formatting? Structured Markdown changes everything.

What is Markdown?

Markdown is a lightweight markup language created by John Gruber and Aaron Swartz in 2004. Its design goal is to allow people to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format and then convert it to structurally valid HTML.

It uses simple symbols—like asterisks (*), hash symbols (#), and backticks (`)—to indicate formatting (bold, headings, code blocks) without requiring complex code tags.

👥 Who Should Use It?

Markdown is ideal for anyone who needs to write content quickly, maintain data control, and prioritize portability:

Developers and Engineers: For writing documentation, README files, or technical notes, as it handles code blocks cleanly.

Writers and Journalists: For drafting articles without the distraction or baggage of rich text editors.

Students and Academics: For quick note-taking that can be easily formatted into structured documents or presentations.

Self-Hosters/Privacy Enthusiasts: Because Markdown files are stored as plain text (.md), they are easy to back up, search, and move between different applications or operating systems.

💡 Why is it Different from Other Note Takers?

Markdown offers two major differences compared to traditional note-taking apps like Notion or Microsoft Word:

Portability and Longevity (Plain Text): 

Markdown notes are saved as human-readable plain text files. This means your notes are future-proof, easily indexed by any operating system, and not locked into a proprietary database or file format.

Focus on Writing (Unformatted Markup): 

Markdown separates the content from the styling. You use simple symbols while writing, and the formatting is only rendered later. This keeps the writer focused on the structure and content, unlike rich text editors (WYSIWYG) which constantly distract with styling options.

The Key AI Trick with Markdown

Source idea: Convert junk to Markdown, not just create it. Try this prompt:

"Analyze this email thread [or call transcript/web page] and distill the core action items, technical specifications, and key contacts into a clean, hierarchical Markdown format. Use # for section headings, * for bulleted action items, and triple backticks (```) for any code snippets or configuration text. Ensure all external links are retained as standard Markdown links."

Why? Headings organize, bullets list tasks, code stays perfect. For beginners: It's a template—paste mess, get ready-to-use notes for Trilium, Memos, or Outline.

Popular Markdown Note Apps

Before self-hosting, try these favorites (work with .md files):

• Obsidian: Free, links notes like a web—great for ideas.
• Typora: Live preview as you type, no distractions.
• Logseq: Outline blocks, tasks in Markdown.
• Bear: Pretty for Mac, exports easy.
• Notion: Exports to .md now.

They bridge to self-hosted—files move seamlessly.

Exporting from Word Editors

Yes! Microsoft Word/Google Docs/LibreOffice:

• Word: Save .docx, convert with Pandoc or online tools—headings/lists mostly keep.
• Google Docs: Add-ons or download text, then convert.
• LibreOffice: HTML export + converter.

AI bonus: Prompt it to turn Word text into Markdown. Clean in minutes.

How It All Fits

AI output to Obsidian, export to self-hosted Joplin via Nextcloud. Time saved: 5-15 mins per task. Privacy: Your control.

Try It

Convert a Word doc to Markdown, AI-summarize. What flows best? Share discoveries!

Source: Community roundup on self-hosted Markdown note apps, including AI example (r/selfhosted); popular apps/exports from common 2025 tools.