Conversations with Dez

I caught up with Stacey Marx, President, National Business & Channels, AT&T Business on my podcast, to discuss the recent success stories around how AT&T Business have worked with and supported their customers through the last 12 to 18 months now leading up to, and during the global #COVID19 pandemic. In her role as president of National Business & Channels, Stacey leads a team of over six thousand professionals, dedicated to partnering with over three million small and medium business customers, to help them achieve growth and maximise their potential with technology innovation by leveraging the broad range of products & services AT&T Business can offer. In this fireside chat we cover some of the latest trends, business & technology challenges and opportunities small business operators should be considering as they look at the road forward coming out of a pandemic. We kicked off with my usual "get to know you", Stacey shares insights into her role, the remit and challenges of "a day in the life of Stacey Marx", as well as a look into what her business unit is responsible for, and some details around the team and ecosystem around them, and their customer base, giving us a great view of her world and the amazing depth and breadth of what she and her team bring to the market. Our conversation then delves into the challenges that businesses leaders, especially within small businesses, face in a post-pandemic world, and how technology is key to meeting these challenges, and specifically three key focus areas which I've been keen to discuss with Stacey for a while - including: #1 - The challenges SMB retail leaders face in a post-pandemic world In this segment I share that in my view, if there was one industry other than healthcare which has carried more than its fair share of the burden to see society through the last year and a half, surely it is the Retail sector. I also ask Stacy what challenges she and her team are seeing retailers in particular face as they plan now for a post-pandemic world, especially those small and medium-sized businesses who may have fewer resources. #2 - What can the Retail industry do to address these various challenges Around this key point, I ask Stacey where SMB players should be looking for ways and means to map their route out of their current state, to putting people, technology and telecommunications at the forefront of their strategic direction to address these key challenges. #3 - How is AT&T Business helping the Retail industry leverage its many offerings Here I share that I see one of the key challenges for Retailers, particularly for Small business retailers, are being challenged with, is finding the right Partner of Choice to help them gain access to and implement new technologies such as 5G, or ensure they have the right solutions in place for the likes of Cybersecurity, as these capabilities are not their core business. And I ask Stacey if she could share details around how is AT&T Business helping SMBs leverage your many business, technology & telecommunications offerings, and we look at a number of great customer stories, use cases and real world examples. We wrap up this great conversation with a view of what do Stacey thinks is coming over the horizon in the next 12 to 18 months, my classic "crystal ball gazing" question, and in particular what small business owners and or decision makers should be considering as they look to the short to medium term future. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with AT&T Business. For more information visit: AT&T Business website: http://bit.ly/attbusiness​ AT&T Business SMB web portal: http://bit.ly/attsmallbusiness .

I had the pleasure of catching up with Aashu Virmani, Vice President & Client Partner, Communications, at Cyient. In this episode we discuss a range of topics such as 5G, industry 4.0, private networks, next generation network technology, and how leading organisations and Cyient customers, are leveraging Next Generation Networks and 5G to build private networks and drive Business Operations Transformation by leveraging new and innovative Use Cases and gain real and immediate Return On Investment opportunities, esp. in Utilities, Port & Rail, and Energy market segments. We kicked off with insights from Aashu around: - What 5G is all about and what it means for enterprise transformation. - Industry 4.0 being enabled by 5G - Key capabilities 5G offers Enterprises. Aashu then outlined how Next Generation Networks offer a broad range of different architectures enterprises can consider when implementing private networks with a plethora of design patterns enterprises can consider in this space, for example: - Completely Air Gapped private networks ( stand alone / closed loop ) - Densified versions of a CSP network for industrial & enterprise (DAAS) use cases and so on.. - Private locally hub'ed Networks with minimal external connectivity ( Mobile Edge Compute ) And we wrapped up with a look at how organisations can approach the challenge and opportunities around implementing Next Generation Networks to drive Business Operations Transformation, and some of the Use Cases and ROI opportunities they should look for, esp. in the Utilities, Port & Rail, and Energy market segment Tune in now and "push play" to listen to this great discussion I had with Aashu on Enterprise Business Transformation through Next-Generation Networks, and please do share this with your network on social media and your friends, associates and work colleagues. This podcast was made in partnership with Cyent. For more information on on containers visit: Cyient homepage: https://bit.ly/cyienthomepage​ Cyient communications webportal: https://bit.ly/cyientcommunicationswebportal Cyient network services webportal: https://bit.ly/cyientnetworkserviceswebportal #sponsored​ #cyientinfluencer​ #DesigningAConnectedTomorrow​ #5G​ #telco​ #telecom​ #telecoms​ #telecommunications​ #carrier​ #service​ #provider​ #serviceprovider​ #CSP​ #5G​ #LTE​ #4G​ #3G​ #2G​ #Wireless​ #Broadband​ #ai​ #ml​ #data​ #protection​ #privacy​ #social​ #society​ #impact​ #un​ #sdg​ #human​ #global​ #value​ #phone​ #voice​ #video​ #internet​ #access​ #connectivity​ #wan​ #man​ #lan​ #sdwan​ #nfv​ #nfvi​ #virtual​ #cloud​ #saas​ #paas​ #iaas​ #devops​ #automation​ #orchestration​ #bss​ #oss​ #business​ #services​ #governance​ #compliance​ #gdpr​ #cybersecurity​ #security​ #access​ #control​ #wfh​ #covid19​ #disruption​ #transformation​ #digitaltransformation .

I had the pleasure of catching up with Alex MacPherson, Director of Solution Consulting & Account Management at Manhattan Associates. In this episode we discuss a range of topics around supply chain, and in particular “micro-fulfilment”, the latest news around these topics, some amazing success stories Manhattan Associates have been able to support customers achieve through the COVID19 journey thus far, and how micro-fulfilment can offer significant benefits to organisations who are able to leverage this approach. #1 - Alex’s role and what a “day in the life” of Alex MacPherson entails We kick off with a brief introduction from Alex, the remit of his role as both Director of Solution Consulting & Account Management, the types of challenges he and his team at Manhattan Associates help customers address, and what “a day in the life of Alex MacPherson” entails. #2 - What is Micro-fulfilment and why is it a “game changer” Alex then gives us an overview of what Micro-Fulfilment means in the world of Supply Chain, and more importantly in the context of Manhattan Associates offerings. #3 - Benefits of a micro-fulfilment approach? I ask Alex to introduce us to what the key benefits of micro-fulfilment are, versus say the traditional larger distribution centre approach. #4 - Micro-fulfilment is a hot topic now, but what about it’s long term potential? We look into why is micro-fulfilment such a hot topic right now & do you think it has longer-term potential. #5 - Key things brands should be considering & actioning re. micro-fulfilment? As a final question I ask Alex to share his views on the three key things he and his team at Manhattan Associates encourage brands considering micro-fulfilment approaches, to focus on to drive successful outcomes. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more, and enjoy a great fireside chat with one of the most innovative thinkers in the world of supply chain solutions, and indeed on of the leading thought leaders around the exciting topic of micro-fulfilment. This podcast was made in partnership with Manhattan Associates. For more information please visit: - Manhattan Associates website: https://bit.ly/manhattan-assocaites-website - Manhattan Associates industry solutions: http://bit.ly/manhattan-assocaites-industry-solutions - Manhattan Associates 2021 supply chain predictions: http://bit.ly/manhattan-assocaites-2021-six-predictions #sponsored #manhinfluencer . #supplychain #microfulfilment #micro #fulfilment #logistics #supplychainmanagement #transportation #freight #shipping #warehouse #cargo #business #covid #logisticsmanagement #trucking #procurement #logisticscompany #transport #manufacturing #trucks #freightforwarding #b #import #export #freightbroker #warehousing #ecommerce #logistica #supplychainsolutions #airfreight #freightforwarder #retail #stores #covid19 #pandemic #shopping #shoppers #customers #curbside

I had the pleasure of catching up with Val Bercovici, Founder & CEO at Chainkit, a Software-as-a-Service company that builds cyber security solutions, with a corporate mission to eliminate blind spots in cyber security and data privacy. Today we discuss Chainkit & Data Protection, Chains of Custody, and Blockchains - topics CXOs are unlikely to have ever faced in their careers thus far, but now have no option. #1 - Cyber attacks & Ransomware incidents continue at eye watering levels We discuss the significant increase in Cyber attacks & Ransomware incidents - we kickoff with Val sharing his take on the current state of what appears to be a tsunami of new incidents of cybersecurity challenges and resulting ransomware incidents, particularly focused on the healthcare industry which understandably was set to occur in light of the fact that the world is dealing with a global pandemic with COVID19, cyber criminals are never slow to take advantage of any opportunity where chinks in the armour appear in any place they can see a way to profit from any type of security exposure. #2 - The huge impact of COVID19 and life before and after 2020 COVID19 has had a huge impact but didn’t this issue exist prior to 2020, so much so that I don’t think anyone would argue that the impact the COVID19 global pandemic has had is beyond significant with regard to the increase in data protection & cybersecurity, be it the shift to Work From Home for many, or the increased shift to Mobile technology in the likes of hospitals, retail, and service industries as a whole - but the risks and impacts around this space of cyberattacks and ransomware have been around for decades now. We discuss how in Val’s view the current state of the world has changed the landscape of data protection and digital risk and what are you seeing as you spend time with organisations faced with the need to respond. #3 - Are we at a point now where technology exists to solve this problem Cyberattacks, cybersecurity, ransomware, data risk and data protection as a whole are not new topics, nor are they new risks, albeit they have seen significant increases due to our pivot to organisations being Data Driven and we live an increasingly Always On, Always Connected world - so the massive growth in risks related to the massive expansion of the attack surface should come as no surprise to anyone, but the question I keep getting in boardrooms is “is there a solution to this, does the technology exist to solve it?” - I ask Val to delve into this, we break this into two parts. We start with the first part and I ask Val for his take on this, i.e. should it come as a surprise to any bona fide business or technology professional that there has been a significant increase in cyberattacks and ransomware incidents. And to the second part, I ask Val if the technology exist today, to address and solve the challenge of securing & protecting data and even in the case of successful hacks, have in place chains of custody as it’s called, to be able to track and trace the perpetrators. We wrap up with a little crystal ball gazing - organisations are now having to navigate their way out of 2020 and ease into 2021 as we reach the end of a long and challenging year, and safely get through the upcoming Christian holiday period Christmas and unknown waters. I ask Val to share his insights and advice around how organisations should prepare to address the immediate future, as they look to develop business & technology strategy & supporting plans for the next 12 to 18 months? Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more, and enjoy a great fireside chat with one of the most innovative thinkers in the world of cyber security, and indeed on of the leading forces in thought leadership in the war against cyber crime. This podcast was made in partnership with Chainkit. For more information please visit: - Chainkit website: https://bit.ly/chainkit-homepage #sponsored #chainkitinfluencer .

I caught up with with with Ken Grohe, President & Chief Revenue Officer at WekaIO, to talk about Weka the company, their WekaFS "file system", the Weka journey to date, news trends, challenges & opportunities for Weka and their ecosystem of partners, integrators, resellers and customers, and how 2020 has impacted life around WekaIO. We kick off with a quick introduction by Ken of his role, both pre and post #COVID19, as well as a high level overview of the company, with some interesting key insights into successes Weka have had in their journey to date as a startup ( as Ken describes it ). In this show our conversation focuses on the following key topics: 1 - WekaIO the company, the WekaFS filesystem, and the Weka journey so far I ask Ken to start us off with a high level introduction to WekaIO the company, your WekaFS filesystem, and some of the key highlights of the journey so far to get to where you are today. We discuss the attention on emerging high growth markets around Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and the likes of Big Data, Data Science, Life Sciences, Analytics and the whole Data Driven Decision Making pivot so many organisations are undergoing, and where WekaIO fits into this story. 2 - The role high performance scale-out storage plays in data analytics & AI I had the opportunity to an Analyst Briefing call with Ken and on this topic recently where Ken used the line “A modern Parallel file system is essential to get a ROI out of any AI initiative”. I asked Ken why data storage performance, in his view, is critical to AI performance and getting an Return On Investment from AI initiatives. 3 - Technical performance VS Operational and Cost performance Weka use the #WeSolveBigProblems hashtag to be clear about what they do, and indeed WekaIO is known for solving big problems - I ask Ken to give us some examples of big challenges Weka have worked on with customers recently, and he shares insights into projects around the COVID19 vaccine, Genomics England and a 70PB storage solution, and an example around Supplychains. Four key quotable quotes from this conversation I wanted to highlight include: 1 - If you haven’t started an AI project you are losing to one that has 2 - A modern Parallel file system is essential to get a ROI out of any AI initiative 3 - You can start small in AI with Weka and scale up to hundreds of Petabytes 4. Weka Makes Managing the storage demands of Big Data and AI initiatives much easier Key takeaways for me from this show include: 1 - Weka enables successful AI and Big Data outcomes 2 - In order to achieve successful AI outcomes you need: + compute acceleration technology, like GPUs + a modern parallel file system, like WekaFS, and; + high speed networking From this conversation it's clear to be that because Weka has enterprise-ready and hybrid-cloud features it transcends AI and Big Data use cases, and enables backup and DR strategies, IT agility, and lower CapEx, Weka is a pathway to high performance computing on the public cloud. There can be little doubt that “data is the new oil” as we say, but it seems organisations are still struggling to adjust to treating data as a new mission critical business asset, place value on it, get it on their balance sheet, place KPIs on it, manage it and derive real value from it. We wrap up by me asking Ken what enterprise persona and supporting role or roles he sees bringing the most critical in the immediate future to address this? This is a conversation not to be missed - CXOs should tune into this show and take notes, as Ken has so much to share, it's got something for everyone. This podcast made in partnership with WekaIO. For more info visit: - WekaIO homepage: http://bit.ly/wekaiohomepage - WekaIO products: http://bit.ly/wekaioproducts .

I caught up with with Jim Dworkin, Sr. Director of Cloud Business Unit at Intel PSG, to talk about the latest news, trends, insights and offerings around Field Programable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) from Intel and surrounding areas from Data Centres, Infrastructure from Servers to Networks, to the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Edge networking and compute and much more. In this show we have a fantastic combination of business and technology insights into how key CXO and Senior Business & Technology decision makers can gain real world immediate gains by leveraging the amazing technology and supporting ecosystem or partners, resellers, integrators et al and the Intel teams around the world - this is not a show to miss, just push play now. Our conversation covers the following and much much more: 1. Current macro trends driving development/adoption of FPGAs/eASICs We kick off with Jim sharing insights around what Jim and his team at Intel are currently seeing currently around the world as far as current macro trends driving development/adoption of FPGAs/eASICs. Jim also covers a clarification of what FPGAs are, what Intel’s eASICS are and where they each fit into the respective spaces around design, development, implementation, to going into production and more - a fantastic overview to set the scene for this amazing conversation. 2. Challenges & opportunities around adoption of FPGAs/eASICs and market readiness I ask Jim to give us his take on the key challenges & opportunities he and his team at Intel PSG and related teams are seeing around the world regarding the adoption of FPGAs/eASICs and market readiness 3. How Intel customers / partners are finding success with FPGAs/eASICs Jim goes on to map out a great briefing level overview of how Intel customers / partners are finding success with FPGAs/eASICs, and some wonderful key takeaways listeners can take away and action within their own organisations either right now, or in the short to medium term to gain business and or technical benefits across a broad range of key areas in both IT and OT systems and technologies. This is a MUST LISTEN conversation, push PLAY and join the conversation. If you have any questions please do reach out via any of our other channels including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter et al, we would love to help connect you with the best people to support your organisations outcomes. This podcast was made in partnership with Intel. For more information please visit: - Intel® FPGA Homepage: https://intel.ly/3gRRXm5 - Real-Time Text To Speech Synthesis Using Intel® Stratix® 10 NX FPGA (Video): https://intel.ly/37pjDLS - Real-Time Text To Speech Synthesis Using Intel® Stratix® 10 NX FPGA (White Paper): https://intel.ly/3mo5PW3 - Pushing AI Boundaries with Scalable Compute-Focused FPGAs (White Paper): https://intel.ly/3gRZLnI #sponsored, #intelinfluencer, #intel, #fpga, #easic, #asic, #edge, #xeon, #processor, #platform, #cpu, #gpu, #ai, #ml, #dl, #artificialintelligence, #deeplearning, #machinelearning, #bigdata, #analytics, #datascience, #iot, #device, #sensor, #networks, #telco, #mobile, #telecoms, #data, #protection, #security, #cybersecurity, #5G, #strategy .

I caught up with Jason Inskeep, Director of the 5G Center of Excellence at AT&T Business, to discuss the latest trends, business & technology challenges and opportunities organisations should be talking about from within their board rooms down, both strategically and operationally. We kicked off with my usual "get to know you", Jason shared some amazing anecdotes and background from his early life, influences and key things which shaped his life, peers, mentors, and wonderful insights into his life growing up in a rural farm environment, and the solid foundations his parents and in particular his father gave him - all of which has clearly held him in good stead through his life so far, all of which I can relate to from my own life - we had a lot more in common than I had anticipated in fact, a very pleasant surprise. Our conversation then delved into three key focus areas which I've been keen to discuss with Jason for a while - including: #1 - What does “Mobility” mean inside the AT&T Business 5G Center of Excellence Our first key topic sees us delve into the broad topic of enterprise mobility - and by “mobility” we often immediately think of the smartphone B2C consumer handset market, but here we actually discuss key topics around the B2B space, in particular the value and impact digital cellular network mobility offers enterprise business consumers, looking to leverage 5G for edge networking and IIoT strategies. Jason also addresses how AT&T Business define mobility right now, and gives us a view into what some of the buzzy bits around enterprise mobility are, as well as the less well known value propositions, as well as clarity around what are perhaps the more important aspects for enterprise business to be aware of. And then with all of that in mind, I ask Jason to give us some insight into the impact and opportunities he and his team at AT&T Business are seeing across all industries and market segments, to help inform organisations looking to invest in mobility to gain business benefits from it. #2 - Key challenges businesses face in leveraging mobility solutions Here Jason shares a fantastic overview of what’s happening in the remote access, BYOD/endpoints/security, legacy 2G/3G etc, insights into what industry wide has been a massive need for real investment and attention in all of these in light of what this year has required with the likes of Work From Home or Service Workers on the front line be it in retail or healthcare and how AT&T Business as a whole and more specifically, now he and his team at the AT&T Business "5G Centre of Excellence" have address this space internally, and how they have supported customers through the year that has been 2020 and the various challenges it's presented thus far. #3 - Impact of 5G powered edge networks & vast IoT device networks Mobility now includes 5G powered edge networks & vast IoT device networks, here I discuss with Jason some examples of concrete use cases they are seeing currently such as video intelligence, etc. We also discuss a range of other potential use cases Jason thinks organisations should be looking to that they may not currently be taking advantage of, any outliers that he and his team are seeing which might not be immediately obvious but are high value opportunities with mobility. And we wrap up with a view of what do Jason thinks is coming over the horizon in the next 12 months, in particular what business & technology / telecommunications decision makers should be considering as they look to the short to medium term future. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with AT&T Business. For more information please visit: https://bit.ly/ATTBusinessMobility #sponsored #attinfluencer .

I caught up with George DeCandio, Chief Technology Officer - Mainframe Software Division, Broadcom, and Peter Wassel, Director of Product Management & Strategy - Mainframe Software Division, Broadcom, to talk about the latest in Mainframe DevOps and what Broadcom are doing to help their Mainframe clients unlock the value of their Mainframe applications with modern tooling and processes, such as DevOps, and via open interfaces. We kick off with an overview from both George and Peter of the Challenges and opportunities on the mainframe from a DevOps perspective, with some great insights into what is happening within the world inside Broadcom as well as throughout their ecosystem of partners and customers. We then look at the various impacts and potential for opening up the mainframe, the general opportunities of Mainframe DevOps into the opportunities in opening up the mainframe - we discuss Broadcom’s open-first message, and why being low-opinion & non-prescriptive is valuable and why that approach matters for businesses who want to succeed. Next we do a deep dive into what it means to be open (touch on APIs, CLIs, SDKs, IDEs), and discuss Zowe, IDEs like Eclipse Che and Visual Studio Code, George and Peter explain some background on what the Open Mainframe Project does, then walk us through Broadcom’s commitment and contribution to it and why it matters, and was look at what off-platform tooling means, i.e. enterprise DevOps tool chains and more. We wrap up with a broad look at what Broadcom is currently doing for Mainframe DevOps, from both Business and Technical perspectives, George and Peter offer their unique insights from inside the business, as well as key highlights from around the world and what they are doing with customers to drive successful outcomes. Key points we cover here include their commitment to Zowe and IDEs through CA Brightside, their focus on Git and CA Endevor Bridge for Git, the the significance of the Mainframe Developer cockpit, and that in effect in the modern world, everyone becomes a developer. An important point discussed is that Broadcom understand that Mainframe DevOps is a journey and requires cultural change, new tools, new practices, etc. which if not done right, can indeed be an overwhelming change, but with the support of and tools from Broadcom is a journey and a journey to success - we also learn more about their amazing no-fee offerings and why they view this journey as a partnership and not just a vendor-customer relationship. We wrap up with a brief look at the design thinking workshop Broadcom offers, be sure to visit the DevOps link below today as your organisation will gain real value from this offering. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with the Mainframe division of Broadcom. For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/BroadcomMainframe For a free MRI Security Essentials assessment today visit: http://bit.ly/broadcommritrial Learn more about the Mainframe DevOps design thinking workshop here: https://bit.ly/broadcommainframedevops . #sponsored, #broadcominfluencer, #broadcom, #mainframe, #devops, #aiops, #development, #operations, #automation, #orchestration, #security, #research, #development, #self, #healing, #systems, #selfhealingsystems, #cybersecurity, #data, #dataprotection, #software, #management, #services, #hybrid, #cloud, #iaas, #paas, #saas, #ai, #ml, #aiops, #ops .

I recently caught up with Martha Delehanty, Chief People Officer at Commvault to talk about her role, the amazing journey she and the company have had through in year 2020, and what it has been like to start a exciting new role with an amazing company like Commvault, right at the point where the #COVID19 global pandemic hit, and be faced with the broad array of challenges which came with such an extraordinary event. Having just joined Commvault right around the time COVID19 hit North America, a time when the company was already going through significant transformation starting in 2019 – with a new CEO and other leadership changes, the acquisition of Hedvig, the launch of a startup inside the company called Metallic, driving continued innovation, etc. - Martha shares what the journey was like bearing in mind she came in to help with people transformation while honouring 20-year heritage. Martha also shares insights around how her initial focus when joining the company was to advance the companies Inclusion & Diversity initiatives, and yet within days of joining, the entire company was tasked with shifting focus to responding to the pandemic, and key fundamental matters such as employee health/safety during COVID, new challenges as a result of working remotely, stress, always on, childcare/education, flexibility, reinforcement of self-care, all while staying focused on and balancing customer needs, empowered my team to deliver and so much more. We discuss broadly the emergence of the COVID19 pandemic & the challenges it brought with it, in light of the fact that Commvault is a global company, and as such they saw COVID19 emerge from day one as it appeared in China, made its way through South East Asia, A/NZ, EMEA, the UK, and into the Americas, and how that played out in their world as they addressed the immediate challenges to keep people safe, ensure they could run the business as well as support their global ecosystem of partners, resellers, integrators and customers. We also talk about the varying degrees of status quo as parts of the world now reach the six to eight month mark ( depending on where you are in the world ) of living with and working with COVID19, and the fact that Commvault has not only had to keep it’s own business operational, but they’ve also had to support their global ecosystem or partners, resellers, integrators and customers - and what that journey been like so far, and what Martha thinks the key success factors that not only saw the business “get through it” as it were, but do so very successfully for both Commvault and the global ecosystem of businesses they support beyond their own company. We wrap up with a where to from here, what does an ideal world look like post 2020, as we enter the last calendar quarter of 2020, Christmas is “just around the corner” as it were, organisations of all type, shapes and sizes are now facing the challenge of another potentially challenging period whilst still having to address substantial challenges relating to people and operations - I ask Martha “What does an ideal world look like post 2020 and what steps can organisations take to achieve such a state operationally?”. We close out with a little Crystal Ball gazing, as I ask Martha, if she were to offer one piece of advice to her peers in similar industry or market segments as they, like her, now look at how they might prepare for the next 12 to 18 months through 2021 and beyond, what would it be. You will be amazed by the sage advice offered. This was such a fantastic discussion and indeed it is one not to be missed. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. For more information about Commvault please visit: Commvault homepage: http://j.mp/commvaulthomepage Metallic homepage: http://j.mp/metallic-io Metallic offering via Azure Marketplace: https://bit.ly/metallic-on-azure-marketplace .

I recently caught up with Per Kroll, Senior Director of R&D, Broadcom Mainframe Division, to talk about #AI Ops, Mainframes and connecting Mainframes to the Cloud, the latest news and trends within the Mainframe and related tech and business markets, and what's new inside the Mainframe Division of Broadcom, in particular, the world of Research and Development which Per heads up. We kick off the conversation by getting to know Per as he shares some amazing anecdotes around his early years in life and work, from his academic and working career, and what drove him to get into AI Ops and the Mainframe world. We then discuss key topics around how the Mainframe creates a better Hybrid Cloud - and the shifts enabling it. Per has spent most of his career on distributed side, and over the last 6 years, he led the evolution of DevOps and AIOps solutions for the Mainframe - with all of that in mind, Per shares what he sees are the key trends that you have observed on the mainframe over the last few years. Per also shares his thoughts around Contextual Insight - the ability to make sense of disparate information, and how the mainframe is a foundational computing platform for the digital economy, because the ability for the mainframe to handle extreme workloads without any disruptions, Per also expands on the role of AIOps, and why it is growing in popularity. Also discussed is the journey towards self-healing systems - an incremental path, and people are “always selling it”? what’s possible today VS the path forward. Per outlines why when people talk about AIOps, they often talk about self-healing systems, and his perspective on what is reality vs fiction in the world of self-healing systems - Per also shares his take on key steps organisations can take to "get started" down this path. We wrap up with Per sharing his views on what's coming over the horizon over the next 3 to 5 years, in particular around the evolution in terms of AIOps, DevOps, Openness has gone so fast over the last few years, which has created a gap between how the average Mainframe customer is operating and what is possible. One of the key take aways Per shares is his hope, and what he thinks will happen, is that the early adopters will showcase what is possible on a large scale, and that will accelerate the adoption among the Early Majority and the Late Majority - as he says, in the words of Geoffrey Moore, he expects the big thing happening over the next few years is that we will cross the chasm for a number of the technologies and solutions we talked about today. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with the Mainframe division of Broadcom. For more information please visit: http://j.mp/BroadcomMainframe For a free MRI Security Essentials assessment today visit: http://bit.ly/broadcommritrial #sponsored, #broadcominfluencer, #broadcom, #mainframe, #security, #research, #development, #self, #healing, #systems, #selfhealingsystems, #cybersecurity, #data, #dataprotection, #software, #management, #services, #devops, #development, #operations, #automation, #orchestration, #hybrid, #cloud, #iaas, #paas, #saas, #ai, #ml, #aiops, #ops .

I recently caught up with Rupesh Chokshi, Assistant Vice President, Edge Solutions Product Marketing Management at AT&T Business, to discuss the latest news, trends and offerings from AT&T Business around Edge, Software Defined Infrastructure ( SDI ), Software Defined Networking ( SDN ), network function virtualisation (NFV) and SD-WAN technologies and much more. Rupesh leads the Enterprise Edge product marketing team for AT&T Business which focuses on product management, strategy and business development. He manages a significant global portfolio of market-leading, innovative technology solutions. We look at how the AT&T Business "Enterprise Edge" team are transforming services and networks using software-defined networking (SDN), network function virtualisation (NFV) and SD-WAN technologies. Rupesh shares with us insights around work AT&T has done as they have invested in the development of world leading software-based solutions at the edge to create value for customers that are agile and scalable. These solutions encompass SDN, NFV, SD-WAN, 5G, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and IoT. Rupesh then continues with key insights around how Software Defined Infrastructure ( SDI ) & Software Defined Networks ( SDN ) have changed the landscape of Wide Area Networks. We also cover the AT&T Business portfolio of WAN & Edge services & solutions, and in particular, where SD-WAN sits within the portfolio of services AT&T Business currently offers: Next we delve into how these elements become the connective fabric enabling companies to move their workloads virtually seamlessly, reduce complexity, foster innovation and deliver on the promise of digital transformation. This is exactly what our customers are asking for and why networks matter in today’s edge to edge world. Also discussed is the key topic of virtualisation and flexible networking in the world of today’s Telco’s & CSP’s, and what the key benefits SD-WAN offers are, and how it transforming how businesses leverage flexible virtual networking. Specifically the primary value proposition of SD-WAN solutions which is to enable enterprises to intelligently and connect with high security any site to any cloud at scale - Rupesh outlines how the first generation, deployments were focused on delivery of agile WAN connectivity, increasing reach while decreasing operational complexity. Now, customers are expecting more – they want to use SD-WAN to deliver a range of IT services with high end-to-end security. We then look at the challenges CXO’s face looking to use SD-WAN across their business, and how they should businesses be incorporating SD-WAN into their networking & technology strategies. We wrap up with Rupesh sharing his thoughts around what's over the horizon for the next 12 to 18 months in what is one of the most challenging periods of human history for the last 100 years. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with AT&T Business. For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/attedgesolutions #sponsored #attinfluencer .

I caught up with with Alexis Crowell, IOT Marketing Global Lead for Data Platforms Group at Intel Corporation, to talk about the latest news, trends, insights and offerings from Intel in the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Edge market sectors globally. Our conversation kicks off with Alexis sharing some fun anecdotes and insights into her early life, her academic and working career path, and how she came to be with Intel and her amazing role. Alexis then gives us an amazing 30,000 foot view outline of what Intel is seeing regarding current macro trends around AI at the Edge, with some of the current macro trends regarding AI at the Edge. In particular we delve into some of the challenges Alexis sees as being the next frontier of enterprise transformation, how Data-driven experiences – AI from data centers, to software, to outer edges of the networks, and how Data and compute closest to the point of interaction will transform data driven decision making, and some of the challenges around bridging people, business and things for enhanced experiences, and what it takes to offer improved automation and cost savings. We then delve into work Intel are doing currently and Alexis offers us a view of some of the trends across various markets regarding adoption, challenges and opportunities with AI at the Edge. Specifically we discuss enterprise adoption and the need for Edge Computing, the need for actionable insights. We also discuss challenges presented by issues such as network bottlenecks, latency, and the mounting issues raised by increasing demand for bandwidth and ever increasing network demands as devices continue to generate increasingly vast volumes of data, increasing needs for full end-to-end infrastructure and designs, comprehensive security, data regulation, and overall cohesive management of all of these environments and systems / networks / platforms and more. Alexis walks us through Intel’s customer approach as far as how organisations should go about turning data into actionable insights, some of the challenges around turning data into action, how Intel's Gen 3 Intel Movidius VPUs and Intel Scalable Processor platforms are helping with these challenges - where solutions like OpenVINO are helping. We also discuss the latest news around Intel AI Builders, and Intel Selection Solutions for AI, about Federated Learning, and Alexis shares a recent related customer story around GE Healthcare and work they are doing with medical data, imaging and analytics to process data from MRI machines, and where Deep Learning is playing part in this success story. We wrap up with Alexis sharing her thoughts and advice around what decision makers be considering in their approach to leveraging “AI at the Edge” over the next 12 to 18 months. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with Intel. For more information please visit: - Intel IoT Solutions web portal: https://bit.ly/2EjyP1i - Intel Xeon® Scalable processors: http://intel.ly/2wNTV3Q - Intel Atom® P processors: intel.ly/3aNHDqS - 5G Technology Overview: intel.ly/39NfMHb #sponsored #intelinfluencer .

I had the opportunity to catch up with Sebastian LeFebure, Managing Director for France & Southern Europe, Manhattan Associates, to discuss the shifting world of retail in a post-pandemic world. In this fireside chat podcast conversation we discuss a range of key business & technology topics around the current state of the rapid evolution & innovation taking place in and around supply chains - and the challenges of meeting shifting consumer demands & expectations across the global retail industry, and the technology Manhattan Associates make available to their customers to meet these challenges and more. Sebastian heads up Manhattan’s French & Southern Europe business with a team of over 150 world leading supply chain, logistics & technology experts. We kicked off with a great view into Sebastian's life, his early years and inspirations, and what set him on the amazing path of business, technology and the amazing world of supply chains. Sebastian delves into one of the biggest questions being tabled in board rooms around the world right now, which is "what does the new world of retail mean for supply chains?". He also gives us a fantastic update on what the new world of retail look like in France today in the context of the various big challenges organisations face in managing increasingly complex supply chains during a "once in a hundred years" global pandemic in the form of the #COVID19 coronavirus. We look at the urgent business and technology need bring driven in part by changes in consumer behaviour, for agility (cloud + micro-services), increasing demand for flexibility (BOPIS + curb-side pickup), the ever present pivot to omni-channel operating models for supply chains (ecommerce fulfilment) and how all of these various key capabilities are now more than ever, paramount to adapt to new consumer behaviour for brands in a post-COVID landscape. As we look into the key technology challenges businesses of all shapes and sizes are facing in dealing with around managing their supply chains, Sebastian shares how Manhattan Associates has transformed the world of supply chain by making cloud based micro-services powered Software as a Services supply capabilities back by world leading business and technology professional services both in-house and through a global ecosystem of partners and integrators, consultants, a world leading SaaS cloud offering, support, education, optimisation and so many other critical offerings that sets their business apart. Sebastian also shares amazing insights and views around how the #COVDI9 coronavirus has changed the way brands view their supply chains, and some great advice and actionable takeaways around how to respond and address these new challenges. We wrap up with both a look at what Sebastian thinks the future of retail (& indeed the supply chain industry) will look like across Europe in 2021 & beyond, with a particular focus on the next 12 to 18 months across industries which are most impacted by what the year 2020 presented to the world, and what the year 2021 has for us as we near the final quarter of 2020 and prepare to enter another challenging year in 2021. This is a conversation every CXO, needs to be hearing and sharing within their organisations, not just throughout their supply chain teams, but all operations, strategy and planning, and in my view, human resources as well, there is so much all senior key business & technology decision makers can gain from what Sebastian shares with me in this amazing fireside chat podcast conversation that you may find yourself listening to it two or more times. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with Manhattan Associates. For more information please visit: http://bit.ly/manhattan-assocaites-website .

I caught up with Vikas Sinha, Vice President, Global Customer Experience & Strategic Alliances for Broadcom’s Mainframe Software Division to talk about the latest news and trends, his role, and business unit, and the exciting new offering from Broadcom's Mainframe Software Division called "Win No Fee". We start out with a 30,000 food "point of view" outline of what the Win No Fee offering is, where it fits within Broadcom's overall strategy and products & services, and how customers have been taking it up to drive successful outcomes. Vikas also shares the latest news around what Broadcom is doing with their Digital Badges programme, and other skill-building/enhancing initiatives such as their Vitality programme, and other Education and Community building efforts. Also discussed is the broad topic of events and how 2020 has impacted that space, and what Vikas and his team and Broadcom Mainframe Division have been doing in response to the need to pivot and address the challenges brought about by the #COVID19 global pandemic, and of course the reality that we can't hold in-person physical events currently, we talk about how Broadcom is leveraging Digital and Social and has pivoted to Virtual events and the huge success they have had thus far in doing so. Vikas also shares great insights into what they are doing with Mainframe Technical Exchanges (MTE), what it is and why customers should attend, as well as our support/sponsorship in industry events like SHARE, OMP Summit, DOES, IDUG, etc. And as always I invite Vikas to share his views and thoughts around what he thinks is coming over the horizon in 12 to 18 months with some great advice and actionable key takeaways that CXOs from board room down and their teams throughout enterprise and government can action right now as they look to what 2021 and beyond might bring. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with Broadcom. For more information please visit: https://bit.ly/BroadcomMainframe #sponsored #broadcominfluencer #mainframe #software #broadcom #global #customer #experience #alliance #software #ibm #ibmz #zos #devops #development #developer #developers #cicd #automation #orchestration #monitoring #management #deployment #install #upgrade #patch #updates #integration #deployment #data #privacy #dataprotection #cybersecurity #encryption #gdrp #ccpa #compliance #governance #standards #legal #enterprise #controls #reporting #enduser #partner #integrator #reseller #endto3nd #5g #ml #ai .

I caught up with Rod Cruz, General Manager, Healthcare Solutions, at AT&T, to talk about Consumerism in Healthcare, Digital Health technology & the Patient Experience, the Connected Ambulance with combined FirstNet, 5G and IoMT, and more. Rod is no stranger to the show, in fact it was exactly one year since Rod was last on the show, and we had almost a quarter of a million listeners tune in to hear Rod's insights and updates. More recently I caught up with Rod on camera at the 2019 AT&T Business Summit event in Dallas. We kick off this conversation with a high-level 30,000 foot industry update on the state of 5G and Healthcare, in particular some of the success AT&T have had in this space through 2018 and 2019 leading up to 2020. We then dive into more detail around some of the examples I’ve seen over the last year or two which really piqued my interest and certainly the interest of my listeners - we start with FirstNet, the background to it, and how AT&T went about successfully deploying a world leading emergency services network in what appeared to me to be record time. Also discussed is the amazing work around connected hospitals, and in particular, something I’m a big fan of, what AT&T are doing around the Connected Ambulance solution, we talk about how that project came about, and how AT&T go about putting 5G into one of the most challenging working environments imaginable and how FirstNet is the foundation for this amazing solution. We also talk about Digital Health which we all hear a lot of recently in the media, a huge focus area for Rod and his team at AT&T Business, Rod outlines what Digital Health means to AT&T Business and gives us a wonderful overview of what's happening in this space in the Healthcare industry and a range of insights into the latest trends. Rod shares insights into some of the early wins for AT&T clients as Rod and hist team work with them to design & implement Digital Health solutions. We talk about the ever present challenge to improve the Patience Experience, and examples of where the use of the likes of 5G, IoMT and Digital Health technologies to enable Healthcare service providers to leverage the capabilities of AT&T Business to improve Patient Experience. And we also cover a range of topics around the impact of going Digital, where especially in Healthcare, digital means data, which means an increased need for attention to Cybersecurity, and how AT&T Business is helping Healthcare organisations address this heady challenge. Tune in now for all of these amazing topics and more. This podcast was made in partnership with AT&T Business. For more information please visit: https://bit.ly/attbusinesshealthcare #sponsored #attinfluencer .