What's Up with Tech?

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"AI is an enabler, an augmenter, not a replacement." These words from Navneet Singh, a marketing leader at Palo Alto Networks with nearly a decade of experience, set the tone for our exploration into the transformative relationship between artificial intelligence and marketing.

During our conversation, Nav shattered common misconceptions about AI's role in marketing by demonstrating how human creativity and AI efficiency can form a powerful partnership. He shared a compelling example from Palo Alto Networks' recent product launch, where an AI-powered contest among...

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The technology in your pocket—sensors in your everyday smartphone—is quietly revolutionizing road safety in ways most of us never realize. In this eye-opening conversation, MIT professor Hari Balakrishnan shares the remarkable journey of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) from university research project to global safety leader.

What began as a simple idea to use mobile device sensors to measure driving quality has evolved into technology that's prevented over 90,000 crashes and saved 50,000 lives worldwide. Balakrishnan reveals how CMT's DriveWell platform fuses data from phones, wind...

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Trust remains the central challenge for enterprise AI adoption, as revealed in ModelOp's comprehensive AI Governance benchmark report. CTO Jim Olsen explains why so many generative AI projects remain stuck in development limbo, with 56% taking 16-18 months to reach production.

The disconnect stems from AI's non-deterministic nature - unlike traditional software, models can't be fully predicted or verified in the same ways. "One bad recommendation is harder to overcome than a thousand correct ones," Olsen notes, highlighting how organizations struggle to build confidence in...

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Cloud security is facing a fundamental paradigm shift that most organizations haven't fully recognized. According to Aviatrix CEO Doug Merritt, we're overlooking a staggering 50-80% of our attack surface by failing to properly secure cloud workload communications.

The problem stems from three critical changes in how computing works today. First, the internet has essentially become our enterprise network – when your application calls an S3 bucket, that communication happens over the internet, not a controlled private network. Second, the traditional security perimeter hasn't disappeared; it's at...

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The quiet revolution happening in enterprise AI isn't about flashy robots or sci-fi scenarios—it's about solving a $200 billion problem hiding in plain sight. Outdated, manual data pipelines are costing businesses astronomical amounts and keeping your smartest people stuck doing digital busywork.

Emergence AI's CRAFT platform stands at the forefront of this revolution with its "agents creating agents" approach. The concept sounds deceptively simple: AI systems that can dynamically create specialized AI tools to handle specific tasks. But the implications are profound. Data scientists sp...

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From cutting-edge experimentation to business-critical infrastructure, the AI landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation. Ron from KungFu.ai shares an insider's perspective on this evolution, drawing from his experience dating back to AI research in the 1990s.

The conversation reveals the pivotal factors driving AI's enterprise breakthrough: exponentially increased computing power, unprecedented data availability, and the democratizing effect of open-source libraries. These elements have converged to create capabilities early researchers could scarcely imagine, requiring millions of times more resources than initially anticipated.

...

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What if you never had to share your social security number or personal details again? What if there was a way to verify your identity and background just once, then reuse that credential securely for life? Trust might be the new digital currency, and Trua is building the exchange.

The digital world demands proof of who we are at every turn, but our current verification systems create massive security risks. Each time we provide our personal information for a background check, membership sign-up, or...

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Dr. Kapoor takes us on a fascinating journey from the COVID pandemic's testing challenges to his groundbreaking work at BioAero, where AI meets genomics to revolutionize healthcare delivery. What began as an effort to speed up COVID test results evolved into a mission to solve a critical healthcare bottleneck: the months-long wait for genomic sequencing data that makes personalized medicine nearly impossible to deliver at the point of care.

"There's a secret key all of us are born with—a blueprint of our life," Dr...

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Every chip in every device around you has at least one identity associated with it. Machine identities now outnumber human ones online. AI can replicate your face and voice with frightening accuracy. Welcome to the brave new world of identity security.

Jeff Reich, Executive Director of the Identity Defined Security Alliance (IDSA), brings over 45 years of security experience to this fascinating discussion about why identity has become ground zero in today's cybersecurity battles. The perimeter has shifted dramatically — from physical computer rooms to worldwide ne...

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Unified visibility has transformed from a luxury into a business-critical imperative for enterprises navigating today's complex IT landscape. In this revealing conversation with Sunitha Rao, who leads Hitachi Vantara's hybrid cloud business unit, we explore why this shift has occurred and how their newly launched VSP360 platform delivers game-changing capabilities.

The driving forces behind unified visibility's rise are compelling - AI's acceleration, evolving regulatory landscapes across regions, and the pressing need for financial agility as we approach 2025. Organizations struggling with fragmented visibility across hybrid...

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Support the show

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Telecom procurement has remained stubbornly rooted in spreadsheets, emails, and manual workflows – even as enterprises spend millions on critical network infrastructure. But what happens when modern AI technology meets this arcane industry? 

Dennis Thankachan founder and CEO of Lightyear, takes us on a fascinating journey from hedge fund investing to building what he calls "the telecom operating system for the enterprise." After becoming obsessed with the telecom sector's untapped potential, Dennis discovered large companies were managing tens or hundreds of millions in annual telecom spe...

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Data without context is just noise. Despite billions invested in data infrastructure, most Fortune 1000 companies struggle to extract meaningful value from their investments. Why? They've built complex, fragmented ecosystems focused on tools rather than outcomes.

Srujan Akula, founder of The Modern Data Company, shares how his frustration with this industry-wide problem led to a revolutionary approach. After witnessing global enterprises repeatedly fail to achieve ROI from massive data investments, he and co-founder Animesh Kumar developed an operating system for data that converges the entire...

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The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but what actually works for small businesses with limited time and resources? Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reveals the surprising truth: despite all the technological advancements, success still comes down to building authentic relationships.

Drawing from Constant Contact's extensive research with thousands of SMBs, Dave shares eye-opening statistics: 56% of small business owners have less than an hour daily for marketing, 73% feel uncertain about their strategy, and over half regularly procrastinate on marketing tasks...

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Imagine having a delete button for the internet. That's exactly what Loti offers—a groundbreaking service that literally downloads the entire web and runs sophisticated face and voice recognition across billions of pieces of content to find and remove unwanted digital traces.

Luke Arrigoni, Loti's founder, shares how the service evolved from combating non-consensual intimate imagery into a comprehensive digital protection platform now backed by major entertainment agencies and venture capital. What sets Loti apart is their extraordinary technical approach—they can identify as litt...

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Testing has become the hidden bottleneck in software development. While companies invest heavily in AI-powered coding tools to accelerate development, quality assurance can't keep pace—until now. 

Tal Barmeir, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of BlinqIO, reveals how his company's AI test engineer is fundamentally changing the testing landscape. This isn't just another automation tool; it's an intelligent system that autonomously creates, executes, and maintains test code by understanding the business logic behind requirements. When a user interface changes, the AI doesn't break—it adapts, just...

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The AI revolution demands a new approach to computing infrastructure, and AMD is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation through an ambitious software strategy that empowers developers and enterprises alike.

In this illuminating conversation, Anush Elangovan—who joined AMD through the acquisition of his company NordI—shares how AMD is fundamentally rethinking its approach to software development. Rather than treating software as merely an enabler for hardware, AMD now views its software layer as a product with a 10-year lifecycle that transcends hard...

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Artificial intelligence isn't just changing how we work—it's fundamentally transforming the workplace itself. In this eye-opening conversation direct from InfoComm, Ryan from Unified Communications takes us inside booth 3817 to explore their groundbreaking approach to creating truly intelligent workspaces.

What makes their vision unique is how they're moving beyond traditional AV integration to develop specialized AI agents addressing real business challenges. Their Company Pulse Agent conducts conversational interviews with employees through Teams, gathering and summarizing valuable feedback for leadership. Their Customer Advocate Agent monitors em...

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What would your sales team look like if every rep could sell like your top performer? That's the transformative promise of AI in sales, and it's happening right now.

Arjun Pillai, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Docket, an AI platform transforming B2B sales, reveals how his third venture in sales technology is fundamentally changing how companies approach go-to-market strategies. The problem? A staggering 90% of sales knowledge exists either in people's heads or buried in unstructured data like call recordings and chat conversations. This...

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The world of customer experience has evolved dramatically in recent years, and few understand this transformation better than Joel Sylvester of Five Star Call Centers. In this fascinating conversation, Joel takes us through the reinvention of customer care, showing how today's most successful organizations are blending cutting-edge technology with authentic human connection.

Having pioneered work-from-home call center programs back in 1999 and helped establish some of the first offshore operations in the Philippines, Joel brings a uniquely informed perspective on how AI, data intelligence, and...

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Martin Taylor takes us on a fascinating journey through the rapidly evolving landscape where artificial intelligence meets customer experience. As the co-founder of Content Guru, he's spent decades watching this space transform from simple call centers to sophisticated, AI-enhanced engagement platforms that serve millions of interactions across financial services, government agencies, and healthcare systems worldwide.

The conversation reveals how COVID-19 created a watershed moment for customer experience technology. When face-to-face interactions ceased, organizations were forced to elevate their digital engagement strategies, creating competitive differentiation...

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The legal profession stands at a transformative moment as artificial intelligence reshapes how attorneys work, strategize, and win cases. In this illuminating conversation with Carla Rydholm General Manager at Lex Machina, we explore how legal analytics and AI are fundamentally changing litigation practice while preserving the irreplaceable human elements that define quality legal representation.

Carla shares the fascinating evolution of Lex Machina from a public interest project between a law school and computer science department to a pioneering legal analytics company now owned by...

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What happens when you combine cutting-edge AI with a deeply human approach to customer care? TELUS Digital provides the answer, demonstrating how a 20-year journey has transformed a Canadian telecom offshoot into a global digital powerhouse operating across 32 countries with 78,000 employees.

Monty Hamilton, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at TELUS Digital, takes us behind the scenes of their innovative approach to digital transformation. Rather than simply putting "humans in the loop," TELUS embraces what they call "humanity in the loop" – making people the foundation of...

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Universal data protection has never been more critical as organizations spread their digital footprint across hundreds of SaaS applications and cloud environments. In this compelling conversation, Andy Fernandez, Senior Director of Product Marketing at HYCU, pulls back the curtain on the company's groundbreaking integration with Dell Power Protect Data Domain, recently announced at Dell Technologies World.

As the fastest-growing data protection as a service provider globally, Haiku now empowers Dell customers to shield their entire data estate through 86 specialized integrations. The partnership comes at...

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Telecom operators worldwide are facing a profitability crisis. After investing billions in 5G infrastructure with minimal revenue gains to show for it, the industry finds itself at a critical juncture where transformation is no longer optional but existential. Michele from Optiva brings over three decades of telecom software experience to illuminate how AI is becoming the industry's lifeline.

The conversation quickly establishes why this moment is different from previous technology waves. While neural networks have existed for decades, today's convergence of massive data availability...

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Retail is in an age of perpetual reinvention. From navigating online strategies in the early 2000s to mobile adoption in the mid-2000s and now grappling with tariffs and supply chain disruptions, retailers must continuously evolve to survive and thrive. According to Dominick Miserandino, CEO of Retail Tech Media Nexus, the fundamental truth remains constant amid this change: "You are selling an emotion, the emotion of that thing."

Dominick brings a unique perspective to retail, having transitioned from mainstream media to mentoring over 200 e-commerce...

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Connectivity has transformed from a luxury into a necessity. But what if your venue's Wi-Fi could do more than just provide internet access? What if it could become a powerful revenue generator and customer intelligence platform?

Sean Bossons, Chief Revenue Officer at Purple, reveals how smart guest Wi-Fi is revolutionizing customer engagement across industries. From sports venues identifying returning fans to promote playoff tickets, to airports guiding passenger traffic away from congested gates toward retail opportunities, businesses are discovering the untapped potential of their...

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The frontline workforce revolution is happening right now, and Zebra Technologies is leading the charge. In this enlightening conversation with Joe White, Chief Product and Solution Officer at Zebra Technologies, we explore how decades of operational digitization are culminating in an AI-powered transformation that's redefining what's possible for businesses worldwide.

Joe, a 25-year veteran at Zebra, takes us on a journey from the company's barcode origins to today's sophisticated AI implementations. He articulates how modern enterprises face critical challenges around what he calls "the...

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Ever wonder why nobody picks up your calls or reads your emails anymore? In this eye-opening conversation, Aaron Christopher "AC" Evans, founder of DRIPS, reveals why traditional outreach methods are increasingly ineffective in our distraction-filled world.

AC explains how our evolution into an "on-demand society" has fundamentally changed consumer psychology. When everyone is constantly engaged with content they actively choose – from social media to streaming services – traditional push messaging tactics that demand immediate attention are doomed to fail. The stark reality: about 80% of people simp...

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What happens when cutting-edge artificial intelligence meets humanistic healthcare? Aurora Martinez of Keralty unveils a revolutionary approach that's redefining what's possible in global health systems. Unlike conventional healthcare AI applications that focus primarily on efficiency and diagnostics, Keralty's innovative "CHI" ecosystem puts human well-being at the center of technological advancement.

Martinez introduces us to Keralty (operating as Sanitas in the US), a healthcare organization spanning ten countries that has built what she calls a "living lab" – an extraordinarily diverse ecosystem encompassing insurance companies, hospitals, cl...

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Ever wondered why email hasn't fundamentally changed in 20 years? While countless startups have tried to replace email entirely, Gmeilius is taking a refreshingly different approach by enhancing Gmail itself with powerful AI-driven collaboration tools.

Florian's entrepreneurial journey began during his PhD studies when he created a simple Gmail extension to better collaborate on academic papers. What started as a personal productivity hack gained momentum among colleagues, leading him through a Geneva-based incubator and eventually to Y Combinator—a journey that hilariously had him rushing ba...

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Unified communications doesn't have to be complicated or confusing. In this revealing conversation with Jason from Wildix, we explore how a channel-first approach is revolutionizing the way businesses communicate and collaborate.

Wildix has carved out a unique position in the crowded UCaaS market by committing 100% to its channel partners. "We are nothing without our channel," Jason explains, detailing how they've transformed from a reactive to proactive partner support model. Rather than competing with their partners, Wildix stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them, providing sales engineers, technical...

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The data protection landscape has fundamentally transformed, and HYCU's groundbreaking integration with Dell Technologies has arrived just in time. At Dell Technologies World, Simon Taylor, CEO and founder of HYCU, unveiled what he calls the "Tower of Power"—a revolutionary expansion that brings 86 on-premises, cloud, and SaaS integrations fully supported by Dell's Data Domain Virtual Edition (DDVE)

This partnership marks a pivotal shift for Dell customers worldwide. No longer is Data Domain limited to VMware environments; now it extends its powerful deduplication capabilities to Nu...

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Cybersecurity is undergoing a fundamental transformation as organizations navigate the complex relationship between zero-trust architectures and the realities of hybrid work environments with Anupam Upadhyaya VP of Products for Prisma SASE at Palo Alto Networks, sheds light on how SASE has evolved beyond its initial promise to become the cornerstone of modern security frameworks.

With browsers becoming the primary workspace for professionals – hosting everything from email and documentation to AI interactions – they've simultaneously become prime targets for cyber attackers. A staggering 95% of organizations have expe...

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The complexity of infrastructure as code has become a significant bottleneck in modern software development. Developers struggle with learning Terraform and Helm, while DevOps teams are weighed down by template maintenance and compliance requirements. 

Enter StackGen's "generative infrastructure platform" – a revolutionary approach that's changing how teams handle cloud deployments. In this enlightening conversation, founder Asif Awan explains how their dual-focused solution meets developers where they are while empowering DevOps teams with better governance tools. The platform intelligently understands application intent either through code analysis or...

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The promise of connecting "everything" to the internet has remained frustratingly out of reach for over a decade. Despite bold predictions of 50 billion connected devices by 2020, the industry achieved just 11 billion – a mere 20% of expectations. Why? As Nick Earle of Eseye, explains, we dramatically underestimated the complexity of creating truly global connectivity.

This conversation unveils the missing piece that's finally enabling the Internet of Things to deliver on its potential: ubiquitous connectivity that works everywhere, every time. Drawing from his experience leading global tech gi...