Podcasts about Cogent

On this week's episode, John Maraganore, Yaron Werber, Ami Fadia, and special guests STAT's Allison DeAngelis and Endpoints News' Drew Armstrong kick things off with an overview of the latest FDA staffing changes, including long-time oncology chief Richard Pazdur's appointment as the new CDER director, a move the co-hosts view as positive for the industry and a sign of potential stability. Next, the group breaks down the FDA's new ‘Plausible Mechanism Pathway', designed to accelerate certain personalized therapies to market when traditional trials aren't feasible. Allison then shares insights from her reporting on the exclusive MAHA Summit held earlier this week -- an invite-only gathering of top HHS officials and leading biotech executives. In data news, the co-hosts discuss Alkermes' Phase 2 narcolepsy trial, Cogent's Phase 3 gastrointestinal stromal tumor results, and CRISPR's cholesterol data. As one bidding war ends, another begins as Alkermes' move to acquire Avadel faces competition from Lundbeck, who offered a $2.25 billion, rivaling Alkermes' initial $2.1 billion offer. Drew Armstrong also overviewed his reporting on the Novo Nordisk-Pfizer bidding war, noting both companies' obesity setbacks and their search for new directions. Deal-making conversations continues with Merck's $9.2 billion acquisition of Cidara Therapeutics, and Day One Therapeutics' $285 million acquisition of Mersana Therapeutics. The episode concludes with a discussion on the passing of genetic pioneer James Watson and Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks' appearance on The Cheeky Pint podcast. *This episode aired on November 14, 2025.

What happens when military precision meets entrepreneurial passion? In this inspiring episode of The Proven Entrepreneur Show, host Don Williams sits down with Robert Braiman, founder of Cogent Analytics, to uncover the mindset, strategy, and soul behind one of America's top business consulting success stories.From his early days of service to building a nationwide firm with over 250 employees, Robert Braiman opens up about the real journey of entrepreneurship — the long nights, the leadership lessons, and the family-driven purpose that keeps founders going when the odds stack up.Together, Don and Robert explore:How military discipline shaped Robert's leadership and problem-solving mindset.The creation of Cogent's “Profit Platform” — a framework that helps entrepreneurs grow profitably and sustainably.The toughest conversations small business owners avoid — and how facing them leads to breakthrough growth.The real meaning of success, risk-taking, and work-life balance for modern entrepreneurs.How storytelling, mentorship, and purpose-driven leadership can transform any business into a wealth-building legacy.This isn't another feel-good business chat. It's a masterclass in building, leading, and scaling a purpose-driven business — one that thrives on Main Street, not just Wall Street.If you're an entrepreneur, creative agency founder, or small-business owner who wants to grow smarter (not just harder), this episode will reignite your why and give you actionable strategies to turn your business into a wealth creation vehicle.

In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Publisher Doug Green spoke with Mark Murphy, CEO of Greenlight Networks, about the company's definitive agreement to acquire FastBridge Fiber, a move that strengthens Greenlight's growing presence in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Greenlight Networks, a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) provider, currently passes over 300,000 homes across New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. With the FastBridge acquisition, the company will add approximately 75,000 homes in Pennsylvania and Buffalo to its expanding footprint. “This acquisition is about building on strengths, not replacing them,” said Murphy. “FastBridge brings tremendous sales and marketing depth that perfectly complements our network expansion and local market strategy.” Murphy emphasized that Greenlight's mission extends beyond delivering high-speed broadband—it's about transforming how communities work, live, and play. “When we enter a community, it's game-changing,” he said. “These are often places that haven't had true broadband competition or gigabit speeds. We focus on partnership and being part of the local fabric, not just another provider.” The acquisition also supports Greenlight's ambitious goal to reach half a million homes by 2026, accelerating its growth through strategic integration and regional expertise. Beyond residential customers, Murphy noted the company's ongoing collaborations with carriers and enterprise partners, including Crown Castle, Zayo, Cogent, and Lumen, to deliver cost-effective connectivity and fiber access across markets. Greenlight's customer-first approach has earned national recognition—Consumer Reports named it the top internet service provider in the U.S. for two consecutive years, reflecting the company's commitment to performance, value, and customer care. “At the end of the day, we're not just delivering broadband—we're delivering opportunity and reliability to communities that need it most,” Murphy said. Learn more about Greenlight Networks at greenlightnetworks.com.

Hello to you listening in Salta, Argentina!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.I have decades of story prompt exercises to help my clients clarify their ideas, create their origin story, amplify their message, and connect with their audience in a way that authentically influences them to take desired action. In my experience practicing with fewer words focuses the core message. From there we can expand to a longer story.Practical Tip: Recall something that brought you satisfaction or contentment today. Share a glimpse of your satisfaction or contentment in a “9 Word Telegram.” 3 lines. 3 words on each line. First line is the beginning of your story. Second line is the middle of your story. Third line is the resolution or conclusion. For example:Day breaks coldTrekking forested hillsWon't back down!ORDemocracy under assaultMillions defy lawlessnessRallied nation rebornORFall down 7Get up 8Persevere through hardship CTA: If you're ready (or getting ready to be ready) to work together to make your written or spoken word clear, concise and cogent please feel welcome to reach out to me at Quarter Moon Story Arts for your free Story Start-up Session.  You're always welcome: "Come for the stories - Stay for the magic!" Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, bring your friends and rellies, and join us! You will have wonderful company as we continue to walk our lives together. Be sure to stop by my Quarter Moon Story Arts website, check out the Services, arrange a no-obligation Discovery Call, and stay current with me as "Wyzga on Words" on Substack.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicALL content and image © 2019 to Present Quarter Moon Story Arts. All rights reserved.  If you found this podcast episode helpful, please consider sharing and attributing it to Diane Wyzga of Stories From Women Who Walk podcast with a link back to the original source.

Here's a thought experiment I want you to try. Tonight, pick one moment from your day. Just one. Don't photograph it. Don't write it down. Don't tell anyone about it. Just hold it in your mind. Try to recall it tomorrow, next week, next month. Watch how it changes. Notice how it connects to other memories, how it grows or fades, how it becomes less about what happened and more about what it meant. Because here's what cognitive scientists are discovering: the difference between remembering and retrieving data isn't just technical, it's existential. When you remember something, you're not just accessing information. You're reconstituting yourself. The memory changes you as you change it. This recursive loop between the rememberer and the remembered? That's consciousness itself.

Shawn Tierney meets up with Connor Mason of Software Toolbox to learn their company, products, as well as see a demo of their products in action in this episode of The Automation Podcast. For any links related to this episode, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video. Watch The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: Listen to The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: The Automation Podcast, Episode 248 Show Notes: Special thanks to Software Toolbox for sponsoring this episode so we could release it “ad free!” To learn about Software Toolbox please checkout the below links: TOP Server Cogent DataHub Industries Case studies Technical blogs Read the transcript on The Automation Blog: (automatically generated) Shawn Tierney (Host): Welcome back to the automation podcast. My name is Shawn Tierney with Insights and Automation, and I wanna thank you for tuning back in this week. Now this week on the show, I meet up with Connor Mason from Software Toolbox, who gives us an overview of their product suite, and then he gives us a demo at the end. And even if you’re listening, I think you’re gonna find the demo interesting because Connor does a great job of talking through what he’s doing on the screen. With that said, let’s go ahead and jump into this week’s episode with Connor Mason from Software Toolbox. I wanna welcome Connor from Software Toolbox to the show. Connor, it’s really exciting to have you. It’s just a lot of fun talking to your team as we prepared for this, and, I’m really looking forward to because I just know in your company over the years, you guys have so many great solutions that I really just wanna thank you for coming on the show. And before you jump into talking about products and technologies Yeah. Could you first tell us just a little bit about yourself? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Thanks, Shawn, for having us on. Definitely a pleasure to be a part of this environment. So my name is Connor Mason. Again, I’m with Software Toolbox. We’ve been around for quite a while. So we’ll get into some of that history as well before we get into all the the fun technical things. But, you know, I’ve worked a lot with the variety of OT and IT projects that are ongoing at this point. I’ve come up through our support side. It’s definitely where we grow a lot of our technical skills. It’s a big portion of our company. We’ll get that into that a little more. Currently a technical application consultant lead. So like I said, I I help run our support team, help with these large solutions based projects and consultations, to find what’s what’s best for you guys out there. There’s a lot of different things that in our in our industry is new, exciting. It’s fast paced. Definitely keeps me busy. My background was actually in data analytics. I did not come through engineering, did not come through the automation, trainings at all. So this is a whole new world for me about five years ago, and I’ve learned a lot, and I really enjoyed it. So, I really appreciate your time having us on here, Shawn Tierney (Host): Shawn. Well, I appreciate you coming on. I’m looking forward to what you’re gonna show us today. I had a the audience should know I had a little preview of what they were gonna show, so I’m looking forward to it. Connor Mason (Guest): Awesome. Well, let’s jump right into it then. So like I said, we’re here at Software Toolbox, kinda have this ongoing logo and and just word map of connect everything, and that’s really where we lie. Some people have called us data plumbers in the past. It’s all these different connections where you have something, maybe legacy or something new, you need to get into another system. Well, how do you connect all those different points to it? And, you know, throughout all these projects we worked on, there’s always something unique in those different projects. And we try to work in between those unique areas and in between all these different integrations and be something that people can come to as an expert, have those high level discussions, find something that works for them at a cost effective solution. So outside of just, you know, products that we offer, we also have a lot of just knowledge in the industry, and we wanna share that. You’ll kinda see along here, there are some product names as well that you might recognize. Our top server and OmniServer, we’ll be talking about LOPA as well. It’s been around in the industry for, you know, decades at this point. And also our symbol factory might be something you you may have heard in other products, that they actually utilize themselves for HMI and and SCADA graphics. That is that is our product. So you may have interacted it with us without even knowing it, and I hope we get to kind of talk more about things that we do. So before we jump into all the fun technical things as well, I kind of want to talk about just the overall software toolbox experience as we call it. We’re we’re more than just someone that wants to sell you a product. We we really do work with, the idea of solutions. How do we provide you value and solve the problems that you are facing as the person that’s actually working out there on the field, on those operation lines, and making things as well. And that’s really our big priority is providing a high level of knowledge, variety of the things we can work with, and then also the support. It’s very dear to me coming through the the support team is still working, you know, day to day throughout that software toolbox, and it’s something that has been ingrained into our heritage. Next year will be thirty years of software toolbox in 2026. So we’re established in 1996. Through those thirty years, we have committed to supporting the people that we work with. And I I I can just tell you that that entire motto lives throughout everyone that’s here. So from that, over 97% of the customers that we interact with through support say they had an awesome or great experience. Having someone that you can call that understands the products you’re working with, understands the environment you’re working in, understands the priority of certain things. If you ever have a plant shut down, we know how stressful that is. Those are things that we work through and help people throughout. So this really is the core pillars of Software Toolbox and who we are, beyond just the products, and and I really think this is something unique that we have continued to grow and stand upon for those thirty years. So jumping right into some of the industry challenges we’ve been seeing over the past few years. This is also a fun one for me, talking about data analytics and tying these things together. In my prior life and education, I worked with just tons of data, and I never fully knew where it might have come from, why it was such a mess, who structured it that way, but it’s my job to get some insights out of that. And knowing what the data actually was and why it matters is a big part of actually getting value. So if you have dirty data, if you have data that’s just clustered, it’s in silos, it’s very often you’re not gonna get much value out of it. This was a study that we found in 2024, from Garner Research, And it said that, based on the question that business were asked, were there any top strategic priorities for your data analytics functions in 2024? And almost 50%, it’s right at ’49, said that they wanted to improve data quality, and that was a strategic priority. This is about half the industry is just talking about data quality, and it’s exactly because of those reasons I said in my prior life gave me a headache, to look at all these different things that I don’t even know where they became from or or why they were so different. And the person that made that may have been gone may not have the contacts, and making that from the person that implemented things to the people that are making decisions, is a very big task sometimes. So if we can create a better pipeline of data quality at the beginning, makes those people’s lives a lot easier up front and allows them to get value out of that data a lot quicker. And that’s what businesses need. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I wanna just data quality. Right? Mhmm. I think a lot of us, when we think of that, we think of, you know, error error detection. We think of lost connections. We think of, you know, just garbage data coming through. But I I think from an analytical side, there’s a different view on that, you know, in line with what you were just saying. So how do you when you’re talking to somebody about data quality, how do you get them to shift gears and focus in on what you’re talking about and not like a quality connection to the device itself? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Yeah. We I kinda live in both those worlds now. You know, I I get to see that that connection state. And when you’re operating in real time, that quality is also very important to you. Mhmm. And I kind of use that at the same realm. Think of that when you’re thinking in real time, if you know what’s going on in the operation and where things are running, that’s important to you. That’s the quality that you’re looking for. You have to think beyond just real time. We’re talking about historical data. We’re talking about data that’s been stored for months and years. Think about the quality of that data once it’s made up to that level. Are they gonna understand what was happening around those periods? Are they gonna understand what those tags even are? Are they gonna understand what those conventions that you’ve implemented, to give them insights into this operation. Is that a clear picture? So, yeah, you’re absolutely right. There are two levels to this, and and that is a big part of it. The the real time data and historical, and we’re gonna get some of that into into our demo as well. It it’s a it’s a big area for the business, and the people working in the operations. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. I think quality too. Think, you know, you may have data. It’s good data. It was collected correctly. You had a good connection to the device. You got it. You got it as often as you want. But that data could really be useless. It could tell you nothing. Connor Mason (Guest): Right. Exactly. Shawn Tierney (Host): Right? It could be a flow rate on part of the process that irrelevant to monitoring the actual production of the product or or whatever you’re making. And, you know, I’ve known a lot of people who filled up their databases, their historians, with they just they just logged everything. And it’s like a lot of that data was what I would call low quality because it’s low information value. Right? Absolutely. I’m sure you run into that too. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. We we run into a lot of people that, you know, I’ve got x amount of data points in my historian and, you know, then we start digging into, well, I wanna do something with it or wanna migrate. Okay. Like, well, what do you wanna achieve at the end of this? Right? And and asking those questions, you know, it’s great that you have all these things historized. Are you using it? Do you have the right things historized? Are they even set up to be, you know, worked upon once they are historized by someone outside of this this landscape? And I think OT plays such a big role in this, and that’s why we start to see the convergence of the IT and OT teams just because that communication needs to occur sooner. So we’re not just passing along, you know, low quality data, bad quality data as well. And we’ll get into some of that later on. So to jump into some of our products and solutions, I kinda wanna give this overview of the automation pyramid. This is where we work from things like the field device communications. And you you have certain sensors, meters, actuators along the actual lines, wherever you’re working. We work across all the industries, so this can vary between those. Through there, you work up kind of your control area. A lot of control engineers are working. This is where I think a lot of the audience is very familiar with PLCs. Your your typical name, Siemens, Rockwell, your Schneiders that are creating, these hardware products. They’re interacting with things on the operation level, and they’re generating data. That that was kind of our bread and butter for a very long time and still is that communication level of getting data from there, but now getting it up the stack further into the pyramid of your supervisory, MES connections, and it’ll also now open to these ERP. We have a lot of large corporations that have data across variety of different solutions and also want to integrate directly down into their operation levels. There’s a lot of value to doing that, but there’s also a lot of watch outs, and a lot of security concerns. So that’ll be a topic that we’ll be getting into. We also all know that the cloud is here. It’s been here, and it’s it’s gonna continue to push its way into, these cloud providers into OT as well. There there’s a lot of benefit to it, but there there’s also some watch outs as this kind of realm, changes in the landscape that we’ve been used to. So there’s a lot of times that we wanna get data out there. There’s value into AI agents. It’s a hot it’s a hot commodity right now. Analytics as well. How do we get those things directly from shop floor, up into the cloud directly, and how do we do that securely? It’s things that we’ve been working on. We’ve had successful projects, continues to be an interest area and I don’t see it slowing down at all. Now, when we kind of begin this level at the bottom of connectivity, people mostly know us for our top server. This is our platform for industrial device connectivity. It’s a thing that’s talking to all those different PLCs in your plant, whether that’s brownfield or greenfield. We pretty much know that there’s never gonna be a plant that’s a single PLC manufacturer, that exists in one plant. There’s always gonna be something that’s slightly different. Definitely from Brownfield, things different engineers made different choices, things have been eminent, and you gotta keep running them. TopServe provides this single platform to connect to a long laundry list of different PLCs. And if this sounds very familiar to Kepserver, well, you’re not wrong. Kepserver is the same exact technology that TopServer is. What’s the difference then is probably the biggest question we usually get. The difference technology wise is nothing. The difference in the back end is that actually it’s all the same product, same product releases, same price, but we have been the biggest single source of Kepserver or Topsyra implementation into the market, for almost two plus decades at this point. So the single biggest purchase that we own this own labeled version of Kepserver to provide to our customers. They interact with our support team, our solutions teams as well, and we sell it along the stack of other things because it it fits so well. And we’ve been doing this since the early two thousands when, Kepware was a a much smaller company than it is now, and we’ve had a really great relationship with them. So if you’ve enjoyed the technology of of Kepserver, maybe there’s some users out there. If you ever heard of TopServer and that has been unclear, I hope this clear clarifies it. But it it is a great technology stack that that we build upon and we’ll get into some of that in our demo. Now the other question is, what if you don’t have a standard communication protocol, like a modbus, like an Allen Bradley PLC as well? We see this a lot with, you know, testing areas, pharmaceuticals, maybe also in packaging, barcode scanners, weigh scales, printers online as well. They they may have some form of basic communications that talks over just TCP or or serial. And how do you get that information that’s really valuable still, but it’s not going through a PLC. It’s not going into your typical agent mind SCADA. It might be very manual process for a lot of these test systems as well, how they’re collecting and analyzing the data. Well, you may have heard of our Arm server as well. It’s been around, like I said, for a couple decades and just a proven solution that without coding, you can go in and build a custom protocol that expects a format from that device, translates it, puts it into standard tags, and now that those tags can be accessible through the open standards of OPC, or to it was a a Veeva user suite link as well. And that really provides a nice combination of your standard communications and also these more custom communications may have been done through scripting in the past. Well, you know, put this onto, an actual server that can communicate through those protocols natively, and just get that data into those SCADA systems, HMIs, where you need it. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I used that. Many years ago, I had an integrator who came to me. He’s like, Shawn, I wanna this is back in the RSVUE days. He’s like, Shawn, I I got, like, 20 Euotherm devices on a four eighty five, and they speak ASCII, and I gotta I gotta get into RSVUE 32. And, you know, OmniSIR, I love that you could you could basically developing and we did Omega and some other devices too. You’re developing your own protocol, but it’s beautiful. And and the fact that when you’re testing it, it color codes everything. So you know, hey. That part worked. The header worked. The data worked. Oh, the trailing didn’t work, or the terminated didn’t work, or the data’s not in the right format. Or I just it was a joy to work with back then, and I can imagine it’s only gotten better since. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. I think it’s like a little engineer playground where you get in there. It started really decoding and seeing how these devices communicate. And then once you’ve got it running, it it’s one of those things that it it just performs and, is saved by many people from developing custom code, having to manage that custom code and integrations, you know, for for many years. So it it’s one of those things that’s kinda tried, tested, and, it it’s kind of a staple still our our base level communications. Alright. So moving along kind of our automation pyramid as well. Another part of our large offering is the Cogent data hub. Some people may have heard from this as well. It’s been around for a good while. It’s been part of our portfolio for for a while as well. This starts building upon where we had the communication now up to those higher echelons of the pyramid. This is gonna bring in a lot of different connectivities. You if you’re not if you’re listening, it it’s kind of this cog and spoke type of concept for real time data. We also have historical implementations. You can connect through a variety of different things. OPC, both the profiles for alarms and events, and even OPC UA’s alarming conditions, which is still getting adoption across the, across the industry, but it is growing. As part of the OPC UA standard, we have integrations to MQTT. It can be its own MQTT broker, and it can also be an MQTT client. That has grown a lot. It’s one of those things that lives be besides OPC UA, not exactly a replacement. If you ever have any questions about that, it’s definitely a topic I love to talk about. There’s space for for this to combine the benefits of both of these, and it’s so versatile and flexible for these different type of implementations. On top of that, it it’s it’s a really strong tool for conversion and aggregation. You kind of add this, like, its name says, it’s a it’s a data hub. You send all the different information to this. It stores it into, a hierarchy with a variety of different modeling that you can do within it. That’s gonna store these values across a standard data format. Once I had data into this, any of those different connections, I can then send data back out. So if I have anything that I know is coming in through a certain plug in like OPC, bring that in, send it out to on these other ones, OPC, DA over to MQTT. It could even do DDA if I’m still using that, which I probably wouldn’t suggest. But overall, there’s a lot of good benefits from having something that can also be a standardization, between all your different connections. I have a lot of different things, maybe variety of OPC servers, legacy or newer. Bring that into a data hub, and then all your other connections, your historians, your MAS, your SCADAs, it can connect to that single point. So it’s all getting the same data model and values from a single source rather than going out and making many to many connections. A a large thing that it was originally, used for was getting around DCOM. That word is, you know, it might send some shivers down people’s spines still, to this day, but it’s it’s not a fun thing to deal with DCOM and also with the security hardening. It’s just not something that you really want to do. I’m sure there’s a lot of security professionals would advise against EPRA doing it. This tunneling will allow you to have a data hub that locally talks to any of the DA server client, communicate between two data hubs over a tunnel that pushes the data just over TCP, takes away all the comm wrappers, and now you just have values that get streamed in between. Now you don’t have to configure any DCOM at all, and it’s all local. So a lot of people went transitioning, between products where maybe the server only supports OPC DA, and then the client is now supporting OPC UA. They can’t change it yet. This has allowed them to implement a solution quickly and cost and at a cost effective price, without ripping everything out. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I wanna ask you too. I can see because this thing is it’s a data hub. So if you’re watching and you’re if you’re listening and not watching, you you’re not gonna see, you know, server, client, UAD, a broker, server, client. You know, just all these different things up here on the site. Do you what how does somebody find out if it does what they need? I mean, do you guys have a line they can call to say, I wanna do this to this. Is that something Data Hub can do, or is there a demo? What would you recommend to somebody? Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Reach out to us. We we have a a lot of content outline, and it’s not behind any paywall or sign in links even. You you can always go to our website. It’s just softwaretoolbox.com. Mhmm. And that’s gonna get you to our product pages. You can download any product directly from there. They have demo timers. So typically with, with coaching data hub, after an hour, it will stop. You can just rerun it. And then call our team. Yeah. We have a solutions team that can work with you on, hey. What do I need as well? Then our support team, if you run into any issues, can help you troubleshoot that as well. So, I’ll have some contact information at the end, that’ll get some people to, you know, where they need to go. But you’re absolutely right, Shawn. Because this is so versatile, everyone’s use case of it is usually something a little bit different. And the best people to come talk to that is us because we’ve we’ve seen all those differences. So Shawn Tierney (Host): I think a lot of people run into the fact, like, they have a problem. Maybe it’s the one you said where they have the OPC UA and it needs to connect to an OPC DA client. And, you know, and a lot of times, they’re they’re a little gunshot to buy a license because they wanna make sure it’s gonna do exactly what they need first. And I think that’s where having your people can, you know, answer their questions saying, yes. We can do that or, no. We can’t do that. Or, you know, a a demo that they could download and run for an hour at a time to actually do a proof of concept for the boss who’s gonna sign off on purchasing this. And then the other thing is too, a lot of products like this have options. And you wanna make sure you’re buying the ticking the right boxes when you buy your license because you don’t wanna buy something you’re not gonna use. You wanna buy the exact pieces you need. So I highly recommend I mean, this product just does like, I have, in my mind, like, five things I wanna ask right now, but not gonna. But, yeah, def definitely, when it when it comes to a product like this, great to touch base with these folks. They’re super friendly and helpful, and, they’ll they’ll put you in the right direction. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. I I can tell you that’s working someone to support. Selling someone a solution that doesn’t work is not something I’ve been doing. Bad day. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And we work very closely, between anyone that’s looking at products. You know, me being as technical product managers, well, I I’m engaged in those conversations. And Mhmm. Yeah. If you need a demo license, reach out to us to extend that. We wanna make sure that you are buying something that provides you value. Now kind of moving on into a similar realm. This is one of our still somewhat newer offerings, I say, but we’ve been around five five plus years, and it’s really grown. And I kinda said here, it’s called OPC router, and and it’s not it’s not a networking tool. A lot of people may may kinda get that. It’s more of a, kind of a term about, again, all these different type of connections. How do you route them to different ways? It it kind of it it separates itself from the Cogent data hub, and and acting at this base level of being like a visual workflow that you can assign various tasks to. So if I have certain events that occur, I may wanna do some processing on that before I just send data along, where the data hub is really working in between converting, streaming data, real time connections. This gives you a a kind of a playground to work around of if I have certain tasks that are occurring, maybe through a database that I wanna trigger off of a certain value, based on my SCADA system, well, you can build that in in these different workflows to execute exactly what you need. Very, very flexible. Again, it has all these different type of connections. The very unique ones that have also grown into kind of that OT IT convergence, is it can be a REST API server and client as well. So I can be sending out requests to, RESTful servers where we’re seeing that hosted in a lot of new applications. I wanna get data out of them. Or once I have consumed a variety of data, I can become the REST server in OPC router and offer that to other applications to request data from itself. So, again, it can kind of be that centralized area of information. The other thing as we talked about in the automation pyramid is it has connections directly into SAP and ERP systems. So if you have work orders, if you have materials, that you wanna continue to track and maybe trigger things based off information from your your operation floors via PLCs tracking, how they’re using things along the line, and that needs to match up with what the SAP system has for, the amount of materials you have. This can be that bridge. It’s really is built off the mindset of the OT world as well. So we kinda say this helps empower the OT level because we’re now giving them the tools to that they understand what what’s occurring in their operations. And what could you do by having a tool like this to allow you to kind of create automated workflows based off certain values and certain events and automate some of these things that you may be doing manually or doing very convoluted through a variety of solutions. So this is one of those prod, products as well that’s very advanced in the things that supports. Linux and Docker containers is, is definitely could be a hot topic, rightly fleet rightfully so. And this can run on a on a Docker container deployed as well. So we we’ve seen that with the I IT folks that really enjoy being able to control and to higher deployment, allows you to update easily, allows you to control and spin up new containers as well. This gives you a lot of flexibility to to deploy and manage these systems. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, I may wanna have you back on to talk about this. I used to there’s an old product called Rascal that I used to use. It was a transaction manager, and it would based on data changing or on a time that as a trigger, it could take data either from the PLC to the database or from the database to the PLC, and it would work with stored procedures. And and this seems like it hits all those points, And it sounds like it’s a visual like you said, right there on the slide, visual workflow builder. Connor Mason (Guest): Yep. Shawn Tierney (Host): So you really piqued my interest with this one, and and it may be something we wanna come back to and and revisit in the future, because, it just it’s just I know that that older product was very useful and, you know, it really solved a lot of old applications back in the day. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Absolutely. And this this just takes that on and builds even more. If you if anyone was, kind of listening at the beginning of this year or two, a conference called Prove It that was very big in the industry, we were there to and we presented on stage a solution that we had. Highly recommend going searching for that. It’s on our web pages. It’s also on their YouTube links, and it’s it’s called Prove It. And OPC router was a big part of that in the back end. I would love to dive in and show you the really unique things. Kind of as a quick overview, we’re able to use Google AI vision to take camera data and detect if someone was wearing a hard hat. All that logic and behind of getting that information to Google AI vision, was through REST with OPC router. Then we were parsing that information back through that, connection and then providing it back to the PLCs. So we go all the way from a camera to a PLC controlling a light stack, up to Google AI vision through OPC router, all on hotel Wi Fi. It’s very imp it’s very, very fun presentation, and, our I think our team did a really great job. So a a a pretty new offering I have I wanna highlight, is our is our data caster. This is a an actual piece of hardware. You know, our software toolbox is we we do have some hardware as well. It’s just, part of the nature of this environment of how we mesh in between things. But the the idea is that, there’s a lot of different use cases for HMI and SCADA. They have grown so much from what they used to be, and they’re very core part of the automation stack. Now a lot of times, these are doing so many things beyond that as well. What we found is that in different areas of operations, you may not need all that different control. You may not even have the space to make up a whole workstation for that as well. What this does, the data caster, is, just simply plug it plugs it into any network and into an HDMI compatible display, and it gives you a very easy configure workplace to put a few key metrics onto a screen. So if I have different things from you can connect directly to PLCs like Allen Bradley. You can connect to SQL databases. You can also connect to rest APIs to gather the data from these different sources and build a a a kind of easy to to view, KPI dashboard in a way. So if you’re on a operation line and you wanna look at your current run rate, maybe you have certain things in the POC tags, you know, flow and pressure that’s very important for those operators to see. They may not be, even the capacity to be interacting with anything. They just need visualizations of what’s going on. This product can just be installed, you know, industrial areas with, with any type of display that you can easily access and and give them something that they can easily look at. It’s configured all through a web browser to display what you want. You can put on different colors based on levels of values as well. And it’s just I feel like a very simple thing that sometimes it seems so simple, but those might be the things that provide value on the actual operation floor. This is, for anyone that’s watching, kind of a quick view of a very simple screen. What we’re showing here is what it would look like from all the different data sources. So talking directly to ControlLogs PLC, talking to SQL databases, micro eight eight hundreds, an arrest client, and and what’s coming very soon, definitely by the end of this year, is OPC UA support. So any OPC UA server that’s out there that’s already having your PLC data or etcetera, this could also connect to that and get values from there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Can I can you make it I’m I’m here I go? Can you make it so it, like, changes, like, pages every few seconds? Connor Mason (Guest): Right now, it is a single page, but this is, like I said, very new product, so we’re taking any feedback. If, yeah, if there’s this type of slideshow cycle that would be, you know, valuable to anyone out there, let us know. We’re definitely always interested to see the people that are actually working out at these operation sites, what what’s valuable to them. Yeah. Shawn Tierney (Host): A lot of kiosks you see when when you’re traveling, it’ll say, like, line one well, I’ll just throw out there. Line one, and that’ll be on there for five seconds, and then it’ll go line two. That’ll be on there for five seconds, and then line you know, I and that’s why I just mentioned that because I can see that being a question that, that that I would get from somebody who is asking me about it. Connor Mason (Guest): Oh, great question. Appreciate it. Alright. So now we’re gonna set time for a little hands on demo. For anyone that’s just listening, we’re gonna I’m gonna talk about this at at a high level and walk through everything. But the idea is that, we have a few different POCs, very common in Allen Bradley and just a a Siemens seven, s seven fifteen hundred that’s in our office, pretty close to me on the other side of the wall wall, actually. We’re gonna first start by connecting that to our top server like we talked about. This is our industrial communication server, that offers both OCDA, OC UA, SweetLink connectivity as well. And then we’re gonna bring this into our Cogent data hub. This we talked about is getting those values up to these higher levels. What we’ll be doing is also tunneling the data. We talked about being able to share data through the data hubs themselves. Kinda explain why we’re doing that here and the value you can add. And then we’re also gonna showcase adding on MQTT to this level. Taking beta now just from these two PLCs that are sitting on a rack, and I can automatically make all that information available in the MQTT broker. So any MQTT client that’s out there that wants to subscribe to that data, now has that accessible. And I’ve created this all through a a really simple workflow. We also have some databases connected. Influx, we install with Code and DataHub, has a free visualization tool that kinda just helps you see what’s going on in your processes. I wanna showcase a little bit of that as well. Alright. So now jumping into our demo, when we first start off here is the our top server. Like I mentioned before, if anyone has worked with KEP server in the past, this is gonna look very similar. Like it because it is. The same technology and all the things here. The the first things that I wanted to establish in our demo, was our connection to our POCs. I have a few here. We’re only gonna use the Allen Bradley and the Siemens, for the the time that we have on our demo here. But how this builds out as a platform is you create these different channels and the devices connections between them. This is gonna be your your physical connections to them. It’s either, IP TCPIP connection or maybe your serial connection as well. We have support for all of them. It really is a long list. Anyone watching out there, you can kind of see all the different drivers that that we offer. So allowing this into a single platform, you can have all your connectivity based here. All those different connections that you now have that up the stack, your SCADA, your historians, MAS even as well, they can all go to a single source. Makes that management, troubleshooting, all those a bit easier as well. So one of the first things I did here, I have this built out, but I’ll kinda walk through what you would typically do. You have your Allen Bradley ControlLogix Ethernet driver here first. You know, I have some IPs in here I won’t show, but, regardless, we have our our our drivers here, and then we have a set of tags. These are all the global tags in the programming of the PLC. How I got these to to kind of map automatically is in our in our driver, we’re able to create tags automatically. So you’re able to send a command to that device and ask for its entire tag database. They can come back, provide all that, map it out for you, create those tags as well. This saves a lot of time from, you know, an engineer have to go in and, addressing all the individual items themselves. So once it’s defined in the program project, you’re able to bring this all in automatically. I’ll show now how easy that makes it connecting to something like the Cogent data hub. In a very similar fashion, we have a connection over here to the Siemens, PLC that I also have. You can see beneath it all these different tag structures, and this was created the exact same way. While those those PLC support it, you can do an automatic tag generation, bring in all the structure that you’ve already built out your PLC programming, and and make this available on this OPC server now as well. So that’s really the basis. We first need to establish communications to these PLCs, get that tag data, and now what do we wanna do with it? So in this demo, what I wanted to bring up was, the code in DataHub next. So here, I see a very similar kind of layout. We have a different set set of plugins on the left side. So for anyone listening, the Cogent Data Hub again is kind of our aggregation and conversion tool. All these different type of protocols like OPC UA, OPC DA, and OPC A and E for alarms and events. We also support OPC alarms and conditions, which is the newer profile for alarms in OPC UA. We have all a variety of different ways that you can get data out of things and data’s into the data hub. We can also do bridging. This concept is, how you share data in between different points. So let’s say I had a connection to one OPC server, and it was communicating to a certain PLC, and there were certain registers I was getting data from. Well, now I also wanna connect to a different OPC server that has, entirely different brand of PLCs. And then maybe I wanna share data in between them directly. Well, with this software, I can just bridge those points between them. Once they’re in the data hub, I can do kind of whatever I want with them. I can then allow them to write between those PLCs and share data that way, and you’re not now having to do any type of hardwiring directly in between them, and then I’m compatible to communicate to each other. Through the standards of OPC and these variety of different communication levels, I can integrate them together. Shawn Tierney (Host): You know, you bring up a good point. When you do something like that, is there any heartbeat? Like, is there on the general or under under, one of these, topics? Is there are there tags we can use that are from DataHub itself that can be sent to the destination, like a heartbeat or, you know, the merge transactions? Or Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Absolutely. So with this as well, there’s pretty strong scripting engine, and I have done that in the past where you can make internal tags. And that that could be a a timer. It could be a counter. And and just kind of allows you to create your own tags as well that you could do the same thing, could share that, through bridge connection to a PLC. So, yeah, there there are definitely some people that had those cert and, you know, use cases where they wanna get something to just track, on this software side and get it out to those hardware PLCs. Absolutely. Shawn Tierney (Host): I mean, when you send out the data out of the PLC, the PLC doesn’t care to take my data. But when you’re getting data into the PLC, you wanna make sure it’s updating and it’s fresh. And so, you know, they throw a counter in there, the script thing, and be able to have that. As as long as you see that incrementing, you know, you got good data coming in. That’s that’s a good feature. Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. You know, another big one is the the redundancy. So what this does is beyond just the OPC, we can make redundancy to basically anything that has two things running of it. So any of these different connections. How it’s unique is what it does is it just looks at the buckets of data that you create. So for an example, if I do have two different OPC servers and I put them into two areas of, let’s say, OPC server one and OPC server two, I can what now create an OPC redundancy data bucket. And now any client that connects externally to that and wants that data, it’s gonna go talk to that bucket of data. And that bucket of data is going to automatically change in between sources as things go down, things come back up, and the client would never know what’s hap what that happened unless you wanted to. There are internal tasks to show what’s the current source and things, but the idea is to make this trans kind of hidden that regardless of what’s going on in the operations, if I have this set up, I can have my external applications just reading from a single source without knowing that there’s two things behind it that are actually controlling that. Very important for, you know, historian connections where you wanna have a full complete picture of that data that’s coming in. If you’re able to make a redundant connection to two different, servers and then allow that historian to talk to a single point where it doesn’t have to control that switching back and forth. It it will just see that data flow streamlessly as as either one is up at that time. Kinda beyond that as well, there’s quite a few other different things in here. I don’t think we have time to cover all of them. But for for our demo, what I wanna focus on first is our OPC UA connection. This allows us both to act as a OPC UA client to get data from any servers out there, like our top server. And also we can act as an OPC UA server itself. So if anything’s coming in from maybe you have multiple connections to different servers, multiple connections to other things that aren’t OPC as well, I can now provide all this data automatically in my own namespace to allow things to connect to me as well. And that’s part of that aggregation feature, and kind of topic I was mentioning before. So with that, I have a connection here. It’s pulling data all from my top server. I have a few different tags from my Alec Bradley and and my Siemens PLC selected. The next part of this, while I was meshing, was the tunneling. Like I said, this is very popular to get around DCOM issues, but there’s a lot of reasons why you still may use this beyond just the headache of DCOM and what it was. What this runs on is a a TCP stream that takes all the data points as a value, a quality, and a timestamp, and it can mirror those in between another DataHub instance. So if I wanna get things across a network, like my OT side, where NASH previously, I would have to come in and allow a, open port onto my network for any OPC UA clients, across the network to access that, I can now actually change the direction of this and allow me to tunnel data out of my network without opening up any ports. This is really big for security. If anyone out there, security professional or working as an engineer, you have to work with your IT and security a lot, they don’t you don’t wanna have an open port, especially to your operations and OT side. So this allows you to change that direction of flow and push data out of this direction into another area like a DMZ computer or up to a business level computer as well. The other things as well that I have configured in this demo, the benefit of having that tunneling streaming data across this connection is I can also store this data locally in a, influx database. The purpose of that then is that I can actually historize this, provide then if this connection ever goes down to backfill any information that was lost during that tunnel connection going down. So with this added layer on and real time data scenarios like OPC UA, unless you have historical access, you would lose a lot of data if that connection ever went down. But with this, I can actually use the back end of this InfluxDB, buffer any values. When my connection comes back up, pass them along that stream again. And if I have anything that’s historically connected, like, another InfluxDB, maybe a PI historian, Vue historian, any historian offering out there that can allow that connection. I can then provide all those records that were originally missed and backfill that into those systems. So I switched over to a second machine. It’s gonna look very similar here as well. This also has an instance of the Cogent Data Hub running here. For anyone not watching, what we’ve actually have on this side is the the portion of the tunneler that’s sitting here and listening for any data requests coming in. So on my first machine, I was able to connect my PLCs, gather that information into Cogent DataHub, and now I’m pushing that information, across the network into a separate machine that’s sitting here and listening to gather information. So what I can quickly do is just make sure I have all my data here. So I have these different points, both from my Allen Bradley PLCs. I have a few, different simulation demo points, like temperature, pressure, tank level, a few statuses, and all this is updating directly through that stream as the PLC is updating it as well. I also have my scenes controller. I have some, current values and a few different counters tags as well. All of this again is being directly streamed through that tunnel. I’m not connecting to an OPC server at all on this side. I can show you that here. There’s no connections configured. I’m not talking to the PLCs directly on this machine as well. But maybe we’ll pass all the information through without opening up any ports on my OT demo machine per se. So what’s the benefit of that? Well, again, security. Also, the ability to do the store and forward mechanisms. On the other side, I was logging directly to a InfluxDB. This could be my d- my buffer, and then I was able to configure it where if any values were lost, to store that across the network. So now with this side, if I pull up Chronic Graph, which is a free visualization tool that installs with the DataHub as well, I can see some very nice, visual workflows and and visual diagrams of what is going on with this data. So I have a pressure that is just a simulator in this, Allen Bradley PLC that ramps up and and comes back down. It’s not actually connected to anything that’s reading a real pressure, but you can see over time, I can kind of change through these different layers of time. And I might go back a little far, but I have a lot of data that’s been stored in here. For a while during my test, I turned this off and, made it fail, but then I came back in and I was able to recreate all the data and backfill it as well. So through through these views, I can see that as data disconnects, as it comes back on, I have a very cyclical view of the data because it was able to recover and store and forward from that source. Like I said, Shawn, data quality is a big thing in this industry. It’s a big thing for people both at the operations side, and both people making decision in the business layer. So being able to have a full picture, without gaps, it is definitely something that, you should be prioritizing, when you can. Shawn Tierney (Host): Now what we’re seeing here is you’re using InfluxDB on this, destination PC or IT side PC and chronograph, which was that utility or that package that comes, gets installed. It’s free. But you don’t actually have to use that. You could have sent this in to an OSI pi or Exactly. Somebody else’s historian. Right? Can you name some of the historians you work with? I know OSI pie. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. So there’s quite a few different ones. As far as what we support in the Data Hub natively, Amazon Kinesis, the cloud hosted historian that we can also do the same things from here as well. Aviva Historian, Aviva Insight, Apache Kafka. This is a a kind of a a newer one as well that used to be a very IT oriented solution, now getting into OT. It’s kind of a similar database structure where things are stored in different topics that we can stream to. On top of that, just regular old ODBC connections. That opens up a lot of different ways you can do it, or even, the old classic OPC, HDA. So if you have any, historians that that can act as an OPC HDA, connection, we we can also stream it through there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Excellent. That’s a great list. Connor Mason (Guest): The other thing I wanna show while we still have some time here is that MQTT component. This is really growing and, it’s gonna continue to be a part of the industrial automation technology stack and conversations moving forward, for streaming data, you know, from devices, edge devices, up into different layers, both now into the OT, and then maybe out to, IT, in our business levels as well, and definitely into the cloud as we’re seeing a lot of growth into it. Like I mentioned with Data Hub, the big benefit is I have all these different connections. I can consume all this data. Well, I can also act as an MQTT broker. And what what a broker typically does in MQTT is just route data and share data. It’s kind of that central point where things come to it to either say, hey. I’m giving you some new values. Share it with someone else. Or, hey. I need these values. Can you give me that? It really fits in super well with what this product is at its core. So all I have to do here is just enable it. What that now allows is I have an example, MQTT Explorer. If anyone has worked with MQTT, you’re probably familiar with this. There’s nothing else I configured beyond just enabling the broker. And you can see within this structure, I have all the same data that was in my Data Hub already. The same things I were collecting from my PLCs and top server. Now I’ve embedded these as MPPT points and now I have them in JSON format with the value, their timestamp. You can even see, like, a little trend here kind of matching what we saw in Influx. And and now this enables all those different cloud connectors that wanna speak this language to do it seamlessly. Shawn Tierney (Host): So you didn’t have to set up the PLCs a second time to do this? Nope. Connor Mason (Guest): Not at all. Shawn Tierney (Host): You just enabled this, and now the data’s going this way as well. Exactly. Connor Mason (Guest): Yeah. That’s a really strong point of the Cogent Data Hub is once you have everything into its structure and model, you just enable it to use any of these different connections. You can get really, really creative with these different things. Like we talked about with the the bridging aspect and getting into different systems, even writing down the PLCs. You can make crust, custom notifications and email alerts, based on any of these values. You could even take something like this MTT connection, tunnel it across to another data hub as well, maybe then convert it to OPC DA. And now you’ve made a a a new connection over to something that’s very legacy as well. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. That, I mean, the options here are just pretty amazing, all the different things that can be done. Connor Mason (Guest): Absolutely. Well, I, you know, I wanna jump back into some of our presentation here while we still got the time. And now after we’re kinda done with our demo, there’s so many different ways that you can use these different tools. This is just a really simple, kind of view of the, something that used to be very simple, just connecting OpenSea servers to a variety of different connections, kind of expanding onto with that that’s store and forward, the local influx usage, getting out to things like MTT as well. But there’s a lot more you can do with these solutions. So like Shawn said, reach out to us. We’re happy to engage and see what we can help you with. I have a few other things before we wrap up. Just overall, it we’ve worked across nearly every industry. We have installations across the globe on all continents. And like I said, we’ve been around for pushing thirty years next year. So we’ve seen a lot of different things, and we really wanna talk to anyone out there that maybe has some struggles that are going on with just connectivity, or you have any ongoing projects. If you work in these different industries or if there’s nothing marked here and you have anything going on that you need help with, we’re very happy to sit down and let you know if there’s there’s something we can do there. Shawn Tierney (Host): Yeah. For those who are, listening, I mean, we see most of the big energy and consumer product, companies on that slide. So I’m not gonna read them off, but, it’s just a lot of car manufacturers. You know, these are these are these, the household name brands that everybody knows and loves. Connor Mason (Guest): So kind of wrap some things up here. We talked about all the different ways that we’ve kind of helped solve things in the past, but I wanna highlight some of the unique ones, that we’ve also gone do some, case studies on and and success stories. So this one I actually got to work on, within the last few years that, a plastic packaging, manufacturer was looking to track uptime and downtime across multiple different lines, and they had a new cloud solution that they were already evaluating. They’re really excited to get into play. They they had a lot of upside to, getting things connected to this and start using it. Well, what they had was a lot of different PLCs, a lot of different brands, different areas, different, you know, areas of operation that they need to connect to. So what they used was to first get that into our top server, kind of similar to how they showed them use in their in our demo. We just need to get all the data into a centralized platform first, get that data accessible. Then from there, once they had all that information into a centralized area, they used the Cogent Data Hub as well to help aggregate that information and transform it to be sent to the cloud through MQTT. So very similar to the demo here, this is actually a real use case of that. Getting information from PLCs, structuring it into that how that cloud system needed it for MQTT, and streamlining that data connection to now where it’s just running in operation. They constantly have updates about where their lines are in operation, tracking their downtime, tracking their uptime as well, and then being able to do some predictive analytics in that cloud solution based on their history. So this really enabled them to kind of build from what they had existing. It was doing a lot of manual tracking, into an entirely automated system with management able to see real views of what’s going on at this operation level. Another one I wanna talk about was we we were able to do this success story with, Ace Automation. They worked with a pharmaceutical company. Ace Automation is a SI and they were brought in and doing a lot of work with some some old DDE connections, doing some custom Excel macros, and we’re just having a hard time maintaining some legacy systems that were just a pain to deal with. They were working with these older files, from some old InTouch histor HMIs, and what they needed to do was get something that was not just based on Excel and doing custom macros. So one product we didn’t get to talk about yet, but we also carry is our LGH file inspector. It’s able to take these files, put them out into a standardized format like CSV, and also do a lot of that automation of when when should these files be queried? Should they be, queried for different lengths? Should they be output to different areas? Can I set these up in a scheduled task so it can be done automatically rather than someone having to sit down and do it manually in Excel? So they will able to, recover over fifty hours of engineering time with the solution from having to do late night calls to troubleshoot a, Excel macro that stopped working, from crashing machines, because they were running a legacy systems to still support some of the DDE servers, into saving them, you know, almost two hundred plus hours of productivity. Another example, if we’re able to work with a renewable, energy customer that’s doing a lot of innovative things across North America, They had a very ambitious plan to double their footprint in the next two years. And with that, they had to really look back at their assets and see where they currently stand, how do we make new standards to support us growing into what we want to be. So with this, they had a lot of different data sources currently. They’re all kind of siloed at the specific areas. Nothing was really connected commonly to a corporate level area of historization, or control and security. So again, they they were able to use our top server and put out a standard connectivity platform, bring in the DataHub as an aggregation tool. So each of these sites would have a top server that was individually collecting data from different devices, and then that was able to send it into a single DataHub. So now their corporate level had an entire view of all the information from these different plants in one single application. That then enabled them to connect their historian applications to that data hub and have a perfect view and make visualizations off of their entire operations. What this allowed them to do was grow without replacing everything. And that’s a big thing that we try to strive on is replacing and ripping out all your existing technologies. It’s not something you can do overnight. But how do we provide value and gain efficiency with what’s in place and providing newer technologies on top of that without disrupting the actual operation as well? So this was really, really successful. And at the end, I just wanna kind of provide some other contacts and information people can learn more. We have a blog that goes out every week on Thursdays. A lot of good technical content out there. A lot of recast of the the awesome things we get to do here, the success stories as well, and you can always find that at justblog.softwaretoolbox.com. And again, our main website is justsoftwaretoolbox.com. You can get product information, downloads, reach out to anyone on our team. Let’s discuss what what issues you have going on, any new projects, we’ll be happy to listen. Shawn Tierney (Host): Well, Connor, I wanna thank you very much for coming on the show and bringing us up to speed on not only software toolbox, but also to, you know, bring us up to speed on top server and doing that demo with top server and data hub. Really appreciate that. And, I think, you know, like you just said, if anybody, has any projects that you think these solutions may be able to solve, please give them a give them a call. And if you’ve already done something with them, leave a comment. You know? To leave a comment, no matter where you’re watching or listening to this, let us know what you did. What did you use? Like me, I used OmniServer all those many years ago, and, of course, Top Server as an OPC server. But if you guys have already used Software Toolbox and, of course, Symbol Factory, I use that all the time. But if you guys are using it, let us know in the comments. It’s always great to hear from people out there. I know, you know, with thousands of you guys listening every week, but I’d love to hear, you know, are you using these products? Or if you have questions, I’ll funnel them over to Connor if you put them in the comments. So with that, Connor, did you have anything else you wanted to cover before we close out today’s show? Connor Mason (Guest): I think that was it, Shawn. Thanks again for having us on. It was really fun. Shawn Tierney (Host): I hope you enjoyed that episode, and I wanna thank Connor for taking time out of his busy schedule to come on the show and bring us up to speed on software toolbox and their suite of products. Really appreciated that demo at the end too, so we actually got a look at if you’re watching. Gotta look at their products and how they work. And, just really appreciate them taking all of my questions. I also appreciate the fact that Software Toolbox sponsored this episode, meaning we were able to release it to you without any ads. So I really appreciate them. If you’re doing any business with Software Toolbox, please thank them for sponsoring this episode. And with that, I just wanna wish you all good health and happiness. And until next time, my friends, peace. Until next time, Peace ✌️  If you enjoyed this content, please give it a Like, and consider Sharing a link to it as that is the best way for us to grow our audience, which in turn allows us to produce more content

We are continuing our STtalks at the 2025 World Dairy Expo. With us is Andrew Holliday, Genetics Product Manager from Cogent, who shares his insights on the exciting journey of Cogent since becoming part of the STgenetics group. Andrew discusses the history of Cogent, their pioneering work with gender-sorted semen and beef semen in dairy farming and the evolving genetic programs in the UK. Learn about the different genetic needs of British dairy farmers, the importance of custom indexes, and the role of EcoFeed® and the Eco$ index in promoting sustainability.0:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome00:39 History of Cogent and Joining STgen01:18 Beef on Dairy Program in the UK02:07 UK Dairy Farming Landscape02:37 Genetic Strategies for UK Dairy Farmers04:18 Sustainability and EcoFeed® Initiatives05:26 Future of Cogent in the UK06:09 Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

What if defenders had their own AI-powered task force, always on, always adapting, and finally one step ahead of attackers? In this episode, Ron welcomes Vineet Edupuganti, Founder and CEO of Cogent Security, to discuss how AI agents are rewriting the rules of cybersecurity. Vineet shares why traditional vulnerability management is fundamentally broken, why exposure management matters more than ever, and how Cogent is building an “AI Task Force” to give defenders the edge. From his early days in machine learning to reshaping the future of cyber defense, Vineet breaks down the urgent need for automation, context-driven insights, and explainable AI in security. Impactful Moments: 00:00 - Introduction 02:00 - Vineet's journey into AI and cyber 04:30 - Why vulnerability management is broken 06:10 - Generative AI as a defender's edge 08:20 - Why AI agents outperform brittle automation 09:45 - The first use cases for Cogent's agents 12:00 - Rethinking tier-one SOC analyst roles 13:30 - The rise of exposure management (CTEM) 17:10 - Cogent's vision for an AI task force 18:30 - Early wins and insights with Cogent 20:00 - Biggest misconceptions about AI in security 23:00 - What enterprises should demand from vendors 25:00 - Why explainability is essential in AI systems 27:00 - Startups vs incumbents in cybersecurity innovation 29:30 - Why enterprises must invest in AI now   Links: Connect with our guest, Vineet Edupuganti, on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vineetedupuganti Learn more about Cogent Security: https://www.cogent.security    Check out our upcoming events: https://www.hackervalley.com/livestreams Join our creative mastermind and stand out as a cybersecurity professional: https://www.patreon.com/hackervalleystudio Love Hacker Valley Studio? Pick up some swag: https://store.hackervalley.com Continue the conversation by joining our Discord: https://hackervalley.com/discord Become a sponsor of the show to amplify your brand: https://hackervalley.com/work-with-us/    

On this episode of Connected Nation, we continue our coverage live from the Broadband Community Summit in Houston, Texas.On this edition we sit down with two representatives from Cogent Communications. We discuss the evolution of data centers, talk about Cogent's work globally, and how it is the Internet Service Provider of Internet Service Providers.Recommended Link:Cogent website

Oh yes, we're talking all kinds of stocks! (00:21) Jason Hall and Matt Frankel discuss: - AI stocks in the data center space (including CoreWeave) - Winners and losers in energy and solar from the Big Beautiful Bill. - With Superman coming out, we rank the intellectual property of Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast, Disney, and Netflix (19:11) Dave Schaeffer, founder and CEO of Cogent Communications, talks with Asit Sharma and Sanmeet Deo about how Cogent's deals with customers like Netflix and Meta Platforms work and what keeps him up at night. (32:39) Jason and Matt talk about Prime Day and other made up holidays and give us the stocks on their radar. Stocks discussed: CRWV, DLR, EQIX, AMZN, MSFT, BEP, BEPC, NVDA, CRM, CSIQ, RUN, FSLR, ENPH, TSLA, GEV, J, CEG, FLNC, WBD, CMCSA, DIS, NFLX, SOFI, CHD Host: Anand Chokkavelu Guests: Jason Hall, Matt Frankel, Asit Sharma, Sanmeet Deo, Dave Schaeffer Engineer: Dan Boyd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Yet Another Value Podcast, host Andrew Walker returns with Aaron Chan from Recurve Capital to explore Cogent Communications (CCOI). Aaron breaks down the legacy internet business, the Sprint wireline acquisition, and the complex financial transformation underway. The conversation highlights CEO Dave Schaeffer's strategic vision, market dynamics in enterprise telecom, and the network's long-term potential. They analyze network architecture, discuss operational efficiency, and evaluate capital allocation under heavy leverage. The episode closes with thoughts on competitive threats, structural advantages, and what the future may hold post-Dave.________________________________________________________[00:00:00] Podcast and guest introduction[00:02:22] Aaron introduces Cogent business overview[00:06:51] Legacy network setup and strategy[00:10:19] Competition and service differentiation[00:14:36] Sprint network acquisition background[00:20:35] Challenges with Sprint integration[00:27:59] Wave business compared to Lumen[00:35:40] Missed expectations and market reaction[00:40:17] Dave's control and RE leverage[00:48:49] Dividend vs. buyback strategy[00:53:41] Dave's succession and exit plan[00:59:00] Traffic deflation and usage trends[01:03:17] Pricing strategy and competitive risks[01:07:54] Cogent's share strategy explained[01:10:12] Competitive positioning against Lumen[01:13:29] Core infrastructure value and demand[01:16:44] Future growth expectations and risks[01:20:18] Final thoughts on investment case[01:25:30] Closing remarks and sign-offLinks:Yet Another Value Blog: https://www.yetanothervalueblog.comSee our legal disclaimer here: https://www.yetanothervalueblog.com/p/legal-and-disclaimer

What happens when a cannabis banking lawyer and a fintech recruiter sit down to talk shop? You get a candid conversation packed with strategy, clarity, and a few laughs along the way.In this Travillian Next episode, Keith Daly, Principal, Banking & Fintech Search at Travillian chats with Chris Van Dyck, Partner at Cogent Law, about what banks need to know before entering the cannabis space. They dig into the real risks (hint: it's not legal trouble), why the SAFE Banking Act remains a long shot, and how savvy cannabis businesses are reshaping financial services.

David makes the case that there are some arguments that are better than others for protectionist economic policy, even if none of them are persuasive, but there are none so counterproductive and misguided as merely calling your ideological opponents “globalists.” If the argument in classical economics against government intervention via protective tariffs is that they hurt American exporters, they hurt American importers, and they hurt American consumers, then the vocalizing of opposition can hardly be connected to “globalism.” For those who play this game, the intent is not to make a coherent argument at all, but to obfuscate, poison the well, and substitute innuendo in place of argument. For those who care for the American worker, we must do better.

Are you thinking big enough about your retirement? You'll have time for the things you always wanted to do but didn't have time for in your full-time working years. With a blank canvas to work with, what are the meaningful personal goals you'd like to pursue now? How you start can make the difference. Caroline Adams Miller joins us to discuss her new book Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life  and how you can use a research-backed method to set challenging but attainable goals - and make this year your best year. Caroline Adams Miller joins us from Maryland. ________________________ Bio Caroline Adams Miller is a globally renowned expert in positive psychology, with a special focus on goals and grit. For over 30 years, she has been a trailblazer in advancing these fields, helping individuals and organizations reach their most ambitious goals and improve overall well- being. She was among the first to earn a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, a program pioneered by Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology. Caroline also graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, laying the groundwork for her future achievements in psychology and personal development. She is a black-belt martial artist and a Masters swimmer. Caroline is the author of nine influential books, including:  My Name is Caroline (Doubleday 1988, Gurze 2000, Cogent 2014), a pioneering recovery memoir that has given hope to countless individuals battling eating disorders. •    Getting Grit (SoundsTrue 2017), which explores the science of perseverance and was recognized as one of the “top ten books that will change your life” in 2017 and one of the “top 25 books that will help you find your purpose” in 2023. •    Creating Your Best Life (Sterling 2009, 2021), a #1-ranked book on goal-setting that combines the science of success with research on happiness and was the first mass-market book to bridge these fields using Locke and Latham's goal- setting theory. •    Big Goals (Wiley, 2024), which offers an accessible, updated framework for achieving significant goals, incorporating modern research on mindset, grit, artificial intelligence, and resilience. It provides practical strategies for both personal and organizational success, grounded in 15 years of new research in positive psychology. This book is destined to change the way people view goalsetting and has been selected as a must-read for The Next Big Idea Club. Her books have been translated into multiple languages, including German, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian, reaching a global audience. Caroline's impact on positive psychology has earned widespread recognition. Dr. Martin Seligman highlighted her work in Flourish, and Angela Duckworth, a leading researcher on grit, praised Caroline's profound insights and practical applications of grit research, saying, “No one has thought more than Caroline about how to apply the scientific research on grit and achievement to our own lives!” A sought-after speaker, Caroline has presented at prestigious venues such as Wharton Business School's Executive Education program and delivered a TEDx talk titled “The Moments That Make Champions,” resonating with audiences worldwide. Her work has been featured in major media outlets like BBC World News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, and CNN. She has consulted with high-profile clients, including Morgan Stanley, lululemon, Coldwell Banker, American Bankers Association, Blizzard Entertainment, RE/MAX, Booz Allen, Harvard Law School, The World Bank, and Swisse Wellness, helping them pursue ambitious goals and create environments that foster success and well-being. Caroline's memoir My Name is Caroline details her personal journey of overcoming bulimia and demonstrates her belief in the power of grit an...

Goal-Setting for Women: Understanding your Strengths with Caroline Adams Miller  - Part 2In part two of my interview with Caroline Adams Miller, she explores goal setting for women.  We talk about gender differences and what women can do to achieve their dreams.  The episode explores how women can effectively achieve their big goals by understanding their character strengths and confiding in the right supportive networks. Carolyn Adams Miller shares valuable insights into goal setting, the significance of a strong support system, and practical steps for personal growth.In this episode, you will learn:• Gender differences in goal achievement • The importance of confiding in the right people for support • Why women benefit from a mastermind group  • The difference between learning goals and performance goals • Understanding and utilizing character strengths for success • Empowering conversations about strengths with family and friends • Resources for listeners to assess and leverage their strengthsYou can take the VIA Character Strength Survey here.  The survey is free.  Bio:For over 30 years, Caroline Adams Miller has been a trailblazer in advancing these fields, helping individuals and organizations reach their most ambitious goals and improve overall wellbeing. She was among the first to earn a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, a program pioneered by Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology. Caroline also graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, laying the groundwork for her future achievements inpsychology and personal development. She is a black-belt martial artist and a Masters swimmer.Caroline is the author of nine influential books, including:• My Name is Caroline (Doubleday 1988, Gurze 2000, Cogent 2014), a pioneering recovery memoir that has given hope to countless individuals battling eating disorders.• Getting Grit (SoundsTrue 2017), which explores the science of perseverance and was recognized as one of the “top ten books that will change your life” in 2017 and one of the “top 25 books that will help you find your purpose” in 2023.• Creating Your Best Life (Sterling 2009, 2021), a #1-ranked book on goal-setting that combines the science of success with research on happiness and was the first mass-market book to bridge these fields using Locke and Latham's goalsetting theory.• Big Goals (Wiley, 2024), which offers an accessible, updated framework forachieving significant goals, incorporating modern research on mindset, grit,artificial intelligence, and resilience. It provides practical strategies for bothpersonal and organizational success, grounded in 15 years of new research inpositive psychology. This book is destined to change the way people viewgoalsetting and has been selected as a must-read for The Next Big Idea Club.Her books have been translated into multiple languages, including German, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian, reaching a global audienceYou can find more information about Caroline Adams Miller Thanks for listening! Please send me your feedback in a text message - Want to start your own podcast?Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.If you're enjoying Stories of Change and Creativity, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it helps more people discover the show. Here's to a year full of change and creativity.

Big Goals with Caroline Adams Miller  - Part 1 In this episode, Caroline Adams Miller explores effective goal setting and presents a research-backed approach to achieving personal and professional aspirations. In this episode, you will learn: • The limitations of the SMART goal system • Introduction of Locke and Latham's goal-setting theory • Key differences between performance and learning goals • Importance of goal clarity in personal and professional settings • Real-life examples of goal-setting failures • Using the Oura Ring to maximize health and well-being• Advice for cultivating a growth mindset • Encouragement to embrace challenges and setbacks as learning experiences • Insights on tracking progress and measuring successBio: For over 30 years, Caroline Adams Miller has been a trailblazer in advancing these fields, helping individuals and organizations reach their most ambitious goals and improve overall wellbeing. She was among the first to earn a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania in 2006, a program pioneered by Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology. Caroline also graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, laying the groundwork for her future achievements inpsychology and personal development. She is a black-belt martial artist and a Masters swimmer.Caroline is the author of nine influential books, including:• My Name is Caroline (Doubleday 1988, Gurze 2000, Cogent 2014), a pioneering recovery memoir that has given hope to countless individuals battling eating disorders.• Getting Grit (SoundsTrue 2017), which explores the science of perseverance and was recognized as one of the “top ten books that will change your life” in 2017 and one of the “top 25 books that will help you find your purpose” in 2023.• Creating Your Best Life (Sterling 2009, 2021), a #1-ranked book on goal-setting that combines the science of success with research on happiness and was the first mass-market book to bridge these fields using Locke and Latham's goalsetting theory.• Big Goals (Wiley, 2024), which offers an accessible, updated framework forachieving significant goals, incorporating modern research on mindset, grit,artificial intelligence, and resilience. It provides practical strategies for bothpersonal and organizational success, grounded in 15 years of new research inpositive psychology. This book is destined to change the way people viewgoalsetting and has been selected as a must-read for The Next Big Idea Club.Her books have been translated into multiple languages, including German, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Italian, reaching a global audienceYou can find more information about Caroline Adams Miller here.   Big Goals: The Science of Setting Them, Achieving Them, and Creating Your Best Life.   Thanks for listening! Please send me your feedback in a text message - Want to start your own podcast?Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.If you're enjoying Stories of Change and Creativity, make sure to subscribe, rate, and leave a review—it helps more people discover the show. Here's to a year full of change and creativity.

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen the movie or read the book CONCLAVE, you may not want to listen (until you've seen the film or read the book). The Two Kens take a deep dive into the symbolism and message of this highly acclaimed motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, and more. There's much to discuss, unpack, and explore in this groundbreaking film. It's a film set in the Vatican when a fictional Pope dies, leaving the College of Cardinals to isolate themselves in the Sistine Chapel where they will elect a new Holy Father from among their ranks. BE FOREWARNED: Kemp and Fong reveal the stunning surprise ending and examine its meaning for today.Become a Patron | Ken's Substack PageSupport the show

Piano Music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, closing Banjo Music courtesy of Banjo HangOut "Waiting for The Robert E. Lee" used with permission.The so-called era of good feeling ended with the rise of our first named political party, Andrew Jackson was their first president…In that “Era of Good Feeling,” Congress had factions, not named parties….There were Federalists and anti/Federalists, Tomas Jefferson was an “agrarian” and a devout anti-federalist despite his work on The Declaration….That was the first division of Congress… — In his  (new) farewell address upon declining a third term, Washington warned against petty partisanship and foreign entanglements. It didn't take; the divisions were too great. Join me on Monday -- when we talk about preventive maintenance for your favorite ride how to change your oil.

Midnight Mike and Joe  / NDAA and Biological AI / Brain Computers / Skinwalker Ranch and Dimensional Cones / Disturbing Gobekli / Pride Month / Joe Biden Audio Run Down / Open Lines / Stand from Alaska / Alex Jones Settlement / Hulk Hogan Beer / End Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan hopes ‘real Americans' come together to enjoy his new beer https://www.foxnews.com/media/wrestling-legend-hulk-hogan-hopes-real-americans-come-together-enjoy-new-beer You Won't Believe This Disturbing Gobekli https://youtu.be/cPNgGnUrCKM?si=VwLHu20EaNZ4DOAN&t=278 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Phone: 614-388-9109 ► Skype: ourbigdumbmouth ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2   - Affiliates Links - Jackery:  https://shrsl.com/3cxhf Barebones:  https://bit.ly/3G38773  - OBDM Merch - https://obdm.creator-spring.com/ Buy Tea! Mike's wife makes some good tea: Naked Gardener Teas: https://www.thenakedgardener.us/store Bags Art Store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/BagsDraws/  

Microsoft is tightening up SMB security in Windows which might break access to your old NAS, a Cogent root-server mysteriously goes out of sync without them spotting it, and protecting hard drives from electromagnetic pulses.   Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes   News Installing Windows […]

Microsoft is tightening up SMB security in Windows which might break access to your old NAS, a Cogent root-server mysteriously goes out of sync without them spotting it, and protecting hard drives from electromagnetic pulses.   Plug Support us on patreon and get an ad-free RSS feed with early episodes sometimes   News Installing Windows... Read More

Are you tapping into the full potential of zero and first-party data? Zero and first-party data are eclipsing third-party data… When brands use this data strategically, they can drive more sales and acquire more customers because they know exactly who they're selling to. But a majority of brands are missing out on this opportunity—are you one of them? Sean Simon, founder of Cogent, is here to break down how brands can use zero and first-party data to drive performance in media and e-commerce. We'll cover:What happens when third-party data disappearsThe difference between zero and first-party dataHow brands can capture first-party data in a privacy compliant wayWhy brands shouldn't outsource their first-party dataUntapped resources for zero-party dataAnd more

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands can spend up to a year in the search for the right technology solution which inevitably impacts their business. Cogent's platform expedites this process, enabling brands to quickly select the best solution and start generating revenue. Today, Sean discusses evaluating your martech solutions to make sure they match your needs. Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands can spend up to a year in the search for the right technology solution which inevitably impacts their business. Cogent's platform expedites this process, enabling brands to quickly select the best solution and start generating revenue. Today, Sean discusses evaluating your martech solutions to make sure they match your needs. Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands often lack the experience to ask the right questions when seeking technology solutions for business problems. Consequently, they let vendors take the lead in conversations, resulting in solutions that are unable to grow with the business. Today, Sean discusses discovering martech solutions that actually solve your problems Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands often lack the experience to ask the right questions when seeking technology solutions for business problems. Consequently, they let vendors take the lead in conversations, resulting in solutions that are unable to grow with the business. Today, Sean discusses discovering martech solutions that actually solve your problems Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Read the Report here Please note: The information provided during this podcast has been prepared for general informational purposes only and does not constitute advice. The information must not be relied upon for any purpose and no representation or warranty is given as to its accuracy, completeness or otherwise. Any reference to other organisations, businesses or products during the podcast are not endorsements or recommendations of Dairy Consulting Ltd or its affiliated companies. The views of the presenter are personal and may not be the views of Dairy Consulting Ltd. The contents of this podcast are the copyright of Dairy Consulting Ltd.

Howie gears up for the State of the Union tonight, knowing full well Joe may require a little "help" from Dr. Feelgood before he heads on stage.

Andrew is a Senior Economist and a member of the First Trust Economics Team that Bloomberg has ranked as one of the top forecasters of the U.S. economy over the past several years. At First Trust, Andrew is responsible for analyzing economic indicators, writing economic commentaries, and producing articles on the First Trust Economics Blog. Andrew provides research and analysis to Chief Economist Brian Wesbury, Chief Market Strategist Bob Carey, and First Trust CEO Jim Bowen. Cogent's 2017 Survey of Advisors rated First Trust's thought leadership material as number one for most read and most shared by financial professionals with colleagues or clients. Andrew received an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA in Business and Economics from Hope College.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands can spend up to a year in the search for the right technology solution which inevitably impacts their business. Cogent's platform expedites this process, enabling brands to quickly select the best solution and start generating revenue. Today, Sean discusses evaluating your martech solutions to make sure they match your needs. Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cogent and Equinix PL force Hosteam to censor the Kiwi Farms, masculine hyperviolence in Austria, redefining ovaries and Carrie, LordKat leaves us, Nick's final defense, Bossmanjack's night of mousetraps.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands can spend up to a year in the search for the right technology solution which inevitably impacts their business. Cogent's platform expedites this process, enabling brands to quickly select the best solution and start generating revenue. Today, Sean discusses evaluating your martech solutions to make sure they match your needs. Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands often lack the experience to ask the right questions when seeking technology solutions for business problems. Consequently, they let vendors take the lead in conversations, resulting in solutions that are unable to grow with the business. Today, Sean discusses discovering martech solutions that actually solve your problems Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sean Simon, Co-Founder of Cogent, looks into discovering and evaluating martech solutions that match your business' needs. Brands often lack the experience to ask the right questions when seeking technology solutions for business problems. Consequently, they let vendors take the lead in conversations, resulting in solutions that are unable to grow with the business. Today, Sean discusses discovering martech solutions that actually solve your problems Show NotesConnect With: Sean Simon: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the latest episode of STtalks we sit down with Cogent Sales Manager, Craig Watson, to discuss how the technology, programs and genetics of STgenetics subsidiary Cogent Breeding helps shape the UK dairy industry.

Ciena customer Cogent Communications operates one of the largest fiber-optic networks in the world, carrying around 1/4 of all internet traffic today. The ISP acquired the legacy Sprint long-haul fiber network from T-Mobile earlier this year. In this wide-ranging conversation, Cogent Founder and CEO Dave Schaeffer sits down with Ciena's CTO Steve Alexander and outlines the company's plans for the network, including a data center footprint of around 1.9 million square feet. Dave also shares his views on what it takes to build a better internet backbone and discusses wavelength services.

In the latest episode of STtalks we sit down with Gregor Colquhoun of Dendoldrum Farm, a Cogent UK customer to talk about his experience as a Cogent customer, what technology has moved the needle forward for his operation and what he is taking back to Scotland after a visit to the US to implement in his own herd.

Today we're joined by Chris Keojampa from our partner FCS in Texas. Chris has a phenomenal background and not only discusses how they scrapped and started FCS, but dives into their strengths in retail, collaboration and we go through some key struggles he's been able to solve with retail & Microsoft. [00:00:00] Josh Lupresto: Welcome to the podcast. That is designed to fuel your success in selling technology solutions. I'm your host, Josh Lupresto, SVP of sales Engineering, Telarus, and this is next level Biz Tech. Hey everybody. Welcome back. We are wrapping up a track today an important track. We're talking about wifi, we're talking about Microsoft Teams operator connect all kinds of cool stuff about penetrating the retail market. And today we've got on with us, Chris Keojampa from FCS. Chris, welcome on. Chris Keojampa: Hey, thanks for having us, Josh. Hi. Josh Lupresto: So, so Chris, before we get this thing started and we start talking nerdy about teams and operator connect and wifi and all that fun stuff I just wanna hear your story. I, I would love to know and love to, to have the listeners here, how did you start out in this space? Did you, did you start out, you know, waiting tables and then wanting to get into technology? Was this your destiny from day one? Fill us in, man. Chris Keojampa: No. Funny story. I [00:01:00] mean, I, I, I'd bartended and waited tables throughout college, right? I graduated with a bachelor's degree in in biology and also a bachelor in business management. Still didn't know where I wanted to go from there, right? I just knew that I was a, a person that got along with all walks of life and just loved talking to people. And oddly enough, you know, everybody jokes around about, you know, Craigslist, right? But oddly enough, I found my first telecom job on Craigslist on a no platform. Yeah. Yeah. It was it was pretty funny. And I had interviewed with both C Von and Cogent cogent was the better option and the actually the one that gave me an opportunity to start an industry. I think I was born at a, a very good time, or, you know, in the eighties. Just cuz I got to see the paradigm shift from, you know, what technology looked like before it is today. You know, going from, you know, nobody really having, you know, mobile phones, you know, everybody thought pages were cool, right. To seeing how everything has evolved from. The old trends to how it's come [00:02:00] into the digital transformation age, and as it continues evolve and evolve. And I just took it from there, right? I, I knew I had to put my name on, you know, on the billboard and telecom and say, Hey, Chris Gil, job is here. But you know, things good things kept on coming along. Met my business partner Robert, probably about 13, 14 years ago. We the company's been in business for 10 and a half years now. And it was a time where it's very different from how most traditional, I'd say, trusted advisory firms start. They start their business today because it was a little harder back then. There weren't spiffs, there weren't anything of that sort to help you propel your company from a financial standpoint into. Yeah. You know, to, to stability in essence. Josh Lupresto: Yeah, you just had to grind it out in deals, right? Like, I mean, there's no escaping Chris Keojampa: that. Oh yeah. No, I mean, Robert and I have a great story. I mean, when we started, I went back to waiting tables, you know, moving back in with my parents. I mean, who wants to be that guy, 32 years old, you know, where you living based in my parents, I guess. Right? So I had to forego a lot of things for two [00:03:00] years, working 60 hours a day. Robert came from Oklahoma, had, you know, 60, $62 to his name in a black pack backpack, you know, knew that he wanted to do something different besides just, you know, working for. You know, a company so we can put our heads together.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2023 is: cogent • KOH-junt • adjective Cogent is a formal word that describes something that is very clear and easy for the mind to accept and believe, in other words “convincing.” // At the town meeting, citizens presented many cogent arguments in support of building a new senior center. See the entry > Examples: “Though Kraftwerk: Future Music from Germany is not a go-to resource or final word on the subject, it doesn't really aim to be. Rather, it's a cogent and crisp reevaluation of one of the most important pop groups of the century, an erudite closeup on the group's aims, history, and substantial cultural impact.” — James Toth, AquariumDrunkard.com, 6 Mar. 2023 Did you know? A cogent argument is one that really drives its point home because it is clear, coherent, and readily understandable, and perhaps also because of the etymological history of cogent. Cogent comes from the Latin verb cogere, meaning “to drive or force together.” Something described as cogent fuses thoughts and ideas into a meaningful whole that others can readily grasp and accept. A cogent explanation is a convincing one, and cogent analysis has us nodding along because it is clear and pertinent. Cogere was formed in Latin by combining the prefix co- with the verb agere, “to drive, lead, or act,” a root which is also the source of our familiar noun agent. Handily enough, one definition of agent is “a means or instrument by which a guiding intelligence achieves a result.” It follows logically then that cogency is often a worthwhile agent, indeed.

Howie Kurtz on Joe Scarborough sharing what President Biden tells him in private calls, Barack Obama saying he worries most about a divided media and no new charges being filed in final Durham report. Follow Howie on Twitter: @HowardKurtz For more #MediaBuzz click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello to you listening in Colton, Washington!Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk with 60 Seconds for Wednesdays on Whidbey and your host, Diane Wyzga.I'm often asked where I get my ideas for these daily 60 Seconds episodes.Two places. First of all that‘s just how my mind works: I'm able to distill thoughts, ideas, and concepts into words to create clear, concise, cogent messages. With this skill and 30 years' experience I help my clients find words they didn't know they had to create the stories that will connect with, engage and influence their audience. If you're curious contact me on LinkedIn or Quarter Moon Story Arts for a free 30 minute consult.Meanwhile, I can say ideas come to me while I'm out  walking. Just me walking along with my imagination (and sometimes the voices in my head).Practical Tip: Every day take a little time, step outside, invite your imagination to walk with you, breathe and surprise yourself with what you can create!  You're invited: “Come for the stories - stay for the magic!” Speaking of magic, I hope you'll subscribe, follow, share a 5-star rating and nice review on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! Remember to stop by the website, check out the Services, arrange a Discovery Call, and Opt In to stay current with Diane and Quarter Moon Story Arts and on LinkedIn.Stories From Women Who Walk Production TeamPodcaster: Diane F Wyzga & Quarter Moon Story ArtsMusic: Mer's Waltz from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron MusicAll content and image © 2019 to Present: for credit & attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts

Having just gotten off my own long-haul flights this past week, I was particularly impacted by the news story of Emirates flight EK448 that left Dubai, United Arab Emirates at 10:30am on Friday, January 27, headed for Auckland, New Zealand. Thirteen (13) long hours of flying later, flight EK448 landed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. You caught that, didn't you?! After 13 hours of sitting in the over-stuffed chairs of an airplane, those passengers landed, not at their destination, but back at their departure. Auckland and its airport had been impacted by flooding in January and had to close. That forced the flight from Dubai to turn around south of Singapore and head back to Dubai. Imagine, after all that time, ending up right where you had been in the beginning. What would be worse would be spending your life and arriving back at where you were in the beginning. Let's study one more altar this week that speaks to that.

Welcome to the SWFL Business Podcast, where we interview business owners in the Southwest Florida area to learn about their business and where they're heading.Today's guest is Brandon Box from Cogent Bank.In this episode, Brandon dives into how Cogent Bank differs from a traditional bank. Because Cogent is a smaller bank, clients get to know their bankers and support staff; this makes it easier to get access to real help and support. Despite being a smaller bank, Cogent stays up to date on the latest technology; they process payments using Blockchain, allowing people to transfer money 24/7.I hope you find this interview as informative as I did. Let me know what you think.Visit Cogent Bank's website: https://cogentbank.comShow Cogent Bank some love on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CogentBank/Show us some love on Instagram @swflpodcastsListen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3NYks1FListen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3x1rufIWatch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3j69E3gWant to be a guest on the show? Book an intro call here: https://calendly.com/cheineproductions/interview-introLike what you hear? Want to have your own podcast produced in the Bonita Springs, FL area? Visit www.swflpodcasts.com to learn more.

Rob Braiman is the founder and CEO of Cogent Analytics, an innovative consulting firm helping Main Street businesses thrive. With a long-standing reputation as a successful serial entrepreneur, Rob has worked directly with American business owners like himself to improve strategic planning, operations, growth, and profitability.Rob earned his first equity at 26 as a subordinate partner to another entrepreneur who saw great potential in him. Later he developed another partnership, where they built three companies together. Eventually, Rob became a Business Analyst representing small to mid-sized businesses, which drove him to establish Cogent Analytics.Over the last two decades, Rob's personal engagement with more than 1,700 businesses has led to data-driven strategies proven to bring growth and success to small and mid-market business owners. Featured in Inc 500, Inc 5000, Fast 50, and the Financial Times, Cogent Analytics has maintained a strong reputation for solid growth and has continued to be one of the fastest-growing companies in our market for nearly a decade.Rob has built a strong company culture based on his personal code of honor, courage, wisdom, faith, perseverance, and loyalty, principles that started with his service in the U.S. Military with SOCOM. Providing resources and assistance to others is at the very core of the entrepreneurial spirit and is a vital part of the foundation at Cogent. His personal mantra – Raise others up, and you will riseHis primary objective with every client is to put their interests first and ensure they receive the best tools and support for long-term stability and success. Mr. Braiman is a husband of 27 years and a father of two.Learn more: https://www.cogentanalytics.com/Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-rob-braiman-founder-and-ceo-of-cogent-analytics

Rob Braiman is the founder and CEO of Cogent Analytics, an innovative consulting firm helping Main Street businesses thrive. With a long-standing reputation as a successful serial entrepreneur, Rob has worked directly with American business owners like himself to improve strategic planning, operations, growth, and profitability.Rob earned his first equity at 26 as a subordinate partner to another entrepreneur who saw great potential in him. Later he developed another partnership, where they built three companies together. Eventually, Rob became a Business Analyst representing small to mid-sized businesses, which drove him to establish Cogent Analytics.Over the last two decades, Rob's personal engagement with more than 1,700 businesses has led to data-driven strategies proven to bring growth and success to small and mid-market business owners. Featured in Inc 500, Inc 5000, Fast 50, and the Financial Times, Cogent Analytics has maintained a strong reputation for solid growth and has continued to be one of the fastest-growing companies in our market for nearly a decade.Rob has built a strong company culture based on his personal code of honor, courage, wisdom, faith, perseverance, and loyalty, principles that started with his service in the U.S. Military with SOCOM. Providing resources and assistance to others is at the very core of the entrepreneurial spirit and is a vital part of the foundation at Cogent. His personal mantra – Raise others up, and you will riseHis primary objective with every client is to put their interests first and ensure they receive the best tools and support for long-term stability and success. Mr. Braiman is a husband of 27 years and a father of two.Learn more: https://www.cogentanalytics.com/Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-rob-braiman-founder-and-ceo-of-cogent-analytics

Welcome to The Main Thing Podcast! I'm your host - Skip Lineberg.  My new friend, Debbie Henne, is a speech-language pathologist by day and an author by night. All day every day, she is a wife, mother and Jesus lover. Debbie can often be found typing away at her computer after tucking her kids in at night. She doesn't always write at a computer. Sometimes she can be found writing with an old-fashioned pen and paper - or creating musically on the piano keyboard. Debbie Henne believes life is not about being perfect. It's about being "ever changed." Her vision is to connect hearts to the heart of God, so people can live in the empowerment and victory that comes through a genuine connection to God.  Debbie comes to us today from her home in Reading, Pennsylvania.  Get ready! Over the next 9 minutes you will discover why Debbie Henne is one of the wisest people I know.   Resources Deborah Henne's website Check out Debbie's podcast Get Debbie's book “Gentleness” on our Bookshop store Episode 58 featuring RL Shawver   Stay Connected with Us Twitter @themainthingpod Instagram @themainthingpod Facebook - @TheMainThingPod LinkedIn - The MainThing Podcast   Credits Editor + Technical Advisor Bob Hotchkiss Brand + Strategy Advisor Andy Malinoski Public Relations + Partnerships Advisor Rachel Bell   Ready to Help Support the Growth of this Podcast? Become a subscriber. Share the podcast with one or two friends. Follow us on social media @TheMainThingPod Buy some Main Thing Merch from our Merchandise Store. Become a patron of the show and support us on Patreon with funding. Buy a book authored or recommended by our wise guests on BookShop. Content You Will Enjoy in This Episode   [00:00:01] - Intro and welcome [00:01:35] - Brief bio for Debbie Henne [00:02:33] - Greetings and opening dialog [00:02:50] - Debbie previews her new book “Gentleness - It's Not What You Think” [00:03:35] - Why Gentleness? What motivated her to write about it? [00:04:50] - With gentleness comes power; contrast with fear and timidity [00:06:00] - How Skip and Debbie are connected [00:07:15] - Learn about our online book store [00:07:52] - Debbie Henne shares her Main Thing [00:08:45] - The downside of not living with Debbie's wisdom [00:09:52] - Skip shares the experience of being around a friend who's always negative [00:10:43] - How to avoid becoming Negative Nancy or Pessimistic Pete [00:12:40] - A few examples when she's applied her Main Thing [00:13:40] - What God is telling Debbie to help her get through fear, pursue her calling [00:14:30] - Thank you and good-bye [00:15:07] - Outro ###

Rob Braiman has a long-standing reputation as a “serial entrepreneur” and has spent over 19 years working directly with business owners to improve strategic planning, operations, growth, and profitability. Rob Braiman founded Cogent Analytics after spending over 10 years as a senior business analyst helping to improve and build main street businesses across the country. He has personally engaged with over 1500 businesses across the United States, and continues to work to further the interests of other business owners like himself. Cogent's primary objective in every interaction, is to put the interests of the client first. In support of that directive, Rob Braiman has built a company culture based on a code of honor, courage, wisdom, faith, perseverance and loyalty. The foundation of his value system started in the U.S. Military as a young man serving with SOCOM and his deeply rooted personal code is what he demands of himself every day and is what he asks his employees of Cogent to embrace. Rob's insights include:  How Rob started Cogent Analytics What Cogent Analytics does What the four major pillars of running a business are How Cogent Analytics navigates with business owners who are too busy at work The common mistakes business owners make Why not knowing how is not an excuse to not prepare yourself Enjoy the show! Connect with Rob: Website: https://www.cogentanalytics.com/  Connect with Gary: Website: https://sbadvisors.cc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessAdvisors LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-d-heldt-jr-388a051/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, the Kremlin blocked access to Facebook inside Russia and passed a law making it illegal to spread what the government determines to be “false information” about the country's armed forces. It was the latest move in President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on dissent, which may be working. TikTok announced on Sunday that it is suspending livestreaming and new posts from Russia in response to the new disinformation law.But Clint Watts, a former FBI special agent who is now at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, believes that ultimately this crackdown could backfire. He says Putin “has a disaster on his hands,” noting that a country cannot disinformation its way out of fallen soldiers — the Mothers of Russia will push back. And Watts believes platform interruptions and restrictions to operations of many Western companies — including Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Oracle, Cogent, Visa and Mastercard — mean Putin is playing a dangerous game at home. The result could be disastrous: “We're worried about Kyiv falling today. I'm worried about Moscow falling between day 30 and six months from now.”In this conversation, Kara Swisher and Watts discuss the evolving information crackdown in Russia and what actions Putin may take if he is backed into a corner. They also discuss the threat of cyberwarfare and why alarm bells should be going off in the West when it comes to Russia, and to China.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more information for all episodes at nytimes.com/sway, and you can find Kara on Twitter @karaswisher.