Podcasts about Ericsson

A race engineer, a driver coach, and a journalist walk into a bar on Memorial Day.“Ow,” says the journalist. (Figures. The other two were smart enough to use the door.)Is this an episode where we break down and analyze this year's Indy 500 and Monaco Grand Prix? Indeed! Did we do this exact same thing last year? Indeed! This show's format rotates weekly, because squirrel. We call this format “Ripped From the Headlines.”CLARIFICATION: Shortly after this ep was taped, IndyCar announced tech-violation penalties for this year's 500. Three finishers—Ericsson, Kirkwood, and Illot—lost their original finishing positions and were demoted down the field.RELATED TRIVIA: The Baird's Beaked Whale has 13 stomachs. A yak has four. A llama has three stomachs. Are these seemingly random bits of information related to this episode? Listen and find out! (Or don't. It's your choice, and we respect that.) This episode was produced by Mike Perlman.**Who We Are + Spicy Merch:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ItsNotTheCar.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**Support It's Not the Car:Contribute on Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/notthecar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠INTCPod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**Check out Sam's book!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**Where to find us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/intcpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rossbentley.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://speedsecrets.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠**ABOUT THE SHOW:It's Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.We don't love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.New episodes every Tuesday.

Fin de semana histórico, gigantesco, inconmensurable para el automovilismo español: Álex Palou ha ganado las 500 millas de Indianápolis, una de las carreras más grandes de todo el calendario del motorsport. El Podcast Técnica Fórmula 1 no puede empezar por otro lado, es la noticia más grande, a pesar de que no haya trascendido en los medios como merecía. Estrategia, carrera y victoria memorables. La carrera del catalán fue memorable, como todas esta temporada, de una inteligencia enorme, conservando, ahorrando gasolina, pero siempre en el grupo de delante. Muy de destacar cómo hizo el penúltimo stint y cómo pasó a Ericsson y aguantó hasta el final. No tenía el coche más rápido y aún así su último stint fue impresionante, manteniendo a raya a Marcus Ericsson y aprovechándose de los doblados para tener más velocidad y más rebufo. Nos hizo sufrir toda la carrera, pero ocurrió todo como sospechaban en el Podcast Técnica Fórmula 1 y así lo habían comentado: Palou estuvo agazapado y, cuando el león saltó a la palestra, ya nadie pudo pararle. La verdad es que ha sido lo más grande, lo más vistoso y espectacular del fin de semana, pero poco ha trascendido a los medios, que se centraron en el homenaje (más que merecido) a Nadal, no haciéndose eco (o casi) de la hazaña del de Ganassi… qué poco se conoce este deporte en España y qué poco se valora una victoria tan importante como la del domingo pasado. Mónaco, en el lado opuesto de la balanza. Ese mismo domingo tuvimos también el GP de Mónaco que fue un desastre y un tostón bastante destacable. Las dos paradas no aportaron nada, entre otras cosas, porque los propios pilotos y equipos reventaron el espectáculo rodando hasta 5s más lentos que un ritmo de carrera medio normal. Después se quejarán cuando nos quiten Mónaco, pero se lo están buscando. Lo más destacado del Gran Premio de Mónaco. Al final, que parece poco importante pero realmente da una nueva perspectiva a la temporada, la victoria se la llevó Norris. Y se la llevó saliendo (y aguantando más que bien) dese la Pole. Una Pole que, hay que añadir, se la llevó marcando un nuevo récord de vuelta en Mónaco, casi nada. Esta victoria le sitúa 2º en el Campeonato a tan sólo 3 puntos de su compañero, Oscar Piastri, y demostrando que no está “tan perdido” como nos quieren hacer, sino que está muy fuerte, sobre todo en circuitos callejeros, y ha ganado en dos carreras con una alta carga emocional de cara a la lucha por el título: Australia y Mónaco. Y, aparte de destacar el aburrimiento que fue la estrategia que nos hicieron sufrir los equipos “gracias” a la normativa de las dos paradas, a destacar también - y a comentar - la sanción a Russell, por pasar intencionadamente a Albon saltándose la chicane… por fin algo que le dio vida a la carrera. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Marcus Ericsson is the 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner. He came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES from Formula One. Spending most of his career stateside at Chip Ganassi Racing, Ericsson scored multiple wins for the team, of course, none bigger than Indy. He joined the Andretti Global team in 2024 and in the first race at St. Pete he qualified in the Firestone Fast Six. We caught up with Ericsson at the following Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach media luncheon where he would earn a fifth place finish. He talks about what happened at St. Pete, hybrid testing, and getting back to the Speedway. A humble and friendly guy, this driver is really good on street circuits and at the Brickyard. He'll be aiming for his second win at Indy in just over a week. Enjoy!

In this compelling Technology Reseller News podcast, publisher Doug Green speaks with Kristy Thomas, Senior Vice President of Global Channel and Alliances at Vonage, about the evolving intersection of AI and customer service. As a leading Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) member and a pioneer in VoIP, Vonage is now placing ethical AI at the heart of its strategy for enterprise communications. Kristy dives deep into one of the most important — and often overlooked — issues in AI adoption: bias. She explains that AI bias in contact centers is less about human prejudice and more about the quality and governance of the data used to train and inform systems. “The bias is only as good as the data you're giving the AI,” she says, emphasizing the importance of data integrity, routine audits, and transparent data sourcing. Vonage is investing in building what Thomas calls "governed innovation." That includes ethical design, user consent, and AI systems that operate within clearly defined parameters. With tools like Vonage AI Studio, companies can now easily build voice-driven interfaces — what used to be complex IVR systems — in a low-code environment, dramatically reducing friction and increasing adaptability. Thomas highlights that Vonage's AI strategy is multi-threaded. The company is: Powering its own solutions with AI for real-time enhancements, Partnering with industry-specific providers for best-of-breed integrations, and Enabling customers to bring their own AI into the platform. Importantly, she notes a shift in how buyers approach AI: rather than being informed, many are overwhelmed. That's where Vonage's partners play a key role — helping customers identify high-ROI use cases and building practical business cases for AI adoption. Doug and Kristy also discuss how customer service is becoming the new marketing — a front line where loyalty is won or lost. “Even smaller companies can outpace Goliaths,” Kristy notes, when AI empowers a personalized and secure customer experience. Vonage's commitment to trust is backed by its alignment with Ericsson and a strong internal structure focused on compliance and security. Kristy previews Vonage's participation in Contact Center Week in Las Vegas, where the company will showcase real-world AI use cases that demonstrate measurable business outcomes. To learn more about how Vonage is redefining contact center engagement through responsible AI, visit Vonage.com.

Host Chris Hackett is joined by Fahd Gondal, Project Manager, Cybersecurity at Independent Contractor, Prabhu Dorairaj, Engineering Manager at Flightradar24, and Yousef Hashem, RAN Security System Manager at Ericsson. They delve into the evolving role of security in product development and how it shapes the future of engineering and technology. The guests share their expertise on integrating security into product design, managing cybersecurity risks, and ensuring resilience in complex, high-tech systems. A must-listen for professionals in secure product engineering.

"We can have a reseller up and running in like three days. It's that easy." — Jake Jacoby, Founder, TELCLOUD In this latest installment of the POTS and Shots series, Doug Green, publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down once again with Jake Jacoby of TELCLOUD to explore why becoming a POTS replacement reseller has never been easier — or more profitable. No headaches. No barriers. All opportunity. Jake breaks down how TELCLOUD's white-label, channel-first model empowers resellers to deliver turnkey POTS line replacement solutions without having to build out the backend. Whether you're bringing your own connectivity or PBX, or need the full stack, TELCLOUD fills in the gaps — and fast. Resellers can be live, branded, and billing customers within three days. Built for channel success: TELCLOUD is purpose-built to support channel partners with: White-label branding and sales collateral Full 3PL, sourcing, compliance, installation, and support Hybrid deployment models: crawl, walk, run Partnerships with Crexendo, Alianza, and others Support for legacy infrastructure (BroadSoft, Metaswitch, Asterisk, Ericsson, and more) And the need is real. With over a billion lines globally to replace, Jake urges resellers not to leave critical use cases—like elevator or fire alarm lines—on the table. “Your customers already trust you. They want you to bring the full solution.” Think beyond POTS — think bulletproof connectivity. Doug and Jake also dive into the adjacent opportunity in unbreakable Internet. With TELCLOUD's integrated fixed wireless access and broadband bundles, partners can offer redundant, wireless-first connectivity that blends LTE, broadband, and even satellite to ensure uptime for their clients. And for the shot? Jake introduces “El Mejor,” an extra añejo tequila aged over five years in Napa oak barrels. Smooth, deep, and rich — much like the TELCLOUD opportunity itself. “You'll want to keep this one on your shelf,” says Jake. Next up: Beyond the Sale — how POTS replacement builds long-term loyalty. Learn more about becoming a TELCLOUD reseller: Visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270. Email Jake directly at jake@telcloud.com. #POTSReplacement #FixedWirelessAccess #ChannelPartners #UCaaS #ConnectivitySolutions #VoIP #ResellerOpportunities #WhiteLabelSolutions #ElMejorTequila #TELCLOUD

Börspsykolog Boström går igen hur vi ska hantera situationen mentalt när allt känns maximalt osäkert. Vi avhandlar även rapportfloden och börstrenden samt hur vi ska hitta och vad som kännetecknar en aktie som 100-faldigas i kurs. En 100-bagger. Dessutom får du en rabattkod på SternersForlag.se.Aktierna vi nämner i aktiepodden är i tur och ordning Munters, Lime Technologies, Volvo, ABB, Atlas Copco, Sandvik, Handelsbanken, Swedbank, Holmen, Ericsson, Electrolux, Volvo Cars, Hexagon, Atlas Copco, Indutrade, Evolution, Xano, Addlife, Addtech, Avanza, Betsson, Embracer, Lifco, OEM, Swedbank, Tele2, Telia, Plejd, Lagercrantz, Zinzino, Betsson, Sdiptech, Momentum Group, Latour, Vitec Software, Hexagon, Beijer Ref och Fortnox.Börspanelens alla sajter hittar du här:shows.acast.com/tresmarta/aboutHernhag.seBorspsykologen.seSternersforlag.se Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Irnich from SUSE shares his work with Edge computing, focusing on the telecommunications industry. He highlights the importance of standardization and interoperability across the industry, specifically focusing on the widespread adoption of Linux and Kubernetes. Tim also elaborates on Project Sylva, an initiative under the Linux Foundation, aimed at creating a standardized stack for the European telco operators. We also discuss challenges and opportunities presented by the vast array of open source projects within the CNCF landscape and the potential for AI to enhance network efficiency and reliability. The episode provides a comprehensive look into the collaborative efforts and technological advancements shaping the telecom sector. 00:00 Welcome 01:14 Open Source Adoption in the Telco Industry 02:14 Challenges and Standardization in Telco Networks 04:35 Curating Reliable Stacks for Telco 06:11 Project Silva: An Open Source Initiative 18:55 AI in the Telecom Industry 22:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts   Tim Irnich is the product manager for SUSE Edge for Telco, an open source based horizontal telco cloud solution. He is also a member of the Board of Directors at the LF Europe Sylva Project. Tim has been active in telco related open source communities such as LF Networking, OPNFV, OpenDaylight, OpenStack/OpenInfra for over a decade and held positions on several committees including the LFN TAC, TSC and Board of Directors in OPNFV and OpenDaylight. Before joining SUSE in 2018, Tim worked at Ericsson, where he ran the open source and ecosystem program for Ericsson's cloud business unit and helped found Ericsson's open source development arm that is today known as Ericsson Software Technologies. 

In this first English episode of Behind the C, Christian Hillabrant, CEO of Vantage Towers, talks about his company's role in the telecom industry, the challenges facing the industry and his personal career. Hillabrant, has gained experience at T-Mobile, Ericsson and Samsung, so he offers deep insights into the industry. Vantage Towers, a leading cell tower operator, is playing a key role in Europe's sustainable transformation. Hillabrant sheds light on the high costs and the need to integrate new technologies and gives an outlook on the future of telecommunications. He shares his early experiences in the technology industry, outlines the challenges of mobility and connectivity, describes his journey to a C-level role and provides valuable tips for aspiring leaders. Topics: - C-Level - Digital Infrastructure - Telecommunications In dieser Episode von Behind the C spricht Christian Hillabrant, CEO von Vantage Towers, über die Rolle seines Unternehmens in der Telekommunikationsbranche, die Herausforderungen der Industrie und seine persönliche Karriere. Hillabrant, mit Erfahrungen bei T-Mobile, Ericsson and Samsung, bietet tiefgehende Einblicke in die Branche. Vantage Towers, ein führender Funkmastbetreiber, spielt eine Schlüsselrolle in Europas nachhaltiger Transformation. Hillabrant beleuchtet die hohen Kosten und die Notwendigkeit der Integration neuer Technologien und gibt einen Ausblick auf die Zukunft der Telekommunikation. Er teilt seine anfänglichen Erfahrungen in der Technologiebranche, skizziert die Herausforderungen der Mobilität und Konnektivität, beschreibt seinen Weg zur C-Level-Rolle und gibt wertvolle Tipps für angehende Führungskräfte. Themen: - C-Level - Digitale Infrastruktur - Telekommunikation --- Über Atreus – A Heidrick & Struggles Company Atreus garantiert die perfekte Interim-Ressource (m/w/d) für Missionen, die nur eine einzige Option erlauben: nachhaltigen Erfolg! Unser globales Netzwerk aus erfahrenen Managern auf Zeit zählt weltweit zu den besten. In engem Schulterschluss mit den Atreus Direktoren setzen unsere Interim Manager vor Ort Kräfte frei, die Ihr Unternehmen zukunftssicher auf das nächste Level katapultieren. ▶️ Besuchen Sie unsere Website: https://www.atreus.de/ ▶️ Interim Management: https://www.atreus.de/kompetenzen/service/interim-management/ ▶️ Für Interim Manager: https://www.atreus.de/interim-manager/ ▶️ Profil von Christoph Knogler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-knogler/ ▶️ Profil von Franz Kubbillum: https://www.atreus.de/team/franz-kubbillum/

Take a Network Break! We start with a Red Alert for SAP NetWeaver's Visual Composer Metadata Uploader, and then dive into a new endpoint discovery feature from Forward Networks, and Ericsson adding clientless ZTNA to its SASE offering. Aviatrix adds a Secure NAT Gateway for Microsoft Azure as a way to help Azure customers navigate... Read more »

Take a Network Break! We start with a Red Alert for SAP NetWeaver's Visual Composer Metadata Uploader, and then dive into a new endpoint discovery feature from Forward Networks, and Ericsson adding clientless ZTNA to its SASE offering. Aviatrix adds a Secure NAT Gateway for Microsoft Azure as a way to help Azure customers navigate... Read more »

Take a Network Break! We start with a Red Alert for SAP NetWeaver's Visual Composer Metadata Uploader, and then dive into a new endpoint discovery feature from Forward Networks, and Ericsson adding clientless ZTNA to its SASE offering. Aviatrix adds a Secure NAT Gateway for Microsoft Azure as a way to help Azure customers navigate... Read more »

Welcome and Introduction- Will Townsend and Anshel Sag host episode 223 of G2 on 5G- Anshel joins from New York after attending Motorola launch eventQ1 Earnings for Major U.S. Mobile Network Operators- AT&T reports strong performance in fiber and mobility investments- T-Mobile experiences subscriber growth miss despite solid revenue- Verizon records strong earnings but faces subscriber lossT-Mobile's 5G Advanced Network- First commercial nationwide 5G advanced network in the U.S.- Potential for new use cases in XR, gaming, and safety applications- T-Mobile maintains lead in 5G network capabilitiesAT&T's 5G Fixed Wireless Access Performance- CEO John Stankey credits Ericsson for boosting FWA performance- AT&T adds 181,000 Internet Air subscribers in Q1- Positioning FWA as complementary to fiber expansionMotorola's New Razr Lineup- Introduction of high-end flagship tier for Moto Razr brand- New features include titanium hinge, improved cameras, and AI capabilities- Variety of models with different processors and specificationsEricsson's Private 5G Deployment in Mining- Partnership with Newmont for private 5G across 14 mines on four continents- Single Ericsson radio controlling bulldozer fleet in South Wales, Australia- Demonstration of 5G capabilities in enhancing mining operations and safetyVerizon's 5G Network Slice for First Responders- Launch of dedicated 5G ultra wideband virtual network slice- Deployment in 29 cities, offering enhanced reliability and performance- Competitive move to match AT&T's FirstNet and T-Mobile's T PriorityImportance of Use Cases and Competition in 5G- Discussion on the need for compelling use cases to drive 5G adoption- Emphasis on competition breeding innovation in the telecom industry

Neste episódio especial do Ypocast, recebemos Flávio Guimarães, um executivo que saiu de uma pequena cidade no interior de Minas Gerais e conquistou o topo do mundo empresarial. Com passagens por gigantes como Ericsson, Philips e Corning, Flávio compartilha sua jornada repleta de transformações, desafios e lições valiosas sobre liderança, resiliência e inovação.Descubra como ele liderou a transição para a tecnologia LED na Philips, construiu estruturas corporativas na América Latina e criou a metodologia "Escalada Corporativa", que já impactou mais de 300 mentorados. Uma conversa inspiradora sobre humildade, adaptação e a arte de transformar crises em oportunidades. Não perca!-----------------------------------------------------------------Disponível nas principais plataformas de streaming ou no YouTube.

In this episode of The G2 on 5G, Will Townsend and Anshel Sag break down the latest developments in 5G technology, network advancements, and industry leadership changes. They discuss T-Mobile's definition of 5G Advanced, Intel's new CEO, and Broadcom's converged 5G fiber and satellite appliance. The conversation also covers Vodafone UK's AI-driven energy efficiency, Qualcomm's Edge Impulse acquisition, and Viasat & Space 42's partnership on NTN connectivity.  Their discussion covers:

The lads return from the Easter break by welcoming special guest Dag Peak of Alianza. Pausing only to reflect on the passing of the Pope, they start by asking Dag about his company and how it fits into the great telecoms scheme of things. That leads to a broader interrogation of the operator business model and what they can do to improve their fortunes. They eventually move on to discuss the latest news from Ericsson before reflecting on the growing hostility of the US state towards its own companies.

Daniel Svensson, Daniel Zetterberg och Anton Ingves diskuterar följande i veckans avsnitt: Bostadsaktier (1:32) Ericsson (13:14) Uppköpsguiden (22:42) Biotage (24:44) Karnov (36:45) IPO-guiden (47:11) Humble (50:01) Prova Affärsvärlden Premium för halva priset i tre månader: https://prenumerera.affarsvarlden.se/prenumerera/q1-2025?source=afv-podden&ref=podcast Detta avsnitt av Affärsvärlden Analys sponsras av: Spotlight Stock Market https://spotlightstockmarket.com Letar du efter köpvärda aktier? Få inspiration och sök bland tusentals analyser i Affärsvärldens analysarkiv. https://www.affarsvarlden.se/verktyg/analysarkiv

Jason Bloomfield didn't learn change in an MBA program—he learned it through real life. As a teenager, he became the de facto head of household. Now, as Global Head of People Change and Experience Design at Ericsson, he leads transformation across 180 countries. In this episode, Jason shares how active listening, design thinking, and human-first systems have helped him move organizations from dysfunction to alignment. From M&A integrations to HR tech failures, from -83 NPS scores to user-designed wins, his work proves one thing: change only sticks when it's built with—not for—the people it's meant to serve. For Gen Xers who've lived through chaos and are now leading through it, this episode is a blueprint in action.>>From Family Collapse to First Acquisition“I was the only one with income. So I had to figure it out.”Jason opens up about his early years, navigating a broken home while building stability from scratch—and how that experience shaped his instincts in business.>>Career by Constraint“They asked if I'd move to 1 Madison Avenue. I said yes—and just kept saying yes.”From wiring cables to managing a global acquisition across 13 countries, Jason shares how constraints—and curiosity—turned into growth and global opportunity.>>Change Starts with Listening“Active listening sends a signal: you care.”Jason breaks down why empathy is not a soft skill—it's the hardest one. Especially when leading transformation across 100,000 employees and 180 countries.>>Turning a -83 NPS into a Shared Win“The tool was hated. But people started feeling heard.”He recounts how a globally despised HR tool became usable—through co-creation, honesty, and building feedback loops that actually changed things.>>From Paper to Trust“They didn't hate digital. They didn't trust institutions.”Jason explains how assumptions kill adoption—and how design thinking and diverse input helped his teams shift deeply entrenched behaviors.______________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Jason Bloomfield  --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.12 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>140,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.

Welcome and Introduction- Will Townsend introduces episode 222 of G2 on 5G- Anshel Sag joins as fellow analyst- Recording from Florida locationT-Mobile's 6G Equipment Testing- FCC grants T-Mobile request to test experimental prototype wireless equipment- Testing near Bellevue, Washington headquarters- Spectrum band in 7 GHz to 8.4 GHz range- Potential for 10-20 times more capacity and higher data ratesSpectrum Considerations for 6G- Discussion of 7 GHz and 12 GHz spectrum for 6G- Challenges with propagation characteristics above 6 GHz- Potential tricks to improve propagation for higher frequenciesGoogle Pixel 9a Launch- Mid-range device priced at $499- Same processor as flagship series with some compromises- Larger battery than flagship models- Downgraded modem compared to higher-end versionsVodafone's IoT Milestone- Vodafone connects 200 millionth IoT device- 50% year-over-year sales growth over last five years- Discussion of IoT monetization and network infrastructureGSA Forms 5G RedCap Special Group- Collaboration on RedCap networks, features, and product rollouts- Founding members include Ericsson, Huawei, Qualcomm, and MediaTek- Importance of standalone 5G networks for RedCap applicationsAT&T and AST Space Mobile FirstNet Trials- Testing direct-to-cell satellite connectivity over Band 14- Extension of FirstNet's mission-critical capabilities- Importance for emergency services and disaster responseMediaTek's New Chipset Announcements- Dimensity 9400 Plus for flagship phones- Companion Ultra for Chromebooks- Focus on AI performance and capabilities- Comparisons to Intel's offerings in the Chromebook marketNTT Data Center Services- Brief mention of NTT's position as third in the world for data center service delivery

Send us a textIn this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino talks with Mauricio Steffen, Senior Director of Product Management at Ericsson, about the crucial role customer research and empathy play in successful product management. Mauricio shares his unique career path, transitioning from corrections officer to frontline support, then into product management, highlighting how deep, empathetic listening skills have been essential across all roles. The conversation explores how to scale customer feedback processes, synthesize insights effectively, and navigate stakeholder management. Mark and Mauricio challenge the common misinterpretation of Henry Ford's quote about customer research, emphasizing the importance of genuinely understanding underlying customer needs. Practical advice is offered for breaking through organizational blinders, advocating for meaningful change, and maintaining balance when strategic initiatives seem misaligned with immediate customer requests.Key TakeawaysEmpathy and Active Listening: Genuine empathy and active listening are key skills that transcend industry and job function, essential for product management success.Scaling Customer Feedback: Utilize scalable methods like AI (LLMs) to analyze and summarize customer feedback at scale, uncovering patterns and root causes effectively.Root Cause Analysis: Go beyond surface-level customer requests by digging deeper to uncover true underlying problems and needs, rather than just stated wants.Stakeholder Engagement: Engage stakeholders early, make them feel heard, and clearly communicate decisions to achieve alignment and minimize resistance.Embracing Customer Feedback: Treat customer feedback as a valuable gift; show appreciation and continuously demonstrate that input shapes your product decisions.Admitting Mistakes: Develop the courage to pivot or stop projects when customer and market feedback indicates potential failure; maintaining an honest, reflective process is key to sustainable success.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Mauricio Steffen02:09 Career Journey: From Corrections Officer to Product Management06:57 The Role and Philosophy of Product Management09:59 Influencing Stakeholders: Education, Listening, and Empathy12:42 Scaling Customer Feedback and Leveraging AI15:34 Why “Faster Horse” Is a Cop-Out: Understanding Customer Needs22:49 Breaking Organizational Blinders with Customer Insights26:07 The Challenge of Admitting Mistakes and Changing Course29:37 Root Cause Analysis: From Wants to True Customer Needs35:33 Empathy as the Key Skill for All Stakeholder ManagementResources & LinksConnect with Mauricio Steffen on LinkedIn Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Fuzzy Math - B2B & Enterprise UX Design Consultancy

The landscape of European electronics manufacturing is undergoing substantial shifts as geopolitical tensions rise and tariff uncertainties loom large. In this revealing conversation, NOTE CEO Johannes Lind-Widestam  and  Kitron CEO Peter Nilsson share their frontline perspectives on navigating these turbulent waters while maintaining the exceptional performance that has become synonymous with Nordic EMS providers.As tariffs and regional manufacturing requirements reshape global supply chains, both leaders offer pragmatic insights into the challenges ahead. Despite the push for regionalization, the specialized nature of electronic components means complete supply chain localization remains impractical. "Everyone talks about how fast it is to move a factory," Johannes notes, "but if you want to move the electronic production that the US is making in China, that's going to be an enormous investment."As the conversation switches gear to the topic of Nordic EMS Exceptionalism, we examine why Nordics companies consistently stand out for their resilience, profitability, and customer relationships. Scandinavia is the most outsourced market in Europe by some distance, but what exactly drives these advantages? Our guests peel back the curtain on the unique cultural factors that have positioned companies like Note and Keytron at the forefront of the industry."I think there is no secret formula," Johannes reflects, "it's a dedication to do things better and better, to never become complacent." This philosophy of continuous improvement permeates the entire ecosystem, from management approaches to factory floor operations. Peter adds that when American customers visit their Swedish factories, they frequently mistake production operators for senior engineers – a testament to the depth of talent and problem-solving capability built into their workforce.The conversation reveals how the region's manufacturing heritage, stemming from telecom giants like Ericsson and Nokia, created not just technical expertise but a distinctive approach to business relationships. Unlike more protective manufacturing cultures found elsewhere in Europe, Scandinavian companies embrace openness and partnership. This cultural orientation creates sticky, strategic relationships with customers rather than merely transactional ones.Discover why cultural factors and leadership approaches may ultimately determine which manufacturers thrive in this uncertain environment, and why the Scandinavian model offers valuable lessons for the broader electronics industry.EMS@C-Level is sponsored by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Creative Electron (https://creativeelectron.com) You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

In today's episode, everything from findings on Gensol Engineering now reaching BluSmart. We also cover Apple's record-breaking iPhone shipments in India, a Sebi roadblock for SpiceJet, and a bullish outlook from Ericsson's global CEO. Plus, why the US has become India's biggest export market, the sting of rising health and education costs despite slowing inflation, and China's strategic rare earth play. Tune in.

Rapportsäsongen drar igång och i dagens avsnitt diskuteras bolagen du ska hålla koll på.Patrick Thomenius, marknadsanalytiker på IG, ser samtidigt ett köpläge i Ericsson efter den starka rapporten.Det blir också ett case i de två kortjättarna Mastercard och Visa.Läs mer om IG: https://www.ig.com/X: https://twitter.com/igsverigeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/igsverige/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IGSverige​LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/igsverige/Optioner och turbowarranter är komplexa finansiella instrument. Handel med dessa instrument medför en hög risk för snabb förlust av pengar.CFD-kontrakt är komplexa instrument som innebär stor risk för snabba förluster på grund av hävstången. 75 % av alla icke-professionella kunder förlorar pengar på CFD-handel hos den här leverantören. Du bör tänka efter om du förstår hur CFD-kontrakt fungerar, och om du har råd med den stora risken för att förlora dina pengar.

En l'espace de quelques séances, la Maison Blanche a changé de disque. Après une offensive tarifaire mal calibrée et un marché obligataire au bord de la crise de nerfs, l'administration américaine a repris la main sur la narration. Grâce à Scott Bessent et quelques recadrages, Wall Street a retrouvé un semblant de sérénité. Temporairement ? Durablement ? Les paris restent ouverts.Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Neste episódio do WITCast, Verônica Prates recebe Jacqueline Lopes, Diretora de Relações Institucionais da Ericsson, para uma conversa sobre os impactos da digitalização no comércio internacional. O diálogo destaca como a transformação digital está redesenhando as dinâmicas globais, criando novas oportunidades para os negócios e abrindo caminhos para o Brasil no cenário internacional.Edição: Luna Coelho.

Want a quick estimate of how much your business is worth? With our free valuation calculator, answer a few questions about your business and you'll get an immediate estimate of the value of your business. You might be surprised by how much you can get for it: https://flippa.com/exit -- In this episode of The Exit: Derek Collison, founder and CEO of Senadia and previously AppSera and creator of Cloud Foundry, explores his storied career in tech, entrepreneurship, and building platforms that shaped modern cloud computing. From starting with a Commodore 64 at age 12 to working at Google, VMware, and founding AppSera—Derek shares how he turned distributed systems challenges into billion-dollar ideas. He unpacks the high-speed growth, fundraising challenges, and exit to Ericsson, before launching his latest venture, Senadia, built on the NATS open-source tech now downloaded over 300 million times. Derek opens up about: Getting into tech as a teenager in the 1980s Building Cloud Foundry at VMware after a call from Paul Maritz Starting AppSera and scaling to 150 employees in 12 months Navigating an acquisition by Ericsson amidst Kubernetes disruption How to survive the VC game: from seed to Series B His playbook for product-led platform companies and why most fail The emotional toll, decision-making pressure, and rewards of being a founder Why introverts need to lean in and chase serendipity How Senadia is powering AI at the edge, connected cars, and Industry 4.0 "Be humble, lean in, and don't delay hard decisions" — Derek's advice rings true for every founder navigating the speed and pressure of today's tech ecosystem -- Derek Collison is a 30 year industry veteran, entrepreneur, and pioneer in secure and large-scale distributed systems and cloud computing. He helped change the way financial, transportation, and logistics systems fundamentally worked while spending over a decade at TIBCO, designing systems that still power much of those industries today. During his time at VMWare, Derek designed and architected CloudFoundry, the first open-source enterprise PaaS. He then founded Apcera, a company designed to drive security and policy into easy to use platform technologies. After the successful sale of Apcera to Ericsson, Derek took the messaging technology he designed to power the CloudFoundry and Apcera systems, NATS.io, and created Synadia. Synadia is pioneering secure and global messaging as a digital utility to help drive security and powerful communication and collaboration into IoT, edge, and cloud computing systems. Derek on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekcollison/ Website: https://www.synadia.com/ -- The Exit—Presented By Flippa: A 30-minute podcast featuring expert entrepreneurs who have been there and done it. The Exit talks to operators who have bought and sold a business. You'll learn how they did it, why they did it, and get exposure to the world of exits, a world occupied by a small few, but accessible to many. To listen to the podcast or get daily listing updates, click on flippa.com/the-exit-podcast/

Today on the ThinkData Podcast, I'm excited to welcome Said Ouissal, Co-Founder and CEO of ZEDEDA, a cloud-native SaaS platform for edge orchestration.Said brings a wealth of experience in networking and telecommunications, having held senior roles at major players like Juniper Networks, Violin Memory, and Ericsson. Under his leadership, ZEDEDA has experienced rapid global growth, helping businesses deploy and manage edge computing at scale.Topics CoveredSaid's Journey - His background and what inspired him to launch ZededaUnderstanding Edge Orchestration - What it is, and why it's becoming essential across industriesBuilding a Global Business - Key steps the founding team took to scale internationallyGo-To-Market & Product-Market Fit - Strategy, growing pains, and how ZEDEDA found its nicheThe Role of AI in IoT - How AI is accelerating innovation, especially in the energy sectorCustomer Success Stories - Real-world examples of ZEDEDA's impact on clients

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

The year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of China's Digital Silk Road, which has become an increasingly crucial component of Xi Jinping's flagship foreign policy project: the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past decade, China has massively expanded its digital infrastructure investment across the globe. Accompanying the investment has been the diffusion of China's digital governance norms and standards in recipient states. Countries in the Indo-Pacific have been at the forefront of this stretching Chinese digital influence landscape. The conflation between digital development cooperation and digital governance norms adoption has far-reaching implications that need to be better understood and addressed. To discuss the issue, Michael Caster joins host Bonnie Glaser. Caster is the Head of Global China Programmeat ARTICLE 19, an NGO that advances freedom of opinion and expression. His organization has published two reports examining China's Digital Silk Road. Timestamps[00:00] Start[01:30] Understanding China's Digital Silk Road [05:57] China's Digital Governance Norms[10:16] China's Digital Footprints Abroad[16:07] Attractiveness of Chinese Digital Solutions[18:56] Role of High-Tech Companies in Digital Governance[21:44] Assessing the Effectiveness of China's Digital Governance[23:14] State-Driven Surveillance and Censorship[27:39] China's BeiDou Navigation System [31:09] How should governments respond to these normative shifts? 

Episode: 1344 The Monitor's flush toilet: lessons from emerging technologies.  Today, lessons from emerging technologies, under the worst conditions.

Utrikesministern kräver vapenvila i Gaza. / Minister får kritik för att han köpte aktier i Ericsson. / Svenskar köper färre elbilar. / Snart är det sommartid - så vänjer du dig Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Av Jenny Pejler och Ingrid Forsberg.

Why do so many people say they were born gay? In this powerful message, Pastor Ericsson uncovers the deeper spiritual and emotional roots behind same-sex attraction—revealing how the enemy often uses early childhood trauma as an open door. This isn't about hate or condemnation—this is about truth, healing, and reclaiming identity. The enemy has sold a lie so deeply embedded in culture that many believe it's their truth. But as Christians, we must recognize the spiritual battle at play and understand how Satan works to deceive, distort, and divide—especially within families. Discover how to guard your home, speak life over your children, and silence the voice of the enemy from telling your children this lie.

Joining Shahin and Vinnie is marketing legend, Mark Ritson, Founder of the Mini MBA. From almost buying Kylie Minogue's house, to consulting, and building a global brand, Mark shares with us the journey of his Mini MBA.

#802 | United beat Leicester on the road to move up to 13th place in the Premier League. Rasmus Hojlund scored for the first time in 21 games, Alejandro Garnacho broke his own goal drought, and Bruno smashed in a third. Things are beginning to click for Ruben Amorim's side. And yet, just as we thought we could have nice things, there's some terrible injury luck for Ayden Heaven. Ed and Wayne discuss. 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Match Overview 00:51 Injury Concerns and Player Performances 08:22 Premier League Quality and Competitiveness 12:57 Individual Player Evaluations 16:19 Signs of Progress 27:36 Ericsson's Physicality Issues 28:16 Ugarte's Role 29:10 Aydan Heaven's Injury Concerns 35:27 Ndidi's Controversial Tackle 43:44 Newcastle's Trophy 50:14 Hopes for United's Future 51:21 New Book Announcement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this 219th episode of The G2 on 5G, we cover:1. T-Mobile's plans for 5G Advanced in the United States2. Intel appoints Lip-Bu Tan as permanent CEO3. Broadcom's Velosky converged 5G fiber and satellite appliance4. Vodafone UK and Ericsson use AI to reduce 5G network energy consumption5. Qualcomm acquires Edge Impulse to boost IoT capabilities6. Viasat and Space42 partner on direct-to-device satellite connectivityThe hosts discuss T-Mobile's 5G Advanced strategy, Intel's leadership change, Broadcom's new network solution, AI-driven energy efficiency in 5G networks, Qualcomm's IoT expansion, and developments in satellite connectivity. They provide insights on industry trends, technological advancements, and the competitive landscape in the 5G ecosystem.

We are live from #MWC25 (Mobile World Congress 2025), direct from the Expo floor, with a limited series of episodes talking to leaders from across the industry on themes of the conference, as well as filling in on all of the news and gossip.On the conference's final day, Dave, Esmee, and Rob will deep dive into the near future, concluding the event with discussions on a moon landing and global (space) connectivity between partners and vendors.Oliver Buschmann, VP, Head of Strategy at EricssonRound table discussion with Heather Tulk, President Commercial and Public Sector from Telus, Thierry Klein President, Bell Labs Solutions Research, and Ashish Surti Chief Digital & Information Officer at Colt Technology ServicesTLDR00:33 Evaluation of day 2 and expectations of day 3 - it's all about collaboration08:47 Conversation with Oliver Buschmann about the future and strategy of Telcom's37:56 C-level round table discussion about grow beyond connectivity, data and AI and the importance of cybersecurity vs new trends1:22:50 Overall MWC reflections by the team including the Tapas and Sapas framework®GuestsOliver Buschmann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-buschmann-4751a8/Heather Tulk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathertulk/ Thierry Klein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thierry-klein/ Ashish Surti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishsurti/Guest host: Praveen Shankar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/praveen-shankar-capgemini/HostsDave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/Esmee van de Giessen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esmeevandegiessen/Rob Kernahan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kernahan/ProductionMarcel van der Burg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-vd-burg/Dave Chapman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chapmandr/SoundBen Corbett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-corbett-3b6a11135/Louis Corbett:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/louis-corbett-087250264/'Cloud Realities' is an original podcast from Capgemini

Vi tar er med till Östeuropa och den ökända Eurovisiondödaren:Intervision Song Contest. Vad hände där? Statligt styrd underhållning?Eller är den som Public Service?This just in:Kan man få känslor och dåligt samvete för en Elbas?Vi pratar också om uppdateringar i din Musikdator.Är det så att det smidigaste och problemfriaste alternativetär att INTE uppdatera alls?… samt Musikprogrammering på de gamla Ericsson-telefonerna.Varmt välkomna!Vill du ha din låt uppspelad direktmed tillhörande analys.Maila oss låtlänk + info om projektet till: Musiksnacket@iwm.se#recension #analyser #musik #analys #spotify #Podcast #podd #musiksnacket #Artist #Musiker #scen #studio #AI

Change isn't just a business buzzword—it's a way of life. Jason Bloomfield, Global Head of Change and Experience Design at Ericsson, has spent over 20 years navigating the twists and turns of M&A, corporate transformations, and direct-to-consumer strategies. But his most valuable lessons didn't come from boardrooms—they came from life itself. From childhood challenges to corporate shake-ups, Jason shares how resilience, adaptability, and a little bit of humor can turn even the toughest transitions into opportunities.Key Highlights of Our Interview:0:36—It's All About Giving Back4:02—From Upper Middle Class to Crash Course in Adulting: Why Unwanted Life Experiences Can Be Your Best Teachers“I was in the middle of high school, where focus on study really needs to ramp up. Instead, I was learning home economics by necessity and dealing with my parents' rapidly deteriorating relationship.”14:04—Building Resilient Relationships: Navigating Anxiety and Fear During Mergers & Acquisitions17:26—Being human: How is it possible to scale empathy to 100,000 people across 180 countries?24:44—Navigating Company Pride: When Heritage Turns into Hurdles“It's quite a thing to come into a company that has 140, 150 years behind it. Pride can at times obscure a line of sight on the way forward.”31:11—Asking the Right Questions: The Surprising Reasons Retirees Didn't Want to Go Paperless“We thought retirees were less digitally comfortable, but it turns out it was a trust issue—without something physical, they feared companies might alter their records behind the scenes.______________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Jason Bloomfield______________________--**Chief Change Officer**--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Deep Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives, Visionary Underdogs,Transformation Gurus & Bold Hearts.6 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>100,000+ subscribers are outgrowing. Act Today.

Mobile World Congress, the annual gathering of telecom industry players, has expanded to embrace a broad range of technology and this year's event will bring together a broad range of vendors, telecom operators and industry leaders. The theme of convergence has seen real world impacts and Raul Castañon, Mohammed Hamza and Lynnette Luna return to discuss what they're expecting to see with host Eric Hanselman. The rise of network API's for security and location services looks to open the door to greater application integration. It's something operators have been hoping for, but there are questions about how they'll monetize it.  Many of the technologies that previewed in previous years are gaining traction. Open RAN technologies have matured and the ecosystem supporting them has expanded. There are still questions lingering about deployment timelines, but that seems to be shifting to a matter of when, rather than if. And, of course, AI is playing a role in much of what's taking place in the exhibition halls. More S&P Global Content: MediaTalk | Season 2:  EP 20 - Wireless Outlook for 2024 as Carriers Next in Tech | Ep. 181: Lighting up Fiber Ericsson partners with global telecom operators to launch new network API venture Ericsson-led API joint venture gets its first CEO Credits: Host/Author: Eric Hanselman   Guests: Raul Castañon-Martinez, Mohammed Hamza, Lynnette Luna Producer/Editor: Amaan Zafar and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

In this episode of ACM ByteCast, Harald Störrle hosts Darja Smite, Professor of Software Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology and a part-time research scientist at SINTEF ICT. Darja is an expert on the future of work and the impact of globalization and offshoring in software companies. She has conducted research with and international companies such as ABB, Boss Media, CALVI, DXC, Emerson Process Management, Ericsson, SONY, Spotify, and, Telenor and has insights from cooperating with offshore vendors in India, China, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine and Russia. Darja shares her background, growing up in Latvia with a love for math, and later moving to Sweden for work and Norway to conduct research at SINTEF, one of Europe's largest independent research organizations. She shares some of her research findings on outsourcing and discusses the effect automation will have on outsourcing and profitability. She also discusses reasons why people stay or leave their jobs, as well as cultural differences and the challenge of people from different cultures finding common ground. Darja also touches on the impact of COVID on work practices in the past five years and offers advice for people considering a career in IT.

Christian Léon, directeur général d'Ericsson France, était l'invité de François Sorel dans Tech & Co, la quotidienne, ce lundi 3 mars. Il est revenu sur la cadence du développement du réseau 5G en France et la compréhension de son intérêt par les entreprises, l'incorporation de l'IA dans la stratégie d'Ericsson, ainsi que son éventuel projet vers la 6G en 2030, sur BFM Business. Retrouvez l'émission du lundi au jeudi et réécoutez la en podcast.

Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden is optimistic about growth in the fixed wireless access, AI and private networks market. But, competition is fierce and enterprises still need convincing to ramp up deployments of private 5G networks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Brand Called You, we have the pleasure of welcoming Arun Bhati, a distinguished tech entrepreneur from Gurgaon, India. Arun shares his inspiring journey from his education at NIT Bhopal and IIM Calcutta to becoming the founder and CEO of Orahi, Consat Orahi, and the innovative 1 Million Founders Program. He delves into his rich experiences at Ericsson, contributing to groundbreaking projects like India's first mobile TV and ringback tones.Arun discusses the mission behind the 1 Million Founders Program, which aims to transform job seekers into job creators by nurturing entrepreneurial skills from a young age. He highlights the challenges and visionary solutions the program offers, focusing on innovation, practical solutions, and cross-cultural exchanges between India and Sweden.Join us in exploring how Arun Bhati is bridging the gap between different educational systems and redefining what it means to be a founder in today's world.

The guys are delighted to welcome Pablo Tomasi of analyst firm Omdia this week, whose appearance is so well timed as to create the impression of planning. All three of them attended Ericsson's big pre-MWC media and analyst presentation in London, so they start off by reviewing that, specifically Ericsson's bets on the future of the mobile industry and the likelihood of them paying off. That leads to conversation about enterprise telecoms in general, before they conclude with a robust debate about the implications of Nokia's new CEO appointment.

Send us a textWe are excited to present a fascinating new episode to kick off the year strong with some remote wisdom. This time, we sat down with Tony Jamous, CEO and co-founder of Oyster—a pioneering global employment platform. Joining our host Kaleem Clarkson for this insightful conversation is guest co-host, Jeff Frick. Together, they explore Tony's purpose-driven journey and how it shapes his approach to entrepreneurship, sustainable leadership, and remote work culture.Tony's entrepreneurial story began with the founding of Nexmo, a communications platform whose rapid growth eventually led to its acquisition first by Vonage and then by Ericsson for $6.5 billion. This experience, while financially rewarding, led Tony to reassess his priorities after seeing the toll intense work demands were taking on his health and well-being. This period of introspection inspired him to take a sabbatical and rethink his career goals. Determined to pursue a more meaningful path, Tony envisioned a platform that would enable economic freedom and allow individuals to access global employment while staying in their home communities. This vision led to the founding of Oyster, now valued at $1 billion and dedicated to providing cross-border employment solutions that empower individuals and benefit local economies.A key aspect of Oyster's mission is its focus on hiring talent from emerging markets, with 40% of its team now hailing from these regions—a significant increase from 30% just two years ago. This strategy goes beyond simply filling roles; it embodies a commitment to measurable social impact. By allowing companies to hire globally, Oyster directly invests in these economies through salaries and taxes, bolstering local development.What values does Tony consider essential? At Oyster, diversity and inclusion are foundational, with operations spanning over 80 countries and a workforce representing more than 100 nationalities, achieving gender balance across top management and the board. Tony also dives into the topic of compensation within remote teams, highlighting Oyster's three-zone pay system, designed to promote fair wages and reduce global income disparities. His insights reveal a profound commitment to sustainable leadership, inclusivity, and a progressive workplace culture. Through Oyster, he is championing a new model of employment that transcends borders and fosters global equality.To top it off, Tony shares his philosophy of 'sustainable leadership‘, a concept that has become foundational to his approach to building and leading teams. Unlike traditional models focused solely on servant leadership or relentless growth, sustainable leadership prioritizes leaders' well-being, enabling them to support their teams better. Inspired by the “oxygen mask” analogy, Tony emphasizes the need for leaders to care for themselves first to lead effectively. This approach promotes empathy-based management, which is especially relevant in today's evolving remote work environment.Tony's mission is to democratize job opportunities worldwide and create a new employment model that drives social impact, especially in emerging economies. His dedication to building a more equitable global workforce and his principles of sustainable leadership make this episode a valuable roadmap for leaders seeking to align business success with positive social contributions. Start this year strong: put on your headphones and get your remote-work inspiration!Learn more about Tony: More about us: Remotely One's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/remotelyone Remotely One's Webpage: https://www.remotelyone.com/

Truth, Lies, and Work is an award-winning psychology podcast from the HubSpot Podcast Network, hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott. In this fascinating conversation recorded from a rustic farmhouse in Northern Italy, Tony Jamous, CEO and founder of Oyster, shares his vision for the future of work and how distributed teams are transforming the global employment landscape.

World renowned business consultant Michael Virardi has delivered workshops, facilitation sessions, and keynotes to over 24 countries and has collaborated with some of the most prestigious organizations in the world including Coca Cola, Google and Ericsson. He's trained over 50,000 people with the goal of helping companies and leaders build and nurture a winning culture. He's also a bestselling author and a two-time TEDx speaker.To learn more about Michael, follow him on IG @michael_virardi and check out his website https://www.michaelvirardi.com/ If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving a rating and a review. It makes a huge difference in spreading the word about the show and helps us get more great guests.  Thanks for listening!Follow Moshe on social media:* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshePopack/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpopack/* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mpopackTopics: 0:00 – Intro1:30 – Great company culture4:00 – Lead by example6:00 – Hiring top talent8:00 – Active listening exercise9:30 – Top leadership skills12:00 – How to become vulnerable14:00 – Passion in life and business16:30 – Humility20:00 – Life lessons from Michael's dad23:00 – “The Mistake of the Month” Club

Guest Introduction: Joining us today is Irfan Wahab Khan, a telecommunications leader with a career spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. He currently serves as the CEO of Telenor Pakistan and Chairman of Telenor Microfinance Bank. His extensive experience includes roles with Orange, T-Mobile, Ericsson, and Telcordia Technologies. A long-time contributor to Telenor, he was a founding member of Telenor Pakistan's startup team in 2004. Khan's leadership extends to board positions with Grameenphone Bangladesh, PTCL in Pakistan, and Telenor Myanmar. Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! #thoughtbehindthings #muzamilhasan #irfanwahab #easypaisa Socials: TBT's Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings Muzamil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Muzamil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan Irfan Wahab's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irfan-wahab-khan-11986915/ Podcast Links: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3z1cE7F Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/2S84VEd Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3cgIkf

Have you ever wondered if you could get legal compensation for your exposure to toxic mold?Do you feel like your toxic mold exposure situation might be due to the negligence of another party, but don't know any lawyers willing to represent you in your mold case?If you said yes to either of these, then you don't want to miss today's episode!Wrapping up our recent mini-series on mold, today I am so excited to introduce to you lawyer and founder of JustWell Law - Kristina Baehr.Kristina is a national trial lawyer who represents sick people against the companies that made them sick. She founded her law firm, Just Well Law, to help clients recover financially so that they can rebuild their health and their lives. Kristina is used to high profile, high stakes litigation. At a national trial firm, she represented plaintiffs in bet-the-company cases like Trilogy against SAP, the Medical University of South Carolina against AstraZeneca, Ericsson against Samsung, and TiVo against Comcast. These cases resulted in over $1 billion in revenue for their clients. And from 2015-2019, she was honored by her peers as a Texas Rising Star among lawyers.After tragedy hit her own family, she founded Just Well Law to help other families in crisis. She built the personal injury firm she couldn't find for her own family. Health and wellness require financial resources, and Kristina is relentless in pursuing the maximum recovery for her clients because she has been there too. ​If you've been wracking your brain wondering how or if you could ever get legal representation around your toxic mold exposure - then this episode is for you!TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction to Legal Compensation for Toxic Mold Exposure 00:21 Meet Christina Baer: Advocate for Mold Victims 03:24 Christina's Personal Mold Exposure Story 06:43 Challenges in Mold Litigation 09:50 The Turning Point: Science and Legal Victories 16:11 Broader Legal Battles Beyond Mold 23:32 Evaluating Your Mold Case 27:00 The Cost of Staying in a Toxic Home 27:22 Nationwide Legal Support for Mold Cases 28:59 The Importance of Differential Diagnosis 30:04 Investing in Health and Recovery 33:01 The Role of Empathy and Support 36:30 Raising Awareness About Mold Illness 43:50 Legal Battles Against Universities 51:12 Final Thoughts and ResourcesEPISODES MENTIONED:Resiliency Radio Podcast with Dr. Jill Carnahan: Ep. 201// Winning Legal Cases for Clients Harmed By Toxic Mold, with Kristina Baehr222// 5 Signs of Hidden Mold, with Brian Karr (YesWeInspect)CONNECT WITH THE GUEST:Follow JustWell Law on InstagramVisit their WebsiteStart a Claim to see if you have a mold case!WORK WITH ME TO HEAL YOUR GUT + MOLD:Option #1)

CTO Series: How Open Strategy and Agile Practices Drive Success at NorthCode With Ismo Aro   In this BONUS episode, we sit down with Ismo Aro, CTO and partner at NorthCode, to delve into the transformative power of Open Strategy in the tech world. Ismo shares his journey from corporate roles at Nokia and Ericsson to becoming a full-time entrepreneur, and he unpacks how his approach to leadership evolved with the rise of agile methodologies, test automation, and cloud transformation. This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to modernize their company's strategy and foster a culture of transparency and co-ownership. Pivotal Career Moments: From Waterfall to Agile Mindset   “When I joined the agile pilot team, it felt like discovering the way software development should always be done—release early, get feedback fast, and improve continuously.”   Ismo reflects on his early days at Nokia, where he began as a test engineer in a traditional waterfall environment. He describes how the shift to agile methodologies transformed the way teams communicated and collaborated. When he joined a pilot project for Scrum, he realized the value of fast feedback loops and early releases. This experience laid the foundation for his future focus on continuous integration and test automation.   Key Takeaway: Adopting agile frameworks can improve workflows by shortening feedback loops and promoting direct communication. The Essence of Open Strategy “Open Strategy means involving everyone in shaping the direction of the company—not just receiving updates but truly co-creating the future.”   At NorthCode, Open Strategy is a cornerstone of their operations. Ismo explains how they empower employees by making strategy-building a transparent and collaborative process. The company's structure includes a parent company and subsidiaries where employees are also co-owners. Revenue-sharing ensures that when the business succeeds, everyone benefits directly.   Key Elements of Open Strategy: Transparency: Strategy is made visible through a kanban board and KPIs accessible to all. Ownership: Subsidiary team members can own up to 80% of their company. Profit-sharing: 80% of client revenue goes to the subsidiary, and dividends are shared annually.   “By aligning incentives and opening up the strategy process, you create a culture where employees don't just work for you—they work with you.” How Open Strategy Unfolds Annually “We make ideas visible and let them evolve until they're ready for execution.”   Ismo outlines the company's approach to strategy using a high-level roadmap and clear metrics to track progress. The focus is on organic growth through subsidiaries, with a benchmark of starting a new subsidiary once a team reaches 20 people. The company also uses “business spikes”—short, low-cost experiments to test new ideas.   Practical Tip: A business spike allows you to explore an idea quickly without committing significant resources, making it easier to pivot when necessary. Navigating Challenges in Open Strategy “Some people want to co-create, while others prefer to focus on their work—and both are valid.”   Ismo acknowledges that not everyone in the organization is equally interested in strategic discussions, and that's okay. Open Strategy doesn't require everyone to participate equally—it provides opportunities for involvement at different levels. The key is fostering an environment where insights and information flow freely from the ground up, rather than top-down mandates.   Key Insight: Open Strategy thrives when participation is voluntary and inclusive, rather than forced. Measuring Success: KPIs and Transparency “We believe in showing our utilization rates openly because our people have a stake in the results.”   To measure success, NorthCode tracks KPIs such as revenue, profit, and utilization rates. Unlike traditional consulting companies that keep these metrics private, NorthCode shares them openly to build trust and foster a sense of ownership. Monthly meetings focus on tactical updates, while strategic sessions aim to inspire employees to contribute ideas for the company's future.   Fun Practice: The “nightmare competitor” exercise encourages the team to imagine an ideal competitor and then adopt some of their hypothetical best practices into NorthCode's strategy.   “When people can see the metrics that matter, they're more motivated to take ownership of their impact.” Inspiration from Open Strategy and Business Agility “We take concepts from corporate books and tailor them to fit our context as a growing, agile company.” Ismo cites two key books that shaped his thinking: Open Strategy and The 6 Enablers of Business Agility. However, he emphasizes the importance of adapting corporate-level concepts to suit smaller, more agile organizations. He believes that while agile is mainstream in software development, many companies remain rigid in their overall strategy.   Recommended Reads: Open Strategy: Mastering Disruption from Outside the C-Suite by Stadler et al. The 6 Enablers of Business Agility by Harbott   Key Reflection: Ismo's approach underscores the importance of agility not just in software but in company operations and strategy-making.   Final Tip: Embrace modern tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) to streamline workflows—but remember, they enhance your work, not replace it.   About Ismo Aro Ismo Aro is the CTO and partner at NorthCode, specializing in software development and workflow modernization. With experience at Nokia and Ericsson, he has held various roles, from test engineer to entrepreneur. Ismo co-founded NorthCode after selling a previous company and also served as Chairman of the Robot Framework Foundation, contributing to the growth of the widely used open-source test automation framework.   You can link with Ismo Aro on LinkedIn.