Podcasts about Lenovo

The MSP industry is evolving—and the days of simply being the “caretaker” of technology are giving way to a new era of strategic partnership, AI enablement, and business transformation. We're fortunate to have Arsalan Eizadirad, Senior Manager of Global MSP Strategy at Lenovo, join us to explore his more than two-decade journey across technology, sales leadership, enterprise architecture, and global MSP strategy—and the insights he's gained along the way.  Arsalan shares his perspective on the changing MSP landscape and the growing importance of hardware alongside software in the technology stack.  He reminds us that one of the greatest rewards of leadership is the people and relationships we encounter along the journey—and, in true Arsalan fashion, we even discover that he makes his own hot sauce!   Highlights include: The evolution of the MSP from technology caretaker to strategic business and AI partner. Building stronger vendor/channel relationships through collaboration and co-selling and why partner empathy and asking “So what?” are essential to growing a healthy and successful community. The changing economics of managed services beyond price-per-seat and price-per-device. The Lenovo MSP Advisory Board and the development of the MSP Playbook. Arsalan's leadership philosophy of “architect the system”, then “empower the people.” Why curiosity, asking questions, and being willing to say “I don't know” are leadership strengths. Lenovo 360 for MSP is built around you — flexible pocket-to-cloud solutions, sales enablement, training and rewards designed to move your goals forward. Ready to get started? Learn more and explore Lenovo 360 for MSP: https://tinyurl.com/360forMSP Be sure to connect with Arsalan at an upcoming industry event.   Timestamps:  Relevance of Hardware 9:26 New Lenovo Playbook 11:02 Partner Empathy 22:30 

For years, the checkbox to get a PC out of the Insider Program when that Windows version shipped in stable did absolutely nothing. That's no longer the case. Windows A new context menu for File Explorer heads out to Insiders along with five new preview builds There are lots of other like UX changes happening with little communication. Will Microsoft really touch (and update) all the ancient UIs in Windows 11? New Release Preview builds point at next Week D and Patch Tuesday updates: New Taskbar, New Start, new Windows Search, many minor changes throughout Hardware Now we know more about Snapdragon C ahead of IFA, where we may see the first laptops Google is holding a PixelBook reviewers event in mid-September You know that Commodore is back, but now the Amiga is back too! Lenovo surges on AI spending, but it's now engaged in financial shenanigans too. More like Spotify than Big Tech, but still bad AI Big Tech spending on AI is finally getting more scrutiny from financial/business publications It's happening: Microsoft "pulls a Teams" and will consolidate its Copilot (consumer) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (business apps) into a single app, evolve it in a "super app" OpenAI's new strategy: Get 'em while they're young Mozilla provides a progress report on Smart Window for Firefox, details new AI search partnership Alexa+ is now free on all FireTV devices in the U.S., no Prime required XBOX Resonance: A Plague Tale and more are heading to Game Pass during the second half of August XBOX August Update is here with more Achievements details, Game Hubs now support Xbox 360 titles, Game Pass subscribers can now stream a game while it installs in the background XBOX Insiders can now test Home Improvements, local save game management, and profile badges Apple makes major App Store concessions in the EU. But Epic Games says it is not enough. The new Call of Duty has a public beta on Friday, and there will be a single-player episode for the first time Tips and picks Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can exit the Insider Program now App pick of the week: Brave RunAs Radio this week: Automatic Attack Disruption with Liz Tesch Brown liquor pick of the week: Red Bank Premium Blended Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: scribe.how/windows

For years, the checkbox to get a PC out of the Insider Program when that Windows version shipped in stable did absolutely nothing. That's no longer the case. Windows A new context menu for File Explorer heads out to Insiders along with five new preview builds There are lots of other like UX changes happening with little communication. Will Microsoft really touch (and update) all the ancient UIs in Windows 11? New Release Preview builds point at next Week D and Patch Tuesday updates: New Taskbar, New Start, new Windows Search, many minor changes throughout Hardware Now we know more about Snapdragon C ahead of IFA, where we may see the first laptops Google is holding a PixelBook reviewers event in mid-September You know that Commodore is back, but now the Amiga is back too! Lenovo surges on AI spending, but it's now engaged in financial shenanigans too. More like Spotify than Big Tech, but still bad AI Big Tech spending on AI is finally getting more scrutiny from financial/business publications It's happening: Microsoft "pulls a Teams" and will consolidate its Copilot (consumer) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (business apps) into a single app, evolve it in a "super app" OpenAI's new strategy: Get 'em while they're young Mozilla provides a progress report on Smart Window for Firefox, details new AI search partnership Alexa+ is now free on all FireTV devices in the U.S., no Prime required XBOX Resonance: A Plague Tale and more are heading to Game Pass during the second half of August XBOX August Update is here with more Achievements details, Game Hubs now support Xbox 360 titles, Game Pass subscribers can now stream a game while it installs in the background XBOX Insiders can now test Home Improvements, local save game management, and profile badges Apple makes major App Store concessions in the EU. But Epic Games says it is not enough. The new Call of Duty has a public beta on Friday, and there will be a single-player episode for the first time Tips and picks Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can exit the Insider Program now App pick of the week: Brave RunAs Radio this week: Automatic Attack Disruption with Liz Tesch Brown liquor pick of the week: Red Bank Premium Blended Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: scribe.how/windows

For years, the checkbox to get a PC out of the Insider Program when that Windows version shipped in stable did absolutely nothing. That's no longer the case. Windows A new context menu for File Explorer heads out to Insiders along with five new preview builds There are lots of other like UX changes happening with little communication. Will Microsoft really touch (and update) all the ancient UIs in Windows 11? New Release Preview builds point at next Week D and Patch Tuesday updates: New Taskbar, New Start, new Windows Search, many minor changes throughout Hardware Now we know more about Snapdragon C ahead of IFA, where we may see the first laptops Google is holding a PixelBook reviewers event in mid-September You know that Commodore is back, but now the Amiga is back too! Lenovo surges on AI spending, but it's now engaged in financial shenanigans too. More like Spotify than Big Tech, but still bad AI Big Tech spending on AI is finally getting more scrutiny from financial/business publications It's happening: Microsoft "pulls a Teams" and will consolidate its Copilot (consumer) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (business apps) into a single app, evolve it in a "super app" OpenAI's new strategy: Get 'em while they're young Mozilla provides a progress report on Smart Window for Firefox, details new AI search partnership Alexa+ is now free on all FireTV devices in the U.S., no Prime required XBOX Resonance: A Plague Tale and more are heading to Game Pass during the second half of August XBOX August Update is here with more Achievements details, Game Hubs now support Xbox 360 titles, Game Pass subscribers can now stream a game while it installs in the background XBOX Insiders can now test Home Improvements, local save game management, and profile badges Apple makes major App Store concessions in the EU. But Epic Games says it is not enough. The new Call of Duty has a public beta on Friday, and there will be a single-player episode for the first time Tips and picks Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can exit the Insider Program now App pick of the week: Brave RunAs Radio this week: Automatic Attack Disruption with Liz Tesch Brown liquor pick of the week: Red Bank Premium Blended Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: scribe.how/windows

For years, the checkbox to get a PC out of the Insider Program when that Windows version shipped in stable did absolutely nothing. That's no longer the case. Windows A new context menu for File Explorer heads out to Insiders along with five new preview builds There are lots of other like UX changes happening with little communication. Will Microsoft really touch (and update) all the ancient UIs in Windows 11? New Release Preview builds point at next Week D and Patch Tuesday updates: New Taskbar, New Start, new Windows Search, many minor changes throughout Hardware Now we know more about Snapdragon C ahead of IFA, where we may see the first laptops Google is holding a PixelBook reviewers event in mid-September You know that Commodore is back, but now the Amiga is back too! Lenovo surges on AI spending, but it's now engaged in financial shenanigans too. More like Spotify than Big Tech, but still bad AI Big Tech spending on AI is finally getting more scrutiny from financial/business publications It's happening: Microsoft "pulls a Teams" and will consolidate its Copilot (consumer) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (business apps) into a single app, evolve it in a "super app" OpenAI's new strategy: Get 'em while they're young Mozilla provides a progress report on Smart Window for Firefox, details new AI search partnership Alexa+ is now free on all FireTV devices in the U.S., no Prime required XBOX Resonance: A Plague Tale and more are heading to Game Pass during the second half of August XBOX August Update is here with more Achievements details, Game Hubs now support Xbox 360 titles, Game Pass subscribers can now stream a game while it installs in the background XBOX Insiders can now test Home Improvements, local save game management, and profile badges Apple makes major App Store concessions in the EU. But Epic Games says it is not enough. The new Call of Duty has a public beta on Friday, and there will be a single-player episode for the first time Tips and picks Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can exit the Insider Program now App pick of the week: Brave RunAs Radio this week: Automatic Attack Disruption with Liz Tesch Brown liquor pick of the week: Red Bank Premium Blended Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: scribe.how/windows

Don’t miss this massive channel shift! Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://theultimatepartner.com/ebook-subscribe/ Check Out UPX:https://theultimatepartner.com/experience/ In this episode of the Ultimate Partner Podcast, host Vince Menzione sits down with Alexandra Zagury, Corporate Vice President of Channels at Microsoft, to explore ecosystem shifts, partner-led growth, and AI transformation. https://youtu.be/9jrSGX5bM90 Key Takeaways Microsoft’s telemetry and propensity data offer unprecedented insights that many partners are currently failing to unlock. Partners must evolve past basic licensing models and build comprehensive managed service stacks across the entire customer lifecycle. Establishing an AI Center of Excellence on the Microsoft platform is critical for capturing future market share and technical intensity. The modern tech ecosystem demands a shift from product-led growth to true partner-led growth driven by multi-partner collaboration. Renewal engines targeting 110% to 125% retention require an always-on motion starting well in advance of contract expiration. Investing in sales readiness and precision velocity training ensures that end sellers can effectively articulate the value of the Microsoft platform. If you're ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins. Key Tags Microsoft, telemetry, Hyperscalers, channel, small medium enterprise, telcos, hosters, SSPs, Cisco, CSP, agentic GTM, propensity data, SPX, PUPP, cloud descent, MSPs, managed XDR, Agent 365, skilling, co-sell, renewals, flywheel, AI Center of Excellence, enterprise Transcript Alexandra Zagury Audio Podcast [00:00:00] Alexandra Zagury: One of the things that I think is the best kept secret at Microsoft is the telemetry that we offer our partners. [00:00:08] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast. [00:00:22] Vince Menzione: I’m Vince Menzi, own your host, and each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology. Partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy. [00:00:41] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. Let’s [00:00:46] Guest: start. [00:00:50] Vince Menzione: I am thrilled because I get to have a leader that is somewhat new in role and is the corporate vice president of channels for Microsoft. And so Alex is here to, is joining us for the first time at Ultimate Partner. I’m thrilled to have you. Thank, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Welcome, welcome. [00:01:14] Vince Menzione: Thank you. Thank you. You and I are gonna be in the center seat in the middle. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We wanna. So I am thrilled. Um, you’re relatively new in your role at Microsoft. [00:01:24] Alexandra Zagury: Seven months. [00:01:25] Vince Menzione: Seven months, [00:01:26] Alexandra Zagury: yes. [00:01:26] Vince Menzione: Wow. That’s a, that’s a crazy. So take us through, ’cause for those who don’t know you, but a little bit of an introduction, your title, your role, CVP, and uh, your remit. [00:01:37] Vince Menzione: Let’s talk about that and what your organization is focused in, in your mission. Yeah. [00:01:41] Alexandra Zagury: So hi everybody. Really exciting to be here. Thanks for the invitation, Vince. I always love to be with partners and with the channel. So my, I came to Microsoft to lead a new role, which we call Global Channel Sales, and it was part of the strategy of Microsoft to really bet on the growth in small, medium enterprise. [00:02:04] Alexandra Zagury: With the channel partner led growth. So my remit is really to lead our managed partners, but also to lead the strategy when it comes to the channel. Very specifically looking at the telcos, the distributors, the hosters. The sis and, uh, the SSPs of course. And, and so my role can be summarized in one word growth, and that’s what we do every single day is map our ambition to your ambition and figure out how we actually conquer this age of ai. [00:02:40] Vince Menzione: It’s a pretty big role. It’s a pretty, you know, I forgot about hosts ’cause we don’t, we don’t talk about them as much these days in the cloud. [00:02:48] Alexandra Zagury: Still a lot [00:02:48] Vince Menzione: of opportunity. You’ve got, and you’ve got all the telcos as well, which are pretty significant organizations, right? Lumen Field, just around the corner. [00:02:56] Vince Menzione: Mm-hmm. Right up the. Right up, I said across the river, but it’s across the pond in Seattle. And, uh, what does that look like from an organization perspective in terms of dollars? Are you allowed to disclose numbers? [00:03:08] Alexandra Zagury: No, we [00:03:08] Vince Menzione: don’t talk numbers. Okay. And, but you have a long career in this type of environment, in this role. [00:03:15] Vince Menzione: 10 years at Cisco, right? [00:03:17] Alexandra Zagury: Mm-hmm. [00:03:17] Vince Menzione: Tell us a little bit more about your background, [00:03:18] Alexandra Zagury: please. Yeah, sure. Um, well I started out as a, a sales leader. Uh, actually I started out in banking, if you wanna go all the way back. Um, but I fell in love with the channel actually, when I was at Yahoo, believe it or not. Wow. [00:03:32] Alexandra Zagury: Because it was the first interact sales model that I had the privilege to operate in, and I really understood. Stood the power of going through a channel. And then I was at Blackberry where I, I, I also, um, well had various sales leadership roles, but our model was all through, was all through the channel. [00:03:51] Alexandra Zagury: Yes. Um, some startups and then help [00:03:54] Vince Menzione: in those days too, right? [00:03:55] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah. It was all sps and I learned from Jim Balze the channel fundamentals. So, um, and then ended up, of course, at Cisco the last. Nearly 11 years, which I think is also one of the greatest channel companies. Yes. And really has thrived in a partner, partner led growth, and in a partner led model. [00:04:12] Alexandra Zagury: And so when, when Microsoft called, I mean, this was just the opportunity of a lifetime. To lead the channel during an era where we’re all getting disrupted, we’re all having to blueprint new systems, new ways of working, where go to market is getting identified, and we’re all having to figure out how to become customer zero ourselves, but then also how to go to market. [00:04:36] Alexandra Zagury: With, with agents. And so this was the, the most exciting time that I could think of to join the Microsoft ecosystem and really take us to the next level. [00:04:44] Vince Menzione: Well, your background is perfect for this. I, I, Rodney Clark is a friend, has been a guest on the podcast and in, in the studio, and I think of Cisco is the quintessential channel company. [00:04:56] Vince Menzione: Like when I think about how channel got created and how it worked well, it was always Cisco that did it. So give us like your perspective now, like seven plus months and like how does this feel like you’ve You’ve got a big remit and, uh, various, uh, routes to market. We’ll call them, uh, channels to market. [00:05:14] Vince Menzione: So take us through a little bit of that, like Yeah, sure. [00:05:16] Alexandra Zagury: Describe [00:05:16] Vince Menzione: the transition, what it’s been like [00:05:18] Alexandra Zagury: for you. So one of the things we’re focused on is supporting the channel through the transformation, and we look at it in a couple of lenses. The first lens is really helping the channel become customer zero. [00:05:29] Alexandra Zagury: We really believe that the partners that invest in. Actually identifying their own processes and their own go go to market are the channels, are are the partners that it can actually win because if you are using it, you’re gonna be able to sell it. The second layer is all about technical intensity, and I’m very passionate about this because I see it from two lenses. [00:05:51] Alexandra Zagury: One is. I would like each and every of our partners to lead in building an AI Center of Excellence based on the Microsoft platform. It is a unique opportunity. I can give you lots of numbers, right? We’ve all heard about the trillions of agents that are gonna be here by 2030. We’ve all heard about the tam. [00:06:12] Alexandra Zagury: I mean, our TAM is going from 777. Million to over a billion, uh, to over a trillion. I, it’s, the numbers are just enormous, insane, right? Over half a billion of customers in our base that are using, that are, that are based already on the Microsoft platform. So all the goodness of our IU IQ platform can be unlocked with all the services that the partners can build. [00:06:36] Alexandra Zagury: So investing in that technical skilling and building those practices are gonna be, is gonna be essential. The third part. The third pillar is all about ag agentic, GTM. So once you’re actually using, uh, the Microsoft platform, you’re gonna have to reimagine all your business’s pro processes, your sales processes, and the more that you are integrated into how we do, how we do things. [00:07:00] Alexandra Zagury: One of the things that I think is the best kept secret at Microsoft is the telemetry that we offer our partners. Yeah. I mean, it’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen the quality of propensity data. And now I’m gonna give you the ABCs, which is please, A SPX, which is where we get all our copilot data, PUPP, which is our proposal upsell, uh, planner, right, cloud descent, where you can actually get your next action directly to your sellers. [00:07:27] Alexandra Zagury: There is just so much goodness that we give, which is part of our, our investment in partners. Which takes me to the fourth pillar, and that is all about value alignment and one of the things that I’m very focused and I bring with me from, from Cisco and the work that I did with MSPs is really thinking through what is that value exchange between us and the partner. [00:07:49] Alexandra Zagury: I believe that I’m in the business of earning your trust. Earning your preference. And, and, and we do that by really mapping that value alignment. So not just, one of the things that the whole industry has copied from Microsoft is really looking at our incentives across the customer lifecycle. Yes. So really mapping the value alignment across the customer lifecycle, not just at the point of the deal. [00:08:13] Alexandra Zagury: ’cause that was the whole purpose of CSP. That’s right. The investments we make in tele telemetry, the investments we make in our go-to-market assets and having those bi-directional feedback loops so that we can be continuously improving. So those are sort of the things that I’m thinking about every day. [00:08:29] Alexandra Zagury: There’s a couple of others as we lead and support you in this transformation. ’cause I think of my job as to supporting and driving growth with you so that we have that joint ambition. But also supporting the transformation that both of us are on this journey. [00:08:44] Vince Menzione: And Microsoft was the first with Jay McBain was with us yesterday, and we talked, we’ve talked about this before, but you were the first company to take and look, get rid of the old metal systems, right? [00:08:55] Vince Menzione: The bronze, silver, gold, mm-hmm. And move to basically a point system for partners so that they can come at it from a kind of a global perspective on how they drive success. What was, um, what did you learn about this partner community, your first months that you didn’t expect? [00:09:12] Alexandra Zagury: Can I say something controversial? [00:09:14] Vince Menzione: Absolutely. Okay. [00:09:14] Alexandra Zagury: I love, [00:09:14] Vince Menzione: we love controversial, [00:09:15] Alexandra Zagury: so I think one of the things that I was surprised was that I didn’t see all the partners really unlocking the value of CSP. Yeah. What do I mean by that? When Microsoft moved to the Point System, and I was on the other side, really, I was so jealous of CSP when I was running managed services. [00:09:34] Alexandra Zagury: Here’s an offer that is for partners, for Partner that gives you that initial. Guarantee in terms of the margin that helps you throughout the customer life cycle with all the incentives and, and programs that we have. And I didn’t see, I mean there are some partners, but I was surprised not seeing more partners really building their value stack and their services across the lifecycle. [00:09:59] Alexandra Zagury: And I think there’s such a great opportunity now to do that. That was one of the most surprising things I thought. Oh my gosh, there must be so many, so many services stack, so many people really unlocking, unlocking that, that value. That was a, that was a little bit surprising. [00:10:14] Vince Menzione: Why? Why do you suppose, why do you suppose that was happening? [00:10:17] Alexandra Zagury: I think some of the things that we were listening here, there’s some, sometimes complexity. There are things that we still have to. Get better on, and I’m one of the first ones to say that like our partner experience, we have, um, you know, a lot of focus right now on partner center and ensuring that we’re identifying it. [00:10:36] Alexandra Zagury: I don’t know if I can say it, but, you know, one of the things that we’re looking at is replicating internally. We have Agent J. That supports our sellers through the sales process. Nice. We’re looking at having something similar for our partners. Very cool. Getting some claps there. So, yeah, so, uh, I think, you know, that I, some, there are some lockers that we, we have to acknowledge a lot of them are operational and comes with being a 50-year-old company. [00:11:02] Vince Menzione: I, I’ll give you my perspective too. I wanna get your thoughts on this. ’cause I got to, I’ve gotten to know this MSP community, which is a, you mentioned managed services and that, um, I think that some of them, well, I think Microsoft is leaning in, in a much bigger way. Um, we had Jose on stage yesterday and just the, the energy around the room, there he is, he’s back here. [00:11:23] Vince Menzione: The energy in the room around the MSP community is palpable and it maybe it wasn’t there a few years ago. Maybe some people got off the bus, so to speak, like they weren’t really paying attention mm-hmm. To all the change and all the investments. That you men, you’re mentioning or being made to support this, would you, what would you say about that? [00:11:42] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah, I’d say that that that is correct, but I’d also say that what I learned, you know, leading MSP at Cisco was that. All the stars have to be aligned, right? And if one thing is not right, if you don’t have product market fit, if you, if you, if you don’t have a good way to, uh, consolidate your offer, if you don’t have that investment in practice development, like there’s a series of things that we need to get right. [00:12:07] Alexandra Zagury: And I think Jose and I spent a lot of time thinking through those things and we’re, we’re ready to, to welcome the community and specifically around security. I mean, that was the second thing that I was really surprised because I lost so many deals on the other side to Microsoft, and I was like, and then I come on this side and I’m like, there’s all this opportunity everywhere. [00:12:28] Alexandra Zagury: I look underneath this chair, this opportunity, and I’m like, why are people not going after it? There is the opportunity to build managed XDR solutions, the opportunity to reinvent the song. There’s, there’s just so much opportunity and I think people get so stuck in the. Just thinking of it from a licensing model and not thinking it from the, the full on end-to-end value that you can then unlock through the best licensing model on the planet. [00:12:55] Alexandra Zagury: And so, look, we’re here, we’re, we’re ready to talk to all of you and, and really figure this out ’cause we are gonna place really bet big bets next year on ensuring that we’re growing with the MSP community. [00:13:08] Vince Menzione: So what are you personally focused on in changing Microsoft to drive this. [00:13:13] Alexandra Zagury: Well, uh, I don’t know. [00:13:14] Alexandra Zagury: Changing is a, is a, is a big word. Well, I like evolution, change, [00:13:17] Vince Menzione: evolution, evolving. [00:13:18] Alexandra Zagury: You know, I [00:13:19] Vince Menzione: transition. [00:13:21] Alexandra Zagury: I think there is, there is a couple of things that I’ll say that one of the things that I, I’m really focused on right now, the first one is skilling. We’re at a time of such transformation. That investing in skilling, and if you look at our skilling model, it has four pillars. [00:13:37] Alexandra Zagury: The first pillar we’re best in class, in which is certification specializations, and making sure that our ecosystem is certified to go to market. The second one, which we call project ready. It’s sort of how we help you, uh, technically skill the folks that sit in your practices. And there’s more work to do there, and there’s more that you can learn about how we can actually help you. [00:13:59] Alexandra Zagury: And then the middle part I’m obsessed with right now, which is sales ready and tech sales ready. So it is ensuring, because AI is new for everybody. Yes. It’s a muscle, it is a proposition that you have to sell it’s value that you’re selling. I, I love what the gentleman from Lenovo was talking about. It’s, it’s that CSB always on motion. [00:14:21] Alexandra Zagury: Yes. And so really getting very crisp to the end seller at the, at the reseller. For example, at the end, seller at the partner about why Microsoft. Why now, how do I sell and how do I win? And giving them the assets, the competitive battle cards, the, the, the ability to end objection handling all these. Great, we have them. [00:14:45] Alexandra Zagury: I mean, the amount of content we have, but it’s about doing it at what I call precision velocity. [00:14:51] Vince Menzione: Precision [00:14:51] Alexandra Zagury: velocity, right? Which is this concept of how do we get very precise at a persona level. So that we get the velocity of impact. And so I’m, I’m very obsessed with that right now. And there’s two other things I’m very obsessed with, right? [00:15:04] Alexandra Zagury: The other one is this practice building, ensuring that we are together building these AI centers of excellence, um, especially for all our managed partners. This is something that I’ve put on, uh, every single PDM in our org is gonna, is gonna be talking about that. And then the third one is one that I find super interesting, which I think all of us. [00:15:25] Alexandra Zagury: Have a lot of work to do, which is partner to partner. [00:15:29] Vince Menzione: Yes. [00:15:29] Alexandra Zagury: If we look at a customer outcome, thank you. A customer outcome is built of many partners, right? There’s so many different touch points. I think some folks talk about seven partners in, in a customer outcome, and so how do we actually. Use agents, use agent solutions to suddenly unlock this opportunity because most of the time you’ll see an SSP with an si, maybe an ISV in the middle of a transaction to deliver on that customer outcome. [00:16:04] Alexandra Zagury: Yes. So what can we Microsoft do? And I’d love ideas, right? I haven’t cracked this. I don’t think the industry has completely cracked this. It’s more of a, a science than, than, well, more of an art than it is a science today. So that’s the third thing that I, I, I’d love to really improve and, and get better at. [00:16:20] Vince Menzione: I wish you got to see my slide earlier. ’cause I had the seven seats. I had this, I had the seven partners surrounding the customer. Customer is able to make their decisions now because with their cloud commitments [00:16:31] Alexandra Zagury: mm-hmm. [00:16:32] Vince Menzione: They’re in the, they’re in the seat where it used to be. I would rely on the partner to tell me what to do. [00:16:38] Vince Menzione: I, I’m cobbling together the best solution for my organization. Based on the trusted partners, to your point, those seven seats, and that’s partner to partner action. And Jay McBain was here yesterday and he took us through a great example. It’s AstraZeneca, that Microsoft won AWS, thought they were gonna win the deal, and then there were Microsoft partners in involved. [00:17:00] Vince Menzione: And the, the decision was made in December, but the deal didn’t happen until July. And that whole process was because all these different partners showed up. And influence the decision and the solution areas for that customer. [00:17:12] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah, that’s the best example of PLG partner led growth in action, which I think, again, that is the other thing that I’m super excited about is that actually p proving in the AI era that it’s about PLG as partner led growth, not the other PLGI. [00:17:31] Vince Menzione: I love that. I love that. Instead of product led growth, it’s partner led growth. So I understand there’s three layers that you’re very interested in that you want, you were gonna take us through today. Okay. Do you know about this, [00:17:44] Alexandra Zagury: the layers [00:17:45] Vince Menzione: of we have, uh, copilot chat. Oh, yes. 365 and, and agents. [00:17:49] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah. [00:17:50] Vince Menzione: From a product perspective, I thought maybe, [00:17:51] Alexandra Zagury: yeah, sure. [00:17:52] Alexandra Zagury: This is, I mean. This is the, uh, advantage of choosing the market Microsoft platform. Yeah, so as you look, look at it, there’s, there’s definitely different options, but when you look at Microsoft, what’s really, really interesting is that we have all the, all the layers. There’s no AI without data, and we’ve got that data foundation. [00:18:15] Alexandra Zagury: We also have the intelligence data foundation, right? Then we’ve got the, the layer of actually building those AI agents, and then the last layer that we have is actually the experience or the application layer. So when you look at our platform is a completely integrated platform with the different choices. [00:18:35] Alexandra Zagury: We are not behold, beholden to one LLM or another LLM. You’re actually able to bring your data and, and bring the LLM that you want to deliver on the, on the outcomes that you need. And I think that is very, very unique about our proposition. Yeah, I [00:18:50] Vince Menzione: agree. [00:18:50] Alexandra Zagury: But the other thing that is unique, it’s the most exciting product out there. [00:18:55] Alexandra Zagury: Agent 3, 6 5, our own oh oh seven. It really is a differentiated proposition that every single partner can build services around. Starting with your advisory services, tell me customer, what is it that you are thinking of? Then you actually move on to thinking about security because again, just like there’s no AI without data, you have to start with that data foundation. [00:19:24] Alexandra Zagury: There’s no AI without security and no security without ai. And so really thinking through how, uh, agent 3, 6, 5, I love it. I get these claps once a, I love, love really thinking about how Agent 3, 6 5 really unlocks, not only. A security budget, but an observability budget because you can do both. You are talking to both, uh, folks at the customer, right? [00:19:47] Alexandra Zagury: You can actually start talking about how you’re gonna actually govern all of these agents, manage all of these agents, but also there’s the observability layer, which is gonna tell you what actually can you do? How can you actually deliver on the outcomes that we all want from ai, which is productivity. [00:20:05] Alexandra Zagury: Experience and efficiency and all the other things. So I think this is the biggest opportunity this channel has ever seen, and every single partner is gonna have to make a choice on what platform they’re gonna lead with, and we believe it should be ours because it is completely integrated across these three layers with our very own oh oh seven. [00:20:30] Vince Menzione: I wanna get your perspective, but it feels like many of these partners in the MSP community are stuck at that CSP level. We were having this conversation about getting through that, coaching ’em through it. What would your be your perspective on that? [00:20:44] Alexandra Zagury: Um, I’d say, uh, use this moment to unlock that opportunity. [00:20:50] Alexandra Zagury: First off, invest in your skills. Get your, get your team skilled and, uh, on Microsoft, build your center of excellence. Map out your strategy where actually you’re gonna monetize and use all the different assets that we have. And if you are being really, um, I mean, most of them are serviced through a distributor. [00:21:12] Alexandra Zagury: Make your distributor accountable for supporting you in packaging the offers and giving you the, uh, information that you need in terms of skilling. And then in terms of co-selling, again, distributor has a lot of tools that can help you understand how to unlock the co unlock, the co-selling opportunity with Microsoft. [00:21:35] Alexandra Zagury: I think that’s another really big competitive advantage that Microsoft has. When, uh, Microsoft changed what it started by, by, by changing its strategy. I think clarity is kindness. We were very, very clear that where we want, we wanted partners, of course, to play an enterprise with a services stack, but we were very clear that we were betting on a partner led growth in small, medium enterprise, right? [00:22:03] Alexandra Zagury: And so we’ve built our whole operating system. Around that. And so I think it’s really about finding the information that you know you want, planning your strategy, getting skilled and go to market with us. Our co-sell Advantage is very, very unique. It is one of the only companies that has the sales teams completely aligned because CSP is our hero motion. [00:22:29] Vince Menzione: So being with a customer through the journey on CSP, but also renewals are a big component of growth. Talk to us about that. [00:22:36] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah. Renewals are, uh, a machine and an engine that is just absolutely beautiful. It’s your [00:22:42] Vince Menzione: flywheel. [00:22:43] Alexandra Zagury: It is your flywheel. Um, and it is the gift that keeps on giving. We, of course, have a very focused, um, and in fact, one of the things that I’ve done since. [00:22:52] Alexandra Zagury: Uh, since we’ve started, it started a very focused motion in terms of looking at our renewals. We have very specific targets. We, we like to see a renewal at 110% at the moment of renewal. And then we like to see a motion, t plus three, T plus six. That gets us to that a hundred and and 25%. But what we’ve also found out is that this needs to be an always on motion. [00:23:18] Alexandra Zagury: So one of the things that we’re doing is using this concept of precision velocity becoming very rigorous. ’cause we have all the data. Yeah. In terms of what is that next action, and really looking at starting that renewal process, we see that the partners that are able to reach the targets are the ones that start at T minus. [00:23:36] Alexandra Zagury: Six, maybe T minus three, you’re cutting it, but T minus six. And really building that constant motion, getting out in front Yeah. With the customer is really important. And then of course, we now even have these amazing go back motions, uh, with, with our partners where we actually, after the renewal, we go and. [00:23:56] Alexandra Zagury: The renewal was not at the target. We just constantly keep on going. Uh, going back with the, with the partners and we’ve unlocked a, a bevy of data. We, our operating model, we call it the pods, where the PDM sits at the center and orchestrates it with all the different roles that we have. And so we now have a very systematized moment, uh, motion of how to do the renewals. [00:24:18] Vince Menzione: So for the partners in the room, what’s one investment that they should make and what should every partner in the room do differently? Going into, uh, July 1st. [00:24:27] Alexandra Zagury: Well, I think the first thing, remember, CSP is our hero motion, so really for, uh, real, really focused on that. But the one investment, can I say two? [00:24:38] Vince Menzione: Please, please. [00:24:38] Alexandra Zagury: Your time. The, the first one is skilling, right? This is the time. [00:24:43] Vince Menzione: Yeah. [00:24:43] Alexandra Zagury: Technical intensity is super, super important, and really making those investments in skilling not only from a practice perspective, your your, your technical practice, uh, teams, but also from a sales readiness perspective. [00:24:59] Alexandra Zagury: This is a new muscle. It’s we’re all learning how to truly sell outcomes, and so getting your sales teams ready. Is is really important. And then the second one very tied to that is building your AI Center of Excellence based on the Microsoft platform. Because as we go into FY 27, you will see that the partners that prefer and grow with us are the ones that will see the investment come to them. [00:25:28] Vince Menzione: So I want to use the term front. I I, I’ve been avoiding the term frontier firm, but I think it is super critical. Everything I’ve heard today, like you need to be customer zero. You need to get in train, advance on it and go build against it. [00:25:41] Alexandra Zagury: Absolutely. Well, if you had, let me a third, I would’ve said customer zero. [00:25:46] Vince Menzione: You have it? Alright. We have less than a minute. Would you be okay if we ask for like maybe one question? Yeah, absolutely. We’ll do like one, maybe two. So good to have you by the way. Thank you, Vince. So nice to have you here. [00:26:04] Vince Menzione: I think we did such a good job. Oh, here we go. Here’s, here’s fun. A mic is coming your way. [00:26:20] Vince Menzione: Thank you. Here we go. Okay. [00:26:22] Guest: So we’ve been very keen on, um, skilling our people, and I still find it very hard to get all of the information out of Partner Center to get a complete global view. Are you and your team thinking about maybe having an MCP server access and having a real portal working with that data? [00:26:41] Alexandra Zagury: You just touched on one of our areas of improvement. Absolutely. In fact, um, thank you for, stay tuned for holding us accountable to that. That is definitely one of the things that we’re working on is how to integrate skilling hub into partner center. Right. As most of you will know, there are it Qs, and so that’s one of the things that we are definitely prioritizing, but thank you for holding me accountable to that one. [00:27:09] Vince Menzione: Awesome. [00:27:13] Vince Menzione: We have one more back here, David. I see. We wanna see how fast they can move that microphone across the room. Relay system here. The relay team. There we go. [00:27:25] Guest: That was excellent, Alexander. Thank you. And welcome. [00:27:28] Alexandra Zagury: Thank you. [00:27:29] Guest: Can you point to a specific example? ’cause I think it’s so critical what you highlighted just the skill piece and the customer outcomes piece. [00:27:35] Guest: Right. Can you point to a specific example of a story that you really love that highlights, uh, customers lighting it up with ROI. [00:27:44] Alexandra Zagury: Yeah, I think, you know, we’re, we’re, we’re a platform, so I just saw a win wire. Like at Microsoft, we get these win wires all the time about how an SSB actually won a, a deal against one of these big AI only companies. [00:28:00] Alexandra Zagury: And it was really about selling the full platform, right? Yeah. Because if, if you, if you put a full platform against an LLM proposition, I mean, the full platform really stacks up because it’s completely integrated. It’s not behemoth to one, you’re not making a bet on one company. And it really highlighted our mantra around trust and intelligence. [00:28:24] Alexandra Zagury: The customer was able to see, they, they were an M 365 customer, so all their iq, all their intelligence was already there. They knew that they, there were guardrails against it. They had a problem with shadow ai and by actually standardizing on copilot and going on that journey from copilot paid to agents, they sue the, they saw the full, uh, value proposition. [00:28:49] Alexandra Zagury: And so we won that deal and it was one of the. First E seven deals that we won, so it was great. [00:28:55] Vince Menzione: Fantastic. Great. Congratulations. [00:28:57] Alexandra Zagury: Thank you [00:28:58] Vince Menzione: Alex. I am so honored and thrilled that you got, you chose us to be your I I would say the first big Yeah, absolutely. Presentation in front of the partner community. [00:29:07] Vince Menzione: I’m so excited to have you. [00:29:08] Alexandra Zagury: Thank you [00:29:09] Vince Menzione: guys, and hopefully many more times ahead with us. [00:29:10] Alexandra Zagury: Absolutely. Invite me at anytime. [00:29:12] Vince Menzione: Okay. Well, thank you [00:29:13] Alexandra Zagury: so much. [00:29:14] Vince Menzione: Thank you. So great [00:29:15] Alexandra Zagury: to have you. Thank [00:29:16] Vince Menzione: you so much. Thanks for listening to The Ultimate Partner Podcast. If today’s conversation resonated, share it with a partner leader in your network. [00:29:26] Vince Menzione: Subscribe where you listen, and head over to the ultimate partner.com. For show notes related content and the resources for this episode. And if you haven’t already, now’s the time to register for the Ultimate Partner Live Event in Reston, Virginia, October 26th through October 28th. Until next time, keep showing up in the rooms that matter because being in the room changes everything.

Plus: JPMorgan Chase ended its banking relationship with Polymarket over regulatory concerns. And analysts say Lenovo seems confident in managing the headwinds for consumer electronics. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A.M. Edition for Aug. 13. A Journal investigation finds that thousands of North Korean operatives have landed jobs at American companies and are funneling millions of dollars back to the regime. Plus, big businesses like Apple and FedEx start reeling in hundreds of millions in tariff refunds. And the WSJ's Stu Woo details how American chatbots are towing Beijing's party line. Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: the AI boom boosted Cisco's quarterly profits. And Lenovo is on track to hit its annual revenue goal ahead of schedule. Danny Lewis hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben and Tom discuss producer prices coming in cooler than expected for a second straight month with headline PPI flat month-over-month and core PPI easing to 4.2% year-over-year, Tom's argument that interest rates remain too high given the $40 trillion national debt after the 10-year auctioned at the highest rate since 2007 and the 30-year approaching its highest since 2001, a breakdown of how portfolio management fees and retail margins are skewing the services component of inflation data, Lenovo surging 20% as AI-related revenue climbs to 35% of total revenue, and Lambda's new $926 million amortizing loan priced at 300 basis points over SOFR as an early example of asset-backed financing structures emerging to fund AI infrastructure buildouts.Join our live YouTube stream Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM EST:http://www.youtube.com/@TheMorningMarketBriefingPlease see disclosures:https://www.narwhal.com/disclosure

Marley Kayden and Sam Vadas discuss July's flat wholesale inflation report and what it could mean for the Fed's path forward. They also break down major market movers, including Workday's (WDAY) surge on acquisition speculation, Lenovo's strong earnings-driven rally, and JD.com's (JD) decline despite an earnings beat. Investors are now focused on upcoming PCE inflation and retail sales data for the next clues on the economy.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Der Dow Jones und Nasdaq starten freundlich in den Handel, nachdem auch die Erzeugerpreise für Juli auf eine weitere Abkühlung der Inflation hindeuten. Zusammen mit den bereits moderateren Verbraucherpreisen und dem schwachen Juli-Arbeitsmarkt nimmt das den Renditen etwas Druck und reduziert das Risiko einer Zinsanhebung der Fed im September. Gute Zahlen sind nicht automatisch gut genug. Cisco, Coherent und Cerebras übertreffen die Erwartungen und geben jeweils einen besseren Ausblick, werden aber trotzdem verkauft. Cisco spricht sogar von einem „Networking Supercycle“, nachdem die Produktaufträge um 35 Prozent gestiegen sind und allein von Hyperscalern KI-Aufträge über 4 Milliarden US-Dollar eingingen. Coherent profitiert massiv vom Wechsel der KI-Rechenzentren von Kupfer zu optischen Verbindungen und liefert ebenfalls Zahlen und Ausblick über Konsens. Außerhalb der USA sorgt Lenovo mit einem Umsatzsprung von 43 Prozent und einem Wachstum von 98 Prozent im Infrastrukturgeschäft für ein Ausrufezeichen, während Birkenstock den Jahresausblick für Umsatzwachstum und EBITDA anhebt. Analystenseitig erhöht JPMorgan das Kursziel für Microsoft auf 625 US-Dollar und sieht KI als zentralen Treiber einer Wachstumsbeschleunigung bei Azure und Microsoft 365. Abonniere den Podcast, um keine Folge zu verpassen! ____ Folge uns, um auf dem Laufenden zu bleiben: • X: http://fal.cn/SQtwitter • LinkedIn: http://fal.cn/SQlinkedin • Instagram: http://fal.cn/SQInstagram

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/_BEWZQaq4_w Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee Gamekings-hosts praten over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld die videogames heet. Het is donderdag en Daan neemt plaats achter de desk om samen met JJ de ontwikkelingen tijdens de afgelopen dagen door te nemen. Zo hebben de twee het onder andere over de DLC van Crimson Desert die eraan komt. Maar is dat wel nodig als je weet dat nog geen 10% van de zes miljoen kopers alle main quests in het spel uitgespeeld heeft? Het antwoord op deze vragen krijg je in de Gamekings Daily van donderdag 13 augustus 2026. De eerste DLC voor Crimson Desert komt eraan Andere onderwerpen die in deze editie aan bod komen, zijn onder meer XBOX bazin Asha Sharma, die Elder Scrolls 6 heeft gespeeld, de ontslagen bij de makers van The Quarry en Until Dawn, het succes van Alan Wake 2 en de boost die de verkoop van videogames krijgt als er een film over die franchise uitkomt. De meningen over al deze onderwerpen ga je zien en horen in deze video en podcast. Check de Back to School-acties van Lenovo met dikke kortingen BOVENOP de 15% Gamekings discount Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo ThinkPad, de absolute bestseller van de producent. En of je het nu wilt of niet, de zomervakantie gaat ooit eindigen en dan gaan de scholen weer open. Lenovo speelt daar op in met de Back to School acties die dikke kortingen bieden op verschillende laptops die handig zijn voor scholieren en studenten. Check bijvoorbeeld de Yoga, de LOQ gaming laptop en de IdeaPad. En let op! Bovenop deze kortingen kun je ook nog eens de 15% speciale Gamekings discount laden. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren. Laat deze kans niet liggen.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Der Dow Jones startet freundlich in den Handel, nachdem auch die Erzeugerpreise für Juli auf eine weitere Abkühlung der Inflation hindeuten. Zusammen mit den bereits moderateren Verbraucherpreisen und dem schwachen Juli-Arbeitsmarkt nimmt das den Renditen etwas Druck und reduziert das Risiko einer Zinsanhebung der Fed im September. Der Nasdaq sieht dennoch Druck. Gute Zahlen sind nicht automatisch gut genug. Cisco, Coherent und Cerebras übertreffen die Erwartungen und geben jeweils einen besseren Ausblick, werden aber trotzdem verkauft. Cisco spricht sogar von einem „Networking Supercycle“, nachdem die Produktaufträge um 35 Prozent gestiegen sind und allein von Hyperscalern KI-Aufträge über 4 Milliarden US-Dollar eingingen. Coherent profitiert massiv vom Wechsel der KI-Rechenzentren von Kupfer zu optischen Verbindungen und liefert ebenfalls Zahlen und Ausblick über Konsens. Außerhalb der USA sorgt Lenovo mit einem Umsatzsprung von 43 Prozent und einem Wachstum von 98 Prozent im Infrastrukturgeschäft für ein Ausrufezeichen, während Birkenstock den Jahresausblick für Umsatzwachstum und EBITDA anhebt. Analystenseitig erhöht JPMorgan das Kursziel für Microsoft auf 625 US-Dollar und sieht KI als zentralen Treiber einer Wachstumsbeschleunigung bei Azure und Microsoft 365. Ein Podcast - featured by Handelsblatt. ► Entdecke den exklusiven NordVPN Deal! Jetzt risikofrei testen mit einer 30-Tage-Geld-zurück-Garantie: https://nordvpn.com/wallstreet * ► Erhalte einen exklusiven 15% Rabatt auf Saily eSIM Datentarife! Lade die Saily-App herunter und benutze den Code wallstreet beim Bezahlen: https://saily.com/wallstreet * +++ Alle Rabattcodes und Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/wallstreet_podcast +++ ► Mehr Einblicke: https://bit.ly/360wallstreetpc * Impressum: https://www.360wallstreet.de/impressum *Werbung

Lenovo's ThinkBook patent codenamed Project Swan will bring horizontal rollable displays to its laptop form factor, and Apple is reportedly splitting the release of its premium iPhone 18 devices from its cheaper ones.Starring Jason Howell and Tom Merritt.Links to stories discussed in this episode can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/eOJt4FpI_T0 Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee Gamekings-hosts spreken over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld der videogames. Het is dinsdag en Jasper is aangeschoven om samen met JJ de ontwikkelingen van de afgelopen dagen door te nemen. De beide mannen hebben het onder meer over de bizarre neergang van live service game ARC Raiders. De game kwam uit in oktober 2025 en scoorde al snel een piek van een kleine half miljoen spelers concurrent. Van dat aantal is er nu, anno augustus 2026, nog maar 10 à 15% over. Hoe kan dat? Wat heeft developer Embark Studios gedaan om deze neerval te veroorzaken? En is er nog een redding mogelijk? Het antwoord op deze vraag krijg je in de Gamekings Daily van dinsdag 11 augustus 2026. ARC Raiders is 90% van de spelers kwijt geraakt Een ander onderwerp dat de beide heren bespreken, is de mail die meldde dat Blizzard de best verkopende studio was binnen het arsenaal van XBOX. Met welke games hebben ze dat voor elkaar gekregen? Plus, wat betekent dit succes voor de toekomst van de befaamde developer? Check de Back to School-acties met dikke kortingen op diverse laptops van Lenovo Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo ThinkPad, de absolute bestseller van de producent. En of je het nu wilt of niet, de zomervakantie gaat ooit eindigen en dan gaan de scholen weer open. Lenovo speelt daar op in met de Back to School acties die dikke kortingen bieden op verschillende laptops die handig zijn voor scholieren en studenten. Daarnaast is er, speciaal voor de kijkers en luisteraars van Gamekings die geen student of scholier zijn, een 15% discount op alle laptops. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Prozent. So viele Unternehmen sagen von sich, dass ihre Scope-3-Daten wirklich entscheidungsreif sind. Der Rest? Sammelt fleißig und lässt die Zahlen in der Excel-Tabelle liegen, statt damit im Einkauf zu steuern. Nur 7 Prozent arbeiten überhaupt mit echten Lieferantendaten. Lara Obst weis, was den Unterschied macht und wie du deinem CFO den ROI eines Scope 3 Programms erklärst. Sie kennt als Mitgründerin von The Climate Choice nicht nur die Strategien vieler Unternehmen aus der ersten Hand. Mit der Scope 3 Action Group und dem Climate Transformation Summit in Berlin hat sie eines der lebendigsten Scope 3 Ökosysteme im deutschsprachigen Raum mit aufgebaut. Sie verrät Podcast-Host Zackes Brustik: ✅ Was „Climate Maturity" ist und warum es die bessere Steuerungsgröße ist als eine reine CO2-Zahl. ✅ Wie Rossmann, Atruvia, o2 Telefónica, Lenovo und ein globaler Hightech-Hersteller ihre größten Scope 3 Hürden lösen. ✅ 5 konkrete Schritte, mit denen Du in den nächsten Monaten beim Thema Scope 3 aufholst. Eine unverzichtbare Folge für alle Sustainability Manager*innen und Einkaufsverantwortliche, die Scope 3 endlich von der Reporting- in die Umsetzungsspur bringen wollen. GEWINNE ZUKUNFT NEWSLETTER Im Newsletter zum Podcast gibt es von Podcast-Host Zackes Brustik persönliche Einblicke aus der Community, Trends und wertvolle Ressourcen kurz und knapp direkt in Dein Postfach.

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/KvEcENOvSk4 Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee presentatoren van Gamekings praten over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld die videogames heet. Vandaag is het maandag en schuift Koos aan om samen met JJ de ontwikkelingen tijdens het afgelopen weekend door te nemen. De gamesindustrie staat immers nooit stil. De twee hebben het onder andere over de 'Extended Look' van GTA 6, die Rockstar, tot menige verrassing, bij Netflix onderbracht. Gedurende zes uur, want daarna komt deze video ook openbaar. De grote vraag is nu wat de inhoud van de video precies gaat zijn? Is het een nieuwe gameplay-trailer met wat gebabbel van de developer eromheen, of gaat het echt beduidend meer zijn? Het antwoord op deze vraag krijg je in de Gamekings Daily van maandag 10 augustus 2026. De 'Extended Look' van GTA 6 kan weleens meer zijn dan menigeen verwacht Een ander onderwerp waarover de twee de discussie aangaan, is de mogelijkheid van DLC voor de Final Fantasy VII- trilogie. DLC die niet voortbouwt op het verhaal van de trilogie, maar het verhaal van een bepaald persoon verder uitdiept. Zit Koos daar als onbezoldigd pleitbezorger van het Final Fantasy-gilde, op te wachten? En er komt nieuwe content voor de fans van Elden Ring. Geen DLC, maar wel stuff die hardcore fans mogelijk tof gaan vinden. Check de Back to School-acties met dikke kortingen op diverse laptops van Lenovo Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo ThinkPad, de absolute bestseller van de producent. En of je het nu wilt of niet, de zomervakantie gaat ooit eindigen en dan gaan de scholen weer open. Lenovo speelt daar op in met de Back to School acties die dikke kortingen bieden op verschillende laptops die handig zijn voor scholieren en studenten. Daarnaast is er, speciaal voor de kijkers en luisteraars van Gamekings die geen student of scholier zijn, een 15% discount op alle laptops. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we're looking at Apple's legal challenge against the UK Government over demands to access user data, new EU rules on AI transparency, and the latest leaks surrounding Googlebooks from Dell and Lenovo. We also take a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s with Timex's futuristic Retroware digital watch, plus some very welcome news involving Amiga and Commodore. With Gareth Myles and Ted Salmon Join us on Mewe RSS Link: https://techaddicts.libsyn.com/rss iTunes | YouTube Music | Stitcher | Tunein | Spotify  Amazon | Pocket Casts | Castbox | PodHubUK Feedback Listening to your thoughts about a streamer with Ethernet. Have you thought about the Manhattan Aero? The Aero is the only streaming option that Manhattan do. The others are all freeview/freesat based. An alternative is the Netgem Pleio... Have no direct experience of the Pleio but will say that the Aero runs on the Tivo platform and won't support Now TV. Got 4 of them when I got hacked off with Sky... Phil I have a couple of compact cameras; a samsung and canon, which are being used regularly since 2010.  I rarely use my phone's cameras even for videos. Almost every event and holiday, those two cameras are present. Oh and I still use my moto mod hasselblad camera with my moto z3 play. JTManuel News Apple launches legal challenge against UK government demand to access data EU announces new rules on AI transparency Dell's first Googlebook could borrow one of its most iconic laptop brands Massive leak reveals Lenovo Googlebook 15 ahead of launch Timex's New Retroware Digital Looks Like a Futuristic Watch from the '80s Amiga And Commodore, Back Together (Sort Of) Banters: Knocking out a Quick Bant Planify FreeFileSync - A Review Alternative - Syncthing Bought Report Yeesabella Grip Stickers Bargain Basement: Best UK deals and tech on sale we have spotted NOCO GENIUS2: 2A 6V/12V Smart Battery Charger - £45.34 Was £54.95 XTEINK X3 3.7" Pocket E-Ink eBook Reader £65 from £80 (Qi2 connectivity and magnetic pogo-pin charging - X4 has USB-C but is bigger) Miady 2-Pack 5000mAh Handheld Portable Fan (7-20 Hours Runtime) - £11.99 Was  £23.99 Samsung Galaxy S25 FE 256GB/8GB £499.00 from £699 (sometimes £599) - £99.80/month (5 months) - the 128GB one is £449 MAGICNUC AG2 Mini PC — Ryzen 7 7840HS, 32GB DDR5, 1TB NVMe - £599.00 UGreen 13-in-1 Docking Station £69.99 from £119.99 Main Show URL: http://www.techaddicts.uk | PodHubUK Contact:: gareth@techaddicts.uk | @techaddictsuk Gareth - @garethmyles | Mastodon | Blusky | garethmyles.com | Gareth's Ko-Fi Ted - tedsalmon.com | Ted's PayPal | Mastodon | Ted's Amazon YouTube: Tech Addicts  

ONEXPLAYER 3 is both delayed and shipping at the same time, Lenovo completely brick Legion Go 1 users then charge to fix it, Nintendo are absolutely SMASHING IT with the Switch 2 sales and more.

Chris Fabes, president of TD SYNNEX Canada Chris Fabes is two weeks into his new role as president of TD SYNNEX Canada, and he brings a perspective almost nobody else in the Canadian channel can match: senior leadership experience on all three sides of the ecosystem. Fabes spent a decade at Lenovo Canada, where as channel chief he tripled channel revenue to $1.2 billion in three years. He then moved to SHI International, where he led the Canadian operation with a focus on enterprise and public sector. Now he’s at the distributor side, taking over from Mitchell Martin, who ran the business for 35 years through multiple mergers and industry transformations. In this conversation, Fabes discusses what he learned from seeing the channel from the vendor, reseller, and distributor sides – and how each perspective informs what partners should expect from TD SYNNEX going forward. He talks about the booming Quebec market (he’s Montreal-based and bilingual), the role of MSPs as “AI ambassadors” for 1.3 million Canadian SMBs, and the shift from traditional SaaS consumption toward tokenomics. He’s candid about needing more time to assess TD SYNNEX’s internal AI readiness, and he closes with a challenge to the Canadian channel: be “proud and loud” about what the ecosystem has accomplished. Read Full Transcript **Robert Dutt:** Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel community for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor at ChannelBuzz.ca, and your host for the show. Today I’m joined by Chris Fabes, who’s just a couple of weeks into his new role as president of TD SYNNEX Canada. Now, TD SYNNEX is of course the largest technology distributor in the world, and the Canadian operation has been a fixture of this channel for decades. But this is a transition moment. Mitch Martin ran the Canadian business for more than 35 years, starting out with Merisel Canada, through the Synnex acquisition, the pandemic, mergers with Westcon, and finally the merger with Tech Data. He retired earlier this year and TD SYNNEX went outside the organization for his replacement. They found Chris Fabes at SHI International, where he was running the Canadian operation. Before SHI, he spent a decade at Lenovo Canada, where as the channel chief he tripled channel revenue to $1.2 billion in three years. And before that, he started his career at a reseller. So, he’s one of the very few people in the industry who’ve held senior leadership roles on the reseller side, the vendor side, and now the distributor side. A 360-degree view that I think is worth exploring. We talked about what he’s seeing in his first two weeks, what partners should expect from TD SYNNEX Canada under his leadership, the Quebec market, which he calls home, AI, program simplification, and why he thinks the Canadian channel ecosystem should be, in his words, “proud and loud.” Let’s get right into it. My chat with Chris Fabes. Chris, thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it. **Chris Fabes:** Thanks for having me. I also appreciate it. **Robert Dutt:** Pretty epic way to get the distributor side of things on your channel bingo card, having already done the reseller solution provider and vendor side. Congrats on the new gig and I guess in general, your thoughts on taking over the leadership of TD SYNNEX Canada at this moment. **Chris Fabes:** I appreciate that. And look, how could I not be excited? It’s an incredible opportunity. As you mentioned, I’ve been on the vendor side as well as the value-added reseller side, but distribution is definitely not new for me. I’ve been working with TD SYNNEX for many, many years in different capacities. So it’s exciting having known the organization, knowing a lot of the people, and just quickly being pulled into internal and external conversations about, “Hey, what can we go do to go big?” So it’s just really exciting and I couldn’t be happier. **Robert Dutt:** As we touch on there, you’ve had senior leadership roles reseller side, most recently SHI, the vendor side with Lenovo, and now you’re adding the distributor side—a perspective that not many people have at the senior level especially. How has seeing that ecosystem from all three of those sides changed what you think a distributor actually needs to do for partners? **Chris Fabes:** I think it gives me a perspective that is rather unique. I always like to look at what the market is asking of the channel ecosystem and for each of those components, where do we add value and how do we focus on the outcome that our customers, vendor partners, and the ultimate end user are looking for. I think we can all agree that while technology, the whole industry is an exciting place to be—and I think we’d be doing something different if we all wanted things to be simple—the pace of change and the pace of innovation is really exciting. I think with all of the growth and now complexities built into the ecosystem, distribution plays an even more pivotal role in being able to service the demand. That’s what’s really exciting looking at the future. **Robert Dutt:** At Lenovo, one of your signature achievements was tripling channel revenue to $1.2 billion over the course of three years. What was the thesis and the plan behind that growth in that time, and is any of that transferable to the distributor context where you’re one step further removed from the end customer? **Chris Fabes:** I think it absolutely is relevant and it aligns. It all starts with planning around what the expected demand is and making sure that the differentiation and the capabilities are aligned with that opportunity. Even answering your question from the Lenovo side of things, it was: where’s the appetite? Where are the routes to market? How do we pull the levers at the right times? How do we make sure that we’re talking to the customers, being the channel partners as well as the end customers, so that we can pivot as required? Looking at the distribution side of things, it’s really no different. In the Canadian market, it is really: where’s the spend coming from, who is touching those spend requirements, and how do we participate in a meaningful way where we’re adding value to the equation? **Robert Dutt:** You spent a decade at Lenovo on your way up, literally working your way up the organization. How does that kind of ground-level experience shape your leadership style and what are you looking for in the teams you’re building now? **Chris Fabes:** Great question. I’ve always looked at myself as being someone that respects people at all levels. I don’t see myself any different from anyone else in any organization. So I really seek to understand, look to build relationships, and listen first. I lead with trust, which I think allows you to operate with very low friction, allowing people to outperform at their best levels. I make sure that I celebrate success along the way, but also hold people accountable. It’s been fun being able to work for people and then have a flip-side relationship as I was able to grow into different leadership positions. Being humble and respectful of all those relationships has benefited me as I’ve moved into positions where the relationships, even if they might be different now, are very much respectful. I’m happy for them; they’re happy for me. We have a short memory when we want it to be short, but long when it matters. In this channel, being that it’s large yet very small at the same time, leaving those relationships better off has been an important part of the way I’ve looked at people. **Robert Dutt:** I asked you a little while ago your perspective on what you can bring from the vendor side to the distributor side of things. Sort of the same question, but coming at it from your more recent point of view from the reseller side at SHI. A massive reseller—what did your time there teach you about where distribution adds value, where it doesn’t, and what you wanted from distribution when you were in that seat? **Chris Fabes:** Sure. There were a lot of conversations. Most of my conversations at that point were internal around building strategy. I think we’ve touched on that quite a bit, but the other side was just talking with CIOs, CEOs, and VPs that were responsible for technology decisions. The technology decisions almost became the easy part. It was: Where can you help me around optimization? Where can you help me on cash flow? How can you do things that are lower friction? What happens when something might not be going perfectly? Is there an escalation path? So, process—that’s what I started to learn and be able to apply to that business. Again, I think having that lens of those customer expectations and understanding the flow down through the complete channel ecosystem allows me to look at distribution from a strategy and execution lens, combined with the ultimate goal of satisfying those that are ultimately deploying the technology—whether they be SMB, mid-market, enterprise, or large public sector. **Robert Dutt:** Mitch Martin ran this business for 35-plus years. That’s a pretty extraordinary tenure and he went through pretty wild changes in the industry and in the organization in particular. What do you see as the foundation that he left there? And what do you see, especially in your early days, as the biggest opportunities for fresh investment or new ideas? **Chris Fabes:** Respect the legacy. That’s first and foremost. In my first couple weeks of talking with the staff, what I recognize is there was a strong hand on the business. The foundation was strong, mature, and very well operated, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t look at areas of opportunity—the nuances, the incremental spend, and how we bring additional value. So I’ll be spending my time respecting the mature foundation and the expertise that already exists in the business, listening and having an open mind, but looking at that three-to-five-year future of where TD SYNNEX needs to be based on the market appetite. I want to underscore that in speaking to many people in my first days, it was so incredible to hear the tenures—10 years, 20 years, 30 years—and the passion that they’ve had as they’ve gone through their career with TD SYNNEX through multiple mergers and acquisitions. What they shared with me was just the trust and the love in the organization and the people. I consider myself very lucky to be taking that baton and moving forward with it. **Robert Dutt:** TD SYNNEX is the largest distributor in the world and the competitive landscape is shifting. You’ve got Ingram Micro as the other big traditional broadline folks, and you’re both redefining yourselves in your own ways. As always, there are specialists and newcomers. You’ve got cloud marketplaces. I guess I’m curious, where do you think from where you sit now that TD SYNNEX needs to differentiate itself most urgently to stand out in the current marketplace? **Chris Fabes:** We’re absolutely looking at how we maintain a position of leadership, and that comes down to understanding the market and understanding—and respecting—our competition. Those are going to be the conversations we’ll be having in terms of: How is the ecosystem changing? How is the appetite for technology changing? Are we in a position to meet the demand but also accelerate the demand? Obviously, there’ve been several tailwinds driving the appetite for various technologies, but there’ve also been headwinds where budgets have shifted in how the spend is being distributed. There’ll be that “tech talk” cycle of how we look at the opportunities and how we partner—and who we partner with—to make sure that we’re positioned to grow at scale but continue to take a leading position. **Robert Dutt:** The press release that announced your arrival at TD SYNNEX emphasized enterprise and public sector. Those are areas that you focused on at SHI. Is that a signal that that’s an area where we’re going to see TD SYNNEX push harder in Canada, or more reflective of your background in recent history? **Chris Fabes:** I don’t think we want to read too much into my background. There are no assumptions that I’ll take what I was doing and immediately deploy something like that in this new structure. But where I think there is an opportunity is looking at the buying flow of goods and where in the Canadian market we expect to see the need for services, partnerships, and guidance. There have been several announcements within Canada where there’s going to be increased spend in certain industries—defense is one. We can call that the broader public sector. We also continue to see from an ICT spend that security remains a high priority across the country, as well as the continued investment in readiness in the infrastructure stack. Ultimately, it’s what is driving that demand, and I will be looking at the segmentation and how we best support the customers and partners. **Robert Dutt:** TD SYNNEX’s operational heart—the offices of both legacies that have come together over the years—is typically in the western side of the GTA, and you’re out of Montreal. I’m curious how you’re thinking about the geographic balance of the Canadian business writ large, and with your presence in “La Belle Province,” is there an opportunity to lean harder into Quebec and the francophone market? **Chris Fabes:** Absolutely. The Quebec market is booming. It’s very attractive for us to continue to focus on the areas of growth. We will be taking a national approach, but it’s important that each market has its nuances and its differences. Yes, we have most of our team members within central Canada, on the west side of Toronto, but we’ll be looking at where the demand is. I’m lucky enough to be in Montreal and speak both official languages. I look forward to working with our Quebec partners and vendors to understand if there’re any areas of opportunity that we can help them address. It probably won’t hurt that I am local—born and raised here—and understand the market and the people. **Robert Dutt:** As we speak, you’re two weeks into the role. As this airs, it’ll probably be more like three—”grizzled veteran” territory, clearly. Can you tell me a little bit about what you’ve been focused on for that first fortnight in the role and what you’ve heard from the crew, from resellers, and from vendors? **Chris Fabes:** It’s been nothing but positive. If my wife was here, she would confirm the conversations that she’s overheard! I want this to be a very intentional and honest response. Whether it be the folks that I’ve worked with in the industry, the customers that we serve, or the staff I now have the opportunity to work with, it has been very positive. I was in the Mississauga office for the past few days. I intentionally spent multiple hours walking the floor, shaking hands with all of our people, and asking for feedback. My goal is for our vendor partners and customers to see the value we can bring scale when we understand their business. I personally will hold my team accountable to understand the business drivers of our partners and customers. I will personally make sure that I’m involved in those conversations and in that planning—the good and the bad—so that I have a pulse on what’s expected of us. It’s really about decisions being rooted in reality and relationships. **Robert Dutt:** Last month at ChannelNext Central, you talked about MSPs as “AI ambassadors” for a million or more Canadian SMBs. Now you’re running the biggest distributor in the country. How do you enable that? What’s the distributor’s role in making MSPs successful as AI adoption accelerates and especially SMB customers start looking for more on that front? **Chris Fabes:** Absolutely. There are going to be some additional opportunities to look at how we provide services to the broader MSP market and how we serve them in the infrastructure build-out. There’s also a real conversation around the FinOps change—whether it be consumption or traditional SaaS moving to tokenomics. I think we as a distributor have an opportunity to listen, adjust, and build supporting models that support their build-out. We already do have programs in place to be able to support the MSPs in Canada, so we’ll continue to engage through our partner-led events and continue to build out what that model looks like. **Robert Dutt:** Internally, we touched on AI with the last question. All the distributors are trying to build the business of the future around what AI will mean to the kind of data you can provide. I’m curious about your assessment of TD SYNNEX’s stature in that race at this moment and where you see the biggest opportunities for next steps. **Chris Fabes:** I would say, honestly, I need to spend more time understanding where TD SYNNEX is from an AI perspective. I say that with honesty because my message to the team is that I need to observe and understand the ins and outs of our business. But what I will say broadly is that the appetite for AI is absolutely there and it requires a lot of readiness. Each of our customers is at a different stage. We will meet you where you are, whether it is services readiness, policy, governance, and compliance where we can help at scale, or modernization around infrastructure. We will make sure that we are absolutely ready and take a leading position, because the opportunity is insatiable. Most critically, it’s: how do our partners and their customers use AI to increase their competitive edge and optimization? We’ll be right there beside them. **Robert Dutt:** Back to your Lenovo days, another one of your big projects was simplifying the channel program. “Deadpan Simple” was a phrase I think you liked to use at the time. Distribution programs tend to be on the complex side. I’m curious if you see a simplification opportunity for TD SYNNEX Canada? **Chris Fabes:** In the early feedback that I’ve already received, what customers focus on is the execution. While maybe there are a lot of moving parts, if we execute and communicate seamlessly, that’s the experience that our customers are getting. Is there an opportunity for me to go validate your statement? Absolutely, and I will. It will be a focus of how we make sure we’re bringing the right outcomes and operational excellence. I don’t have a future statement yet, but I’ll be looking at it over time. Our platforms and programs have to be best-in-class if we want to continue to take a leading position. **Robert Dutt:** You’ve been in this community for two decades. What do you see as the big differences between the Canadian channel ecosystem and the US? And what do American-headquartered companies get wrong or misunderstand about the Canadian market? **Chris Fabes:** Part of the reason why this was attractive for me is that there is a respected understanding of how the regions operate. Having leadership and teams that understand our market and our ecosystem was absolutely important. But at the same time, when you can centralize resources and apply the scale at a global level and then bring that to a market like Canada, that allows us to speak with our customers with a much bigger toolkit. I think there is a really interesting balance at TD SYNNEX between the centralized functions of a larger organization and the regional focus and ability to execute based on what the local market desires. **Robert Dutt:** So it sounds like it’s a matter of finding the right balance between the global playbook and local use. **Chris Fabes:** Absolutely. We can learn from anywhere in the world, whether it be at a technology level or a thought leadership level. I’m a big fan of best practices—some people would say “shamelessly borrow”—and you apply it to the market. There’s magic in being open-minded and collaborative but not losing sight of what’s expected locally. **Robert Dutt:** Wrapping it up, what can Canadian VARs, MSPs, and solution providers expect from yourself and from the team at TD SYNNEX going forward? **Chris Fabes:** Expect us to be collaborative. I really mean it. That is the way I operate and it’s what I’ll hold the team accountable for. A partner doesn’t tell the other partner how to do it without listening or understanding. We are going to win together. That is a commitment that I have to our team in Canada and to our customers and partners—that engagement and interest in growing in the right ways. **Robert Dutt:** And one last one, mostly just for fun. If you could wave the proverbial magic wand to change one thing about how the Canadian channel works today, what would it be? **Chris Fabes:** I would say the people and the execution—the level in which the Canadian market has, from time to time, outperformed other areas of the ecosystem. I think the Canadian ecosystem should be “proud and loud” in terms of the accomplishments that we’ve been able to achieve. I look forward to being part of that voice that we can further raise within the local community. **Robert Dutt:** All right, so just be louder and keep doing it better. Sounds great. Chris, good luck with the new role and I look forward to keeping track of things going on at TD SYNNEX. Thanks once again for taking the time to chat. **Chris Fabes:** Thanks, Rob. I enjoyed the conversation and look forward to connecting again soon. **Robert Dutt:** There you have it. Chris Fabes from TD SYNNEX Canada. I’d like to thank Chris for taking the time just two weeks into a new job to sit down and talk about where he’s been and where he thinks TD SYNNEX Canada is headed. Really appreciate his candour around AI. He basically says, “still learning where we’re at,” which is a lot more credible in week two than a rehearsed vision statement might have been. And I think his challenge to the Canadian channel to be “proud and loud” about what this ecosystem has built is worth thinking about. There are a few things I’m going to be watching for as he settles in. Whether TD SYNNEX makes a real push into Quebec now that they’ve got a bilingual Montreal-based president; what a program simplification effort might actually look like given his history of stripping complexity out of partner programs; and how he thinks about the distributor’s role in a world where more and more transactions are moving through non-traditional models like cloud marketplaces. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really appreciate it if you followed or subscribed to the podcast wherever you get your podcasts. We’re at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most of the major podcast directories. And if you have a moment to leave a rating or review, we appreciate it. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca and I’ll see you in the channel.

It's one week until the Pixel 11 rollout during the Made By Google event and Huyen Tue Dao, Jason Howell and Ron Richards are getting HYPED. Maybe it's the Android Summer heat or maybe it's the mix of weirdness and oddities in the news this week that we're parsing. Either way, it's a fun show this week!Note: Time codes subject to change depending on dynamic ad insertion by the distributor00:03:30 - NEWSDepending on which report you read, Smartphone shipments dropped in Q2'26 OR Smartphone revenue was up in Q2'26Where there's smoke...reports coming out of Nothing that they're pivoting away from phones and focusing on AI and general devices, just as they announce new earbuds!Happy 5th Birthday Jetpack Compose, featuring a cameo from Huyen!PATRON PICK: These leaked renders of the new Samsung Galaxy Buds On are a new look for Samsung ear buds00:32:01 - HARDWAREWith Made By Google approaching, we get a teaser of the Pixel 11 with a focus on the Pixel Glow or perhaps it's called something else, like "HiLight"?In addition to the Pixel 11, will we get a a "Pixel Tag"?The first Googlebooks from Lenovo have leaked and so have the Googlebooks from Asus!Tecno is claiming to have to have the first truly bezel-less phoneOnePlus isn't dead yet! The OnePlus 16 is confirmed to be coming later this year (just not here in the US)00:55:52 - APPS 'n SOFTWARE 'n STUFFGoogle merges a bunch of features under voice search that use....your voiceGoogle kills an app before it even launches and then kills Nano Banana 2 in Google Earth less than 24 hours after launching itThere's a major issue plaguing Spotify on Android right now, but Spotify is aware of it and working on itMissing TV Time? The original creator is back with Bingers01:08:11 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACKDaniel wants to turn off the annoying automatic volume lowering feature. Here's how!Hilton from Virginia shares adventures in car repair with GeminiMike from Ohio confirms that his Nexus 5 is indeed running Marshmallow/Android 6.0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jim Fields is an American entrepreneur who has spent over 15 years living and building businesses in China. He speaks fluent Mandarin, began his career at Adobe in Silicon Valley, and moved to China, where he worked at Nokia and Reckitt Benckiser before founding Relay Video in 2016 - a Beijing-based creative marketing agency that helped Chinese tech companies including Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo tell their stories to global audiences. He later founded Relay Club, an influencer management platform for Chinese brands going outbound. He now serves as Chief Growth Officer at Nuon Medical and is involved with Oren Medical, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer within the Kaiyan Medical Group.In this episode, Jim talks about his journey from Silicon Valley to China, what he learned building Relay Video, and the most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when trying to go global. He explains why he pivoted from marketing into medtech, and breaks down both companies he works with today: Nuon Medical, which embeds clinical technologies like red light therapy, microcurrent, and PEMF directly into cosmetics applicators for brands including Clarins and Vagheggi, and Oren Medical, which manufactures red light therapy and medical wellness devices with over 300 patents across six FDA-cleared facilities.Jim also discusses his TEDx talk arguing that light is a fourth macronutrient alongside oxygen, water, and food - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy and why he believes it belongs in everyday consumer products. He covers the beauty tech market in China versus the West, how US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business like his, and what he's learned from 15-plus years of building across both markets. Discussion Points·       Jim's journey from Silicon Valley to 15+ years building businesses in China·       Relay Video's thesis: Chinese brands are the brands of the future but need help telling their stories globally·       The most common mistakes Chinese tech companies make when going global, from working with Xiaomi, Tencent, and Lenovo·       The pivot from marketing to medtech and how Jim's China background connects to his work in beauty tech·       Nuon Medical: embedding clinical technologies (light therapy, microcurrent, PEMF) into cosmetics packaging·       Jim's TEDx argument that light is a fourth macronutrient - the science behind red and near-infrared light therapy·       Oren Medical: China's medical device manufacturing sophistication, 300+ patents, six FDA-cleared facilities·       Beauty tech market maturity in China versus the West and where China is leading·       How US-China trade tensions and tariffs affect a cross-border business built on Chinese manufacturing·       Lessons from 15-plus years building businesses that span China and the West

A court order indicates Apple continues to fight. Plus, new Googlebook laptops coming from Lenovo and expensive gaming laptops from Razer.Starring Tom Merritt and Robb Dunewood.Show notes can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FCC faces backlash on trying to censor Trump critics. Reddit CEO criticizes Google AI summaries. Zuckerberg's AI bets going poorly. Apple introduces a Hardware Subscription plan. New chips are coming to tablets and Chromebooks. Lenovo's lineup leaks. Valve's VR headset looks like it could be in pricing trouble. And is this REALLY the year for Linux on the Desktop? Let's get our tech week started off RIGHT! -- Show notes and links: https://somegadgetguy.com/b/4fV Support Talking Tech with SomeGadgetGuy by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/talking-tech-with-somegadgetgu Find out more at https://talking-tech-with-somegadgetgu.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-c117ce for 40% off for 4 months, and support Talking Tech with SomeGadgetGuy.

Join Gareth and Ted for another episode of the Tech Addicts Podcast, where they dive into the latest gadgets, strange innovations, and the ever-changing world of consumer technology. This week they take a closer look at FiiO's affordable hi-fi audio gear, including the Snowsky Echo Nano MP3 player and JadeAudio GIGAS 1, discuss why 2026 is becoming the year of the CD and whether it's time to rebuild your physical music collection, and explore the bizarre concept of a giant space mirror designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth. There's also a look at Ayaneo's retro-inspired Konkr Pocket Advance, Lenovo's leaked Google-powered laptops that could redefine what a "Googlebook" really is, Canon's decision to ramp up compact camera production, and plenty of entertaining tangents, including The Human Fridge! Finally, Gareth and Ted share their latest purchases, featuring the Google TV Streamer and Sony LinkBuds Clip, along with a nostalgic look back at the Razer Cynosa Chroma keyboard. Whether you're into retro tech, cutting-edge gadgets, or just enjoy a good tech chat, there's something here for every enthusiast. With Gareth Myles and Ted Salmon Join us on Mewe RSS Link: https://techaddicts.libsyn.com/rss iTunes | YouTube Music | Stitcher | Tunein | Spotify  Amazon | Pocket Casts | Castbox | PodHubUK News Fiio's £50 Hi-Fi MP3 Player - Snowsky Echo Nano and FiiO JadeAudio GIGAS 1 The Human Fridge The Year of the CD Miss your CD collection? A sun-reflecting space mirror Ayaneo Game Boy Advance remake the Konkr Pocket Advance Lenovo's first Googlebooks have leaked Googlebooks are not just Chromebooks Banters: Knocking out a Quick Bant Canon to increase compact camera production Razer Cynosa Chroma Bought Report Google TV Streamer - £99 (£79 on sale) Sony LinkBuds Clip £145 (from £179 RRP) Bargain Basement: Best UK deals and tech on sale we have spotted Google Pixel 10a - 256GB (£449 from £599) and 128GB (£399 from £499) DJI Mic Mini - £65.20 Mooncool Electric Trike Foldable Aluminium Bike with 36V 20AH Removable Battery £1,445 from £1,700 Electric Tricycle for Adults  Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 - £639.00 INIU Wireless Charger 2-Pack only 15W but great from Bedside/desk £27 for 2 (£9 x 3 months here) Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini 01Q8X10 - £366.30 Anker 100W USB-C and USB-A Charger with swizzle 3-pin plug and touch-control display - £39 from £59 Philips Evnia 34M2C5501A - £217.88 - a review Main Show URL: http://www.techaddicts.uk | PodHubUK Contact:: gareth@techaddicts.uk | @techaddictsuk Gareth - @garethmyles | Mastodon | Blusky | garethmyles.com | Gareth's Ko-Fi Ted - tedsalmon.com | Ted's PayPal | Mastodon | Ted's AmazonYouTube: Tech Addicts  

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/ogrYochYvq8 Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee presentatoren van Gamekings praten over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld der videogames. Het is vandaag donderdag en Koos komt vanuit Studio BammerdeBam bij JJ binnen om samen met hem het laatste nieuws door te nemen. Zo gaat met dank aan Insider Gamer het verhaal rond dat Ubisoft het werk aan een live service versie van Far Cry heeft stopgezet. Men zag geen heil meer in deze potentiële extraction shooter. Wat gaan ze nu doen en wat heeft dit geintje Ubisoft gekost? De heren hebben het erover, net als dat ze praten over de budgettaire problemen van Fable. Daar gaat XBOX-bazin Asha Shamar op zeker niet blij mee zijn. Deze twee onderwerpen en meer zie en hoor je voorbij komen in de Gamekings Daily van donderdag 29 juli 2026. Ubisoft stopt werk aan live service-versie van Far Cry Andere onderwerpen die in deze editie van GK Daily voorbij komen, zijn de kwestie van de region lock op de code van GTA 6 voor de PS5. Wat zijn de gevolgen hiervan, of maakt het geen hol uit en is de ophef gebakken lucht? De twee hebben het ook over de opvolger van Wuchang: Fallen Feathers die eraan gaat komen. Gaat Skate zeker blij mee zijn. Scoor 15% korting op alle laptops van Lenovo met code GAMEKINGS Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo ThinkPad, de absolute bestseller van de producent. Wil jij info over deze of de andere laptops van Lenovo, zoals de Legion Pro 5 of er een aanschaffen, check het aanbod dan nu in hun shop. Speciaal voor de kijkers en luisteraars van Gamekings is er een 15% discount op alle laptops. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like a world-class orchestra conductor who brings together extraordinary musicians with different instruments, backgrounds, and talents to perform in perfect harmony, great leaders unite diverse teams around a shared vision to create exceptional business outcomes. We welcome Ilenia Lupi, Executive Director and Europe Channel Leader with Lenovo, for a compelling conversation on leading across cultures, accelerating AI adoption, and empowering organizations through collaboration.    Highlights include:   Ilenia shares why trust, adaptability, curiosity, empathy, and active listening are the foundation of effective leadership, emphasizing that "you cannot achieve results alone" and that the future belongs to leaders who orchestrate ideas, partnerships, and diverse perspectives rather than simply having all the answers.    How Lenovo's AI-first strategy helps organizations move beyond experimentation to measurable business outcomes through smarter infrastructure, hybrid AI, edge computing, and a thriving partner ecosystem.    There is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership: how maintaining a clear vision while allowing local flexibility drives success across Europe's diverse markets, and why strong alliances with partners are essential to navigating today's AI transformation.   What to expect from the next generation of technology leaders.    Whether you're leading global teams, building strategic partnerships, or preparing your organization for the next wave of AI innovation, this conversation with Ilenia offers practical leadership insights that will help you become the conductor who brings out the very best in every team member to deliver extraordinary results. To learn more about how Lenovo is helping partners accelerate AI and business transformation, visit Lenovo 360 for MSP: https://tinyurl.com/360forMSP.     Timestamps: No "one-size-fits-all" Approach 5:15 Consistencies in Leadership 20:30 Advice for Next Gen 25:29  

Cloud was one of the main drivers of the early waves of AI adoption. However, as AI has become more and more embedded in systems and devices — in both consumer and enterprise contexts — it's becoming a bottleneck. This isn't just about costs (although yes, that issue is certainly surging up the agenda), it's also about how we optimize our architectures and improve device performance. This is why conversation is turning to hybrid AI: embracing a hybrid approach that combines proprietary cloud services with local or on-device AI can help organizations deliver better experiences for users, whether they're consumers, other businesses or internal teams. One company exploring this space is electronics giant Lenovo. In this episode of the Technology Podcast, host Prem Chandrasekaran is joined by Girish Hoogar, Lenovo's Global Head of Technology for Cloud and Software, to discuss why the company is embracing hybrid AI, how it's approaching implementation and what the implications are for other technologists. As industry attention turns to local AI, listen for a first-hand perspective on what the trend actually means for engineering teams and their organizations.

Umelá inteligencia sa stáva bežnou súčasťou fungovania firiem. Potvrdzujú to aj výsledky spoločnosti Lenovo, ktorá za sebou má historicky najúspešnejší rok. Práve AI riešenia boli podľa Vladimíra Varzalyho, Country manažéra Lenovo Slovakia, hlavným motorom rastu. „Umelá inteligencia a zariadenia, ktoré s ňou súvisia, dnes predstavujú približne 33 percent obratu celej firmy.“ Výrazne rástol aj predaj počítačov vybavených neurónovými procesormi, ktoré urýchľujú spracovanie úloh umelej inteligencie. Zároveň sa menia aj očakávania zákazníkov. Nestačí už len výkonný hardvér – firmy požadujú komplexné riešenia, kvalitné služby, bezpečnosť dát a partnera, ktorý ich prevedie digitálnou transformáciou. Najväčší prínos AI dnes vidí V. Varzaly v odbúravaní rutinných administratívnych činností. Spracovanie dokumentov, faktúr či interných procesov dokáže automatizácia výrazne zrýchliť a zamestnancom uvoľniť priestor na hodnotnejšiu prácu. Viac podrobností sa dozviete v podcaste.

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/1r6OKvQgoRo Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee hosts van Gamekings discussiëren over het meest recente nieuws omtrent videogames. Vandaag is het donderdag en komt Jasper vanuit het verre noorden de ether in om samen met JJ de meest in het oog springende ontwikkelingen van het afgelopen etmaal door te nemen. Zo was er het verhaal dat EA FC 27 mogelijk een 16+ PEGI rating kan gaan krijgen. Dit omdat iemand gezien had dat de cijfers 16 op de cover van de nieuwste editie staan. Hoeveel waarheid dichten de twee dit gerucht toe en vinden ze het terecht dat een voetbalgame een mature label krijgt toebedeeld? Het antwoord op deze vragen ga je zien en horen in de Gamekings Daily van donderdag 23 juli 2026. Kids mogen straks mogelijk geen EA FC 27 meer spelen Een ander onderwerp dat de heren bespreken, is hoe groot de impact is van de beslissing van PlayStation om vanaf 2028 geen disks meer uit te brengen, op de tweedehandsmarkt. Een onderzoeksbureau is hier ingedoken en komt met cijfers. Wat is de reactie van Jasper en JJ op de uitslag? Zijn ze team disk of team code? Je gaat het meemaken in deze video. Scoor 15% korting op alle laptops van Lenovo met code GAMEKINGS Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen gebruiken we de nieuwste Lenovo ThinkPad om het nieuws van af te lezen. Een handzame en toffe laptop. Maar voor hardcore gamers is er ook genoeg. Denk bijvoorbeeld aan de Lenovo Legion Pro 5, de absolute bestseller van dit moment. Om het partnership te vieren heeft Lenovo in zijn shop, speciaal voor onze kijkers en luisteraars, een 15% discount in het leven geroepen op alle laptops. Het enige wat je hoeft te doen, is de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren bij het afrekenen.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Great leaders don't just adapt to change—they create the environment where innovation, collaboration, and business growth thrive. Craig Taylor, Senior Director and Canada Channel Chief at Lenovo, joins the program to explore how leadership, culture, and a relentless focus on customer outcomes are transforming the technology channel. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, Craig touches on leadership principles that have shaped his career, and how Lenovo's One Lenovo strategy is breaking down organizational silos to deliver greater value for customers and partners alike.  He also shares his perspective on the evolving role of AI, channel partnerships, and why today's technology leaders must focus more on solving real business challenges. Craig discusses how Lenovo is enabling partners through education, upskilling, and a channel-first approach that empowers them to lead customer transformation.  Highlights: Lasting success comes from aligning people, technology, and strategy around measurable business outcomes.  Lenovo's One Lenovo strategy is transforming the customer and partner experience. Building a partner-first culture through collaboration, accountability, and trust.   “Sharing best practices and learning from each other. This is coopetition.”"   Why education, upskilling, and ecosystem partnerships are critical for future success.  “Engage, Empower, Educate”   Learn more about the community by visiting Lenovo 360 for MSP: https://tinyurl.com/360forMSP   Timestamps: Leadership Role 7:22 One Lenovo Strategy 9:35 Lenovo 360 Pathways 12:42 Recognition & The Team 17:55

Deze Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/uj-kQl9pn7w Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee presentatoren van Gamekings praten over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld die videogames heet. Vandaag is het dinsdag en schuift er een toffe, nieuwe gast aan. We hebben het over Donny. De retro-gamer en tech specialist neemt met JJ de ontwikkelingen van de afgelopen dagen door. Zo hebben de twee het over de mededeling van het tech departement van Valve dat de prijsverhoging van ram, ssd en chips nog lang niet voorbij is. We gaan nog wel wat verder omhoog. Hoe kijkt Donny, die menig techbeurs bezoekt, hier tegenaan? Is het gloom en doom in de industrie of gloort er zon aan de horizon? Het antwoord op deze vraag krijg je in de Gamekings Daily van dinsdag 21 juli 2026. Valve denkt dat de prijsverhogingen binnen de PC-industrie nog lang voorbij zijn Een ander onderwerp waarover de twee de discussie aangaan, is Game Pass. Een groot deel van het nieuwe management van XBOX is namelijk not amused over Gamer Pass. En dan drukken we ons hier voorzichtig mee uit. Ze beschouwen Game Pass als de grote schuldige aan het debacle van de laatste jaren. Het heeft de waarde van videogames flink doen dalen. Kan Donny zich in deze mening vinden of ziet hij het anders? Je hoort het in deze video. Scoor 15% korting op alle laptops van Lenovo met code GAMEKINGS Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo Legion Pro 5, de absolute bestseller van de producent. Wil jij info over de Pro 5 of de andere laptops van Lenovo of er een aanschaffen, check het aanbod dan nu in hun shop. Speciaal voor de kijkers en luisteraars van Gamekings is er een 15% discount op alle laptops. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News sources: https://lmg.gg/L8hqh Timestamps: 0:00 Linus Torvalds welcomes AI coding 1:14 Lenovo's inkjet-printed OLED laptop 2:32 EU forces Google to open Android 4:04 QUICK BITS INTRO 4:13 Ransomware halts Fairlife production 4:44 Samsung foldable specs leak 5:20 Moonshot unveils Kimi K3 5:56 23andMe settles its data breach 6:30 OpenAI sells a $70 basketball 7:04 Credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare organizations are under growing pressure to modernize IT environments while improving clinician experience, strengthening security, and preparing for the next wave of AI-enabled workflows. In this episode, we'll explore how AI-powered endpoints, intelligent collaboration tools, and modern device strategies are helping healthcare IT leaders balance operational efficiency with better patient outcomes. Host: James Hilliard Guests: Abhishek Khowala, Global Head of AI, Health and Life Sciences Vertical at Intel Alexander Stanton III, Account Executive for Healthcare at Lenovo Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction: AI endpoints and healthcare modernization overview 02:17 - Success story: Ohio children's hospital — modernization benefits 03:16 - Security in healthcare AI: Protecting models and managing endpoints 05:33 - Challenges faced by healthcare IT teams: Resources, regulation, data issues 07:54 - Criticality of security and managing AI complexity in healthcare 09:47 - The importance of practical AI adoption focused on patient outcomes 11:12 - How AI PCs enhance clinician workflows and patient safety 13:06 - Practical benefits of AI endpoints: reducing downtime and improving outcomes 14:01 - Role of Intel, Lenovo, and Microsoft in secure, effective AI deployment 15:21 - The significance of local processing in healthcare AI PCs — Intel's innovation 17:18 - Leveraging Microsoft 365 for orchestrating complex workflows with AI 18:59 - Managing endpoint sprawl and prioritizing security in healthcare IT 20:25 - Enhancing threat detection with AI hardware and software integration 22:18 - Rethinking modernization: From IT assets to care quality investments 24:42 - Using endpoints at the point of care to meet KPIs and reduce data risks 26:06 - Early wins: Focus on outcomes, pilot projects, and stakeholder alignment 27:57 - Moving forward with healthcare modernization practices

Além da disputa entre países nos gramados, a Copa do Mundo FIFA 2026 também é uma vitrine para o avanço da tecnologia. Inteligência artificial (IA), processamento de dados e infraestrutura digital passaram a desempenhar um papel decisivo na arbitragem, nas transmissões e na análise de desempenho das seleções, tornando o torneio mais conectado, preciso e eficiente. Neste podcast, Valério Matheus, gerente-geral de Serviços e Soluções da Lenovo para a América Latina, explica como a empresa, parceira oficial de tecnologia da FIFA, desenvolveu a infraestrutura que viabiliza recursos como a câmera do árbitro com estabilização por IA, os avatares 3D para análise de impedimentos e ferramentas de inteligência artificial que apoiam as equipes durante a competição. Neste cenário, o executivo também fala sobre como essa infraestrutura tecnológica pode ser aplicada em diferentes setores da economia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Notes:     What separates organizations that simply adopt AI from those that truly transform their business? Rob Cato, Vice President of Worldwide Business Transformation for Lenovo's Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) joins us for an insightful conversation on why successful AI initiatives begin with business strategy—not technology. Rob shares how business transformation is "a disciplined shift in the way that we create value," emphasizing that every AI investment should start with one critical question: What measurable business outcome are we trying to achieve? From defining ROI to moving AI from pilot projects into production, Rob explains why infrastructure, data, security, networking, cooling, and services all play essential roles in delivering lasting business impact. Highlights Include:  Why every AI strategy should begin with the desired business outcome. Why customer intimacy is the greatest competitive advantage for MSPs. Moving AI from pilot projects to production with the right infrastructure. How curiosity, empowerment, and disciplined leadership fuel business transformation. Lenovo's channel-first approach and vision for continued global growth. Bringing innovative technology into the world of sports and sports franchises.   Ready to turn managed services into your biggest growth engine? Learn how Lenovo is helping MSPs accelerate growth, deliver greater customer value, and expand their services with Lenovo 360 for MSP: https://tinyurl.com/360forMSP                 Timestamps: 6:41 Successful AI Strategy 11:20 Providing True Value 17:30 Leadership Traits 22:24 Exciting Expectations

Send us Fan MailOn Spectator Mode Podcast Episode 228, we discuss why Echoes of Aincrad has become such a polarizing game and whether the criticism surrounding it is justified. We also examine Lenovo's rumored C700 cloud gaming handheld and question whether dedicated cloud-streaming devices still have a place in the market.Topics discussed include:00:00 - Podcast intro and welcome00:45 - Recent games played roundtable15:13 - Brief Ghost in the Shell (2026) chat18:35 - Echoes of Aincrad is a mixed bag discussion35:07 - Lenovo enters the cloud gaming with the Legion C70048:24 - Digital ownership and access debate1:05:26 - Final recommendations and sign-offAs more players build entirely digital libraries, the question of ownership becomes increasingly important. What happens to our games when storefronts, publishers, or online services disappear?#SpectatorModePodcast #EchoesOfAincrad #LenovoC700 #DigitalOwnership #videogames #gameshowSupport the showYou can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!Apple PodcastsYouTubeSpotifyAmazon Music

Deze aflevering van Gamekings Daily is ook te bekijken op https://youtu.be/uMEoyj81D0g Welkom bij Gamekings Daily. De gaming vodcast waarin twee hosts van Gamekings kwebbelen over de laatste ontwikkelingen in de wereld die videogames heet. Het is vandaag dinsdag en Skate neemt net als op maandag plaats achter de microfoon. Samen met JJ bespreekt hij de laatste ontwikkelingen binnen de videogame-industrie. Zo blijft de Assassin’s Creed serie een flinke bak duiten binnenbrengen voor Ubisoft. Van de serie zijn inmiddels ruim 250 miljoen spellen verkocht. Ze nemen daarmee de nummer 8 positie in binnen de top 10 best verkochte franchises aller tijden. JJ en Skate proberen het geheim achter het succes van de Franse serie te verklaren. Dit onderwerp en andere topics zie en hoor je voorbij komen in de Gamekings Daily van dinsdag 14 juli 2026. Assassin’s Creed franchise marcheert voorbij de 250 miljoen verkochte exemplaren Andere onderwerpen die in deze editie van GK Daily voorbij komen, zijn de roep van de fans om nieuwe DLC voor Cyberpunk 2077 nu de game recentelijk een boost in het aantal spelers heeft gekregen. Immers, als CD Projekt Red na ruim tien jaar met nieuwe content voor The Witcher 3 kan komen, waarom dan niet ook voor Cyberpunk 2077? En Sony Santa Monica laat weten of er een diskversie komt van God of War Laufey. Scoor 15% korting op alle laptops van Lenovo met code GAMEKINGS Lenovo is de vaste partner van Gamekings Daily. Tijdens de uitzendingen van de vodcast gebruiken we de Lenovo ThinkPad, de absolute bestseller van de producent. Wil jij info over deze of de andere laptops van Lenovo of er een aanschaffen, check het aanbod dan nu in hun shop. Speciaal voor de kijkers en luisteraars van Gamekings is er een 15% discount op alle laptops. Je hoeft daarvoor bij het afrekenen alleen de code GAMEKINGS in te voeren.Wil je adverteren bij de podcast Gamekings óf misschien bij een andere podcast van ILVY Network? Mail dan naar management@ilvy.com en/of kijk even op de website : https://ilvy.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News sources: https://lmg.gg/Z1uzS Timestamps:0:00 Lenovo Ships YMTC SSDs 1:31 Microsoft Cuts Xbox Jobs 2:45 SpaceX Deorbits Starlink Satellites 5:02 QUICK BITS INTRO 5:12 Midjourney Goes on the Attack 5:47 China Regulates AI Companions 6:26 Samsung Foldable Prices Leak 7:09 Illinois Passes AI Safety Law 7:41 Google's AI Independence Day Ad 8:30 Credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special episode produced by the collaboration between TiE San Diego and Tantra's Mantra.In this episode, I speak to Mark Budgen of Lenovo and Rajnikant Gupta of TCS on the current status of AI adoption in enterprises. We start by discussing which segments and which functions within organizations have seen deeper adoption of AI, whether AI projects have moved from PoC and trials to production, what the major challenges are in that transition, how the thinking and approach of enterprises toward AI have changed over the short period, the need for “Human in the loop,” and the necessity of Hybrid AI. We discuss key takeaways from Lenovo's “CIO Playbook 2026” report and how enterprises are now more focused on improving and accelerating business outcomes rather than simply improving productivity.Finally, we delve into what to expect in the near and far future, moving from Generative and Agentic AI to Physical and Embodied AI.Index:00:00 - Intro01:05 - Guest intro (Mark Budgen, CTO, Global Technology Partners at Lenovo, & Rajnikant Gupta, Global Head - Partner Ecosystems and Alliances, TCS)02:28 - Current status of AI adoption in Enterprises, how AI can improve business, not just efficiency, risk considerations06:30 - Difference in level of AI adoption between various functional groups within Enterprises - IT, Coding, Security, Supply Chain, Sales & Marketing13:30 - Evolution of Human involvement in AI processes. Humans in the Agentic AI loop will be required for a long time, because of the risk of failure and its costs16:56 - Key takeaways from Lenovo's "CIO Playbook 2026" report: AI is not the entire toolbox, but one of the tools; focus is on how to use AI to improve and accelerate business and finally the outcomes; mapping IT KPIs to Business KPIs22:16 - Current status of AI projects, in "Production" vs. "PoC" or "Trials" stage. The majority still in the process of moving to Production. Execs now better understand their business value; Focus on platforms to scale rather than simple point solutions28:13 - Challenges in implementing AI: Employee fear of replacement, lack of domain experts with AI knowledge,31:56 - Hybrid AI: How to decide where to run AI: Cloud or Edge? Dependencies: Sovereignty, access to data, power, and cooling; Token use optimization38:27 - What to expect to see in the near and far future: Physical AI, Embodied AI, AI becoming ubiquitous and41:20 - Closing

Google loses appeal on fines. OpenAI is looking to the government for more investment cash. Data centers are struggling in extreme heat, while polluting local water. Sony is quiet after declaring the end of discs. Plex is trying to raise prices again. Samsung's recent profits are startling, while the memory makers face another potential lawsuit over price fixing. Lenovo taps a new Chinese SSD maker for laptop components. GMK's new mini PC is crazy expensive. Apple's foldable might end up being a paper launch, while Huawei sets the stage for their next Pura. Let's get our tech week started off RIGHT! -- Show Notes and Links: https://somegadgetguy.com/b/4eb Support Talking Tech with SomeGadgetGuy by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/talking-tech-with-somegadgetgu Find out more at https://talking-tech-with-somegadgetgu.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-c117ce for 40% off for 4 months, and support Talking Tech with SomeGadgetGuy.

La Coupe du monde de football 2026 s'impose comme une révolution économique et technologique : une pluie de milliards, de nouvelles sources de revenus, un nouveau modèle de sponsoring basé sur la tech et l'IA. Au final, un jackpot attendu par la FIFA et son président Gianni Infantino, ami personnel de Donald Trump qui attend lui-même un bénéfice de cet événement à l'approche des élections de mi-mandat et alors que les Etats-Unis célèbrent le 250ème anniversaire de leur indépendance. NOS INVITES - Mustafa Curlu — Directeur sport & international, BPI France - Aurélie Dyèvre — Directrice générale de Sporsora  - Tancrède Thiellay — Consultant en stratégie, auteur d'une note pour Terra Nova sur la régulation du football - Thérèse Rebière — professeure d'économie au CNAM, spécialiste du marché du travail aux Etats-Unis Les nouveaux horizons du sport business Directeur Sport & International de BPI France, Mustapha Curlu présente Sport Définition, événement annuel dédié aux industries sportives, dont c'est la troisième édition. Son constat : entre pratique sportive, fans et marques, une multitude d'entreprises et de secteurs coexistent sans vraiment se connaître. L'événement réunit stars du sport — Ciryl Gane, Violette Dorange, Antoine Dupont — et acteurs économiques pour décortiquer ces transformations. L'innovation y occupe une place centrale, de la data à l'expérience fan, en passant par la durabilité, avec des entreprises qui recyclent des matériaux pour fabriquer des équipements sportifs. BPI France y annonce une poche d'investissement de 50 millions d'euros pour accélérer le développement du sport business français, jugé trop lent malgré des atouts considérables. Mustapha Curlu évoque aussi les missions menées au Maroc, où près de 100 entreprises françaises ont été accompagnées pour se positionner sur les marchés liés à la Coupe du monde 2030. Le Mondial 2026, une Coupe du monde devenue plateforme

We all start our careers as doers, or individual contributors. This means we make the widgets; we do the grunt work; we execute the strategy of management. Then, at one point, we may get very good at being a doer and are tapped for management. The issue is that there is no class for leadership. So many people that move from doer default into manager. And as you may have seen in the memes online, there is a distinct difference between a manager and a leader. Here are some differences:A manager is more concerned with:Output over peopleStays focused on the task at hand and less on managing to the total personDoesn't have the full respect or trust of their teamsHolds back or is unwilling to be authentic or vulnerableOn the contrary, a leader is more concerned with:People firstLegacyBeing authentic and vulnerableDuring today's conversation, Femi and I chatted about:The chase for output, and how great leaders design conditions for great work.The promotion gap and how no one teaches us how to move from doer to leader.Advice on someone who is primed for a promotion.How we can be powerful leaders during the explosion of AI.What the most important characteristics are for leaders today.If you are a doer or a manager and want to transition more fully to leader, this show is for you.Here is more about Femi:Femi is EVP, Executive Creative Director at Rescue, The Behavior Change Agency. She is a creative leader by trade and a brand builder and storyteller by obsession, with deep experience where creativity, culture, and innovation drive real-world impact and growth. At Rescue, Femi leads award-winning, large-scale behavior change initiatives for public health organizations across the United States, leveraging branded marketing approaches to deliver integrated, multi-channel campaigns powered by insight-led storytelling and culturally resonant creative. Prior to Rescue, Femi served as VP, Brand Creative at NBCUniversal, where she played a key role in the global rebrand for Universal Destinations & Experiences, associated brand campaigns, and upfront planning for the launch of EPIC Universe. Earlier in her career, she was Head of Creative at Little Dot Studios Americas, shaping modern, short-form storytelling and brand engagement for brands including Google, Disney, and Expedia. Her broader experience spans technology, entertainment, and retail, with work for Snyders of Hanover, NBC Television, ABC, AT&T, Intel, Lenovo, T-Mobile, and Michelob. Across her career, Femi has led and mentored resilient, high-performing teams while delivering work grounded in clarity, craft, and emotional truth. A certified global Gallup Strengths Coach, she is deeply committed to compassionate leadership, craft excellence, and building cultures where people and ideas can thrive. She holds an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts and is based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her dog, Zooey. Before we begin, please be sure to share this show with a family member, friend or colleague. As you know, your ratings and reviews help this show to gain traction and continue to grow. Thank you if you have already left a review.Also, if you haven't downloaded one of my freebies on my site, check them out on bravewomenatwork.com. I have 5 Ways to Managing Your Imposter Syndrome, 34 Leadership and Career Affirmations, and 10 tips to Win Your Next Negotiation. Download one or them or all three!If you also have a story to share and a deep desire to become an author, please contact me at hello@bravewomenatwork.com. I am happy to share the details on the project. Alright, let's welcome Femi to the show!

What happens when a company best known for garage door openers decides to compete with the biggest names in smart home technology? Can a business built on hardware reinvent itself as an AI-powered software company without losing the trust that made it successful in the first place? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I welcome Jeff Meredith, CEO of Chamberlain Group, to discuss one of the more fascinating business transformations happening in the technology sector. Chamberlain Group has spent more than 70 years building products that millions of homeowners rely on every day. Under Jeff's leadership, the company has expanded that heritage into intelligent access, creating a connected ecosystem through the myQ platform that now serves more than 15 million users worldwide. Jeff shares why leaving a successful career at Lenovo to join what many dismissed as "a garage door company" became the biggest leadership challenge of his career. Rather than following the comfortable route, he chose what he describes as the hardest path, helping reshape an established manufacturer into a technology business built around software, data, AI, and recurring customer relationships. Our conversation looks at what it really takes to attract software engineers, AI specialists, and data scientists into a company with an industrial heritage. Jeff explains why interesting problems often matter more than fashionable brands, and how Chamberlain Group's combination of trusted hardware, millions of existing customers, and ambitious software projects created an environment that appealed to top technical talent. We also spend time discussing leadership. Jeff believes the best leaders teach rather than direct, preferring to stand at the whiteboard alongside colleagues instead of issuing instructions from the corner office. He speaks openly about mistakes he made when joining the business, why vulnerability has strengthened trust across the organisation, and why admitting when you're wrong can become a strength rather than a weakness. Looking ahead, Jeff explains how AI could reshape intelligent access, moving beyond notifications to systems that understand patterns, recognise context, and help people secure their homes and businesses in smarter ways. Instead of viewing AI as technology searching for a purpose, he believes access control offers one of its most practical everyday applications. From leadership philosophy and organisational change to connected homes, AI, and the future of intelligent access, this conversation offers valuable lessons for anyone leading transformation inside an established business. What part of Jeff's story resonated most with you? Is the biggest challenge in business transformation changing the technology, or changing the mindset of the people building it?

Alice Han and James Kynge dive into why JPMorgan has cut its Hong Kong employees off from Anthropic's Claude. That comes after Goldman Sachs quietly restricted AI access for their employees in the city. With ChatGPT already blocked on the mainland, are U.S. companies drawing a new line around Hong Kong? And what does it mean for the city's future as a global financial hub? They also discuss Lululemon's Great Wall yoga festival, which was meant to celebrate Chinese culture. Instead, a Japanese-style drum in the promotional imagery set off a nationalist firestorm — over 50 million views on Weibo and counting. It's the latest in a long line of foreign brand missteps in China. Why is it so hard to get it right? And finally: China hasn't qualified for the World Cup — but football fans have found someone to root for: Chinese referee Ma Ning, who has picked up sponsorships from Lenovo and Hisense and 210,000 new social media followers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During a special interview recorded live at the Beyond 26 Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, we sat down with Cassie Jeppson, Director Ecosystem Strategy at Lenovo.  Cassie is a dynamic leader whose passion for people, partnerships, and innovation is helping to reshape the channel.  She has also been featured on CRN's Women of the Channel list, Channel Futures DE&I 101, and as a CRN Inclusive Leader.   Highlights include: Cassie's new global leadership role, where she is focused on enhancing the end-to-end partner experience and helping organizations navigate growth through collaboration, communication, and trust.    The evolution of partner ecosystems, the importance of listening over assumptions, and why every partner—from emerging businesses to enterprise organizations—deserves recognition and support.    Staying authentic, embracing mentorship and championing diversity and inclusion.   Finding harmony between professional success and personal fulfillment.    A refreshing perspective on what it means to lead with vulnerability and purpose, this conversation is a must-listen for technology leaders, channel professionals, and anyone striving to create meaningful impact through relationships and partnerships.   Follow Cassie on LinkedIn and be sure to visit Lenovo.com  

Dean Takahashi is the dean of tech writers and a 25-year veteran correspondent covering consumer electronics, gaming, and emerging technology for GamesBeat. He's covered every major tech transition—from mobile's rise to VR's boom-and-bust cycles to the current AI explosion—with a skeptical eye and a talent for finding the human story beneath the hype. This is his fifth appearance on the AI XR Podcast.For CES 2026, Dean walked the floors across the Convention Center, the Venetian Expo Center (Eureka Park), Pepcom, and Showstoppers, emerging with a clear reading: China has decisively shifted from periphery to center stage in consumer electronics manufacturing, American incumbents are pulling back and rethinking their booth strategy, and the economics of CES itself are in transition. Robotics companies are moving from prototype to commercial faster than expected—but they still can't answer basic questions about pricing and labor displacement.News: Sony cuts its booth to demo an electric car instead of TVs. Samsung skips the show floor entirely for the first time. Nvidia takes over the Fontainebleau to showcase its role in robotics enablement. Lenovo dominates the Sphere with a Gwen Stefani concert. Chinese robotics companies proliferate with laundry folders, latte makers, and toilet-cleaning units. Roomba files for bankruptcy; Chinese competitors take over the robotic vacuum market.Key Moments:[00:01:23] Dean receives his virtual green jacket as a five-time returning guest and Charlie thanks him for his insights[00:03:00] China takeover at CES: TCL dominates Central Hall, ROED owns the XR booth, robotics companies fill the floor[00:06:00] Nvidia's Fontainebleau takeover and the "chest-pumping" show of force; why scale messaging still matters[00:14:18] The robotics explosion explained: Nvidia's digital twins, Cosmos world models, and synthetic testing accelerate time-to-market[00:19:00] The pricing problem: robotics companies won't answer how much their products cost; the minimum wage rental model doesn't translate globallyWhen American companies built the show, CES reflected American manufacturing dominance. Now that China manufactures most consumer electronics, CES reflects that shift—and the implications ripple through labor, supply chains, and where the next epicenter of innovation will be. Dean, Charlie, and Ted grapple with what CES 2026 signals about global manufacturing advantage and why the geography of tech matters more than we think.This episode is brought to you by Zappar, creators of Mattercraft—the leading visual development environment for building immersive 3D web experiences for mobile headsets and desktop. Mattercraft combines the power of a game engine with the flexibility of the web, and now features an AI assistant that helps you design, code, and debug in real time, right in your browser. Build smarter at mattercraft.io.Listen to the full post-CES debrief and subscribe for weekly conversations at the intersection of AI, XR, and consumer technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest one yet, and FIFA is trying to make it the most high-tech, too. The federation has partnered with tech giant Lenovo to launch Football AI Pro, which is designed to analyze over 2,000 different metrics and deliver real-time insights to coaches, players, and analysts. Guest Host Jane Lindholm chats with ESPN writer Ryan O'Hanlon about how AI analytics actually play out in soccer. Plus, how a team of researchers grew 16 stadiums' worth of FIFA-class turf. Turfgrass scientist Jackie Lyn Guevara breaks down the importance of perfectly uniform turf, how the turf was designed, and what she'll be looking out for during the matches. Guests:  Ryan O'Hanlon is a staff writer at ESPN and the author of “Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution.” Dr. Jackie Lyn "Jack" Guevara is an assistant professor in the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences at Michigan State University. Other episodes you may enjoy: We're All Being Played By Metrics The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.