Podcasts about slas

This episode is brought to you by B2B Better. Ross helps businesses prove that their marketing is driving revenue — and that's exactly the problem we help B2B service businesses solve with video-first podcasts. We build content systems that don't just generate attention, they generate pipeline your sales team can actually point to. Visit b2bbetter.com to see how we do it differently. Your thought leadership campaign is running. People are watching, listening, and engaging — but when your CFO asks if it's actually driving revenue, you've got nothing to say. In this episode of Pipe Dream, host Jason Bradwell sits down with Ross Breckenridge, Managing Director of Breckenridge and HubSpot Platinum Partner, to tackle the attribution problem that almost every B2B marketing team has but nobody wants to admit. Ross's core point is clear: this isn't a marketing problem. It's a business problem. Until your marketing, sales, and customer success teams are operating from a single unified strategy and a single tech stack, you'll never get the visibility you need. The conversation starts where Ross always starts with clients: customer journey mapping. Before you touch an attribution model, you need to understand where each content asset sits in the buying process — lead gen, nurture, sales enablement, or renewals. Most companies skip this step and end up measuring the wrong things entirely. From there, Ross unpacks the dark funnel and explains why the HubSpot Campaigns tool is the home of the marketer's attribution reporting. Bundle your content assets into one campaign, track who was created as a new contact and who was simply influenced along the way, and map that all the way through to closed-won revenue — including renewals that happen two years after someone first engaged. But none of it works if sales is living in a different system. The connection between content and revenue only becomes visible when marketing, sales, and customer success are using the same tools and held to the same SLAs. One client found that leaving a lead for more than 48 hours dropped their conversation rate from 70% to 20%. That kind of clarity only exists when everyone is looking at the same data. If you're tired of defending your content budget with correlation and vibes, this episode gives you the framework to fix it for good. Chapter Markers 00:00 - Introduction: Ross Breckenridge and Breckenridge Agency 02:00 - HubSpot onboarding, integrations, and the RevOps focus 04:00 - Is attribution a tools problem, a strategy problem, or the wrong metrics? 05:00 - Customer journey mapping as the foundation of all attribution 06:00 - Picking one attribution model and staying consistent 08:00 - The dark funnel: what it is and how HubSpot brings it to light 10:00 - Content-sourced vs content-influenced pipeline: the key difference 11:00 - The HubSpot Campaigns tool as the marketer's attribution home 13:00 - Connecting content consumption to leads, deals, and closed revenue 15:00 - Why attribution is a business problem, not a marketing problem 16:00 - Building the business case to get sales and CS on the same page 17:00 - SLAs, shared accountability, and the 48-hour lead follow-up rule 19:00 - Working in silos vs being more than the sum of your parts 21:00 - AI, buyer research, and why being genuinely helpful never changes 23:00 - Where to find Ross and learn more about Breckenridge Useful Links Connect with Jason Bradwell on LinkedIn Connect with Ross Breckenridge on LinkedIn Visit Breckenridge — HubSpot Platinum Partner and RevOps specialists Email Ross directly at ross@breckenridgeagency.com Explore the HubSpot Campaigns tool for attribution reporting Explore B2B Better website and the Pipe Dream podcast

Send a textWhen evaluating WMS systems for 2026, it is essential to recognize that this is a structurally best-of-breed category rather than an extension of ERP or eCommerce platforms. This analysis deliberately excludes lightweight warehouse workflows embedded in broader systems, which are primarily designed to pass transactions downstream into a true WMS and lack the functional depth, orchestration complexity, and automation readiness required by serious distribution operations. True WMS platforms represent a category in their own right, with broader suites, richer integration patterns, and materially different architectural demands. Compounding this complexity is the diversity of operational models the category must support, from 3PL-centric environments focused on billing logic, client segregation, SLAs, and rapid customer onboarding, to manufacturing- and retail-centric value chains that prioritize production staging, kitting, reverse logistics, store replenishment, and omnichannel fulfillment. These differences are further reinforced by the technical segmentation of the category into WMS, WCS, and WES layers, with some vendors offering unified suites and others remaining purely transactional without deep integration into ASRS, robotics, conveyors, or advanced warehouse technologies—distinctions that materially affect long-term system fit and scalability.In this episode, our host Sam Gupta discusses the top WMS systems in 2026. He also discusses several variables that influence the rankings of these WMS systems. Finally, he shares the pros and cons of each WMS system.Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78YHLvbCbuARead: https://www.elevatiq.com/post/top-wms-systems/Questions for Panelists?

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why balancing cost, speed, and quality is now table stakes in logistics strategy How to design a flexible 3PL platform without hardcoding yourself into rigidity The operational difference between supporting enterprise brands vs. high-growth brands Why scenario planning still matters in an era of tariffs, snowstorms, and volatility How to avoid over-engineering automation that limits long-term flexibility What defines a true strategic partnership beyond SLAs and QBRs Why solving problems together—not alone—is the real measure of partnership maturity TIMESTAMPED SEGMENTS 00:00 – 01:00 | Balancing Cost, Speed & Quality Post-Pandemic 01:00 – 02:30 | Becoming the Customer: Operational Audits & CX Insight 02:30 – 04:00 | Agility, Uncertainty & Platform-First Thinking 04:00 – 05:30 | Defining High-Growth vs. Enterprise Brands 05:30 – 07:00 | Capability-Based Support Models vs. Split Teams 07:00 – 09:00 | What Real Strategic Partnerships Actually Look Like TOP QUOTES  [00:01:00] “We know the cost of customer acquisition has increased exponentially. So the customer you have is the customer that you wanna keep.” - Laura Ritchey [00:03:00] “I think obviously the overused word of agility these days… how quickly can you divert to warehouses that aren't closed or to transportation options that are still running?” - Laura Ritchey [00:05:00] “We were doing 10,000 orders a day. All of a sudden we have to do 100,000, and that's really different.” - Laura Ritchey [00:08:15] “Are we solving them together, or are we solving them alone?” - Laura Ritchey [00:18:00] “The team is looking to us to be the calm in the storm.” - Laura Ritchey ABOUT THE GUEST Laura Ritchey is President & CEO of the Americas region at GEODIS and a member of the Group's Executive Board. She leads nearly 20,000 teammates across eight countries, overseeing contract logistics, freight forwarding, and transportation operations throughout North and South America. With more than 30 years of experience—including 15 years in supply chain leadership across retail and third-party logistics—Laura previously served as CEO of Radial, Inc., driving growth through operational excellence. Her background spans finance, sourcing, distribution, and strategic transformation. She holds a J.D., MBA, and bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University. LINKS MENTIONED Laura's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-ritchey-55836a8/ GEODIS website: https://geodis.com/   Subscribe and Keep Learning!If you're a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don't miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube

A 10‑day wait for a refrigerator became the spark for a smarter last mile. We sit down with OneRail CEO Bill Catania to unpack how a racing mindset—frugality, failure tolerance, and relentless iteration—translated into a platform that helps retailers move from static delivery workflows to real‑time orchestration at scale. Bill shares the throughline across three startups: aggregate fragmented supply, connect it cleanly to demand, and let data science make the hard choices in milliseconds.You'll hear how RaceFan aggregated 650 local tracks to unlock national sponsorships, why MDOT's 200‑millisecond cloud coupon switch won over skeptical retailers (and how Bill timed the sale), and the moment OneRail shifted from gig moving to an enterprise platform. We break down OneRail's three‑layer model—software first, an aggregated carrier network across sedans to flatbeds, and a human exception team—and how the company takes on risk under its authority to deliver accountability most intermediaries avoid.AI is not a bolt‑on here. Bill explains how courier “credit scores,” market‑level performance, and dynamic assignment replaced manual dispatch, enabling one person to triage roughly 4,000 orders instead of 80. We explore exceptions in furniture and cold chain, SKU‑level loss analysis, and how pushing intelligence upstream into order management can reshape cost to serve before a truck even moves. Along the way, Bill shares the “yes if” leadership mantra that keeps doors open while aligning risk and reward—fuel for winning enterprise trust and recognition like Lowe's Innovation Partner of the Year.If you care about last mile logistics, enterprise retail, or building resilient platforms, this conversation is a blueprint: aggregate wisely, decide precisely, own outcomes, and scale through partnerships. Subscribe, share with a teammate who obsesses over SLAs, and leave a review with your biggest “yes if” moment—we'll feature the best on a future show.Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.Thanks to our sponsors:Stuut Technologies: Your AI coworker that collects your cash automatically.https://www.stuut.ai/Cloneops.ai: Not just AI. Industry-born AI.https://www.cloneops.ai/Rapido Solutions Group: Nearshore solutions for logistics companies.https://www.gorapido.com/GenLogs: Freight Intelligence on every carrier, shipper, and asset via a nationwide sensor networkhttps://www.genlogs.io/

Women in Science Day (February 11) was the top of the list for discussion for GEN editors in this week's podcast. They shared an anecdote on the history of the term “scientist”—hint it was coined for a woman. A modern scientist, Medra CEO Michelle Lee, discussed with GEN how the company is integrating robotics with AI for use in biological research. GEN attended SLAS this week and we got an update on the automation updates along with endeavors to increase the presence of women in biotech leadership. Finally, we get an update on Eli Lilly's recent major deals followed by an update on Nektar Therapeutics clinical trial updates. Join GEN editors Corinna Singleman, PhD, Fay Lin, PhD, Uduak Thomas and Alex Philippidis for a discussion of the latest biotech and biopharma news. Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base: Data Is a Robotics Problem, Medra CEO Says Physical AI Will Transform BiologyBy Fay Lin, PhD, GEN Edge, February 11, 2026Robots on the Red Line: A Video Update from SLAS 2026GEN, February 11, 2026SLAS Highlights: AI Labs, Small-Molecule SPR, Protein Interaction Assays, and Paper LabwareBy Uduak Thomas, GEN, February 11, 2026SLAS Highlights: Opening Keynote Spotlights Novel Target in Genomically Unstable TumorsBy Uduak Thomas, GEN, February 11, 2026Opentrons Uses Nvidia Tech to Build Training Data That Powers Physical AI in the LabBy Uduak Thomas, GEN, February 9, 2026Beyond Obesity: Lilly Inks Up to $11.25B in Cancer, Immune System DealsBy Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, February 10, 2026Lilly, Seamless Ink Up-to-$1.12B Hearing Loss CollaborationBy Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, January 28, 2026Touching Base Podcast Hosted by Corinna Singleman, PhD Behind the Breakthroughs Hosted by Jonathan D. Grinstein, PhD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Shaun Brown discusses the evolution of IT experience management, emphasizing the importance of communication, reputation, and understanding user needs. He shares insights on measuring success through SLAs and CSAT, practical applications of experience management, and the value of feedback in driving change. The conversation highlights the shift towards a more human-centered approach in IT, focusing on building relationships and enhancing user experiences.TakeawaysExperience management is the evolution of IT service management.Building relationships is key to IT reputation.Communication is crucial for user satisfaction.SLAs measure speed, not user satisfaction.CSAT may not drive meaningful change.Lost productivity hours can highlight areas for improvement.Experience management should focus on user needs.Feedback is essential for continuous improvement.IT experience management is a team effort.Understanding emotional impact is vital in IT services.Shaun Brown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunjbrown/Subscribe to our newsletter:LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/it-experience-insights-6996053129205026816/⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://happysignals.com/itxm-insights

Ivan Cossu is Co-Founder and CEO of deskbird, a flexible workplace management platform that's scaled past $10 million ARR. Founded in April 2020 during COVID's most uncertain period, deskbird survived a near-death pivot just months in and scaled across 10 international markets within six months—an unconventional path that challenged conventional wisdom about market domination strategies. Ivan shares the tactical decisions behind their international expansion, the shift from founder-led to scalable sales, and why they're deliberately targeting an underfunded VC category. Topics Discussed: The critical pivot from an Airbnb for co-working spaces to workplace management software in July 2020, months before running out of capital The counterintuitive decision to scale internationally within six months rather than dominating a single market first Balancing consumer-grade UX with enterprise-level customization in a category where competitors felt like "database queries" The mechanics of transitioning from pure inbound to incorporating outbound without breaking what's working US market expansion from Europe with higher close rates than home markets—and what that signaled about timing Why traditional email outbound is dead in the AI era and what actually works for breaking through GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Scale your proven funnel globally before you perfect it locally: When deskbird saw strong early traction, they launched landing pages across UK and US markets within months to test demand signals. Ivan's contrarian take: "If you have a good funnel that's working, be bold enough to scale it globally" rather than spending years dominating Germany first. The key qualifier—you need solid core product and conversion metrics, not just initial traction. They were "way too scared of going international because it always worked out way better than we thought," often seeing better metrics in new markets than home markets. Most founders over-index on local penetration when they should be testing international demand. Choose validation channels by cycle time, not potential scale: In the first 6-12 months, avoid any channel with an 18-month feedback loop, even if it's your eventual ICP. Ivan targeted paid search and lower mid-market specifically because "you get a good sample size quite fast." Fast feedback loops let you iterate positioning, messaging, and ICP assumptions weekly rather than annually. Once you have conviction from high-velocity channels, then layer in longer-cycle enterprise motions. This sequencing prevents burning 12+ months on the wrong strategy. Founder-led sales is a permanent muscle, not a phase to exit: At $10M+ ARR, Ivan still joins sales calls regularly, citing a top entrepreneur-investor's rule: "Sales always needs to remain a final topic." The evolution isn't binary—it's additive. First hires (around 9 months post-MVP) were generalist "hard workers" who could sell vision over process. Today's hires are more disciplined as repeatable plays emerged. But the founder never exits—they shift from doing all deals to strategic deals, competitive situations, and maintaining direct customer insight. Even Benioff at Salesforce's scale still jumps into deals. Outbound in the AI era requires anti-scale tactics: Ivan's blunt assessment: "I don't believe in emails and any kind of written communication, especially not in the age of AI—it's just inflated." What works: (1) Targeted account selection—not 1:1 but not 1:1000 either, find the sweet spot of focused ABM, (2) Physical mail and offline media, (3) Cold calling with proper infrastructure. The challenge isn't the tactic—it's "having all the BDRs and AEs knowing which accounts they have to call, seamlessly calling account after account." Most companies can't operationalize the calling machine. Best results come when marketing warms leads with intent data, then hands them to outbound teams—not pure cold outreach. Underfunded categories force better unit economics: Deskbird's space isn't flooded with VC dollars—Ivan mapped 50-60 European competitors but limited mega-rounds. His take: "There's a downside, it's harder to get VC money, but once you get it you don't have the problem that some spaces are overfunded and it's crazily driving up customer acquisition cost." Markets with excessive capital often have one winner and "very sad consolidation" for positions 2-4. Constrained capital forced deskbird to build profitably and focus on product differentiation (Airbnb-like UX meets enterprise customization) rather than outspending competitors. Close rates in new markets signal expansion timing better than absolute numbers: Deskbird closed US deals from Europe with European AEs in mismatched time zones—and saw the highest close rates of any market. Ivan's logic: "If we can close them from Europe with our European AEs working in different time zones who cannot deliver the same SLAs, and we then go to the US, it should get even better." Don't wait for perfect execution—if you're winning despite structural disadvantages, that's your signal to invest. They hired their first US-based team only after proving they could win remotely. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

In this episode of Security Squawk, Bryan Hornung, Reginald Ande, & Randy Bryan break down three stories that should change how executives think about cyber risk. This is not about tools, alerts, or vendor promises. It is about operational dependency, leadership accountability, and financial exposure when systems fail. Story one focuses on active exploitation of SolarWinds Web Help Desk vulnerabilities being used as an entry point for ransomware staging. Researchers are seeing attackers move fast after initial access, blending in by using legitimate remote management and incident response tools. That is the point. When attackers use normal looking admin utilities, many organizations do not detect the intrusion until the business impact is already locked in. If you run Web Help Desk or you have not verified your patch posture, this is a governance issue, not an IT debate. Patch timelines and exposure management are leadership decisions because they directly affect business interruption risk. Story two is a warning about the ransomware market adapting. As more organizations refuse to pay for data theft only extortion, threat actors are expected to pivot back toward encryption. Encryption creates urgency because it disrupts operations. The financial exposure shifts toward downtime, recovery labor, lost revenue, and customer churn. Executives should treat restore capability like a business continuity requirement. If your recovery plan has not been tested under pressure, it is not a plan. Story three covers the BridgePay ransomware incident and the downstream impact on merchants and local government services. Even when payment card data is not confirmed compromised, availability failures still create real harm. Customers do not care which vendor was hit. They only see that your business cannot process transactions. This is a clear reminder to revisit vendor criticality, SLAs, outage communications, and contingency processing options. Security Squawk is built for business owners, executives, board members, and IT leaders who want the real world impact without the fear marketing. Subscribe, share, and support the show at https://buymeacoffee.com/securitysquawk

Send us a textThe weakest link is often sitting on the edge, blinking away with expired firmware and no vendor support. We kick off with a blunt reality check on outdated firewalls, load balancers, and IoT gateways, and why waiting two years to retire them is a gift to attackers. From there, we guide you through Domain 7.7 with a practical blueprint for operating and maintaining detective and preventive measures that actually hold up under pressure.We unpack firewall fundamentals with clear, real‑world tradeoffs: when a simple packet filter is enough, when stateful inspection and deep packet inspection earn their keep, and how a WAF stops the web attacks your L3/L4 controls will miss. You'll hear how RTBH can deflect denial‑of‑service floods upstream, and why segmentation is your best friend for reducing blast radius—whether you use internal segmentation firewalls for R&D, Purdue‑style tiers for industrial networks, or controlled air gaps for the most sensitive systems. In the cloud, we separate security groups from true firewalls and show how to stitch policies across hybrid environments without creating blind spots.Detection makes prevention smarter, so we break down IDS versus IPS in plain language. Baseline first, then block with intent to avoid outages. We compare host‑based and network‑based sensors, explain where to place them, and share tactics for cutting alert noise. You'll also get straight talk on allowlists and blacklists, the right way to maintain them, and why stale entries cause the ugliest outages. We explore sandboxing for safe detonation and learning, and give an unvarnished take on honeypots and honeynets—where they help, where they waste time, and what legal lines to respect.Not every team can build a 24x7 SOC, so we outline how MSSPs can extend your coverage with clear SLAs and ownership. Endpoint anti‑malware remains non‑negotiable, but tool sprawl is a trap—choose a strong EDR and manage it well. Finally, we dive into AI and machine learning: how they supercharge detection, triage, and response—and how adversaries use them too. The throughline is simple: shrink attack surface, raise signal quality, and respond faster than threats can pivot. If this helps you secure one more edge box or tune one more control, share it with a teammate, subscribe for more practical walkthroughs, and drop a review so we can keep raising the bar together.Gain exclusive access to 360 FREE CISSP Practice Questions at FreeCISSPQuestions.com and have them delivered directly to your inbox! Don't miss this valuable opportunity to strengthen your CISSP exam preparation and boost your chances of certification success. Join now and start your journey toward CISSP mastery today!

The marketplace landscape is changing rapidly - not through isolated innovations, but through a fundamental redistribution of control. TikTok is building its own logistics infrastructure in Europe, Google is opening up agent-based commerce via the Universal Commerce Protocol, Amazon and eBay are closing their catalogs to AI agents, OpenAI is introducing a new fee tier with Instant Checkout, and Temu continues to grow through radical control over prices and processes. In this news episode, Ingrid joins Marcus Höhne, entrepreneur in a family business and long-time marketplace practitioner, to examine what these developments mean from a retailer's perspective. Together, they discuss where operational complexity is really increasing—and where it is merely being shifted, when additional fees are still manageable and when margins are structurally eroding, how logistics or price control are creating new dependencies, and which platforms still offer optional access instead of implicit lock-in.Note from the sponsor base:Repricing on marketplaces is often seen as a margin killer. But that assumption is misleading. Base, a solution provider for marketplace integration and repricing, knows from his practical experience: It's not repricing that's the problem - it's the lack of strategy behind it. On marketplaces, visibility isn't determined by the lowest product price, but by the total offer price - including shipping, fees and overall cost logic. Without clear guardrails, automation can quickly lead to margin erosion. What's needed are solid fundamentals: a clear definition of relevant competitors, category-specific repricing rules, minimum prices, margin thresholds - and a realistic understanding of how Buy Box mechanics actually work. That's exactly what we break down in detail in our new blog article. Click here to learn more about repricing!Note from the sponsor eDesk:Marketplace customer support often feels chaotic. In reality, it is surprisingly predictable. Most tickets revolve around the same recurring questions: Where is my order? Has it shipped yet? Can I still cancel? When teams answer these requests manually, they are not doing customer support - they are doing administrative work. At significant cost. eDesk addresses exactly this problem. As a helpdesk solution built specifically for marketplace and multichannel sellers, eDesk connects the inbox directly to more than 300 marketplaces - from Amazon and eBay to Mirakl and Kaufland. Instead of simply centralizing messages, it adds context: order status, tracking data, and relevant marketplace information are immediately available and can be answered automatically. Less tab switching, less copy-pasting, and more reliable SLAs. Which ten support questions account for the majority of all tickets - and how they can be automated - is detailed in our new Deep Dive “Marketplace Support Reality".

Send us a textThe NexusXp: The Connected Lab pavilion returns to SLAS2026 (Feb. 7-11), with an even sharper focus on integrative automation, seamlessly connecting devices, platforms and people to advance scientific workflows. In this episode, we speak with each participating NexusXp Integration Showcase sponsor to preview each company's innovative demonstration in the pavilion. Designed to spark collaboration between vendors and researchers, NexusXp highlights real-world lab automation scenarios that blend hardware, software and human ingenuity. See the timestamps for each course discussion below:00:00 — Ginkgo Bioworks (Jason Kelly, PhD)09:58 — Hamilton (Del Ray Jackson, PhD)17:15 — Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hansjoerg Haas, PhD)26:14 — Greiner Bio-One (Glauco Souza, PhD)Don't wait—Register for SLAS2026 International Conference & Exhibition today!Stay connected with SLAS:www.slas.org | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTubeAbout SLASSLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. SLAS2026 International Conference & Exhibition February 7-11, 2026 Boston, MA SLAS Europe 2026 Conference and Exhibition 19-21 May 2026 Vienna, Austria View the full events calendar

We welcome back Andrew Sillifant, Solution Director at Pure Storage, for a deep dive into the concept of data gravity. We start with the traditional 2010 definition coined by Dave McCrory—that data accumulates, making it harder to move, and forcing dependent systems to cluster nearby. However, Andrew presents his core thesis, arguing that this foundational principle is no longer sufficient in a world of exploding complexity. Our conversation emphasizes the need to re-examine data gravity through a modern lens, acknowledging the massive shift to cloud computing and the proliferation of interconnected systems over the last decade. Andrew introduces five crucial dimensions that now describe data's impact: Volume, redefined by context and classification; Dependency, now accelerated by API calls, integration points, and AI agents; Criticality, which includes regulations, security, and implicit SLAs; Velocity, measured by how many functions data is used for; and Latency, complicated by geographic requirements that skew response times. These dimensions highlight how non-physical constraints, like egress fees and data sovereignty laws, create artificial friction that compounds the problem beyond sheer data size. Our discussion concludes with a new framework of five sources of data gravity that IT leaders must address: Technical Gravity (the physical component and mobility), Economic Gravity (the costs of hosting and moving data, like egress fees), Regulatory Gravity (compliance and legal restrictions), Institutional Gravity (the dependency on a small number of people who know how to manage old systems), and Measurement Gravity (budgeting and decision-making risks). Finally, Andrew connects these challenges to Pure Storage, noting how platform features like deduplication and continuous innovation are actively working to lessen the effects of data gravity for customers. To learn more, visit https://blog.purestorage.com/purely-technical/the-economics-of-data-gravity/ Check out the new Pure Storage digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Pure experts: https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/ 00:00 Intro and Welcome 01:05 Andrew Observations About the USA 04:19 Defining Data Gravity 07:30 Challenges Caused By Data Gravity 09:01 Real World Data Gravity Examples 17:15 Data Gravity Impact Vectors 33:02 New Dimensions of Data Gravity 40:30 Where Pure Helps with Data Gravity

Richard McGirr breaks down a detailed case study of a sponsored Best Ever webinar and how paid media can be used to responsibly scale capital raising. He explains why cold traffic struggles in high-trust investments, how sponsored webinars function as “rented” warm audiences, and why education-first positioning is critical when asking for six-figure commitments. Richard walks through the structure of the webinar, why capital protection and income resonated with investors, and how private real estate credit compares to equity in volatile markets. He also outlines his post-webinar follow-up systems, including rapid sales SLAs, email drips, and how long-tail conversions ultimately drive ROI from paid placements. Visit ⁠www.tribevestisc.com⁠ for more info. Try QUO for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months when you go to quo.com/BESTEVER  Join us at Best Ever Conference 2026! Find more info at: https://www.besteverconference.com/  Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠⁠ Podcast production done by⁠ ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The IT Experts Podcast, I want to talk to you about something that does not get enough attention in the MSP space, over-reliance on big clients. This is not about fear mongering or pointing fingers. It is about protecting the business you have worked so hard to build and making sure it is resilient, valuable, and able to withstand shocks that are completely outside your control.    Over the last few weeks, I have seen several MSP owners lose large clients through no fault of their own. Long standing relationships, solid delivery, and good account management were all in place. Then a corporate buyout happened, private equity stepped in, and overnight the MSP was out. If you have ever experienced this, you know how gutting it feels. This is exactly why over-reliance on big clients is such a serious risk, even when everything appears to be going well.    We talk about risk all the time with our clients, cyber risk, security risk, operational risk. Yet many MSPs do not have a proper internal risk register that includes client concentration. If one client makes up more than fifteen to twenty percent of your revenue, that is a risk. If a handful of clients account for half of your income, that risk increases again. Over-reliance on big clients also impacts valuation in a big way. Buyers, banks, and investors all look closely at client concentration when assessing the strength of a business.    One of the traps I see MSPs fall into is assuming their biggest clients are their best clients. Size does not equal profitability. Often the largest clients are the noisiest, the most demanding, and the ones that introduce the most scope creep. Project work can hide this reality for a while, creating the illusion of strong performance, while margins quietly erode underneath. This is how over-reliance on big clients becomes both a financial and emotional burden.    Contracts are another major factor. Weak renewals, rolling monthly terms, and informal agreements leave you exposed when circumstances change. Strong contracts with clear notice periods, structured SLAs, and defined expectations protect both sides of the relationship. I have seen MSPs completely transform their resilience by moving clients onto longer term agreements, creating stability and confidence even in uncertain markets.    I also share practical steps you can take over the next ninety days to reduce over-reliance on big clients. This includes building a healthier pipeline so no single client dominates revenue, strengthening account management across your mid-tier clients, and intentionally growing those relationships instead of focusing all your attention on one whale account. Growth should never come at the cost of balance.    Diversification matters too. That might mean going deeper into a vertical you already serve, refining your niche, or improving the mix between recurring revenue and project work. Over-reliance on big clients often creeps in when project revenue masks a lack of predictable monthly income. The managed service model works best when recurring revenue is the foundation.    Pricing and packaging play a role here as well. Minimum standards, minimum security, and minimum value help ensure every client contributes fairly. When profitability improves, cash reserves improve, and cash gives you breathing space. It is not about comfort, it is about protection.    Finally, I talk about the importance of proper account management that does not sit solely with the owner. When relationships and value delivery are embedded into clear processes, the business becomes stronger and less dependent on any one person or client. This shift is critical if you want to scale with confidence and reduce over-reliance on big clients in a sustainable way.    I will leave you with a simple challenge. Review your top ten clients, look honestly at your concentration risk, and choose one action you can take in the next seven days to make your MSP safer, stronger, and more resilient. Over-reliance on big clients is not a failure. It is a signal. And with the right structure in place, it is a risk you can actively reduce.   Make sure to check out our Ultimate MSP Growth Guide, a free guide that walks you through a proven process to take your MSP from stuck to scalable, without working even more hours. It's 44 pages rammed with advice, insights and inspiration to help you decide what support is available to you now if you want to grow and scale your business. Click HERE to get your copy.    Connect on LinkedIn HERE with Ian and also with Stuart by clicking this LINK    And when you're ready to take the next step in growing your MSP, come and take the Scale with Confidence MSP Mastery Quiz. In just three minutes, you'll get a 360-degree scan of your MSP and identify the one or two tactics that could help you find more time, engage & align your people and generate more leads.  OR   To join our amazing Facebook Group of over 400 MSPs where we are helping you Scale Up with Confidence, then click HERE  Until next time, look after yourself and I'll catch up with you soon! 

In this episode of V-FM Pensions, hosts Nico and Darren chat to Kim Gubler. Kim wears many hats in the pensions industry, among them Managing Director of KGC Associates, President of PASA, and is an independent trustee Director of the Smart Pension mastertrust. Another wide ranging conversation that, as well as talking about horses and pigeons (only on the V-FM podcast....), focuses on the importance of elevating administration to the same level as investments when it comes to assessing value for money, treating it as central to member outcomes rather than something that happens in the background. We talk about the evolution of KGC, PASA, and problems in relying on SLAs to assess value for money. We also chat about Kim's work on small pots and the recent feasibility study looking at quick ways of addressing what is an increasingly pressing issue.

professorjrod@gmail.comIn this episode of Technology Tap: CompTIA Study Guide, we dive deep into the concept of cybersecurity risk and why it's a critical factor in your IT skills development. Forget common myths and technical jargon — this episode breaks down risk into understandable elements: threat, vulnerability, likelihood, and impact. Perfect for CompTIA exam candidates, we provide practical IT certification tips that turn abstract fears into concrete strategies to protect your digital assets. Whether you're prepping for your CompTIA exam or interested in technology education, this discussion equips you with essential knowledge for effective tech exam prep.We walk through inherited risk (your baseline exposure) and residual risk (what remains after controls), and explain why zero risk is a dangerous fantasy. From there, we unpack the four response strategies—avoidance, mitigation, transfer, and acceptance—using clear examples you can bring to your Sec+, Net+, or A+ studies and your day job. You'll learn when quantitative numbers help, when qualitative scales are more honest, and how heat maps can mislead when assumptions go unchallenged.Because modern exposure doesn't end at your perimeter, we dive into vendor risk management: evaluating partners before you sign, setting expectations with NDAs, MSAs, SLAs, SOWs, and rules of engagement, and keeping continuous oversight to match changing realities. We also connect the dots to business impact analysis, translating risk into recovery targets with MTD, RTO, RPO, and WRT so you prioritize mission essential functions instead of treating every system the same. Finally, we clarify the role of internal and external assessments and demystify penetration testing as a snapshot that challenges assumptions rather than a guarantee of safety.If you want security that aligns with real-world priorities, this conversation gives you the mental model and vocabulary to make better decisions under uncertainty. Subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review with one insight you're taking back to your org. What risk will you accept—and why?Support the showArt By Sarah/DesmondMusic by Joakim KarudLittle chacha ProductionsJuan Rodriguez can be reached atTikTok @ProfessorJrodProfessorJRod@gmail.com@Prof_JRodInstagram ProfessorJRod

Clients don't need to do anything — and that's the brutal truth every salesperson meets early. If a buyer can stick with the same supplier, or do nothing at all, many will. The only thing that moves them is a felt gap between where they are now and where they want to be, plus a reason to bridge it now, not "sometime later". This piece unpacks how to surface that gap without bruising ego, how to test the buyer's DIY confidence with diplomacy, and how to quantify the pain of inaction so urgency becomes logical and emotional — the kind that actually triggers action. Why don't buyers take action even when they agree there's a problem? Buyers can agree there's a gap and still do nothing, because "no change" is often the lowest-risk option. In B2B and complex services, inaction is a decision: keep the incumbent, keep the budget, keep the politics calm. Post-pandemic (2021–2025), many firms tightened discretionary spend, so "we'll revisit next quarter" became a default script — whether you're selling into a Tokyo conglomerate, a US mid-market SaaS firm, or a European manufacturer. Procurement teams are trained to delay; senior leaders are trained to back their own judgement; and everyone is juggling competing priorities. Your job isn't to force urgency — it's to reframe the cost of waiting so the buyer persuades themselves. That's classic Challenger thinking and it pairs neatly with Dale Carnegie-style respect: tough on the issue, gentle with the person. Mini-summary: Agreement isn't action; urgency comes from reframing risk. Do now: Ask, "What happens if nothing changes by the end of this quarter?" What exactly is the "buyer's gap" in sales — and how do you diagnose it fast? The buyer's gap is the distance between the buyer's current reality and their desired future, measured in outcomes, not opinions. Think of it as a before/after delta: revenue leakage, churn, quality defects, compliance exposure, missed hires, stalled strategy. In Salesforce or HubSpot terms, it's the difference between "pipeline health today" and "forecast reliability we need by FY2026". In SPIN Selling language, it's the implication of the problem, expressed in business impact. Diagnosing it quickly means anchoring in concrete targets (KPIs, SLAs, customer NPS, cycle time, cost-to-serve) and a timeframe (this quarter, next six months, before a product launch). Compare contexts: Japanese decision-making often needs broader internal alignment; US teams may move faster but demand ROI proof; both still require clarity on what "better" looks like and what "staying put" costs. Mini-summary: A gap you can't measure becomes a gap you can't sell. Do now: Get the buyer to state one KPI and one deadline they'll be judged on. How do you test a buyer's DIY confidence without insulting them? You don't tell leaders they're wrong — you ask questions that let them discover the limits of "we can do it ourselves". Most executives have strong self-belief. If you attack it, you'll trigger defensiveness and stall the deal. Instead, use diplomatic, diagnostic questions that probe resourcing, capability, and trade-offs: "Who owns this internally?", "What will they stop doing to make time?", "What's the plan if your top performer leaves?", "How will you measure progress in 30 days?" That's subtle pressure, not arrogance. It's also psychologically smart: people trust conclusions they reach themselves (behavioural science 101, think Kahneman). In Japan, where saving face matters, this matters even more; in startups, the risk is overconfidence and bandwidth collapse. Your goal is respectful doubt — enough to show that DIY has hidden costs and timelines. Mini-summary: Self-persuasion beats salesperson persuasion. Do now: Ask, "What would have to be true for DIY to work on time — and what usually gets in the way?" How do you create urgency without sounding manipulative or desperate? Urgency isn't hype — it's a credible timeline tied to consequences the buyer already cares about. Manipulative urgency ("discount ends Friday") works in low-stakes retail; it backfires in enterprise sales. What works is a shared clock: contract renewals, regulatory deadlines, board reviews, hiring cycles, seasonal demand, or tech deprecation. As of 2025, AI and cyber risk conversations have made timelines sharper — but buyers still resist if the consequence is fuzzy. So you build urgency with cause and effect: "If implementation slips past March, your Q2 launch misses the marketing window", or "If churn stays at 12% for another two quarters, CAC payback blows out". Use comparative framing: multinationals have bureaucracy delays; SMEs have cashflow risk; both suffer when waiting compounds losses. Mini-summary: Real urgency is timeline + consequence, not theatre. Do now: Co-create a milestone plan and ask, "What breaks if we miss this date?" How do you quantify the cost of inaction when you don't have all the numbers? You don't need perfect data — you need credible ranges and the right questions to surface the buyer's own numbers. Opportunity cost sounds theoretical until you attach it to money, time, and risk. Start with what you can observe: volume, conversion, defect rate, cycle time, average deal size, staff turnover. Then use ranges: "If delays cost you 1–3 deals a month, what's that in gross margin?" or "If rework is 5–10% of project hours, what's that in payroll dollars?" Gartner and Forrester-style ROI thinking isn't about precision; it's about decision clarity. In heavily engineered sectors (manufacturing, logistics), buyers often have better operational metrics than they realise; in professional services, time-to-value is your lever. The key is to make the buyer feel the leakage with concrete estimates. Mini-summary: Concrete ranges create felt pain; vague talk creates procrastination. Do now: Build a simple "cost of waiting" calculator with the buyer in the meeting. What should sales leaders coach teams to do now to close the buyer's gap? Coach your team to run "gap conversations" that are respectful, evidence-based, and relentlessly action-oriented. This is not about being aggressive; it's about being professionally brave. Train reps to (1) diagnose the gap in one sentence, (2) test DIY assumptions with diplomacy, (3) quantify inaction in ranges, and (4) land a clear next step with a date. Role-play implication questions, not product pitches. Use call reviews to check whether reps anchored to a deadline and KPIs. Bring in frameworks: SPIN for problem/implication, Challenger for reframe, Dale Carnegie for relationship, MEDDICC for qualification discipline. In Japan, coach patience and consensus mapping; in the US, coach ROI and speed; across both, coach "action now" language that still feels respectful: "What would make it reasonable to start in the next 30 days?" Mini-summary: Skills, not slogans, create urgency. Do now: Add one KPI, one deadline, and one implication question to every discovery call script. Conclusion Most prospects won't move just because you're enthusiastic, or because your solution is objectively good. They move when the gap is real, measurable, and emotionally felt — and when they accept that DIY is riskier than it sounds. Your best persuasion isn't a monologue; it's a sequence of smart questions that lead the buyer to persuade themselves. Next steps for leaders Audit discovery calls for KPI + deadline + implication questions Build a lightweight "cost of delay" worksheet your team can use live Run weekly role-plays on diplomatic DIY-testing questions Align sales and delivery on realistic milestone plans (no fantasy timelines) Hold reps accountable to scheduling the next action with a date Author Bio Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews, which are widely followed by executives seeking success strategies in Japan.

Send us a textThank you to SLAS Europe 2026 Sustainability Sponsor, PulpFixin, for sponsoring this episode.In this special episode, host Emily Yamasaki, PhD, speaks with Chad Jenkins, CEO of PulpFixin, about the pervasive issue of plastics in laboratory settings, particularly single-use plastics. They discuss the environmental and health impacts of plastics, the need for alternatives, and the scientific community's role in addressing these challenges. Jenkins showcases the innovative products PulpFixin is developing to replace traditional plastic labware with sustainable alternatives, highlighting the importance of reducing plastic use and improving recycling.Key Learning PointsThe reliance on single-use plastics in laboratories poses serious health and environmental risks.Innovative alternatives, such as compostable materials and paper-based labware, are emerging to replace traditional plastics.Scientists must evaluate their plastic use and adopt practices that prioritize sustainability.Local recycling initiatives and community engagement are crucial for effective waste management.About PulpFixin:PulpFixin is a leading manufacturer of sustainable products and packaging. We are dedicated to eliminating single-use and other unnecessary plastics. Our expertise lies in designing and producing products and packaging from compostable or biodegradable sustainable materials to fully replace traditional plastics, and we welcome you to collaborate with us.Interested in lab sustainability? Join our Sustainability in Sciences Topical Interest Group!Stay connected with SLAS:www.slas.org | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTubeAbout SLASSLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. SLAS2026 International Conference & Exhibition February 7-11, 2026 Boston, MA SLAS Europe 2026 Conference and Exhibition 19-21 May 2026 Vienna, Austria View the full events calendar

Jeff sits down with Mat Rodriguez to explore how RevOps turns guesswork into predictable revenue. They dig into why forecasting breaks down without data discipline, how owning Salesforce as a true source of truth changes the quality of forecast conversations, and what it takes to build operational rigor without slowing the business down.The conversation also covers the role of alignment in driving GTM execution, from narrowing ICPs and coordinating account plans to creating SLAs that improve top-of-funnel credibility. If you're looking to replace reactive forecasting with confidence and bring your GTM teams into real alignment, this episode delivers practical, hard-earned lessons.

This episode examines why growing concern over AI-driven skills obsolescence is less about workforce displacement and more about authority, accountability, and liability for MSPs. As AI systems increasingly triage tickets, remediate issues, and shape outcomes, MSPs are absorbing responsibility for decisions made by tools they did not design and cannot fully audit. The mismatch between AI-driven operations and pre-AI contracts, SLAs, and pricing models creates a widening risk gap that directly threatens margins and client trust. The show then turns to AI infrastructure, focusing on Microsoft's response to rising power and water costs tied to data center expansion. While public commitments emphasize cost control and community investment, the underlying reality for IT service providers is continued volatility. AI workloads remain energy-intensive and politically sensitive, and those costs are likely to be passed downstream. MSPs that price AI-dependent services on today's assumptions risk margin erosion when infrastructure costs shift faster than contracts can be updated.Next, the episode explores how workplace AI tools from Anthropic and Slack are moving beyond assistance into shaping finished work. By summarizing conversations, organizing files, and producing artifacts that become the default record, these tools quietly define “what happened.” For MSPs, this pulls them deeper into advisory territory, as AI-generated outputs influence decisions, accountability, and client understanding—often without clear acknowledgment of what context or nuance was lost. Finally, the episode connects a wave of AI-driven acquisitions to a single strategic thread: vendors racing to own not just insight, but action. As platforms consolidate signals across usage, identity, cost, and observability, the pause between insight and execution disappears. For MSPs, the risk is not being replaced outright, but being sidelined as platforms decide faster than humans can intervene. The path forward is not resisting consolidation, but asserting value where judgment, context, and governance still matter.Four things to know today00:00 Report Warns 40 Percent of IT Skills May Become Obsolete as AI Reshapes Work04:42 Microsoft's AI Data Center Commitments Highlight the Growing Cost and Governance Risks of AI Infrastructure07:16 Anthropic and Slack Expand AI From Assistance to Shaping Finished Work11:00 AI-Driven Acquisitions Show Vendors Consolidating Signals to Move Faster From Insight to Action Supported by: https://cometbackup.com/

Send us a textThe SLAS2026 Short Course Program consists of 20+ courses that will provide in-depth instruction on topics, issues and techniques related to the laboratory science and technology community. Short Courses run from February 7-8, 2026.This episode features several instructors who preview their courses, including lesson highlights, takeaways, and why you should attend.Attending SLAS2026? Browse the full course program and sign up for a course here: SLAS2026 Short Course ProgramSee the timestamps for each course discussion below:00:00 — NexusXp: An Introduction to the DMTA Cycle in Drug Discovery 08:43 — NexusXp: Advanced DMTA Strategies for the Modern Lab 17:00 — Get the Word Out: Strategic Communication and Marketing in Life Sciences27:30 — Introduction to Biologics Stay connected with SLAS:www.slas.orgFacebookX (@SLAS_Org)LinkedInInstagram (@slas_org)YouTubeAbout SLASSLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building. SLAS2026 International Conference & Exhibition February 7-11, 2026 Boston, MA SLAS Europe 2026 Conference and Exhibition 19-21 May 2026 Vienna, Austria View the full events calendar

Matthew Gill joins The PowerShell Podcast to talk about what it means to be a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) and how SRE thinking changes the way you approach automation, reliability, and problem solving. Matthew and host Andrew Pla break down core concepts like SLAs, SLOs, and SLIs, and why reliability through planning matters more than rushing straight to the keyboard.   They also dig into why PSFramework is worth the dependency for enterprise-grade logging and configuration, how community mentorship (including Fred Weinmann's impact) can fast-track growth, and why books like The Phoenix Project are game-changing for understanding DevOps culture and constraints.   Key Takeaways: • SRE is software engineering applied to operations — focus on measurable reliability, proper planning, and balancing change with stability using concepts like SLAs, SLOs, and SLIs. • PSFramework can eliminate “reinventing the wheel” — especially for logging and configuration handling, giving enterprises proven patterns and integrations without custom-built fragility. • Community is a career multiplier — mentorship, learning in public, and teaching others are some of the fastest ways to build confidence and advance your PowerShell journey.   Guest Bio: Matthew Gill is a Site Reliability Engineer and is the Co-Director of Content for the PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit. He has been a problem solver, systems administrator, and scripter for nearly 20 years. From working in the United States Marine Corps, education, radio, and currently the private sector, the majority of Matt's experience has been focused on solving problems in a variety of interesting and creative ways.Resource Links PowerShell + DevOps Global Summit – https://powershellsummit.org The Phoenix Project (Book) – https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/ The Unicorn Project (Book) – https://itrevolution.com/product/the-unicorn-project/ PSFramework – https://github.com/PowershellFrameworkCollective/psframework Matthew Gill's Blog – https://therealgill.com Andrew's Links - https://andrewpla.tech/links PDQ Discord – https://discord.gg/PDQ PowerShell Wednesdays – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=PowerShell+Wednesdays The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vkOLsjsPvYo

Send us a textCheck us out at:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/Get access to 360 FREE CISSP Questions:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/offers/dzHKVcDB/checkoutGet access to my FREE CISSP Self-Study Essentials Videos:  https://www.cisspcybertraining.com/offers/KzBKKouvStart with the reality check: today's AI-enabled businesses face nine fast-evolving risks—data poisoning, model tampering, tool poisoning, prompt injection, adversarial inputs, model theft, model inversion, supply chain exposures, and jailbreak techniques. We break each one down in plain terms to show how attackers manipulate training data, models, and the pipelines around them, then connect those threats to the operational stakes leaders care about: safety, brand, legal exposure, and customer trust.From there, we shift gears into a practical continuity blueprint. We clarify the difference between BCM, BCP, and DRP—governance, process continuity, and tech recovery—so you can prioritize business outcomes before buying tools. You'll hear a clear approach for scoping by criticality, setting a planning horizon for short disruptions and long outages, and aligning with enterprise risk management so recovery targets match risk appetite and mission. We also walk through organizational analysis, stakeholder roles, and the often-missed step of mapping upstream suppliers and downstream distributors alongside cloud, SaaS, and utilities.The middle third focuses on execution. We outline how to build the BCP team with real decision authority, ensure succession and time-zone coverage, and run tabletops that expose single points of failure—like that forgotten server in a closet or a license that blocks failover. Then we cover resource planning across people, technology, facilities, vendors, and funding, including emergency spend, insurance alignment, and utility commitments for alternate sites. We close with regulatory expectations, SLAs, and the need for documented testing and continuous improvement so audits and real incidents both go better.If you found this helpful, subscribe, leave a quick review, and share it with a teammate who owns risk, compliance, or operations. Your support helps more CISSP candidates and security leaders build resilience that actually works when it counts.Gain exclusive access to 360 FREE CISSP Practice Questions at FreeCISSPQuestions.com and have them delivered directly to your inbox! Don't miss this valuable opportunity to strengthen your CISSP exam preparation and boost your chances of certification success. Join now and start your journey toward CISSP mastery today!

Every system depends on reliable infrastructure behind the scenes. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) delivers that reliability with speed, flexibility, and built-in security.   Join Lois Houston and Nikita Abraham as they speak with Oracle Cloud experts David Mills and Tijo Thomas about what makes OCI different and how it drives real results for businesses of every size.   Cloud Business Jumpstart https://mylearn.oracle.com/ou/course/cloud-business-jumpstart/152957 Oracle University Learning Community: https://education.oracle.com/ou-community LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/oracle-university/ X: https://x.com/Oracle_Edu   Special thanks to Arijit Ghosh, David Wright, Kris-Ann Nansen, Radhika Banka, and the OU Studio Team for helping us create this episode.   -----------------------------------------------   Episode Transcript:   00:00 Welcome to the Oracle University Podcast, the first stop on your cloud journey. During this series of informative podcasts, we'll bring you foundational training on the most popular Oracle technologies. Let's get started! 00:26 Lois: Hello and welcome to the Oracle University Podcast! I'm Lois Houston, Director of Communications and Adoption with Customer Success Services, and with me is Nikita Abraham, Team Lead: Editorial Services with Oracle University. Nikita: Hi everyone, and welcome to a brand-new season of the podcast! We're really excited about this one because we'll be diving into how Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is transforming the way businesses innovate, stay secure, and drive results.  00:55 Lois: And to help us with this, we've got two experts who know this space inside out—David Mills, Senior Principal PaaS Instructor, and Tijo Thomas, Principal OCI Instructor, both from Oracle University. Hi David! For those who might not be familiar, could you explain what Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is? David: OCI, as we call it, is Oracle's enterprise grade cloud platform, built from the ground up to run the systems that matter most to business. It provides the infrastructure and platform services businesses need to build, run, and scale applications securely, globally, and cost effectively. To provide more context, all of Oracle's SaaS applications such as NetSuite, Customer Experience, Human Capital Management, Supply Chain Management, as well as Enterprise Resource and Enterprise Performance Management, they all run on OCI. But OCI isn't just for Oracle's own apps. It's a full featured cloud platform used by thousands of customers to run their own applications, data, and services. OCI includes platform services such as databases, integration, analytics, and many others, and of course, the infrastructure services, such as compute, networking, and storage, which comprise the core of OCI. Bottom line, if something is running on Oracle Cloud, OCI is behind it. OCI includes over 100 services across numerous categories like compute, storage, networking, database, containers, AI, developer tools, integration, security, observability, and much more. So, whether you're lifting and shifting legacy workloads or building new apps in the cloud, OCI has the building blocks. 03:02 Lois: David, who was OCI designed for? David: OCI was built from scratch to address the limitations of first-generation clouds. No patchwork of legacy acquisitions, just a clean, modern, high-performance foundation designed for real enterprise workloads. OCI was designed for businesses that can't compromise financial services, health care, retail, governments, customers with strict regulations, global scale, and mission-critical systems. These are the companies choosing OCI not just because it works, but because it works under pressure. 03:42 Nikita: What else makes OCI different from other cloud platforms? David: Oracle's network and storage architecture delivers low latency results consistently. Then there's pricing—simple, predictable, and often much lower than our competitors. OCI was designed with governance and security in every layer. OCI supports all types of cloud strategies: public cloud, hybrid deployments, multi-cloud environments, and even a dedicated cloud we can install inside your own data center. We call all that distributed cloud, and that's where OCI really shines. OCI gives you everything you need to modernize your technology stack, run securely at scale, and build for the future without giving up control or blowing your budget. 04:37 Lois: Now, Tijo, we've covered what OCI is, who it's for, and what makes it unique. Let's switch gears a bit and talk about cloud regions. For anyone who doesn't know, a cloud region is just a specific geographic location where Oracle, or any cloud provider, runs its own data centers. Why does the choice of region matter for businesses, and what should they think about when picking one? Tijo: Many businesses are required by law to keep their data within national borders, whether it is GDPR in Europe or local privacy laws in Australia or Singapore, choosing the right region would help you to stay compliant.  The closer your applications are to your users, the faster they perform. Running in a nearby region means lower latency, faster response times, and better customer experience. Then there is disaster recovery and high availability. Regions are the building blocks for setting up failover strategies. By deploying workloads in multiple regions, businesses can protect themselves from outages and keeping their systems in running state. Some businesses also need to meet industry-specific compliance requirements. Think of sectors like health care, government, or finance. They often require that the infrastructure and the data should stay within the national or regional boundaries. If your business is growing into new markets, regions allow you to deploy apps and services closer to your customers and without having the need to build new data centers. Regions also enable local integrations and partnerships, whether it is connecting with ISPs, local service providers, or complying with in-country partner requirements. Having a region nearby makes that integrations and operations smoother. Regions are not just about geography. They are a critical part of how the businesses would stay compliant, resilient, and responsive across the globe. Oracle runs a fast-growing global network of cloud regions, and each OCI region is fully independent and fully isolated. You choose your regions, and your data stays there. 07:06 Nikita: And are there different types of cloud regions? Tijo: There are several commercial regions, sovereign regions, government regions, and multi-cloud regions. Even with a wide range of cloud regions, some organizations cannot move their workloads and its data to the public cloud. Those workloads may need to stay in their own on-premises data center, but at the same time, they still want to leverage the benefits of OCI. 07:42 Take your cloud skills to the next level with the new Oracle Database@AWS course. Master provisioning, migration, security, and high availability for Oracle Database on AWS. Then validate your experience with an industry-recognized certification. Stand out in the multicloud space and accelerate your career. Visit mylearn.oracle.com for more information. 08:09 Nikita: Welcome back! We were talking about workloads and how some companies may have to keep their workloads on-premises. Why would they need to do that, Tijo? Tijo: First, data sovereignty. Let's say there may not be a list of public cloud region that the organization is looking for, or maybe the business need to set up a disaster recovery strategy within that specific location. Then there is security and control. Some industries have very strict regulations, and they require physical access and oversight of their infrastructure. And finally, there are latency-sensitive workloads. These are applications that cannot afford the delay of going back and forth to a remote cloud region. They need cloud services right next to their physical data center.  08:59 Nikita: So, how does Oracle help with that? Tijo: To address these requirements, Oracle introduces a set of offerings. The first one is called dedicated region, and the second one is called Cloud@Customer services. Through both these offerings, you get OCI services right in your data center and all behind your firewall, while achieving the benefits of flexibility and automation.  09:24 Nikita: So, what's a dedicated region? Tijo: Dedicated region is a completely managed cloud region that brings all the OCI services and Oracle Fusion SaaS applications within your data centers. Along with deploying the full stack OCI, you would receive support for Oracle Fusion SaaS applications and also gain a consistent experience with the same SLAs, APIs, and the tools available in Oracle Cloud. 09:53 Lois: Ok and what about Cloud@Customer? Tijo: While dedicated region is ideal for large scale enterprise needs, with full stack OCI and SaaS, some organizations just require a lighter footprint. And that's where Cloud@Customer comes in. And to begin with, we'll talk about Compute Cloud@Customer. It is a fully managed rack scale infrastructure that allows you to use the core OCI services, like the OCI compute, OCI storage, and OCI networking services at your on-premises. With Compute Cloud@Customer, you can run applications and middleware systems to provide consistent user experience and simplify IT administration across your distributed cloud architecture. We can plan to run the same application stack everywhere and centrally manage them without needing experts in every location.  10:52 Nikita: Is there a way to make running your Oracle databases easier and more cost-effective? Tijo: That's why Oracle offers you Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer. Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer combines the performance of Oracle Exadata with the simplicity, flexibility, and affordability of a managed database service delivered through customer data centers. It is the simplest way to move your current Oracle databases to the cloud, because it provides full compatibility with existing Exadata systems and Exadata Database services in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. You could also run the fully-managed Oracle Autonomous Database on Exadata Cloud@Customer that would combine all the benefits of having Exadata, along with the simplicity of an autonomous cloud service. And when Compute Cloud@Customer is combined with Exadata Cloud@Customer, you can run full stack applications completely in your own data center. Applications will use the same high performance OCI compute and database services you get in the cloud, so you don't have to change the way you architect or deploy them.  12:09 Nikita: So, what you're saying is that Oracle dedicated region and Cloud@Customer bring OCI services into your data center. Tijo: It enables you to run applications faster using the same high-performance capabilities and autonomous operations. You get all of this while maintaining complete control of your data so that you can address data residency, security, and connectivity concerns.  12:35 Lois: Ok. We've talked about where OCI runs. Now David, let's get into what it actually does. David: OCI compute lets you run business applications on demand without buying or managing physical servers. You choose the type and size of the virtual machine you want, and OCI handles the rest. Need more power for peak traffic? OCI can automatically add capacity and scale it back down after. In addition to virtual machines, bare metal servers are also available for ultra high performance jobs like simulations, AI, or high speed trading. Every business stores data, but not all data needs the same kind of storage. OCI gives you options, fast block storage for your compute servers. It works just like a hard drive for your home computer. Shared file storage for applications and microservices. Large scale object storage for backups, videos, or other data, and low-cost long-term storage for object archives. The system even moves rarely used data to cheaper storage automatically.  13:51 Lois: Given Oracle's expertise in databases, what are some of the database options businesses can access with OCI? David: Oracle Autonomous Database automatically patches, tunes, and scales itself. Need raw power? Use Oracle Exadata, or go open source with MySQL HeatWave, which can be used for real time analytics. With these and many other database options, you get high performance automation and reliability all on demand.  14:24 Nikita: With so many database options, how is everything kept connected and running smoothly on OCI? David: Every cloud service relies on a fast, secure network. OCI's Virtual Cloud network acts like your own private data highway. You control how traffic flows between your apps, your people, and your regions. Need private direct connections to your data center or office? Use OCI FastConnect to bypass the public internet. OCI networking provides high speed performance with enterprise grade security designed for global business. 15:05 Lois: And what security service does Oracle provide? David: OCI doesn't treat this as an optional add on. When you sign up for OCI, your environment is isolated, your data is encrypted, and admin actions are logged. And there are so many security services. Identity and Access Management for handling users and permissions, Cloud Guard to detect threats and misconfigurations, OCI Vault for managing your encryption keys, Data Safe to monitor sensitive data access, as well as many others. You can leverage to meet any government or business compliance requirement. All of these are included in OCI, no need to stitch together third-party tools. 15:55 Lois: What if I want to see what's going on in my environment? David: OCI has monitoring services for metrics, logging services for real-time insights, tracing for distributed applications, and alarms to notify you when things go sideways. All of these services are integrated. So you can see what matters when you need it without all the noise. 16:23 Nikita: David, let's say someone wants to build and deploy an app. What services does OCI offer them?  David: OCI provides numerous developer services for your teams to build apps or digital tools. OCI DevOps supports automated builds and deployments. OCI Container Engine for Kubernetes helps run microservices. OCI Functions supports serverless code that runs on demand. All of this works with familiar languages and frameworks. In short, OCI gives developers what they need to build, test, and deliver quickly without having to manage infrastructure. 17:03 Nikita: How does OCI make it easier for companies to bring their apps together and use AI, even if they don't have a dedicated AI team? David: Modern businesses run dozens of apps, and OCI helps you to connect them with Oracle Integration Cloud. With OIC, you can integrate SaaS applications as well as on-premise apps and systems, automate business processes and workflows, route and transform messages, and you can even expose key services as APIs so partners and systems can interact securely. OCI integration is the glue that holds modern IT together. OCI helps you turn data into decisions without needing an AI team. Use ready-made AI tools for language translation, image recognition, document understanding, speech transcription, and more. Or build your own models with data science and data flow services. It's all designed to bring machine learning into reach for every business. 18:10 Lois: Thank you, David and Tijo, for joining us on this episode of the Oracle University Podcast. If you want to learn more about OCI, visit mylearn.oracle.com and search for the Cloud Business Jumpstart course.  Nikita: Next week, we'll look at why businesses choose OCI and how they're using OCI services to create real outcomes. Until then, this is Nikita Abraham… Lois: And Lois Houston signing off! 18:38 That's all for this episode of the Oracle University Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please click Subscribe to get all the latest episodes. We'd also love it if you would take a moment to rate and review us on your podcast app. See you again on the next episode of the Oracle University Podcast.

Send us a textA bus-powered hackathon, a $100K prize for a gloriously “useless” app, and keynotes that said AI so many times you could turn it into a supercut—re:Invent 2025 brought energy, irony, and real signals hiding in the noise. We're joined by AWS Hero Chris Williams to unpack what actually matters: where AI is genuinely useful, where it's lipstick on a feature, and how builders should adapt without losing the plot.We dig into the Road to re:Invent hackathon and why the winning project—turning a tiny script into a sprawling multi-repo monster—was the sharpest commentary on over-engineering all week. From there, we break down the AI-first keynotes, new Graviton efficiency gains that could tame power budgets, and the push to own the entire stack from silicon to agents. Kiro's spec-driven development gets real talk too: amazing for scaffolding, documentation, and repo exploration; risky when you ask a confident hallucination to write production without tests, reviews, or security controls.The conversation shifts to careers and craft with Werner Vogels' parting challenge: become a “Renaissance developer.” Learn systems, networking, security, and economics, then layer AI to explore design space faster. If you're just starting out, don't begin with prompts—build fundamentals and use AI to shape your learning plan. We wrap with the sleeper headline: first-party multi-cloud connectivity. It's overdue, it's serious, and it could reshape how enterprises stitch providers together while raising new questions about SLAs, accountability, and incident response between hyperscalers.Hit play for a clear-eyed debrief that filters the hype, celebrates real progress, and offers practical guidance for teams shipping in 2025. If this helped you make sense of re:Invent, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and drop your bold prediction for the year ahead.Where to find Chris:https://x.com/mistwirehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisfwilliams/https://vbrownbag.com/Purchase Chris and Tim's book on AWS Cloud Networking: https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Advanced-Networking-Certification-certification/dp/1835080839/ Check out the Monthly Cloud Networking Newshttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1fkBWCGwXDUX9OfZ9_MvSVup8tJJzJeqrauaE6VPT2b0/Visit our website and subscribe: https://www.cables2clouds.com/Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cables2clouds.comFollow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cables2clouds/Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cables2cloudsMerch Store: https://store.cables2clouds.com/Join the Discord Study group: https://artofneteng.com/iaatj

It's all about Data Pipelines. Join Pure Storage Field Solution Architect Chad Hendron and Solutions Director Andrew Silifant for a deep dive into the evolution of data management, focusing on the Data Lakehouse architecture and its role in the age of AI and ML. Our discussion looks at the Data Lakehouse as a powerful combination of a data lake and a data warehouse, solving problems like "data swamps” and proprietary formats of older systems. Viewers will learn about technological advancements, such as object storage and open table formats, that have made this new architecture possible, allowing for greater standardization and multiple tooling functions to access the same data. Our guests also explore current industry trends, including a look at Dremio's 2025 report showing the rapid adoption of Data Lakehouses, particularly as a replacement for older, inefficient systems like cloud data warehouses and traditional data lakes. Gain insight into the drivers behind this migration, including the exponential growth of unstructured data and the need to control cloud expenditure by being more prescriptive about what data is stored in the cloud versus on-premises. Andrew provides a detailed breakdown of processing architectures and the critical importance of meeting SLAs to avoid costly and frustrating pipeline breaks in regulated industries like banking. Finally, we provide practical takeaways and a real-world case study. Chad shares a customer success story about replacing a large, complex Hadoop cluster with a streamlined Dremio and Pure Storage solution, highlighting the massive reduction in physical space, power consumption, and management complexity. Both guests emphasize the need for better governance practices to manage cloud spend and risk. Andrew underscores the essential, full-circle role of databases—from the "alpha" of data creation to the "omega" of feature stores and vector databases for modern AI use cases like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Tune in to understand how a holistic data strategy, including Pure's Enterprise Data Cloud, can simplify infrastructure and future-proof your organization for the next wave of data-intensive workloads. To learn more, visit https://www.purestorage.com/solutions/ai/data-warehouse-streaming-analytics.html Check out the new Pure Storage digital customer community to join the conversation with peers and Pure experts: https://purecommunity.purestorage.com/ 00:00 Intro and Welcome 03:15 Data Lakehouse Primer 08:31 Stat of the Episode on Lakehouse Usage 10:50 Challenges with Data Pipeline access 13:58 Assessing Organization Success with Data Cleaning 16:07 Use Cases for the Data Lakehouse 20:41 Case Study on Data Lakehouse Use Case 24:11 Hot Takes Segment

professorjrod@gmail.comWhat if your help desk could solve recurring IT problems in minutes, not hours? In this episode, we explore the backbone of reliable IT support, focusing on clear SOPs that remove guesswork, SLAs that align technical work with business risk, and an effective ticketing flow that transforms scattered fixes into measurable outcomes. Whether you're preparing for a CompTIA exam or seeking practical IT skills development, you'll find valuable insights here. We share real-world examples—from login failures to VPN drops—that demonstrate how documentation, escalation tiers, and knowledge bases reduce time-to-resolution and prevent repeat incidents, making technology education and effective IT support attainable goals.We also get candid about the human side of support. Professionalism is not a soft skill; it is operational. We talk punctuality, clean language, and the kind of active listening that clarifies issues without talking down to users. De-escalation matters, but so do boundaries; you can stay calm without tolerating abuse. And yes, social media can cost you your job—one vague post is all it takes. These habits shape trust with customers and credibility inside the org.To round it out, we map the OS landscape you actually support: Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS on the desktop, plus iOS and Android in the field. We cover MDM realities with JAMF and Google Workspace, why file systems like NTFS and ReFS or APFS and ext4 affect security and performance, and how hardware requirements such as TPM 2.0 should drive upgrade planning. You will leave with a sharper playbook and four cert-style practice questions to test your knowledge.If you found this useful, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review to help others find it. Got a help desk win or a hard lesson learned? Send it our way and join the conversation.Support the showArt By Sarah/DesmondMusic by Joakim KarudLittle chacha ProductionsJuan Rodriguez can be reached atTikTok @ProfessorJrodProfessorJRod@gmail.com@Prof_JRodInstagram ProfessorJRod

Send us a textA Journey Through Wireless Technology, Fostering Pets, and Outdoor Adventures with Madison BeedyIn this episode of The Wireless Way, host Chris Whitaker welcomes Madison Beedy, Director of Channel Sales at Earthlink Business. They discuss her journey in technology, the role of Earthlink Business in providing diverse connectivity solutions, and the importance of SLAs in wireless internet services. Additionally, Madison shares her experiences as an active foster volunteer with the Arizona Humane Society and her love for outdoor activities. The episode also delves into the lessons learned from hiking and fostering pets, touching on personal fulfillment and professional success. Show notes include links to the Alliance of Channel Women and the Humane Society.00:00 Introduction and Host Welcome00:18 Guest Introduction: Madison Beedy01:42 Personal Background and Interests03:07 Journey into Technology and Channel Industry04:38 EarthLink's Evolution and Services06:03 Importance of Backup Connectivity09:21 Ideal Customer Profile and Sales Cycle17:27 Fostering and Volunteering with Humane Society17:55 Starting the Foster Journey18:20 Foster Fails and Successes19:01 Unique and Memorable Fosters19:16 Balancing Personal Pets and Fosters20:21 Challenges and Rewards of Fostering21:28 Temporary Care Program22:07 Special Needs Pets23:04 Personal Stories and Reflections24:56 Hiking Adventures and Lessons27:15 The Appalachian Trail Dream28:28 Final Thoughts and Reflections32:10 Closing Remarks and ResourcesLearn more about EarthlinkMore on Madison BeedyAlliance of Channel WomenHumane SocietyA Walk in the Woods book Support the showCheck out my website https://thewirelessway.net/ use the contact button to send request and feedback.

The UK property market is changing fast, and so should the way letting agents work with suppliers. In this episode, Siân Hemming Metcalfe, Operations Director at Inventory Base, discusses why moving beyond the traditional “service provider” model can boost professionalism, cut risk, and improve outcomes. Discover how stronger partnerships, clear SLAs, and better collaboration can raise industry standards and future proof your business. Listen now and join the conversation.

Varun Puri, CEO and cofounder of Yoodli, joins the show to talk about using AI role play to transform how people practice for high stakes conversations, from sales calls to job interviews to tough manager chats. He breaks down how Yoodli went from a consumer public speaking tool to a serious enterprise platform used by teams at Google, Snowflake, Databricks, and more, all while staying anchored in one mission, helping humans communicate with confidence. We dig into product led growth, honest feedback loops, and why real human communication will matter even more as AI makes information instant.Key takeaways• Why Yoodli started with public speaking anxiety and grew into an AI role play simulator for any important conversation, not just conference talks or pitch decks• How watching real user behavior inside companies like Google pulled the team into enterprise without abandoning their consumer product• A simple approach to product feedback, talk to end users constantly, then prioritize changes by business impact, renewal risk, and how many people benefit• What it really takes to move from consumer to enterprise, new roles, new processes, and a very different mindset around reliability, security, and expectations• Why Varun draws clear ethical lines, using AI to coach and prepare people, not to replace human judgment in hiring, promotion, or high trust decisionsTimestamped highlights[00:35] What Yoodli actually does today, from solo practice to training sales and go to market teams inside large enterprises[01:43] The original vision, helping people who are scared of public speaking, and the insight that interviews, sales calls, and manager talks are all just role plays[03:37] How the team listens to end users, the channels they rely on, and why the consumer product is still their testing ground for new ideas and experiments[05:20] Following users into the enterprise, why it was an addition and not a full pivot, and how product led growth inside companies like Google works in practice[07:42] The early shock of selling to enterprises, learning about new roles, SLAs, InfoSec, and bringing in leaders from Tableau and Salesforce to build a real B2B engine[11:10] Two paths for AI in sales, tools that try to replace humans versus tools that make humans better, and why Varun has drawn a hard line on what Yoodli will not do[15:26] A future where information is commoditized and instant, and why communication and presence become the real edge for top performers in that world[20:48] Designing for trust and adoption, how Yoodli keeps practice private by default, when data is shared, and why control has to sit with the end userA line worth saving“In a world where AI makes everyone smarter and faster, the thing that will be at the biggest premium is how you communicate as a human with other humans.”Practical ideas you can use• Keep a consumer like surface in your product so you can experiment faster than your enterprise roadmap would ever allow• Treat feedback from large customers like a queue you rank by renewal risk, strategic value, and number of users helped, not as a list you must clear• Look for product led growth signals inside your user base, if thousands of people in one company are using you, someone there probably wants a team level solution• Draw explicit boundaries for your AI product, write down what you will not automate, so you can build trust with users and buyers over the long termCall to actionIf you care about the future of sales, interviewing, and communication in an AI rich world, this conversation is worth a listen. Follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share this episode with a founder, product leader, or sales leader who is thinking about AI in their workflow. And if you want feedback on your own speaking, check out what Varun and his team are building at Yoodli.

Latvijas autobraucējiem joprojām lielas problēmas sagādā braukšana krēslas stundās. Šajā laikā izraisīto ceļu satiksmes negadījumu skaits turpina pieaugt. Ko pie stūres darām nepareizi laikā, kad visa diena var būt kā nebeidzama krēslas stunda? Raidījumā Kā labāk dzīvot analizē Ceļu satiksmes drošības dienesta satiksmes drošības eksperts Oskars Irbītis un Drošas braukšanas skolas apmācību direktors Edmunds Ozolnieks. Runājot par uzmanības novēršanu pie stūres, Oskars Irbītis min, ka skandināvu speciālisti runā ne tikai par telefoniem, bet traucēt var arī bulciņa, kafija. "Mums ir tādi multidarītāji - vienā rokā glāze, otrā - hamburgers un ar ceļgalu stūrē," bilst Oskars Irbītis. Edmunds Ozolnieks norāda, ka viņš regulāri kursos jautā autovadītājiem, kurš māk ar kājām stūrēt. Reti kurš nepaceļ roku. "Mūsu ikdienas ritms prasa daudz manipulācijas darīt vienlaicīgi, tajā brīdī mēs aizmirstam. Bet kad veic kādu darbību, pilnībā esi novērsies no ceļa, pauze jau neiestājas, tu turpini braukt," vērtē Edmunds Ozolnieks. "Īpaši, ja brauc ārpus pilsētas, kur liela problēma ir dzīvnieki. Alnis jau neizmāks uz ceļa ar karodziņu - hei, es nāku! Un vēl ar atstarotāju. Kad leks, tad leks un skries.  Mēs esam braukšanas sajūtu nolaiduši līdz automātismam, mūsu iekšējais ķermenis strādā kā autopilotā un mums neliekas, ka tas ir kaut kas sarežģīts. Tanī brīdī arī varam daudzas lietas darīt, nepadomājot, ka novēršamies no pamatlietas, no no braukšanas. Tā zaudējam koncentrāciju uz ceļu un iegūstam negadījumus."

When embarking on your ISO journey, a crucial first step is evaluating your current level of compliance and identifying what gaps need to be filled to gain certification or fully align with a Standard. This is typically done by conducting a Gap Analysis. This exercise sets the foundations for your ISO Implementation project, from setting key actions and objectives, to resourcing and establishing a project timeline.   In this episode, Ian Battersby dives into the purpose of a Gap Analysis, who should be involved in the exercise and what inputs and outputs you should expect to have from conducting a Gap Analysis.   You'll learn ·      What is a Gap Analysis?   ·      What is the aim of a Gap Analysis? ·      What is the process of conducting a Gap Analysis? ·      Who should be involved in a Gap Analysis? ·      What inputs should be included in a Gap Analysis? ·      What outputs can you expect from a Gap Analysis? Resources ·      Isologyhub   In this episode, we talk about: [02:05] Episode Summary – Ian Battersby dives into the first step on any ISO Implementation journey, breaking down what a Gap Analysis is, it's purpose and what you should expect to get out of conducting one. [02:50] What is a Gap Analysis?: Simply put, it's the start of the process. It's a key to understanding where an organisation is right now and establishing what it needs to do on its journey to ISO certification. But it's not just for certification, as certification isn't always what people are trying to achieve. Many businesses opt to align themselves to a standard to ensure they're doing the right thing, but may not go through with full certification. [04:05] Who is the aim of a Gap Analysis? The objective of a Gap Analysis is to carry out a review of your organisation against the requirements of the respective standard. This will help to establish the following: ·      Areas where you conform to the standard, where you may have established the required processes, procedures, roles, responsibilities, systems, methods, documents ·      Areas of nonconformity, where such things will need to be developed ·      You may partly conform, so it's important to understand that as well From that understanding, you can build key actions, timescales and responsibilities for implementing an ISO Standard. It's also very useful to leadership; to clarify what's needed, to look at priorities, to resource what's required and to establish a timeline to your end goal. [06:25] What is the process of conducting a Gap Analysis? It's important to do this in a very structured manner. It's also important to get access to existing documentation and personnel in key roles; they'll be helpful during the gap analysis in providing understanding. You'll need to evaluate your current level of compliance against the following clauses within your desired ISO Standard(s): 4 Context: Understanding the world in which you operate, the people and organisations which are important to you. This is where you will determine the scope of your system (what to include, what parts of the standard are relevant). 5 Leadership: Top management's commitment, how involved they are, their accountability and their commitment to resourcing, promoting, to giving people authority through clear roles and responsibilities. 6 Planning: This is about assessing risks and opportunities; understanding the uncertainty caused by your operating environment (context). It also involves setting objectives and then establishing meaningful plans to address the risks/opportunities and objectives; mitigations; establishing controls; operational processes. 7 Support: This is where you look at people, competence Infrastructure and environment (are your facilities/equipment appropriate to what you need to do). You will also need to identify what you need to monitor and measure to demonstrate the effectiveness of your ISO Management System. Next, you need to cover awareness and communication, i.e. how do you make people aware of your system, policy, processes; what do you tell other interested parties? Lastly, ensure you address how you control the documentation which supports your system. 8 Operation: This address the delivery of a product or service to the customer, including all the processes for doing so. For example, in ISO 9001 this clause defines what's required when designing, developing, controlling externally provided products/services and controlling anything which goes wrong. This is typically the clause that contains the largest difference between ISO Standard, with each one focusing requirements on it's topic focus. For example, ISO 14001 includes requirements for emergency preparedness and response in the event of an environmental incident. 9 Performance evaluation: This is where you review and report on the results of the monitoring and measurement that you've put in place. For those familiar with ISO, this is where the internal audit and management review requirements sit. 10 Improvement: This clause states requirements for addressing any non-conformities that pop-up during your Internal Audits. It also encourages you to address opportunities for improvement to help drive continual improvement and innovation. [13:50] Who should be involved in a Gap Analysis? One key myth that we'd like to clear up is that not everyone in the business needs to be involved in this process, however, we do recommend the following are included: The person responsible for the day-to-day running of the Management System. This may not be known at this early stage, which is fine as the purpose of the Gap Analysis is to identify gaps such as this. Leadership; someone in a senior role; responsible for resourcing the system, communicating its importance to the workforce; responsible for setting the strategic direction and objectives. People who understand the context of the organisation; understanding interested parties (stakeholders); needs of customers and others; the regulatory environment Those involved in risk management; operational, financial, commercial, regulatory, safety or environmental. Someone with knowledge of the legal requirements and how they're evaluated; relative to specific standard. Anyone setting objectives related to the specific standard. Those with knowledge of competence arrangements; not just those responsible for co-ordinating the Management System, but across the board, for delivering operational processes. Those responsible for facilities and equipment; maintenance, service, test, inspection, etc. People responsible for developing and delivering operational processes. People with knowledge of how things are monitored or measured; possibly operations people, data analysis or those who report performance to management. Those who control nonconformity and those who run improvement processes. It can be quite a range of people! However, in smaller organisations there may be quite a limited number who likely wear many hats. Again, that's not a problem, as the Gap Analysis exists to discover that. [21:55] What inputs should be included in a Gap Analysis? This can include a number of things, as not everything will necessarily be a document. Typically, we as consultants will look at: ·      Management System manual or System Scope ·      Organisational chart ·      Mission, vision, values and culture ·      SWOT/PESTLE and Interested Parties ·      Policy relevant to the standard ·      Job descriptions ·      Risk and opportunities analysis; methodology ·      Objectives ·      Legislation register and methods of evaluation ·      Competence arrangements, training records ·      Management System awareness, training completion ·      Details of version and document control in place ·      Monitoring and measuring plans (KPIs, SLAs, internal performance metrics) ·      Internal audit programme and audit reports ·      Management review records ·      Agendas for any regular management meetings ·      Nonconformities, incident report and corrective action records ·      Customer complaints/feedback ·      Emergency Plans ·      Process Documentation ·      Examples of process documentation: ·      Change control documentation ·      Sales, tendering, order processing ·      Procedures for the design and development of products and services ·      Design and development records stating inputs, verification and validation activities, outputs, and approval of changes ·      Procedures to approve products and services for release to customers including quality checks ·      Supplier / third party evaluation and onboarding documents ·      Non-conformity/complaint information ·      Traceability documentation [29:40] What is the output from a Gap Analysis? We look at all of this and compare it against the requirements of the Standard to see where you currently stand. In our case, we do this on a spreadsheet with a simple scoring system to give you an overview of what you already have in place and what needs to be addressed. In many cases, businesses already have a lot of the required documentation, but don't have it tied together in one cohesive system. So a large part of implementation is consolidating that existing documentation, process ect. Into an accessible and easily understood system. The key thing to remember is that this is not an audit. The evidence required does not have to be as detailed as an audit; some things can be taken on trust or face value. At this stage we aren't demonstrating anything to a certification body, and you are not being judged. We are simply looking at what needs to be done to achieve full Implementation or certification. If you'd like assistance with carrying out a Gap Analysis, get in contact with us, we'd be happy to help. We'd love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here's how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Operators with 30 years of pattern recognition leave for competitors. Engineers carrying legacy system intelligence depart. Everyone understands the risk. Few solve the execution: Systematically extracting tacit intelligence that experts can't articulate because it operates below the conscious threshold.Dr. Refiloe Mabaso and Wisdom Ndashe architected what many struggle to build - knowledge-capture systems that function independently of voluntary participation. At ATNS, harvesting is mandated by policy and embedded in workflows. Their "Legends and Beneficiaries" program identifies critical expertise five years before departure, mapping tacit intelligence to next-generation operators through structured protocols. The execution breakthrough: embedding capture into SOPs makes retention automatic. Travel with Purpose demonstrates strategic reach - converting unaccounted expenditures into documented intelligence acquisition with measurable ROI. Cost centers become intelligence operations.Paradigm Shifts:

MishiPay has scaled from processing $10 million to over $250 million in annual transactions by abandoning product purity for market pragmatism. What started as a mobile-first scan-and-go solution evolved into a comprehensive checkout platform spanning self-checkout kiosks, RFID systems, mobile POS, and traditional cash registers—now deployed across 2,000+ stores in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. In this episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Mustafa Khanwala, CEO and Founder of MishiPay, to dissect why the "inferior" product often wins in retail tech, how trust-building mechanics differ fundamentally across geographies, and what it actually takes to maintain startup agility at enterprise scale. Topics Discussed: The seven-year journey from consumer mobile app to B2B checkout infrastructure Why MishiPay nearly failed by over-indexing on superior UX instead of adoption curves The 2022 pivot that unlocked triple-digit revenue growth with flat headcount How checkout solution requirements vary by customer visit frequency (weekly grocery vs. annual travel retail) Trust-building in enterprise sales: face-to-face requirements in Middle Eastern markets vs. video-first Western sales cycles Delivering two-week go-live timelines and 10-minute UI changes while maintaining 99.9999% uptime AI integration strategy: internal efficiency first, then customer-facing analytics and autonomous POS management GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Adoption friction kills better products: Mustafa spent years refusing to build self-checkout because scan-and-go was objectively superior UX. The company nearly died defending this position. "Should we have started on some of our other products in 2019 instead of 2022? Probably." The lesson isn't about building inferior products—it's about understanding that customers evaluate "better" through implementation risk, training overhead, and behavior change required. B2B founders must map the gap between current state and ideal state, then build the bridge products that de-risk each transition step, even if those bridges feel like compromises. Customer frequency determines viable solution complexity: Scan-and-go requires significant user education investment that only generates ROI with weekly-plus usage. In travel retail where 70-80% of customers visit 1-2x annually, that education cost never pays back. MishiPay now matches solution types to visit patterns: scan-and-go for high-frequency grocery, staff-assisted mobile POS for low-frequency travel retail, RFID self-checkout for mid-frequency fashion. B2B founders should calculate the learning curve payback period against actual usage frequency—if users won't encounter your product enough times to justify the learning investment, you need a different entry point regardless of how good the end-state experience is. Enterprise stability with startup agility is a wedge, not a platitude: Every vendor claims this. MishiPay operationalizes it through specific SLAs: two-week store go-lives, 10-minute button changes, two-day promotion additions, two-week payment method integration—all while maintaining 99.9999% uptime that enterprise POS demands. This isn't about "moving fast," it's about architecture decisions that enable rapid customization without stability trade-offs (mobile-first, cloud-native, API-driven). B2B founders should define their agility claims in measurable timelines and uptime guarantees, not adjectives. If you can't operationalize "flexibility" into specific hours or days for changes, it's not a differentiator. Geographic trust-building fundamentally differs in mechanism, not degree: Western enterprise sales: product merit → pilot → relationship building → expansion. Middle Eastern enterprise sales: relationship building → pilot opportunity → product merit demonstration → deal. The difference isn't relationship importance (both require it), but sequencing. Mustafa noted Middle Eastern business culture evolved from pearl diving where "their whole job was to be able to look at someone in the eyes and decide if that person was going to scam them." Face-to-face happens pre-deal in Middle East, post-deal in the West. B2B founders expanding globally must rebuild their sales motion sequencing by geography, not just translate materials or add local reps. Staff productivity scales by solving the manager's problem, not the user's pain: MishiPay's roadmap progression reveals a pattern: first solve for store staff (checkout experience), then assistant managers (store operations), then store managers (performance analytics), then HQ (multi-store optimization). Each layer up requires data aggregation from the layer below. The AI analytics launch targets store-level decisions (pricing, promotions, inventory) using transaction data from POS—this expands buyer persona from IT/Operations to Finance/Merchandising. B2B founders should map their product expansion as a vertical climb through the org chart, where each new buyer persona requires accumulated data from the previous user tier.   // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role.  Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM  

Are your teams feeling drained by endless virtual meetings and app-switching chaos? In this insightful discussion, UC Today and Tata Communications reveal how UC complexity can silently erode productivity and morale — and what can be done about it.Vivek Kar, Head of Employee Interaction Suite at Tata Communications  breaks down how Tata Communications helps global enterprises simplify and unify their UC ecosystems without forcing a one-size-fits-all solution.Key Takeaways:Beyond meeting fatigue: Understand how “collaboration burnout” stems from fragmented tools and constant context switching.Hidden costs of UC complexity: Explore how IT and employees both pay the price through inefficiencies, siloed data, and inconsistent experiences.Simplified UC management: Learn how Tata Communications acts as a single managed service partner, delivering unified analytics, consistent SLAs, and local compliance in 58+ countries.Seamless, human collaboration: Discover how intelligent meeting rooms and flexible UCaaS models make work effortless, empowering creativity and engagement.

What does it really take to build an AI-ready network in 2025? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Vikas Butaney from Cisco and Ali Tehrani from Presidio to unpack the biggest announcements from Cisco's Partner Summit and discuss how their collaboration is helping enterprises modernise networks for the AI era. Together, we explore how businesses can move faster, strengthen security, and simplify operations while adapting to a world of continuous data flow and intelligent automation. Vikas shares how Cisco's strategy is built around three customer imperatives: AI ready data centers, future proof workplaces, and digital resilience. He talks about how Cisco is weaving these priorities into new innovations such as secure routers with five times the throughput, Wi Fi 7 access points, and unified dashboards that bring Catalyst Center and Meraki together for a single view of the network. He also introduces AI Canvas, a multiplayer workspace that allows NetOps and SecOps teams to collaborate in real time, showing what it looks like when AI becomes part of the operational fabric rather than an add on. Ali joins the conversation with the partner's perspective, explaining how Presidio brings Cisco's architecture to life through the last mile of execution. He describes how the Cisco Unified Branch initiative uses AI workflows and branches as code to deliver zero touch rollout across thousands of sites. By combining automation, golden configuration templates, and telemetry driven SLAs, Presidio helps customers reduce deployment times from weeks to minutes while maintaining consistent performance and security. Throughout our discussion, we compare AI for networking, where AI helps to run and optimise the network, with networking for AI, which provides the infrastructure to power high volume AI workloads. We talk about how Cisco is building security directly into the network with Access Manager, simplifying IoT segmentation, and preparing for a post quantum world. This episode offers a clear, inside look at how Cisco and Presidio are shaping the next generation of secure, intelligent networks. So, how ready is your organisation for this new era of AI driven connectivity?   You said: Please also insert these links Press Release: Cisco Supercharges its Secure Enterprise Network Architecture for the AI Era Blog: Unlocking the AI Era: How Cisco is Delivering on its Vision for a Secure, Simplified, and Scalable Network Blog: From Fragmented to Future-ready with Unified Branch: Powering IT in the AI Era   ChatGPT said: What does it really take to build an AI ready network in 2025? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I speak with Vikas Butaney from Cisco and Ali Tehrani from Presidio to unpack the biggest announcements from Cisco's Partner Summit and discuss how their collaboration is helping enterprises modernise networks for the AI era. Together, we explore how businesses can move faster, strengthen security, and simplify operations while adapting to a world of continuous data flow and intelligent automation. Vikas shares how Cisco's strategy is built around three customer imperatives: AI ready data centers, future proof workplaces, and digital resilience. He talks about how Cisco is weaving these priorities into new innovations such as secure routers with five times the throughput, Wi Fi 7 access points, and unified dashboards that bring Catalyst Center and Meraki together for a single view of the network. He also introduces AI Canvas, a multiplayer workspace that allows NetOps and SecOps teams to collaborate in real time, showing what it looks like when AI becomes part of the operational fabric rather than an add on. Ali joins the conversation with the partner's perspective, explaining how Presidio brings Cisco's architecture to life through the last mile of execution. He describes how the Cisco Unified Branch initiative uses AI workflows and branches as code to deliver zero touch rollout across thousands of sites. By combining automation, golden configuration templates, and telemetry driven SLAs, Presidio helps customers reduce deployment times from weeks to minutes while maintaining consistent performance and security. Throughout our discussion, we compare AI for networking, where AI helps to run and optimise the network, with networking for AI, which provides the infrastructure to power high volume AI workloads. We talk about how Cisco is building security directly into the network with Access Manager, simplifying IoT segmentation, and preparing for a post quantum world. If you want to learn more about Cisco's announcements and vision for the AI era, check out these resources: Cisco Supercharges its Secure Enterprise Network Architecture for the AI Era Unlocking the AI Era: How Cisco is Delivering on its Vision for a Secure, Simplified, and Scalable Network From Fragmented to Future Ready with Unified Branch: Powering IT in the AI Era This episode offers a clear, inside look at how Cisco and Presidio are shaping the next generation of secure, intelligent networks. So, how ready is your organisation for this new era of AI driven connectivity?   Tech Talks Daily is Sponsored by NordLayer: Get the exclusive Black Friday offer: 28% off NordLayer yearly plans with the coupon code: techdaily-28. Valid until December 10th, 2025. Try it risk-free with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

"Relationships come before proposals; kokoro-gamae signals intent long before a contract". "Nemawashi wins unseen battles by equipping an internal champion to align consensus". "In Japan, decisions are slower—but execution is lightning-fast once ringi-sho is approved". "Detail is trust: dense materials, rapid follow-ups, and consistent delivery reduce uncertainty avoidance". "Think reorder, not transaction—lifetime value grows from reliability, patience, and face-saving flexibility". In this Asia AIM conversation, Dr. Greg Story reframes B2B success in Japan as a decision-intelligence exercise grounded in trust, patience, and detail. The core insight: buyers are rewarded for avoiding downside, not for taking risks. Consequently, a new supplier represents uncertainty; price discounts rarely move the needle. What does? Kokoro-gamae—demonstrable, client-first intent—expressed through meticulous preparation, responsiveness, and long-term commitment. Greg's journey began in 1992 when his Australian consultative selling failed to gain traction. The lesson was blunt: until trust is established, the offer is irrelevant because the buyer evaluates the person first. From there, the playbook is distinctly Japanese. Nemawashi—the behind-the-scenes groundwork—recognises that many stakeholders can say "no." External sellers seldom meet these influencers. The practical move is to equip an internal champion with detailed, risk-reducing materials and flexible terms that make consensus safer. Once the ringi-sho (circulating approval document) moves, execution accelerates; Japan trades slow decisions for fast delivery. Greg emphasises information density and speed. Japanese firms expect thick printouts, technical appendices, and rapid follow-ups—even calls to confirm an email was received. This signals reliability and reduces the purchaser's uncertainty. Trial orders are common; they are not small but strategic—tests of quality, schedule adherence, and flexibility. Win the test, and the budget cycle (often April-to-March) can position the supplier for multi-year reorders. Culturally, face and accountability shape referrals. Testimonials are difficult because clients avoid responsibility if something goes wrong. Longevity itself becomes social proof: "We've supplied X for ten years" carries weight. Greg's hunter-versus-farmer distinction highlights the need to support new logos with dedicated account "farmers" who manage detail, cadence, and service levels that earn reorders. Patience is tactical, not passive. "Kentō shimasu" may mean "not now," so he calendarises a nine-month follow-up—enough time for internal conditions to change without ceding the account to competitors. Throughout, he urges leaders to think in lifetime value, align to budget rhythms, and communicate more than feels natural. The result is a high-trust system where consensus reduces organisational risk—and where suppliers that master nemawashi, detail, and delivery become integral partners rather than interchangeable vendors.  Q&A Summary What makes leadership in Japan unique? Leadership succeeds when it reduces organisational risk and preserves face during consensus formation. Nemawashi equips internal champions to address objections before meetings, while ringi-sho formalises agreement. Leaders who foreground kokoro-gamae, provide dense decision packs, and allow time for alignment see decisions stick and execution accelerate. Why do global executives struggle? Western managers often prize speed, big-room persuasion, and minimal detail. In Japan, uncertainty avoidance is high; buyers seek exhaustive documentation and incremental proof via pilots. Under-investing in detail or follow-up reads as unreliable. Overlooking budget cycles and internal approvals leads to mistimed asks and stalled ringi. Is Japan truly risk-averse? Individuals are incentivised to avoid downside, which shifts decisions from "risk-taking" to "risk-mitigation." The system favours tested suppliers, visible track records, and trial orders. Price rarely offsets perceived risk. Trust and history function as risk controls; once approved, delivery speed reflects the system's confidence. What leadership style actually works? A patient, service-led style that privileges relationships over transactions. Leaders ask permission to ask questions, listen for hidden constraints, and co-design low-risk pilots. Farmers—or hunter-farmer teams—sustain cadence, escalate issues early, and remain flexible as conditions change, protecting the champion's face and the consensus. How can technology help? Decision intelligence platforms can map stakeholders and sentiment across the approval chain. Digital twins of delivery schedules and SLAs, plus living dashboards of quality metrics, give champions ringi-ready evidence. Structured knowledge bases, rapid response workflows, and audit trails strengthen reliability signals during nemawashi. Does language proficiency matter? Language builds rapport, but process fluency matters more: understanding nemawashi, ringi-sho, and budget cycles; providing dense Japanese-language materials; and maintaining a proactive follow-up cadence. Bilingual support teams and translated technical appendices can materially lower perceived risk. What's the ultimate leadership lesson? Optimise for the reorder, not the first sale. Reliability, speed of follow-up, document density, and cultural fluency compound into durable trust. Japan rewards those who "hasten slowly," then deliver flawlessly when the decision finally lands.  Timecoded Summary [00:00] Context and thesis: Japan's B2B environment rewards risk mitigation over risk-taking; relationships precede proposals. Greg recounts his early failure applying Australian consultative selling before building rapport and trust as prerequisites. [05:20] Nemawashi in practice: Many stakeholders can veto; sellers rarely meet them. Equip the champion with dense packs, options, and flexibility to navigate objections. Ringi-sho formalises consensus, and once signed, execution accelerates. [12:45] Detail and responsiveness: Japanese buyers expect information-rich printouts and fast follow-ups—even same-day responses. Trial orders function as risk-controlled tests of quality, schedule, and flexibility. Delivery during trials sets the tone for long-term partnership. [18:30] Referrals and proof: Public testimonials are rare due to accountability risk. Tenure becomes currency—long relationships serve as de-risking signals to new buyers. Social proof derives from sustained performance, not logos on a webpage. [24:10] Cadence and patience: "Kentō shimasu" often means "not now." Calendarise a nine-month check-in to match likely internal change cycles. Align proposals to April budget rhythms to avoid timing out. Maintain polite persistence without pushiness. [31:05] Operating model: Pair hunters with farmers; once a deal lands, a service-led team manages detail, SLAs, and face-saving flexibility. Leaders message lifetime value, not quarterly wins, and use technology (decision intelligence, digital twins, knowledge bases) to support nemawashi and ringi.  Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have also been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー). In addition to his books, Greg publishes daily blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, offering practical insights on leadership, communication, and Japanese business culture. He is also the host of six weekly podcasts, including The Leadership Japan Series, The Sales Japan Series, The Presentations Japan Series, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews. On YouTube, he produces three weekly shows — The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews — which have become leading resources for executives seeking strategies for success in Japan.   

Thanks Pressable for supporting the show! Get your special hosting deal at https://pressable.com/wpminuteBecome a WP Minute Supporter & Slack member at https://thewpminute.com/supportOn this episode of The WP Minute+ podcast, Matt Medeiros chats with Roger Williams, Partnerships and Community Manager at Kinsta. They discuss the importance of hosting education for WordPress users and the nuances of service-level agreements (SLAs) in hosting. They also examine the significance of building strong client relationships through transparent hosting choices and the evolving role of AI in web development and SEO. The conversation also touches on Kinsta's recent updates and the future of hosting and AI tools. Takeaways:Hosting education is crucial for WordPress users.SLAs are important to understand when choosing a host.AI tools enhance productivity but do not replace fundamental skills.The hosting environment is foundational to website performance.Transparency in hosting costs fosters better client relationships.Events like CloudFest provide valuable networking opportunities.Kinsta focuses on support and education for its users.The move to bandwidth-based pricing can alleviate frustrations with bot traffic.AI is reshaping how we approach web development and SEO.Important Links:KinstaConnect with Roger Williams on LinkedInThe WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

Catherine (Space and Time) breaks down why blockchains alone can't power complex apps—and how a verifiable, decentralized database with ZK proofs closes the gap for enterprises, devs, and AI agents. We cover: what SxT is, how its patented ZK approach offloads compute to a single node and proves correctness on-chain, why institutional adoption is sticky, and marketing tactics that actually work in Web3 (what to outsource vs keep in-house). She also shares the Indonesia education rollout (UGM + Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison/IOH), token-powered payments, and what she'd do with unlimited community budget.Key timestamps (YouTube format)[00:00:00] Opening clip: From “future of money” to “verifiable data for smart contracts” [00:01:00] Live at Token2049: who Catherine is and what we cover [00:02:00] Origin story: joining Space and Time to solve crypto's database gap [00:03:00] Mission: empower devs/enterprises/AI agents with verifiable data [00:04:00] Why chains ≠ databases: limits, complexity, and enterprise SLAs [00:05:00] The core innovation: patented ZK proofs for database compute [00:05:45] How it works (plain English): single-node compute, on-chain verification [00:06:30] Catherine's background: technical marketing roots → Web3 [00:07:00] Founder tip: what to outsource vs keep internal (PR, events, community) [00:08:00] Campaigns that win: enterprise/institutional stories beat gimmicks [00:09:00] Example: Microsoft Fabric integration momentum[00:10:00] Listening to the market: community as your feedback engine [00:11:00] Indonesia rollout: IOH partnership and 100k+ students onboarding [00:12:00] UGM framework: verifiable diplomas/records; SXT as payment rail [00:13:00] Longevity question: decentralization and community node operators [00:15:00] If starting today: what they'd build vs leverage in the ecosystem [00:16:00] Why institutional demand is slow but sticky (and good for cycles) [00:17:00] Competing for attention vs building fundamentals and partnerships [00:18:00] What Space and Time needs now: builders to ship with verifiable data [00:19:00] Who they admire: Chainlink's dual GTM (community + enterprise) [00:20:00] Unlimited budget thought experiment: country leads and community depth [00:20:45] Advice to community managers: shared values, inclusion, tight feedback loops [00:21:30] Close: links, how to try SxT, and why this matters for Web3 buildersConnecthttps://www.spaceandtime.io/https://twitter.com/SpaceandTimeDBhttps://discord.gg/spaceandtimeDB https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinehdaly/https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-and-time-db/DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

Marketers are hooked on attribution perfection. Meanwhile, your buyers are ghosting and your “AI-powered” campaigns sound like everyone else's. What if the edge isn't more dashboards but it's better judgment?In this episode, Nicole Gates, VP Growth Marketing at Varonis tears up the playbook B2B keeps clinging to. She shows how a “process person” builds a launch machine that actually ships, why tiering by customer impact (not internal hype) changes everything, and how moving SDRs under marketing with real SLAs turns MQL theater into pipeline. We dig into the noisy AI arms race (robots fighting robots), shifting budget from paid-to-play to earned trust via thought leadership, and using AI where it improves outcomes (routing, enrichment, speed-to-lead), not where it creates slop.We also cover:How to tier your launches by what matters to customers, not your org chart.Why the best growth marketers think more like editors than analysts.What happens when you replace data obsession with decision confidence.

Ever felt like your to-do list was running your life instead of the other way around?  This week, Tamara sits down with Erika from Trello, who went from being part of a 10-person product marketing team to leading a two-person powerhouse and somehow became more productive in the process. They unpack how to set real boundaries, build systems that scale (without burning out), and turn chaos into clarity. From choosing the right tools and saying no to endless Slack pings, to developing intentional rituals and co-creating SLAs across teams, Erika shares practical ways to bring sanity back to your workflow. If you've ever wrestled with a launch that didn't hit its mark, struggled to get cross-functional buy-in, or wondered how to make your messaging actually resonate, this is the episode for you.  Follow Erika: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-storli/ Follow Tamara: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaragrominsky/ Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

There are a lot of worries in B2B right now. AI, tight budgets, shifting search. The one that should sit near the top? Disconnected campaigns. Scattered themes, mixed messages, disconnected plays. Buyers can't follow the story and impact fades fast. Integrated campaigns fix that. In this episode, Drew brings together Kelly Hopping (Demandbase), Scott Morris (Sprout Social), and Marni Carmichael (ImageSource) to share how they make integration work at their companies. You'll hear how one story aligns teams, builds momentum over quarters, and stays on track with shared goals and tight handoffs. By the end, you'll come away with different ways to align message, motion, and measurement behind one story. In this episode: Kelly shares how company and pipeline goals set the theme, channels, partner plays, and internal enablement. Scott explains how a hub-and-spoke campaign model unites brand and demand, and how quarterly launches turn features into a full-funnel motion. Marni shares how tight SDR handoffs, quick follow ups, and clear SLAs keep campaigns from stalling in the field. Plus: How to set one message that adapts by persona without splintering the story How to plan one quarter ahead so execution and enablement stay in sync What to measure from awareness through to deal conversion When to bring partners and customers into the narrative to lift conversion It's time to align every effort into connected campaigns that build momentum. Tune in! For full show notes and transcripts, visit https://renegademarketing.com/podcasts/ To learn more about CMO Huddles, visit https://cmohuddles.com/

"Pakistan is a country of SLAs pretending to be pacers" - this throwaway text from Osman on PiPY led to this podcast: a discussion on the aesthetics of Pakistani bowling, how they changed irrevocably with Imran Khan, and how the continued presence of guys like Noman in the chaos since is what makes sports so beautiful. Follow us on Youtube!

Recommendation engines, dynamic pricing, conversational CX—AI can unlock them all. But without trustworthy, unified data, AI simply amplifies bad patterns. Inspired by No AI without data: Why digital success starts with the basics, this episode separates signal from noise: the trillion-dollar cost of poor data quality, why “garbage in, garbage out” still rules, and the concrete steps leaders are taking to fix foundations before scaling AI.What You'll Learn in This Episode:Why AI Fails (and How Data Breaks It)The “data goldmine” myth: lots of data ≠ useful dataHidden data factory: the staggering productivity drain of bad dataHow flaws cause AI misfires: overfitting, edge-case blind spots, spurious correlations, bias, and data driftThe Foundational Fix—A Practical BlueprintAudit reality: map systems (including shadow spreadsheets), ownership, and gapsProduct master cleanup: normalize attributes, units, categories, and hierarchiesCustomer master cleanup: dedupe, resolve parent/child relationships, link true buying historyTransaction discipline: capture why (promo, override, contract) to distinguish signal from noiseIntegration layer: ETL/ELT into a governed warehouse/lake for a single source of truthGovernance & DQM: owners, rules, SLAs, privacy (GDPR/HIPAA), and controls embedded in workflowsFrom Cost Center to Growth EngineCut the hidden factory (free analysts & data scientists to build, not mop up)Enable reliable AI: pricing, recommendations, inventory optimization, service automationBuild resilience: continuous data quality, monitoring, and model retraining to counter driftOrganization & Culture—Making ‘Data First' StickCross-functional accountability: sales, finance, ops, IT share metrics and incentives“Design for capture”: make high-quality data entry the easiest path for frontline teamsIterate in quarters, not years: ship foundations, measure lift, scale patternsKey Takeaways:You can't buy your way around data quality—AI learns whatever you feed it.Clean product, customer, and transaction data is the fastest path to dependable AI.Governance turns one-off cleans into durable capability (and lower operating costs).Embed “why” at the point of entry to convert exceptions into learnable signals.Get the data right and everything improves: pricing, CX, supply chain, analytics.Subscribe for more pragmatic playbooks on turning AI ambition into measurable outcomes. Visit The Future of Commerce for deep dives on data governance, architecture patterns, and AI implementation. Share this episode with ops leaders, data teams, and execs who own revenue and risk.

Uptime ideals vs reality in the AI era. A recent post from Theo (t3.gg) calling out sub-90% uptime on a major AI service reignites the question: how seriously should we treat downtime for non-critical apps? In this episode Matt and Mike dig into SLAs, the real cost of monitoring and rapid support, why “always-on” isn't free, and whether 24/7 expectations turn developers into shift workers instead of on-call responders. Show Notes: https://www.htmlallthethings.com/podcast/does-downtime-matter

“We eliminate CapEx, embed Zero Trust by default, and lower TCO by 30–40%.” — Niraj Singh, Chief Business Development Officer, Nile Niraj Singh, Chief Business Development Officer at Nile, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how Nile is redefining enterprise networking with a consumption-based, AI-driven model built for telcos and MSPs. Unlike legacy vendors that sell hardware, licenses, and bolt-on security, Nile delivers Networking-as-a-Service (NaaS) with: 100% OpEx, no CapEx — fully consumption-based pricing Campus Zero Trust built in — isolating every user, device, and app to stop malware propagation AI-native automation — real-time telemetry, anomaly detection, and self-healing networks Lifecycle management included — upgrades, patches, and RMAs fully covered Nile backs its model with a four-nines SLA and money-back guarantee, a rare commitment in enterprise networking. For telcos and MSPs, the impact is significant: Reduced churn by embedding in-building networks alongside connectivity Higher margins thanks to lower TCO (30–40% savings over five years) New revenue streams through bundled, end-to-end secure services Improved NPS with guaranteed reliability and simplified operations “Telcos often compete on commodity connectivity. By partnering with Nile, they can deliver end-to-end SLAs, differentiate services, and retain customers,” Singh explained. Learn more at nilesecure.com.

Briana Birkholz and Joe Lynch discuss blind spots & bottlenecks: unmasking the hidden enemies of supply chain. Briana is the Vice President of Product Management for the 3PL market segment at SPS Commerce, the world's leading retail network, connecting trading partners around the globe to optimize supply chain operations for all retail partners. About Briana Birkholz Briana Birkholz is the Vice President of Product Management for the 3PL market segment at SPS Commerce. With a passion for overcoming supply chain and logistics challenges, Briana is committed to addressing the distinct needs of customers through comprehensive, full-service solutions. Briana's extensive experience in driving innovation, strategic development and execution consistently delivers outstanding results for third-party logistics companies. About SPS Commerce SPS Commerce is the world's leading retail network, connecting trading partners across the globe to optimize supply chain operations for all stakeholders in the retail ecosystem. The company enables data-driven partnerships through innovative cloud-based technology, customer-centric service, and a team of accessible industry experts—allowing clients to focus on their core business. With over 45,000 recurring revenue customers spanning retail, grocery, distribution, supply, manufacturing, and logistics, SPS Commerce powers a vast and growing global retail network. Key Takeaways: Blind Spots & Bottlenecks: Unmasking the Hidden Enemies of Supply Chain Briana Birkholz and Joe Lynch discuss blind spots & bottlenecks: unmasking the hidden enemies of supply chain. The hidden enemies include the following: Inconsistent Time to Revenue: The Silent Growth Killer - Lengthy onboarding processes erode cash flow and strain customer relationships, highlighting evolving customer expectations. SPS Commerce's "plug-and-play" solutions drastically reduce onboarding time from months to days. The Cost of Chaos: Inconsistent Order Intake - Managing orders through disparate channels (phone, email, portals, PDFs) breeds errors and jeopardizes SLAs due to human error. SPS Commerce standardizes order formats for improved efficiency and control. Decoding Retailer Complexity: Unravel the challenges of adhering to intricate retailer requirements (packing slips, labels, routing guides, ASN timing) and the costly consequences of non-compliance (chargebacks, damaged relationships, lost shelf space). SPS Commerce automates document generation and validation to ensure first-time compliance. SPS Commerce is the world's leading retail network, connecting trading partners around the globe to optimize supply chain operations for all retail partners. SPS Commerce brings the following advantages: Industry Leader in Cloud-Based EDI Solutions: SPS Commerce specializes in cloud-based supply chain management, helping retailers, suppliers, and logistics providers automate and streamline their operations through advanced EDI and data analytics tools. Demonstrated Consistent Growth as a High-Performing Public Company: SPS Commerce has a long and consistent track record of growth, primarily organic, underscoring its position as a strong performer on NASDAQ (ticker: SPSC). Global Presence with Local Support: Headquartered in Minneapolis, SPS has expanded internationally with offices in major cities like Toronto, Melbourne, Amsterdam, and Hong Kong, supporting a worldwide customer base with localized service. Growth via Smart Acquisitions: Strategic buys like Data Masons, InterTrade, and SupplyPike have allowed SPS to broaden its tech stack and deepen its value across the retail supply chain ecosystem. Recognized for Culture and Innovation: Known for its positive workplace environment, SPS was ranked the best large workplace in Minnesota in 2015 and continues to invest in talent and innovation to drive forward-thinking supply chain solutions. Learn More About Blind Spots & Bottlenecks: Unmasking the Hidden Enemies of Supply Chain Briana Birkholz | Linkedin SPS Commerce | Linkedin SPS Commerce Woods Distribution Case Study Arcadia Cold Storage & Logistics Case Study The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube

In this episode of UNSCRIPTED, Sarah Nicastro speaks withPatrycja Sobera, SVP and GM of Digital Workplace Solutions at Unisys, about how organizations can differentiate through experience management. Discover how Unisys has transformed service delivery through their Experience Management Office, evolved from traditional SLAs to experience-focused metrics, and is delivering powerful experiences using a combination of proactive automation and human touch. Patrycja also shares candid insights on addressing the aging workforce challenge in field service, fostering workplace diversity in tech, and achieving career success while balancing motherhood.

Agentic AI is transitioning from demonstration to real-world application, particularly through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which transforms traditional RMM and PSA systems into more interactive and efficient tools. This shift is expected to significantly impact ticket management, service level agreements (SLAs), and profit margins for managed service providers (MSPs). The discussion also delves into the competitive landscape, with companies like PAX 8 positioning themselves as orchestration layers in this evolving market, raising questions about whether this represents a genuine transformation or merely a rebranding effort.Rich Freeman, a prominent voice in the SMB channel, shares insights on how MSPs are adapting to these changes. He highlights that many organizations are already deploying AI solutions, which are automating tasks traditionally performed by humans, such as service dispatch and help desk operations. This evolution is not just about reducing workforce size but rather reshaping the roles within MSPs, allowing employees to focus on higher-level tasks that drive customer value and differentiation.The conversation also touches on the implications of MCP, which allows AI agents to interact with various backend systems seamlessly. This capability could lead to a future where technicians no longer need to navigate complex interfaces, as they can simply communicate with AI to manage their systems. The rapid advancements in AI technology are prompting MSPs to rethink their operational strategies and prepare for a future where automation plays a central role in service delivery.Finally, the discussion explores the concept of managed intelligence providers, emphasizing the need for MSPs to evolve from merely providing tools to delivering comprehensive solutions that leverage AI for better outcomes. As the industry shifts towards this model, the role of marketplaces and distributors will also change, requiring them to support MSPs in integrating and managing these advanced technologies. The conversation concludes with a recognition of the urgency for MSPs to adapt to these changes or risk falling behind in a competitive landscape. All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Industrial Talk is talking to Sandy Carielli, Vice President at Forrester Research about "Quantum Computing Cybersecurity". Scott Mackenzie and Sandy Carielli discuss the implications of quantum computing on cybersecurity. Quantum computers could potentially break today's public key cryptography, compromising data security. Carielli highlights the importance of transitioning to new, quantum-resistant algorithms, such as those developed by NIST. She emphasizes the urgency for organizations, especially government agencies and financial institutions, to start this migration process. Carielli also warns of the "harvest now, decrypt later" attack scenario, where data is intercepted today and decrypted later with a future quantum computer. The conversation underscores the need for proactive measures to ensure digital trust and security. Action Items [ ] Conduct a cryptographic discovery exercise to inventory the algorithms and protocols currently in use across the organization. [ ] Bring together a cross-functional team to assess the organization's exposure to quantum computing threats and start the process of migrating to post-quantum cryptography. [ ] Incorporate requirements for quantum-resistant cryptography in procurement processes and vendor SLAs. [ ] Prioritize the migration of high-value, long-term data and systems that rely on digital signatures. Outline Introduction and Purpose of Industrial Talk Podcast Scott MacKenzie thanks listeners for their support and highlights the platform's dedication to celebrating achievements and amplifying messages. Scott MacKenzie praises Sandy Carielli from Forrester Research for her contributions to quantum computing and cybersecurity. The conversation aims to explore the transformative impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity. Scott MacKenzie's Perspective on Innovation and Technology Scott MacKenzie discusses the importance of creating content and demonstrating the human side of professionals in various industries. He emphasizes the need for companies to adapt to new technologies and innovations to remain successful. Scott MacKenzie shares themes from his conversations with industrial leaders, such as the importance of education, collaboration, and innovation. He highlights the need for companies to be nimble, trusted, and passionate about solving challenges. Introduction to Sandy Carielli and Quantum Computing Scott MacKenzie introduces Sandy Carielli and her work at Forrester Research on quantum computing and cybersecurity. Sandy Carielli explains the process of selecting topics for research at Forrester, including trends, market exposure, and regulatory changes. The conversation touches on the rapid evolution of technologies and the importance of staying current. Sandy Carielli mentions the annual top 10 emerging technologies report published by Forrester. Quantum Computing and Its Impact on Cybersecurity Sandy Carielli provides an overview of quantum computing and its potential to break today's public key cryptography. She explains the concept of public key cryptography and its role in securing communications and transactions. The discussion covers the potential risks posed by nation-states developing quantum computers and the need for cybersecurity measures. Sandy Carielli highlights the efforts to develop new cryptographic algorithms resistant to quantum computers. Preparing for Quantum...