3307: From Chatbots to AI Agents: Rethinking Customer Experience with Zendesk

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תוכן מסופק על ידי Neil C. Hughes. כל תוכן הפודקאסטים כולל פרקים, גרפיקה ותיאורי פודקאסטים מועלים ומסופקים ישירות על ידי Neil C. Hughes או שותף פלטפורמת הפודקאסט שלהם. אם אתה מאמין שמישהו משתמש ביצירה שלך המוגנת בזכויות יוצרים ללא רשותך, אתה יכול לעקוב אחר התהליך המתואר כאן https://he.player.fm/legal.

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How to get your confidence back 41:05

לפני 20 weeks41:05

הפעל מאוחר יותר

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לייק

אהבתי

41:05

When negative feedback shakes your confidence, it can be difficult to get back to feeling like yourself at work. In this episode, Anne and Frances help a struggling listener who has spent years toning herself down in the workplace after being told that she was too assertive — now, she feels that her modest approach is holding her back. Together, they use Anne and Frances’s “trust triangle” framework to explore how empathy, authenticity, and logic can help you rebuild confidence and trust with your colleagues, and share helpful confidence hacks for getting comfy with discomfort. What problems are you dealing with at work? Text or call 234-FIXABLE or email fixable@ted.com to be featured on the show. For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/fixable-transcripts Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

לפני 15 ימים 29:35

MP3•בית הפרקים

Customer service has undergone significant changes in just a few years. We’ve moved from clunky chatbots with limited menus to sophisticated AI agents that understand, respond, and solve problems in real-time. But we’re now standing on the edge of something even bigger.

In today’s episode, I spoke with Matthias Goehler, EMEA CTO at Zendesk, about what the next wave of AI-powered customer experience looks like and how businesses can prepare for it.

According to Matthias, up to 80 percent of customer interactions can now be automated with modern AI tools. This is not the frustrating automation many remember. We’re talking about orchestrated systems where multiple AI agents work together.

One agent might interpret a customer’s request, another retrieves information, while others take care of backend integrations. The goal is not to deflect but to resolve quickly, clearly, and with the consistency that customers expect.

This shift is also reshaping internal support. Zendesk’s Employee Experience Suite brings the same AI capabilities used for customer service into HR and IT workflows. Employees now have access to fast, intelligent support that mirrors the consumer-grade service they’re used to in their personal lives.

Crucially, we explored what this means in a European context. With strict privacy regulations, Zendesk has developed tools that enable businesses to see precisely how AI decisions are made. Matthias explained how AI reasoning controls ensure transparency, maintain trust, and allow for complete visibility into what the AI is doing and why.

We also looked ahead. What happens when AI agents not only support us but begin to represent us? What if a customer reaches out, not through a human, but through their virtual assistant? That future may not be far off.

Is your organization ready for this shift in how service is delivered and experienced?

2122 פרקים

3307: From Chatbots to AI Agents: Rethinking Customer Experience with Zendesk

Tech Talks Daily

164 subscribers

published לפני 15 ימים

שתפו

MP3•בית הפרקים

In today’s episode, I spoke with Matthias Goehler, EMEA CTO at Zendesk, about what the next wave of AI-powered customer experience looks like and how businesses can prepare for it.

Is your organization ready for this shift in how service is delivered and experienced?

2122 פרקים

כל הפרקים

Tech Talks Daily

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3225: Universal Robots Cobots and Collaborative Robotic Automation 21:53

לפני 1 day21:53

21:53

How do we bridge the skills gap in UK manufacturing while pushing the boundaries of automation technology? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Mark Gray, UK and Ireland Country Manager at Universal Robots, to explore how collaborative robots, or cobots, are rewriting the rules for companies big and small. Universal Robots, founded by three university professors in Denmark about twenty years ago, brought the world its first cobot and recently celebrated a landmark achievement with the sale of its 100,000th unit worldwide. Mark unpacks how this milestone reflects a shift in how industries from aerospace to pharmaceuticals now approach automation. He shares how the company’s easy-to-deploy cobots help tackle the tasks that many workers prefer to avoid, focusing on the dirty, dangerous, and repetitive jobs, freeing human talent for higher-value work. But this conversation goes deeper than robot arms on production lines. Mark’s passion lies in addressing the UK’s well-documented skills shortage, a topic that resonates with manufacturers across the country. He explains why Universal Robots is investing in free technical training courses for apprentices, aiming to equip young people with practical robotics skills and inspire fresh interest in engineering and manufacturing careers. Based in Sheffield, Mark also reveals how the city’s industrial heritage and its connections with institutions like the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre help nurture a vibrant robotics ecosystem, attracting startups and fostering local innovation. We discuss the growing adoption of cobots by small and medium-sized enterprises, the impact of labour shortages on automation strategies, and how businesses can begin their journey without overhauling entire production lines at once. From practical roadshows to free line-walk audits, Mark outlines the resources available for any company curious about automation. Whether you’re a manufacturing leader looking for ways to future-proof operations or a young listener intrigued by robotics as a career, this episode shows how thoughtful investment in skills and technology can shape a more productive and resilient future for the UK and beyond. Could cobots be the missing link between today’s workforce challenges and tomorrow’s manufacturing success? Let’s find out. Here’s the link to the Kraftwerk video…

Tech Talks Daily

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3324: How Splunk Helps Businesses Cut Through Digital Noise 21:14

לפני יומיים21:14

21:14

How do you keep complex digital experiences running smoothly when every layer, from networks to cloud infrastructure to applications, can break in ways that frustrate customers and burn out IT teams? This question is at the heart of my conversation recorded live at Cisco Live in San Diego with Patrick Lin, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Observability at Splunk, now part of Cisco. In this episode, Patrick explains how observability has evolved far beyond simple monitoring and is becoming the nerve centre for digital resilience in a world where reactive alerts no longer cut it. We unpack how Splunk and Cisco ThousandEyes are now deeply integrated, giving teams a single source of truth that connects application behaviour, infrastructure health, and network performance, even across systems they do not directly control. Patrick also shares what these two-way integrations mean in practice: faster incident resolution, fewer blame games, and far less time wasted chasing false alerts. We explore how AI is enhancing this vision by cutting through the noise to detect real anomalies, correlate related events, and suggest root causes at a speed no human team could match. If your business depends on staying online and your teams are drowning in disconnected data, this conversation offers a glimpse into the next phase of unified observability and assurance. It might even help quiet the flood of alerts that keep IT professionals awake at night. How is your organisation tackling alert fatigue and rising complexity? Listen in and tell me what strategies you have found that actually work.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3323: How Outschool is Preparing Kids for Careers That Don’t Exist Yet. 30:16

לפני 3 ימים30:16

30:16

What happens when education stops being about a rigid curriculum and starts focusing on what genuinely sparks a child’s curiosity? This question sits at the heart of my conversation with Amir Nathoo, the founder and CEO of Outschool, a fast-growing online learning platform now trusted by over a million families worldwide. In this episode, Amir shares the personal journey that inspired him to challenge the tired one-size-fits-all approach still dominant in classrooms today. We explore how Outschool’s unique mix of small group of live classes, diverse topics, and independent educators is giving children the freedom to pursue what excites them most — whether that’s coding through Minecraft, exploring anatomy in the quirkiest ways imaginable, or tackling future-focused skills that schools often ignore. We also examine the broader shifts driving parents to supplement or even replace traditional schooling. From the rise of unschooling and passion-led learning to the potential (and limits) of AI tutors, Amir paints a picture of what more flexible, personalised education could mean for the next generation’s readiness for jobs that don’t even exist yet. If you’ve ever questioned whether the current system is enough to prepare your kids for the world they’ll inherit, this one’s for you. How do you see the balance between human teachers and AI shaping up in education? Join the conversation and let me know your thoughts.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3322: SparkBeyond Unlocks ROI with Always Optimized AI 27:30

לפני 4 ימים27:30

27:30

How do you measure success when your AI is learning faster than your own business processes can keep up? That’s the question I set out to answer in my conversation with SparkBeyond, a company that has spent the past decade transforming how enterprises harness AI. From crawling GitHub code in a modest garage experiment to driving measurable performance gains for global firms, SparkBeyond has charted a path that mirrors the rapid evolution of AI itself. In this episode, I explored how their focus has shifted from discovering hidden performance drivers in customer data to building agentic AI systems that actively close feedback loops and optimize themselves continuously. SparkBeyond brings the rigor of operational excellence into the world of AI agents, a space still notorious for inefficiencies and inconsistent results. Agentic AI isn’t just the next shiny term; it represents a practical step forward from passive prediction to autonomous decision-making. Listening to examples like automated troubleshooting for large consumer electronics companies made it clear that this technology is already reshaping daily operations that once consumed countless human hours. We also dug into the realities behind the hype. While some companies have scaled back their experiments, SparkBeyond stays grounded by tying every agent’s performance to the same KPIs a human would carry, providing clear ROI and minimizing guesswork. Sagie Davidovich shared thoughtful insights into why verifiability determines where agents thrive first. Digital tasks, high-frequency work, and software development stand out as the front runners. It’s hard to argue when you see the rise of coding assistants transforming entire workflows at breakneck speed. But the conversation didn’t shy away from the challenges either, from handling biases baked into LLMs to the obstacles of applying agents in the physical world. SparkBeyond’s upcoming open-source agent optimizer promises to accelerate adoption while keeping the human benchmarks in sight. This episode gave me a front-row seat to the next frontier of AI where systems aren’t static but in a constant state of learning and improvement. If your organization still treats AI like a bolt-on experiment, this discussion may push you to rethink how deeply it should be woven into your daily operations. How ready is your business for an AI that never stops optimizing?…

Tech Talks Daily

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3321: Instabug and the Quest for Self Healing Mobile Apps 24:10

לפני 5 ימים24:10

24:10

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Jim Douglas, CEO of Instabug, to unpack the hidden world of mobile app development and the hurdles developers face every time you tap an icon on your phone. Mobile apps live in unpredictable conditions, surrounded by millions of device variations and users who are quick to abandon any app that fails to deliver a flawless experience. Our discussion begins with a deep dive into why mobile apps remain so vulnerable to user churn. Jim shares a striking figure that 56 percent of users will delete an app after a single crash, a statistic that keeps many developers up at night. He explains how Instabug’s platform provides a layer of mobile observability powered by AI, which helps catch problems early and offers real insights into how real people interact with apps. Instead of guessing why a user is frustrated, developers gain clear visibility through session replays and in-app surveys that reveal what KPIs alone cannot show. Jim also outlines how Instabug aims to push mobile development into a future where self-healing apps become reality. He describes Smart Resolve, a feature that already helps automate issue resolution, marking a first step toward a world where apps can detect and fix their own bugs. This evolution frees up development teams to invest their energy in innovation rather than repetitive troubleshooting. We look ahead to upcoming changes in the mobile ecosystem, touching on expectations for iOS 19, improvements in power management using AI, and the possibility that voice interfaces will soon play a bigger role in how we interact with our phones. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone building or using mobile apps who wonders why some apps feel polished while others crash and burn. Are self-healing apps closer than we imagine, and how will that reshape the daily work of developers and the experiences we all take for granted? Join us to find out.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3320: How Chase for Business Balances Innovation and Stability for Businesses 26:47

לפני 6 ימים26:47

26:47

How are small businesses influencing the future of financial technology at a scale few can match? In this episode, I sit down with Jameson Troutman, Head of Product for Small Business at Chase for Business. With two decades shaping payment solutions for entrepreneurs, he opens up about how a team inside one of the largest financial institutions stays flexible enough to build smarter tools, quicker payments, and more practical customer insights while serving millions of small business owners across the country. What I found particularly interesting was how Chase for Business keeps innovation moving without disrupting the stability its clients expect. Jameson pulls back the curtain on how phased testing and piloting help fine-tune new products, ensuring they truly solve day-to-day challenges before reaching a national audience. He talks through the fine line between empowering owners with rich data and overwhelming them with information that does little to drive better decisions. We also explore the development of Chase’s customer insights platform and how it shifts from static reports to timely, useful signals that guide business owners through cash flow hurdles and growth opportunities. Jameson highlights the real-world use of artificial intelligence, sharing where it lifts weight off small businesses and where human judgment still plays a key role. Another compelling part of our conversation is the candid discussion about fraud prevention and why smarter authentication must protect customers without blocking their vital operations like payroll and supplier payments. Jameson’s explanation shows how balancing risk management with speed has become a daily focus for product teams handling payments at scale.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3319: Inside Innventure: Pivoting Big Ideas Toward Real-World Value 22:06

לפני 6 ימים22:06

22:06

When did you last pause to consider what it takes to turn daring ideas from a lab into reality? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I spend time with Mike Otworth, Executive Chairman of Innventure, whose career reveals what happens when breakthrough technology leaves the safety of research and collides with real-world demands. Mike's view offers an honest look at what changes when you match influential inventions with a team that moves quickly and welcomes a little discomfort. We begin with Mike's unexpected transition from working on Capitol Hill to joining a group of brilliant scientists in Florida. That twist of fate shaped his life's direction and planted the seed for what later became Innventure. He explains how they tackle a problem that many overlook: big companies often create advanced solutions but lack the speed or drive to launch them effectively. His answer was to build an organization that runs on agility, quick learning, and a firm belief that course corrections are normal, not failures. One idea that sticks is what Mike calls "adaptive strategic positioning." In plain English, it means leaders must remain flexible and innovative enough to adjust their direction as soon as reality reveals something new. For founders juggling investors and product timelines, this can feel uncomfortable, yet it remains a necessary task. He also shares why he looks for "athletes" rather than box-ticking hires. For Mike, mindset beats a perfect CV every time. He seeks individuals who bring determination, resilience, and an appetite for new challenges, regardless of their starting point. We also explore how team culture can't be built with beanbags and table football alone. Real innovation teams keep an eye on the big goal and value shared wins more than individual credit. Mike also discusses giving every team member a stake in the outcome, ensuring everyone rows in the same direction. He gives a heartfelt nod to Dr. John Scott, a mentor whose sharp mind and honest opinions shaped his knack for spotting which tech has a chance in the market. This episode is more than another story of startup life. It's a clear window into how leadership must evolve as a company grows from a scrappy experiment to a trusted player. Mike's reflections on when to step back and let new leaders steer add a layer of honesty that many founders rarely share. If you enjoy hearing how a few bold decisions can ripple through entire industries, this chat offers plenty to chew on. Expect thoughtful lessons about courage, flexibility, and what it takes to build a company where every person is trusted to run with an idea and find a way forward. For anyone curious about early-stage success beyond the headlines, settle in and hear how Mike and Innventure prove that speed, trust, and the right people still matter most.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3318: RICOH Spaces and the Role of Tech in Workplace Experience Management 30:23

לפני 7 ימים30:23

30:23

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Nathan Thomas, Director of Innovation, Ricoh Europe, who oversees innovation across Ricoh Europe. Nathan joined me to unpack new findings from Ricoh’s study of thousands of workers and business leaders across Europe. We discussed why some countries are advancing in terms of workplace productivity while others struggle to keep pace. Spain, for example, stands out for its high productivity, which Nathan attributes to cultural changes and experiments, such as shorter working weeks and a stronger focus on employee well-being. Meanwhile, the UK and Ireland lag, with many companies still relying on legacy systems and being slow to adopt new work habits. Nathan highlighted that only about a quarter of UK employees feel adequately equipped to work together efficiently, a statistic that raises fundamental questions about how businesses can better support their people. Our conversation turned to the slow progress many companies face in embracing AI and automation. Nathan explained that uncertainty and poor understanding of how these tools work remain huge roadblocks. He emphasized that real results emerge when companies have a plan, not just when they plug in a tool without considering how it integrates with their data and workflows. T This is where Ricoh aims to help by providing a complete workplace platform that goes far beyond what people still assume about Ricoh and its legacy as a print company. Nathan described how Ricoh Spaces brings together workplace management, process automation, sensor technology, and more into one connected experience that helps people work smarter and stay focused. What stood out for me was Nathan’s approach to staying informed. He spoke about watching full-length talks online, listening to audiobooks, and reading broadly to keep ideas fresh. His mindset demonstrates how curiosity can inform better decisions, especially in an era of rapidly changing technology. If you're trying to tackle productivity challenges in your workplace, this episode offers real insights into what holds teams back and what might propel them forward. After hearing from Nathan, I am even more convinced that culture, clear plans, and openness to new ways of working can transform any workplace. How prepared is your company to take that next step?…

Tech Talks Daily

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3317: How Sitecore Is Accelerating Agentic AI for Marketers 23:55

לפני 8 ימים23:55

23:55

When was the last time you truly paused to consider how far artificial intelligence has come and where it’s heading next? On today’s episode of Tech Talks Daily, I dive into this fast-moving frontier with Mo Cherif, Vice President of Generative AI and Innovation at Sitecore. This conversation explores what 2025 holds for agentic AI and why this technology is poised to completely reshape the marketing landscape. Agentic AI isn’t just an iteration of automation; it’s a rethinking of how AI can operate independently, plan, reason, and collaborate with humans to create experiences that are more tailored and impactful than ever before. In our chat, Mo shares how Sitecore, in collaboration with Microsoft, has launched the Martech industry’s first AI Innovation Lab, an ambitious initiative designed to give marketers a real-world playground to prototype and validate AI-driven solutions without the fear of wasted time or sunk cost. As Mo explains, so many marketing teams are eager to embrace AI but hesitate when it comes to proving ROI and finding the right entry point. The Lab strips away that uncertainty by pairing businesses with experts and offering a safe, agile space to experiment and co-create. We unpack how agentic AI is transforming traditional customer journeys into instant, hyper-personalized interactions. Picture a world where a single conversation with a chatbot handles discovery, decision-making, and purchase, all while retaining every piece of context for a seamless experience. Mo explains why context and governance are critical pillars that organisations need to master to harness this new era of AI without compromising brand integrity. Mo also paints a picture of the future where AI co-pilots are not an add-on but an integral part of daily workflows, taking the tedious tasks off human plates and freeing teams to focus on innovation, storytelling, and strategy. It’s a future where businesses don’t just talk about digital transformation, they live it, powered by AI that works alongside humans, not in their place. If you’ve been wondering how to start your own journey with agentic AI, this conversation offers practical insights and a glimpse into Sitecore’s vision of brand-aware, goal-driven AI. How ready is your organisation to rethink its content operations and customer engagement for this new reality? Tune in and ask yourself, are you prepared to lead in the age of agentic AI?…

Tech Talks Daily

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3316: Women in Tech and Data Sovereignty DDN’s Approach at the IT Press Tour 16:05

לפני 8 ימים16:05

16:05

Recorded amidst the buzz of the IT Press Tour in Palo Alto, this episode explores the evolving world of data intelligence through a candid conversation with Amanda R. Lee, Vice President, Marketing Analyst & Public Relations, DDN. Sitting under the California sun, I had the opportunity to unpack how DDN is helping some of the most data-intensive organizations navigate massive volumes of information while transforming raw data into real-time insights that power breakthroughs in AI, autonomous driving, healthcare research, and financial services. Throughout our chat, we tackled the convergence of AI, edge computing, and smart infrastructure, a theme that stood out prominently at Dell Technologies World and echoes DDN’s longstanding vision. What fascinates me is hearing how the industry is finally aligning with a reality that companies like DDN have been addressing for years. Amanda Lee offered vivid examples of how infrastructure stories connect directly to human impact, whether it’s accelerating life-saving medical research, enabling fraud detection at lightning speed, or supporting climate models that help us better understand our world. We also explored the human side of innovation. Amanda’s passion for lifting women in tech shines through as she shares actionable steps leaders can take to transform mentorship into meaningful sponsorship, ensuring representation translates into voice and value within organizations. She also opens up about how AI has become her creative co-pilot across PR, social, customer advocacy, and investor relations. Her perspective on blending AI’s speed with human nuance reminds us that while technology keeps evolving, genuine communication still hinges on empathy, context, and authenticity. Finally, in a world where data sovereignty and trust are front-of-mind, especially in Europe. Amanda outlines how DDN balances performance with protection to earn customer confidence.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3315: The New Age of Cyber Resilience with Cohesity 30:55

לפני 9 ימים30:55

30:55

How can organizations protect their most valuable asset, data, while harnessing its true potential through AI-driven insights? These are the questions I set out to answer on the recent IT Press Tour in Silicon Valley. In my latest conversation at the Santa Clara offices of Cohesity, I sat down with Sanjay Poonen, President and CEO, to discuss how this company has positioned itself at the heart of the AI era with a modern data cloud built for speed, security, and intelligence. From my early days interviewing Cohesity’s technical minds to now hearing directly from Sanjay about the company’s transformation, it is clear that Cohesity’s mission to shield, manage, and unlock data value is gaining momentum like never before. This episode takes you deep into the company’s evolution. We explore how Cohesity started by reinventing traditional backup and recovery, then scaled through bold leadership, culminating in its significant acquisition of the NetBackup business from Veritas. Sanjay walks me through how this move instantly propelled Cohesity to market leadership in data security and cyber resilience, serving over 13,000 organizations worldwide across various sectors, including healthcare, finance, government, and retail. We also examine how Cohesity is using AI not only to help clients recover from cyber threats but to mine vast troves of live and backup data for powerful, real-time business insights. Sanjay explains the partnership with NVIDIA and how Cohesity’s patented retrieval augmented generation capabilities are setting new benchmarks for generative AI applications within backup environments. For businesses grappling with data sovereignty and the increasing return to on-premises solutions, Sanjay shares how Cohesity’s innovations balance local compliance requirements while leveraging cloud agility. What resonated most with me was Sanjay’s candid perspective on leadership during rapid growth and mergers, from uniting thousands of employees under a shared culture to maintaining a relentless customer-first mindset. If you have ever wondered how a company can become a real force in both AI and cybersecurity, this conversation is filled with insights, real-world examples, and a clear vision for how Cohesity plans to shape the next generation of data management. Are you ready to rethink how your organization secures and activates its data in an AI-driven future? Tune in and discover what lies ahead on this data-powered journey. Listener Notes Here is a link to the 5-minute video that Sanjay referenced in our conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrKdyaWpIG4…

Tech Talks Daily

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3314: Cisco Live - Meet the new Duo IAM 18:22

לפני 10 ימים18:22

18:22

Have you ever paused to think about how the humble login has quietly become one of the most vulnerable points in cybersecurity? In this episode, I spoke with Matt Caulfield, Vice President of Identity Products at Cisco, to understand why identity is now the prime target for attackers and how Duo is evolving to meet that threat head-on. Matt explained how Duo, once known primarily for multi-factor authentication, is now stepping forward as a complete identity access management solution. He broke down why so many traditional tools built for productivity alone are no longer fit for today’s threat landscape, where attackers use everything from simple phishing to advanced AI-driven social engineering to gain a foothold through identity misuse. We explored Duo’s shift toward security as the default. Matt described how features like passwordless logins and proximity verification combine user convenience with stronger defences, making it easier for people to stay protected without feeling burdened by endless prompts and complex checks. He also shared how the identity routing engine helps organisations untangle years of layered identity systems, giving security teams a unified front door to safeguard every user, app and device. Finally, Matt offered a glimpse into the future, where the rise of AI agents will multiply the number of digital identities tenfold, raising fresh questions about how to verify, control and trust these new virtual coworkers. It is a conversation that puts identity right at the heart of modern security and shows why getting this right could be the biggest step we take in stopping breaches before they even begin. Where do you see identity playing the biggest role in your security plans? Join the discussion and share your thoughts with me.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3313: Saving Wildlife, Empowering Communities: The Impact of Connected Conservation 19:17

לפני 10 ימים19:17

19:17

Have you ever wondered what happens when cutting-edge network technology meets the rugged frontlines of wildlife conservation? In this episode, I sat down with Sophie Maxwell, the driving force behind the Connected Conservation Foundation, to understand how digital infrastructure and real-time data are changing the odds for endangered species and local communities across more than a dozen countries. Sophie walked me through the journey from a desperate battle to protect rhinos in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Nature Reserve to a global blueprint now safeguarding elephants, gorillas, and countless other species in landscapes as remote as Namibia and Papua New Guinea. She explained how early experiments with network connectivity, sensors and satellite imagery grew into robust systems that give conservation teams live visibility across vast, rugged reserves — the same technology helping rangers detect poachers before they strike, monitor ecosystem health, and manage human-wildlife conflict more intelligently. This conversation shed light not only on the hardware and software powering this revolution but also on how it uplifts the people living closest to these protected places. Sophie shared how Cisco’s Networking Academy is training a new generation of protected area technicians, offering communities meaningful careers that keep vital technology running and wildlife safe. It’s a story that flips the usual narrative of technology replacing people and shows instead how it can amplify human impact where it’s needed most. Looking ahead, we discussed how advancements in AI and satellite imaging could unlock an even sharper understanding of changing landscapes, climate impacts, and species migration patterns, driving better conservation decisions at scale. For Sophie, what surprises her most isn’t just the power of each new tool, but the way combining them turns data into actionable insight, trust and resilience for ecosystems and local people alike. If you’ve ever doubted that networks and sensors could help save a rhino or an elephant, or questioned whether technology can truly serve nature rather than exploit it, this episode will make you think again. What role do you see for digital innovation in addressing our planet’s most urgent environmental challenges? Join the conversation and share your thoughts.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3312: WiFi 7 at Cisco Live: What It Means for Your Business 33:32

לפני 11 ימים33:32

33:32

Talking wireless at Cisco Live brings you face to face with what tomorrow’s connectivity looks like, and my recent chat with Matt McPherson, Enterprise Wireless CTO at Cisco, and Jerome Henry, standards guru and author, did precisely that. When two people this deep in the trenches start describing how our networks cope with thousands of devices at concerts, hospitals, or homes brimming with smart gadgets, it hits you how invisible yet vital great wireless is. Matt walked me through how Cisco’s approach has evolved over the years, from the early days when the solution to every problem was to throw more bandwidth at it to now, where Wi-Fi 7 serves as a smarter, more reliable safety net. His stories about the transition from Wi-Fi 5 and 6 to what we have now made it clear that what happens above our heads is anything but simple, yet the result for us should feel seamless. Jerome gave this technical backdrop a human touch by explaining the decisions that went into the new standard. His book, Wi-Fi 7 In Depth , pulls back the curtain on what drives choices in protocols and frequency use. We discussed why multilink operation, which people often hear about, is just one piece of a puzzle that addresses real-time performance and lower waiting times, even in areas where radio waves become unstable quickly. One part that stood out was Matt describing what happens when a venue like Cisco Live fills up with people. Walls go up, exhibitors build stands, and thousands of bodies, each mostly water, flood the space. That messes with signals, but Wi-Fi 7’s new scheduling tools help keep things running smoothly despite the chaos. We could not ignore the current buzzword either. AI is being folded into the wireless playbook more deeply than most realize. Cisco has been using AI quietly to manage channels and power levels for years, but now, these tools can learn and adjust without requiring an engineer to intervene. For businesses juggling a flood of devices and constant pressure to operate leanly, this is more than helpful; it is becoming a standard practice. Then there is Cisco Spaces. Jerome and Matt explained how this feature helps companies understand how their offices are utilized. Knowing exactly where an access point is located is more than trivia; it grounds everything from location tracking to indoor maps. Add in new chips that can measure tiny distances with great precision, and you get navigation tools that know exactly where your phone is yet respect your privacy by keeping control of the user. Throughout, one message was repeated: wireless is getting smarter, so humans do not need to babysit it. AI handles routine decisions. Security layers keep new traffic safe. Automation reduces the time spent hunting for issues or second-guessing configurations. Whether it is robots moving in a warehouse, nurses paging each other without drops, or a teenager streaming games while someone else hops on a video call, the backbone is ready to keep up. Before we wrapped up, I asked both guests what excites them most. Jerome wants the day to come when connectivity works without fuss or expert intervention. Matt added that Cisco’s goal is to ensure companies can support a growing array of devices without needing a vast team of specialists monitoring every light and graph. If you want to see how this new chapter unfolds, watch the sessions from Cisco Live, pick up Wi-Fi 7 In Depth for a real peek behind the scenes, and maybe keep an eye out for Jerome’s next book. I have my copy ready for the flight home, and after this conversation, I know we will have plenty more to talk about next year.…

Tech Talks Daily

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3311: Inside Softcat’s Cisco Live Experience: Innovation, Sensors, and Sustainability 36:10

לפני 12 ימים36:10

36:10

What does it take to future-proof the modern workplace? In this episode, I speak with Thomas Rowley, Chief Technologist for Networking and Connectivity at Softcat, about the real-world challenges of managing a high-density office and how the company turned to Cisco to create a more intelligent, responsive environment. As more employees returned to the office, Softcat began to notice a hidden problem. Rising CO2 levels were affecting the comfort and productivity of their teams. Rather than treat it as a facilities issue, they tackled it head-on with technology. Working with Cisco, they rolled out a combination of access points, collaboration tools, and Meraki sensors that transformed their workspace into a data-informed, adaptive environment. But this story isn’t just about devices. It’s about inspiration too. A visit to Cisco’s Experience Center opened Softcat’s eyes to what was possible, not just in terms of hardware, but in how unified tech strategies can drive better decisions. That visit ultimately sparked the idea for their own internal innovation space, showcasing how operational excellence can become a cultural value, not just a technical outcome. Thomas also shares insight into the evolving role of connectivity in hybrid work, how Softcat supports over 1,500 salespeople with scalable IT solutions, and why the partnership with Cisco continues to shape their global ambitions. From sustainability to scalability, this episode offers a practical look at how two leading tech firms collaborate to solve problems that many businesses are only just beginning to understand. If your office still treats infrastructure as an afterthought, this conversation might change your mind. Are your workplace systems ready to handle both people and performance?…

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