Futurum Tech Webcast

On this special episode of The Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series host Daniel Newman welcomes Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist at Zoho to discuss data privacy and security including examining Zoho's new bold stance on privacy. In the last few years, it seems like the respect of privacy has declined. Ad networks collect massive amounts of information about consumers, giving seemingly endless targeting options to companies, but there is no control given to the user about what information is collected — and that needs to change.

Raju and I explored how companies use adjunct surveillance to make money off of customers. Data is being collected about us, from our shopping habits to our browsing history, and a lot of it is being done without our knowledge. While it's more common in the consumer world, it's also happening in the B2B world too. Companies embed tracking or analytics code to monitor what is being done on their sites, but this information collected by third parties is then sold to other companies. Zoho said enough with this practice.

Zoho's bold stance on privacy. Raju shared that Zoho no longer embeds any tracking or analytics software from third parties on its websites or applications. Everything that is embedded is a Zoho product with an easy to understand explanation of what data is being collected. Zoho's customer's can enable tracking from other parties, but it is not something that Zoho does which is a compromise they are willing to make.

The privacy pendulum is swinging back toward permissions. We discussed the potential future in this area. I've been a purveyor of privacy for many years and hope that more companies follow Zoho's lead. Raju believes that more companies will. He shared that recently The New York Times eliminated a lot of the trackers on their website which is hopefully generating some awareness around these tracking practices. Ultimately it would be great if users get full control over what data is being collected and shared.

What success will look like. Lastly, Raju shared what the payoff will look like from this stance on privacy — and he doesn't mean in financial terms. Zoho is lucky since it is a private company, they are able to create and take this stance. It is the right thing to do and Raju shared that they have the freedom to take this risk. Raju posed the question, "what's the point of being financially profitable if you're morally bankrupt." For the company, it really only matters if they are doing the right thing.

I recently explored Zoho's new stance on privacy and adjunct surveillance. Be sure to check out the article to learn how they are looking to set themselves apart from other B2B vendors. If you'd like more information about Zoho and their offerings you can visit their website.

Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.

In this episode of Futurum Tech Webcast, host Daniel Newman and Senior Analyst and Research Director Olivier Blanchard discuss the state and direction of the ever-expanding world of artificial intelligence (AI), and how, from the cloud to the edge, AI is expanding its reach including how chipmakers are driving the future of AI.

In their discussion, Olivier and Daniel explored the business, societal, and other broad implications of this expansion, as well as how will these different tiers of AI technology will likely work together. They also touched on the following:

• The evolution of AI from a cloud and data center focus to on-device AI, and the importance of that evolution to the types of experiences that it creates for users.

• The challenges of cloud-based AI benefits, including latency issues, connectivity issues, overburdened networks, and outages, all of which result in performance issues and frustrations for users.

• The binary model of cloud-based AI and device-based AI and what that third layer in the edge can do.

• How AI is increasingly finding its way into smart phones (in ways that users might not even notice), some interesting use case examples, and where that is particularly useful.

• The role of chipsets, like Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 chipsets, and some of the impressive functionality they are serving up — and what that means for the future of on-device communication.

• How AI is finding its way into factories, cities, and utilities and what that means for the future.

• AI's role in healthcare, especially during an epidemic, when speed is critical.

• The role of AI in autonomous vehicles that will someday become the norm.

• How AI is transforming enterprise-class analytics and democratizing enterprise software by making it not only more effective, but also more accessible and user-friendly.

Olivier and Daniel also shared a little about their latest book (Human/Machine: The future of our relationship with machines) which examines how bots, voice interfaces, automatic scheduling, and autofill are already transforming the way we work, from speeding up the process of drafting an email to streamlining document creation and project management.

Other insights from the Futurum Research team:

CISO's Playbook for Leading Security During COVID-19 – Futurum Tech Podcast Interview

Series

On this special episode of the Futurum Tech Podcast Interview Series, host Daniel Newman is joined by Doug Merritt, CEO of Splunk, to discuss the five steps for a data-driven future including how to establish data principles that make for a clear future. Without data we are flying blind — something companies can't afford to do in our current competitive environment.

In our conversation, Doug and I explored the questions companies need to ask to define their data principles. There's a billion different ways data can be sliced, diced, collected, analyzed, and utilized, but you have to know what you're trying to do from the start. Questions like what data needs to be accessed, what data needs to be treated differently, and what will you do with the data need to be defined from the start.

Principles aren't black and white. Doug shared thoughts on what often gets companies sidetracked when it comes to data principles. Too often, companies try to get too specific and black and white on exactly what is allowable and what is not. We are constantly moving and changing. Data principles are meant to serve as a framework. They are not meant to answer every question, but instead to give guidance.

Data principle framework. Doug and I discussed the core framework that should be in place when dealing with data. First, and most importantly, companies need diversity. The more angles and diverse data sets you can get, the better. Second, companies need collaboration. It's important to bring as many different viewpoints, skills, backgrounds, and experiences of the people that are attacking the data together. Third, companies need to rely on curiosity and an open mindset when working with data. Finally, if you can bring diverse data sets, different collaborative sources and viewpoints, curiosity and an open mindset, you need to be able to admit that your viewpoint was wrong or that it changed. You need courage.

The human element of data. We also discussed how to bring as many people as possible to the data. To master this proposition, companies are going to have to focus on training, education, exercises and even "lunch and learns" around data. If you want to solve a problem, you need employees from all aspects of the business, with the right expertise.

Making data actionable. Lastly, Doug shared that employees need to be empowered to make decisions with the data. The people closest to the data, closest to the insight need to be able to make rapid, real-time decisions. At the same time, there should be checks and balances put in place to ensure that the right decisions are made. There should also be feedback for the employees and the management on whether the decision was effective or not.

If you'd like to read more about these five steps be sure to check out Doug's thought-provoking article. Make sure to listen to the full episode of the podcast and while you're at it, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.

In this episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast, host Daniel Newman and Senior Analyst and Research Director Sarah Wallace examined the emerging cloud for healthcare market, the impact COVID-19 has had on cloud providers, risks during implementation and transformation, and the need for a security-first environment.

In their discussion, Daniel and Sarah explored the many advancements that have been made in the last few months as well as what's to come. They discussed:

• Microsoft's recentMicrosoft Cloud for Healthcare announcement.

• Google Cloud and AWS' expansion into the healthcare vertical with partners such as the Mayo Clinic and Cerner, an electronic health records (EHRs) provider.

• Big Tech's involvement in COVID-19 efforts, including Microsoft Azure's partnership with the State of Washington and hospital systems, to collection data in order to predict disease incidents as well as monitor hospital resources in real-time.

• AWS teamed up with non-profit insurer MetroPlus, Bain & Co., and the nonprofit AirNYC to help build and launch a chatbot for use in contacting at risk members in order to better serve them.

• Google Cloud's efforts in beefing up healthcare leadership, as well as focusing its COVID-19 response by providing communities with technology to help fight the virus outside of the hospital.

Sarah also shared the importance of cloud providers' computing capability and scale in supporting these efforts during the pandemic and beyond and touched on the continued importance of security and patient privacy issues.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming market insight reports that will cover Cloud for Financial Services and Cloud for Healthcare.

Please also check out our Futurum Research cloud Insight articles, including:

Amazon's AWS MetroPlus Chatbot Delivered a Significant Assist to a Nonprofit Insurer

Google's COVID-19 Shift: Adjusting Search and Maps to Identify Telehealth Sources

The COVID-19 Driven Evolution of the Financial Services Sector

Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.

In this special episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast Daniel Newman and Senior Analyst and Research Director Ron Westfall assess the 5G Security market, examining why 5G security warrants its own special requirements and considerations, what service providers need to do to make 5G security impregnable, the key use cases, the significance of endpoint security, the role of the 5G ecosystem, and why now is the time for action.

In their discussion, Daniel and Ron investigated the reasons why 5G security is of paramount importance to the 5G ecosystem, especially service providers. They discussed:

• Why 5G security warrants its own separate and special category of mobile security;

• Shared research takeaways from the recent Futurum Research study, The 5G Edge: Powering Innovative Services and Experiences, indicating that service providers identified unifying cybersecurity systems at the edge as the top 5G priority for their enterprise customers;

• Assessed the emerging 5G use cases that require E2E security oversight, including the rapid proliferating IoT devices, ultra-low latency, and massive bandwidth increases;

• Addressed why endpoint security management is of particular importance, due in large part to the fact that the majority of security breaches occur at the endpoints.

• Discussed the critical role the ecosystem must play in delivering comprehensive 5G security, encompassing a wide range of players, such as cloud service providers, silicon vendors, and infrastructure suppliers, prime examples including AT&T deploying Samsung Galaxy 20 smartphones that use new purpose-designed security chips to strengthen overall security in 5G environments.

Ron shared some interesting customer use case examples and why the time is now for service providers to fortify their 5G security portfolios and marketing messages, as 5G deployments are expanding rapidly even during the uncertainties of global pandemic and unrest.

Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.

On this special episode of the Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series, host Daniel Newman welcomes Rahul Patel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Connectivity and Networking Business Unit at Qualcomm. The conversation centered around new Qualcomm announcements including the WiFi 6 extension.

Rahul and I spent time discussing the shift to a remote work environment for a big company like Qualcomm. Like all companies, the shift was almost overnight with employees needing to work from home, but unlike most companies, Qualcomm still needed some employees to be on-campus to continue manufacturing. The leadership team worked to equip employees with what they needed to work safely and efficiently, regardless of location. Qualcomm relied heavily on the existing infrastructure to support the necessary changes. And thanks to years of planning, Rahul shared that the company was virtually unaffected by the switch.

Bringing WiFi 6E to market. Rahul shared the exciting news around the WiFi 6E launch as a result of the FCC opening up the 6 gigahertz spectrum. He explained that this additional expansion is like taking a highway during rush hour and making it two and a half times the original size. Now users have the original highway and the new larger highway to use to get connected. In terms of networking, this means apps are going to be moving into the six gigahertz spectrum.

Building devices to be faster. Rahul also discussed the impact WiFi 6 and 6E are going to have on our devices. Qualcomm is building devices that will be able to operate in the fast lane of the highway. For applications, this means that low latency, high speed applications like gaming, virtual reality and augmented reality are going to be more realistic. Other benefits include better connectivity and fewer interruptions as the network can handle more devices. Hopefully these devices will be deployed by the end of this year or early part of 2021.

WiFi 6 and 5G go hand in hand. While most of our conversation focused on WiFi 6, we also examined how 5G networks will complement WiFi 6. Rahul explained that 5G is your wide area network and WiFi 6 is your local area network. If you have one without the other, you're not going to realize the full experience of high speed connectivity. Qualcomm just introduced an access point portfolio called Network Pro Series that goes from supporting highest end performance in excess of 10 gigabits per second WiFi capability to three gigabits per second. Customers can build a network to scale from a hotspot in a coffee shop to something that will cover a stadium.

Bringing it all home. Lastly, we discussed where this technology will likely go in the future. Rahul shared that Qualcomm is looking at an enterprisation of the home. We have more devices that need to be connected. We are streaming more and needing better connectivity speeds. And that's likely going to continue as we bring in other technologies like VR and AR. Qualcomm is working on bringing the technology together for a platform approach that ultimately presents the holistic experience to the end consumer. Consumers don't need to know what the technology is, they just need to be able to get connected.

I can't wait to see what else Qualcomm builds and where it takes our technology. If you'd like to learn more about Qualcomm's announcements, be sure to check out their website.

On this special episode of the Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series, host Daniel Newman is joined by Logan Wilt, AI data scientist and Applied AI Center of Excellence Garage Leader at DXC Technology to talk about using AI to approach problem solving and the human-machine relationship we are now encountering. We also discussed how organizations can get started with AI and data collection — a must for the time we are living in.

In our conversation, Logan and I discussed the coexistence of AI and humans. Despite the sci-fi movies, AI won't ever fully replace humans. AI is learning from every interaction, but it still has shortcomings that humans need to compensate for. Just like humans have shortcomings that AI can compensate for. Organizations need to embrace that employees and AI have to work together in order to get the most out of the technology.

Ideal AI-Human relationships exist already. Logan shared her thoughts on the benefits of ideal human-AI relationships that we are already seeing even just from simple software applications in the home like a self-learning thermostat and an Alexa device. AI is learning patterns from our behavior that is eliminating the need for us to spend time programming or fiddling with the thermostat. It's a simple idea, but we are now free to spend more time on other tasks that might require more mental energy.

Even something small like the predictive text in Google apps now can help us write an email faster. The ideal AI-human relationship allows us to spend time on things that really matter.

Getting started with AI. Logan and I discussed how companies can get started on their AI journey which included understanding that AI and data are cyclical in nature, not linear. Logan recommended that companies start with the problem they want to solve and work backwards from there to determine the type of data that would need to be collected. Then examine it from the other direction and look at the type of data that needs to be collected and how it will be stored to determine the kind of AI that can be done. Data and AI influence each other.

AI is creating jobs, not taking them. Lastly, I shared that AI, machine learning and data have created entire new departments in organizations with thousands of new jobs. Logan added that to fill these jobs, companies don't need a data god. You need someone who is logical and curious and willing to put in the time to examine the issues. Companies can benefit from upskilling existing employees who fit this description instead of hiring someone entirely new. Data and AI are here to stay and if we want to make the most of it, we need the right talent to drive the processes.

If your company is looking at adopting AI or expanding your existing AI program, this is one podcast you don't want to miss. Also be sure to check out what DXC Technology is doing with AI — lots of exciting things are sure to come.

In this special episode of the Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series, host Daniel Newman is joined by Scott Harrell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Intent Based Networking Group at Cisco to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the enterprise introduced by the pandemic and how existing technology will help us safely return to normal.

Scott and Daniel covered a wide range of topics all related to the challenges and opportunities brought about by COVID-19 and how enterprises and learning to use the technology that they have to ensure business continuity both with employees at home and as we return to the workplace. They discussed:

• The greater need for agility in the enterprise which will likely lead to the faster adoption of new technologies like AI and automation.

• Potential opportunities for the IT department to reskill, retool, and retrain in order to reach higher levels of productivity.

• Using existing technologies like wireless devices on the network to help employees feel safe as they return to work.

Scott shared interesting technologies from Cisco and how companies could use them to act as contact tracing apps — and what this might mean for the future of how we use networks.

In this special episode of the Futurum Tech Webcast — Interview Series, host Shelly Kramer interviews Rob Walker, Pega's VP of decisioning and analytics to discuss the role AI is playing in the pandemic, the launch of Pega's Responsible AI ethical bias check, how empathy and ethics come into play and impact the bottom line, and also how organizations can benefit from leveraging AI moving forward.

This conversation is intended as a preview to Pega's upcoming Pegaworld iNspire virtual event being held on June 2, 2020, from 9 to 11:30am EDT. This high impact, low time commitment, interactive virtual event is free, sure to be packed with great information, and also available on demand for all registrants. Register for Pegaworld iNsprire here.

Shelly and Rob covered a wide range of topics, all related to AI, ethics, empathy, and how all of them are playing a role in business operations (and customer experience), during these pandemic times and beyond. They discussed:

• Companies who are successfully leveraging AI in pandemic times and how they and their customers are benefitting;

• How taking the long-term view of your customer relationships can actually be the most profitable view, and also lead to longer term loyalty.

• How speeding up interactions and adding in empathy is something AI can do at scale, which organizations need most right now.

• Responsible AI, a new offering from the team at Pega, and how an ethical bias check built in beyond the data science level can help businesses practice responsible AI in their engagement strategies.

Rob shared some interesting customer use case examples and some innovative approaches that Pega customers are taking in these pandemic times — and what that might mean for the future.

Please also check out my other interviews with Pega SMES, including:

The Pandemic is a Catalyst a Lot of Businesses Needed — It's Time for a Massive Rethink (Don Schuerman, Pega CTO)

How Banks Are Capitalizing on Pandemic-Fueled Digital Transformation to Serve Customers (Marc Andrews, VP of Financial Services and Insurance)

How Businesses are Adapting Customer Service Strategies in Times of Disruption (Jeff Nicholson, global head of CRM)

On this episode of the Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series, host Daniel Newman welcomes Amanda Mountain, the Global Vice President of Marketing for Digital Commerce at SAP to discuss digital software buying, COVID-19 and some key findings from the 2019 B2B Digital Buyers' Journey: Trends, Challenges, and Predictions report.

B2B Digital Buyers' Journey

In late 2019, Futurum Research, in partnership with SAP published a research report on the digital buyers' journey. Prior to the study, there was existing research that identified the consumerization of the B2B experience. Amanda shared that SAP was changing the way they were selling their products to an organization, but what she didn't know was if that change was a result of the way buyers were changing or if SAP's change made buyers change. In essence, we wanted to know which came first.

The Need for Immediate Solutions

Daniel shared that four out of five people surveyed said that the traditional annual software buying cycle in the enterprise was over. It makes sense with the move to the cloud that companies are looking to get what they want when they need it. People want immediate solutions. And that has never been more apparent than right now with COVID-19.

Another interesting area the research uncovered is that not all software is created equal. Different categories were more commonly purchased digitally than others like analytics, business intelligence, and CRM software. But these categories and some of the findings might be different now that companies are forced to go digital due to the current pandemic.

Amanda shared that developer tools were not a high digitally purchased priority in the research, but in Q1 of 2020, Web IDE, a developer tool from SAP was the top seller for the digital channel. COVID-19 has forced companies to reimagine development and really solidified the notion that every company is a software company. COVID-19 has also shown that software developers need to be more agile, productive, and efficient pushing developer tools to the top of digital buying categories.

Drivers of Digital Buying

Daniel and Amanda discussed that it's not surprising that the shift from traditional buying to digital buying is almost entirely aligned with the digitization of the organization and the promise of streamlined frictionless operational efficiency.

What was surprising to Amanda though, is operational efficiency ranks higher than cost savings. Organizations are clearly looking to save their employees time and effort during the procurement process which is critical for B2B software companies to understand.

The Digital Buying Ecosystem

In recent years, companies like SAP, as Amanda said, have focused more on digital selling. Early research showed that B2B buyers wanted the experience to match B2C experiences. They wanted speed, transparency, flexibility, simplicity and personalization. Companies like SAP have worked to improve digital buying experiences with a better ecosystem that can deliver what B2B buyers want.

The ecosystem that is built for digital buying is just as important as the software solutions. Partner extensions, add-ons, and enhancements need to be as easy to get as the software itself if you want digital buyers to continue to work with you.

If you'd like to learn more about the digital buying experience check out the findings in the research report or listen to the entire conversation with Amanda and Daniel. This is one you don't want to miss.

While you're at it, be sure to subscribe to the Futurum Tech Podcast so you never miss an episode.