The term cloud native is important, but wildly overused. What does it really mean and what are the important aspects that organizations need to understand? Analysts Jean Atelsek and Jay Lyman join host Eric Hanselman to explore the ideas that cloud native embodies. Is it really Apps, Automation and Abstraction? Should everyone be on a journey to the Planet of the Apps? There are many aspects and similar obstacles to be overcome that we’ve seen before, only harder this time. Silo busting again!

Want your AI/ML project to succeed? Better pay close attention to the infrastructure on which you plan to run it. Research director Nick Patience returns to talk about the specialized needs of AI/ML with host Eric Hanselman. The more organic nature of AI/ML development needs support for its specialized needs. Training is not just happening in datacenters and the volumes of data involved create their own pressures. They dig into the need for data access and, once again, wind up at The Edge.

The increasing use of renewable energy sources is transforming the planet and cutting emissions, but they’re complicating the operation of energy grids. IoT’s capabilities and appropriate analytics can help adapt the grid to make better use of these options and senior research analyst Johan Vermij joins host Eric Hanselman to talk about where they come into play and how they’re being put to work. They’re part of ensuring that the benefits of these improvements are being distributed equitably.

Have we crossed a new threshold when William Shatner actually goes to space? Technology’s final frontier has seen skyrocketing interest and investment as hyperscalers and enterprises grapple with putting the promise of space to work. Rahiel Nasir and Craig Matsumoto join host Eric Hanselman to look at how capabilities in space-borne technology are going beyond communications. Real time analysis of imaging data can help with everything from natural disaster response to freight logistics.

While Tesla’s may grab the headlines, commercial transportation has a considerable impact on markets and their supply chains and IoT technologies could improve their performance. Research analyst Mark Fontecchio joins host Eric Hanselman to look at what’s underway now and where it’s headed. The technology is ready, but the hard part is getting it integrated into the myriad providers across the transportation industry. No electric trucks soon, but IoT deployments are getting in gear.

Every region on the globe has their own characteristics, but the high levels of digitization in China create interesting requirements. Perkins Liu, senior research analyst, joins host Eric Hanselman to explore the dynamics of the market and the forces at work. High levels of mobile phone use and the accompanying dominance of mobile payments are driving datacenter expansion. China also has proactive requirements for power optimization and green grid utilization to manage environmental impacts.

Tech M&A and funding events are flashy, but a lot of the real work in finance is done in insurance. And the insurance business itself is being transformed by tech. Tim Zawacki, Principal Research Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence, explores these interactions with host Eric Hanselman and looks at how the pandemic and climate change are driving near term analytics. Insurance became a part of cyber risk management, but ransomware is upending expectations.

We knew customer experience was important and new research points out just how much impact investments in CX can have. Sheryl Kingstone is back on the podcast with her research partner Sudeep Kesh to talk about their results with host Eric Hanselman. They’ve shown that companies that indicate strong investments in CX have noticeably better credit and equity performance. The Digital Leaders significantly outperform the Digital Laggards. The ability to quantify that difference is exciting news! Learn more at: https://451alliance.com/nit

Sorting out the roots of innovation is complex and this special edition of Next in Tech brings in Guy Kawasaki, Apple veteran and inveterate innovator, to discuss its many aspects with host Eric Hanselman. The metaphors run hot and heavy (including a breakfast as a guide to empathy) as they explore ways that organizations can embrace innovation. Success stories are many and it’s worth taking a glance into the dustbin of history.

Hear more topics at the 451Nexus conference: https://www.spglobal.com/451Nexus

The need for more modern authentication techniques has never been more pressing and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a key building block of zero trust approaches. Tom Gersic, VP of customer success at Salesforce and Garrett Bekker from the 451 security team join host Eric Hanselman to talk about what’s needed. The threat landscape demands MFA, but users can be hesitant. It doesn’t have to be this way. See Garrett’s fireside chat at the 451Nexus conference: https://www.spglobal.com/451Nexus