SMACtalk

While so many B2B companies struggle to evolve beyond traditional funnel marketing, Shimp and Janiszewski share how they have taken traditional funnel methods like white papers, lead generation and social media, and utilized new tactics like audio books white papers (http://sapinnovate.me/reports)and podcast-inspired storytelling (www.searchingforsalai.com) to shake things up AND to challenge the thinking and traditional marketing practices of their colleagues throughout SAP.

Don't miss this great conversation. So much to learn here about a highly successful SAP campaign that helped launch their new digital intelligence platform SAP Leonardo, while helping more than 25 of their BU's drive custom content to their end customers and channel partners. All of this and more, on SMACTalk!

In this episode of SMACtalk, Daniel Newman and Brian Fanzo welcome guest Steve Rudolph of Pegasystems. In his role at Pega, Steve leads the industry market group covering telco and all the industries it touches, from insurance to financial services. In his role, he focuses on how to create value in customer relationships by using data effectively.

During the podcast, Daniel, Brian and Steve discussed the need for today’s industries to embrace AI and machine learning in advertising to ensure positive relationships with their customers. Many industries, including telco, have gotten stuck in the “tyrannosaurus rex” method of marketing—direct marketing—even though it’s clear traditional segmenting approaches are no longer effective. In fact, it often leads to outcomes that are bad for both the marketer and the customer. Customers are irritated that they get hit with ads that aren’t relevant—and marketers are frustrated that they aren’t getting the results they need.

Why does that happen? Steve notes that traditional segmenting is good for averages, but not for individuals. Using AI can help companies make smarter use of customer segmentation by combining data about their real-time actions taken by the customer (performing a search for keyword or product) with historical information from them pulled across channels. This allows companies to market in a way that doesn’t feel like marketing, and it helps hit customers at the time they’re most willing to buy.

Who is responsible for leading this change? Steve says today’s digital heroes are the forward-thinking executives focusing on ways to increase customer lifetime value, not just marketing impact. Just like we build CX journey maps, we need to use AI, omnichannel data, and marketing to plot our services, sales, and marketing touchpoints. For instance, providing the right services puts people in right frame of mind to buy. We must begin with the end goal in mind—incorporating CX and UX to build a seamless and positive experience for customers.

While many people are afraid of AI, Steve feels that when use it effectively – to create value for our customers – most won’t even realize they’re encountering it. Ultimately, AI won’t just be used to sell, but to make our customers’ lives better.

A year from now, Steve hopes we will be using AI to enhance every service we interact with on a daily basis. AI itself isn’t quite perfect yet—and it still has some hurdles to cross in terms of transparency and trust. But in the end it remains an incredible tool for allowing almost every industry move with their relationship with customers forward.

In this Intel-sponsored episode of SMACTalk, Daniel Newman leads a show focused on the visual cloud. Joining Daniel is Lynn Comp, Vice President of Data Center Group and General Manager of the Visual Cloud Division Network Platform Group at Intel. During the show, they discuss what Intel is doing in the realm of the visual cloud and what we can expect in the future.

Lynn focuses her time on helping cloud services be transformed. She talked about the visual cloud including visual workloads that are processed on the cloud and consumed remotely, resulting in horizontal make-up. She mentioned that a lot of enterprises want their subcontractors to be able to view their 3D models, but not the whole model itself. So, remote access is critical for intellectual property.

Lynn mentions that individuals aged 18 to 49 tune into YouTube more often than they do TV. This is a worldwide trend that is exciting and pushing the visual cloud forward through the delivery of things like Comcast and other similar broadcasters.

 Lynn discussed how video marketing is becoming more and more common, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. The best way to work with this tech is to learn what the most effective solution might be for the network that they have. With the visual cloud, there is no single design point. Instead, there are multiple points, creating a better hook to increase conversions. The visual cloud gives developers more opportunities in their business models, workload placement and the user experience as a whole.

Lynn explained what Intel’s strategy is for the visual cloud. Intel is taking a “software acceleration” approach, being in the market with software such as the Media Server Studio and Web RTC, which is a way to conduct streaming. Continuing on this acceleration, they will soon be open-sourcing DLDT or the Deep Learning Deployment Toolkit and OpenVino to help unleash innovation and make it easy for solution providers to find the right solution and deciding where to put it. Will they need to place it in the cloud or the edge?

She also shared that Intel will also be opening up access to Scalable Video Technology and working with Google and others in the industry. By open-sourcing these capabilities, Intel believes they can unleash even more innovation.

Lynn further explained that it doesn’t matter how optimized your solution is, if you don’t have the ability to move between the different design points. With Intel, you should have access to the same software that is scalable across all solution points. Instead of broadcasters needing to rip and replace their infrastructure, they can upgrade their hardware seamlessly through software.

Lynn discussed how the whole broadcasting industry is making the switch from black box equipment to software-based architectures to be cloud ready. As the cloud makes 5G possible, it also leaves space for flexibility with the software to find visual cloud workloads. 

Daniel wrapped up the show by asking what the real outcome will be in investing in the visual cloud. Lynn explained that to some extent, everyone has the opportunity to be a creator. They can show their passions and talents to a wide audience using YouTube and other broadcasting tools. It isn’t just a passive experience anymore. We’ve unleashed the user’s creativity to create channels, broadcasts and communities that didn’t exist in the past.

In this IBM sponsored episode of SMACTalk, Daniel Newman goes solo on hosting duties and leads a show focused on the future of automated work. Joining Daniel for the discussion was Mike Gilfix, Vice President of Digital Business Automation at IBM, a software that digitizes business operations and provides them with intelligence around digital labor to upscale their business.

The show focused on how technology such as automation, AI, data and machine learning is going to make companies more successful and productive. During the show, Mike shared how IBM is making use of automation to improve their customer service touchpoint by changing the way they support their clients. They found that time to resolution of an issue is a main driver behind customer satisfaction. By leveraging automation technology interaction through chatbots and more, the process is simplified, creating a better customer experience. 

Mike also discussed some of the biggest trends he is seeing around the realm of automation for work. First, there is a revolution happening in businesses today around knowledge work. This revolution is creating tons of changes in the way technology supports what they do and the way they conduct their processes. Technology is helping knowledge workers be more effective and better at their tasks, helping them make decisions and freeing up more time for innovation. This trend is driving new things such as robotic process automation and decision management. It’s changing the way people work and is here to stay. 

Both Daniel and Mike shared how AI and automation technology will not steal jobs from employees but will instead likely create new opportunities. To get there, executives must think about the transition and how they can help employees make the leap into a new position with new responsibilities. Organizations will need to help change the culture of fear surrounding automation within their teams through communication.

Mike made the point that we’re not anywhere near running out of work to do. In fact, most businesses have large laundry lists of work they want to complete and not enough people to do it. Automation will help businesses get done what they want to get done by creating capacity.

One of the challenges for businesses is getting automation to work and minimizing failure. Mike discussed how most organizations don’t know where to start. They’re looking for the concept but have chosen basic technology to get them there. There is an opportunity to open up their eyes to the possibilities and see the true potential of automation. There’s also an opportunity here to help IT teams leverage technology to its full potential, aiding in operation changes within business.

Mike emphasized that automation will benefit both sides of the spectrum in both revenue generation and cost basis. If businesses want to improve their reach with consistency, accuracy, personalization and transparency, these things require automation technology. The tech will enable a new level of scale in businesses. New revenue generating opportunities will follow suit, allowing these businesses to become more competitive in this technology-centric world.

To learn more, read Daniel Newman’s recent blog post for IBM, “4 Exciting Things About the Future of Automating Work.”

SMACTalk Live at VMWorld with Intel

In this special Intel sponsored episode of SMACTalk, Daniel Newman leads a show focused on digital transformation while attending VMworld 2018. Joining Daniel is Lisa Davis, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Transformation and Scale Solutions, Enterprise and Government for Intel’s Data Center Group. During this podcast, Daniel speaks to Lisa about what Intel is doing to further digital transformation and how data will make it all happen faster.

During the show, Lisa discussed how Intel talks digital transformation, mentioning how it sometimes becomes an overused term. Every company today is a technology company. To remain competitive, you need to use technology to move faster and drive more meaningful insights inside your business. Digital transformation is all about enabling businesses to compete in a tech-centered world.

Lisa gave us an example of Ford—who is no longer just an auto-manufacturing plant. Instead, they are a mobility service provider. Every company is transforming themselves into this technological world. No matter what business you’re in, you are a tech business at the core. And for each business, digital transformation should be a top priority.

In this episode, Daniel and Lisa both discussed what digital transformation means to business systems. It all comes down to data and building a digital transformation system depends on it. Whether the data is from a software or a database, it should be leveraged to move businesses forward faster than ever before. Digital strategies are connected to business strategies and should be aligned with data strategies. All three should be aligned to one another for success.

At VM World, VMware’s multi-cloud environment was a big focus. Having a hybrid cloud strategy is all about workload and data mobility. Lisa discussed how seamless orchestration and flexibility as an organization to drive insights for data is what Intel supports in this new environment. 

Daniel mentioned how 90 percent of the world’s data was created in the last 12 months. Data is growing exponentially. Technology has to support the digital transformation and cannot be done without it. Furthering this point, Lisa discussed Intel Select Solutions, a partnership with VMware. The whole purpose of the tool is to help organizations adopt tech faster, simplifying the integration of the new technology to form a data-centric environment. Intel performs tests, benchmarks and validates reference architecture so customers don’t have to. It simplifies the process and helps customers modernize their environments faster.

During the show, Lisa shared how to make the cloud work and how collaboration is key over competition. An ecosystem of partners needs to work together to help customers adopt technology. It’s all about easing the complexity of the environment. As a former CIO, Lisa has 26 years of experience being the customer. Understanding what customers really need, she helps Intel further their customer-centric approach and experience, both keys to success.

As a last point, Daniel and Lisa discussed the future of the data center being the hybrid cloud which will bring about so many new opportunities for businesses and CIOs. The more data businesses can put next to their computing power, the more problems they can solve. And the ability to process data faster and store it in larger quantities is going to change the face of data.

About Lisa Davis

Lisa M Davis

Vice President and General Manager for IT Transformation, Enterprise and Government Data Center Group, Intel Corporation

Areas of Expertise: Disruptive Technologies, Women in Tech, Supply Chain, Higher Education Technology, Federal Government, Cyber Security

Industry Experience: High Tech, Higher Education, Federal Government, National Security, Intelligence, and Defense

Twitter: @LisaM_Davis                         

Lisa Davis is vice president and general manager for IT Transformation in Intel Corporation’s, Enterprise and Government Data Center Group where she is responsible for growing Intel’s data center business and working alongside enterprise and government CIOs to create IT transformation strategies for their organizations.

Lisa joined the Data Center Group from Intel’s IT Group where she led and developed the IT architecture and integrated technology solutions supporting Intel’s world-class global supply chain, HR, Finance, and M&A IT.

Davis is a three-time Chief Information Officer and has led four technology transformations over the course of her 30-year career in technology. Prior to Intel, Davis served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Georgetown University, and held a variety of technology leadership roles in her 26-year career in the Federal Government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service she was the CIO of the U.S. Marshals Service in the Department of Justice, as well as CIO of the Counterintelligence Field Activity in the Department of Defense.

Throughout her 30-year career in technology, Lisa has been a champion for women in technology and leadership – channeling that passion into leading professional development initiatives for women. She serves on the board of Mirantis, as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and a number of non-profit boards.

Lisa holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University, and a master's degree in human resources management from Golden Gate University, and is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Find her on twitter @LisaM_Davis or LinkedIn.

On this episode co-hosts Daniel Newman and Brian Fanzo discuss the business value of social networks Twitter and Linkedin breaking down what's working for each of them and providing tips and tricks for all business professionals.

In this special Intel sponsored episode of SMACTalk, Co-Host Daniel Newman goes solo on the hosting duties and leads a show focused on what to expect from Intel at VMworld 2018, starting August 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Joining Daniel for the discussion was Jake Smith, Director of Data Center Technology at Intel Data Center Group, where he focuses on Xeon Scalable Processors and Optane Persistent Memory product lines and how those products can be integrated with technology like VMware.

During the show, Jake shared that Intel first began working with VMware in 2002 with efforts to reduce latency via new tools and scalable usage models like ESX, MSX, and VMware Cloud. In that time, they've developed technology that has sped up the process of launching virtual machines (from buying, provisioning, and developing) from months to minutes to seconds, which will drive digital transformation moving forward. In the past, for instance, companies could launch new apps just every 90 days, which put a cramp in their ability to digitally transform. Now using virtualization, they can deploy apps simultaneously, allowing users to make the most of the technology being created.

At Daniel's request, Jake discussed Intel Optane in-depth, explaining the importance of persistent state memory (PMEM), which allows a virtual machine to keep running even if the power goes out with no need to reset. It reduces boot times and increases performance with scalable memory up to 3 terabytes per socket. Jake emphasized that Optane would allow a company to move an entire database into memory, putting it within 18 microseconds of the user. The difference is like using a cached history of data, rather than opening a new site.

Daniel and Jake discussed that technology like Intel's Optane is what will allow AI and machine learning to do the work they're meant to do because ultimately AI and machine learning are only as good as the machines that can manage the data. Using Optane, data can be trained fast enough for companies to use it in real time—be it an autonomous vehicle or facial recognition software. Jake shared the example of picture recognition working not in 11 seconds but 1 second. The technology would work quickly enough that you could be offered a coupon to The Gap as soon as you walked into the mall. Optane helps provide the architecture that can deliver this level of intelligence—a nexgen virtualized database.

For the non-techy listeners, Daniel emphasized that Optane is about creating more storage and more access to virtual machines – making it easier, faster, and more affordable for companies to use AI and machine learning technology. Jake also emphasized that Intel's goal is always to create a better TCO (total cost of ownership) and lower transaction cost for its business users.

What Intel will preview at VMworld: Intel Select Solutions; optimized hardware solutions – CPUs, chip set technologies filled with virtual technologies; hyper threading; VSAN non-volatile memory architecture; Optane data centers with persistent memory technology; hybrid cloud environment solutions; workload optimization for hybrid cloud environments. The goal is to reduce as much latency as possible in CPU, networking silicon, SSD silicon, and memory silicon.

What Intel is working on outside of VMworld: Accelerated FGAs; custom chips that accelerate V motion; and the concept of "enterprise reassurance." Enterprise reassurance means building compatibility generation over generation so that businesses know that investments in tech will carry over year to year.

Update/Correction: (18:42) In the podcast, Jake Smith suggests that Raj Hazra would be in attendance at VMWorld 2018 to discuss Enterprise Reassurance Solutions. Raj Hazra will not in attendance, but the topic will be covered by Intel Staff at the event.

On this episode co-hosts Daniel Newman and Brian Fanzo discuss the massive stock drop by Facebook not as financial advisors because they won't claim to be that but they share their thoughts on what it means for the future of social media marketing. They also discuss why Twitter losses even when they do win and where they think social media marketing is moving in the future.

In this episode of SMACTalk Live, cohost Daniel Newman goes one on one with Intel Marketing Executive Bryan Madden to get an inside look at this year's 5G World and to explore where 5G technology will take us.

This exciting conversation live at 5G World London takes a look at the following...

* Intel's 5G Strategy

* How Intel and Intel Select are empowering the partner ecosystem to role out best of breed 5G strategy.

* 5G applications that are market ready today.

* What to expect for 5G and its impact on the near future (6-12 months).

For more information about Intel's announcements from 5G World London, please visit the following links.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/communications/mec-smart-stadium-brief.html?CID=2018_q2_dcg_gb_dcgnt_dcgn_smart_stadium_brief

https://www.nokia.com/en_int/blog/mec-5g-smart-stadiums-changing-sports-entertainment-game?CID=2018_q2_dcg_gb_dcgnt_dcgn_smart_stadium_sports

About Bryan Madden:

Bryan Madden leads the CommSP Industry Marketing function for Intel's Network Platforms Group. He is responsible for a worldwide marketing team that conceives, plans, directs and executes strategic marketing activity across the CommSP value chain with direct and indirect customer collaboration as well as ecosystem co-marketing in support of the transformation of the network and communications services industry with focus on SDN/NFV, Media, Telco Cloud, Intelligent Edge and 5G. Bryan is an IT and Telco industry veteran and has held various roles spanning sales, product, program and marketing management at Intel. Prior to Intel, Bryan held senior positions at Dell, Allfinanz, Softco and Kraft Foods. You can find him tweeting about life, music, food, love, and #ManUtd. Follow Bryan @maddsey.