Data is the lifeblood of today's enterprise. Making sure we secure it properly is critical to modern business. We cannot afford data to leave our control in any way that puts our sensitive and important information at risk. In a world of increased data focussed regulations where data, privacy and trust are so critical in our business relationships, the impact of a data breach can be significant.

How do we address this challenge? How do we empower our use of data and keep it secure and under our control?

That is the subject of this Tech Interviews Episode with my guest Justin Bortnick of Digital Guardian. Justin is a long-time data security practitioner and uses that experience to help simplify the often-complex issues that come with data security. I take this opportunity to learn from Justin’s experience and build an understanding of modern data loss prevention techniques and how technology from industry leaders like Digital Guardian can help you to effectively enable your data security strategy.

Join us in this fascinating discussion as we bust some DLP myths by covering.

• Learn the basics

• Get buy-in

• Your first goal – know where your data is

• Context is crucial to accurate DLP

• Crawl before you run

• What are your data loss drivers?

• This is not just a technical problem

• The Digital Guardian approach

• The one thing you should be doing

Data loss prevention is a priority for any business serious about its data and Justin’s enthusiasm for the subject and the level of insight he provided was hugely valuable for me and I trust there were for you too.

If you have any questions, then please email [email protected] and to catch the next episode then please subscribe.

For now, thanks for joining me.

Full show notes are here : https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1Sq

In our last show, we talked about the idea of cyber fit and cyber protection and how, as our demands and the threats to our data change, so must our approach to security and protection. We continue that theme this week as we look at the changing world in which we operate and how that is driving the need to think not only about protection but also resilience, digital resilience.

Joining me this week is Edwin Weijdema a global technologist at Veeam. This idea of resilience is key when it comes to security, while much of the security discussion is focussed on prevention, and rightly so, it is important to realise that even the best-laid plans cannot always stop a cyber security incident. When that happens, what is the plan?

The way we operate as businesses, our reliance on technology in all walks of life, as well as the ever-evolving cyber threat, have all changed the way we need to look at our security plans and it's crucial that we also know not only how to protect ourselves, but handle it when the worst happens. Join us as Edwin shares with us his experiences and ideas around.

• The evolving world

• How the cyber threat has grown

• Cyber Security Still an IT problem

• Building digital resilience

• The security triangle People, Process, Technology

• Protection without recovery is nothing

• Veeam the Risk Management Company

I always enjoy discussing this stuff with Edwin, he has great enthusiasm and experience for the topic and a passion for helping others to develop cyber resilience. You can find more from Edwin by following him on Twitter @Viperian or LinkedIn.

I hope you found that as useful as I always do when I chat with Edwin. To make sure you catch the next show, why not subscribe.

But for now, thanks for joining me.

For full show notes including links : https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1Sc

Cyber Security continues to be top of the list of IT challenges most enterprises face. While our businesses continue to evolve in how we use technology, how we work, and how we consume data, so the threat continues to evolve.

In the face of this challenge we need to think carefully about how we deliver our security strategy, these modern threats need a modern approach. Earlier this year, I was asked to present at an event hosted by Acronis, this event focussed on taking a new approach to security. The contents of that day stuck with me and I wanted to share with you some of the information from that event. To help me to do that is one of my co-presenters Acronis’s Candid Wuest.

Join us as we discuss.

• What is Cyber Fit and Cyber Protection?

• No single technology will protect you from everything

• The holistic approach

• Enjoy the SAPAS

• Security is complex, but its management shouldn’t be

• Having a security business continuity plan

• Some tips for getting cyber fit

• A little more about the Acronis approach

• The value of learning from vendors

This is such a crucial topic in the enterprise and as we mentioned in summary, taking the opportunity to learn from leading vendors, can be extremely useful as you help build your cyber defences.

More details and follow up information can be found in the show notes : https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1S7

Until next time, thanks for listening.

Tech Interviews has come out of semi-retirement for a short series of shows looking at another range of Enterprise IT topics.

First up, is an old familiar subject of the evolving world of storage, specifically object storage.

Why is object storage increasingly becoming part of the everyday enterprise data platform conversation? Is it better suited to modern ways of working, that need data portability at scale? Does it fit better with our modern application development processes, such as containers? To find out I am joined on this episode by field CTO and co-founder of Scality Brad King.

Join us as we discuss

• What is object Storage

• Why object and not just block and file?

• Is it time for more object in the enterprise?

• The value of metadata

• The object use cases

• About Scality

• Artesca bringing object to the smaller use case

The case for object storage as a primary platform for your data continues to grow and there are some use cases it meets extremely well. Although it may not be right every time If you are looking at new approaches to data in your business, it may well be time to explore what object storage can bring.

For full show notes https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1RY

Thanks for listening.

The demands on business IT continue to evolve rapidly, we need our technology to respond to change, to be deployed quickly, provide scale and flexibility. This is changing the way applications are developing with approaches such as low/no-code and serverless becoming increasingly common.

On this week's Tech Interviews we look at these new development approaches and ask what does low-code and serverless mean for you and your enterprise? Joining me to discuss this is Mike Williams, founder, and CTO at BuildLab.

We discuss.

Trends driving change.

What is low code and serverless?

Don't get hung up on how, focus on the what

It isn't for everyone

How do you define the right route for you?

What makes a good project?

This is not a silver bullet

BuildLab, building more with less.

I found this a really useful introduction to a technology and approach that is becoming more commonplace. I like Mike's approach, using these technologies to allow the focus to be on outcomes while appreciating that this doesn't work for everyone.

I hope you enjoyed that, if you have an idea for a show or would like to be a guest email me at [email protected].

Until next time, thanks for listening.

Full show notes with links can be found here: https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1R6

When you talk to any business today and ask them about their top strategic IT goals using artificial intelligence and machine learning to help the business be “better” is often right at the top. It is not a surprise, is it?

But not all in the AI garden is necessarily rosy, there are still many, including some high-profile, incidents of major AI/ML projects going bad, with millions of $’s spent for little or no return. Why is that? What does it mean for AI in the enterprise now and in the future?

That is what we explore on this week’s podcast as I am joined by Slater Victoroff CTO at indico. He shares thoughts on the current state of intelligence in the enterprise, sharing thoughts on how to avoid project failure, the importance of quality data, how to avoid the data “charlatan” as well as providing some top tips on getting your AI investment right.

Join us as we chat about.

• AI is not the answer to everything, but it is great at some things.

• AI adoption is immature.

• Not an android more a bionic arm.

• The embarrassing failures.

• Get the basics right.

• You cannot solve problems you cannot scope.

• Clever Hans.

• Tips to getting your AI investment right.

• Avoid data charlatans.

• What do indico do?

• Empowering the right people with the right tools.

Data analytics, intelligence and machine learning are a core part of most businesses short, medium and long term plans and used right it is a powerful technology that can deliver huge value. However, doing it right takes thought, planning, time and effort. Hopefully, Slater has provided you with some great tips.

If you have an idea for a show or would like to appear as a guest, then please email me at [email protected] and to catch the next episode then please subscribe.

Until next time thanks for listening.

Full show notes are here https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1QT

The last 12 months or so have seen the biggest shift in working practices in many generations, the restrictions imposed around the world because of COVID has forced us all to look at the way we operate as both businesses and people.

A key part of our ability to survive the last 12 months was, of course, technology, collaboration tools particularly have had a significant role to play, allowing us to easily communicate with each other and our customers, to share information and data, to meet up in daily online meetings to ensure we still had some level of “face to face” communications. Without those tools, the challenges of day-to-day operations would have been much harder.

Collaboration technology of course is not something that businesses just consume, there are vendors who build the tools that have allowed so many of us to adapt during this time of massive change. What has the last 12 months looked like for them? What have they learned? What does that mean for us and the future of work moving forward?

Joining me this week is Michael Peachey is Vice President, User Experience, at collaboration giants RingCentral and I get the chance to find out from him what the global collaboration picture has looked like over the last 12 months, the changes they’ve seen and what they envision for the future of work.

We discuss.

• The 12-month experiment.

• What RingCentral have learned as a business.

• Accelerating change.

• Surprises!

• Online fatigue.

• Cultural changes.

• Replicating the “human experience”.

• What happens when half the world goes back to the office and the other doesn’t?

• Check out RingCentral.

I enjoyed this chat with Michael, the future of work is not set in stone for either businesses or those building the tools we are going to rely on, but what is clear, is there is real enthusiasm and innovation not just about how the technology should work, but how the human experience should be improved and that can only be a good thing.

If you have an idea for a show or would like to appear as a guest drop a line to [email protected]. To catch the next episode then subscribe on all good homes of podcasts or YouTube.

Until next time, thanks for listening.

For full show notes visit https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1QM

"Transformation" is a phrase we hear a lot, in fact, it almost feels like everyone in the world has some kind of transformation project going on. In reality, over the last 12 months or so, we all have, we have changed the way we operate as businesses and as people.

But what does it mean to go through a transformation as a business? What is transformation? How do we do it well?

That's the question I ask this week with my guest Chris Gherardini.

Chris is founder of Turnkey Technologies a US-based consultancy business, focussed on helping companies deliver business transformation projects. Chris started Turnkey 27 years ago after cutting his technology teeth in an accountancy practice, so comes to this conversation with a lot of experience.

Join us as we discuss.

The four pillars of transformation.

What drives change?

Seeing transformation as an opportunity.

Things to avoid in your approach.

The importance of vision.

It is a cultural thing.

Top tips for getting transformation right.

We are all constantly facing change and any tips on how to do it well are always welcomed, so I hope you found as much useful information in what Chris said as I did.

If you have an idea for a show or would like to appear email [email protected] and to catch the next episode, please subscribe.

Until next time thanks for listening.

For full show notes https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1QH

Data is everywhere and part of every strategic business conversation how do we use it better? How do get more value from it? How do we truly make it a business asset? The answers to those questions are driving a whole new way of thinking in the way we deliver IT services to a business. New workflows, new development architectures and exploiting technology shifts to try to break the shackles that traditional infrastructure often enforces on how we can use data to meet our business needs. This has led to a steady evolution, virtualisation, cloud and architectures such as serverless which allows us to run our code and services independent of any underlying platform.

What if we could achieve that same flexibility for our data?

If your business could use its data without restriction what would that allow you to do? That was the thesis of a blog post that I read recently from David Flynn the CEO of my guest Doug Fallstrom’s company Hammerspace and is the topic for this weeks show.

Join us as we discuss.

• Why we need to be data-centric.

• Getting additional value from our data.

• Users don’t care where the data is and why should they?

• Talk to the non-storage people in your business to know how they use data.

• Tips for shifting to a data focussed approach.

• The Hammerspace Tech.

• The power of the “as a service” model.

For today’s enterprise taking a data-centric approach to the way, we build our IT platforms is critical if you want to be a data-driven business. Approaches such as those discussed by Doug, coupled with technical innovations to enable your data strategy is going to be central to your success.

For full show notes visit here https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1Qx

Finally, If you have an idea for a show or would like to be a guest, then email [email protected].

Until next time, thanks for listening.

The IT landscape is changing extremely quickly as we embrace new ways of working, new technologies, adopt the cloud and have ever more distributed workforces, all demanding increased access to our services and data. These changes are being embraced by modern business as they see technology as a way of driving improved outcomes and new opportunities. However, one thing that often does not change in our business is networking, not only the technology behind it but more importantly the processes we have in place to operationally support our enterprises rapidly changing demands.

What then, do we need to change, why and how? That’s what I chat about with this week’s guest Andrew Wertkin, Andrew is the Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCat a company specialising in the management, control and automation of DNS, DHCP and IP address management or DDI (an acronym of acronyms), join us as we look at how the network has changed, how not changing our operational approach is inhibiting us and how to plan for better network management.

It’s a fascinating chat as we discuss.

• What is DDI

• DNS, DHCP, IP Management modern critical services

• Without control and governance, you can’t enable change

• IT cannot be a blocker

• That’s not transforming it’s just upgrading

• If you don’t expect your IT to change you’re not paying attention

• If you’re not planning you will have problems

• Getting your DDI right

Andrew offers a range of great insight that I trust you found as useful as I did. For more information and links to some of the things we spoke about visit https://wp.me/p4IvtA-1Qd for show notes.

If you have an idea for a show or would like to join me as a guest email [email protected]. To catch the next episode then subscribe in any of the usual ways.

Thanks for listening.