Telecom Reseller / Technology Reseller News

Expereo: Enterprises Are Racing Into AI, But the Network Still Has to Carry the Load, Podcast, “AI is no longer a debate. Enterprises are already using it. The question now is whether the network is ready to support what comes next,” says Marek Wasilewski of Expereo

@Doug Green

“AI is no longer a debate. Enterprises are already using it. The question now is whether the network is ready to support what comes next,” says Marek Wasilewski of Expereo.

In this Cisco Live 2026 podcast, Doug Green speaks with Marek Wasilewski of Expereo about the company’s 2026 Enterprise Horizons report and what it reveals about enterprise AI adoption, network readiness and the growing pressure on global connectivity.

This is one of several Cisco Live podcasts worth revisiting after the initial wave of show coverage. The conversation provides interesting insights into how AI is changing the network conversation for enterprises, service providers and channel partners.

According to Expereo’s research, 92% of enterprises are using AI in some form, while 30% are already using it extensively. At the same time, 70% are investing in AI without carefully measuring ROI. That combination creates both opportunity and risk: enterprises are moving quickly, but many are still building on networks that were not designed for the scale, performance and resilience demands of AI-driven operations.

Expereo, a global Network-as-a-Service provider, helps enterprises simplify and manage connectivity across complex international environments. In the podcast, Wasilewski explains why AI success depends not only on models, applications and cloud platforms, but also on the underlying network that connects users, data, workloads and business locations.

For channel partners, MSPs and enterprise technology leaders, the message is clear: AI is making the network strategic again. Connectivity is no longer just plumbing. It is becoming a core part of digital transformation, customer experience, automation and business continuity.

The conversation also explores how enterprises can think more clearly about AI investment, how global connectivity strategies are changing, and why network visibility, flexibility and reliability will matter even more as AI moves from pilot projects into production environments.

Learn more: expereo.com

Network Is Hot Again: Stackpane’s Sarbjeet Johal on Cisco Live, AI Infrastructure and Systems Economics, Podcast, Johal brings a unique mix of technical, business, and economics experience to the discussion

@Doug Green, Publisher, Technology Reseller News

“The network is hot again because a lot more data is traversing on it, and a lot more data will traverse on it,” says Sarbjeet Johal of Stackpane.

In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Sarbjeet Johal, Founder and CEO of Stackpane, technology analyst, cloud strategist and go-to-market specialist, about why the network has moved back to the center of the enterprise technology conversation.

Johal brings an unique mix of technical, business and economics experience to the discussion. A veteran of VMware, Oracle and Dell EMC, Johal has spent decades building and deploying enterprise systems, advising technology providers, and helping buyers understand cloud strategy, infrastructure modernization and digital transformation.

At Cisco Live, Johal says the biggest theme was simplification. Cisco, he argues, is working to reduce infrastructure complexity for customers operating across public cloud, on-premises systems, AI workloads and increasingly distributed environments. That includes a renewed focus on infrastructure as code, platform control, and AI-assisted tools such as Cisco IQ, which Johal says can help customers and partners troubleshoot, configure and operate Cisco environments more effectively.

The conversation then turns to Johal’s recent observation that “the network is hot again.” His point is that AI, real-time systems, digital services, autonomous agents, and API-driven interactions are all placing new demands on network performance. As more data moves across enterprise systems, latency, memory, compute, and connectivity become more strategically important. Johal notes that during AI inference, latency is especially critical, making the network, chips, CPUs, and memory all part of the same infrastructure story.

Johal also frames the issue through systems economics. Enterprises are not simply buying more technology for the sake of modernization. They are being forced to ask whether cloud, AI, on-prem infrastructure, and automation actually pencil out in terms of total cost of ownership, return on investment, and operational value. For MSPs, channel partners, and technology providers, that creates an opportunity to help customers make better architecture decisions, not just consume more tools.

The podcast closes with a look ahead to a future conversation on token economics, AI infrastructure costs, and where MSPs and channel partners can find real business opportunity as enterprise technology becomes more automated, more data-intensive, and more dependent on resilient network infrastructure.

Editor’s note: This podcast was recorded at Cisco Live in Las Vegas and is being posted later. With time, the conversation has become even more notable. Johal’s central point — that the network is “hot again” — has only gained relevance as AI, automation, cloud infrastructure and real-time digital services continue to place new pressure on enterprise networks.

Learn more: Stackpane at stackpane.com

By Moshe Beauford

We sat down with Jake Wilcox, Omni-Channel Solutions Architect at Geisinger, to discuss the critical role of context in delivering exceptional customer and patient experiences. Wilcox explained how organizations can reduce friction by ensuring information flows seamlessly across departments and touchpoints, enabling more personalized and efficient interactions. The conversation also examined the business impact of disconnected experiences, the risks friction poses to customer satisfaction and organizational performance, and key considerations for deploying AI-powered solutions in healthcare and other highly regulated environments.

By Moshe Beauford

In this episode, Dan Belanger, President of the Americas at NiCE, reveals how strategic partner enablement drives success in the technology channel. He shares NiCE’s go-to-market approach, emphasizing how equipping partners with the right tools, preventing overlap, and aligning sales teams creates scalable growth across the Americas.

By Moshe Beauford

At NiCE World 2026, Moshe Beauford, Technology Editor at Technology Reseller News, sat down with Justin Robbins, CEO and Founder of Metric Sherpa, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving role of AI in customer experience and decision-making process during the technology purchasing phase. Robbins shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey, the growth of Metric Sherpa, and his participation at the event. The discussion explores the current state of AI adoption, practical implementation challenges, strategies for evaluating AI investments, and how organizations can make smarter technology purchasing decisions in an increasingly crowded market.

By Doug Green

“We’re absolutely on the path, and we’re not talking five, six, seven years. We’re talking in the next 18 to 24 months.”

In this episode of the Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Josh Kindiger, COO and co-founder of Grokstream, about the company’s new L1 Agent and what it means for the future of AI-driven network and IT operations.

Grokstream is the company behind Grok, an AI-powered predictive agent platform for network and IT operations. The platform comes out of the event intelligence and AIOps space and is designed to help operations teams identify, triage, and resolve recurring issues more efficiently.

Kindiger says Grokstream recently released its first role-based agent, the L1 Agent, in beta. The full production release is expected in Q2. The agent is already being used with customers to prove out real-world capabilities.

Because many organizations remain cautious about AI-driven automation, Grokstream is starting with low-risk, repeatable use cases. In many operations centers, Kindiger notes, the same incidents occur repeatedly, sometimes accounting for as much as 70% of activity. The L1 Agent is designed to recognize those patterns and guide operators through triage and resolution.

For example, if a recurring issue requires a service restart, the system can recommend or automate that step. If a pattern points to a commercial power outage at a site, the agent can help avoid unnecessary dispatches while monitoring backup power systems.

Kindiger says the goal is not to remove human oversight immediately, but to build trust through guardrails, staged automation, and operator control. Low-risk automations can be handled end to end, while higher-risk actions may require human approval.

The podcast also explores the broader opportunity for enterprises, MSPs, and CSPs. Kindiger says service providers and managed service providers face growing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and differentiate in competitive markets. AI-driven operations can help them respond faster, lower manual workload, and deliver better service outcomes.

The long-term direction is clear: autonomous network operations are coming. Kindiger says companies should begin now because foundational work is needed before they can fully benefit from automation.

For MSPs and CSPs, he says the urgency is even greater. Cost pressure is shaping renewals and new customer wins, and AI-powered operations may become a competitive advantage.

Learn more at www.grokstream.com

By Doug Green

“AI is generating code, but it’s not generating secure code.”

In this episode of the Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Jonathan Kozimor, Vice President of Channel Americas at Checkmarx, about the company’s next-generation SAST engine and the growing opportunity for MSPs and channel partners in application security.

Kozimor says software development has changed dramatically. Developers are producing more code, AI is accelerating that process, and traditional security models are struggling to keep up. The old approach of writing code, scanning it, and fixing issues later is no longer enough.

Checkmarx’s new SAST engine is designed to reduce noise, false positives, and lack of context by helping teams focus on the vulnerabilities that matter most.

“The industry does not need more vulnerability data,” Kozimor says. “Security teams already have plenty of findings. What they need is intelligence, and they need faster fixes.”

The podcast also explores findings from recent Checkmarx research, including the gap between security awareness and execution. Kozimor notes that many organizations understand the risks, but still struggle to operationalize security at the speed of modern development.

Looking ahead, Kozimor says AppSec must become more automated, more intelligent, and more deeply embedded in the development lifecycle. AI will play a role, but it must be paired with governance, security policy, and human oversight.

For channel partners, the opportunity is clear. Customers need help modernizing AppSec, managing change, and embedding security into development workflows without slowing innovation.

“This is where the partner ecosystem is fundamental to customer success,” Kozimor says.

Learn more at www.checkmarx.com

“Trust is built through very small moments,” says Julie Thiel of TTS Company.

In this Telecom Reseller podcast, Doug Green speaks with Thiel about how MSPs, channel partners and growing technology businesses can strengthen leadership, retention and performance through everyday interactions with employees.

Thiel says HR is often misunderstood as paperwork, compliance or “the fun police.” In reality, she says, effective people practices are about leadership and helping businesses grow. For smaller entrepreneurial companies, that means building trust with employees through regular conversations, follow-through, recognition and simple moments of human connection.

The discussion focuses on the idea that leadership is not built only through major decisions or formal speeches. It is built through small, repeated actions: asking how someone is doing, remembering what matters to them, listening a little longer, and making time for regular one-on-one conversations.

Thiel says those small moments can make difficult conversations easier later, whether a manager needs to give feedback, address a client issue or ask an employee to take on new responsibilities. When trust already exists, employees are more likely to hear feedback constructively and bring forward ideas, concerns and opportunities.

For MSPs and channel companies that may not be able to compete with larger employers on compensation alone, Thiel says relationship-building can become a competitive advantage. Smaller businesses can often offer flexibility, development opportunities and direct access to customers in ways larger organizations cannot.

The conversation also connects leadership and trust to company value. Thiel says businesses with stable teams, low turnover and developing leaders are better positioned for growth, succession and potential acquisition.

Learn more at thettscompany.com.

“If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backwards,” says Elie Katz, CEO of National Retail Solutions.

In this Telecom Reseller podcast, Doug Green speaks with Katz about National Retail Solutions, its relationship with IDT, and the continuing opportunity for telecom resellers, MSPs and channel partners to serve independent retailers.

Katz explains that National Retail Solutions was built to help independent merchants gain access to the tools they need to compete, including point-of-sale systems, credit card processing, cash advance, payroll and related business services. The company now serves more than 35,000 locations.

Katz says NRS grew out of IDT’s long-standing relationship with independent retailers, many of which were already selling telecom products. That connection helped NRS recognize that small merchants needed practical, easy-to-use technology to remain competitive as e-commerce, delivery, AI and digital payments reshape retail.

The discussion also looks at the importance of local stores in their communities. Katz says independent retailers often have close relationships with their customers, giving them a level of service and flexibility that larger chains may not offer.

For telecom resellers and channel partners, Katz says the retail community remains a strong opportunity. Many already have relationships with small businesses and can add value by bringing them technology and services that help them operate more efficiently.

Katz also discusses NRS retailer networking meetups, which bring merchants and business partners together to share ideas, learn from one another and identify new opportunities.

Learn more at NRSplus.com.

“If your AI agent failed today, would you know before your customers do?” asks Sophie Cheng, Chief Marketing Officer at Sinch.

In this Telecom Reseller podcast, Doug Green speaks with Cheng about Sinch’s new research on what the company calls the “AI production paradox.” While many enterprises have moved beyond AI pilots, the bigger challenge is keeping AI agents reliable once they are live.

Cheng says Sinch surveyed more than 2,500 global enterprise executives and found that 62% already have AI programs in production. But 74% also reported having to roll back a live AI agent because of operational reliability issues, including exposed data, hallucinations, tone-of-voice problems, auditability gaps and compliance concerns.

The discussion focuses on why AI agents often perform well in controlled testing, but encounter problems when exposed to real customer interactions. Cheng says enterprises need stronger governance, clearer guardrails and communications infrastructure that can support secure, reliable, multichannel customer engagement.

“More monitoring means more failures are detected,” Cheng says. “It does not mean more failures are created.”

Cheng also explains why infrastructure is becoming central to enterprise AI strategy. If messages are not delivered, channels cannot be connected, or customer context cannot move across SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, voice and email, AI-powered customer engagement can break down before the model itself becomes the issue.

For enterprises operating across markets, industries and regulatory environments, Cheng says Sinch helps provide the communications foundation needed to support scale, compliance and customer experience.

Visit sinch.com.