Things. Reasons: The independent show for Australian IT leaders (AI, Tech & IT Leadership)

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In this episode, Cloud Reset welcomes cybersecurity expert Jason Murrell, Chair of the Australian Cyber Network and Dynamic Standards International to discuss the evolving landscape of cybersecurity for Australian businesses, with a focus on SMBs and mid-market organisations. Jono, Naran and Jason unpack the importance of accessible and dynamic cybersecurity standards, practical strategies for managing cyber risks, and the challenges of insourcing versus outsourcing security operations.

Why you should tune in:

What the launch and significance of the SMB 1001 standard means for Australian SMBs.

Addressing anxiety in SMBs around cyber threats and creating cost-effective, accessible solutions.

The growing need for sovereign cybersecurity solutions to support Australian businesses.

Evaluating the insourcing vs outsourcing debate for security operations centres (SOC) and SIEMs.

Practical analogies to simplify cybersecurity for business leaders.

The role of dynamic standards in addressing emerging threats, including AI-driven cyber risks.

Here are the resources we covered in the episode:

ADAPT's 2024 Cloud & Infrastructure Edge insights for Australian technology providers

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Follow Naran McClung on LinkedIn

Cloud Reset's YouTube Channel

Contact us at [email protected] with any questions, suggestions, or corrections.

And don't forget to rate/review!

In this episode, Cloud Reset welcomes Phil Barlow, Director of Partner Technology at Microsoft, to dissect the surprising findings from 2024 ADAPT research. Cloud Security has fallen off the Top 10 investment priorities for Australian IT and Infrastructure leaders, replaced by multi-cloud architecture and generative AI. Jono, Naran, and Phil debate what this means for businesses and whether it's a step forward or a dangerous oversight.

Why You Should Tune In:

1. Cloud Security Drops Off the Radar: Why is it no longer a top CIO investment?

2. Multi-Cloud Tops the List: Why and why now?

3. Generative AI's Big Move: How it's reshaping priorities and how to avoid the POC graveyard

4. Platform vs. Best-of-Breed Security: The Defender debate heats up. Phil and Naran get into the nitty gritty.

Show Resources:

Follow Jono Staff on LinkedIn

Follow Naran McClung on LinkedIn

Watch the episodes on Youtube

Full show transcript on our Blog

Contact us at [email protected] with any questions, suggestions, or corrections.

And don't forget to rate/review!

Episode Summary:

• The rise of AI washing and how businesses can cut through the hype to identify real AI value amidst exaggerated vendor claims.

• Balancing AI investment and outcomes, with examples from Microsoft Copilot and Macquarie's SOC Digital Twin, highlighting cost-effective wins and evolving ROI.

• Productivity as a priority—the fastest way for businesses to see returns from AI is by automating workflows and reducing operational costs.

• Data governance as a foundation for AI success, stressing the importance of data readiness and ownership to avoid inaccurate outputs and compliance risks.

• Building AI talent organically, encouraging businesses to foster tech pioneers through innovation frameworks, competitions, and collaborative environments.

Show Resources:

Follow Jono Staff on LinkedIn

Follow Naran McClung on LinkedIn

Watch the episodes on Youtube

Full show transcript on our Blog

Contact us at [email protected] with any questions, suggestions, or corrections.

And don't forget to rate/review!

Episode Summary:

• Introduction to the podcast, Cloud Reset, focusing on "Straight Talk and Real Solutions" for IT decision-makers.

• Hosts Jonathan Staff and Naran McClung discuss their combined decades of experience in the Australian IT industry, including both vendor and customer perspectives.

• The importance of transparency and honesty when working with Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and vendors, especially regarding pricing and service value.

• A deep dive into vendor lock-in and its impact on businesses, highlighting the Broadcom takeover of VMware as a real-world example.

• Discussion on how businesses can avoid vendor lock-in by focusing on cloud portability and multi-platform strategies to remain agile and competitive.

• Real-life stories from the IT frontlines, illustrating challenges with cost optimisation and risk management in cloud environments.

• The rising pressure on CFOs in IT decisions, especially around managing cloud costs and ensuring compliance with emerging regulations.

• Insights into managing large-scale IT projects, including the need for flexibility in responding to sudden price hikes or industry disruptions.

• Advice for business and IT leaders: redefine what "good" looks like by measuring workload portability and cloud agility.