Trending Tech: Digital Transformation: It's critical, but not all serious

Back by popular demand, Trending Tech returns for 2026 with a brand-new episode on one of the year’s hottest topics: physical AI in smart mobility.

Explore how physical AI is moving intelligence out of the cloud and into the machines around us. Join GSMA’s Barbara Pareglio, AstraQua’s Loay Elbasyouni and host Jim Morrish from Transforma Insights as they dive into autonomous vehicles, drones, aircraft, robots and other systems that can sense, reason and act in the real world. Drawing on Loay’s experience helping to fly NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, discover what it takes to make autonomy safe, responsive and efficient.

From ultra-low latency and edge processing to private networks, network APIs and satellite connectivity, learn how multilayer networks can help physical AI operate wherever it is needed.

Whether you work in mobility, manufacturing, aviation, public safety or next-generation connectivity, don’t miss practical insights into power, data, governance and collaboration and a glimpse at how intelligent machines could transform the physical world.

Plus, find out why a robot can lose its head and keep fighting and what that reveals about how far humanoid robotics still has to go.

In this episode of the Trending Tech podcast, host Jim Morrish, co-founder of Transforma Insights is joined by Tim Last, executive vice president at Iridium, to explore how satellite connectivity is evolving from a specialist solution for remote applications into an integrated part of mainstream IoT.

They discuss how lower-cost hardware, cellular standards and Iridium NTN Direct are helping developers combine terrestrial and satellite connectivity within a single solution. From asset tracking and connected vehicles to autonomous aircraft, ships and industrial machines, discover how standards-based satellite IoT can provide reliable coverage when devices move beyond cellular networks.

Jim and Tim also examine the growing threat of GNSS jamming and spoofing, the importance of trusted positioning, navigation and timing and why resilient global connectivity will be critical to the future of autonomous systems.

Plus, in “What the Tech?”, find out how scientists are turning sharks into roaming sensor platforms to collect ocean data and improve hurricane forecasting.

In this episode of the Trending Tech podcast, host Jim Morrish, co-founder of Transforma Insights, is joined by Rony Cohen, co-founder of FLOLIVE and Loic Bonvarlet, senior VP of ecosystem and marketing at Kigen to explore how cellular IoT is evolving from remote monitoring into distributed infrastructure spanning device, edge, network and cloud.

As AI moves into the device, the rules change: models update continuously, decisions demand millisecond responses and data sovereignty determines where data can travel. So what should enterprises, MVNOs and manufacturers decide on day one to keep devices viable in the field for a decade or more?

Our guests discuss what SGP.32 really unlocks for eSIM-first deployments at scale, why the EU Cyber Resilience Act turns secure updates into a market access requirement, and why AI workloads need a network that comes to where the AI runs not the other way around.

In this episode of the IoT Now Trending Tech podcast, host George Malim, managing editor at IoT Now, is joined by KORE’s Mandeep Saini, director of product management, to explore how SGP.32, eSIM and remote SIM provisioning are changing the way enterprises connect and manage large IoT fleets.

From moving beyond carrier lock-in and enabling frictionless connectivity orchestration to creating a true single pane of glass, they discuss why IoT management is shifting from SIM-centric to device-first operations. They also examine the need for governance, the evolving role of mobile operators and satellite connectivity, and why strong partnerships, common standards and device certification remain essential.

Looking ahead, George and Mandeep explore how software-defined connectivity, APIs and agentic AI could make IoT operations increasingly autonomous. They explain why connected devices are becoming continuously evolving pieces of software and what enterprises must do to manage changing profiles, detect abnormal behaviour and operate deployments reliably at scale.

In this episode of the Trending Tech podcast, Transforma Insights’ Jim Morrish sits down with Aeris’ Grant Bishop to map out a path forward. Together, they break down why traditional reactive operations are fundamentally broken, how major new compliance frameworks like the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and NIS2 are radically reshaping global deployments, and why deep network orchestration is no longer optional. 

In this episode of the Trending Tech podcast, host Satyajit Sinha, principal analyst at IoT Analytics, is joined by Giesecke+Devrient’s (G+D) David Hambling, head of connectivity business development for Asia Pacific, to unpack what the new SGP.32 eSIM specification really means for the Internet of Things (IoT). With IoT connections racing towards 39 billion by 2030, they explore why cellular is growing faster than the wider IoT market, how embedded SIM (eSIM) and integrated SIM (iSIM) adoption is accelerating, and why a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to connectivity is no longer realistic in today’s fragmented global landscape.

From GSMA-compliant SGP.32 and the role of the eIM, to in-factory provisioning (SGP.42), post-quantum security, automotive innovation and the rise of ‘born-connected’ devices, Satyajit and David explain how an end-to-end stack can deliver secure, scalable IoT connectivity for the next decade and what operators, OEMs and automotive manufacturers should be watching very closely over the next 24 months.

In this episode of the IoT Now Podcast, host George Malim explores the fast-evolving world of mission-critical communications with Mark O’Connell, general manager for EMEA and APAC at Globalstar and Jim Morrish, founding partner at Transforma Insights.

From first responders and critical infrastructure to agriculture, environmental monitoring and hazardous-materials transport, mission-critical means something different to every organisation. So how is satellite connectivity stepping up to meet those diverse demands?

Our guests discuss the increasing accessibility of satellite technology, the impact of falling launch and hardware costs and the rise of hybrid terrestrial-satellite systems that keep communications resilient when it matters most. They also examine cybersecurity risks, the role of AI and edge intelligence, and why low Earth orbit (LEO) networks are becoming central to global IoT strategies.

Sit back and listen…

Host Jim Morrish of Transforma Insights returns with the GSMA Smart Mobility podcast, joined by Barbara Pareglio, Senior Technical Director and Smart Mobility lead at GSMA, and Nick Power, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cubic³. Together they explore how automotive connectivity is transforming the driving experience from infotainment and eCall to V2X and autonomous vehicles. The guests unpack the global regulatory patchwork, the rise of non-terrestrial networks and the mounting cybersecurity challenges as cars become software-defined. 

Plus, discover how a journalist accidentally triggered a wave of Alexa dollhouse orders, and what it’s like to ride in China’s latest robot taxis.

https://www.iot-now.com/2025/11/27/154077-podcast-is-the-connected-car-revolution-finally-here-or-are-we-still-stuck-in-neutral/

Brought to you by IoT Now, host Jim Morrish of Transforma Insights talks to Sam Colley from Giesecke+Devrient about the quest for truly global IoT connectivity. They explore how the new SGP.32 eSIM standard is transforming deployments, why MVNOs are finding fresh relevance and how non-terrestrial networks may fill the gaps that cellular never can. From energy grid failures to Scania’s worldwide fleets, find out how enterprises are navigating complexity. Plus, in “What the Tech?”, we reveal brain-stress tattoos and the unintended effects of the UK’s Online Safety Act.

In this fast-paced episode of the Trending Tech Podcast brought to you by the team at IoT Now, explore the role of AI in telecommunications, especially for telcos and MVNOs, including its integration into IoT services. Your host, Jim Morrish, Co-Founder of Transforma Insights, and his guest, Rupa Datta, VP of Connected Services at Semtech, delve into the benefits and challenges of this fast-growing technology.