Kagan Media and Telecom Summit
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The annual Kagan Media and Telecom Summit in New York is in the books and it not only covered a lot of market activity, but it was also surrounded by a number of media and sports rights headlines. Justin Nielson, Eric Keith, Scott Robson and Seth Shafer joined host Eric Hanselman to look at what was covered in the expansive event and the time around it. There were big shifts in media rights and a couple of sports team sales that led to lively discussions. Networks are balking at some of the lofty prices for sports media rights in the face of streaming services’ higher demand. The realignment...
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Security for MCP
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The Model Context Protocol (MCP) specification has helped to accelerate access to a wide range of data sources for AI applications. But there are questions about the security and trust implications around a protocol that is still in its infancy. Scott Crawford and Justin Lam return to the podcast to examine the concerns that have been raised and changes that are underway in the specification with host Eric Hanselman. The previous episode introduced MCP and some of the market forces that are in play. Security considerations didn’t appear to be fully sorted out in the first version of the...
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Context Around MCP
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Linking generative AI models to the agents that are going to use them now has a standard for queries, the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Suddenly all sorts of things are vying to be your data source of choice. What could go wrong? Analysts Jean Atelsek, James Curtis and Henry Baltazar join host Eric Hanselman to provide an introduction to what MCP is, what all the fuss is about and where this is headed. Since Anthropic released the standard in November of 2024, there has been significant progress in expanding and clarifying it, but it is still very much a work in progress. Database providers...
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Developer Experience and Automation
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Developer experience is one of the areas where AI applications are showing significant return on investment, but there are significant hurdles to overcome in both changing established development patterns, as well as integrating AI tooling. Analyst Jean Atelsek and AWS vice president for developer experience Deepak Singh join host Eric Hanselman to explore the current state of AI code assistance and look at where it’s headed. Auto-complete, where the next bit of a line of code is filled in for a programmer, has been evolving over a number of years, but the arrival of agents to augment code...
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FinOps – Managing Cloud and AI Costs
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Managing IT costs has always been challenging and the FinOps movement is working to tackle this problem. Analysts Jean Atelsek and Melanie Posey return to the podcast to discuss their research and what they saw at the FinOps X conference with host Eric Hanselman. Cost angst has been exacerbated by the move to cloud. The shift from capital expense to operational expense has been a complicated transition for many. The infrastructure spending growth that being driven by AI initiatives has only just begun, but is already concerning. As cloud costs have become material expenses, more focus has been...
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Datacenter Slowdown?
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A set of questions are being asked about whether the velocity of datacenter build outs is wavering. Analyst Dan Thompson returns to the podcast to explore the realities of the market with host Eric Hanselman. There are some facts that raised the questions, including Microsoft demurring on some datacenter projects, and they have fueled concerns that the heady pace might slacken. The DeepSeek model’s debut with claims of lower training requirements spooked the tech markets in January. There have been layoffs. Are these harbingers of AI doom? In the same way that DeepSeek signaled the next...
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Personal Data
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In the rush to build out AI applications, a full understanding of the dynamics of personal data management can be difficult to achieve. As we kick off Pride Month, the complexities of personal data handling deserve more attention and Emily Jasper and Alan Moore join host Eric Hanselman to discuss the concerns and approaches to address privacy issues. Enterprises accumulate both operational and self-reported personal data, some with regulatory requirements for collection and reporting and some in support of employee development. Is that data the new oil that can fuel their efforts, the new...
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Risk to Resilience
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Around the globe, municipalities are facing a set of challenges managing the impacts of more extreme weather, while addressing aging infrastructure and more chronic issues, such as rising heat and sea levels. There are a set of technologies that can help them to both be aware of the risks and improve planning to work on mitigating them. The Internet of Things (IoT) can play a role in sensing and advances in digital twins can aid in simulating climate-driven events. It’s a set of tools that, when applied well, can help to better build resilience. At the same time, the resilience of...
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AI and Storage
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With all of the drama associated with AI, it’s easy to miss the need to understand the foundations that deliver the data that is the raw element from which AI value is built. Databases and storage infrastructure are critical components that have to work in concert with AI plans and returning guests Henry Baltazar and James Curtis join host Eric Hanselman to discuss what’s been happening and what enterprises need to know about the future. Databases and storage management systems have been intertwined for a long time and AI pressures are tightening that connection. Storage systems perform...
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Technology at the NAB Show
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The annual NAB Show delivered a more fully digital ecosystem when it convened in Las Vegas this year. While traditional broadcast technologies are still the focus, hyperscale cloud providers, digital media platforms and no shortage of AI were all on display. Returning guests Justin Neilson and Peter Leitzinger join host Eric Hanselman to discuss what they saw at broadcasting’s big event and the impacts of various technologies on the media landscape. The digital television evolution is continuing apace. The ATSC 3.0 NextGen TV standard has been rolling out across the globe, albeit a bit more...
info_outlineThe demand for power driven by datacenter expansion is a global challenge and European markets are responding with some interesting aspects. With there has been a strong renewable component to energy supply, the complexity of the energy grid has meant that unified approaches were elusive. At the same time energy markets have faced three crises – demand reduction from the COVID pandemic, strong renewable investment and market disruption from the Russian-Ukraine war. Into this congested environment, Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) offer a way to channel investment in new generation capacity. The EU has just announced guarantees for non-investment grade PPA’s, creating the possibility for expanded markets and extending the ability to treat them as an addition to commodity markets for energy.
Energy generation projects have become increasingly hybrid, bringing together multiple renewable sources with energy storage. Smoothing out renewable peaks can help it better address base load demand. Nuclear remains an expensive option, with approaches like Small Modular Reactors (SMR) still being a long ways off. There is the potential to have AI improve grid efficiency, by balancing demand and generation, an almost circular relationship, given that it is driving so much of demand. That will require more decentralization of the grid to increase flexibility and the acceptance of cryptographic protections for data sovereignty could allow workload placement near sources of power generation. There is a lot of potential for what has become an urgent issue.
More S&P Global Content:
- What is an 'AI datacenter'?
- Platts London Energy Forum 2025
- AI, datacenters and power: The European landscape heading into 2025
- The role of nuclear in AI's future
- Datacenters and energy 101 — Powering through renewable intermittency
- 2025 US datacenters and nuclear energy report
Credits:
- Host/Author: Eric Hanselman
- Guests: Ayça Taşlı, Pedro Schweizer
- Producer/Editor: Amaan Zafar, Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan
- Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith