The Bridgecast with Scott Kinka
The world underwent a massive evolution because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It halted the entire market, and fundamentally how and where we do business. While we found new ways to work and leverage technology that have become essential to how we work, the transformation is ongoing. That’s where The Bridge with Scott Kinka comes in. Each episode you’ll hear the stories of the tech leaders driving this change so you’re ready for what’s still to come and get the insights you need to lead that evolution in the boardroom and beyond. Presented by Bridgepointe Technologies, this podcast is for Tech Leaders, IT professionals, M&A officers, strategists, and company owners who are embracing the change. Each episode we’re joined by C-level executives and leaders of the world’s top Tech companies. guests share real-life experiences and invaluable insights on working in a world changed by a global health crisis and how technology has led the way including  The challenges of remote especially in terms of work-life balance. • The ways business and technology will evolve in the future. • The emerging office-hybrid setup vs. the five-day office-based work week • Tips and tricks for maximizing productivity, regardless of where your team works. • New problems and solutions resulting from a move away from the hub and spoke model. • How to get the most out of your team while they work from home and take care of their families. • Data security including handling sensitive or confidential information when your team is not all in the office. Tune in each week for eye-opening discussions as guests open up about their mistakes at the height of the pandemic, detailing how they fixed and got through them. With their helpful insights and expert advice, it is much easier to prepare for what’s about to come and avoid getting left behind. YOUR HOST: SCOTT KINKA Host Scott Kinka brings his vast knowledge as a veteran commercial technologist and tech founder with heavy experience with MSP and cloud offerings for the mid-market and enterprise. A speaker at nationwide tech events, he has been featured in News, USA Today, and Business Week, among others. Scott's leadership has been recognized with the Philadelphia Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award and he was also named Philadelphia’s Top IT Innovator and Tech Disruptor. In this show, Scott showcases his unique ability to sit down with heavy hitters in the IT industry to have a light-hearted and informative conversation. Look forward to episodes full of many new learnings and ideas without tiresome technical discussions. As Chief Strategy Officer of Bridgepointe Technologies, a nationwide technology strategy and advisory firm, Scott focuses on product and technology training, marketing and lead generation, partner systems and tools, and customer lifecycle management. He works hand-in-hand with tech leaders to help them reach their business goals. Subscribe now to The Bridge so you’re ready to cross the gap between business evolution and market demand with the right tech strategy for your organization. Listen to The Bridge with Scott Kinka at .https://thebridgecast.net.
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Giving Back Through Tech: The Mission of Tech4Change
03/18/2025
Giving Back Through Tech: The Mission of Tech4Change
In this episode of the Bridgecast, host Scott Kinka sits down with Jasmina Mueller and Brad Dupree to discuss the charitable organization Tech4Change. This organization brings together technology leaders to raise funds for various grassroots charities. During their discussion, they explore the mission behind Tech4Change and the fundraising strategies used, sharing impactful stories from their events. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the potential for technology professionals to make a difference through charitable work. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of technology suppliers and channel partners who dedicate time and resources to aid grassroots charities across the U.S. Since its inception in 2014, Tech4Change has raised more than $1.25 million for local grassroots charities that are often overlooked and underfunded. Through event-based fundraising, Tech4Change provides game-changing donations that go directly to the cause rather than administrative costs. Topics discussed in this episode: · Background on Tech4Change · The types of charities supported by Tech4Change · How Tech4Change does their fundraising · Milestones Tech4Change has achieved - How being a 100% volunteer-run organization maximizes direct impact. - Notable contributions made by Tech4Change Previous Granite Episodes Using AI at Scale with Adam Weiner of Granite - The Bridge Podcast with Mark Palmer of Granite - About Tech4Change In the tech channel, we work hard, play hard and, for the most part, earn a good living. Some of us donate time, but more often than not, we write a check to a charity and move on. While those one-off donations help, what could we do if we work together to raise money for a cause? It turns out that we can do a lot! Over the past nine years, we’ve raised more than $1.25 million for grassroots organizations through Tech4Change. In 2023 and beyond, we plan to make a bigger impact with more fundraising events in partnership with industry publishers, event organizers, technology distributors and other organizations that support community-based charitable groups. Tech4Change is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of technology suppliers and channel partners that dedicate time and resources to aid grassroots charities across the U.S. Since our inception in 2014, we’ve raised more than $1.25 million for local grassroots charities that are often overlooked and underfunded. Through event-based fundraising, Tech4Change provides game-changing donations that go directly to the cause rather than administrative costs. Web. LinkedIn. Donate. About Brad Dupee President Head of National Channel Sales, Granite I am the Head of National Channel Sales and Development at Granite, a leading provider of managed network services and solutions for large multi-location businesses. In this role, I lead the strategy and execution of the national B2B partner program, which accounts for approximately 25% of the company's revenue and 50% of the company's new revenue. With more than 25 years of channel sales experience, I have built and managed global alliances, integrations, and ecosystems with technology leaders, system integrators, resellers, VARs, agents, and managed service providers across various industries and markets. I am also passionate about leveraging technology for social impact and innovation. I serve as the President of Tech4Change, a nonprofit organization that supports grassroots charities across the U.S. with technology solutions and fundraising that has raised over $1.25 million for local causes since 2014. As a technology entrepreneur, I have founded and co-founded four start-ups and three corporate ventures, raising capital and developing go-to-market strategies for SaaS, PaaS, API, and cloud applications. I thrive on creating value, building relationships, and solving problems with a collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset. LinkedIn. About Jasmina Muller Vice President Chief Ecosystem Officer, Titan Cloud Storage, Inc Leadership Executive: Dynamic and award-winning channel partner sales leader with over 25 years of experience driving revenue growth, building high-performing teams, and delivering exceptional partner program results in the software and telecom industries. Recognized for developing innovative channel strategies that surpass targets and foster sustainable partnerships. Known for driving operational excellence, cultivating trust, and delivering measurable outcomes. I have achieved significant industry recognition, including 2023 and 2022 Channel Chief awards, 2022 Circle of Excellence Honoree, and multiple Channel Futures DE&I honoree awards. I support organizations that give back to the community and promote DEI efforts, volunteering my time with board seats on Tech4Change, The Alliance of Channel Women, AchieveUnite and a founding member of the Los Angeles flagship location of Chief. My motto is: "Sell the Problem you solve, not the product!" LinkedIn.
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The Future of Communication with Dialpad’s Mike Kane
03/04/2025
The Future of Communication with Dialpad’s Mike Kane
Can AI make business communication smarter and sales more human? Scott Kinka and Mike Kane from Dialpad break down the future of AI-driven conversations, tech partnerships, and the power of emotional intelligence in sales. They cover Dialpad’s AI-driven growth, the role of emotional intelligence in sales, and how AI is reshaping customer interactions, security, and global tech partnerships. Tune in for insights on leveraging AI for smarter, more effective communication. is the leading AI-Powered Customer Intelligence Platform that completely transforms how the world works with one beautiful workspace that seamlessly combines the most advanced AI Contact Center, AI Sales, AI Voice, and Ai Meetings with AI Messaging. Over 30,000 innovative brands and millions of people use Dialpad to unlock productivity, collaboration, and customer satisfaction with real-time Ai insights. Topics discussed in this episode on the future of communication: · How AI is transforming customer communications, but focusing on specific use cases is essential. · The case for private LLMs for businesses and why the customization of AI models is essential. · Use cases for AI in the sales process to enhance productivity and coaching. · Why emotional intelligence is a key strength for sales leaders, aiding in understanding customer needs. · The importance of adapting to different cultural contexts in business. Previous Dialpad episodes About Mike Kane Mike Kane is SVP of Global Channel Sales at Dialpad and has built the organization's channel team from the group up since joining in 2017. Bringing more than two decades of experience in channel and sales to his role, Mike evolved Dialpad into a channel-first company and has maintained the channel as a leading revenue driver for the company. Mike is responsible for all channel go-to-market strategy, enablement, qualified pipeline and revenues across North America, EMEA and APAC. Prior to Dialpad, Mike was the catalyst for the implementation of the channel model in Silicon Valley at large, educating about and driving channel model adoption for companies like DocuSign, Okta, and Box. Contact Mike LinkedIn. Web.
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2024 Year End Recap - Part Two
02/18/2025
2024 Year End Recap - Part Two
Sometimes, we think that new tech can solve old problems. For instance, can AI help employees be better at processes that don't exist? This is just one of the questions we tackle on this episode of The Bridgecast. In this conclusion to The Bridgecast’s 2024 Year-End series, Scott and Gene discuss key industry trends, reflections on the past year, and predictions for the future. The conversation highlights AI adoption challenges, the importance of human oversight in AI-driven processes, and the evolving nature of IT strategy. Topics discussed in this episode: • How IT budgets are increasing, but organizations must focus on efficiency in non-investment areas to balance spending. Human oversight is critical in AI processes to guide decision-making and ensure ethical and accurate outcomes. Why imagination and creativity remain uniquely human qualities. How demonstrating ROI in small, measurable AI projects can build executive confidence. Why leadership involves humility and recognizing the contributions of all team members to success. About Scott Kinka This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the Bridgecast with Scott Kinka. Over the last 12 months and 25 episodes, Scott has gotten the opportunity to ask some of the best minds in technology a plethora of questions, including “what is your favorite app” and “what book is on your nightstand?”. In addition, he’s gotten some shameless predictions from all of these interviews. Well, on this episode, we get to ask the same questions of Scott. Producer Gene Volpe asks Scott all of the tough questions and has him look back on his favorite moments from our episodes so far. This one was an ode to 2024 while looking forward to 2025. We hope that you enjoy this interesting look into the Chief Strategy Officer of Bridgepointe Technologies and tech evangelist, Scott Kinka. Contact Scott Web. LinkedIn.
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2024 Year End Recap - Part One
02/10/2025
2024 Year End Recap - Part One
According to Sun Tzu, energy without strategy is chaos. This sentiment has never been more appropriate today, particularly concerning IT strategy and discussions around AI. In this year-end episode of The Bridgecast, Scott reflects on a monumental year for Bridgepointe Technologies and the broader IT industry. The conversation explores key themes that dominated the year, including AI governance and its impact on business strategy, the evolving role of IT leaders, and lessons from C-suite executives featured on the podcast. Topics discussed in this episode: · Why AI governance and regulation are essential to prevent PR disasters. · How IT leaders must anticipate objections and prepare for questions. · Why cybersecurity is most vulnerable at the human level. · Why generative AI can only deliver value if informed by accurate, clean data. · How IT’s role has evolved post-pandemic. · Why historical frameworks are still relevant for navigating modern tech adoption and strategy. Why collaboration tools like Microsoft Copilot bring immense potential but require careful planning. ABOUT OUR HOST SCOTT KINKA This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the Bridge Podcast with Scott Kinka. Over the last 12 months and 30+ episodes, Scott has gotten the opportunity to ask some of the best minds in technology a plethora of questions, including “what is your favorite app” and “what book is on your nightstand?”. In addition, he’s gotten some shameless predictions from all of these interviews. Well, on this episode, we get to ask the same questions of Scott. Producer Gene Volpe gets the opportunity to ask Scott all of the tough questions and have Scott dig back on his favorite moments from our episodes so far. This one was an ode to 2023 while looking forward to 2024. We hope that you enjoy this interesting look into the Chief Strategy Officer of Bridgepointe Technologies and tech evangelist, Scott Kinka. CONTACT SCOTT . .
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ESPN’s CX Transformation: Using AI to Enhance Fan Support with Doug Kramon
01/20/2025
ESPN’s CX Transformation: Using AI to Enhance Fan Support with Doug Kramon
Sports are a profoundly human experience—emotional, visceral, and passionately followed. While AI won’t replace athletes anytime soon, it’s increasingly shaping how fans engage with their favorite teams. In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott Kinka sits down with Doug Kramon, Head of Customer Care and Fan Support at ESPN, to explore the evolving role of AI in sports customer experience. They discuss how generative AI plays a role in CX transformation and fan support, the power of emotional connections in customer care, and the challenges of balancing automation with human-centric service. Doug also shares insights on leadership, the impact of big data on AI-driven insights, and the importance of curiosity and storytelling in professional growth. Tune in for a fascinating look at the intersection of sports, technology, and fan engagement. ESPN is the leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand that features seven U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent worldwide, and more. Topics covered in this episode: • Why understanding different fan needs is crucial for effective support. • How generative AI can support CX transformation but not replace human interaction. • Why the evolution of customer experience is driven by technology. • How AI can handle routine tasks, freeing humans from complex interactions. • Why building relationships with partners is key to success in customer care. • How the sports fan’s story is central to enhancing their experience. • Why curiosity and storytelling are vital for continuous learning. • How summarization tools can save agents valuable time and significantly enhance customer service efficiency. • Why big data is essential for actionable AI insights. • How catharsis scoring helps identify customer sentiment changes. • Why generative AI must be integrated with existing tech stacks. • Why bundle confusion in streaming services remains a challenge. • How work-life balance is crucial for employee satisfaction and open communication fosters a healthy workplace culture. https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/espn/ About Douglas Kramon Douglas Kramon leads Customer Care and Fan Support at ESPN. This includes a fan base of tens of millions of rabid sports content consumers! He oversees all fan support initiatives at ESPN, focusing on the fans in the stands, suits in the suites and everything in between. He provides consumers of ESPN content the tools to experience an exceptional journey in their ESPN fandom! Contact Douglas LinkedIn. Web.
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Refining Your 2025 AI Strategy with RapidScale’s Duane Barnes
01/07/2025
Refining Your 2025 AI Strategy with RapidScale’s Duane Barnes
A new year often means resolutions and plans for your business. And for 2025, one of those plans is likely focused on literally and figuratively getting your arms around your AI strategy. Making effective use of AI in 2025 means rewinding one whole hype cycle to the early 2020s to big data. That's the last big story we were all talking about. Organization, accuracy, availability, and, of course, security of your data are the essential building blocks for you to build a language model that is serviceable and accurate for your business. It's the core of your AI strategy. In this episode of The Bridge, Scott interviews Duane Barnes, president of RapidScale. RapidScale is owned by Cox (yes, that Cox), and we understand why Duane believes that nine out of every ten of you are not prepared for AI — but you can be! It won't take a massive budget, nor will it be a multi-year project, but it will take understanding where you are. During the conversation, they explore RapidScale’s mission to simplify IT for businesses, the current state of AI in the hype cycle, and the challenges companies face in leveraging AI effectively. Duane shares insights on customer engagement, real-world AI applications, and the importance of having a clear strategy when implementing AI tools like Co-Pilot. They also delve into the critical aspects of AI governance, the importance of data management and having quality data, strategic approaches to AI adoption, and with the risks associated with AI usage in businesses, emphasizing the need for proper governance policies and the potential consequences of data leaks. is the managed cloud partner that turns technology into your biggest competitive advantage. Their comprehensive portfolio of private and public cloud solutions is tailored to your needs and backed by one of the deepest benches of certified experts in the industry. They make innovation easy by bringing you the latest solutions to keep your technology platforms responsive and delivering the consistent results your business deserves. Topics discussed in this episode on AI strategy: · Duane’s journey into technology. · Why AI is still in the hype cycle, with many companies exploring its potential. · Why AI adoption requires a cultural shift within organizations and data organization is crucial for leveraging AI effectively. · How can real-world AI applications significantly improve efficiency, and why is prompt engineering essential for practical AI tool usage? · Why data privacy is crucial when using AI applications and the risks when data management is neglected in AI strategies - the importance of data accuracy cannot be overstated. · How starting small with AI projects can lead to success. · Why do companies need to connect AI tools to their existing data for maximum benefit? · Internal policies are necessary to protect sensitive data when using AI. Businesses often lack governance steps for AI. · The impact of AI tools on employees and customers - many employees use AI tools without understanding the risks, and most customers lack a fully formed idea for AI implementation. Why governance policies should be more than just compliance. About Duane Barnes Duane Barnes is an accomplished senior executive with a distinguished career spanning over two decades in the cloud and managed services business. He currently holds the position of President of RapidScale, a Cox Business Company, encompassing the acquisitions of RapidScale and Logicworks. Having joined RapidScale in 2016 as head of the Solutions Engineering group, Mr. Barnes swiftly rose through the ranks, demonstrating exceptional leadership and strategic acumen. His tenure saw him assume pivotal roles such as Senior Vice President of Technology and interim Chief Technology Officer, before eventually being appointed Chief Operating Officer in June 2020. Subsequently, he assumed his current role as President, where he directs a multifaceted portfolio encompassing Operations, Technology, Product Management, Cybersecurity, Sales, Marketing, and Finance. Mr. Barnes' extensive expertise extends across diverse domains within IT, with a particular emphasis on enterprise data centers and managed cloud services. Prior to his tenure at RapidScale, he held key leadership positions at organizations such as Intelisys, Open-Xchange, Windstream, and The Walt Disney Company, building a solid foundation in complex technology solutions and managed services projects. His breadth of knowledge encompasses private and public cloud computing, cybersecurity, and professional services. Complementing his wealth of experience, Mr. Barnes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Phoenix. His unwavering commitment to excellence and proven track record make him a highly respected leader in the field of technology and business management. Contact Duane LinkedIn. Web. Twitter/X.
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The Bridgecast Live: Reimagining the Customer and Employee Relationship - Part Two
12/11/2024
The Bridgecast Live: Reimagining the Customer and Employee Relationship - Part Two
How is AI transforming IT leadership? AI solves no problems by itself. But with the proper workflows and systems around it, it drives real-world ROI. Rather than replacing humans, it can enable the next level of cross-functional collaboration. The panel explored AI's role in transforming business processes and IT leadership in part two of the 2024 Bridgepoint Tech Summit episode of The Bridgecast. The discussion focuses on AI’s potential to enhance human performance, streamline workflows, and enable cross-functional collaboration within organizations. The panel emphasizes that effective AI adoption requires alignment across stakeholders and robust governance policies to mitigate risks like bias and inaccuracy. Our discussion panel included: · Nick Slater, Chief Revenue Officer, · Milind Pansare, Vice President of Product Marketing, · Shawn O’Connell, Vice President of Global AI Sales, · Kristy Thomas, Senior Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances, e Topics discussed in this episode: · Why AI should enhance human performance rather than replace it. · How companies must align cross-functional stakeholders to drive successful AI adoption. · Why governance and readiness are crucial before implementing AI solutions. · How AI-driven tools can streamline workflows and improve employee productivity. · Why knowledge repositories and accurate data are essential for effective AI integration. · Why personalization and human interaction remain critical for customer satisfaction. How industry-specific AI applications are gaining traction, with contact centers being a major area of focus. 2024 Live at Tech Summit's Episode Links: 2023 Live at Tech Summit's Episode Links: ABOUT THE PANEL Nick Slater, Dialpad CRO I am an experienced sales and operations leader with a track record of delivering consistent revenue growth, exceeding targets, improving sales productivity and developing top-tier technology sales and support teams. I have built several global teams from ideation to scale that have sold and supported hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing revenues. My previous sales and operations teams built the strategy, charter and infrastructure to take an organization from ~$25M in annual revenues to over $800M in 9 years. We effectively scaled a 100 employee “startup” business unit to a 1,500 employee global leader in the space. I have a servant leadership philosophy revolving around hiring incredibly passionate, determined and intelligent individuals and providing them with the guidance, resources and autonomy to showcase their abilities most effectively. This has resulted in some of the lowest employee attrition and highest employee trust and engagement scores in my organizations. Web. LinkedIn. Shawn O'Connell, Talkdesk Vice President Global AI Sales Innovative Leader in AI Sales Shawn O'Connell is a distinguished sales executive with extensive experience in AI and technology. As the Vice President of Global AI Sales at Talkdesk, he leads worldwide sales strategies for the Ascend AI Platform. Previously, as SVP of North America Sales at Yellow.ai, Shawn was the driver behind significantly expanded market presence. At Celonis, he played a key role in scaling the Western US HiTech vertical. His tenure at Salesforce was marked by consistent revenue growth and market expansion across Enterprise and Strategic Accounts. Shawn has also excelled in roles at BMC Software, Trace3, and EMC Corporation, building high-performing teams and delivering exceptional results. Shawn is renowned for his strategic vision and commitment to innovation and growth in the technology industry Web. LinkedIn. Milind Pansare, Observe.AI Vice President Product Marketing Milind Pansare has led marketing and software engineering teams at startups and Silicon Valley icons for 30 years. When not immersed in tech, he grows grapes, makes wine, and prays for snow. Web. LinkedIn. Kristy Thomas, Vonage Senior VP of Global Channel and Alliances With an unwavering passion for technology and telecommunications, Kristy Thomas is a seasoned expert in driving organizational success. Equipped with extensive knowledge and experience, she empowers businesses to navigate the dynamic technology landscape with confidence. 🚀 Future-Ready Solutions: As a forward-thinking strategist, Kristy is dedicated to helping businesses leverage cutting-edge technologies for operational efficiencies and agility gains. She possesses an innate ability to identify opportunities that drive growth and foster innovation. 💼 Customer-Centric Approach: With a relentless focus on customer experience, Kristy ensures that organizations gain a competitive edge by delivering exceptional service. She understands the power of building strong customer relationships and guides companies in creating meaningful connections. 🔧 Operational Excellence: Armed with her expertise in operations management, Kristy streamlines processes, enhances productivity, and optimizes performance. Her insights enable organizations to adapt swiftly to market changes while maximizing their resources. ✨ Transforming Possibilities into Reality: Known for her visionary mindset, Kristy excels at translating complex technologies into tangible business solutions. She empowers teams to embrace change, embrace innovation, and stay ahead of the curve in this fast-paced digital era. Web. LinkedIn.
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The Bridgecast Live: Reimagining the Customer and Employee Relationship (Part One)
12/03/2024
The Bridgecast Live: Reimagining the Customer and Employee Relationship (Part One)
Is your business experiencing AI fatigue? Right now, AI is all anyone is talking about…but too many conversations are about tech and innovation when they should be about getting measurable outcomes. In this live episode of The Bridgecast, recorded at the Bridgepointe Tech Summit 2024, we sat down with thought leaders from Dialpad, Observe AI, Talkdesk, and Vonage so they could share some timely insights on how companies are cutting through the AI hype and making it work. We talk about how AI is transforming customer and employee experiences with some real-life success stories, practical applications and ROI-driven use cases. Plus, this conversation dives into the AI hype cycle and the challenges of AI fatigue. Topics discussed in this episode: • Why AI adoption must be tied to clear ROI metrics to overcome fatigue and skepticism. • Customer experience (CX) is often the entry point for businesses starting their AI journey. • Why companies should prioritize readiness assessments to identify meaningful use cases for AI. • How employee experience enhancements, such as automating routine tasks, provide significant ROI. • Why effective AI implementation requires aligning tools across platforms like Salesforce. • Why is generative AI’s role in transcription, data insights, and automation pivotal for efficiency? • How storytelling around ROI is essential to gaining buy-in from stakeholders. 2023 Live at Tech Summit's Episode Links: 2023 Tech Summit Live Episode Part I 2023 Tech Summit Live Episode Part 2 ABOUT THE PANEL Nick Slater, Dialpad CRO I am an experienced sales and operations leader with a track record of delivering consistent revenue growth, exceeding targets, improving sales productivity and developing top-tier technology sales and support teams. I have built several global teams from ideation to scale that have sold and supported hundreds of millions of dollars in ongoing revenues. My previous sales and operations teams built the strategy, charter and infrastructure to take an organization from ~$25M in annual revenues to over $800M in 9 years. We effectively scaled a 100 employee “startup” business unit to a 1,500 employee global leader in the space. I have a servant leadership philosophy revolving around hiring incredibly passionate, determined and intelligent individuals and providing them with the guidance, resources and autonomy to showcase their abilities most effectively. This has resulted in some of the lowest employee attrition and highest employee trust and engagement scores in my organizations. Web. LinkedIn. Shawn O'Connell, Talkdesk Vice President Global AI Sales Innovative Leader in AI Sales Shawn O'Connell is a distinguished sales executive with extensive experience in AI and technology. As the Vice President of Global AI Sales at Talkdesk, he leads worldwide sales strategies for the Ascend AI Platform. Previously, as SVP of North America Sales at Yellow.ai, Shawn was the driver behind significantly expanded market presence. At Celonis, he played a key role in scaling the Western US HiTech vertical. His tenure at Salesforce was marked by consistent revenue growth and market expansion across Enterprise and Strategic Accounts. Shawn has also excelled in roles at BMC Software, Trace3, and EMC Corporation, building high-performing teams and delivering exceptional results. Shawn is renowned for his strategic vision and commitment to innovation and growth in the technology industry Web. LinkedIn. Milind Pansare, Observe.AI Vice President Product Marketing Milind Pansare has led marketing and software engineering teams at startups and Silicon Valley icons for 30 years. When not immersed in tech, he grows grapes, makes wine, and prays for snow. Web. LinkedIn. Kristy Thomas, Vonage Senior VP of Global Channel and Alliances With an unwavering passion for technology and telecommunications, Kristy Thomas is a seasoned expert in driving organizational success. Equipped with extensive knowledge and experience, she empowers businesses to navigate the dynamic technology landscape with confidence. 🚀 Future-Ready Solutions: As a forward-thinking strategist, Kristy is dedicated to helping businesses leverage cutting-edge technologies for operational efficiencies and agility gains. She possesses an innate ability to identify opportunities that drive growth and foster innovation. 💼 Customer-Centric Approach: With a relentless focus on customer experience, Kristy ensures that organizations gain a competitive edge by delivering exceptional service. She understands the power of building strong customer relationships and guides companies in creating meaningful connections. 🔧 Operational Excellence: Armed with her expertise in operations management, Kristy streamlines processes, enhances productivity, and optimizes performance. Her insights enable organizations to adapt swiftly to market changes while maximizing their resources. ✨ Transforming Possibilities into Reality: Known for her visionary mindset, Kristy excels at translating complex technologies into tangible business solutions. She empowers teams to embrace change, embrace innovation, and stay ahead of the curve in this fast-paced digital era. Web. LinkedIn.
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Building Your Personal Brand in the Era of Virtual Meetings with Zoom’s Patrick Kelley
10/29/2024
Building Your Personal Brand in the Era of Virtual Meetings with Zoom’s Patrick Kelley
There are five generations in the workforce today, and every one speaks, communicates, and collaborates differently. You have to meet them all where they are—generally in their homes behind screens. While your personal brand used to be based on how you interacted with people in the real world, now, what happens on screen is your brand, and you need to invest in it. In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Patrick Kelley, Distinguished Architect at Zoom, who shares insights on optimizing online meetings and video conferencing. Patrick — also known as — discusses his background in technology, his role at Zoom, and the importance of audio and video quality in virtual communication. He’s an expert on the tools you likely use daily to communicate with peers, customers, and prospects. He provides practical tips for improving meeting etiquette, lighting, and background setup, emphasizing the need for both employees and employers to invest in quality equipment. helps people stay connected so they can get more done together. They set out on a mission to make video communications frictionless and secure by building the world’s best video product for the enterprise, but they didn’t stop there. With products like AI Companion, Team Chat, Contact Center, Phone, Events, Rooms, Webinar, Contact Center, and more, they bring innovation to a wide variety of customers, from the conference room to the classroom, from doctor’s offices to financial institutions to government agencies, from global brands to small businesses. Topics discussed in this episode: · Why practice and preparation are essential for effective communication. · Why preparation is key to successful presentations. · Why employers should invest in quality equipment for employees. · How every generation communicates differently in the workplace, and we need to adapt to each style. · Why audio quality is the most important aspect of video calls. · How lighting can significantly enhance video quality. · How personal backgrounds can reflect individual brands in meetings. o Why virtual backgrounds can detract from personal branding. · How a good camera can make a significant difference in video quality. · Why Investing in a decent microphone is affordable and impactful. · Leadership lessons Patrick has learned along the way. · Future predictions regarding AI. About Patrick Kelley Chief Technology Evangelist, Top 50 UCaaS Influencer, Published Author, Distinguished Architect, Public Speaker, Story Teller, Content Creator, Marketer, Sales Enablement Leader, and Donut Lover. I help lead competitive enablement discussions with our customers. Lead content creator Sales Enablement Leader Pre-Sales Engineer Lead Public Speaker Master of Ceremonies Strategic Integration Leader Technology Storyteller Master of Webinars The guy that answers the question “So who can lead this effort perfectly?” Contact Patrick Youtube. LinkedIn. Twitter.
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Mentorship Matters: Lessons from a CTO with Performive’s Ryan DiRocco
10/09/2024
Mentorship Matters: Lessons from a CTO with Performive’s Ryan DiRocco
Have you ever noticed that being an entrepreneur and an IT leader require nearly the same skills? On this episode of the Bridgecast, Scott sits down with Ryan DiRocco, CTO of . We explore that intersection and how experience and mentorship play critical roles in both realms. We discuss why mentorship is essential—not just when you lack specific skills but even when you think you’ve covered them. It's a lot like using an MSP to deliver a product. Sure, you could go it alone, but sometimes it's worth paying more to avoid costly mistakes. Like an MSP, mentorship can save you time, money, and headaches. Ryan discusses his extensive background in technology, the evolution of Performive, and the importance of customer service in tech solutions. He also shares insights on navigating the mid-market landscape, the role of VMware, and the significance of leveraging hyper scalers and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) for business efficiency. The conversation also touches on lessons learned from past experiences and predictions for the future of IT infrastructure. partners with growing mid-sized companies by delivering secure, VMware-based cloud solutions, on-demand engineering resources, and 24/7/365 Devoted Customer Support. They meet their customers’ needs through VMware cloud solutions, data protection, and managed security services. With a consistent global platform to leverage, these medium-sized businesses now have access to solutions that simplify their day-to-day operations. Their customers’ internal IT teams are now entirely focused on driving innovation and business solutions in this demanding, ever-changing, technology-focused era. Topics discussed in this episode: · Why experience is invaluable in navigating business challenges and how mentorship can guide entrepreneurs. · Why understanding customer pain points is crucial for success. · Why the mid-market has unique challenges that require tailored solutions. · Why VMware plays a significant role in many mid-market organizations. · Why cost control is essential in managing IT budgets. · How DaaS can provide predictable costs and security for organizations. · How leveraging hyperscalers can optimize workload management. · Why redundancy in infrastructure is critical to avoid failures. · Why customer service should be at the core of technology offerings. About Ryan DiRocco Ryan DiRocco is an expert in networking and enterprise operations with more than two decades of experience within the IT and managed services sector. He brings deep knowledge in virtualized environment architectures, efficiencies, and operations to lead the Performive technical teams. Having built a solid foundation within the managed services space, Ryan’s experience and dedication is a key component of the Performive team. The smooth operation of Performives’ global workloads is Ryan’s chief goal. Additionally, he guides engineering and technical product development across the brand. Contact Ryan Web. LinkedIn.
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From HQ to Cloud: The New Network Core with 11:11 Systems’ Anthony Lobretto
09/25/2024
From HQ to Cloud: The New Network Core with 11:11 Systems’ Anthony Lobretto
IT leaders, remember when your headquarters was the heart of your business network? You connected everything to it—offices, remote workers through VPNs, and kept security at the HQ. Then, the cloud arrived, and COVID changed everything. Suddenly, we stopped focusing on connectivity and locations. Now, the data center and cloud are the new network core, and while speeds and performance still matter, they're not the main topic anymore. In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Anthony Lobretto, Senior Vice President of Connectivity Services, at . We discuss Anthony’s background, his journey to 11:11, and the company’s focus on bridging cloud connectivity and security. Also, we discussed how 11:11 provides a single pane of glass for managing connectivity, security, and cloud services, making it easier for customers to navigate and optimize their infrastructure. is a managed infrastructure solutions provider that holistically addresses the challenges of next-generation managed cloud, connectivity and security requirements. 11:11 combines the teams and technology behind market-leading, analyst-vetted companies like Sungard AS and iland to deliver increased performance, optimization and savings. 11:11 provides cloud, connectivity and security solutions from its global footprint of data centers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Topics discussed in this episode: · Why having a solid team, a clear mission, and a relentless attitude are crucial to success as an entrepreneur. · Why 11:11 offers agnostic connectivity services, allowing customers to mix and match their existing connections with additional circuits for resiliency. · How 11:11 is a marketplace vendor on AWS, making it easier for customers to purchase and manage their connectivity services. · Why mistakes are inevitable, but it’s essential to learn from them and operate within established policies and procedures. · Why, in a dystopian future, Anthony would choose iMessage as the one application left on his mobile phone. About Anthony Lobretto As the Senior Vice President of Connectivity at 11:11 Systems, Anthony drives transformative strategies in connectivity products and technology. With a keen focus on innovation, he leads comprehensive initiatives spanning quoting, cost management, systems, and M&A infrastructure integration. At the intersection of vision and execution, he defines and executes the connectivity product strategy, ensuring that 11:11 Systems’ offerings align with market dynamics and propel 11:11 Systems to the forefront of the industry. Anthony’s leadership extends to optimizing quoting processes, managing costs for sustained profitability, orchestrating streamlined systems, and seamlessly integrating new infrastructures through mergers and acquisitions. This role encapsulates his commitment to shaping the future of connectivity, fostering innovation, and positioning 11:11 Systems as a trailblazer in the evolving landscape of Cloud, Security, and Connectivity. Contact Anthony Web. LinkedIn.
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Cost Optimization for Cloud Hyperscalers with ProsperOps’ Chris Cochran
09/09/2024
Cost Optimization for Cloud Hyperscalers with ProsperOps’ Chris Cochran
When optimizing your cloud hyperscaler expenses, there’s a massive difference between workload optimization and rate optimization. We put tons of effort into the performance of our workloads to control usage, but far less attention is paid to how much we pay for that usage. And we’re not talking about the size we buy — we’re talking about the minor incremental changes that can be accomplished algorithmically throughout the day to ensure that you are paying less for the usage that your workload generates. In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Chris Cochran, co-founder and CEO of ProsperOps. the tech scene in Austin, the importance of automation in cloud optimization, and the value of rate optimization in reducing cloud costs. Chris shares his experience starting the company and offers advice for entrepreneurs. We also talk about AI's potential and future in cloud optimization. ’ is a hands-free AWS cost optimization platform offering customers a solution to automatically reduce their AWS cloud costs with zero ongoing effort. Their mission is to remove complexity and deliver savings outcomes so every business can prosper in the cloud. Topics covered in this episode on information security and risk management: How automation and algorithms can solve cloud optimization problems that humans can’t, leading to cost savings and improved performance. Why rate optimization, focusing on reducing cloud costs, is an important aspect of cloud optimization. Why starting a company requires finding the right partners and having a clear vision. How the potential of AI in solving specific problems is still being explored. Why In a hypothetical world-ending scenario, X would be the app of choice for entertainment and information. ABOUT CHRIS COCHRAN Chris co-founded ProsperOps with two former colleagues from Rackspace and serves as CEO. Our FinOps automation platform delivers a simple, fully autonomous cost optimization service for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud. Previously, Chris served as CEO of Chargify, a recurring billing and subscription management SaaS. In eighteen months, the company doubled revenue, headcount, and changed every element of strategy, culture, product, and business model to reposition into the top tier of providers. Prior to Chargify, Chris was a Senior Vice President & General Manager at Rackspace during its growth from $500 million to $2 billion in revenue. During his tenure, Chris co-founded and/or led multiple business units (Fanatical Support for AWS, Enterprise, Managed Colocation, DataStores, Private Cloud) and corporate strategy during the shift to managed cloud. Prior to Rackspace, Chris held strategy and operations roles with Electronic Data Systems and was a management consultant with Ernst & Young. Chris earned a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and a MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. CONTACT CHRIS . http://www.prosperops.com . https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosperops/ . https://www.instagram.com/prosperops/
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Fortifying the Digital Frontier: Information Security and Risk Management with Melanie Thomas
08/12/2024
Fortifying the Digital Frontier: Information Security and Risk Management with Melanie Thomas
Information security and risk management are kind of like the chicken or the egg — what comes first? In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Melanie Thomas, the at Bridgepointe. They discuss Melanie’s background, her transition to Bridgepointe, and her belief that change doesn’t need to be scary, but in light of recent events, it IS necessary. We also discussed the recent outage how it may affect how we think about our internal IT operations. Melanie shares her insights on the importance of policy and governance in cybersecurity, the need for more centralized control of devices, and the potential consolidation of vendors in the industry. They also touch on the concept of Hope Punk and its relevance in approaching cybersecurity challenges with optimism and resilience. Topics discussed in this episode on information security and risk management: · Melanie’s background and transition to Bridgepointe as the VP of Cybersecurity. · Why is the cybersecurity market moving towards more mature conversations, with customers having an idea of their security needs and implementing basic solutions? · How the recent CrowdStrike incident highlights the importance of policy and governance in cybersecurity and the need for centralized device control. Why vendors may need to take a step back and prioritize testing and release processes to avoid overpromising and underdelivering. BLOG. PODCAST. ABOUT MELANIE THOMAS Melanie Thomas is the Vice President of Cybersecurity at Bridgepointe Technologies. Thomas joins Bridgepointe from LevelBlue, formerly AT&T Cybersecurity, where she held the role of Principal-Cybersecurity, overseeing services such as Managed Threat Detect and Respond (MTDR) and Managed Endpoint Security (MES), in addition to advising security and consulting teams on active customer incident response engagements. A respected leader in the cybersecurity space, Melanie is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego and holds multiple certifications, along with a M.S. in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management. CONTACT MELANIE Web. University of SD. LinkedIn.
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Reaction to Inaction with Jack Jackson
08/06/2024
Reaction to Inaction with Jack Jackson
Every business book in the past 20 years has in some way talked about being customer-obsessed. And of course, to do that, you need to empower your employees to innovate. Mistakes be damned! However, some recent challenges with software updates to 80 % of the operating systems in the world might say that we may need to pause unbridled innovation. In this episode of The Bridgecast, I interview Jack Jackson, a seasoned tech executive and author of the upcoming book . During our conversation, Jack shares his background in the tech industry and his passion for leadership, emphasizing the importance of inspiring and empowering people to be successful. Our primary focus for the chat was on Jack’s book, which explores how organizations, employees, and customers suffer when people fail to take action and provide insights and strategies for overcoming inaction and driving positive change. The book addresses the issue of organizations and employees. Jack was inspired to write it after witnessing an employee’s frustration in trying to help a customer but being unable to take action due to red tape and bureaucracy. The book proposes a framework for building dynamic and innovative organizations where employees feel empowered and trusted. It emphasizes the importance of putting the customer first and removing barriers to action. Topics covered in this episode: ● How Jack’s book provides insights and strategies for overcoming inaction. ● and driving positive change. ● Why building fences, not tearing them down, might be ● the key to balancing innovation and risk. ● How leadership is about inspiring and empowering people to be successful. ● Why inaction can have negative consequences for organizations, employees, and customers. ● Why taking action is essential for driving positive change. ● How organizations, employees, and customers suffer when people fail to take action. ● The book’s framework for building dynamic and innovative organizations. ● How the framework applies to various areas —including IT —and encourages employee empowerment while managing compliance and risk. Why putting the customer first and removing barriers to action are key principles in the book. Get The Book https://thereactiontoinactionbook.com/ ABOUT JACK JACKSON Experienced operational hyper growth executive with a dynamic management career in selling technology products within a competitive global landscape. Organizational health builder with 20 years experience exceeding revenue goals in worldwide markets. Proven sales leader with direct and channel success. Expert in building top-producing selling organizations through strategic marketing, tactical sales, key account management partner enablement and operational excellence. Deep understanding of growth and scale operations. Outstanding record of achievement in large sales negotiations. Excellent communicator with the ability to actively manage change. Impeccable track record of high growth quick to scale execution. Track record of building high performance sales organizations and managing 100M+ organizations. CONTACT JACK LinkedIn. Web.
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Contact Center Integration with Talkdesk’s Rei Kesai
07/22/2024
Contact Center Integration with Talkdesk’s Rei Kesai
You’ve heard the old adage that everyone in business is in customer service or customer experience. Yet, legacy contact center software has been designed for one primary workflow — the customer service agent. This results in our approach to CX and customer expectations being out of alignment, meaning we need to focus more on contact center integration. On this episode of The Bridgecast, I talk to Rei Kesai, Senior Vice President of Product at Talkdesk. We discuss Rei’s background, his journey in the CX space, and how Talkdesk has evolved into a full-blown CCaaS platform. We also explore the convergence of communications, customer data management, analytics, and automation and how Talkdesk focuses on creating industry-specific workflows and applications. We chat about the challenges of integration, the importance of simplifying the customer experience and the changing expectations of customers. ® is a global cloud contact center leader for enterprises of all sizes. Talkdesk CX Cloud and Industry Experience Clouds help enterprises deliver modern customer service their way. Their trusted, flexible, and innovative contact center platform leverages AI and automation to drive exceptional customer outcomes and improve the bottom line. Topics covered in this episode: ● How Talkdesk has evolved from a telephony capability for CRM platforms to a full-blown CCaaS platform and an AI platform for customer experience. ● How Talkdesk focuses on creating industry-specific workflows and applications to enable customer experiences and solve high-value use cases. ● Why is simplifying integration with standard back-office systems of record a crucial focus for Talkdesk? ● How the expectations of customers and businesses have changed, with a demand for multimodal and connected communications. ● Why Talkdesk aims to provide a seamless and personalized customer experience by enabling choice and integrating different communication modalities. ● Why Talkdesk believes that everyone in the company, not just a specific department, should be involved in delivering great customer service. ● How AI is being used to drive workflows and integrate with business applications, enhancing customer experiences. ● Why Talkdesk has developed a platform incorporating advanced technologies like AI and NLP to automate and analyze customer interactions. How Talkdesk’s product, Navigator, replaces the traditional IVR system and provides more personalized and efficient customer service Other Talkdesk Episodes ABOUT REI KESAI I am a strategic product and engineering executive and my specialty is building scalable businesses, teams, and products. I have had the fortunate opportunity of experiencing what it takes to build start-ups into market leaders multiple times and have operated at all stages of growth from early-stage start-ups to mature global tech companies. My 25+ Years of experience includes: • GenAI, CRM/CX, Enterprise App Platforms, Analytics, Mobile, IoT, Mar-tech, SFA, Customer Service, Field Service, and Contact Center • Hiring, managing, and leading small VC-backed start-up teams to large global development organizations • Defining strategy, delivering roadmap, and nurturing customer relationships to secure market leadership • Managing hyper-growth as a company being acquired as well as being the acquirer • Transforming cultures from sales and engineering-led companies to a product-led one • Building and launching new disruptive products from ground up • Leadership roles in strategy, product, and engineering and GTM roles in pre-sales and product marketing CONTACT REI LinkedIn. Web.
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Enterprise Technology Integration & Essential Advice for IT Leaders with Evolve IP’s Peter Eisengrein
07/09/2024
Enterprise Technology Integration & Essential Advice for IT Leaders with Evolve IP’s Peter Eisengrein
As one of the early innovators in the hosted PBX space nearly twenty years ago, Peter offers countless insights on pre-integrated, self-contained user environments for remote work, collaboration, and innovation. partners with IT professionals to integrate their essential productivity and communication tools into a single, secure cloud-based solution, fine-tuned for the hybrid workforce and delivered as a service. By integrating these disconnected systems and filling in the gaps, they improve both productivity and security, increasing uptime to improve the future of work for everyone. Topics covered in this episode: ● The challenges of enterprise technology integration and why you don’t want to be in the integration business. ● How Desktop as a Service (DaaS) simplifies IT operations and enables remote work and why wider adoption is hindered by various factors. ● The shift from a CapEx model to a monthly recurring model is challenging but beneficial. ● How cloud-based communication platforms enable easier security management and device control. ● Insight into why voice specialists have focused on leveraging productivity applications as the front end. The hype about AI technology and what companies must consider when implementing it. Other EvolveIP Episodes ABOUT PETE EISENGREIN Peter is a founding member of Evolve IP. Currently serving as Chief Product Officer, Pete is responsible for product vision, strategy, and execution, and leads a high-performing product management team, collaborates with cross-functional teams, and defines product priorities to deliver tangible business value through innovative cloud solutions. Prior to taking on the CPO role, he led Evolve IP’s global Voice Engineering team. Before joining Evolve IP, Peter served as Director of Engineering for ATX Communications, Inc., where he was responsible for the planning, design, budgeting, development, and support for the ATX network. In this role, Pete oversaw the technical product development and design of the ATX Voice over IP (VoIP) product. Peter holds a B.M. from West Chester University and completed his post-graduate studies at Temple University. CONTACT PETE . .
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Are Data Center Resources Having a Renaissance? With Flexential’s Ryan Mallory
06/25/2024
Are Data Center Resources Having a Renaissance? With Flexential’s Ryan Mallory
AI is igniting innovation in colocation and data center resources at a pace not seen in decades. But what do you need to know right now? In this episode of The Bridge, host Scott Kinka is joined by guest Ryan Mallory, COO at Flexential, to dive into the seismic shifts AI is causing in data centers. Ryan shares insights on Flexential's rapid expansion, their game-changing FlexAnywhere® platform, and why emotional intelligence is crucial for industry leaders. Tune in to hear about the future of data centers and the exciting developments shaping this critical infrastructure. Topics discussed in this episode include: ● Ryan's background and journey in the tech and data center industry. ● The current renaissance with data center resources, moving beyond traditional power, pipe, and ping models. ● The reinvention of the industry around new workloads. ● Interconnection and ecosystem building in data centers. ● The anticipation of continuous innovation driven by customer workloads. ● The importance of domestic innovation in driving use cases. ● Short and long-term predictions for the industry. Subscribe to The Bridge wherever you listen to podcasts, and please rate or review the show. Other Flexential Episodes Books ABOUT RYAN MALLORY As COO for Flexential, Ryan drives operational excellence and performance optimization for the integrated colocation and interconnection portfolio - including colocation services, cloud managed services, backbone, real estate, data center and network operations, design and construction, development, customer experience and support and FPS. Ryan joined Flexential in 2020 after nearly a decade at Equinix and has more than 25 years of experience building high-performing technical teams for global, hyper-growth technology companies, including UUNET, SAVVIS, Digital Realty, and XO Communications. Ryan has pioneered the development of a single platform delivering a full suite of hybrid IT infrastructure solutions at all scale levels and brings a deep understanding of interconnection models and emerging edge applications to the Flexential team. The company’s national hybrid FlexAnywhere™ Platform of 41 data centers and industry-leading 100Gbps network backbone underpins the new single hybrid platform which provides secure, low latency connections for thousands of customers worldwide. He is focused on supporting a seamless, unified customer journey with a product portfolio that is aligned to a single, holistic and complete understanding of customer requirements. Most recently, Ryan was SVP of Global Solutions Enablement for Equinix, working hand-in-hand with the global sales, network platform, software and operations teams. Previously, Ryan led key sales and operations leadership functions for Digital Realty . Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in International Business from University of Phoenix. CONTACT RYAN Web. LinkedIn. Twitter.
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The Transformative Impact of Acquisition with BCM One’s Mike Nowak
05/13/2024
The Transformative Impact of Acquisition with BCM One’s Mike Nowak
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Mike Nowak, ’s Chief Revenue Officer. We discuss how the Pure IP acquisition has been transformative for BCM One and much more. is a leading global provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services to IT leaders and channel resellers. BCM One streamlines the complexity of enterprise voice solutions and managed network services. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by their mission statement, “To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction.” BCM One’s family of brands include: BCM One, SIP.US, SIPTRUNK, SkySwitch, Flowroute and Pure IP. During our conversation, we discussed why future-proofing communication infrastructure is crucial. We also discussed the market's adoption of Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx, the challenges and opportunities of integrating different communication platforms, and other related topics. Topics covered in this episode: ● How legacy devices and brand loyalty play a role in the decision-making process for businesses choosing between Teams and WebEx. ● How BCMOne offers agnostic solutions that integrate with different platforms. ● Why hybrid environments, where different platforms coexist, are typical in large organizations undergoing business transformations. ● Why managed teams are a valuable service for mid-market organizations. ● How bundling and unbundling of services can have an impact on market share. ● Why automation is a key driver for business process optimization. ● Why the network business has seen changes post-COVID, with a focus on cost optimization and vendor consolidation. ● How network intelligence and access providers are often separate, but can be combined for comprehensive solutions. Other BCM One Episodes https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/swimming-in-the-whales-wake-with-geoff-bloss-of-bcm-one/ https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/the-bridge-podcast-with-mike-nowak-from-bcm-one/ Books ABOUT MIKE NOWAK In his role as Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Nowak has revenue generation and sales strategy responsibilities for the BCM One family of brands including BCM One Retail, Pure IP, SkySwitch, SIP.US, SIPTRUNK, and Flowroute. Additionally, Nowak leads BCM One’s sales engineering and sales operations teams, and is responsible for sales integration and go-to-market strategy for all M&A activity. His highly strategic and structured approach—for setting policies; making product, pricing, process, and systems decisions; aligning team skills; and more—has enabled him to successfully integrate nine acquisitions while avoiding cross-over inefficiencies and channel conflict within the different business segments and maintaining a consistently high sales-to-profit ratio. Nowak was previously the Vice President of Sales at nexVortex, which was acquired by BCM One in 2020, helping build the organization from a small start-up to a growth company validated with over 40 consecutive quarters of revenue growth and recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies 10 years in a row. Nowak also held channel sales positions at Aspen Consulting and Bandwidth.com, and he started his career in technical sales at IBM. Nowak was named to the prestigious list of Channel Chiefs by CRN® in 2022, representing top leaders in the IT channel who excel at driving growth and revenue. He holds a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University. CONTACT MIKE Web. LinkedIn.
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Exploring VMware Alternatives with Bridgepointe’s Saad Saleem
05/07/2024
Exploring VMware Alternatives with Bridgepointe’s Saad Saleem
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by one of our team members, Saad Saleem, Senior Cloud Architect. We’re walking through the overarching impact of recent VMware changes on customers and service providers and exploring some VMware alternatives. is a tech advisory firm that helps bridge the gap between tech investments and business goals. For two decades, we've helped mid-market and enterprise clients make quicker, more informed tech investments. We'll help you save time by shortening the procurement process while saving money and increasing ROI. We work with 150+ suppliers to simplify the process of planning and procuring the tech solutions you need to meet your tech and business needs. During our conversation, we discussed the importance of assessing how to deliver business functionality, the potential for transformation in the cloud journey and so much more. Topics covered in this episode: ● How VMware has shifted from perpetual license models to recurring revenue licenses. ● The cost increases customers are experiencing. ● How service providers have been impacted by the new licensing structure. ● Why service providers may need to seek licenses from larger partners. ● Why customers are exploring alternatives to VMware and reevaluating their service delivery models. ● How the focus is shifting towards delivering business functionality and considering the right mix of infrastructure and software expertise. ● Why IT administrators with VMware expertise may face challenges in transitioning to new tools and should carefully evaluate the costs and impacts of change. Links for this episode: Other VMware Episodes Optimizing VMware Cloud Foundations with Rackspace’s Hannah Duce and Kevin Carter Is It Time for a VMware Breakup? With Enzu’s Dustin Young The Future of VMware with AJ Kuftic of Expedient Using AI at Scale with Adam Weiner of Granite More Saad Content VMware Spotify Playlist ABOUT SAAD SALEEM As an architect, Saad leads Bridgepointe’s Cloud Transformation Practice. Saad joined Bridgepointe in 2018 after a SaaS Delivery focused IT and Product Management career spanning 25+ years at software companies including Oracle, Siebel, UpShot, Granicus and UnitedLayer. A graduate of San Jose State, Saad is focused on IT Strategies that leverage technology to deliver business outcomes. Areas of Focus: ▪ Cloud Strategy and Execution with an emphasis on Business Results ▪ Designing Workload Centric Integrated Cloud solutions that scale & integrate into the business ▪ SaaS Operations & Management CONTACT SAAD LinkedIn. Web.
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Optimizing VMware Cloud Foundations With Rackspace’s Hannah Duce and Kevin Carter
05/02/2024
Optimizing VMware Cloud Foundations With Rackspace’s Hannah Duce and Kevin Carter
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by two of our partners from : Hannah Duce, Director of Strategic Alliances and Kevin Carter, Product Director. We’re discussing the current state of affairs with the VMware evolution, optimizing VMWare cloud foundations, and much more. is the multicloud solutions expert. They know what you're up against because they've helped global companies across industries through it—and you can bet they're ready to help. Their team delivers results by listening to their customers’ challenges and building custom cloud services and solutions that support their business to perform better now and in the future. During our conversation, we discussed the challenges and opportunities arising from the changing landscape and how Rackspace navigates through it. They also discussed the role of partnerships and alliances and the decision-making process for customers considering alternative platforms as it all relates to the VMware cloud foundation. Topics covered in this episode: ● How the VMware-Broadcom deal has created challenges and opportunities for Rackspace and its customers. ● Rackspace’s long-standing partnership with VMware and how they’re working closely to navigate the changes. ● How Rackspace is a trusted advisor for customers who ask questions and consider alternative platforms. ● Critical strategies for mitigating the impact of the changes. ● Why Rackspace is focused on providing a simplified and comprehensive solution for customers in the multi-cloud hybrid world. ● What critical factors—like VMware's maturity level and the presence of mission-critical workloads—should be considered when making decisions about how to proceed? ● How optimizing VMware Cloud Foundation and leveraging its bundled elements can lead to increased value and speed up modernization efforts. ● Why tech stack displacement and rationalization may be necessary when transitioning to VMware Cloud Foundation. ● Why KVM is a mature and viable alternative to VMware, especially for organizations running Windows virtual machines. ABOUT HANNAH DUCE Passionate about providing solutions to bring benefit to others, applying concepts in new ways to improve efficiency, and creating meaningful connections between people or ideas. I've leveraged these strengths across multiple industries including IT, Retail, Consumer Products, and Foodservice. My areas of expertise include identifying needs, developing go to market strategies, product and process development. I bring a personable approach to helping client’s solve problems by offering unique solutions that increase sales, innovation and customer satisfaction. One of my simple joys is teaching and cheering on others to success. CONTACT HANNAH LinkedIn. Web. ABOUT KEVIN CARTER I'm Kevin Carter, a developer and leader with an insatiable appetite for learning, a penchant for tinkering, and a knack for solving the most perplexing problems. Throughout my career, I've honed my expertise in data center operations, gaining hands-on experience in everything from bare metal to networking, virtualization, and containers. I've also had the pleasure of leading successful teams developing innovative solutions for critical infrastructure applications within private clouds. Now, I'm embarking on an exciting new adventure as a Product Director in open cloud computing, leveraging the power of OpenStack. While I may be new to this role, I'm no stranger to the world of cloud technology. As a leader, I will leverage my extensive background in cloud and systems engineering, and I'm eager to make a substantial impact in shaping the future of open cloud computing. I've steadfastly advocated for open-source collaboration throughout my journey, contributing to many high-profile projects. My Git archives are a testament to my unyielding drive to innovate and learn from my endeavors. From creating OpenStack-ansible and Turbolift to simplifying TripleO and building Directord, I've consistently tackled the seemingly impossible, rallying like-minded individuals to accomplish ambitious objectives. If you're interested in delving further into my work and achievements, I invite you to explore my website at https://cloudnull.io or peruse my GitHub repositories at https://github.com/cloudnull and https://github.com/oshied. You can also see my extensive contributions to the open-dev community at http://stackalytics.com/?user_id=kevin-carter. And now, as a Product Director, I look forward to spearheading even more exciting endeavors and (re)shaping the future of open cloud computing. CONTACT KEVIN LinkedIn. Web. Web.
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Is It Time for a VMware Breakup? With Enzu’s Dustin Young
04/16/2024
Is It Time for a VMware Breakup? With Enzu’s Dustin Young
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Dustin Young, EVP of Global Sales and Marketing at . We’re discussing whether it’s time for a VMware breakup and much more. is built on their TruCloud® Private Cloud Platform. Enzu solutions fuel growth and innovation for small, medium, and large enterprises by delivering expert capabilities in Global Bare Metal, Private Cloud, Migrations off VMware, Networking, Cloud, and Security. Combining decades of unmatched customer focus and passion for excellence, they deliver premium and affordable infrastructure-as-a-service solutions. Enzu also offers other services, including Disaster Recovery, Managed Services, and Cloud Optimization services. During our conversation, we get into what to do if you’re still trying to sort out your VMware problem — whether it’s time for organizations to break their reliance on VMware, what comes next, determining if it’s the UI that you’ve come to know and be comfortable with that and keeps you locked in, other burning questions that may lead you to a VMware breakup. Topics covered in this episode: ● Dustin’s career journey and how he landed at Enzu ● Why the Broadcom acquisition of VMware will likely transform the company into a hyperscaler. ● Why customers may face challenges and cost increases due to the acquisition. ● The importance for customers to understand the risks and explore alternative options. ● How VMware’s licensing changes and services bundling significantly impact customers. ● Considerations for transitioning to alternative platforms. ● How Enzu’s platform offers an abstraction layer and easy migration of VMs from VMware. Links for this episode: About Dustin Young Savvy business leader, proud Autism advocate and parent, and proud United States Marine Corps Veteran with over 15+ years generating maximum financial results in the telecommunications and technology sales industry. Creative talent recruiter and relationship builder, exemplified by the ability to lead teams and execute complex initiatives that benefit both the company and the client. Strong ability to develop sales channels, go-to-market strategies, and program structures that can be implemented worldwide to drive incremental revenue, reduce operating costs, and optimize scalability. Extensive experience in enterprise mobility, big data, network design, and analytics. Proven skills in the development of strong revenue producing programs from green field to production in a start-up environment. High level of initiative and motivation that enables me to work well in an office or from home using video communications and collaborative efforts to succeed. While the VP of Sales, I have grown overall revenue by 232%, signed 12 Master Agents, added 2 wholesale companies as clients, and partnered with Global Telecommunications Carriers Oversaw all Channel Sales for a Tier 1, facilities based, business-grade IP service provider with a robust private IP network. Built a program from scratch which later earned 47% of the company’s $34MM annual revenue stream Served in a short term contract position developing the legal language and contracts needed to launch a channel program for a VAR, which is still currently in use Gained remarkable revenue increases throughout my tenure: 318% in 2005, 263% in 2006, 245% in 2007, and 102% in 2008 Built an award winning SaaS Platform with my Engineering Team at O1 Communications Earned the Top Sales Representative Award in the San Jose/Sacramento branch 23 of the 38 months Contact Dustin . https://enzu.com/about/ . https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinyoung/
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The Role of Strategy in IT Leadership with Comcast Business’ Chris MacFarland
04/09/2024
The Role of Strategy in IT Leadership with Comcast Business’ Chris MacFarland
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Chris MacFarland, CEO and Chairman of . We’re talking about the importance of strategy in IT leadership, the upcoming advancements in AI and AGI and more. As a pioneer in software-defined networking, is a leading secure cloud networking platform for global businesses. Acquired by Comcast Business in 2021, Masergy leverages artificial intelligence to enable superior application performance, offering SD-WAN, Security, UCaaS, and CCaaS solutions. During our conversation, we get into the recent changes and updates within Comcast Business, the shift from being a cost center to a strategic business, and the future of AI and AGI. Topics covered in this episode: ● The integration of Masergy with Comcast Business. ● Masergy’s focus on enhancing the cyber posture and resiliency of businesses of all sizes. ● Why Comcast Business aims to be the leader in global secure networking and invests in solutions beyond connectivity. ● Why IT leadership should be focusing on strategy and balancing offense and defense to drive innovation and success. ● Why advancements in AI and AGI significantly impact various industries and society. ● How the shift from Western medicine to personalized medicine and the focus on health span and longevity revolutionize healthcare. Links for this episode: ABOUT CHRIS MACFARLAND In today's episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Chris MacFarland, the CEO of Comcast Business, a leading global private cloud networking and cybersecurity company. With an impressive career spanning notable organizations like BroadSoft and Allegiance Telecom, Chris is widely respected for his exceptional leadership skills, earning prestigious recognition such as Glassdoor Employees' Choice Top CEO. Beyond his professional achievements, Chris is actively involved in community service, serves on the boards of Compass Data Centers, Linear Labs, International Student Foundation and Tech Titans. Tune in as Chris shares his insights and experiences. And without further ado, let's dive into our conversation with this remarkable industry leader. CONTACT CHRIS Web. LinkedIn.
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The Collaboration Technology Evolution with Graeme Geddes of Zoom
03/26/2024
The Collaboration Technology Evolution with Graeme Geddes of Zoom
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Graeme Geddes, Chief Sales Officer at . We’re talking about the collaboration technology evolution, the role of Zoom as a communications platform and so much more. is an all-in-one collaboration platform that makes connecting easier, more immersive, and more dynamic for people and businesses. Their team chat, phone, meetings, omnichannel contact center, whiteboard, workspace, and AI solutions help hybrid teams collaborate and get more done. During our conversation, we explored the integration of productivity apps with Zoom, the company’s focus on innovation and AI, and how the collaboration technology evolution is playing out today in our post-pandemic world. Topics covered in this episode: ● Graeme’s background and career path. ● The collaboration technology evolution. ● The adoption of video as a baseline for collaboration and the acceleration during the pandemic. ● The role of video in collaboration. ● Zoom’s focus on connecting disparate communication methods and enabling businesses to get work done more efficiently. ● The integration of productivity apps with Zoom. ● Why Zoom is investing in AI to augment and enhance user experiences. ● Why the role of the CIO has become crucial in driving digital transformation. ● Shameless predictions for the next 12 to 18 months. Links for this episode: LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE: Earn Your Employee’s Commute with Zoom’s Gary Sorrentino: https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/collaboration-and-productivity/ Books that Graeme mentions. Simon Sinek: ABOUT GRAEME GEDDES Graeme Geddes is Chief Sales Officer at Zoom, responsible for leading Zoom’s enterprise sales, solution engineering, sales operations, enablement, and channel teams across the globe. A 20-year collaboration industry veteran, Graeme joined Zoom in 2019 to lead Zoom’s Phone business, taking it from a nascent product to more than 5.5 million seats sold in less than four years. He has also spearheaded the successful go-to-market strategies of many of Zoom’s recent platform innovations including Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Rooms, and Zoom IQ for Sales. Before joining Zoom, Graeme spent nearly 16 years at Cisco in a variety of leadership roles, finishing his tenure there as Americas Director for Collaboration Sales of Webex Meetings, Video Devices, and Team Messaging. He also spent nearly four years as a firefighter with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He holds a BS in Business Administration and Applied Social Psychology from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo and a certificate from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. CONTACT GRAEME Web. LinkedIn.
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Cybersecurity Fundamentals with Mark Houpt of DataBank
03/19/2024
Cybersecurity Fundamentals with Mark Houpt of DataBank
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Mark Houpt, the Chief Information Security Officer at DataBank. We’re talking about cybersecurity fundamentals—current challenges, the global landscape, why relationships and communication are critical to cybersecurity success, and so much more. is a leading provider of enterprise-class data center, cloud, and interconnection services, offering customers 100% uptime availability of data, applications, and infrastructure. DataBank’s managed data center services are anchored in world-class facilities. Their customized technology solutions are designed to help customers effectively manage risk, improve their technology performance and allow them to focus on their core business objectives. During our conversation, we got into overall cybersecurity fundamentals, like why transparency and customer service are key values for Mark and Data Bank and how the biggest challenge in cybersecurity is not the technical aspects but the apathy and ignorance towards cybersecurity. And that was just the tip of the iceberg! Topics covered in this episode: ● Mark’s Role as CISO and the CISO Corner podcast. ● Data Bank’s growth and expansion and their focus on security as a top priority. ● The current threat landscape and evolving security concerns. ● What’s happening in the changing landscape of cybersecurity threats? ● The importance of immutable backups. ● Why the regulatory environment, including privacy ● regulations like GDPR and CCPA, is a significant driver for security concerns. ● Cyber warfare between nations and why threats haven’t diminished. ● The vulnerability of small and medium-sized businesses and some advice for small business IT directors. ● Creating a strategic plan and addressing risks. ● Why building relationships and collaboration is critical for success. ● Shameless predictions for the future. Links for this episode: Mark’s Podcast: ABOUT MARK HOUPT Mark serves as DataBank’s Chief Information Security Officer and is responsible for developing and maintaining the company’s security program road map and data center compliance programs. He brings over 30 years of extensive information security and information technology experience in a wide range of industries and institutions. Mr. Houpt holds an MS-ISA (Masters Information Security and Assurance), numerous security and technical certifications (CISSP, CEH, CHFI, Security +, Network+) and qualified for DoD IAT Level III, IAM Level III, IASAE Level II, CND Analyst, CND Infrastructure Support, CND Incident Responder, and CND Auditor positions and responsibilities. Mark is an expert in understanding and the interpretation of FedRAMP, HIPAA and PCI-DSS compliance requirements. He is an active member of ISC2, ASIS International, COMPTIA, IAPP, and ISACA, among other leading national and international security organizations. Mark drives DataBank’s information security and compliance initiatives to ensure that the company’s solutions continuously meet rigorous and changing compliance and cyber-security standards. CONTACT MARK Web. LinkedIn.
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Driving Better Business Outcomes with Lumen’s Umesh Lakshman
03/12/2024
Driving Better Business Outcomes with Lumen’s Umesh Lakshman
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Umesh Lakshman, Vice President of Solutions Architecture, National Mid-Markets and Channels at . We’re talking about how we’re moving head-first into a future that is decidedly up the stack and how that drives the expectation of better business outcomes. connects the world. They digitally connect people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything they do at Lumen takes advantage of their network strength. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to their edge cloud, security, and managed service capabilities, they meet their customers’ needs today and as they build for tomorrow. During our conversation, we discussed Umesh’s background and career trajectory, his role in leading a cultural reboot at Lumen to foster a culture of innovation and an opportunity-focused mindset, the evolution of managed services providers in showcasing value during the pandemic, and so much more. Topics covered in this episode: ● An overview of Umesh's podcast, "Breaking Boundaries," which focuses on diversity, inclusion, and equity, particularly from the perspective of male allies. ● Lumen's evolving identity and purpose and transitioning from traditional telecom-focused assets to higher-order application-centric solutions. ● The challenges and opportunities faced by mid-market and larger companies in terms of technology adoption, integration with security, consumption mechanics, and achieving faster ROI. ● The impact of the pandemic on IT leadership and the need for rapid change ● Lumen's vision for network transformation and simplifying service consumption through a digital front-end ● The integration of network and security services and organizational challenges in adopting this approach. ● The evolving role of IT leaders in response to the pandemic. ● How proof of value, demonstrated through demos and proof of concepts (POCs), has become crucial in moving opportunities from discovery to closure. ● The organizational challenge of bridging the gap between network and security teams. ● Predictions about AI advancements in the next 12 to 18 months. Links for this episode: Breaking Boundaries Podcast: https://breakingboundariesbyumesh.buzzsprout.com/ The Bridge Podcast with Scott Kinka – Terry Barbounis Lumen: ABOUT UMESH LAKSHMAN Umesh Lakshman, as the National Vice President of Solutions Architecture for Mid-Markets and Channels, shapes technical strategy and business outcomes through innovative technology and talented teams. He transitioned to this role after leading sales engineering for Lumen Technologies' West Area and media / entertainment verticals. Previously at Cisco, he spent over two decades in a plethora of roles bookending his time there in senior sales engineering, supporting the world's leading cloud providers. Umesh couples his professional acumen with a commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, inspired by his upbringing and the lack of diversity he observed in the tech world. With a Master's degree in hand, his personal goal is to harmonize the tech industry's diversity with societal representation. At Cisco, he was integral to 'Men for Inclusion', striving for a future where such initiatives are obsolete. A prolific voice on diversity, Umesh also created "Breaking Boundaries", a platform celebrating DEI champions. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, spotlighting those who challenge norms and forge an inclusive future. Umesh loves the arts, namely being on stage in some format, be it dancing salsa ( retired ) , be in a band, or talking shop about technology and diversity, inclusion and belonging. CONTACT UMESH Podcast. Web. LinkedIn. LinkedIn. Insta. Insta. Twitter. Twitter.
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The Future of VMware with AJ Kuftic of Expedient
03/05/2024
The Future of VMware with AJ Kuftic of Expedient
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by AJ Kuftic, Product Manager at . We’re talking about the future of VMware and so much more. is a data center and cloud services provider offering infrastructure as a service (IaaS) with local operations in Pittsburgh, PA, Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Cleveland, OH, Columbus, OH, Denver, CO, Indianapolis, IN, Memphis, TN, Milwaukee, WI, and Phoenix, AZ. Ranked as one of the Top 3 managed services providers worldwide on Channel Futures' MSP 501 list, Expedient’s converged solutions enable clients to focus on strategic business innovation, while the Expedient team handles operation of the information technology needed to support it. Expedient data centers are compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Service Organization Control (SOC) reports are published annually for all locations. During our conversation, we discussed what’s happening with the VMware Broadcom situation and broke down the implications, including the background, impacts on service providers and customers, and the anticipated timeline for adjustment and optimization efforts. Topics covered in this episode: ● AJ’s background and career experiences. ● An overview of the Expedient brand and its evolution of services to meet current market demands. ● The importance of understanding client pain points. ● Adaptation strategies for services providers and how the shift from per-gigabyte RAM to per-core licensing facilitates "bring your own licensing" capability. ● Changes in the private cloud model. ● The investment in service providers by Broadcom. ● How VMware's shift towards bundling products under Broadcom's ownership contrasts with its previous approach of avoiding shelfware and the impacts of this approach. ● The impacts of the transition from perpetual to subscription licensing. ● The general trend towards subscription models. ● Factors of consideration for alternative platforms. ● Predictions for the next 12 to 18 months. Links for this episode: ABOUT AJ KUFTIC AJ Kuftic is Product Manager for Expedient. AJ has over 15 years of experience as a customer and partner helping end users build solutions that are sustainable and easy to manage. Having knowledge across various silos of IT infrastructure gives AJ a unique perspective of the pain points and what customers are looking to improve. When AJ isn’t thinking about the next big thing, he spends his time with his wife and 2 children trying to bake the perfect loaf of bread. CONTACT AJ LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajkuftic/ Web. https://expedient.com/knowledgebase/blog/authors/aj-kuftic/
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Using AI at Scale with Adam Weiner of Granite
02/27/2024
Using AI at Scale with Adam Weiner of Granite
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Adam Weiner, Vice President of Technology at . We’re talking about using AI at scale and so much more. is one of the premier telecommunications solutions providers for businesses across the United States and Canada. With unparalleled North American coverage, Granite is the leading corporate phone service provider to multi-location companies through our scalable solutions, customized to manage their clients’ local, regional, and national locations. Through long-term commercial wholesale contracts, Granite offers dial-tone, infrastructure solutions, advanced data services, broadband, and security services to their customers at significant savings. During our conversation, we get into why we need to solve little issues so they don’t become big ones, what Granite's Edge Boot device is all about, how the company's Granite 360 platform aims to provide transparency and flexibility for customers, and what using AI to scale really looks like. Topics covered in this episode: ● How Granite's commitment to quality service and customer experience contrasts with larger companies that may struggle with scalability and product portfolio management. ● Granite's role in access aggregation and service provision in comparison to incumbent providers. ● What Granite’s differentiation in approach looks like in practice. ● An overview of Granite's portfolio expansion from traditional services like POTS and circuit aggregation to a full suite of managed services. ● The importance of integration in modern technology solutions and Granite's role in providing end-to-end support for customers. ● The introduction of Granite's Edge Boot device: what it is, how it works, and the multiple functionalities. ● Why Granite emphasizes providing solutions that offer resiliency, scalability, and diversity across carriers for competitive prices. ● Why the integration of various technologies from different vendors is a crucial aspect of Granite's service. ● Why international connectivity presents unique challenges. ● Predictions for the coming months. Links for this episode: Past episode: ABOUT ADAM WEINER Information Technology professional with an unmitigable desire to be challenged. Adam has a proven track record of delivering unparalleled results while operating at the bleeding edge of what is possible, given a set of resources/requirements. A constant desire for technical and interpersonal self-improvement drives a ceaseless engine of growth and motivation. Gaining experience in varied and complex situations to complement theoretical and practical knowledge is his current focus. CONTACT ADAM LinkedIn. Web.
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Customer Experience Optimization with Bridgepointe’s Scott Prater
02/06/2024
Customer Experience Optimization with Bridgepointe’s Scott Prater
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Scott Prater, Vice President of at Bridgepointe. We’re discussing customer experience optimization and the ongoing race to meet customer expectations. The team enables organizations to deliver unrivaled results across every aspect of their CX programs, including technology implementation and business process outsourcing. The team’s deep industry experience gives clients a strategic approach to optimizing business outcomes while delivering best-in-class customer experience. During our conversation, we got into how Scott addressed some of the most challenging customer experience problems at some of the world’s most well-known brands, the importance of customer experience (CX) optimization and why it’s in the news today, the impact of CX on a brand, and so much more. Topics covered in this episode: How CX has evolved due to changes in communication channels, including social media. Social media’s role in customer experience (CX) and its historical association with marketing departments. The evolution of social media from brand protection to a channel for customer care. The shift in approach by CX and CRM players towards incorporating various channels. Why having a single repository for customer journey data to improve data analytics and customer experience is important. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on customer experience. The transformation of contact centers to accommodate digital channels and cater to younger generations’ preferences for non-voice communication. The changes in the audience for customer experience technology selection. The importance of collaboration between IT and business stakeholders in technology decisions. Common mistakes made by companies when implementing customer experience technology. The importance of measuring the impact of technology changes on key performance indicators (KPIs) to demonstrate the value of the investment. The trend of generative AI and its growing popularity in customer experience discussions. The importance of well-informed AI implementation. The challenges of navigating a cluttered AI landscape with numerous companies vying for attention and making ambitious claims. Scott Prater’s predictions for the next 18 months. Links for this episode: by Rick Pitino ABOUT SCOTT PRATER Scott Prater is the Senior Vice President of Technology Solutions at BridgepointeCX, a premier provider of Client-centric, performance-based Customer Experience and Business Optimization Solutions. As a Global Information Technology Executive, Scott brings over 35 years of experience in various roles, including 22 years working with CX technologies. During this time, his focus has been leading successful initiatives in the contact center industry where he has held numerous leadership roles in Service Delivery, Sales and Client Account Management. Scott began his career in the space and defense industry and has brought the same focus and precision required to launch a satellite with him to successive roles in Customer Experience and IT. He has a proven track record leading and supporting transformational change in both technology and business processes and been consistently ahead of the industry curve as an agent of change. His broad vertical background includes managing Avaya’s largest ever client service delivery program for Home Depot and managing customer service technology transformation initiatives for Comcast, Moneygram, and NRG. Scott’s wide-ranging experience also includes leading the industry’s first ever large-scale hosted contact center VoIP implementation of 10,000 seats in 2002. This experience, as well as his international experience in areas such as satellite/RF communications, telecommunications, customer service and analytics, has provided him with unique knowledge and insights to solve our Client’s complex business challenges. CONTACT SCOTT Web. LinkedIn.
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The Evolution of IT Cost Management with Eric Russo of Bridgepointe
01/22/2024
The Evolution of IT Cost Management with Eric Russo of Bridgepointe
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Eric Russo, Senior Vice President of . We’re talking about IT cost management and why it’s become a top priority, second only to cybersecurity. The team advocates for their client's success during every step of the technology lifecycle, from sourcing through implementation and ongoing expense/mobility management to negotiating their renewal. Having completed thousands of client projects resulting in millions of dollars in savings for clients, working with Bridgepointe’s Lifecycle Management Services team helps clients drive greater efficiency while proactively managing their technology costs. During our conversation, we got into how the post-pandemic budget run-up is over, but the demands on it to deploy next-gen tech, like AI, have never been higher. We also parse out why cost management is a more important priority than data analytics, cloud, automation, and AI, and the role procurement experts play in optimizing technology spending. Topics covered in this episode: ● Eric’s background and experience. ● Eric’s business superpower. ● The importance of cost management, optimization, and containment in the IT industry. ● Why many companies are focusing on reallocating budgets for digital transformation projects and AI initiatives. ● Why ROI is an essential factor in justifying technology investments. ● The importance of finding cost savings and optimization opportunities in technology spending and how it impacts business cases for technology investments. ● The impact of COVID-19 on the mobile landscape and how it varies for different customers. ● The challenges businesses face in rationalizing their communication investments and the role of Bridgepointe in helping businesses make informed decisions about which solutions to keep and transition to. ● The importance of understanding users' requirements and leveraging Bridgepointe's expertise in technical requirements gathering to make informed decisions. ● Bridgepointe's involvement in managing digital transformation, including the transition process and managing organizational changes. ● The increasing use of RFPs (Request for Proposals) by businesses to validate their technology decisions and how Bridgepointe helps customers navigate the RFP process. ● A shameless prediction for the next 18 to 24 months. ABOUT ERIC RUSSO At many large enterprises, IT departments are limited by their tech budget, headcount, and legacy systems that turn new initiatives into huge headaches. We’ve been helping the heads of these departments overcome these limitations for over 25 years. We take a deep look at your tech stack, your operations, and what it all costs in order to find opportunities to improve. But we don’t stop there. Like other companies, we’ll analyze where you can improve and give you detailed, accurate reports and recommendations. Unlike other companies, however, we’ll actually take some of that work off your plate. So that your headcount isn’t tied up managing thousands of invoices or wrangling the service and support for every desk phone or mobile device in your company. And you can finally see beyond the daily wave of “break/fix” projects and start on that digital transformation you’ve been planning. CONTACT ERIC Web. LinkedIn.
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The Bridge 2023 Recap
01/16/2024
The Bridge 2023 Recap
On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by our podcast producer, Gene Volpe, for a 2023 recap and discussion about the year that was. During our 2023 recap, we share the cliff notes of the more than 30 episodes we delivered in 2023, a year of unprecedented growth on The Bridge and for Bridgepointe Technologies. We also discuss a few hot topics like AI and security, plans for season three of The Bridge, and some predictions for the coming year. Topics covered in this episode: Memorable guests and episodes from the past year. Hybrid work, bandwidth, customer experience (CX), and AI. The rationalization of networks as businesses adapt to remote and hybrid work arrangements. Scott’s prediction that AI will continue to play a significant role in CX. Changing consumer expectations, with customers expecting seamless digital experiences. The challenges of applying AI in customer interactions. The responsibility of employers in managing remote work arrangements and the evolving nature of work arrangements in response to changing circumstances. The connection between network and security, with a focus on unifying network and security conversations. The impact of AI on security and concerns about “dark AI.” The prediction of chaos surrounding large language models and AI. The integration of network and security discussions in the current tech landscape. The chaos and innovation cycles in the tech industry and how the pandemic accelerated certain trends. Plans for season 3 of The Bridge. Predictions for 2024. Links for this episode: Listen to last year’s recap episode: https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/the-bridge-podcast-with-scott-kinka-2022-end-of-year-recap/ ABOUT OUR HOST SCOTT KINKA This is a SPECIAL EDITION of the Bridge Podcast with Scott Kinka. Over the last 12 months and 30+ episodes, Scott has gotten the opportunity to ask some of the best minds in technology a plethora of questions, including “what is your favorite app” and “what book is on your nightstand?”. In addition, he’s gotten some shameless predictions from all of these interviews. Well, on this episode, we get to ask the same questions of Scott. Producer Gene Volpe gets the opportunity to ask Scott all of the tough questions and have Scott dig back on his favorite moments from our episodes so far. This one was an ode to 2023 while looking forward to 2024. We hope that you enjoy this interesting look into the Chief Strategy Officer of Bridgepointe Technologies and tech evangelist, Scott Kinka. CONTACT SCOTT Web. https://www.thebridgecast.net/ LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkinka/
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