The Killing IT Podcast
IT authors and entrepreneurs Ryan Morris, Karl Palachuk, and Dave Sobel provide commentary on the changing world of technology opportunities and emerging tech. We want to expand the discussion from the SMB IT channel to all things tech - with one eye on the future and the other on profits. Join us!
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Episode 100 - Zoom Opens the Future, Texas Electricity, and AI Ethics
02/23/2021
Episode 100 - Zoom Opens the Future, Texas Electricity, and AI Ethics
Topic 1: Zoom begins the next wave . . . getting back to the office We were impressed with Zoom's announcement of touch-free office connections for receptionist via Zoom. What other emerging technologies can we look forward to as we emerge from the pandemic? Remember: Innovation and technology both affect culture and are affected by culture. Related Link: Topic 2: Texas Electricity You heard about Texas' problem with electricity. If not, follow the link below. We're tempted to draw an analogy to the availability question regarding bandwidth. And we are reminded: All this stuff costs money! On what this means for the bigger picture, tune into Dave's point at 18:45 . . . There's a great analogy here to zero trust access to data and security. Background on the Texas electrical grid and why it's not connected to the rest of the U.S.: TXU - Your Texas Electricity Company Texas Public Utilities Commission Topic 3: Episode 1 revisit on Ethics At Show 100, we harken back to Episode 1, in which we addressed ethics and Artificial Intelligence. It turns out, that's still a relevant discussion. See the last several shows. Technologists always have to balance what we can do and what we should do. After all, the technology we love can grow much faster than our understanding of the ethics related to that technology. . . . And, of course, we give an update on the Drone vs. Robots delivering pizzas and burritos. What do you think? Give us your feedback. Sponsor Note: Are you still using on-prem file servers and VPNs to share files with remote workers? Egnyte is a business class cloud sharing solution that works more like your on-prem server than other solutions. With a security first approach to file sharing and collaboration, Egnyte offers multiple options for sharing files and collecting files from outside sources. And do it all addressing data governance and compliance. Want to learn more? Check out , and when you do, tell them Killing IT sent you. :-)
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Episode 99 - Nouveau Jargon and Visions of the Future
02/16/2021
Episode 99 - Nouveau Jargon and Visions of the Future
Topic 1: Jargon of the Week . . . DBIO Take it apart: Digital Business Infrastructure Operations. Is this usable terminology? Just another four letter acronym? "Digital Business Infrastructure Operations (DBIO) is an end-to-end approach to delivering managed services. It spans the entire digital value chain – from the core to the edge – and is supported by robust network and security infrastructure." One aspect - building things backwards - just amounts to selling solutions instead of selling “stuff” and integrating it. That sounds like the advice for last 50 years. We'd love to hear comments on this one. Topic 2: Jay McBain sees the Future We love looking at the future of our industry. It's kinda what this podcast is about. We dig into this a bit and then introduce Topic Three - then discuss both of them together. Jay McBain's 2021 Channel Predictions: Topic 3: Techaisle see the Future at Little Differently One important topic here is "Digital Equality" vs. "Digital Divide." Again, great topics here: Give us your feedback! -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 98 - Betting on Reddit Stock Tips, Apple, and the Future of Privacy
02/09/2021
Episode 98 - Betting on Reddit Stock Tips, Apple, and the Future of Privacy
We cannot ignore what's going on with Reddit. This one is more "of interest" than a direct hit on topics we think you need to know about. There are many ramifications for business people, of course. And it's also a reflection of some bigger trends in society generally. We spent more time on Reddit, so this show only features two topics. Topic 1: /r/wallstreetbets/ . . . Good, bad, or just ugly? Sub Reddit takes on hedge funds. “Professional” hedge fund managers are selling Game Stop short - and the Reddit users are forcing the stock UP. They are bankrupting professionals hour by hour. Overall, is this just gambling, or is there s business purpose here? Lots of related links. Reddit: These folks are intentionally manipulating stocks. Completely outside the world of regulations. https://www.reddit.com/r/wallstreetbets/ Topic 2: Apply Says They'll Increase Privacy by Default Apple promises you will be “opted out” by default from targeted remarketing. Is that necessarily a good thing? Do you really want to see a lot of random advertising? Google has this cool tool - https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated Apply thinks you value privacy so much that you don't care that you'll be ignoring a bunch of ads. Google's bet is that you will tire of random, unrelated ads and choose to go back to the world where ads are relevant once again. What do you think? Drop some comments at . -- -- -- Sponsor Note: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting . :-)
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Episode 97: Alphabet Internet and Creepy Microsoft Chatbots
02/02/2021
Episode 97: Alphabet Internet and Creepy Microsoft Chatbots
Topic 1: Update on the update: Alphabet cancels their balloon-based internet offering Apparently, they listened to last week’s show. After many years and billions spent, Alphabet (Google) has dropped their plans to provide Internet access to remote areas via lighter-than-air balloons. Side note: We are deep inside an era where private organizations are taking on challenges - and trying new things - without direct government help. Related Link: Topic 2: Shall we adopted the word “integrator” to describe our channel partners? A view from another industry. The Commercial Integrator magazine proposes the work Integrator for their slice of the channel. We think this mostly works. Is there a similar term for the so-called managed services providers in the channel? Related Link: Topic 3: Is this a good or bad use of chat bots? Microsoft has patented some technology that they now say they will not produce. Basically, they can take pretty much anyone with a substantial data record and create a "realistic" chat bot. This easily includes lots of famous people. But it might also include someone close to you who just happens to be dead. Creepy? Some people think so. What do you think? Related Links: “Microsoft patented a chatbot that would let you talk to dead people. It was too disturbing for production” -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: MobiusConnect by Gozynta – the easiest way for ConnectWise Manage and QuickBooks online to connect. Keep invoices, expenses, and inventory automatically updated right from Manage to QuickBooks Online, and payments right back into Manage. With simple pricing, set it and forget it auto sync, Mobius Connect delivers with no restrictions on the number of invoices, expenses and payments, and plays well with others like ConnectBooster. Trusted by over a thousand MSPs now, and with a personalized onboarding, go to to try it out for free, and tell them the guys at Killing IT sent you. :-)
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Episode 96 - SpaceX, Microsoft, and Our Channel
01/26/2021
Episode 96 - SpaceX, Microsoft, and Our Channel
Topic 1: SpaceX Takes Off! SpaceX launched sixty more satellites last week - with ONE rocket. They now have more than 1,000 satellites deployed. Their target is a total of 1,440. These will be dedicated to Internet-beaming. Last year, SpaceX launched 26 rockets successfully. This year, the goal is 40. Most of those rockets have landed successfully on their floating platforms in the ocean. Related Link: Topic 2: Microsoft coming after your customers. Really. Amy Babinchak has raised the alarm with a couple of blog posts. We look at Microsoft's complicated relationship with their so-called partners. Third Tier Links: Topic 3: It's never good news when the popular media know what we do for a living When our problems become “mainstreet” topics, it's not good for us. This includes the concept of Managed Services and the basics of Ransomware. We discuss. Related Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Are you still relying on a frustrating patchwork of legacy solutions? Modernize your cybersecurity and data protection with Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. It’s a single solution that combines backup, anti-malware, and endpoint protection management. As an MSP, you can easily improve clients’ security posture, eliminate complexity, and generate more recurring revenue. Learn more about Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud at . :-)
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Episode 95 - Dude. I need a data center
01/19/2021
Episode 95 - Dude. I need a data center
Closing in on 100 episodes . . . After a few hiccups on the Internet, we managed to record this week's show. Please support our advertiser! Topic 1: Azure in a box? Microsoft is rolling out data centers "in a box." Earlier, we reported on Microsoft putting data centers on the ocean floor. This containerized project has been in the works since at least 2008. Note: We hereby claim copyright to the phrase, "Dude. I need a data center." Link: Topic 2: Net Neutrality Revived for 2021 Dead? Not at all! With the recent election, the Democratic version of Net Neutrality could see the light of day. We use this as a launching pad to discuss access in a larger context, including bandwidth availability, and its effect on education, business, and opportunity. Link: Topic 3: Amazon to compete directly with UPS, FedEx, and USPS? Amazon is buying 11 used Boeing 767-300 jets from Delta and WestJet, the first time it has bought rather than leased. We speculate about what Amazon's up to . . . and several non-obvious related technologies. Once again, supply chain is a huge topic for 2021. Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: Headaches with customers texting your technicians? Gozynta Tixt brings your texting conversation into service tickets. Set your MSP apart by allowing your customers to communicate the way they want, without losing control of the conversation. Since text messages are 10 times more likely to be opened than email, you can get your tickets to "Resolved" faster! An essential tool for supporting a growing remote workforce. Go to to sign up for a free 30 day trial. :-)
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Episode 94 - Open Source RMM and Touchless Controls of the Future
01/12/2021
Episode 94 - Open Source RMM and Touchless Controls of the Future
One very serious topic, and two somewhat-lighter topics this week. Please post questions or comments. And don't forget to share with your friends. Topic 1: Open Source Managed Service Tools? Here's a seriously interesting question: Is open source software for managed services a beautiful vision of the future . .. or a nightmare. We have different thoughts on this one. Link: Topic 2: The next interface? Gesture controls. We start with a link to a white paper that lays the groundwork for this discussion. It's a quick read, and very interesting. We also encourage you to Google "computer gesture control" to dig deep into the kinds of products and software you can start deploying today. We also added a link to one cool example: BMW's radio control. Links: Topic 3: Touchless in 2020 On a somewhat related note, gest controls are one example of touchless controls. Clearly, the need to go touchless has come to the forefront during the pandemic. -- -- -- Sponsor Note: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting :-)
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Episode 93 - Online Shopping Report, Good News on Cybersecurity, Electricity
01/05/2021
Episode 93 - Online Shopping Report, Good News on Cybersecurity, Electricity
Topic 1: Forrester says US online holiday shopping to reach $173 B Constant question: How much of this is temporary vs. permanent? Have you built a store for your clients? We think this is a great opportunity for IT professionals. Related Link: Topic 2: Is there any good news for MSPs in 2021 Cybersecurity? Predictions include: Cloud misconfigurations will be one of the top causes of data breaches. We’ll see the consequences of employees letting their guards down as work-from-home extends. Legacy security architecture like VPNs will be the weak link for many organizations, and use of zero trust network access is likely to accelerate in 2021. Link: Topic 3: 75% of electrical capacity growth expected to be renewable for the next three years Solar, Wind, and Water power are growing dramatically - without regard to political points of view. Coal dominates the power source being retired. This actually matters, going forward. Link: -- -- -- :-)
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Episode 92 - End-of-Year show: 2020
12/29/2020
Episode 92 - End-of-Year show: 2020
Special show - and video! We recorded a video version of this podcast. You can view it at . Or on YouTube on the Small Biz Thoughts channel (). In this episode, we take a look at technology in the year gone by and what it means for the year ahead. So, we're breaking away from the strict timing and 3-topic format. First up: What's the status of our big pizza/burrito delivery race? Delivery improved on many fronts in 2020. But none of us took delivery of a burrito! No visible progress, although technology is inching forward That morphed to a discussion of how much of the "changes" from 2020 will stick? How much of the pandemic-centric behavior is preferred in the long run? How much business travel will return, and how soon? We certainly learned a lot about location independence and remote work in 2020. Over time, people actually started stretching a bit and adding creativity to the remote component. In all of this, there's still a human component to the changes. That will certainly affect the speed and nature of any return to the in-person world that emerges in 2021. Then we looked at . . . the things we totally missed. What did we not see coming a year ago. One biggy was the visibility of our industry to legislatures. It looks like 2021 will be a year of increasing regulation. Another is the nature of cybersecurity. Ryan was hoping that we'd stop selling on fear, but fear seems to be the future. But, on a positive side, a lot of clients have finally seen true value in the money they spend on technology. Many IT service providers are enjoying great success. The barrier to entry in IT is higher than it used to be, and true competence is noticeably more difficult than ever. The era of the amateur are over. A final umbrella discussion is on the changing nature of the supply everywhere, at every level. The problems with JIT (Just in Time) delivery have never been more obvious. Will companies build a little slack into their systems. Again, our discussion turns to percentages. Some will; some won't. What lessons will be learned? . . . We had a great time making this show. We hope you enjoy. Please like, share, subscribe, and send us any questions you have. We have a question form at . :-)
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Episode 91: AI Doppelgangers, Google Outage, and Vaccine Apps
12/22/2020
Episode 91: AI Doppelgangers, Google Outage, and Vaccine Apps
Heading straight on toward year end . . . and Episode 100. Stay tuned for a December 29th Year-end special. But today's show is also good. Topic 1: AI may help you find your doppelganger. The YouTube video below has a look at the technology involved in AI doppelganger research. You can see right away that this dataset can be used to "crowdsource" the improvement of this technology. Related Links: Mentioned in passing: Google's AI singing blobs. Topic 2: Google went down . . . and the world went down with it. Well, for a short while. Below is a commentary (not news) about the use of technology to track us and control us. We discuss how accurate this is, and the lessons we hope to learn from the analysis. Commentary: Topic 3: Life after the pandemic: What we're learning from Vaccine Apps Tracking might be good or bad. "Vaccine Passport" apps may be used for ways they are not intended. Aside from fighting the pandemic, there are some obvious questions about privacy, HIPAA, and personal liberties. We discuss. And remind you that there's tech that you might be able to integrate into your service offerings. Related Link: :-)
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Episode 90 - Pandemic Burnout; Modern Data Centers; Uber and Out
12/15/2020
Episode 90 - Pandemic Burnout; Modern Data Centers; Uber and Out
We're approaching Episode 100. Also planning a big year-end podcast. Always stay tuned. Topic 1: Burnout in a Pandemic World … and What to Do About It Okay. It's been nine months of being shut in. This is getting old. What does that really look like? What the best way to deal with it? We explore. Related articles: Topic 2: Data centers aren’t dead But they’ll never look the same again. Data center in a box becomes reality. Topic 3: Uber Exits the Self-Driving Car Race . . . well, mostly. Kinda. Uber sold off their self-driving department . . . to a company they have a huge stake in. So they continue to flop around trying to figure out what their business model is. -- -- -- Sponsor note: Gozynta Mobius – the easiest way for ConnectWise Manage and QuickBooks online to connect. Keep invoices, expenses, and inventory automatically updated right from Manage to QuickBooks Online, and payments right back into Manage. With simple pricing, set it and forget it auto sync, Gozynta Mobius delivers with no restrictions on the number of invoices, expenses and payments, and plays well with others like ConnectBooster. Trusted by over a thousand MSPs. now introducing a free plan, go to , and tell them Killing IT sent you. :-)
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Episode 89 - Fighting Inequality with AI, Cheap Energy, and "Edge" Opportunities
12/08/2020
Episode 89 - Fighting Inequality with AI, Cheap Energy, and "Edge" Opportunities
Looking forward to Episode 100! As we close in on the end of 2020, we are also fast approaching our 100th episode. Thank you for following us, sharing our podcasts, and giving us the big thumbs-up. Topic 1: AI Reveals Racial Inequalities in NYC We've talked about the layers of bias within Artificial Intelligence, and the impact of human bias on the creation of AI. So this topic looks at using AI to find bias inside existing databases. It's very meta. Topic 2: Growth in renewable energy finally takes off. I think we all know that various electrical generating systems have become cheaper, but this article has some jaw-dropping statistics. Solar energy is going to dominate the world for one really good reason: It's not cheaper BY FAR than anything else. Price of electricity from solar dropped 89% in ten years !!! Price of solar photovoltaic cells dropped 99.6% since 1976. Topic 3: "Edge" (whatever that means) Brings Opportunity. And while we're at it, we all hate the term Edge. Having said that, the real focus is on new and various protocols that you can just let run wild. Complexity brings opportunity! We discuss. -- -- -- Sponsor Memo: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement . . . we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting . :-)
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Episode 88 - Robo-job Apocalypse Delayed; NATO Publications; and Facebook Algorithm
12/01/2020
Episode 88 - Robo-job Apocalypse Delayed; NATO Publications; and Facebook Algorithm
Announcement: Killing IT Podcast is available on Audible / Amazon podcasts. If you have an Audible account, just search for “The Killing IT Podcast.” Direct Link: Topic 1: The Robo-job Apocalypse is Being Delayed. We've covered this story from several angles over the last years. Turns out robots are adding more jobs than they are taking away. Robots are affected how much people get paid, not whether they have jobs. Link: 1 big thing: The robo-job apocalypse is being delayed Topic 2: A great resource to explore - NATO's research on evil actors in worldwide technology. Start with the web site https://www.stratcomcoe.org/publications. We particularly love this report: Also check out the quarterly report on robot trolling. All really good, well-researched, and a little scary. Book cited: The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr. Topic 3: Turns out, Facebook CAN tweak the algorithm. Facebook has long claimed that they cannot make changes to their "news" algorithm. Specifically, they have claimed that they cannot start tweaking the viral nature of trends on their own platform. Now they are saying that they had to crank down the viral nature of some posts during the election. The goal was to diminish extreme divisiveness. It may or may not be good. But clearly they can adjust their algorithm. We discuss. Another fun show! Share with your friends. :-)
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Episode 87 - Proctored Exam Overkill; Smart Cities to Watch; and Video Games that Are Good For You
11/24/2020
Episode 87 - Proctored Exam Overkill; Smart Cities to Watch; and Video Games that Are Good For You
A bit of wisdom from Dave on marketing: If you are only buying a sure thing for marketing, you are LAST. Note: This space is available. YOU could be advertising here. Topic 1: Modern "Proctored" Exams are creating excessive anxiety. Cheating-detection companies made millions during the pandemic, and now students are fighting back. (This was originally a Washington Post article, but you need a subscription to read it there.) You should read at least some of this article to get the gist of what's going on. Aside from over-doing distrust, the over-use of technology is making the system worst. This is also a reflection of how behind the times education is. Our conclusion: If you're paid to give advice, don't ignore stupid stuff like this. Earn your pay and speak up! Topic 2: Eight Smart Cities to Watch During Pandemic A great look at some actual, real-world application of various technologies. This is a longer article and very good. Is your city on the list? It's really amazing how much cool stuff is being done to improve the livability of cities with technologies that help with citizen participation, traffic managements, safety, and more. This is way beyond traffic lights and road sensors. Note that there's also a HUGE opportunity here. These are cities, not states or federal governments. Cities hire people like you to make this stuff happen. Topic 3: Video games are good for well-being (University of Oxford study). People who play video games for long periods of time tend to report feeling happier than those who do not, the study shows. The Oxford Internet Institute research focused on two games: Nintendo's Animal Crossing and Electronic Art's Plants vs Zombies. In an unusual step, the developers of the games shared anonymized data about how long each participant had played. These logs were then linked to a survey in which the players answered questions about their well-being. A total of 3,274 gamers took part!!! All were over eighteen years of age. In previous research, data gathered about the duration of subjects' gaming sessions was based on self-reported "guesstimates," which can be inaccurate. :-)
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Episode 86 - 3D Printing, AI Analysis of Reddit, and Bias in Facial Recognition
11/17/2020
Episode 86 - 3D Printing, AI Analysis of Reddit, and Bias in Facial Recognition
Topic 1: 3D printing that makes sense. We have covered 3D printing several times. Now we get to report on some seriously cool applications. Medical applications are some of the coolest applications for 3D printing. 3d Printing is moving out of the "emerging" phase and finding some real uses in the real world. (See story #3) Topic 2: AI Analysis of Reddit users. Here's an interesting use of AI. The folks over at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) analyzed the words and moods of writers on Reddit over time. They found some interesting shifts in personal emotions over time. We look into the tech as well as the environment (Reddit). There are always questions about the research techniques, but it helps a lot that this is from MIT and not some random blogger. Topic 3: Taking the middle ground on facial recognition and bias. We've covered the racial biases that are often built into facial recognition. Now, the Detroit city counsel is taking the middle ground: Don't throw it away; but don't use it as it ships (filled with problems). This is another area where the prices are coming down and the use cases are increasing. Sponsor Note: Gozynta Tixt Headaches with customers texting your technicians? Gozynta Tixt brings your texting conversation into service tickets. Set your MSP apart by allowing your customers to communicate the way they want, without losing control of the conversation. Since text messages are 10 times more likely to be opened than email, you can get your tickets to "Resolved" faster! An essential tool for supporting a growing remote workforce. Go to to sign up for a free 30 day trial. :-)
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Episode 85 - Firing Robots, Analyzing AI, and Implementing Smart Tech
11/10/2020
Episode 85 - Firing Robots, Analyzing AI, and Implementing Smart Tech
Topic 1: Walmart fires inventory robots. Walmart fires inventory robots after five years. Goes back to humans. Plus, they learned a lesson about customer service (and customer experience). Related Link: Topic 2: Who am I to pick the algorithm? We've talked about AI algorithms having biases built in. Now the question is, how do you manage the choice of picking the algorithms? What's the decision process for determining the presence of bias? Would the people who do well at building culture also be good at picking the best algorithms? Book referenced: A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. (Please see our entire of books mentioned on this podcast.) Related Link: Topic 3: Life after the pandemic: AI and Traffic Sensors already in automobiles. Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the transport sector are stimulating innovations for better and more targeted use of vehicles and infrastructure. This could optimize network performance, support the monitoring and management of traffic, and create the base for solutions that pave the way to future mobility, particularly in cities. Related Link: ----- Our Sponsor this week: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting :-)
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Episode 84 - AI Bias, Digital Collaboration, and the Failure of Contract Tracing
11/03/2020
Episode 84 - AI Bias, Digital Collaboration, and the Failure of Contract Tracing
Topic 1: AI Correcting Bias . . . Previously, we talked about how biases of the humans who build artificial intelligence are working their way into the AI. Now we find that AI is being used to remove biases from scientific research. And there's even an opportunity for service providers to help their clients find juicy, good information inside the data inside their business. Related Link: Topic 2: Turning competition into collaboration: SMBs and Corporations The modern opportunities for collaboration between large corporations and SMBs continue to emerge. Here are some comments about what these emerging relationships look like. Digital ecosystems are, of course, different from old-school incubator communities. Related Link: Topic 3: Life after the pandemic: Contract tracing apps haven't performed as expected. To be clear: The apps work just fine. People just haven't downloaded them and turned them on. One explanation is that this is due to fear of giving away privacy data. Another is that people just don't know these apps exist. That second explanation has more to due with failure to promote than fear of government tracking. What do you think? Related Link: :-)
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Episode 83 - Fragmented Health Data, Right to Repair, and Dying Industries
10/27/2020
Episode 83 - Fragmented Health Data, Right to Repair, and Dying Industries
Topic 1: Fragmented Health Data and Covid. With HIPAA and other privacy laws have complicated the sharing of healthcare data that might be useful in fighting the virus. We look at that as well as general observations about the industry. Related Link: Topic 2: Right to Repair is on the Ballot in Massachusetts. We've covered right to repair before. Once perspective, of course, is you - the potential repairer. On the other end of the fight are some of the largest and most successful companies in the world. As always, the world is a complicated place. Related Link: Topic 3: Life after the pandemic: Industries that won’t make it. Great click-bait, right? Here's a great article, speculating about which industries will not survive this pandemic/recession. We don't agree across the board (shocking, we know). ----- Sponsor Memo: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement . . . we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting . :-)
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Episode 82 - Universal Connectivity, Digital Transformation, and the Smart Office
10/20/2020
Episode 82 - Universal Connectivity, Digital Transformation, and the Smart Office
After spending 49 minutes "warming up," we hit the record button. This turned out to be a particularly timely episode. Topic 1: How close are we to universal connectivity? And what does that mean, actually? In addition to searching for parity between work vs. home, and school vs. home, we are also looking at rural vs. urban. Related Link: Topic 2: Strategies for transformation (and why they fail). Ryan's favorite topic - digital transformation. There's a lot of talk these days of how Covid is increasing digital transformation. But if it's too slow, there are other issues as well. Links: - - Topic 3: Life after the pandemic - Smart offices How much will your office really look different when the pandemic is over. We are not in universal agreement on this. Links: - - :-)
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Episode 81 - Remote Report Card, Total Connectivity, and Tech Budgets
10/13/2020
Episode 81 - Remote Report Card, Total Connectivity, and Tech Budgets
No awards this week . . . but we have a sponsor! ----- Topic 1: Remote work versus distributed work We all "went remote" all of a sudden. Did we do it right? The fact that you can go remote does not mean that you maintained culture, and all the good things about your business. We discuss - of course. Related links: Topic 2: Have we not thought big enough about the connected world? We have "some" cool, futuristic technology, but we don't yet have the totally-connected, always-on access we were hoping for. Now that glowing vision of the future is coming into focus . . . brought to you by Huawei. We love the vision. Just wondering if we can get it from someone else. Link: Topic 3: Return of “Life after Covid” - Post-COVID CIOs are looking at budget increases. IDG say, "Innovating with a reduced budget will become a high priority for tech leaders as the economy returns to health finds major annual CIO survey." But, at the same time, large companies are enjoying an increase in technology spending. MSPs are absolutely in a position to provide this kind of strategic advice to their customers, and they need to have that kind of insight in order to be relevant in the current planning / guessing phase. Link: -- -- -- Sponsor Note: The MSP event of the year is back. This time, it’s virtual and free to attend! Sherweb's Accelerate 2020 offers a comprehensive online program to help you gear up for the future of managed services. Industry experts will deliver thought leadership sessions and hands-on workshops on sales, marketing, financials, strategic business planning and customer engagement. Also available will be 1:1 meetings and fun virtual networking. Want to stay relevant in a disrupted world? Join us from anywhere on October 21st and 22nd. Registration is open at . :-)
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Episode 80 - Changing RMM Tools, Building the Stack, and the OS Environment
10/06/2020
Episode 80 - Changing RMM Tools, Building the Stack, and the OS Environment
Big Thank You to CrossBeam for including us on their list of top-12 pocasts! See the details at “The 12 Best Partnership and Business Development Podcasts (So Far)“ Topic 1: Microsoft gets into the RMM tool space. We explore the gap between the products being offered by vendors and where the market is going. We used to build machines. Now we build stacks of tools and services. We continue to evolve, and the environment in which we operate continues to involve. What is the channel takeaway? Tune in. Topic 2: The transparency of technology and how that progresses through maturity stages. How much of an expert do you need to be? Or, more precisely, how deep do you need to go with the technology vs. understanding enough to solve client problems? Clients just want the solution. You need to be competent, but you don't need to explain all the details to them. Related Link: Topic 3: As various companies move into "our" space, how does this affect the services we're already offering. Again, with Microsoft and others: How do they fit into the solution where I already have other solutions? And a related question is: Do these "new" players play well with others? -- -- -- Sponsor note: Acronis invites you to the Acronis Global Cyber Summit, this is the premier event dedicated to connecting the IT channel and IT pros with actionable insights, solutions, and strategies for effective cyber protection. Bringing together service providers, value-added-resellers, CIOs, and ISVs, the Summit is the world's largest gathering of thought leaders and industry experts sharing insights and advances in the field of cyber protection. Featuring a long list of speakers, sign up for free at . You’ll even be able to catch Dave doing “why do we care” online. See you there. :-)
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Episode 79 - Dark Web Arrests, Underwater Servers Update, and Microsoft RMM
09/29/2020
Episode 79 - Dark Web Arrests, Underwater Servers Update, and Microsoft RMM
Thanks to Sherweb for sponsoring this episode! (Details below.) Topic 1: 179 Arrested in Massive Global Dark Web Takedown "Operation Disruptor" is an unprecedented international law enforcement effort, stemming from last year’s seizure of a popular underground bazaar called Wall Street Market. This more than a US-centric law enforcement effort since the dark side of the Internet is international. So, this was a major, successful, multi-national undertaking. Clearly, this is something you should be talking to you clients about. They don't need the details, of course, but they need to know that the threat is real! Topic 2: Microsoft’s underwater server experiment resurfaces after two years. Turns out, dunking data centers is a great idea! About 1/8th as many failures, compared to data center up here with oxygen and temperature variations. It's also a good test for data centers in space or on other planets. Next up: Placing data centers offshore . . . near you. Topic 3: Microsoft Lighthouse: An RMM. We tackle this straight on. Does the new MS Lighthouse with MSP dashboard compete with you? Or is it simply competing for your attention and money? Announcement: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/small-and-medium-business-blog/announcing-microsoft-365-lighthouse-for-managed-service/ba-p/1698181 Note, also that T-Mobile is offering Microsoft 365 and support services. And HP is offering managed services . . . And Lenovo is offering managed services . . . Should you be afraid? Energized? Should your clients be warned about these changes? We discuss from many different angles. ----- Today's Sponsor is Sherweb's Accelerate 2020: The MSP event of the year is back. This time, it’s virtual and free to attend! Sherweb's Accelerate 2020 offers a comprehensive online program to help you gear up for the future of managed services. Industry experts will deliver thought leadership sessions and hands-on workshops on sales, marketing, financials, strategic business planning and customer engagement. Also available will be 1:1 meetings and fun virtual networking. Want to stay relevant in a disrupted world? Join us from anywhere on October 21st and 22nd. Registration is open at . :-)
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Episode 78 - Disrupting higher ed, expanding broadband, and Section 230 revisited
09/22/2020
Episode 78 - Disrupting higher ed, expanding broadband, and Section 230 revisited
Topic 1: Google disrupting Higher Ed. Should be jump on this boat? Education is overdue for disruption, but is this the right approach? And what’s up with CompTIA? Where we move away from 4-year degree and toward certifications, it rubs up against our industry very much. Another factor, of course, is the cost of higher ed. And, just to add one more factor: There's more knowledge to be had than is humanly possible to have. Topic 2: Should we make broadband a national effort? First off: It seems embarrassing that we are discussing this in the United States! Read this and come back: Karl harkens back to his experience in Australia over the last few years. The potential here is amazing, for IT Service Providers (not just Amazon and Microsoft). There are many, many ramifications for this. If nothing else, increased connectivity means more potential buyers for all services (for all - not must Apple and Facebook). Your feedback welcome! Topic 3: Section 230, revisited. Censorship. Regulation. Publishing. Responsibility. This one covers it all! When both parties agree on something, you know there's a problem. All of this stuff can help you start ongoing conversations with your clients. You just have to figure out where to start. -- -- -- Sponsor note: Acronis invites you to the Acronis Global Cyber Summit, this is the premier event dedicated to connecting the IT channel and IT pros with actionable insights, solutions, and strategies for effective cyber protection. Bringing together service providers, value-added-resellers, CIOs, and ISVs, the Summit is the world's largest gathering of thought leaders and industry experts sharing insights and advances in the field of cyber protection. Featuring a long list of speakers, sign up for free at . – you’ll even be able to catch Dave doing “why do we care” online. See you there. :-)
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Episode 77 - Smart Devices in Court Evidence and Bitcoin Electricity Usage
09/15/2020
Episode 77 - Smart Devices in Court Evidence and Bitcoin Electricity Usage
Topic 1: Are all your smart devices going to be used in evidence against you? Follow up on the topic of having an AI app get you out of a ticket. Between your cloud-stored camera footage and device recordings, police might be able to be used to defend you . . . or convict you. We discuss several sides of this emerging technology, including the integrity of the data as well as our right against self-incrimination. Alexa, Play My Alibi: The Smart Home Gets Taken to Court Link: Topic 2: Tech companies want to get you back to your office 35% of companies have no timeline for getting back to work. But, some very big tech companies are helping you start to move in that direction. But, at the same time, those big companies aren't headed back to their offices! Link: Topic 3: Making money from electricity instead of Bitcoin. Huh? Recently, power prices in Taxes popped over $200 per megawatt-hour. One company, Layer1, stopped mining Bitcoin for 30 minutes and reaped returns of 700%. This highlights an ongoing issue of the true costs of bitcoin. Link: :-)
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KIT Episode 76: Service Leadership Report, Apple's New Privacy Policy, and More
09/08/2020
KIT Episode 76: Service Leadership Report, Apple's New Privacy Policy, and More
We have a sponsor today: PC Matic — Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime-time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting Topic 1: Discussion of Service Leadership Mid-Year numbers Paul Dippell reports on how MSPs are thriving (or surviving) during the recession. We discuss the report. Links: Topic 2: Apple's new “privacy policy” is challenged by Facebook and others. Is it really just a ploy to to manipulate ads without allowing other platforms to do the same? We discuss. Topic 3: Life after the pandemic - Automation and Anti-Immigrant Fears. This is a continuing theme throughout history. Workers always fear that technology will displace them. And, to the extent that companies turn to immigrants, there is historical fear that jobs will be lost to immigrants as well. We discuss: Is it time to rethink how we talk about it? :-)
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Episode 75 - Emerging Technology, Epic v. Apple (again), and SaaS Management
09/01/2020
Episode 75 - Emerging Technology, Epic v. Apple (again), and SaaS Management
Episode 75 !!! It may not be a big event for you, but we feel great about producing seventy-five episodes of The Killing IT Podcast. Thank you for all your support, and for spreading the word. Topic 1: Retrospective on Changing/Emerging Technology We started the podcast with a lot of excitement around new (emerging) technologies. So, we thought this episode is a great opportunity to give our updated opinions on some of these technologies. We mention some of the highlights of CompTIA's revised "Top 10 Emerging Technologies" report. We have a few that we think are not quite ready for the list, and even one sleeper. Related Link: Topic 2: Update - Epic vs. Apple - week two As Ryan describes it, the judge played Solomon and split the baby on this one. An interesting development on the legal front re: Epic v Apple. The best line: the current predicament (for Epic) is largely self-inflicted. Channel strategy is voluntary, and when a vendor chooses to introduce competition or conflict, channel partners are free to opt out. As always, it’s vital to remember that vendors do not own their channels, they must influence channel partners to choose to be in visit with them. Related Link: Topic 3: Life after Pandemic - SaaS management Yay! A new thing we all have to pay attention to. :-) A new "class" of service is now available. In fact, in one week, two companies announced that they are releasing a service: SaaS management. We explain what that is, and give a few introductory thoughts. The companies are: Augmentt and SaaS Alert -- -- -- Feedback welcome! :-)
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Episode 74 - AI Legal Assistance; Fortnite vs. Apple; The New Gartner Hype Cycle
08/25/2020
Episode 74 - AI Legal Assistance; Fortnite vs. Apple; The New Gartner Hype Cycle
NOT episode 75. Stay tuned next week. Topic 1: - AI legal assistance. Not ready to defend you in a criminal trial, but might get you out of a traffic ticket! Link: Topic 2: - Apple v Epic/Fortnite If you haven't seen the video, please do yourself a favor and watch. Video: Fortnite takes on Apple . . . and the original Apple 1984 Links: Topic 3: - Life after the pandemic - The New Gartner Hype Cycle Do we think this is what the world will look like? Link: :-)
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Episode 73 - B2B Sales Forecast, Government Regulations, and the Nature of Contract Work
08/18/2020
Episode 73 - B2B Sales Forecast, Government Regulations, and the Nature of Contract Work
This week's sponsor: PC Matic Endpoint Security built on a zero trust philosophy, allowing only trusted applications and blocking all the rest. Light weight, simple to deploy, easy to manage, find out about PC Matic's unique lead sharing program for MSPs backed by a prime time national TV campaign. Together, we bring advanced security solutions combined with more than sales enablement … we bring actual leads. Find out more about PC Matic by visiting Topic 1: - What's the B2B plan for sales after the pandemic? Here are a few different perspectives. We discuss these as well as recovery timing. After all, increased sales will start at some point: You need a plan! Post-COVID-19 strategy planning has begun at 43% of companies, while 38% of CIOs said their organizations continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, and plan to turn to recovery soon. How CIO’s view things: Topic 2: - What do the moves of government regulators mean? AG’s at the top: Or what it will mean for smaller companies? (Registration fees!) Facebook's July 2020 Civil Rights Audit: Topic 3: - Life after the pandemic - Changes in workers? This is a really good practical exercise in the debate around working from home vs. in the office. Hybrid work leads to hybrid legal definitions - and no one is prepared to address those different status types in their current model. Obviously the question in California is far from finished, but this is a really good step forward. The gig economy is a great idea, but companies have twisted the concept to abuse workers rather than create flexibility and it’s good to see some sanity introduced to the model. Note: While we were recording, the judge ruled against the extension we discuss. :-)
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Episode 72 - Micro-Management, Chinese Sanctions, and Trifurcation of the Web
08/11/2020
Episode 72 - Micro-Management, Chinese Sanctions, and Trifurcation of the Web
Topic 1: Micro-Management 2020 How are managers doing in the world all-remote work? In particular, how are remote managers doing? We continue the discussion of whether we'll really go back to the office when all this is over. One element to watch: Not all managers trust employees and believe they can be effective without true hands-on management. We cover a few stats and give our impressions of the world ahead. Links: Topic 2: Sanctions against Chinese companies will have echoes inside the world of technology. As Chinese companies are sanctioned for human rights violations, our supply chain is affected. On top of that, these sactions lead to other forces in the world of online collaboration and the global inter-connected Internet. Sub-topics include human rights, cyber crime, overall regulation, and having the virtual world become the "real" world. Links: Topic 3: TikTok and Bifurcation of the Internet; and maybe Trifurcation, etc. Life after the Pandemic . . . What does TikTok mean? And does it matter whether it's owned by a U.S. company, in an inter-connected global Internet? Is TikTok any worse than Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other "western" countries just because the data goes to China vs. San Jose? :-)
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Episode 71 - Big Tech Businesses and College Evaluations
08/04/2020
Episode 71 - Big Tech Businesses and College Evaluations
Topic 1: The "Big Four" IT buisinesses grilled by Congress. Will there be any real aftermath to these hearings, or is this all just political showmanship? CEOs from Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google were grilled by Congress. We discuss what this might mean (or not). Sample Link: Topic 2: SolarWinds abdicates RMM. SolarWinds has announced that they're just going to use the Microsoft tools to manage patch management. Is this simply "opting out" of the RMM game, or a smart move acknowledging that Microsoft does it better. What does this mean to you as a SolarWinds user? And does it affect you if you use something else? And is there any long-term effect on the industry generally? We discuss. Link: Topic 3: Life after Covid: College Life Expectancy How will colleges survive in the long term, and how is this affected by the Covid? Scott Galloway had a great blog post - with a great graphic. He looks at how colleges will emerge from this strange time. Check out the comments as well. Love the graphic :-)
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