3. AI is Smarter Than Your Average Network Engineer

Platform Engineering is the Revenge of IT OperationsDescription: The rise of platform engineering demonstrates how difficult it has been to balance DevOps between developers and operations. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features a discussion of platform engineering with Mitch Ashley and Mike Vizard of Techstrong Group and Stephen Foskett and Tom Hollingsworth of Gestalt IT. We explore the dynamic interplay between DevOps and platform engineering, two methodologies shaping the modern IT landscape. DevOps fosters a culture of collaboration, continuous integration, and rapid software deployment, promoting agility and innovation. However, the challenges of scalability and standardization within DevOps have given rise to platform engineering, which focuses on creating and managing standardized development and operational platforms. This approach aims to enhance DevOps by providing a stable foundation, allowing developers to concentrate on coding and innovation. We delve into how these seemingly divergent approaches are, in fact, complementary, balancing the need for speed and innovation with the demands of security, compliance, and scalability in the ever-evolving IT industry. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Practice Lead and Tech Field Day Event Lead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Mitch Ashley, Principal Analyst and CTO, Techstrong Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellashley/ Mike Vizard, Chief Content Officer, Techstrong Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelvizard/ Tech Field Day: Website: ⁠https://www.techfieldday.com⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day⁠ X/Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday⁠ Podcast: Website: ⁠https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast⁠ X/Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #PlatformEngineering, #ITOperations, @TechstrongTV, @Techfieldday, @SFoskett, @NetworkingNerd, @GestaltIT, @TheFuturumGroup,

New technology standards can’t anticipate how users will consume content and applications and revisions to the standards will be adopted to meet their needs. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Ron Westfall, Drew Lentz, and Rocky Gregory as they discuss where Wi-Fi 7 falls short. Even though Wi-Fi 7 is a new standard it is still based on older thinking and users have changed the way they consume content and applications. This episode discusses the difference between cloud-hosted applications and local software as well as the drive to increase performance on edge access points to include faster response times to things like AI assistants. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Practice Lead and Tech Field Day Event Lead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Ron Westfall, Practice Lead at The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-westfall-b7679a/ Drew Lentz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewlentz/ Rocky Gregory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockycwne/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #MFD11, #WiFi7, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @TheFuturumGroup, @NetworkingNerd, @WirelessNerd, @RonWestfallDX, @BionicRocky,

In our AI-dominated world, data quality is the key to building useful tools. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Drew Clarke from Qlik discussing best practiced for integrating data sources with AI models with Joey D'Antoni, Gina Rosenthal, and Stephen Foskett before Qlik Connect in Orlando. Although there is a lot of hype about AI in industry, companies are realizing the risks of generative AI and large language models as well. Solid data practices in terms of data hygiene, proven data models, business intelligence, and flows can ensure that the output of an AI application is correct. The proliferation of Generative AI is also causing a rapid increase in the cost and environmental impact IT systems and this will impact the success of this technology. Good data practices can help, allowing a lighter and less expensive LLM to produce quality results. The Tech Field Day delegates will learn more about these topics at Qlik Connect in Orlando, and we will be recording and sharing content as well. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett Qlik Representative: Drew Clarke, General Manager & EVP, Data Business Unit at Qlik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewdclarke/ Delegates: Gina Rosenthal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gminks/ Joey D'Antoni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephdantoni/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #QlikConnect, #Sponsored, #AI, @Qlik, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @SFoskett, @GMinks, @GestaltIT, @JDAnton,

Modern applications are widely deployed in the cloud, but they're coming at the edge as well. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Alastair Cooke and Paul Nashawaty from The Futurum Group, Erik Nordmark from ZEDEDA, and host Stephen Foskett discussing the intersection of application modernization and edge computing. As enterprises look to deploy more applications at the edge they are leveraging technologies like Kubernetes and containers to enable portability, scalability, resilience, and high availability. In many cases customers are moving existing web applications to the edge to improve performance and security, but not all webscale technologies are appropriate on the limited hardware, environmentals, and connectivity found at the edge. The question is whether to improve the edge compute platform or build resiliency into the application itself. But there are limits to this approach, since edge locations don't have the elasticity of the cloud and many of the features of Kubernetes were not designed for limited resources. It comes down to developer expectations, since they are now accustomed to the experience of modern webscale platforms and expect this environment everywhere. In the future, we expect WASM, LLMs, and more to be used regardless of location. Host: Stephen Foskett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panalists: Alastair Cooke, CTO Advisor at The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastaircooke/ Paul Nashawaty, Practice Lead, Application Development Modernization at The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulnashawaty/ Erik Nordmark, CTO and Co-founder, ZEDEDA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-nordmark-77124310/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #EdgeComputing, #Kubernetes, @ZEDEDAEdge, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPodcast, @TheFuturumGroup, @DemitasseNZ, @SFoskett, @PNashawaty,

Security audits are painful and often required for compliance but they aren’t adversarial unless you have a bad auditor or bad policy compliance. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth sits down with Teren Bryson, Skye Fugate, and Ben Story to discuss the nuances of audits. The panel discusses the discovery of technical debt, external versus internal auditing, the need for flexibility in procedures. and how good auditors can make for a more positive outcomes. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panel: Ben Story: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstory/ Skye Fugate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skye-f/ Teren Bryson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teren/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod

Recent advances in AI for IT have shown the huge potential for changing the way that we do work. However, AI can’t replace everyone in the workforce. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Rita Younger, Josh Warcop, and Rob Coote as they look at how the hype surrounding AI must inevitably be reconciled with the reality of real people doing work. They discuss the way that AI is judged for its mistakes versus a human as well as how marketing is pushing software as the solution to all our staffing ills. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Josh Warcop: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warcop/ Rita Younger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritayounger/ Rob Coote: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robcoote/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #NFD34 #Networking #TFDPodcast @TechFieldDay @TechFieldDayPod

Cyber Resiliency is a term that encompasses much more than simply protecting data. This episode features Tom Hollingsworth joined by Krista Macomber and Max Mortillaro discussing the additional features in a cyber resiliency solution and the need to understand how data needs to be safeguarded from destruction or exploitation. The episode highlights the shift from reactive to proactive measures as well as the additional integrations that are needed between development, deployment, and operations teams to ensure success. Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field Day: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Panelists: Krista Macomber, Research Director, The Futurum Group: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-macomber/ Max Mortillaro, Consultant and Co-Owner of TECHUnplugged: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmortillaro/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TFDPodcast, #XFD11, #CyberResiliency, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @NetworkingNerd, @MaxMortillaro, @KLMacomber, @TheFuturumGroup,

There is a hazardous amount of AI-generated and SEO-oriented content being generated, and the solution is real stories from real communities. In the first episode of Tech Field Podcast, recorded on-site at AI Field Day, Stephen Foskett chats with Frederic Van Haren, Gina Rosenthal and Colleen Coll about confronting inauthentic content. The internet is inundated with low-quality, AI-generated, and SEO-driven content, and the antidote is the cultivation of real, credible voices within the tech community. The discussion focuses on the importance of community-driven content and the credibility of individual voices in an era dominated by content optimized for algorithms rather than human engagement. The rise of generative AI in content creation and consumption is accelerating, and we must all find a balance between technological advancements and human insight. This is the essence of the Tech Field Day experience, which fosters meaningful dialogue among tech professionals and companies in the industry. For fifteen years Tech Field Day has highlighted the critical role of human connection and credible voices in navigating the digital information landscape, and this re-launched podcast is part of that continuing effort. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panelists: Frederic Van Haren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericvharen/ Gina Rosenthal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gminks/ Colleen Coll: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-coll-b971505/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TechFieldDayPodcast, #AIFD4, #AI, #TechFieldDay, @SFoskett, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod, @FredericVHaren, @GMinks, @ColleenColl,

We are once again returning to the Tech Field Day name for our weekly podcast. In this episode, Stephen Foskett and Tom Hollingsworth delve into the history of the podcast, how it came to prominence and what sets it apart from other technical podcasts. We also discuss why each episode has a premise and why the name has been the On-Premise IT Podcast for so long. Hosts: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Tom Hollingsworth, Tech Field Day Event Lead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingnerd/ Tech Field Day: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tech-field-day X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfieldday Podcast: Website: https://www.techfieldday.com/podcast X/Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/techfielddaypod Tags: #TechFieldDayPodcast, #TechFieldDay, #EnterpriseIT, @SFoskett, @NetworkingNerd, @TechFieldDay, @TechFieldDayPod,

Hammerspace unveiled a new storage architecture called Hyperscale NAS that addresses the needs of AI and GPU computing. This episode of the On-Premise IT podcast, sponsored by Hammerspace, is focused on the extreme requirements of high-performance multi-node computing. Eric Bassier of Hammerspace joins Chris Grundemann, Frederic Van Haren, and Stephen Foskett to consider the characteristics that define this new storage architecture. Hammerspace leverages parallel NFS and flexible file layout (FlexFiles) within the NFS protocol to deliver unprecedented scalability and performance. AI training requires scalability, performance, and low latency but also flexible and robust data management, which makes Hyperscale NAS extremely attractive. Now that the Linux kernel includes NFS v4.2, the Hammerspace Hyperscale NAS system works out of the box with standards-based clients rather than requiring a proprietary client. Hammerspace is currently deployed in massive hyperscale datacenters and is used in some of the largest AI training scenarios. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer of the Tech Field Day Event Series: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sfoskett/ Panel: Frederic Van Haren, CTO and Founder of HighFens, Inc.: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredericvharen/ Chris Grundemann, Managing Director at Grundemann Solutions: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cgrundemann/ Hammerspace Representative: Eric Bassier, Senior Director, Solution Marketing at Hammerspace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-bassier/ Follow Gestalt IT Website: https://www.GestaltIT.com/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GestaltIT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Gestalt-IT