This shift is particularly relevant in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare, where innovation must operate alongside strict requirements for data security, privacy and compliance. In these environments, those constraints shape how AI is evaluated and introduced, placing a premium on applications that can improve the flow of work without introducing additional risk or operational complexity.

To explore how these dynamics play out in practice, CCS Insight's Chief of Enterprise Research, Bola Rotibi, spoke with Adam Nerell, Chief Information Officer at Humana, and Patrick McCarthy, Vice President for Workspace at Google. Adam is responsible for IT strategy and operations at one of the largest Nordic health insurance and healthcare services organizations, and Patrick brings a broader perspective from working with enterprises in multiple industries as they adopt AI through Google Workspace.

The episode will allow you to:

• Embed AI into everyday work.
• Enable experimentation in your organization.
• Understand how value can be unlocked beyond traditional return-on-investment measures.
• Examine the role of platform architecture in AI deployments.
• Facilitate secure, compliant adoption of AI at scale in regulated environments.

CCS Insight has produced a free companion report outlining the major highlights from the discussion and providing practical recommendations for organizations implementing AI. Access the report here.

To hear first-hand about implementations of AI in banking and retail, CCS Insight’s Chief of Enterprise Research, Bola Rotibi, is joined by Oscar Barlow, Head of AI Advocacy at Starling, and Colin Featherstone, Head of Technology at Morrisons. Oscar is focused on making Starling an AI-fluent bank, and Colin is responsible for networks, platforms, cloud and workspace.

We uncover how a major retailer and a digital-first bank are using Google Workspace and Gemini to tackle everyday challenges, such as connecting large, distributed workforces and cutting the time leaders spend on long documents, while keeping privacy, governance and human accountability at the centre.

The discussion explores:

• The business problems that made AI a priority.
• Rules for rolling out AI in different industries.
• Patterns of usage across roles and responsibilities.
• Lessons on how to have a successful pilot programme for AI tools.

CCS Insight has produced a free companion report outlining the major highlights from the discussion and providing practical recommendations for organizations at all stages of the AI roll-out. Access the report here.

In this podcast, we dive into how AI scales at the device level, enhancing patient outcomes and uncovering actionable insights from one of the largest data-generating sectors in the world. Discover how edge computing enables faster, more secure data analysis right where care is delivered and learn how these advancements shape a more efficient and innovative future for healthcare.

The discussion explores:

• Healthcare industry trends and observations
• Adopting technologies safely and securely
• How AI at the edge addresses healthcare data
• Strategies to bring AI into the healthcare industry
• Examples and case studies.

To learn more about healthcare at the edge, read CCS Insight's Insight Series report, Maximizing the Benefits of AI in Healthcare.

This episode was originally published on insight.tech.

The public sector has traditionally lagged behind, constrained by old systems, siloed data and complex regulatory requirements. However, rising service demands and shifting user expectations are driving a renewed urgency to modernize operations and adopt more agile, technology-driven approaches. In policing, digital innovation is transforming contact management, improving citizen engagement and enabling more effective resource allocation.

To hear how one of the UK's largest police forces is approaching this challenge, we spoke with Thomas Boyd, Operations Manager for Change and Continuous Improvement, and Superintendent Rob Brind, Head of Operational Delivery for Contact Management, from Thames Valley Police and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

The discussion explored how digital tools, underpinned by platforms from the likes of Salesforce, are transforming front-line services and driving efficiency in enterprises. This companion report highlights the Thames Valley Police and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's modernization strategy and broader lessons for enterprise transformation.

The episode explores:

• The challenge of modernizing public service operations.
• A cloud-based approach to digital transformation.
• Use of digital tools and automation.
• The future of AI in the public sector.

CCS Insight has produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here.

Ian Fogg, Director of Network Innovation at CCS Insight, joined Christina Cardoza, Editorial Director of the insight.tech Talk podcast, to discuss the need for standardized technologies and open digital architectures to optimize investments for a smarter, future-ready grid. We spoke to industry thought-leaders from Advantech, Capgemini and Schneider Electric to explore the urgency for grid modernization and the importance of partnerships among operators, manufacturers and service providers.

The discussion touches on:

• The current state of grid modernization efforts
• Demand pressures and technology limitations with the grid of the future
• Renewable energy challenges and considerations
• Bringing edge AI into the energy space
• Customer examples and partnerships with the likes of Intel and the E4S Alliance.

To learn more about the smart grid opportunity, read CCS Insight's report The Grid of the Future: Lessons from Digitalization of Industries.

This episode was originally published on insight.tech.

Ian Fogg, Director of Network Innovation at CCS Insight, joined Christina Cardoza, Editorial Director of the insight.tech Talk podcast, to discuss the future of these technologies and intelligent networks. We look at how 5G and IoT networks have to adapt to the rapid pace of innovation, what's still to come in the 5G space and when it'll be time to start thinking about 6G.

The discussion explores:

• The changing 5G and IoT network landscape
• Growing demand for IoT and intelligent solutions
• AI's role in the future of 5G and IoT networks
• Sustainability efforts with intelligent networks
• The future of networks and 6G.

Listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. To learn more about our expectations for the future of your industry, watch our Predictions event. You can also download a free booklet featuring all 95 of our predictions for the technology industry in 2025 and beyond.

This episode was originally published on insight.tech.

Greater flexibility is becoming necessary, replacing rigid approval cycles with more collaborative approaches. Businesses must be able to respond quickly to market changes, supplier challenges and regulatory requirements, using digital marketplaces to streamline software procurement. These platforms provide transparency and efficiency, reducing delays in decision-making.

In this podcast discussion, Bola Rotibi spoke to Marta Whiteaker, a leader in AWS Marketplace development, and Sid Vajpayee from Zscaler, a global provider of secure cloud transformation services. The episode covers procurement, partnerships and important areas of digital transformation, such as the evolution of digital marketplaces, the role of channel partners, security, customer challenges and future trends.

Our discussion unpacked how marketplaces have simplified procurement and billing for partners, unlocking digital transformation for customers.

The episode explores:

• The role of marketplaces in driving digital transformation.
• Challenges and benefits of marketplace adoption.
• Best practices for navigating marketplace partnerships.
• Security implications with software marketplaces.

CCS Insight has produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here.

In this podcast episode with Christina Cardoza, Editorial Director at insight.tech, and Wei Yeang Toh, General Manager of the Ecosystem Development Organization at Intel, we unpack these exciting trends and explore the future of intelligent networks.

The discussion explores:

• Key network trends from MWC 2024
• Advances and benefits AI brings to the network space
• How these key trends and themes impact the industry
• Importance of the hybrid model for intelligent networks
• The horizon for 6G networks
• Ecosystem partnerships for network modernization.

For in-depth analysis of announcements in the network space from MWC 2024, read our Insight report. And to stay abreast of what's coming at this year's event, register for our webinar here.

This podcast was originally published on insight.tech.

Day two of Predictions delved into connectivity and networks, with our analysts unpacking innovative developments in connectivity, from Open RAN and 5G RedCap to 6G, eSIM and fixed wireless access. We explored how these emerging technologies would shape the market in the coming years. Additionally, we examined the intersection of health and AI, highlighting how AI-driven innovations in wearables would transform personal healthcare and place greater focus on employee well-being. It features interviews with Marc Allera, CEO of EE, and Stefan Streit, chief marketing officer at TCL Europe.

To watch the full event and download our booklet featuring all 93 of this year's predictions, fill in the form here.

Day one of Predictions 2025 and Beyond examines the rapid rise of AI fuelled by significant investments across the industry and how AI models and on-device technologies will shape digital experiences by 2025. We also explore the evolving landscape of regulation, with CEO Geoff Blaber delving into the impact of the EU's Digital Markets Act and the influence of geopolitics on tech players. Lastly, we dive into spatial computing, assessing how advancements in gesture-based interfaces, wearables and augmented reality smart glasses will fundamentally change the way people interact with technology.

To watch the full event and download our booklet featuring all 93 of our predictions, register here.

To understand the role of marketplace solutions, I spoke to Mona Chadha, Director of Worldwide ISVs and Partners at Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS Marketplace is 10 years old and has evolved considerably, but its mission has remained the same: to make it as easy as possible for customers to be in the cloud.

We were joined by Audrey Benjamin, Director of Business Development, Digital Velocity at CDW, and Maureen Little, Vice President of Global Strategic Alliances at Okta. CDW is a US provider of technology products and services and Okta is an identity and access management software company. Both are AWS Marketplace partners.

Our discussion unpacked how marketplaces have simplified procurement and billing for partners, unlocking digital transformation for customers.

The episode explores:

• How marketplaces help customers' journey to the cloud and democratize cloud adoption.
• The effects of democratization of procurement on costs and engagement.
• Growth opportunities for marketplace partners and independent software vendors.
• The future of marketplaces, including integration of AI and cybersecurity services.

CCS Insight has produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here.

Innovations such as generative AI have led to advancements that promise to revolutionize how people work, empowering employees to achieve goals more effectively and helping drive overall organizational success.

To better understand how generative AI is shaping the modern workforce, I spoke with Tricia Davis-Muffett, Senior Director of Google Workspace Marketing, and George Shihadeh, National Sales Director for Workplace Collaboration at Onix in CCS Insight's latest podcast episode.

Our discussion unpacked the role of generative AI in the modern workforce, delving into real-world applications by enterprises across different sectors.

The episode explores:

• The role of generative AI tools in solving crucial challenges for businesses, such as difficult economic circumstances and hybrid working.
• The importance of security when integrating AI into companies of all sizes.
• The future of work and how generative AI tools will empower workplace transformation.
• Real-world applications of AI and enterprises' attitudes toward employee training.

CCS Insight has produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here. 

For CCS Insight's latest podcast episode, I was joined by Andy Wen, Senior Director of Product Management at Google, and Aspi Havewala, Vice President of Infrastructure at Verizon to delve into Google Workspace's approach to security.

Our discussion unpacked the security threats faced by organizations today, investigating the tools available to empower borderless collaboration in the modern workplace environment.

The episode explores:

• Google Workspace's security credentials.
• How to ensure successful implementation of digital transformation.
• Employee experience as a fundamental aspect of integrating new technologies.
• The impact of generative AI on security threats and solutions.

In our latest podcast episode, Bola Rotibi, CCS Insight's Chief of Enterprise Research, was joined by IBM's Andi Britt, Senior Partner and Talent Transformation Leader, and Jon Lester, Vice President for HR Technology, Data and AI, to delve into IBM's AI vision and the technology's impact on the enterprise market.

The discussion unpacked the practical applications and complexities of generative AI, offering a glimpse into the future to shape effective AI strategies.

The episode explores:

• Current applications of generative AI in the real world
• Challenges faced by early adopters of new technologies
• Ethical implications and considerations for businesses
• Predictions for the future of AI.

CCS Insight has produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here.

We recently talked to Christina Cardoza, Editorial Director at insight.tech, about our top IoT and edge AI predictions for 2024. We also navigate the responsible development of solutions and explore the impact AI is set to make in the coming years.

The podcast touches on topics including:

• The impact of edge AI on the IoT market
• Cloud computing versus edge computing
• The future of AI development and generative AI realities
• Business considerations for AI investments, including regulation
• Developing AI with privacy in mind
• The role of 5G.

For more insight on this market and our other predictions, read CCS Insight Predictions for 2024 and Beyond.

This podcast was originally published on insight.tech.

One challenge is that industrial edge computing can be complex to scale. Although it's relatively easy to get started with a few edge devices, managing a large-scale edge computing infrastructure can be daunting. Additionally, the lack of a single edge computing standard can make it difficult to integrate edge devices and applications from different suppliers.

To overcome these challenges, businesses need to take a strategic approach to edge computing adoption. This includes carefully planning their edge computing architecture, selecting the right edge devices and applications and implementing a robust management and orchestration framework.

I recently talked to Christina Cardoza at insight.tech, alongside Dan Rodriguez, Vice President and General Manager of the Network and Edge Solutions Group at Intel, about the edge computing landscape. We discussed the state of edge computing across different environments, how businesses can successfully approach edge computing, key challenges and how to solve them, and what the future holds for edge computing in this space.

This episode touches on topics including:

• Different edge opportunities for businesses
• Why adoption is more challenging for manufacturers
• How to successfully approach edge computing
• Lessons learned from industry examples
• The edge computing ecosystem and partnerships
• Future-proofing investments and efforts.

To learn more about adopting edge computing, read IoT Edge Computing: The Road to Success.

This podcast was originally published on insight.tech.

Respondents in our Senior Leadership IT Investment Survey, 2022 cited IT security as the top priority for the fourth consecutive year, outlining both the importance of security and the complexities facing many businesses. When looking at new product launches and updates, security is at the front and centre of the messaging as a core capability on offer from many software providers.

For this episode of the CCS Insight podcast, I was joined by VMware's Darran Rice, Tanzu Executive Advisor, and Michael Coté, Senior Member of Technical Staff. Clive Howard, Chief Technology Officer at Huozhi, a provider of a humanitarian fintech platform, and associate analyst at CCS Insight, also joined the discussion.

Our conversation explored the difficulties facing organizations looking to secure their IT workloads and how they can navigate the technical debt and older technologies. As businesses update these systems, new security vulnerabilities arise and require a further review of the profile.

The podcast episode unpacks:

• The main security complexities faced by businesses across industries
• The best strategies that are working for securing application delivery
• The importance of people in an organization as a core, understated security risk.

CCS Insight has also produced a free report detailing the key points of the podcast discussion, available here.

For this episode of the CCS Insight podcast, I was joined by IBM's Natalie Denyer, Director of Client Engineering, and Chris Oldacre, Customer Success Director. We also spoke to Clive Howard, chief technology officer at Huozhi, a provider of a humanitarian fintech platform. Clive is also an associate analyst at CCS Insight.

You can also find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Our discussion unpacked the cooperative relationship between IBM's Client Engineering and Client Success teams, and how the company's approach has adapted over the decades to keep up with the demands of the ever-changing IT industry.

The podcast episode explores:

• What a fit-for-purpose customer success operation or programme looks like in today's complex IT environment.
• How best to measure success in a partnership engagement, embracing open and clear communication inside a customer organization, but also between partner and client.
• What are the core tenets of IBM's approach to customer success and the standout features that can address ever-evolving customer demands.

Shortly after Broadcom announced its intentions to acquire VMware on 26 May 2022, CCS Insight commented on the announcement. We viewed the decision as a smart move to shepherd a more diversified hardware and software company with a rounded infrastructure and cloud management story. And, although VMware is certainly a prized asset to acquire, we expected challenges in bringing together silicon, software and services.

In this episode of the CCS Insight podcast, Bola Rotibi, chief of enterprise research, provides a deep dive into the foundations for the acquisition of VMware, with Mr Tan setting out his vision for the deal.

Broadcom's investment goals promise to extend the range of VMware partners, offering more choice and expanding VMware's operations and market foothold. Its aim of rebranding and repositioning the Broadcom Software group under the VMware brand is recognition of the latter's strength in the technology and supply chain ecosystem. Customers and partners will be reassured by these aims — and Broadcom will be hoping that regulatory bodies feel the same.

The companion report outlining the key points of the discussion is now available here.

Note: Hock Tan's comments on investments and plans for VMware are to be understood as referring to future circumstances in which Broadcom has closed its proposed acquisition of VMware.

For this episode of the CCS Insight podcast, our chief of enterprise research, Bola Rotibi, was joined by IBM's Emily Jiang, Liberty Cloud Native Architect and Advocate, and Graham Charters, WebSphere and Liberty product manager. We also spoke to Clive Howard, chief technology officer at Huozhi, a provider of a humanitarian fintech platform. Clive is also an associate analyst at CCS Insight.

Our discussion unpacked the importance of containers in modern app development and how challenges are being addressed to help organizations make the move into the cloud. We also highlighted the role of APIs, and how they can serve to bring in other solutions and use other environments when containers aren't an applicable solution.

The podcast offers guidance on the needs of modern application development, discussing:

- How the industry is addressing API standards to increase developers' efficiency and allow them to reuse their skills.

- What value these standards present to businesses, and how technical leads can present this to their business counterparts thinking about investing in containers and APIs.

- How developers can use open standards to apply existing skills to different implementations, achieving standardization, consistency and portability across the board.

CCS Insight has produced a free report offering insight into how containers are affecting the standards landscape. 

For our latest podcast episode, Bola Rotibi, Chief of Enterprise Research at CCS Insight, talks to Ian Robinson, Distinguished Engineer and Chief Technology Officer of the IBM Application Platform. Ian has more than 25 years of experience working in distributed enterprise computing and is responsible for the technical strategy of IBM Application Platform technologies including WebSphere, Liberty and Java. Clive Howard, Chief Technology Officer at Huozhi, a provider of a humanitarian fintech platform, and associate analyst with CCS Insight, also joined the podcast discussion. 

Our discussion touched on the importance of Java in the early days of the Internet and how this may translate to its place in the cloud, looking at some of the initiatives that IBM has put together to make the coding language relevant for cloud operations.  

The podcast also offers listeners strategic guidance on the topic, such as: 

• How to harness existing software development teams with specific skills and experience using Java in the transition to the cloud. 
• Finding opportunities to innovate and overcome the challenges facing Java's future in the cloud, such as taking advantage of the cloud to optimize existing workloads in Java. 
• The importance of these initiatives to leading technical roles from a business perspective, for example, reusing existing skills, teams and technologies to make the cloud more efficient and cheaper. 

Multicloud deployments have become increasingly common in the past few years, with our Senior Leadership IT Investment Survey, 2022 finding that three-quarters of enterprises are using more than one cloud provider, up from 55% in our 2021 survey. Whether this be an intentional move or the product of acquisitions, mergers or trials, organizations can experience challenges in managing and securing their workloads correctly.

The discussion unpacks the main challenges that organizations face in supporting a multicloud architecture, touching on problems with training and hiring talent for specific technology services and business plans. The experts also highlight the correct organizational and operational approaches to delivering a multicloud strategy and how it can be implemented successfully, reviewing existing cloud services and providing internal customers with flexibility while maintaining control.

The podcast offers strategic guidance for a range of difficulties faced in a multicloud environment, including:

• Combining the benefits of a single multicloud service offering with those of individual proprietary cloud services
• Exercising spending control through areas like cloud financial operations and compliance with security, quotas and business policies
• Reducing complexity in multicloud environments by determining if a best-of-breed service is necessary to solve business challenges.

The experts discuss strategic and tactical guidance in supporting multicloud operations, covering topics such as:

• Choosing the right cloud for different teams and business units, and getting the most value for business goals
• Common traps when managing a multicloud environment, and tactics to avoid them, such as with abstraction, service catalogues and tooling
• Opportunities with multicloud operations, including benefits of using edge computing, the role that artificial intelligence will play in dealing with complexity and automation, and the importance of a cloud-native culture.

The full transcript is available here: https://ccsinsight.link/3lSPFGK 

Click on the links below to read more on this topic:

ccsinsight.com/blog/navigating-the-multicloud-spectrum/
ccsinsight.com/blog/the-keys-that-unlock-multicloud-success/ 

The experts discuss the huge transformation taking shape in the telecom industry, and topics such as:

• The current state of the market
  • Operators' progress with 5G roll-out and network transformation
  • The role of data analytics in this transformation
  • Innovations shaping the telecom sector
• How operators are deploying data analytics
  • The impact of mobile edge computing, 6G and network slicing
  • The next wave of opportunities with data platforms
• Recommendations for communication service providers and C-level executives as they look to the future

Read the transcript of this podcast here https://ccsinsight.link/3xaem5y.

A report on this subject produced by CCS Insight and Splunk is available here: splunk.com/en_us/form/operational-excellence-in-telecoms-with-modern-data-platforms.html

Read Nick's related article here: ccsinsight.com/blog/how-operators-build-operational-excellence-with-modern-data-platforms

Get in touch:

Nick McQuire, info@ccsinsight.com, @nickmcquire

Matt Olson, splunk.com, linkedin.com/in/matto-san

Kevin McBride, lumen.com, linkedin.com/in/kevinmmcbride