By this point, most industries have experienced some sort of digital revolution. As evidenced by this year's Digital Transformation Index, no one wants to be a “digital laggard.” But, some industries have shown up a little later to the party; manufacturing included. One particulary company, Xometry, has taken on that challenge. By creating an online platform for businesses and individuals to request manufacture of a particular part or product and simultaneously curating a collection of suppliers, Xometry is expediting the traditional manufacturing process, exponentially.

This week, host Kelly Lynch chats with Bill Cronin, Chief Revenue Officer for Xometry, to learn more about the company and what makes them truly unique. You’ll walk away this week with a better understanding of the manufacturing industry, why digitization has created an even bigger pie for suppliers and customers alike, and why distributed access to these types of technologies results in better outcomes for all.

What you'll hear this episode:

• What is Xometry? 01:00
• The old world vs. the new world of manufacturing 02:25
• How an agnostic supplier attitude leads to better outcomes 03:50
• Types of projects, like BMW Z4 parts, uploaded to Xometry 04:26
• How digital manufacturing reduces number of suppliers while expanding capabilities 05:03
• What happens if a natural disaster strikes where a factory resides? 06:07
• The new digital way to make parts 07:50
• Applying AI and ML to an age-old process 08:51
• What on earth is injection molding? 11:54
• Sustainability as a forethought, not an afterthought 12:34
• Maximizing the capacity of the world to build ideas, big and small 14:43

Without video conferencing tools, higher internet speeds and personal computers capable of handling individual-specific workloads, productivity would have been nearly impossible in 2020. Technology has enabled us to continue our lives as undisrupted as possible while staying home. But how will 2021 prove to be another year of incredible advancement in the realm of technology?

This week, John Roese joins host Kelly Lynch to offer his perspective on a number of emerging technologies. Whether it's the further expansion of 5G or the movement towards a more viable quantum computer, John predicts that next year will bring about several improvements across a variety of different technologies.

In this episode:

• Mixed reality and what that means (01:30)
• An overview of expected technological changes in the new year (02:55)
• The hybrid cloud for the hybrid workforce (04:17)
• Is everything moving to the Edge? (07:16)
• The four use cases for utilizing Edge capabilities (07:41)
• How Edge relates to the multi-cloud world (09:55)
• Is 5G just 4G on steroids? (11:48)
• What we can really except to see from 5G in 2021 (13:40)
• Re-creating human-to-human interaction with digital tools (15:55)
• Moving towards heterogeneous compute, thanks to innovation in semiconductors (19:10)
• How quantum computing actually works and the realities behind it (22:25)
• Will the "new normal" continue to be increasingly virtual? (26:02)

Voice assistants. Movie recommendations. Car insurance. Facial recognition software. All of these things use artificical intelligence and machine learning in one way or another. For the most part, we don't feel the need to question why we get a particular movie recommendation on whatever streaming application we use. However, when you start moving into applications that have the potential for more serious outcomes, there becomes a need for understanding that "why."

This is where explainable AI comes in. Unlike traditional programming, AI and ML algorithms are trained using batches of data; not a set of specific instructions. So when we look to understand exactly why we're told some rom-com is a 97% match for us, it's not always clear why that's the case. With things like autonomous vehicles (which are developed primarily with AI/ML algorithms) increasingly becoming a reality, comprehending why that car stopped when it did becomes much more imperitive.

This week, Roberto Stelling and Adriana Prado, two researchers from the Office of the CTO Research Office, join host Kelly Lynch to talk through exactly what explainable AI is, why it is such an important factor in the future development of algorithms, and how, once we can fully trust it, AI has the potential to positively impact our lives.

In this episode:

• Bridging the gap between fear and trust in AI (01:19)
• Review of traditional programming vs. AI (01:45)
• Re-imaginging traditional programming vs. AI in the context of a paper shredder (02:30)
• Difficulty understanding outputs from AI and ML algorithms (04:20)
• Why it would be impossible to write a program for an autonomous vehicle (05:02)
• The best definition for explainable AI (06:36)
• A clear example of the need for explainability through the lens of autonomous cars (07:13)
• Explainable AI as Responsible AI (07:59)
• Is explainability only going to help the internals of AI algorithms? (09:07)
• How voice assistants are becoming more and more regionally aware (10:20)
• Reaching a new level of trust with AI (11:30)

Yes, Dell Technologies sells servers and computers. Sure, we now sell storage as-a-service. But, there is an entire group behind the scenes focused solely on conducting research about nascent and emerging technologies. This group, called the Office of the CTO (OCTO) Research Organization, is chock full of incredibly smart people trying to figure out where specific technologies are today, where they are heading, and how we need to examine the ethical implications of all possibilities before that new future arrives.

Malini Bhattacharjee and Danqing Sha are two women who happen to be conducting research on augmented and virtual realities (AR/VR) at the moment, and host Kelly Lynch had the opportunity to sit with them this week to learn more. From the possible use of 3D modeling in virtual doctor visits to field trips to outer space, AR and VR have the potential to uniquely improve our lives and break barriers to access for people everywhere.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• More about the OCTO Research Organization (ORO) (00:40)
• Research examples coming out of ORO (02:25)
• The difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) (03:00)
• Current limitation of AR/VR
• Why you might get motion sick playing certain video games (04:23)
• What is a "thin client?" (05:52)
• Futhering equality in education with AR/VR (07:23)
• Moving away from curriculum-centric toward learner-centric education (08:17)
• How AR and VR will improve access to healthcare (10:08)
• Why sharing your digital environment shouldn't be as scary as it sounds (11:25)
• Bringing "The Magic School Bus" to life (13:17)

Let’s think about the primary innovations of 5G in the form of a stool, meaning it will be propped up by three specific things. The first is, yes, those faster speeds; this we know. But, it’s those second and third legs of the stool that really make it a cool stool [rhymes rule].

5G will also bring about ultra-reliable, low-latency communications (leg two), as well as massive machine-type communications (leg three). These three incredible technological advancements are what will ultimately prop up 5G, and they represent a massive enterprise-level transformation.

This week, join host Kelly Lynch as she speaks with recurring guest Vish Nandlall as they try their best to dissect exactly what all of this means in the context of both business and everyday life. The conversation dives into a discussion of implications of advancements in technology (mostly positive!), corporate responsibility in the face of these changes, and its impact on the continued democratization of access to technology across the globe.

What you'll hear in this episode:

Overview of what to expect from 5G [01:05]

How properties of compute will be applied to cellular networks [02:28]

What are SCATA systems and what do they have to do with dams? [03:27]

The “wonder cycle” of a new technology [05:06]

The notion of chemistry-as-a-service [05:53]

Democratizing access to technology via 5G networks [06:37]

The concept of Network Slicing [07:48]

Ensuring dedicated capacity for first responders via First Net [08:42]

How companies like Dell Technologies are taking responsibility for technological implications of 5G [10:50]

Network disaggregation in 5G architectures [11:45]

How long does it actually take to activate a cell site? [13:10]

The tidal way of efficiencies with 5G [13:47]

5G and the construction industry [14:42]

Could 5G have an impact on insurance premiums? [16:04]

Digital transformation is data transformation, and right now, most businesses have too much data coming at them and not enough of an understanding of what to do with it.

Join Jon this week as he meets with Matt Baker, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Planning at Dell Technologies, to discuss best practices for starting or continuing the journey to becoming a data-fueled business. You’ll learn why delivering real-time digital experiences requires a new approach to data management, why having a focused digital transformation strategy will help you stay ahead of the pace of innovation, and ultimately why there is no single technology that can solve all your problems.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

Using data to create a real-time digital experience (01:19)

Data scientist is to technology as a doctor is to patients (02:13)

Are we really experiencing a big data problem? (04:20)

How to create a systemic approach to data processing and data management (05:05)

Why all your data cannot exist in one place (06:51)

Using data pipelines to feed complex, distributed systems (08:58)

Does digital transformation play a role in a company’s resiliency in the face of global crises? (10:33)

It is never too late to start digitally transforming (11:55)

Is it possible to stay ahead of the pace of innovation? (13:15)

Partnering with a company that has a breadth of capabilities is the right choice for evolving to become a work-from-anywhere company (16:15)

Lessons in supply chain operations (17:30)

What NOT to do to solve your data problems (19:01)

Is there one technology you should prioritize over others? (hint: no) (20:37)

In a world where more and more people are working remotely, the concept of security needs to evolve. Gone are the days of simple, hardware-based security, and here are the days of intrinsic, system-based security.

This week, join Jon as he meets again with Vish Nandlall to dive deep on the topic of security and why you, either as an individual or a corporation, need to continue to think about limiting the “blast radius” of any possible security breach.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How the move to working from home has accelerated the awareness of security vulnerabilities (01:20)

Security is not only important in the hardware layer, it’s also in the software layer (02:26)

The shift toward box-led security (02:49)

What is Zero Trust? (04:03)

Limiting the blast radius of a possible attack via the concept of “least privilege” (04:34)

If your role is conducting data backups, should you have application access beyond data backup software? (07:20)

Defining security in the Cloud era (08:01)

Security maintenance is not a one-time activity (09:49)

Understanding the balloon-like effect of securing your business (11:43)

Security and containerization (12:40)

How to begin evaluating what sort of security strategy you need to implement (14:34)

Just as each person has a unique fingerprint, each customer has a unique set of needs that determine how they can and should run their business, specifically at “their” Edge.

Join guest host Kelly Lynch as she chats with Ty Schmitt and Dave Graham, two Edge-focused experts at Dell Technologies, about the evolution of Edge over time and why it’s more important today than it was 10 years ago, even. From conversations around Dave’s “personal health Edge” that helped him lose nearly 50 pounds this year to discussions with Ty “beyond the Edge,” laughs and learning go hand-in-hand this week.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

What exactly is Edge, or The Edge? (Hint, it’s not the guitarist) (02:22)

What the Edge is NOT (03:19)

Understanding the layers of the Edge ecosystem (Data, IT, Data Center, Real Estate/Utility) (03:54)

“Vehicle” as an analogy for “Edge” (05:29)

Autonomous vehicles, retail stores and other examples of industries taking advantage of Edge strategies (07:10)

Why is Edge such a big deal now? (08:45)

Do technical or behavioral constraints play a bigger role when developing and executing on Edge strategies? (12:07)

How connected devices at “your” Edge could help you lose weight (15:45)

Connected cat collars at the Edge? (16:45)

Ty’s advice for successfully building an Edge strategy (17:47)

Beyond the “Edge” with Dave and Ty (19:23)