Conversations from the Show Floor

Conversations from the Show Floor is your front-row pass to the most important conversations happening in enterprise technology today. Brought to you by the Tech Talks Network, this podcast captures the energy, ideas, and insights shared in real time at global tech conferences. Hosted by Neil C. Hughes, also known for the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, this series features spontaneous and candid discussions with tech leaders, innovators, and decision-makers—recorded live on the show floor. Each episode explores the realities of business transformation, the challenges leaders are navigating, and the technologies redefining industries. From AI adoption to infrastructure strategy, cybersecurity to sustainability, these conversations offer unfiltered perspectives from those actively shaping the future of tech. Whether you're a business leader, technologist, founder, or investor, Conversations from the Show Floor brings you into the heart of enterprise innovation—no badge required. Search "Tech Talks Network" to discover other shows in the series or follow to get new episodes as they drop from events around the world.

  1. Inside VMware Explore: The Future of Private AI

    6 SEP

    Inside VMware Explore: The Future of Private AI

    Recorded live at VMware Explore in Las Vegas, I sat down with Tasha Drew from Broadcom to talk about one of the hottest topics in enterprise tech: private AI. Fresh off the main stage, where she helped debut VMware Cloud Foundation Intelligent Assist and the expansion of VMware’s Private AI Services, Tasha shares her perspective on what’s driving adoption and why it matters now. We examine the three core pillars of private AI: protecting intellectual property, safeguarding sensitive data, and managing private models with rigorous access controls. Tasha also explains how VMware’s Private AI Services are designed to move organizations from experimentation in the public cloud to production-ready deployments in their own private environments, delivering both privacy and cost efficiency. From the launch of Intelligent Assist for VCF to the role of Model Context Protocol (MCP) in enabling agentic workflows, she offers insight into the innovations that are making AI-native private clouds a reality. We also dig into VMware’s partnerships with NVIDIA and AMD, the economics of cloud repatriation, and the practical reasons enterprises are choosing private AI over public options. If you want a front-row seat to how VMware and Broadcom are shaping the next phase of enterprise AI, this episode captures the energy and insight straight from the show floor. ********* Visit the Sponsor of Tech Talks Network: Land your first job in tech in 6 months as a Software QA Engineering Bootcamp with Careerist https://crst.co/OGCLA

    20 min
  2. From Chaos to Confidence: How Cisco Is Reimagining Customer Experience with Agentic AI

    26 JUL

    From Chaos to Confidence: How Cisco Is Reimagining Customer Experience with Agentic AI

    At Cisco Live in San Diego, I had the chance to sit down with Carlos Pereira, Cisco Fellow and Chief Architect for Customer Experience. You’ll hear it in the energy of this episode, Carlos isn’t just explaining Cisco’s AI vision; he’s lived through 25 years of evolution at the company and is now helping lead the transformation. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore: Why Carlos believes everything in customer experience is a workflow—and how agentic AI is finally giving those workflows the intelligence they’ve lackedHow Cisco is embedding AI assistants directly inside its products, creating seamless support experiences with real-time resolution and context carryoverThe meaning behind "config confidence" and how it’s helping eliminate 25% of support cases caused by configuration errorsThe human element: why Cisco views AI as an augmenting force—not a replacement—and how it’s using blind tests and internal education to build trust and boost adoptionWhat separates vendors who are experimenting with agentic AI from those who are actually scaling it across enterprise environmentsCarlos also reflects on what’s driving mass AI adoption in customer support and why perfection is the wrong goal in this new era. You’ll walk away with real-world examples of agentic AI in action—and a clear view of where Cisco sees the future of customer experience heading. 📊 Referenced in this episode: The Cisco Agentic AI Report: 68% of customer support interactions will be AI-handled by 2028. 🎧 Whether you're a CX leader, IT decision-maker, or just curious about how Cisco is making AI real, this is a must-listen from the heart of Cisco Live.

    38 min
  3. Atlassian’s System of Work: Rethinking Collaboration from the Ground Up

    10 JUN

    Atlassian’s System of Work: Rethinking Collaboration from the Ground Up

    Live from Team '25 in Anaheim, this special episode of Conversations from the Showfloor features a one-on-one with Anu Bharadwaj, President of Atlassian. As teams continue to struggle with fragmented tools, scattered goals, and overwhelming noise, Atlassian is presenting a new way forward. A unified System of Work built for the complexity of modern collaboration. Anu walks us through how this vision came to life, shaped by Atlassian’s experience leading a globally distributed, remote-first workforce of 13,000 employees across 13 countries. This isn't theory. It’s lived experience. From that foundation comes a modular approach to enterprise productivity, connecting people, tools, and information into one intelligent framework. Making the Invisible Visible The conversation dives deep into the newly introduced Teamwork Graph, a connected layer of more than 10 billion data objects. This isn't just about analytics. It’s about enabling what Anu calls digital serendipity, those unexpected, helpful connections between projects, ideas, and people that drive great work. Alongside the data, Atlassian is introducing AI teammates like Rovo. These are not faceless bots that spit out tasks. They are contextual, customizable, and even come with a bit of personality. With over a million users already onboard, Rovo is a sign that teams are ready for collaboration that feels more natural and less mechanical. Real Impact, Real Outcomes What sets this conversation apart is the focus on outcomes. HarperCollins has reduced manual work by four times. Doodle.com has cut planning time by 93 percent. Thumbtack now resolves 15 percent of support tickets automatically. These are not prototypes or beta features. They are real-world results from companies applying the System of Work. We also touch on Atlassian’s guiding philosophy. To bring joy back into team collaboration. The idea is not just to build faster tools, but to rebuild the work environment around clarity, connection, and purpose. That includes recreating the water cooler moments that remote work tends to erase, turning everyday work into something more fluid and human. What Leaders Should Know For technology leaders, this episode offers practical guidance. Start by strengthening your data layer. Think carefully about where AI can support, not replace, human decision-making. And above all, make sure your teams are part of the journey. As Anu shares, lasting change starts when people feel seen, connected, and empowered. The System of Work is not just another product announcement. It is a framework for envisioning the future of work. For real people, in real businesses, under real pressure. Whether you’re leading a global enterprise or a fast-moving startup, this conversation offers fresh thinking on how to fix what’s broken in workplace collaboration and how to build something better.

    25 min
  4. Cloud PCs, Hybrid Work, and the Future of Endpoints with Microsoft’s Scott Manchester

    3 JUN

    Cloud PCs, Hybrid Work, and the Future of Endpoints with Microsoft’s Scott Manchester

    In this episode of Conversations from the Show Floor, recorded live at IGEL’s Now & Next Summit in Miami, I sit down with Scott Manchester, Vice President of Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop at Microsoft. Scott describes himself as a leader with his head in the clouds and his feet firmly planted in enterprise IT. That mindset shapes this practical, insightful conversation about how Microsoft and IGEL are working together to modernize endpoint computing. We explore: Why the browser is now the digital workspaceHow Cloud PCs simplify endpoint management at scaleWhat Windows 365 means for Windows 11 migrationsWhy IGEL’s thin clients and Linux-based OS are key for security and efficiencyHow industries like healthcare, finance, and government are moving to cloud workspacesScott shares the story behind building Windows 365 during the early days of remote work and explains how Microsoft is rethinking virtualization to deliver personal, secure, and flexible user experiences. From license sharing for shift workers to streamlining hybrid deployments, this is not about buzzwords—it’s about real change that IT leaders can act on. Whether you’re navigating a Windows 11 upgrade or planning your cloud desktop strategy, this episode offers a front-row view of where endpoint computing is headed and why IGEL remains a key partner in that journey. Is your organization ready to make the most of cloud PCs? Let’s find out.

    22 min

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Conversations from the Show Floor is your front-row pass to the most important conversations happening in enterprise technology today. Brought to you by the Tech Talks Network, this podcast captures the energy, ideas, and insights shared in real time at global tech conferences. Hosted by Neil C. Hughes, also known for the Tech Talks Daily Podcast, this series features spontaneous and candid discussions with tech leaders, innovators, and decision-makers—recorded live on the show floor. Each episode explores the realities of business transformation, the challenges leaders are navigating, and the technologies redefining industries. From AI adoption to infrastructure strategy, cybersecurity to sustainability, these conversations offer unfiltered perspectives from those actively shaping the future of tech. Whether you're a business leader, technologist, founder, or investor, Conversations from the Show Floor brings you into the heart of enterprise innovation—no badge required. Search "Tech Talks Network" to discover other shows in the series or follow to get new episodes as they drop from events around the world.

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