Techsplainers by IBM

IBM
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  • Business
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Introducing the Techsplainers by IBM podcast, your new podcast for quick, powerful takes on today’s most important AI and tech topics. Each episode brings you bite-sized learning designed to fit your day, whether you’re driving, exercising, or just curious for something new. This is just the beginning. Tune in every weekday at 6 AM ET for fresh insights, new voices, and smarter learning. Visit podcast page: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers

  1. 1d ago

    Terraform in IaC

    This episode of Techsplainers explores how Terraform is used to implement infrastructure as code, focusing on the practical mechanics that turn infrastructure from a manual process into a repeatable engineering discipline. It explains how Terraform’s declarative model lets teams define the end state of infrastructure in human-readable files, then automatically plan and apply changes based on dependencies and current state. The episode follows Terraform’s core workflow of write, plan and apply, showing how configuration files, state files, providers and modules work together to support consistent provisioning across cloud, on-premises and SaaS environments. It also examines why version control, reusable modules and execution plans are so central to the IaC model, helping teams standardize deployments, collaborate more effectively and reduce drift between environments. Along the way, the discussion highlights where Terraform fits alongside tools like Ansible and why its main strength is provisioning and lifecycle management at infrastructure level. The result is a clear, focused deep dive into Terraform’s role as one of the defining tools for modern IaC practices. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/terraform Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Alice Gomstyn

    Terraform in IaC

  2. 2d ago

    What is provisioning?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores provisioning through the lens of infrastructure as code, explaining why it is such a foundational part of modern IT operations. It breaks down provisioning as the process of setting up infrastructure and making resources available for systems and users, from servers and networks to applications, cloud services and devices. The episode also clarifies a common source of confusion by separating provisioning from configuration. Provisioning creates and allocates the underlying resource, while configuration tailors that resource for a specific workload or user need. From there, it examines several major types of provisioning, including server, network, application, cloud and device provisioning, showing how each supports a functioning IT environment. The discussion then shifts to automated provisioning and why it has become essential in DevOps-era organizations. It highlights how infrastructure as code helps automate provisioning through scripts and templates, reducing manual effort while improving speed, scalability, consistency and compliance. The episode also addresses the tradeoff of automation: while it reduces human error, mistakes in code can scale quickly if not reviewed carefully. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/provisioning Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Alice Gomstyn

    What is provisioning?

  3. 3d ago

    What is infrastructure as code?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores infrastructure as code, the DevOps practice of automating infrastructure provisioning and management through configuration files rather than manual processes. It explains how IaC treats infrastructure like software, allowing teams to write, version, test and deploy infrastructure with the same rigor they apply to application code. The episode walks through the four-stage IaC workflow of write, version, provision and deploy, showing how configuration files, version control systems and automation engines work together to create repeatable, scalable infrastructure management. It also breaks down key implementation choices, including declarative versus imperative approaches and mutable versus immutable infrastructure, helping listeners understand the different ways organizations structure their IaC strategies. Along the way, the discussion highlights the major benefits of IaC, including faster provisioning, greater consistency, better security and compliance, accelerated development cycles, lower costs and protection against knowledge loss. It also shows how IaC fits directly into DevOps and CI/CD pipelines by ensuring environments stay aligned from development through production. The result is a practical introduction to one of the most important operating models in modern infrastructure. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/infrastructure-as-code. Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Alice Gomstyn

    What is infrastructure as code?

  4. 4d ago

    What is IT infrastructure?

    This episode of Techsplainers introduces IT infrastructure as the foundation of modern digital business. It explains how hardware, software and networking work together to support the systems organizations depend on every day, from servers and storage to operating systems, business applications and employee devices. The episode walks through the difference between traditional on-premises infrastructure and cloud infrastructure, highlighting how virtualization made modern cloud computing possible and helped pave the way for services like IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and hybrid cloud. It also explores why infrastructure has become a strategic business enabler, powering cloud computing, process automation, AI, generative AI and real-time analytics. Listeners will also hear how modern IT infrastructure supports innovation, improves security, and keeps evolving to support new developments in DevOps and AIOps. As the first episode in an IaC-focused week, it provides the essential foundation for understanding what infrastructure teams are actually managing and automating. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/infrastructure Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Alice Gomstyn

    What is IT infrastructure?

  5. Aug 5

    What is Apache Kafka?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores Apache Kafka, the open-source event-streaming platform that has become a cornerstone of modern real-time data systems. The episode explains how Kafka helps organizations publish, store, process and consume streams of events with high throughput, low latency and strong reliability. Listeners are introduced to the concept of event streaming through familiar examples, from customer orders and website clicks to IoT sensor updates, before learning how Kafka differs from traditional message queues by retaining records for replay and independent consumption. The discussion then breaks down Kafka’s core architecture, including topics, partitions, brokers, offsets and replication, along with Kafka’s shift away from ZooKeeper toward KRaft for simpler cluster management. The episode also covers Kafka’s four primary APIs, its leading use cases in real-time data pipelines, streaming applications, microservices, cloud-native systems and IoT, and its broader ecosystem integrations with tools like Spark, Flink and Cassandra. Finally, it examines how Kafka compares with RabbitMQ and why Kafka is increasingly valuable in AI-driven systems that depend on live, continuously moving data. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/apache-kafka Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Ian Smalley

    What is Apache Kafka?

  6. Aug 4

    What is a data streaming platform?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores data streaming platforms and how they help organizations continuously capture, process, analyze and deliver data in real time or near-real time. The episode explains why these platforms have become essential as businesses shift from slower batch-based workflows to real-time decision-making powered by live data from applications, databases, sensors, logs and digital interactions. Listeners are guided through the business context behind this shift, including the rise of big data, event-driven architectures and the need for faster analytics, AI responsiveness and operational agility. The episode also examines how data streaming platforms support AI use cases such as fraud detection, recommendation engines, predictive maintenance and AI agents that depend on current context. From there, the discussion breaks down the four core architectural layers of a data streaming platform—source and ingestion, processing, destination and serving, and governance and management—while highlighting key characteristics such as scalability, fault tolerance, low latency and high throughput. The episode also reviews major open-source and managed technologies, including Apache Kafka, Apache Flink, Apache Spark, Confluent, Amazon Kinesis, Google Cloud Dataflow and Azure Stream Analytics. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/data-streaming-platform Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Ian Smalley

    What is a data streaming platform?

  7. Aug 3

    What is real-time data streaming?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores real-time data streaming and why it has become essential for modern enterprises that need immediate insight from fast-moving information. The episode explains how real-time streaming differs from traditional batch processing by handling data as it arrives, often within milliseconds, rather than waiting for scheduled runs. Listeners are guided through the main business benefits of this approach, including faster decision-making, improved operational efficiency, smarter data retention, decision-making, improved operational efficiency, smarter data retention, stronger risk management and more personalized customer experiences. The episode also highlights real-world applications across retail, banking, manufacturing and AI-driven systems that depend on current, continuously updated information. From there, the discussion breaks down the core components of streaming architecture—ingestion, processing and destination—and clarifies the close relationship between real-time data streaming and event streaming. It also reviews common technologies, such as Apache Kafka, Apache Flink and Spark Streaming, while addressing practical implementation challenges like cost, fault tolerance, observability, security and governance. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/real-time-data-streaming Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Ian Smalley

    What is real-time data streaming?

  8. Jul 31

    What is crewAI?

    This episode of Techsplainers explores Crew AI, an open-source Python framework that enables the creation of collaborative AI teams with specialized roles and responsibilities. Developed by Joao Moura, Crew AI implements a manager-worker hierarchy where a coordinator agent delegates tasks to specialized workers based on their defined capabilities. We examine how this structured approach to collaboration allows AI teams to tackle complex, multifaceted projects by leveraging the complementary skills of different agents. The discussion details Crew AI's key components, including its role definition system, task delegation framework, structured collaboration protocol, tool integration capabilities, and memory management features. We highlight practical applications across content creation, product development, data analysis, and customer service, where role-based collaboration can deliver more comprehensive and nuanced results than single-agent approaches. While acknowledging current limitations in handling highly specialized tasks and the dependence on underlying language models, the episode emphasizes Crew AI's significance as a flexible, intuitive framework for organizing AI collaboration around clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Find more information at https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/crew-ai Find more episodes https://www.ibm.biz/techsplainers-podcast Narrated by Amanda Downie

    What is crewAI?
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About

Introducing the Techsplainers by IBM podcast, your new podcast for quick, powerful takes on today’s most important AI and tech topics. Each episode brings you bite-sized learning designed to fit your day, whether you’re driving, exercising, or just curious for something new. This is just the beginning. Tune in every weekday at 6 AM ET for fresh insights, new voices, and smarter learning. Visit podcast page: https://www.ibm.com/think/podcasts/techsplainers

Information

  • Creator
    IBM
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    151
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © ibm2026
  • Show Website
    Techsplainers by IBM

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