What's Up with Tech?

Evan Kirstel
  • 5.0 (1)
  • TECHNOLOGY

Tech Transformation with Evan Kirstel: A podcast exploring the latest trends and innovations in the tech industry, and how businesses can leverage them for growth, diving into the world of B2B, discussing strategies, trends, and sharing insights from industry leaders!With over three decades in telecom and IT, I've mastered the art of transforming social media into a dynamic platform for audience engagement, community building, and establishing thought leadership. My approach isn't about personal brand promotion but about delivering educational and informative content to cultivate a sustainable, long-term business presence. I am the leading content creator in areas like Enterprise AI, UCaaS, CPaaS, CCaaS, Cloud, Telecom, 5G and more!

  1. 4H AGO

    Graph Databases For Enterprise AI

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com Most AI teams are learning the hard way that dumping more text into a prompt does not guarantee better answers. We sit down with Philip Rathle  Chief Technology Officer from Neo4j to talk about the missing ingredient: relationships. When your data is inherently connected, a graph database can turn scattered facts into usable context, so LLMs and agentic AI systems can respond with more precision and less noise. We walk through why graph technology is showing up as a “quiet power layer” behind enterprise AI, from knowledge graphs and digital twins to metadata, lineage, and even relationships between vector chunks for graph RAG. Philip explains the practical difference between raw data and knowledge, why multi-hop reasoning matters in domains like financial services and supply chain, and how an AI system can delegate deterministic parts of a problem to a graph while the model focuses on language and judgment. We also get specific about engineering tradeoffs: why relational databases struggle with constant schema changes, what index-free adjacency means for performance, and how graph queries can run 100x to 2000x faster with less hardware for deeply connected questions. Then we look ahead at where the category is going, including why “graph as a bolt-on feature” often misses the real benefits, plus a roadmap update on Infinigraph for scaling graphs into the 100+ terabyte range. Finally, we cover how AI is making graph adoption easier by inferring graph models from relational sources and helping teams write Cypher queries quickly. If you’re building enterprise AI, graph RAG, or agentic workflows and you care about accuracy, context, and causality, this conversation will sharpen your architecture instincts. Subscribe, share this with a builder on your team, and leave a review. What’s the hardest connected-data problem you want AI to solve? The Path to ExitFounders—thinking of selling or raising capital? Here's what you should know... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    26 min

  2. 2D AGO

    From Coverage Fix To Smart Buildings

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com What if one install could fix coverage and unlock an entire layer of building intelligence? We sit down with Michiel Lotter of Nextivity at Mobile World Congress to explore how modern enterprise DAS has evolved from “make the bars appear” to a multi-use platform that delivers public cellular, plug‑in private 5G, and sensor-driven insights across the same footprint. We break down the Do More with DAS philosophy and why it changes the ROI math for facilities that once viewed in-building coverage as a reluctant expense. Mikhail explains how Nextivity’s system lets teams map antennas to solve dead zones, then mirror that design for private networking by simply connecting a 5G signal source. From there, smart server antennas act as nodes for panic buttons, leak detectors, asset tracking, and environmental sensors, streaming data to an on‑prem edge compute node for fast, secure action. You’ll hear concrete examples: big box retailers lighting up service in under a week with overnight work; hotel-casino operators meeting staff safety mandates while stopping costly water damage; aged care facilities giving residents dependable connectivity and instant alerts; and hospitals turning their coverage grid into an acoustic awareness network. With embedded microphones and lightweight AI in each antenna, teams can measure noise levels across wards, improving patient experience without deploying a separate sensor mesh. Along the way, we touch on global carrier approvals, a channel-first approach with system integrators, and the operational win of controlling timelines instead of waiting on lengthy builds. If you care about enterprise connectivity, private 5G, and practical building intelligence, this conversation shows how a single DAS can become the backbone for communications, safety, and analytics. Subscribe for more deep dives into real-world connectivity, share this with a colleague wrestling with in-building coverage, and leave a review to tell us which multi-use DAS application you’d deploy first. Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    9 min

  3. 3D AGO

    Healing The Sick Care System

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com What if the fastest way to fix American healthcare is the simplest: put people back at the center. Sitting down with Gil Bashe—chair of Health and Purpose at Finn Partners, editor of Medical Life, and author of Healing the Sick Care System: Why People Matter—we unpack the paradox of a nation that spends more, trains the best, and still delivers poorer outcomes than its peers. Gil brings hard numbers, lived stories, and a clear blueprint for moving from fragmented “sick care” to coordinated care grounded in relationships and results. We explore the rising frustration across every corner of the system: patients feeling sidelined by delays and denials, clinicians burning out under prior auth and paperwork, payers caught between risk and regulation, and innovators struggling to communicate value. Gil argues for a mission-first mindset where business supports care, not the other way around. He shares how continuity of care, team-based primary care, transparent data-sharing, and measurement that values function and time-to-therapy can rebuild trust while bending the cost curve. With a global lens—from integrated systems like Clalit to policy lessons shaped by his work across countries—Gil highlights what the U.S. can adapt without importing entire models. We also get tactical on artificial intelligence: where AI can reduce cognitive load, triage more effectively, and streamline documentation, and where governance, bias checks, and explainability must anchor deployment. Along the way, Gil previews the growing bookshelf of patient-centered reform and reads a striking paragraph from his book that reframes health as mission plus discipline. If you’re hungry for practical hope, this conversation delivers clear steps and a human compass: pay for relationships, simplify the rules, open the data, and design technology that frees clinicians to care. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs a lift, and leave a review with one change you’d make tomorrow—what would put people first where you work? Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    11 min

  4. 4D AGO

    Storage Becomes The AI Bottleneck

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com AI feels fast until memory and storage slow everything down. We sit with Michael Wu to unpack a blunt truth: inference is where value happens, and storage now sits on the critical path. Instead of treating SSDs as cold capacity, Phison’s adaptive middleware turns them into a live cache that expands usable memory and keeps models, embeddings, and long context windows close to compute. The payoff is practical and immediate—lean AIPCs and mini workstations run bigger workloads with steadier latency, and teams can scale inference without waiting for DRAM supply to catch up. We trace the story from CES announcements to real-world deployment. Michael breaks down how OEM integrations and consumer upgrade kits bring adaptive caching to both new and existing machines, why developer and education communities are the first winners, and how this bottom-up momentum seeds better software and on-device AI experiences. For enterprise leaders, we map the route from local experiments to global rollouts: consistent performance across distributed teams, lower cloud egress, and a storage layer tuned for retrieval-augmented generation, fine-tuning, and high-concurrency serving. Zooming out, we explore where we are in the AI cycle—early, hungry, and building—and how edge devices and “physical AI” will broaden demand for fast, cache-aware storage. Michael also shares Phison’s fabless strategy, the new Pascari enterprise lineup, and the push toward Gen 6 performance that aligns with next-gen model serving. If you care about real-world AI velocity, this conversation shows how to turn a bottleneck into an advantage by rethinking the memory hierarchy from the ground up. If this helped you think differently about scaling AI, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so more builders can find it. What’s the first AI workflow you’d speed up with adaptive caching? Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    17 min

  5. 4D AGO

    Telcos Take Charge On AI

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com The energy on the MWC floor said it all: AI for telecom has moved past “someday” and into “show me how fast.” We sit down with Broadcom’s Anupama Mahabhashyam to unpack what sovereignty really means for carriers, why local control and continuous compliance matter, and how operators can turn regulated infrastructure and rich datasets into a durable AI advantage. We trace the shift from AI hype to execution, highlighting the operational realities telcos face as they build private and sovereign AI clouds. That includes the unglamorous but essential work of model governance—curating approved catalogs, tracking versions and provenance, and enforcing access policies—so teams stop firefighting model sprawl. We also cover the emerging traffic pattern of AI workloads, why early signals may be invisible on traditional links, and how the rise of voice and video inference changes bandwidth planning and east‑west flows across the network. From there, we dig into the architecture: intelligent orchestration that matches models to GPU capacity, keeps workloads close to data, and prevents oversubscription. Anupama explains how AI as a Service abstractions can remove plumbing while preserving control, letting teams focus on high‑value use cases like anomaly detection, automated triage, and customer care copilots. We emphasize data readiness as the make‑or‑break factor—organizing datasets, enforcing metadata standards, and eliminating silos so generative systems don’t amplify fragmentation. Finally, we connect the dots to outcomes: improved reliability, faster MTTR, better customer experiences, and new revenue streams such as GPU‑as‑a‑Service and compliant enterprise copilots. If you’re a carrier leader, network architect, or product owner mapping a path to sovereign AI, this conversation offers a clear blueprint: build on governed data, enforce model discipline, and invest in an intelligent infrastructure layer that scales with demand. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help more builders find the show. Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    11 min

  6. MAR 5

    AI And Telcos: From Hype To Revenue

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com AI is loud at MWC, but we wanted signal, not noise. We sat down with Angus CEO from BeyondNow to unpack how telcos can turn hype into real revenue by building an “AI factory” for SMBs, digitizing the front office, and orchestrating partner ecosystems that deliver complete, easy-to-buy solutions. The conversation gets practical fast: what it takes to package connectivity with AI-driven services, why data readiness still gates everything, and how to replace price wars with a disciplined upsell motion that deepens relationships and boosts stickiness. We explore the shift from back-office obsession to front-office acceleration—where CPQ discipline, guided selling, and AI agents create a faster, cleaner path from quote to cash. Angus breaks down why B2B is different from B2C, how standard blueprints cut complexity, and where prompts can and can’t launch new services yet. Instead of betting on magic, the focus is on proven building blocks: structured data, simplified migrations, partner co-selling, and outcome-based offers that customers immediately understand. If you work in telco, MSP, or enterprise networking, you’ll hear a playbook for growth: unify internal stovepipes into coherent bundles, add partners to enrich the solution, automate fulfillment end to end, and use AI to amplify—not replace—sound operations. We also touch on Beyond Now’s 45% growth trajectory, portfolio expansion, and plans to bring AI factories to life across adjacent markets. Ready to connect AI buzz to booked revenue? Follow the show, share this episode with a colleague who needs a better upsell strategy, and leave a review with your biggest AI roadblock—we’ll tackle it next. Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    8 min

  7. MAR 5

    Winning The Wi‑Fi Experience War

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com Ever wonder why your 4K stream freezes even though your plan boasts blazing speeds? We sat down at MWC with Metin from AirTies to unpack the real reason people switch broadband providers—and it’s not the price tag. Drawing on fresh survey data from the US, UK, and Japan, we dig into churn rates, intent to switch, and the number one culprit behind dissatisfaction: inconsistent user experience. From video stutter to choppy video calls, the pain points are surprisingly common, and they point straight at Wi‑Fi as the everyday bottleneck. We break down how AirTies tackles the problem with a lightweight software agent embedded in home and small business routers, feeding real‑time performance data to a cloud platform that troubleshoots and optimizes automatically. Think channel optimization, band steering, client balancing, and policy tweaks that prioritize what people actually feel—smooth video and stable calls—over theoretical peak speeds. When software can’t fix it, the system flags precise next steps for providers, whether that’s an extender, a router swap, or a line investigation, cutting support costs and stopping churn before it happens. The conversation also explores the messy reality inside big ISPs: multi‑vendor fleets, technical debt, and the challenge of deploying at scale. We get into why AI‑driven personalization is the next leap—networks that learn each home’s patterns and adapt on the fly without the user touching a setting. Metin shares a recent US launch of personalized Wi‑Fi with a major provider and the momentum behind smarter networks that measure success by experience, not just Mbps. If you care about reliable streaming, rock‑solid video calls, and a home network that quietly gets out of the way, this one’s for you. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend who battles buffering, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    8 min

  8. MAR 3

    Broadcom’s Telco Cloud Playbook

    Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com The hallways at MWC were buzzing, but our conversation cut straight to what matters for operators right now: shipping new services faster without getting boxed in. We sat down with Broadcom to unpack VMware Telco Cloud Platform 9 and how it blends cloud-native speed with the reliability telco networks demand. This release pulls previously separate components into a single, horizontal stack, pairing one automation engine for both virtual machines and containers with an embedded Kubernetes runtime. The payoff is simpler operations, shorter launch cycles, and real freedom to choose best-of-breed network functions. We also dive into AI where talk meets traction. Broadcom is rolling out integrated management for NVIDIA GPUs directly in the platform, making it practical to offer GPU-as-a-service and manage accelerator resources with the same tooling operators already trust. That creates a clean path for enterprise AI workloads and sets the stage for the next leap: virtualization of GPUs. By bringing their virtualization heritage to accelerators, Broadcom is targeting higher utilization, better isolation, and elastic scaling for inference and training across the network and at the edge. Vendor lock-in has long slowed telco transformation, so we explore how a true horizontal platform changes the equation. CSPs can run virtualized and containerized network functions from multiple suppliers on the same infrastructure, swap vendors as needs evolve, and rely on a rigorous ecosystem program for pre-qualification and certification. That means less integration risk, fewer surprises in deployment, and faster routes to revenue. We round out the conversation with Europe’s rising demand for sovereign cloud—country-level compliance, data privacy, and security—and how recent national certifications prove the model is working in practice. If you care about open ecosystems, sovereign-ready architectures, and an AI-enabled telco cloud that actually reduces time to market, this conversation is for you. Follow the show, share it with a colleague who’s building next-gen networks, and leave a quick review to tell us what you want covered next. Support the show More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

    11 min
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About

Tech Transformation with Evan Kirstel: A podcast exploring the latest trends and innovations in the tech industry, and how businesses can leverage them for growth, diving into the world of B2B, discussing strategies, trends, and sharing insights from industry leaders!With over three decades in telecom and IT, I've mastered the art of transforming social media into a dynamic platform for audience engagement, community building, and establishing thought leadership. My approach isn't about personal brand promotion but about delivering educational and informative content to cultivate a sustainable, long-term business presence. I am the leading content creator in areas like Enterprise AI, UCaaS, CPaaS, CCaaS, Cloud, Telecom, 5G and more!

Information

  • Creator
    Evan Kirstel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    609
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 TechInfluencer
  • Show Website
    What's Up with Tech?