Tech Field Day Podcast
Tech Field Day
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The Tech Field Day Podcast brings together independent IT experts to discuss a single topic related to their technological knowledge and skills. Hosted by Stephen Foskett and Tom Hollingsworth, the podcast covers enterprise technology from various perspectives. Episodes are recorded on location or remotely, featuring lively debates and insights from industry luminaries.
Epizode
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110. You Can't Bet Your Company's Future on AI 02.06.2026 30minLearn more about Tech Field Day at Cisco Live US here. Is the AI tech bubble about to burst just like the dot-com boom did? On this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast ahead of Cisco Live 2026, host Tom Hollingsworth and experts Sam Clements, Ed Weadon, and Rob Coote look at the real state of enterprise AI. They discuss why tech giants are facing layoffs despite record profits, and whether companies should stick to selling hardware infrastructure instead of forcing useless AI chatbots into everything. The panel compares today's AI hype to past tech trends, looking closely at rising token costs and heavy investor pressure. Watch to find out why betting your entire business strategy on unproven AI features might be a huge mistake for your organization.Panelists: Sam Clements, Technical Solutions ArchitectEd Weadon, Senior Network EngineerRob Coote, Director, Cybersecurity and InfrastructureHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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109. We Can’t Trust Networks to Fix Themselves 26.05.2026 25minLearn more about Mobility Field Day here. AI is changing the way we maintain and troubleshoot networks, offering suggested fixes and knowledge about issues. But we aren’t ready to trust it in fully autonomous mode yet.In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, Dan Ryan, Chris Reed, and Alan Wang join Tom Hollingsworth on-site at Mobility Field Day to discuss why fully autonomous networking still feels out of reach despite rapid advances in AI. The group explores the tension between deterministic networking protocols like OSPF and BGP and the non-deterministic nature of LLMs, noting that while AI excels at parsing data and suggesting fixes, it often lacks the business context needed to distinguish real problems from expected anomalies. They also raise concerns about a growing skills gap, arguing that overreliance on AI for Tier 1 and Tier 2 troubleshooting could prevent junior engineers from developing the deep expertise needed to validate AI-generated recommendations. Ultimately, the delegates agree that networking still requires a human-in-the-loop approach, with AI best suited for guided troubleshooting, scripting, and low-risk operational tasks rather than fully autonomous control.Panelists: Chris Reed, Principal ConsultantAlan Wang, Networking AnalystDan Ryan, Principal Solution Architect at ConnectionHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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SPOTLIGHT: You Don’t Have To Pick Just One AI Network Presented by Cisco 19.05.2026 29minAI networking is quickly becoming a critical part of the enterprise. You need make the right choice about which hardware you want to use but you aren’t necessarily locked into a single choice. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, brought to you by Cisco, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Scott Robohn and Richard Licon of Cisco as they discuss rapidly evolving landscape of AI networking, emphasizing that organizations no longer have to settle for a “one-size-fits-all” approach. They explore the shift from purely software-driven innovation back to high-performance hardware, where custom silicon like Cisco Silicon One and merchant silicon are becoming central to infrastructure. The conversation highlights how the transition from AI model training to real-time inferencing in 2026 demands more flexible and programmable hardware pipelines. By leveraging tools like P4 programming, network engineers can now adjust their infrastructure mid-cycle to optimize traffic patterns and ensure consistent job completion times as workload needs shift.The discussion also highlights Cisco’s strategic partnership with NVIDIA, offering customers a choice between distinct networking ecosystems based on their specific goals. For those requiring strict adherence to NVIDIA’s validated designs and the Secure AI Factory, the Cisco Nexus 9100 with Spectrum-X silicon provides a certified, high-performance path. Conversely, organizations seeking maximum flexibility and custom tuning for diverse workloads can opt for Cisco Silicon One. Ultimately, the experts agree that while the technical requirements of AI networking are increasingly complex, the availability of diverse silicon options and consistent operating systems like NX-OS or SONiC allows enterprises to build future-proof, composable infrastructure that can adapt to the unpredictable pace of AI development.Panelists: Richard Licon, Principal Technical Marketing Engineer at CiscoScott Robohn, Founder and CEO, Solutional Hosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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Mistaking Quantity for Quality in Tech and Life 12.05.2026 34minLearn More about AI Field Day 8 here. Now that AI has enabled us to have an unlimited amount of content, generated on demand and instantly, we find ourselves questioning the quality of the output. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, recorded prior to AI Field Day by delegates Barbara Roos, Guy Currier, Dave Graham, and Stephen Foskett, considers this common trade-off. Large Language Models are fundamentally personal and responsive, delivering an answer that is statistically matched to your query. This can lead users astray, as a chatbot confidently answers every question regardless of insight. These systems are best when paired with human domain expertise and fed quality data, but they are often starved of context.Panelists: Guy Currier, Research Director and Analyst at The Futurum GroupBarbara Roos, Founder and Principal Consultant at Trailhead CommunicationsDave Graham, Head of Marketing at MLCommonsHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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106. AI Driven Networks are More Marketing Than Reality 05.05.2026 19minLearn more about Mobility Field Day 14 here. AI is everywhere in networking right now, but the reality doesn’t always match the marketing. In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast ahead of Mobility Field Day, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Jennifer Huber and Megan Sorensen to break down what “AI-driven networks” actually mean in practice, where vendors are positioning AI across wireless, automation, and operations, and where those claims start to fall apart.They discuss into what AI is genuinely good at today, from site surveys to optimization and operations, while calling out its limits, especially around troubleshooting unknown issues and working with poor data. The key takeaway is simple: AI is only as good as the data behind it. Instead of buying into the hype, this conversation focuses on where AI is delivering real value now and how to approach it with realistic expectations.Megan Sorensen, Networking EngineerJennifer Huber, Founder of Huber Works B.V.Hosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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105. Busting All of the Myths Around Mythos 28.04.2026 30minLearn more about Security Field Day 15 here. Is Mythos the future of cybersecurity, or just the latest AI hype cycle? In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast leading into Security Field Day, host Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Jack Poller, Karen Lopez, and Brett Wolmarans to break down the truth behind Anthropic Mythos model. The panel digs into whether Mythos is truly a breakthrough in vulnerability scanning or simply overhyped, comparing its capabilities to tools like Claude Sonnet. From exploit chaining and real-world vulnerabilities to the growing role of AI in development and security workflows, the discussion highlights both the promise and limitations of AI-driven security tools. The episode also explores how organizations should approach AI adoption, emphasizing practical strategies, developer awareness, and the importance of not relying on any single tool. As AI continues to evolve, this conversation offers a grounded look at what actually matters for securing modern environments.Panelists: Jack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm Technica Karen Lopez, Senior Project Manager and Architect, InfoAdvisorsBrett Wolmarans, Staff Solutions Engineer at KONGHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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104. AI Networking Will Never Make It To The Enterprise 21.04.2026 26minLearn more about Networking Field Day 40 here. AI networking is driving innovation in the market like no other time in history. But the likelihood of all these advances filtering down into the enterprise is very slim. In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, host Tom Hollingsworth and a panel of IT experts debate whether high-performance AI networking will ever truly penetrate the traditional enterprise. The discussion centers on the premise that the specialized, low-latency fabrics and ultra-high-speed Ethernet modules (like 800GbE) may be overkill for the average organization. While Ethernet continues to evolve to meet these demands, they question if the typical enterprise workload, primarily driven by human users rather than GPU clusters, actually requires the “trickery” of distributed flows and SmartNICs.The conversation shifts toward the practicalities of adoption, highlighting that while the technology exists, its integration into the enterprise is often limited by physical constraints like power, cooling, and the lack of a killer app. However, the guests suggest that AI networking might arrive in smaller, rack-optimized pods or self-contained black boxes as companies begin to train private models on their own sovereign data. Ultimately, the experts advise that while engineering teams must become literate in high-performance computing, organizations should be wary of over-provisioning for a future they may not yet need, lest their expensive high-speed infrastructure ends up collecting dust.Panelists:Jeff Ello, Head of AI at Purdue UniversityMike Witte, World Wide TechnologiesVincent Celindro, Director of Strategic Sales & Technology at Quantum FoundryHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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SPOTLIGHT. Waiting for Data Is Not a Technical Problem Presented by IBM 14.04.2026 30minLearn more about IBM Watsonx here.Keeping your AI applications waiting for data is not a technical problem; AI agents can help deliver the right data. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Stephanie Valarezo from IBM, who discusses Agentic data enablement with Karen Lopez, Jim Czuprynski, and Alastair Cooke. Organizations face many critical challenges in providing high-quality, secure, and well-governed data at scale for AI, especially agentic AI applications. Beyond simply possessing data, the challenges include managing vast, disparate data sources across hybrid environments, ensuring rapid access, and building trust through robust data governance. IBM's Watsonx is presented as a comprehensive data foundation with pillars in AI, Data, and Governance, offering composable products for data integration, quality, cataloging, and the creation of automated data products. Autonomous agents for repetitive data tasks will allow data professionals to concentrate on higher-value activities such as architecture, policy design, and security. Ultimately, enabling organizations to build scalable, automated, and well-governed data ecosystems for their AI initiatives.IBM Representative: Stephanie Valarezo, Program Director, Product at IBMPanelists: Karen Lopez, Senior Project Manager and Architect, InfoAdvisorsJim Czuprynski, Chief Storyteller at Zero Defect ComputingHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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102. Networking Needs More Telemetry 07.04.2026 27minLearn more about Networking Field Day 40 here. Telemetry has become a critical component of modern networking, but organizations need better ways to harness the growing volume of data. In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Scott Robohn, Jason Gintert, and Pete Welcher to discuss how telemetry provides real-time insights into network performance, user behavior, and system health. They explore how diverse data sources—from network devices to applications and user endpoints—enable more informed, data-driven decisions. The panel also highlights the importance of turning telemetry into actionable insights through integration, analytics, and clear KPIs, while addressing challenges like data overload by focusing on relevant metrics and proper data structuring.Panelists: Scott Robohn, Founder, Solutional Pete Welcher, Networking ExpertJason Gintert, Consultant, Bits in FlightHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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101. The Internet Still Delivers Massive Public Good 31.03.2026 25minLearn more about Cloud Field Day 25 here.The Internet is often characterized as full of cat pictures and manipulative social media, yet the Internet is home to thousands of websites and communities that deliver massive public benefit. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Denny Cherry, Lino Telera, Shala Warner, and Alastair Cooke, who all took part in Cloud Field Day in Santa Clara. The discussion highlights two key non-commercial organizations: the Internet Archive and SETI. The Internet Archive does monumental work in preserving digital and human culture, including a trillion web pages and physical books, funded by large and small community donations and distributed globally to build resilience against censorship and ensure accessibility. SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is explored from its early distributed computing efforts with SETI@home to its current use of advanced AI and powerful GPUs to process terabits of radio telescope data and explore laser communication, also touching on citizen science initiatives like crowdsourced "All-Sky Camera" projects. Ultimately, the panel celebrates how the internet continues to enable significant advancements in scientific research, cultural preservation, and community building, emphasizing its ongoing potential for positive global impact.Panelists: Denny CherryLino TeleraShala WarnerHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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SPOTLIGHT: Making Agentic AI Real for Business Intelligence with Qlik 24.03.2026 33minLearn more and register for Qlik Connect here.Generative AI is more connected to the world of business intelligence and data analytics than any other area of enterprise IT technology. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, recorded prior to Qlik Connect 2026, features Brendan Grady of Qlik joining Brian Booden and Gina Rosenthal to consider how this market is advancing. Although we started talking about agentic AI over a year ago, it is still quite rare to see impactful agents deployed in business processes and we expect to hear more about this at the event. We are also talking about data quality again, especially in light of AI applications, which are both users and producers of data. The goal of many is to use AI to help extract value from various data sources, structured and unstructured, and Qlik is well-positioned to achieve this. Join Qlik and Tech Field Day at Qlik Connect in Orlando, Florida in April!Qlik Representative: Brendan Grady, General Manager of the AI and Analytics Business Unit at QlikPanelists: Gina Rosenthal, Founder of Digital Sunshine SolutionsBrian Booden, Managing Director at BB Data ServicesHosts: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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99. Data Protection Needs To Do More 17.03.2026 32minLearn more about Tech Field Day at RSAC here.Data Protection is a critical component of security but it needs more features to meet the challenges of today’s attack environments. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth and Jack Poller discuss how data protection companies like Veeam, Commvault, and Object First offer solutions like immutability and identity protection as solutions to modern problems. They talk about the importance of having a holistic business strategy that directs restoration efforts such as realistic RPO and RTO objectives. Lastly they discuss how data protection companies can use events like RSAC to get the word out about their latest features.Panelists: Jack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm TechnicaHosts: Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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Rising Memory & Storage Costs Make On-Prem Hardware Uneconomical 10.03.2026 30minLearn more about Cloud Field Day 25 here.The rising cost of memory and storage, driven by the massive AI build out, might make on-premises datacenters uneconomical, and drive more cloud adoption. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Ned Bellavance, Jim Czuprynski, and Alastair Cooke considering whether it is better to wait out the shortages or design for their effects. The core problem is the significant increase in costs for RAM and storage components like SSDs and hard drives, which is making on-premises infrastructure upgrades financially challenging for many organizations. This surge in prices is largely driven by substantial, long-term procurement agreements made by major cloud providers and companies developing AI data centers, leading to a global supply constraint. There are differing strategies for businesses to cope with this environment, including enhancing resource efficiency, optimizing software, and potentially leveraging the secondary hardware market or extending the life of existing equipment. The conversation also delves into broader industry impacts, such as the potential for AI to self-optimize resource usage, the challenges in building new, resource-intensive data centers due to power and water concerns, and predictions for when these current market conditions might stabilize and component prices could return to more typical levels.Panelists: Ned Bellavance, Content Creator, Ned in the CloudsJim Czuprynski, Chief Storyteller, Zero Defect ComputingHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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97. Security Is More Than AI in 2026 03.03.2026 33minThere’s more to security than AI models and keeping them safe. Identity and user security are sure to be hot topics during this year’s RSAC Conference. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Jack Poller and Drew Conry-Murray as they discuss what’s hot in the non-AI areas of security. They discuss the importance of identity-based security and how it can be extended to include non-human employees. They also discuss how enterprises are focused on securing browsers with extensions and not forcing a specific application. The guests debate the advantages and disadvantages of all of these aspects as well as how AI will eventually provide additional context around them all.Panelists: Jack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm TechnicaDrew Conry-Murray, Editor-in-Chief at Packet PushersTom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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96. Don’t Give Your AI Agent the Keys to Your Business 24.02.2026 28minThe rise and fall of MoltBot is a sign that AI Agents are being rushed to deployment. How much of your data can you trust to AI Agents? In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Girard Kavelines and Aunudrei Oliver join Alastair Cooke to cast an eye over AI agent security and data security. ClaudeBot exploded into popular consciousness as an AI helper that could gain new skills and help organize and simplify your life. Following the name changes to MoltBot and OpenClaw, some issues came to light. OpenClaw learned new skills by installing software from a highly open repository. Malware authors jumped on board and put data-stealing software into popular skills. The cautionary tale here is that your data needs protection from bad actors, and basic security practices are vital. The rush to deploy an agent or any new technology often tramples on good governance and security practices, with predictable poor outcomes. AI agents will undoubtedly bring great value to businesses and individuals, provided that robust controls are built in from the start.Panelists: Girard Kavelines, Networking and Security Engineer, Aqueduct Technologies, Inc.Aunudrei Oliver, Cybersecurity ExecutiveHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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SPOTLIGHT: AI Tooling is Causing Identity Security Issues with 1Password 17.02.2026 32minThe rise of AI tooling and agents in the enterprise has created a gap with identity security platforms. Addressing that gap remains challenging when so much is still unclear about how users and agents interact. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, brought to you by 1Password, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Kate Scarcella, Jack Poller, and Sanjay Ramnath of 1Password.The panel discusses the shift from client-server models to the new agentic landscape. They talk about the challenges of tracking activity and how static credential management is unable to keep up. They also talk about the need for business to lead the change in IT and enable security to keep up with the current velocity of features. They also discuss how there needs to be a shift in the way that companies develop and apply security policy to users, both physical and digital.Learn more about 1Password: Website: https://1password.comLink: https://1password.com/developer-security Blog: https://1password.com/blog1Password Representative: Sanjay Ramnath, VP, Product & Solutions MarketingGuests: Jack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm TechnicaKate Scarcella, Chair Person at the CD Foundation, a Cybersecurity FoundationHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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SPOTLIGHT: AI Has Escaped Your Datacenter Presented by Cisco 10.02.2026 30minLearn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here. AI has driven your datacenter designs and is now moving outwards through your whole network. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Lee Peterson from Cisco discussing AI and networks with Andy Banta, Jack Poller, and Alastair Cooke. The discussion explores how AI is "escaping the data center" and becoming pervasive across the network, necessitating a dual focus on “networking for AI” and “AI for networking.” The former involves building robust, high-performance, and secure infrastructure, particularly at the edge, to support AI workloads like real-time inference. The goal is to support new applications such as robotics, fraud detection, and small language models, moving beyond traditional cloud-centric deployments to a more federated model. The latter leverages AI to manage, optimize, troubleshoot, and secure the network itself, with Cisco utilizing deep network learning models, historical data, and expertise to create AI assistants that enable intent-based networking and streamline operations. Additionally, the conversation emphasizes the critical role of advanced security, including hardware-accelerated post-quantum cryptography, to protect data in this evolving, AI-driven environment from future decryption threats.Cisco Representative: Lee Peterson, VP of Product, CiscoAndy Banta, Storage and Infrastructure ConsultantJack Poller, Principal Analyst at Paradigm TechnicaHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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93. Billion-Dollar AI Headlines Obscure Real Business Value 03.02.2026 23minLearn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here. The big headlines that we're seeing around the massive funding of large AI companies are a distraction from the reality that AI is being built and used in business applications. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Frederic Van Haren, Chris Grundemann, Brian Martin, and Alastair Cooke reflecting after AI Infrastructure Field Day in Santa Clara. Popular news often covers the creation of large, general purpose AI models, yet the real-world application of AI through inference is where most companies see a return on their investment. Similarly, the common understanding of "AI" is as a single topic, without a more granular view that differentiates between rules-based systems, traditional machine learning, and emergent generative models like Large Language Models (LLMs). Specialized AI models will be vital for cost-effective applications with enhanced efficiency and the integration of diverse AI capabilities into agentic architectures. Advanced security protocols and regulatory frameworks are vital to mitigate novel vulnerabilities, organizations must adapt to an extraordinarily rapid pace of technological evolution. AI has already had a profound impact on software development, potentially enabling widespread custom application creation.Panelists: Frederic Van Haren, CTO and Founder of HighFens, Inc.Brian Martin, VP of Data Center Performance at Signal 65Chris Grundemann, Executive Consultant at Khadga ConsultingHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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92. AI Needs Resource Efficiency 27.01.2026 33minLearn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 4 here. As we build out AI infrastructure and applications we need resource efficiency, continuously buying more horsepower cannot go on forever. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Pete Welcher, Gina Rosenthal, Andy Banta, and Alastair Cooke hoping for a more efficient AI future. Large language models are trained using massive farms of GPUs and massive amounts of Internet data, so we expect to use large farms of GPUs and unstructured data to run those LLMs. Those large farms have led to scarcity of GPUs, and now RAM price increases that are impeding businesses building their own large AI infrastructure. Task-specific AIs, that use more efficient, task-specific models should be the future of Agentic AI and AI embedded in applications. More efficient and targeted AI may be the only way to get business value from the investment, especially in resource constrained edge environments. Does every AI problem need a twenty billion parameter model? More mature use of LLMs and AI will focus on reducing the cost of delivering inference to applications, your staff, and your customers.Panelists: Gina Rosenthal, Product Marketing ManagerPete Welcher, Networking ExpertAndy Banta, Storage and Infrastructure ConsultantHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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91. Your Security Strategy Needs Graphs 20.01.2026 29minView upcoming Tech Field Day events here. Modern security needs more than checklists. Instead of working down a process you need to start thinking like the attackers trying to get into your systems. In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, Jay Cuthrell and Girard Kavelines join Tom Hollingsworth to discuss how Microsoft Sentinel helps bring this new security strategy to your environment.They discuss the advances that have been made in data lake technology, including the increased retention time offered by Microsoft. They also talk about the way that graphs help train new security analysts to understand the way that attackers think. They discuss how you can adapt your plans in the new year to take advantage of new offerings and the questions you should be asking to make sure you’re not missing out.Girard Kavelines, Networking and Security Engineer, Aqueduct Technologies, Inc.Jay Cuthrell, Chief Product Officer, NexusTekHosts:Tom Hollingsworth, Event Lead for Tech Field DayAlastair Cooke, Event Lead at Tech Field DayStephen Foskett, President and Organizer of Tech Field DayFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast on X/Twitter or on Bluesky and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes on the podcast page of the website.Follow Tech Field Day for more information on upcoming and current event coverage on X/Twitter, on Bluesky, and on LinkedIn, or visit our website.
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