The Bridgecast with Scott Kinka

Latest Episodes:

Mentorship Matters: Lessons from a CTO with Performive’s Ryan DiRocco Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

Have you ever noticed that being an entrepreneur and an IT leader require nearly the same skills?

On this episode of the Bridgecast, Scott sits down with Ryan DiRocco, CTO of Performive. We explore that intersection and how experience and mentorship play critical roles in both realms. We discuss why mentorship is essential—not just when you lack specific skills but even when you think you’ve covered them.

It's a lot like using an MSP to deliver a product. Sure, you could go it alone, but sometimes it's worth paying more to avoid costly mistakes. Like an MSP, mentorship can save you time, money, and headaches.

Ryan discusses his extensive background in technology, the evolution of Performive, and the importance of customer service in tech solutions. He also shares insights on navigating the mid-market landscape, the role of VMware, and the significance of leveraging hyper scalers and Desktop as a Service (DaaS) for business efficiency. The conversation also touches on lessons learned from past experiences and predictions for the future of IT infrastructure.

Performive partners with growing mid-sized companies by delivering secure, VMware-based cloud solutions, on-demand engineering resources, and 24/7/365 Devoted Customer Support. They meet their customers’ needs through VMware cloud solutions, data protection, and managed security services. With a consistent global platform to leverage, these medium-sized businesses now have access to solutions that simplify their day-to-day operations. Their customers’ internal IT teams are now entirely focused on driving innovation and business solutions in this demanding, ever-changing, technology-focused era.

Topics discussed in this episode:

· Why experience is invaluable in navigating business challenges and how mentorship can guide entrepreneurs.

· Why understanding customer pain points is crucial for success.

· Why the mid-market has unique challenges that require tailored solutions.

· Why VMware plays a significant role in many mid-market organizations.

· Why cost control is essential in managing IT budgets.

· How DaaS can provide predictable costs and security for organizations.

· How leveraging hyperscalers can optimize workload management.

· Why redundancy in infrastructure is critical to avoid failures.

· Why customer service should be at the core of technology offerings.

About Ryan DiRocco

Ryan DiRocco is an expert in networking and enterprise operations with more than two decades of experience within the IT and managed services sector. He brings deep knowledge in virtualized environment architectures, efficiencies, and operations to lead the Performive technical teams. Having built a solid foundation within the managed services space, Ryan’s experience and dedication is a key component of the Performive team.

The smooth operation of Performives’ global workloads is Ryan’s chief goal. Additionally, he guides engineering and technical product development across the brand.

Contact Ryan

Web. https://performive.com

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-dirocco-5453447/

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From HQ to Cloud: The New Network Core with 11:11 Systems’ Anthony Lobretto Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

IT leaders, remember when your headquarters was the heart of your business network?

You connected everything to it—offices, remote workers through VPNs, and kept security at the HQ. Then, the cloud arrived, and COVID changed everything. Suddenly, we stopped focusing on connectivity and locations.

Now, the data center and cloud are the new network core, and while speeds and performance still matter, they're not the main topic anymore.

In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Anthony Lobretto, Senior Vice President of Connectivity Services, at 11:11 Systems. We discuss Anthony’s background, his journey to 11:11, and the company’s focus on bridging cloud connectivity and security. Also, we discussed how 11:11 provides a single pane of glass for managing connectivity, security, and cloud services, making it easier for customers to navigate and optimize their infrastructure.

11:11 Systems is a managed infrastructure solutions provider that holistically addresses the challenges of next-generation managed cloud, connectivity and security requirements. 11:11 combines the teams and technology behind market-leading, analyst-vetted companies like Sungard AS and iland to deliver increased performance, optimization and savings. 11:11 provides cloud, connectivity and security solutions from its global footprint of data centers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Topics discussed in this episode:

· Why having a solid team, a clear mission, and a relentless attitude are crucial to success as an entrepreneur.

· Why 11:11 offers agnostic connectivity services, allowing customers to mix and match their existing connections with additional circuits for resiliency.

· How 11:11 is a marketplace vendor on AWS, making it easier for customers to purchase and manage their connectivity services.

· Why mistakes are inevitable, but it’s essential to learn from them and operate within established policies and procedures.

· Why, in a dystopian future, Anthony would choose iMessage as the one application left on his mobile phone.

About Anthony Lobretto

As the Senior Vice President of Connectivity at 11:11 Systems, Anthony drives transformative strategies in connectivity products and technology. With a keen focus on innovation, he leads comprehensive initiatives spanning quoting, cost management, systems, and M&A infrastructure integration. At the intersection of vision and execution, he defines and executes the connectivity product strategy, ensuring that 11:11 Systems’ offerings align with market dynamics and propel 11:11 Systems to the forefront of the industry. Anthony’s leadership extends to optimizing quoting processes, managing costs for sustained profitability, orchestrating streamlined systems, and seamlessly integrating new infrastructures through mergers and acquisitions. This role encapsulates his commitment to shaping the future of connectivity, fostering innovation, and positioning 11:11 Systems as a trailblazer in the evolving landscape of Cloud, Security, and Connectivity.

Contact Anthony

Web. https://1111systems.com/

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-lobretto/

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Cost Optimization for Cloud Hyperscalers with ProsperOps’ Chris Cochran Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

When optimizing your cloud hyperscaler expenses, there’s a massive difference between workload optimization and rate optimization. We put tons of effort into the performance of our workloads to control usage, but far less attention is paid to how much we pay for that usage.

And we’re not talking about the size we buy — we’re talking about the minor incremental changes that can be accomplished algorithmically throughout the day to ensure that you are paying less for the usage that your workload generates.

In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Chris Cochran, co-founder and CEO of ProsperOps. the tech scene in Austin, the importance of automation in cloud optimization, and the value of rate optimization in reducing cloud costs. Chris shares his experience starting the company and offers advice for entrepreneurs. We also talk about AI's potential and future in cloud optimization.

ProsperOps’ is a hands-free AWS cost optimization platform offering customers a solution to automatically reduce their AWS cloud costs with zero ongoing effort. Their mission is to remove complexity and deliver savings outcomes so every business can prosper in the cloud.

Topics covered in this episode on information security and risk management:

How automation and algorithms can solve cloud optimization problems that humans can’t, leading to cost savings and improved performance.
Why rate optimization, focusing on reducing cloud costs, is an important aspect of cloud optimization.
Why starting a company requires finding the right partners and having a clear vision.
How the potential of AI in solving specific problems is still being explored.
Why In a hypothetical world-ending scenario, X would be the app of choice for entertainment and information.

ABOUT CHRIS COCHRAN

Chris co-founded ProsperOps with two former colleagues from Rackspace and serves as CEO. Our FinOps automation platform delivers a simple, fully autonomous cost optimization service for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud.

Previously, Chris served as CEO of Chargify, a recurring billing and subscription management SaaS. In eighteen months, the company doubled revenue, headcount, and changed every element of strategy, culture, product, and business model to reposition into the top tier of providers.

Prior to Chargify, Chris was a Senior Vice President & General Manager at Rackspace during its growth from $500 million to $2 billion in revenue. During his tenure, Chris co-founded and/or led multiple business units (Fanatical Support for AWS, Enterprise, Managed Colocation, DataStores, Private Cloud) and corporate strategy during the shift to managed cloud.

Prior to Rackspace, Chris held strategy and operations roles with Electronic Data Systems and was a management consultant with Ernst & Young. Chris earned a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University and a MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

CONTACT CHRIS

Web. http://www.prosperops.com

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/company/prosperops/

Insta. https://www.instagram.com/prosperops/

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Fortifying the Digital Frontier: Information Security and Risk Management with Melanie Thomas Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Information security and risk management are kind of like the chicken or the egg — what comes first?
In this episode of The Bridgecast, Scott interviews Melanie Thomas, the Vice President of Cybersecurity at Bridgepointe. They discuss Melanie’s background, her transition to Bridgepointe, and her belief that change doesn’t need to be scary, but in light of recent events, it IS necessary.
We also discussed the recent CrowdStrike outage how it may affect how we think about our internal IT operations.

Melanie shares her insights on the importance of policy and governance in cybersecurity, the need for more centralized control of devices, and the potential consolidation of vendors in the industry. They also touch on the concept of Hope Punk and its relevance in approaching cybersecurity challenges with optimism and resilience.

Topics discussed in this episode on information security and risk management:

· Melanie’s background and transition to Bridgepointe as the VP of Cybersecurity.

· Why is the cybersecurity market moving towards more mature conversations, with customers having an idea of their security needs and implementing basic solutions?

· How the recent CrowdStrike incident highlights the importance of policy and governance in cybersecurity and the need for centralized device control.

Why vendors may need to take a step back and prioritize testing and release processes to avoid overpromising and underdelivering.

BLOG. Lessons from the CrowdStrike Outage: Moving Forward by Building Sustainable Systems

PODCAST. Exploring the Cybersecurity Landscape with Melanie Thomas of AT&T

ABOUT MELANIE THOMAS

Melanie Thomas is the Vice President of Cybersecurity at Bridgepointe Technologies.
Thomas joins Bridgepointe from LevelBlue, formerly AT&T Cybersecurity, where she held the role of Principal-Cybersecurity, overseeing services such as Managed Threat Detect and Respond (MTDR) and Managed Endpoint Security (MES), in addition to advising security and consulting teams on active customer incident response engagements. A respected leader in the cybersecurity space, Melanie is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego and holds multiple certifications, along with a M.S. in Cybersecurity Strategy and Information Management.

CONTACT MELANIE

Web. https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/team/melaniethomas/

University of SD. https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/faculty/melanie-thomas/

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/themelaniethomas/

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Reaction to Inaction with Jack Jackson Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

Every business book in the past 20 years has in some way talked about being customer-obsessed. And of course, to do that, you need to empower your employees to innovate. Mistakes be damned! However, some recent challenges with software updates to 80 % of the operating systems in the world might say that we may need to pause unbridled innovation.

In this episode of The Bridgecast, I interview Jack Jackson, a seasoned tech executive and author of the upcoming book Reaction to Inaction. During our conversation, Jack shares his background in the tech industry and his passion for leadership, emphasizing the importance of inspiring and empowering people to be successful.

Our primary focus for the chat was on Jack’s book, which explores how organizations, employees, and customers suffer when people fail to take action and provide insights and strategies for overcoming inaction and driving positive change.

The book Reaction to Inaction addresses the issue of organizations and employees. Jack was inspired to write it after witnessing an employee’s frustration in trying to help a customer but being unable to take action due to red tape and bureaucracy. The book proposes a framework for building dynamic and innovative organizations where employees feel empowered and trusted. It emphasizes the importance of putting the customer first and removing barriers to action.

Topics covered in this episode:

● How Jack’s book provides insights and strategies for overcoming inaction.

● and driving positive change.

● Why building fences, not tearing them down, might be

● the key to balancing innovation and risk.

● How leadership is about inspiring and empowering people to be successful.

● Why inaction can have negative consequences for organizations, employees, and customers.

● Why taking action is essential for driving positive change.

● How organizations, employees, and customers suffer when people fail to take action.

● The book’s framework for building dynamic and innovative organizations.

● How the framework applies to various areas —including IT —and encourages employee empowerment while managing compliance and risk.

Why putting the customer first and removing barriers to action are key principles in the book.

Get The Book

https://thereactiontoinactionbook.com/

ABOUT JACK JACKSON

Experienced operational hyper growth executive with a dynamic management career in selling technology products within a competitive global landscape. Organizational health builder with 20 years experience exceeding revenue goals in worldwide markets. Proven sales leader with direct and channel success. Expert in building top-producing selling organizations through strategic marketing, tactical sales, key account management partner enablement and operational excellence. Deep understanding of growth and scale operations. Outstanding record of achievement in large sales negotiations. Excellent communicator with the ability to actively manage change. Impeccable track record of high growth quick to scale execution. Track record of building high performance sales organizations and managing 100M+ organizations.

CONTACT JACK

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-jackson-4137894

Web. https://aratum.com/perspective/saas-sales-expert-jack-jackson-joins-aratum-as-senior-vice-president-for-global-sales/

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Contact Center Integration with Talkdesk’s Rei Kesai Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

You’ve heard the old adage that everyone in business is in customer service or customer experience. Yet, legacy contact center software has been designed for one primary

workflow — the customer service agent. This results in our approach to CX and customer expectations being out of alignment, meaning we need to focus more on contact center integration.

On this episode of The Bridgecast, I talk to Rei Kesai, Senior Vice President of Product at Talkdesk. We discuss Rei’s background, his journey in the CX space, and how Talkdesk has evolved into a full-blown CCaaS platform.

We also explore the convergence of communications, customer data management, analytics, and automation and how Talkdesk focuses on creating industry-specific workflows and applications. We chat about the challenges of integration, the importance of simplifying the customer experience and the changing expectations of customers.

Talkdesk® is a global cloud contact center leader for enterprises of all sizes. Talkdesk CX Cloud and Industry Experience Clouds help enterprises deliver modern customer service their way. Their trusted, flexible, and innovative contact center platform leverages AI and automation to drive exceptional customer outcomes and improve the bottom line.

Topics covered in this episode:

● How Talkdesk has evolved from a telephony capability for CRM platforms to a full-blown CCaaS platform and an AI platform for customer experience.

● How Talkdesk focuses on creating industry-specific workflows and applications to enable customer experiences and solve high-value use cases.

● Why is simplifying integration with standard back-office systems of record a crucial focus for Talkdesk?

● How the expectations of customers and businesses have changed, with a demand for multimodal and connected communications.

● Why Talkdesk aims to provide a seamless and personalized customer experience by enabling choice and integrating different communication modalities.

● Why Talkdesk believes that everyone in the company, not just a specific department, should be involved in delivering great customer service.

● How AI is being used to drive workflows and integrate with business applications, enhancing customer experiences.

● Why Talkdesk has developed a platform incorporating advanced technologies like AI and NLP to automate and analyze customer interactions.

How Talkdesk’s product, Navigator, replaces the traditional IVR system and provides more personalized and efficient customer service

Other Talkdesk Episodes

The Intersection of Business Communication and Technology with Talkdesk’s Bill Welch

ABOUT REI KESAI

I am a strategic product and engineering executive and my specialty is building scalable businesses, teams, and products. I have had the fortunate opportunity of experiencing what it takes to build start-ups into market leaders multiple times and have operated at all stages of growth from early-stage start-ups to mature global tech companies.
My 25+ Years of experience includes:
• GenAI, CRM/CX, Enterprise App Platforms, Analytics, Mobile, IoT, Mar-tech, SFA, Customer Service, Field Service, and Contact Center
• Hiring, managing, and leading small VC-backed start-up teams to large global development organizations
• Defining strategy, delivering roadmap, and nurturing customer relationships to secure market leadership
• Managing hyper-growth as a company being acquired as well as being the acquirer
• Transforming cultures from sales and engineering-led companies to a product-led one
• Building and launching new disruptive products from ground up
• Leadership roles in strategy, product, and engineering and GTM roles in pre-sales and product marketing

CONTACT REI

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/reikasai/

Web. https://www.talkdesk.com/

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Enterprise Technology Integration & Essential Advice for IT Leaders with Evolve IP’s Peter Eisengrein Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

As one of the early innovators in the hosted PBX space nearly twenty years ago, Peter offers countless insights on pre-integrated, self-contained user environments for remote work, collaboration, and innovation.

Evolve IP partners with IT professionals to integrate their essential productivity and communication tools into a single, secure cloud-based solution, ﬁne-tuned for the hybrid workforce and delivered as a service. By integrating these disconnected systems and ﬁlling in the gaps, they improve both productivity and security, increasing uptime to improve the future of work for everyone.

Topics covered in this episode:

● The challenges of enterprise technology integration and why you don’t want to be in the integration business.

● How Desktop as a Service (DaaS) simplifies IT operations and enables remote work and why wider adoption is hindered by various factors.

● The shift from a CapEx model to a monthly recurring model is challenging but beneficial.

● How cloud-based communication platforms enable easier security management and device control.

● Insight into why voice specialists have focused on leveraging productivity applications as the front end.

The hype about AI technology and what companies must consider when implementing it.

Other EvolveIP Episodes

End User Computing with Evolve IP’s Kevin Sullivan

ABOUT PETE EISENGREIN

Peter is a founding member of Evolve IP. Currently serving as Chief Product Officer, Pete is responsible for product vision, strategy, and execution, and leads a high-performing product management team, collaborates with cross-functional teams, and defines product priorities to deliver tangible business value through innovative cloud solutions. Prior to taking on the CPO role, he led Evolve IP’s global Voice Engineering team.

Before joining Evolve IP, Peter served as Director of Engineering for ATX Communications, Inc., where he was responsible for the planning, design, budgeting, development, and support for the ATX network. In this role, Pete oversaw the technical product development and design of the ATX Voice over IP (VoIP) product.

Peter holds a B.M. from West Chester University and completed his post-graduate studies at Temple University.

CONTACT PETE

Web.

LinkedIn.

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Are Data Center Resources Having a Renaissance? With Flexential’s Ryan Mallory Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

AI is igniting innovation in colocation and data center resources at a pace not seen in decades. But what do you need to know right now?
In this episode of The Bridge, host Scott Kinka is joined by guest Ryan Mallory, COO at Flexential, to dive into the seismic shifts AI is causing in data centers.
Ryan shares insights on Flexential's rapid expansion, their game-changing FlexAnywhere® platform, and why emotional intelligence is crucial for industry leaders.
Tune in to hear about the future of data centers and the exciting developments shaping this critical infrastructure.
Topics discussed in this episode include:

● Ryan's background and journey in the tech and data center industry.

● The current renaissance with data center resources, moving beyond traditional power, pipe, and ping models.

● The reinvention of the industry around new workloads.

● Interconnection and ecosystem building in data centers.

● The anticipation of continuous innovation driven by customer workloads.

● The importance of domestic innovation in driving use cases.

● Short and long-term predictions for the industry.

Subscribe to The Bridge wherever you listen to podcasts, and please rate or review the show.

Other Flexential Episodes

Technology Hype Cycles with Jason Carolan at Flexential

Books

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

ABOUT RYAN MALLORY

As COO for Flexential, Ryan drives operational excellence and performance optimization for the integrated colocation and interconnection portfolio - including colocation services, cloud managed services, backbone, real estate, data center and network operations, design and construction, development, customer experience and support and FPS.

Ryan joined Flexential in 2020 after nearly a decade at Equinix and has more than 25 years of experience building high-performing technical teams for global, hyper-growth technology companies, including UUNET, SAVVIS, Digital Realty, and XO Communications.

Ryan has pioneered the development of a single platform delivering a full suite of hybrid IT infrastructure solutions at all scale levels and brings a deep understanding of interconnection models and emerging edge applications to the Flexential team. The company’s national hybrid FlexAnywhere™ Platform of 41 data centers and industry-leading 100Gbps network backbone underpins the new single hybrid platform which provides secure, low latency connections for thousands of customers worldwide. He is focused on supporting a seamless, unified customer journey with a product portfolio that is aligned to a single, holistic and complete understanding of customer requirements.

Most recently, Ryan was SVP of Global Solutions Enablement for Equinix, working hand-in-hand with the global sales, network platform, software and operations teams. Previously, Ryan led key sales and operations leadership functions for Digital Realty .

Ryan received a bachelor’s degree in International Business from University of Phoenix.

CONTACT RYAN

Web. https://www.flexential.com/company/leadership

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-mallory-3483504/

Twitter. https://twitter.com/RyanMallory551

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

The Transformative Impact of Acquisition with BCM One’s Mike Nowak May 13, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by Mike Nowak, BCM One’s Chief Revenue Officer. We discuss how the Pure IP acquisition has been transformative for BCM One and much more.
BCM One is a leading global provider of NextGen Communications and Managed Services to IT leaders and channel resellers. BCM One streamlines the complexity of enterprise voice solutions and managed network services. BCM One prides itself on its long-standing client relationships backed by their mission statement, “To Provide a World-Class Experience with Every Human Interaction.” BCM One’s family of brands include: BCM One, SIP.US, SIPTRUNK, SkySwitch, Flowroute and Pure IP.

During our conversation, we discussed why future-proofing communication infrastructure is crucial. We also discussed the market's adoption of Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx, the challenges and opportunities of integrating different communication platforms, and other related topics.

Topics covered in this episode:

● How legacy devices and brand loyalty play a role in the decision-making process for businesses choosing between Teams and WebEx.

● How BCMOne offers agnostic solutions that integrate with different platforms.

● Why hybrid environments, where different platforms coexist, are typical in large organizations undergoing business transformations.

● Why managed teams are a valuable service for mid-market organizations.

● How bundling and unbundling of services can have an impact on market share.

● Why automation is a key driver for business process optimization.

● Why the network business has seen changes post-COVID, with a focus on cost optimization and vendor consolidation.

● How network intelligence and access providers are often separate, but can be combined for comprehensive solutions.

Other BCM One Episodes

Swimming in the Whale’s Wake with Geoff Bloss of BCM One

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/swimming-in-the-whales-wake-with-geoff-bloss-of-bcm-one/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=the-bridgecast-with-scott-kinka-ep55

The Bridge Podcast with Mike Nowak from BCM One
https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/the-bridge-podcast-with-mike-nowak-from-bcm-one/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show-notes&utm_campaign=the-bridgecast-with-scott-kinka-ep55

Books

The Art of War

https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Sun-Tzu/dp/1721195092/ref=asc_df_1721195092/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693706201118&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2761887283369527471&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1024894&hvtargid=pla-677037615274&psc=1&mcid=f42f4ea890193155b9f79d09e97c6c85&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9IayBhBJEiwAVuc3fq6RnhABOM78ttwpecunW5Qj-_C_c6merzFcqhubdPmov2LTVzWgixoCexoQAvD_BwE

ABOUT MIKE NOWAK

In his role as Chief Revenue Officer, Mike Nowak has revenue generation and sales strategy responsibilities for the BCM One family of brands including BCM One Retail, Pure IP, SkySwitch, SIP.US, SIPTRUNK, and Flowroute. Additionally, Nowak leads BCM One’s sales engineering and sales operations teams, and is responsible for sales integration and go-to-market strategy for all M&A activity. His highly strategic and structured approach—for setting policies; making product, pricing, process, and systems decisions; aligning team skills; and more—has enabled him to successfully integrate nine acquisitions while avoiding cross-over inefficiencies and channel conflict within the different business segments and maintaining a consistently high sales-to-profit ratio.

Nowak was previously the Vice President of Sales at nexVortex, which was acquired by BCM One in 2020, helping build the organization from a small start-up to a growth company validated with over 40 consecutive quarters of revenue growth and recognition on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies 10 years in a row. Nowak also held channel sales positions at Aspen Consulting and Bandwidth.com, and he started his career in technical sales at IBM.

Nowak was named to the prestigious list of Channel Chiefs by CRN® in 2022, representing top leaders in the IT channel who excel at driving growth and revenue. He holds a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University.

CONTACT MIKE

Web. https://www.bcmone.com/company/leadership/mike-nowak/

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-nowak-7224555/

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

Exploring VMware Alternatives with Bridgepointe’s Saad Saleem May 07, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by one of our Bridgepointe team members, Saad Saleem, Senior Cloud Architect. We’re walking through the overarching impact of recent VMware changes on customers and service providers and exploring some VMware alternatives.

Bridgepointe is a tech advisory firm that helps bridge the gap between tech investments and business goals. For two decades, we've helped mid-market and enterprise clients make quicker, more informed tech investments. We'll help you save time by shortening the procurement process while saving money and increasing ROI. We work with 150+ suppliers to simplify the process of planning and procuring the tech solutions you need to meet your tech and business needs.

During our conversation, we discussed the importance of assessing how to deliver business functionality, the potential for transformation in the cloud journey and so much more.

Topics covered in this episode:

● How VMware has shifted from perpetual license models to recurring revenue licenses.

● The cost increases customers are experiencing.

● How service providers have been impacted by the new licensing structure.

● Why service providers may need to seek licenses from larger partners.

● Why customers are exploring alternatives to VMware and reevaluating their service delivery models.

● How the focus is shifting towards delivering business functionality and considering the right mix of infrastructure and software expertise.

● Why IT administrators with VMware expertise may face challenges in transitioning to new tools and should carefully evaluate the costs and impacts of change.

Links for this episode:

Other VMware Episodes

Optimizing VMware Cloud Foundations with Rackspace’s Hannah Duce and Kevin Carter

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/vmware-cloud-foundation/

Is It Time for a VMware Breakup? With Enzu’s Dustin Young

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/vmware-breakup/

The Future of VMware with AJ Kuftic of Expedient

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/vmware/

Using AI at Scale with Adam Weiner of Granite

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/ai-at-scale/

More Saad Content

https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/author/saadsaleem/

VMware Spotify Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Z9Ny7UQFghuZ2UXLOD969?si=8f13e09cf07d4b70

ABOUT SAAD SALEEM

As an architect, Saad leads Bridgepointe’s Cloud Transformation Practice. Saad joined Bridgepointe in 2018 after a SaaS Delivery focused IT and Product Management career spanning 25+ years at software companies including Oracle, Siebel, UpShot, Granicus and UnitedLayer.

A graduate of San Jose State, Saad is focused on IT Strategies that leverage technology to deliver business outcomes.
Areas of Focus:
▪ Cloud Strategy and Execution with an emphasis on Business Results
▪ Designing Workload Centric Integrated Cloud solutions that scale & integrate into the business
▪ SaaS Operations & Management

CONTACT SAAD

LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/saadsaleem/

Web. https://bridgepointetechnologies.com/team/saadsaleem/

The Bridgecast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so