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  • In the rush to deliver data to AI projects, it’s all to easy for teams to pull data that’s most easily accessible, without given consideration to its nature and scope. Emily Jasper and Abby Simmons return to discuss ethical concerns about the data that feeds AI projects with host Eric Hanselman. AI implementations place a much greater burden on data quality than traditional IT projects. When data becomes the product, development practices, such as minimum viable product (MVP) releases, require that data be held to a much higher quality standard to address ethical concerns about its suitability. If a dataset contains bias or lacks representation for the community it serves, it will not only fall short in function, but can reinforce the bias and errors in the data. In effect, it becomes its own data poisoning attack, one of the key security concerns in AI applications.

    Ethical approaches to AI applications have to focus on ensuring that outputs reflect the diverse nature of society and move beyond a narrow, middle of the road, average. They have to integrate perspectives and feedback from the full spectrum of the society they claim to represent. It involves additional work to achieve this and it can pay off in the expanded market it gives access to. At the same time, organizations need to put their capabilities to work to serve those parts of their community that don’t have access to AI’s benefits. This can help to keep marginalized segments of society from being left behind, in what is becoming the next chasm in the digital divide.

    More S&P Global Content:

    Next in Tech | Episode 119: Defeating Digital Deficiencies 2025 Trends in Data, AI & Analytics Take 5: Data quality and AI — a bidirectional relationship Compliance automation, Part 1: Governance, risk and compliance, or something new?

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Emily Jasper, Abby Simmons Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

    Other Resources:

    Trans Tech Tent Kevin Guyan - Queer Data
  • Enterprises are wrestling with delivering data to fuel their AI efforts, hitting roadblocks around data security and privacy concerns and sifting through use cases and models to put it to work. Too many are making high-stake gambles feeding vast quantities of data into massive models. Jesse Robbins, one of the founders of Chef, a progenitor of the DevOps movement, a builder of the early Internet infrastructure and now partner at Heavybit, joins host Eric Hanselman to look at alternatives to the path that many are taking in pursuit of successful AI projects. In much the same way that DevOps patterns look to shift application development to more smaller, incremental changes with a pipeline that drives continuous improvement, AI projects can work with smaller models and localized datasets to manage risk and iterate faster. It’s a pattern that avoids concerns of pushing sensitive data to cloud-based offerings by working locally. Using smaller models reduces infrastructure costs and the need for vast quantities of GPU’s.

    Larger models sizes and data sets create two problems – more computational power and supporting infrastructure is required and more data complicates data provenance, security and ownership issues. Starting smaller and expecting to iterate on the results locally can have multiple benefits. If the data being used never leaves the local confines, security concerns are constrained to local environments. Tools like the open source project Ollama can deliver a choice of models to fit a variety of use cases and infrastructure capacities. Just like DevOps patterns, starting small and iterating quickly can get further faster and with lower risk.

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    Big Picture GenAI report Kubernetes community capitalizes on open source and AI synergies

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Jesse Robbins Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

    Other Resources:

    The Data Pipeline is the New Secret Sauce Ollama Continue
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  • Much of business success depends on successfully managing risk, but that includes not only those aspects under direct control, but also the risks in relationships with third parties. It’s a task that can be daunting for any business and Luke Nordlie joins host Eric Hanselman to discuss the challenges and technology-based approaches to risk assessment, monitoring and compliance. With expanding supplier ecosystems, businesses are faced with issues of scaling their third party risk management efforts to match that growth. At the same time, there is growing regulatory pressure and associated compliance mandates. For many businesses, this comes at a time when they’re working with fewer staff, as they try to manage costs. To become more efficient and effective, they need to shift their tactics from point-in-time evaluations to a continuous compliance process, leveraging data to build better understanding of their risk posture. It’s an approach that has seen use in cybersecurity and insurance.

    With increasing desire to outsource non-core business functions comes a growing supplier inventory. Better controls are needed for onboarding new suppliers to help understand inherent risk. But as industries rely on common providers for specific capabilities, concentration risk increases across them. Regulators are focusing on resilience, with regulations like the UK’s DORA explicitly requiring assessments of third party risk. There is additional pressure placed in areas like FinTech, where changes in the funding landscape are translating into needs for greater resilience. Performing due diligence in these new conditions is putting focus on technologies like questionnaire-less onboarding and monitoring using different data sources. Efforts at regulatory harmonization show promise in aiding third party risk management and helping it become a continuous process of evaluation and understanding of risk posture.

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    Getting Smarter with TPRM: Reimaginin Due Diligence Webinar Survey Data Hub - Voice of the Enterprise: Information Security, Technology Roadmap 2024

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Luke Nordlie Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard, Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The excitement swirling around AI often obscures the infrastructure that makes it possible. Since long before AI was at the forefront of technology discussions, datacenters have been powering technology and Jonathan Schroth returns to discuss datacenter markets and the complex forces that impact them with host Eric Hanselman. Datacenter demand is driven by the need for capacity in power, as well as interconnection. Recent subsea cable landings in the Pacific Northwest that link Pacific and Asian markets are driving demand in Oregon and Vancouver. That’s in spite of higher costs in the latter. Interconnection is also a factor in Toronto.

    Constraints on power capacity are impacting these markets, as well as shaping the situation across Canada. What was once plentiful hydroelectric power around the Columbia River Gorge, is seen as beginning to plateau while demand continues to increase. The situation is the same in Eastern Canada, as winter power demands are exceeding what can be delivered by hydro. In the distant future, nuclear power could play a role, if small modular reactor designs can be deployed, but some locations, such as Oregon, have nuclear bans in place. Once again, key factors beyond the underlying technologies are the key factors in growth.

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    Bitcoin miners eye grid flexibility role as regulators scrutinize access Next in Tech Episode 105: Energy and innovation at CERAWeek Seattle, the so-called 'cloud city,' is anything but with subdued datacenter growth Big Tech's construction blitz in the Pacific Northwest's Columbia Plateau

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Jonathan Schroth Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The annual Big Picture Reports are out and they span the breadth and depth of our research areas, including capital markets, commodities, commercial real estate, emerging technology, M&A and supply chain. Analysts Melissa Incera and Iuri Struta join host Eric Hanselman to talk about what they reveal and the strong interconnections across them all. A core driver is the rapid adoption of AI. It’s affecting capital markets, increasing energy demand and exacerbating water stress in some regions. The commodity insights report looks at datacenter growth and the effects on utility grids. That growth is a bright spot in commercial real estate. The technology adoption behind it is not all smooth sailing, though. Enterprises are struggling with a number of challenges in achieving the promised value of AI.

    The levels of capital spending for AI are concerning the markets and raising questions about when these massive investments will bear fruit. It’s a situation where strategic investors feel they have to compete to gain access to a critical technology. It’s also one where potential changes in the U.S. FTC posture could shift M&A thinking, if concerns about aggressive action are lifted. The reports cover all of this and much more!

    See the Big Picture for 2025

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    Powering AI – Opportunities, tensions in datacenter and energy markets Generative AI Digest: The debate over open-source vs. closed-source models Big Tech ramps up capex as 1st signs of AI returns emerge GenAI funding on track to set new record in 2024 Calling all private equity, venture capital and limited partner professionals to participate in our 2025 Private Equity and Venture Capital Outlook survey! Share your thoughts on private markets sentiment and trends you anticipate over the next 12 months across deal activity, investment strategies, fundraising conditions, technology adoption and more. Results will be available via our outlook report published in Q1 of 2025. Take the survey now: Annual Private Equity and Venture Capital Outlook Survey

    Research subscribers can access additional content, including:

    Moving from hype to ROI: Tracking success and value in AI initiatives Generative AI Digest 19: A roundup of latest breakthroughs and developments

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Melissa Incera, Iuri Struta Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • Fresh from the 12th annual Money 20/20 US conference, Jordan McKee and McKayla Wooldridge return to the podcast to discuss all things FinTech with host Eric Hanselman. While the theme of the conference, “human in the machine”, focused on AI, there was less drama, as exhibitors and attendees grappled with a changing investment landscape and regulatory pressures. The CFPB’s release of the open banking rule is generating significant activity as both banks and FinTech companies implement open banking capabilities. There was added regulatory scrutiny to contend with after a notable failure in the banking as a service market. Ecosystems are expanding in payment orchestration, as more providers open their environments to support multiple payment processors, driven by merchant demands. While there has been a significant pullback in investments compared to previous years, funding is happening and deals are getting done.

    There were some long-standing trends that came back this year. Jordan is branding the renewed focus on cloud wallets as Wallet War II, as vendors vie to win guest checkout placements. Cryptocurrency in the form of stable coins, was back as means for cross border transactions. It’s an area where there is significant tech being applied. As McKayla discussed in episode 186, B2B payments are seeing ongoing digitization. The conference was rife with activity and there is much more that we discussed.

    More S&P Global Content:
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    - Key takeaways from 2024's Money20/20 US
    - Virtual cards offer a boost to security, could help streamline B2B payables
    - Payments, fraud prevention enhance strategic value for merchants – Highlights from VotE: Customer Experience & Commerce
    - Emerging fraud typologies primer, Part 1: Fighting 'friendly fraud' in e-commerce

    Credits:
    - Host/Author: Eric Hanselman
    - Guests: Jordan McKee, McKayla Wooldridge
    - Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan
    - Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

  • There is continuing positive sentiment among technology buyers, a trend that’s continued for a fourth quarter. Sheryl Kingstone and Liam Eagle return to discuss the latest Tech Demand Indicator (TDI) study results with host Eric Hanselman. The numbers have shown strong correlation with aggregate revenue changes for companies in the S&P 500 Information Technology Index. There are a number of interesting trends within the data. Previously eager spending intent for AI technology has cooled slightly, but remains positive. It has slipped to third place behind information technology and cloud infrastructure. Influence on sentiment shifted in some areas, but external economic conditions continued to lead. When contrasting technology intent versus lines of business intent, selling and customer experience focus predominates.

    The TDI serves as a signal that guides other parts of research and can help provide insights into market trends. When integrated with other data products, it can provide correlation with more specific markers to create forward-looking indications. When it comes to making the most of the TDI data, it’s all interconnected!

    More S&P Global Content:

    Technology Demand Webinar The 451 Alliance Economic pressures may delay anticipated sustainability-driven IT spending Tech spending intent extends consistent period of positive demand – Tech Demand Indicator highlights from Q3’24

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Sheryl Kingstone, Liam Eagle Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • As the seasons shift gears, there’s activity happening off the playing fields with sports media deals that are getting teams on their feet. Analysts Scott Robson and Michael Johnson join host Eric Hanselman to look at deals in women’s and men’s sports in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NWSL and NHL. Streaming media companies are pushing into an area where linear media has dominated and they’re competing aggressively to secure events. At the same time, leagues are expanding both their calendars and playing fields. International games have become common as they look to build fan bases in new geographies. College teams are dealing both with player compensation demands and are stepping beyond the traditional conference boundaries to create matchups that will draw larger viewership.

    Regional sports networks have struggled, with a notable bankruptcy disrupting the market. That continues a shift that was forced during the pandemic and continues today. Cord cutting by consumers has only accelerated this trend. Many teams are developing direct-to-consumer streaming services as a result. It’s still a question as to whether these efforts will be viable, given the constraints they face. At the same time streaming services are expanding into a broader range of sports. Pickleball, anyone?

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    MediaTalk | Season 2 | Ep. 29 - Streaming Services, Linear Networks Kick Off Sports rights in the US approach $30 billion in 2024

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Scott Robson, Michael Johnson Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard and Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • As the payment industry works to address security and fraud, they’re moving beyond being consumers of security technology and becoming acquirers. Mastercard’s recent acquisition of Recorded Future is the latest example of this trend. Jordan McKee and Scott Crawford return to discuss the dynamics on both sides of this equation with host Eric Hanselman. This is only the latest of nine transactions for Mastercard and it indicates the need for greater payment security in a number of ways. As transaction security is ratcheted up, attackers are shifting tactics. Identity fraud has become the stage on which this struggle is playing out. Fraud liability can fall to merchants and fraud prevention can build value for issuing banks. At the same time, banks want to minimize false declines to encourage use of their cards.

    Mastercard isn’t the only payment company making acquisitions and it raises the question of this becoming a more viable exit path for security companies. The $2.65 billion deal is the thirteenth largest by a strategic acquirer in the 451 Research M&A Knowledgebase. American Express, Discover and Visa have been active in dealmaking, as well, but not yet at this scale.

    More S&P Global Content:

    A primer on payments orchestration Security Summer Camp 2024 and the elephant in the room For Mastercard, the future will be recorded MAKB Deal Analysis Payments, fraud prevention enhance strategic value for merchants – Highlights from VotE: Customer Experience & Commerce Emerging fraud typologies primer, Part 1: Fighting 'friendly fraud' in e-commerce

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Scott Crawford, Jordan McKee Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • If your view of the technology that drives the human resources end of business is mostly hiring, firing and time off management, your head would have been spinning at the HR Tech conference that just wrapped up. Analyst Conner Forrest was there and joined host Eric Hanselman to look at not only the highlights of the conference, but also his recent research and market explorations. It’s an area that has seen dramatic transformation, as organizations work to manage their internal capabilities with one of their most valuable assets, their employees. Analytics now play a much greater role in many aspects of management. People analytics can address performance management to gauge and guide team effectiveness. It’s grown into employee experience analysis, as organizations look to manage and retain key talents and skills. Using intelligent skills gap analysis can strengthen training programs, particularly when it becomes part of employee growth planning. When it’s done right, investing in employee experience can also improve customer experience.

    HR tech is another market where there is a tension between integrated analytical functionality and standalone products. The recent HR tech Market Monitor looks at shifts in growth, startup opportunities and market dynamics. Larger players want to maintain a platform advantage and newcomers are trying to carve out their own niche. There are a host of possibilities to improve performance, culture and employee focus.

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    How legacy tech can kill recruiting efforts, increase attrition and ruin the employee experience Top 5 AI use cases for HR set stage for its evolution to data-driven partner Data Insight: HR technology market to surpass $85B in 2028 HR Technology Market Monitor & Forecast

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Conner Forrest Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • As cloud-based infrastructure becomes a larger part of enterprise portfolios, there’s greater focus on securing it effectively. Analyst Mark Ehr joins host Eric Hanselman to wade into the acronym-rich world of cloud native application security. Like other aspects of cloud and cloud native, security is a matter of dealing with speed and scale. There’s more telemetry that’s available, but workloads are more ephemeral and extending the same methods used in on-premises security risks overwhelming security teams and ballooning costs. Decomposing CNAPP into infrastructure and application development patterns creates an explosion of subsegments – Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection (CWP), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and many more. Security vendors are bundling the various pieces together into platforms, but buyers aren’t fully buying in. Efforts to move security earlier into the application development process, the “shift left” movement, has added the need to secure the infrastructure provisioning process that’s taking place in cloudy environments.

    Cloud security has become the leading pain point for security teams, according to 451 Research’s Voice of the Enterprise study data, and cloud native skills are one of their leading skills gaps. At the same time, most organizations use multiple cloud providers, increasing complexity. Operational scale is necessitating a move beyond the siloed approaches that have been the norm for security. To provide effective security, data has to be shared across infrastructure. It also happens to be an area where cloud-based security tooling is taking a greater role.

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    The Open Cybersecurity Schema Framework Security for cloud-native applications SentinelOne continues its aggressive growth strategy with new CNAPP offering Orca Security continues its CNAPP momentum

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Mark Ehr Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The energy impacts of technology have been a concern for some time, but the rapid growth of AI has added additional pressure and speculation about the short and long term needs of the datacenter industry. The Datacenter and Energy Innovation Summit will be tackling a host of these topics, from energy to investments on October 30th, in Washington, D.C.. Analysts Kelly Morgan, Steve Piper and Dan Thompson join host Eric Hanselman to explore the topics that are at the heart of the event, as well as the challenges faced by energy providers, datacenter operators and the technology sector.

    Technology-driven increases in energy demands have upset the long-term balance of energy grid operators. Short-term increases in a business that plans over decades has datacenter builders and investors going to new lengths to secure the power they require. Nuclear power is back in favor, but the plans for Small Modular Reactors (SMR) from a year ago have been usurped by moves to repurpose existing facilities, with Apple and Microsoft both inking recent deals. At the same time, the large investments required to secure AI infrastructure are leading to some creative financing. Listen to get the details and attend the Summit for even more.

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    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Kelly Morgan, Steve Piper, Dan Thompson Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • We’re all familiar with consumer payments technology in its various forms, but business transactions have a different set of requirements and a very different set of technologies and market participants. McKayla Wooldridge joins host Eric Hanselman to look at the results of a recent study and explore the dynamics of this complex market. The core accounting operations of any business are their lifeblood and change can be challenging, but the pressure to digitize to streamline operations, reduce errors and fraud and better manage cash flow are fueling interest in B2B payments. Much like transitions in other areas, like logistics or healthcare, going digital has to include a bridge from existing methods to electronic payments. In a world where 16% are transacting in cash, that’s no small task.

    There are many players in this market, including software vendors looking to centralize on platforms for both payables and receivables, as well as banks with business-focused payment technologies. Moving from paper checks to credit card backed transactions might be a good first step, but businesses need to leverage the data that their payment activities generate to realize the full set of benefits. There’s a lot of ground to cover, but significant benefits for those that can do it well.

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    Virtual cards offer a boost to security, could help streamline B2B payables Payments, fraud prevention enhance strategic value for merchants – Highlights from VotE: Customer Experience & Commerce

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: McKayla Wooldridge Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The primary exposure to advances in technology for most is in the consumer world. Phones, video and gaming are driven by the latest innovations, but have been experiencing a softening of the markets. Analyst Neil Barbour returns with host Eric Hanselman to look at recent research in consumer technology and explore some global market shifts. Phone replacement cycles have lengthened and North American and European markets are softer. How saturated they are remains a question for discussion. The new iPhone announcement has raised interest, but the unknown impact of the need for AI-capable end user devices is still hovering in the future. There have to be compelling applications to complete the picture and they’re not yet fully defined. The markets will need more than early adopters to thrive.

    Asia Pacific consumer technology markets are transforming and may offer interesting opportunities. Console gaming in China is seeing a focus that could drive an industry that is in the doldrums in other parts of the globe. Home broadband connections are projected to grow and could drive technology purchases. It’s still early days, though.

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    For S&P subscribers:

    Survey: Half of adults are in the metaverse; why is the other half holding out?

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Neil Barbour Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The flagship event for Salesforce, its Dreamforce conference, returns to San Francisco and some of the 451 Research analyst team who will be there join host Eric Hanselman to talk about what they expect and the key issues that will be in play. Sheryl Kingstone is looking at practical technology implementations as enterprises try to make sense of the real delivered value that’s beyond the hype. Paige Bartley is exploring the challenges in balancing data quality and controls while supporting privacy and regulatory mandates. James Curtis is digging into the infrastructure technologies that are needed to support the innovation needed. Generative AI will be front and center in much what’s going on at Dreamforce. It’s already seeing significant application in customer service. But organizations are wrestling with managing data to feed their AI engines. There’s a growing question as to the role of platforms like Salesforce in becoming the overarching manager of all data resources, certainly one that will generate a lot of discussion at Dreamforce.

    The annual 451 Research breakfast will be taking place at Dreamforce and listeners should contact the analyst or account team to register to attend.

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    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Paige Bartley, James Curtis, Sheryl Kingstone Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • The annual VMware Explore conference kicked off in Las Vegas in a new situation with the company now being part of Broadcom, after its acquisition. 451 Research analysts Jean Atelsek, Melaney Posey, Henry Baltazar and Liam Eagle were there with host Eric Hanselman and this special episode captures their insights about what was happening at the conference and how things have changed. After acquisition, there have been significant changes in VMware’s go to market motion, including a repackaging of products, a change in licensing model and some upheaval in its partner ecosystem. There has been a renewed focus on simplifying the private cloud experience to offer a more competitive position relative to hyperscale cloud providers. There has been a strong push on the merits of a private cloud-based AI approach, identifying benefits in cost, security and privacy. All of this momentum is being driven by a new version of VMware Cloud Foundation – VCF 9. There is lots of promise, but like the delivery date for VCF 9, specifics can be elusive.

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    Broadcom hits the reset button on VMware packaging, pricing, licensing and partnerships Changes at VMware as Broadcom takes over, but multicloud VCF remains the spear tip

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Jean Atelsek, Melanie Posey, Henry Baltazar, Liam Eagle Producer/Editor: Odesha Chan Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith
  • To predicate a business decision on the risk and potential reward, it’s important to understand the size of the reward. Correctly estimating the Total Available Market (TAM) and the smaller Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) is critical to that planning process. Research director Greg Zwakman joins host Eric Hanselman to look at the challenges in creating TAM and SAM estimates that support decision processes and build a convincing business case. There are a host of difficulties, including a dearth of relevant data, that can lead to “narrative” sizing. The problem with enthusiastic storytelling, is that it may not lead to great decisions and it won’t convince business leaders or investors.

    A realistic TAM/SAM estimate has to be built on a defensible foundation, starting with an assumption tree with its roots firmly fixed in achievable market values. Use cases for the products and services and the use case density informs the perspective on market motions. An objective assessment of competitors, their successes and market geographies complete the circle. Enthusiasm is a key part of making a product or service succeed, but the business case needs a lot more!


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    Network API TAM/SAM study (for S&P clients)

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guest: Greg Zwakman Producer/Editor: Donovan Menard Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Feranmi Adeoshun, Kyra Smith

    www.spglobal.com

  • Connectivity had been having a moment through the pandemic, but the urgent need for high-performance interconnection has rolled back a bit and fiber optic networks and the markets around them are showing the effects of that change. Kagan analysts Natalie Colakides and Mohammed Hamza join host Eric Hanselman to look at what’s going on in fiber markets. While backbone business is solid, investments in last mile build out, the connections to homes, has slowed. As nations look to address the digital divide, the gap between the well and less connected, they’re having to push harder and invest more. The density of urban environments allowed greater scale, but rural fiber is more expensive to build per subscriber, given the lower density. At the same time, urban take up rates, the percentage of subscription to available services, are much higher than rural rates. It could be caused by rural often being served by brands that are less well known. More effective marketing could also be a key to accelerating fiber markets, but it will have to overcome latent friction in changing from existing services. With advances in digital homes, consumers will need more bandwidth eventually, but the question is when greater numbers of services and devices will drive them to upgrade. The stall in the current market has led to some consolidation-driven M&A and more may occur opportunistically. Growth is in the future, the only question is when it will happen.

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    Webinar: Fiber Investments in the Spotlight Navigating the Data Center Frenzy and Tower Asset Evolution Webinar: Beyond Connectivity - Digital Infrastructure Trends in Latin America

    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Mohammed Hamza, Natalie Colakides Producer/Editor: Valentino Alfred Published With Assistance From: Sophie Carr, Kyra Smith

    www.spglobal.com

  • The soaring estimates for energy demand are impacting utilities, datacenters and the companies that rely on both of them. Sustainability targets are taking a hit as power providers grapple with meeting technology driven growth and Adam Wilson from S&P’s Commodity Insights team and Dan Thompson from 451 Research’s datacenter group join host Eric Hanselman to discuss where this is leading. Datacenter demand is real and new builds are kicking off that are fully funded. Power availability and cost have become a key criteria for site selection. Both datacenters and power generation investments are long term plans, often decades in the making, but the large shift in demand has upended those strategies.

    Simply getting power from where it’s available to where it’s needed is one of the major challenges. Grid interconnection and power transmission improvements are underway to address some of the gaps, but new technology is many years away. Small modular nuclear reactors (SMR) are only in their early stages and battery storage is still maturing in its capacity. It may not be until 2030 when technology and grid capacity reach parity with demand.

    This the final episode that completes the conversations that had started with the AI, datacenter and energy webinar.

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    Credits:

    Host/Author: Eric Hanselman Guests: Adam Wilson, Dan Thompson

    www.spglobal.com

  • For the first time since the pandemic, the Kagan Media and Telecom Summit was back in person in New York, with a packed agenda looking at topics ranging from sports media rights to broadband technology and regulatory changes. Analysts Justin Nielson and John Fletcher join host Eric Hanselman to explore the insights and aspects that made up the Summit. There are media rights deals that have shattered previous records in the NBA and women’s sports, such as the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League. Advertising technology has changed how market participants are looking at monetization. Given this is an election year, ad spending will be booming and additional advertising channels add complexity to value and pricing.

    Broadband was a new addition to the Summit program, given the importance of interconnection and the various developments that are roiling the markets. There are ongoing concerns about effective ways of addressing the digital divide, the gap between those that are digitally well-connected and those that are not, whether that’s because of availability or economic issues. The U.S. federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program is trying to be the Rural Electrification Act (REA) for the new century, but funds have been delayed for years and still won’t address economic inequities. The intersection of broadband and content is swinging the pendulum on bundling of service offerings back to packaging of offerings, after years of focus on unbundling. Content providers, streaming services and service providers and hoping to garner new business as consumers look for simplification.

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    2024 Kagan Media Telecom Summit

    Credits:

    Host: Eric Hanselman Guests: Justin Nielson, John Fletcher

    www.spglobal.com