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The Model Context Protocol (MCP) specification has helped to accelerate access to a wide range of data sources for AI applications. But there are questions about the security and trust implications around a protocol that is still in its infancy. Scott Crawford and Justin Lam return to the podcast to examine the concerns that have been raised and changes that are underway in the specification with...

Linking generative AI models to the agents that are going to use them now has a standard for queries, the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Suddenly all sorts of things are vying to be your data source of choice. What could go wrong? Analysts Jean Atelsek, James Curtis and Henry Baltazar join host Eric Hanselman to provide an introduction to what MCP is, what all the fuss is about and where this is he...

Developer experience is one of the areas where AI applications are showing significant return on investment, but there are significant hurdles to overcome in both changing established development patterns, as well as integrating AI tooling. Analyst Jean Atelsek and AWS vice president for developer experience Deepak Singh join host Eric Hanselman to explore the current state of AI code assistance a...

Managing IT costs has always been challenging and the FinOps movement is working to tackle this problem. Analysts Jean Atelsek and Melanie Posey return to the podcast to discuss their research and what they saw at the FinOps X conference with host Eric Hanselman. Cost angst has been exacerbated by the move to cloud. The shift from capital expense to operational expense has been a complicated trans...

A set of questions are being asked about whether the velocity of datacenter build outs is wavering. Analyst Dan Thompson returns to the podcast to explore the realities of the market with host Eric Hanselman. There are some facts that raised the questions, including Microsoft demurring on some datacenter projects, and they have fueled concerns that the heady pace might slacken. The DeepSeek model'...

In the rush to build out AI applications, a full understanding of the dynamics of personal data management can be difficult to achieve. As we kick off Pride Month, the complexities of personal data handling deserve more attention and Emily Jasper and Alan Moore join host Eric Hanselman to discuss the concerns and approaches to address privacy issues. Enterprises accumulate both operational and sel...

Around the globe, municipalities are facing a set of challenges managing the impacts of more extreme weather, while addressing aging infrastructure and more chronic issues, such as rising heat and sea levels. There are a set of technologies that can help them to both be aware of the risks and improve planning to work on mitigating them. The Internet of Things (IoT) can play a role in sensing and a...

With all of the drama associated with AI, it's easy to miss the need to understand the foundations that deliver the data that is the raw element from which AI value is built. Databases and storage infrastructure are critical components that have to work in concert with AI plans and returning guests Henry Baltazar and James Curtis join host Eric Hanselman to discuss what's been happening and what e...

The annual NAB Show delivered a more fully digital ecosystem when it convened in Las Vegas this year. While traditional broadcast technologies are still the focus, hyperscale cloud providers, digital media platforms and no shortage of AI were all on display. Returning guests Justin Neilson and Peter Leitzinger join host Eric Hanselman to discuss what they saw at broadcasting's big event and the im...

The game of Rugby is having a moment on the global stage. It's attracting investment and growing its fan base and audiences. The Six Nations competition has just finished, with France triumphing over Scotland and the Women's World Cup is on the horizon. With dedicated fans and upmarket advertisers, the media rights are garnering significant interest. An old saying contrasted soccer (football to mo...

The annual RSA Conference on information security is coming up and it arrives during a very active security market. Analysts Garrett Bekker, Dan Kennedy and research director Scott Crawford return to the podcast to discuss what they expect to see in San Franscisco with host Eric Hanselman. The largest transaction ever in the information security world, Google's acquisition of cloud security unicor...

Cloud native patterns and open source developments were on display at the KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe conference. The biannual gathering was showing how the container ecosystem continues to mature and analysts Jean Atelsek and William Fellows join host Eric Hanselman to explore their insights. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), part of the Linux Foundation, continues to expand the e...

The many impacts of AI extend across business and consumer interests and issues around privacy are some of the broadest. Analyst Paige Bartley returns to the podcast to discuss the results of two recent studies on enterprise and consumer perspectives on AI and privacy with host Eric Hanselman. Enterprise privacy concerns are shifting from regulatory to operational and reputational, as the awarenes...

It's come a long way from its game developer roots and the NVIDIA GPU Technology Conference (GTC) 2025 edition was so well attended, it was straining the capacity of the San Jose Convention Center, its long-term home. John Abbott returns to discuss what debuted and the implications with host Eric Hanselman. NVIDIA has taken a starring role in AI and this year's GTC had all of the glitz of a Hollyw...

The M&A markets are in a tough situation. Transactions are harder to get done and exits just not happening. To sort out where this is all going, Scott Denne and Brenon Daly return to the podcast with host Eric Hanselman. Investors across technology have portfolios that are getting long in the tooth. They need exits to return value to their funds, but there are limited options. The IPO market is te...

The arrival of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite capabilities is changing broadband market dynamics as it increases capacity and improves performance. Mau Rodriguez joins host Eric Hanselman to discuss where displacement is taking place and the potential for new market entrants. The Geosynchronous satellite services that had been the backbone of remote connectivity have capacity, but come along with...

The demand for power driven by datacenter expansion is a global challenge and European markets are responding with some interesting aspects. With there has been a strong renewable component to energy supply, the complexity of the energy grid has meant that unified approaches were elusive. At the same time energy markets have faced three crises – demand reduction from the COVID pandemic, strong ren...

So much of the world around us is sensing and controlling with data, but it's not often coordinated. Smart spaces technologies put that data to work and integrate capabilities and Zoë Roth returns to the podcast to dig into the potential of these systems with host Eric Hanselman. Smart spaces have grown out of the sensing roots in technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and shares a key ele...

Mobile World Congress, the annual gathering of telecom industry players, has expanded to embrace a broad range of technology and this year's event will bring together a broad range of vendors, telecom operators and industry leaders. The theme of convergence has seen real world impacts and Raul Castañon, Mohammed Hamza and Lynnette Luna return to discuss what they're expecting to see with host Eric...

Of the many companies that are part of the AI wave, NVIDIA has been at the core of AI infrastructure and a darling of the markets. Their performance in the market is driven in part by consistency in their performance and Melissa Otto, head of TMT Research for Visible Alpha, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, joins host Eric Hanselman to look at the sentiment around the upcoming earnings. The...

The next phase of the AI wave is the arrival of agentic AI – where agents can take action on a user's behalf. That's enough of a big deal, but when the head of a tech giant says agentic is going to replace most SaaS applications, something different might be afoot. Analysts Sheryl Kingstone and Chris Marsh return to the podcast to look at the realities of this suggestion with host Eric Hanselman....

Ethical concerns about the use of AI have to start with training data. Too often, the primary concern is simply generating sufficient data, rather than understanding its nature. Emily Jasper and Abby Simmons are back to continue the conversation started in episode 198 with host Eric Hanselman. With generative AI, the data is the application in its most formative sense. Unlike traditional applicati...

The National Retail Federation conference (NRF) launches just as retailers are cleaning up from the holiday shopping season. This year there was a focus on how technology can empower employees while reducing customer friction. Sheryl Kingstone, Rich Karpinski and Jordan McKee return to the podcast to share their insights on the conference with host Eric Hanselman. Traditional in-store retail conce...

The annual technology fest that kicks off of the year, the CES conference (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show), showcased the latest consumer technology, from smart glasses to smart homes. Neil Barbour and Stefan Modrich join host Eric Hanselman to explore what made an impact and what's happened to technology debuts from previous years. The metaverse headlines of a couple of years ago...

Sports media are in the middle of a significant transition, as streaming media companies compete with traditional linear broadcasters. The Netflix deal for the U.S. rights to the Women's World Cup is only the latest and Richard Berndes returns to look at how the shift is shaking out with host Eric Hanselman. Women's sports have seen a dramatic rise in viewership and represent a new and unique audi...