Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy says there are new ways of looking at technology and all that the IoT (Internet of Things) can do. She explains the IoT drives change, and it is important for us to come together and recognize the importance of infrastructure so we can focus on rebuilding America.

Jeff Haley, acting executive director, Distracted Driving Foundation, says trying to remove all communications from moving automobiles would be overkill. He explains technology needs to catch up and be the solution to the problem it created.

Joel Feldman, founder of the Casey Feldman Organization and EndDD.org, says although he lost his daughter to a distracted driver, he is very fortunate for the opportunities he has to educate kids on the dangers of distracted driving. He explains this generation of kids wants to help spread the distracted driving message.

Peggy addresses the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's proposed amendments to distracted driving laws across the country, which have seen been regarded to as a mistake. She asks how a mistake of this magnitude could possibly be made and suggests there may have been a bigger plan behind it.

Peggy shares preliminary estimates for motor deaths from the National Safety Council. She explains the increasing trend from 2015 is going from bad to worse, as there has been a 9% increase in fatalities in the first half of the year.

Lindsay Baker, president, Comfy, says the company offers software as a service with an app that allows users to control the atmosphere around them. She explains the software learns what the environment is like overtime, and is able to adapt accordingly on its own.

Farah Saeed, principal consultant, Frost & Sullivan, says there is some impatience in the energy sector when it comes to transforming old systems. She explains the Internet revolutionized how we do things at lightning speed, but suggests utilities take longer because there are still unanswered questions.

Michael Carlson, president, digital grid North America, Siemens, says the best IoT (Internet of Things) solution for the grid involves bringing together all of the technology that is currently there. He explains the biggest frontier to be conquered is the data and analytics.

Peggy explores what some of the big companies are interested in doing in AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). She explains AR/VR has traditionally been wrapped up in consumer applications, but is now expanding and set to transform the enterprise.

Mark Chung, CEO and co-founder, Verdigris, explains the AI (artificial intelligence) company is focused on making IoT accessible to large, commercial buildings to transform normal buildings into smart ones. He explains some projects have seen as much as 22% in energy cost-savings.

Ellen Qualls, VP for communications & public affairs, Renovate America, says it is important to put tools in the hands of contractors that can help educate homeowners on the importance of selecting energy efficient options for their homes. She explains investments in energy efficiency can recuperate the initial invest in a home when trying to sell.

Brian Jamison, national procurement director, PulteGroup, explains the Zero Net Energy Home prototype, a high performance home built in northern California. He says the house consumes no more power than it produces and performs like any other home with no special requirements of homeowners.

Recent research from Vodafone revealed 76% of businesses say IoT (Internet of Things) will be critical to the future success of organizations. Peggy explains that as an industry, we tend to overestimate the number of organizations already using IoT, and adopting IoT really is key to create ROI (return on investment).

Peggy encourages listeners to register to attend the Peggy Smedley Institute to explore new IoT (Internet of Things) ideas and implementations. She says IoT technology is changing fast across the verticals and this day of education will provide new insights and information.

Tom Ivory, head of strategic innovation, Capgemini, explains companies are looking to transform business processes to become faster and more efficient. He says automation can free up workers from mundane activities, allowing them to spend time on more valuable tasks.

Roberto Aiello, managing director, Itron Idea Labs, says machines can make better decisions than we can, which is why there needs to be a push for more intelligence everywhere. He explains water and energy have had connected devices for awhile but the next step is making them more intelligent.

Peggy says UPS has become a leader in global supply-chain management and is helping transform commercial transportation and logistics. She explains the company has a long history of adopting innovative technology that began with adopting conveyor belt technology before it became mainstream.

Massoud Amin , IEEE fellow, chair of the IEEE smart grid, and director/professor, University Of Minnesota, explains the smart self-healing grid can sense and react to abnormalities in a fraction of a second. He says there is a need for a grid overhaul in the U.S. in the near future for economic and environmental security.

Joe Lynch, vice president, marketing, Omnicell, explains automation is relatively new in healthcare, but is making a big impact. He explains patients and staff benefit from automation systems such as electronic health records and even IVs can now be automated.

Dan Whitten, VP of communications, Solar Energy Industries Assn., says solar panels are popping up on homes in all sorts of income groups and they are in all 50 states. He explains solar panels offer financial incentives as well as environmental benefits for those who choose to adopt the technology.

Peggy discusses the recent acquisition of Yahoo by Verizon for comparative "chump change." She says Yahoo was once the king of the Internet, but how could it compete with Google, a true powerhouse IoT (Internet of Things) company?

Elizabeth Rozell, associate dean, College of Business and director of MBA, Missouri State University, shares the universities MBA program with an emphasis in cybersecurity was ranked number two in the nation by Online MBA Today. She says this program has a lot of influence because there is such a need in the marketplace for cybersecurity professionals.

Vijay Bharti, vice president and head, security services, Happiest Minds, says criminals are becoming more organized and focused and early detection is more important than ever. He explains some of the current solutions being used in the space are not working and companies need to realize that.

Paul Mockapetris, chief scientist, ThreatSTOP, says education is the most important thing when it comes to cybersecurity and there are basic steps people can take to reduce risk. He shares we often want the latest device with the newest features, but often don't take security into consideration.

Peggy addresses the latest Pokémon GO craze and says it has brought up some serious safety and privacy issues. She explains criminals can hack in and lure players to specific locations, and even though the app doesn't collect too much personal information privacy is still a big issue.