This week, I sat down with Craig Burnham, Vice President of Product Marketing for Cisco’s Collaboration business, to go beyond the headlines and unpack what Cisco’s AI evolution actually means for business leaders.

Recorded live at Cisco Live, this episode dives into how Cisco is unifying employee and customer experiences across voice, video, and virtual agents, while keeping humans in the loop where it matters most.

Craig and I explore:

• The rise of Webex AI Agent and Webex AI Assistant, and how they’re reducing agent burnout, shortening call resolution times, and delivering truly autonomous voice and text experiences
• Why Cisco is uniquely positioned to bring cloud-based AI to on-prem environments and hybrid deployments without forcing disruptive migrations
• How Control Hub is evolving into a single pane of glass for AI visibility, governance, and ROI tracking
• What the move toward agentic AI means for IT leaders, and why the long-term impact may be greater than we expect
• How Cisco’s cinematic camera tech and AI-powered meeting features are quietly redefining hybrid work, one room at a time

We also discuss the shifting expectations around AI, from productivity hype to measurable business value, and how Cisco’s platform-first approach enables it to scale new features across contact center, meetings, calling, and more.

For more than 160 years, the Red Cross emblem has protected humanitarian organizations in times of war. But as conflict increasingly moves into cyberspace, new protections are needed for digital infrastructure.

In this episode of Business Technology Perspectives, I speak with Samit D'Cunha, legal advisor at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), about the groundbreaking Digital Emblem Project.

Samit explains how this modern emblem uses cryptographic certificates and DNS protocols to designate digital assets as protected under international humanitarian law. We explore the rise in cyberattacks on hospitals and humanitarian networks during armed conflict, and why creating a recognized, trustworthy signal of digital neutrality is now a moral and legal imperative.

We discuss:

• How the Digital Emblem mirrors the protections of its physical counterpart
• The technical infrastructure behind the project and how it ensures global applicability
• Legal, political, and diplomatic challenges in gaining global adoption
• The need for collaboration across governments, tech companies, and humanitarian actors
• What comes next as cyberwarfare becomes a greater threat to humanitarian operations

As the nature of conflict evolves, so too must the symbols that protect those who help others. This conversation is essential listening for anyone working at the intersection of cybersecurity, ethics, and international law.

In this episode of Business Technology Perspectives, host Neil C. Hughes speaks with Bulent Cinarkaya, General Manager of Field Service Management at ServiceNow, to explore how AI is transforming one of the most overlooked but essential areas of enterprise operations: field service.

Bulent shares how technologies like agentic and generative AI are reshaping frontline work in real time, giving technicians the tools to anticipate what they’ll need before arriving on site, surface answers during complex tasks, and close out jobs faster with intelligent automation. These innovations are no longer on the horizon. They are already being used to improve scheduling accuracy, reduce mean time to resolution, and capture decades of expert knowledge before it disappears.

Drawing on real examples from companies like Bell Canada, Coursera, and British Telecom, Bulent breaks down how ServiceNow is helping field teams not only boost productivity but also improve job satisfaction and customer loyalty. He also highlights how unified platforms, data-driven workflows, and strong change management are critical to scaling these gains sustainably.

If your organization still sees AI as a back-office tool, this conversation is a wake-up call. AI is now embedded in the physical world of work, helping solve operational bottlenecks while empowering people to do their best work under pressure.

Whether you're leading a service team or looking to bridge the gap between digital innovation and human impact, this episode offers a clear look at the future of field service.

In this episode of Business Technology Perspectives, I sit down with Anoop Joshi, Chief Trust Officer at Trustpilot, to explore how the fight against fake reviews is changing in an AI-driven world.

We discuss the impact of new rules like the FTC’s ban on fake reviews, which makes trust a boardroom topic rather than just a marketing concern. Anoop explains how Trustpilot combines machine learning, deep metadata checks and human moderation to protect review integrity across a community of millions.

He shares how his background as an IP lawyer shapes his view of today’s intellectual property debates in AI, why pattern detection beats content checks, and how Trustpilot has won multiple legal cases against bad actors in the past two years.

We also look ahead at trends that will test businesses, from deepfakes to crypto scams, and why human oversight still matters alongside smarter technology. Anoop’s insights offer a candid look at what it really takes to keep online reviews trustworthy at scale.

Search Tech Talks Network for more shows that connect business strategy and digital innovation.

Mobile gaming isn’t just entertainment. It’s quickly becoming one of the most valuable and overlooked channels for digital advertisers. In this episode, Cerisse Velasco, Director of Brand Partnerships at Zynga, joins Neil to lift the lid on how the gaming giant is helping brands connect with highly engaged, predominantly female audiences through in-game experiences that balance fun, relevance, and performance.

• Why the stereotypical “gamer” image is outdated, and how Zynga’s audience trends toward Gen Z and millennial women
• How brands are using rewarded video, custom playable, and deep integrations to build emotional connections with players
• What made partnerships like the Real Housewives collaboration such a perfect fit, and how authenticity drives engagement
• Why mobile gaming is outperforming other digital channels in attention and conversion
• How Zynga is adapting to a privacy-first future through persona-based planning and contextual targeting

She also gives us a glimpse into what’s next for mobile gaming as a marketing platform, from value exchange experiences to retail media integration and gamified brand storytelling.

If your brand still views gaming as a niche space, this conversation will provide you with a completely different perspective.

In this episode, Dr. Chris Austin, Senior Vice President of Research Technologies at GSK, joins Neil to share how artificial intelligence, genetics, and vast clinical datasets are radically reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape. A neurologist by training with experience across the NIH, biotech startups, and now GSK, Chris explains how drug development is finally moving beyond trial-and-error toward predictive, precision-based approaches.

He reveals how GSK is:

• Using AI and genomics to map disease “circuits” and prioritize drug targets with greater accuracy
• Designing novel molecules like oligonucleotides to reach previously “undruggable” targets
• Streamlining clinical trials through deep phenotyping and biomarker-based patient selection
• Leveraging generative AI to model disease biology, simulate clinical outcomes, and accelerate antibody design by 90 percent

Chris also reflects on the journey from the Human Genome Project to today’s AI-powered medicine and why he believes GSK has the right mix of data generation, scientific expertise, and computing infrastructure to lead the next wave of medical breakthroughs.

If you’ve ever wondered how AI is moving from hype to real-world health impact, this conversation offers a rare inside look at the front lines of biopharma innovation.

Listen now to discover how technology is not just speeding up drug discovery, it’s rewriting the rules entirely.

In this episode of Business Technology Perspectives, I sit down with Somit Goyal, CEO of IBS Software, to talk about something every traveler has experienced: outdated systems that make booking, checking in, or simply managing a trip more frustrating than it should be.

Somit brings a wealth of experience from his time at Microsoft to now leading one of the biggest names in travel tech. He shares why real transformation in this space isn't just about upgrading software. It's about rethinking how travel businesses operate, how they engage with customers, and how they build for the future.

We talk about the dangers of treating digital transformation as just another IT project and why companies stuck on legacy systems are holding themselves back. Somit explains how IBS Software is working as a true partner to airlines, hotels, and cruise lines, not just another vendor pushing tools. He also shares how listening to customers, rather than rushing into tech solutions, is one of the most underrated skills in this industry.

We explore how AI and data are shaping smarter travel experiences, what it takes to overhaul loyalty programs, and why a long-term strategic mindset beats short-term patch jobs every time.

So if you've ever wondered why your last flight check-in felt like it was designed in 2005 or why your hotel app crashed again, this episode offers a look behind the curtain at what's really happening in the travel tech world.

I hope you'll join me for this conversation and let me know what you think. How is your organization approaching change? And what does modern travel tech mean to you?

Search Tech Talks Network to discover more shows like this one, or drop me a message. I always love hearing from you.

How can global brands cut through the hype and use emerging technologies to solve real business challenges? In this episode of Business Technology Perspectives, I speak with Sarah Salter, Global Head of Innovation and Platforms at Wavemaker, about how brands can unlock the true potential of innovation without losing sight of measurable outcomes.

With over 15 years of experience across industries including health, retail, and finance, Sarah brings a rich and grounded perspective to digital transformation. She shares how Wavemaker helps clients move beyond trend-chasing to deliver experiences that are meaningful, accessible, and effective. From leading AI-powered personalization strategies to shaping immersive brand moments in gaming and the metaverse, her approach is practical, human, and rooted in results.

We explore how Sarah and her team set clear KPIs for innovation, use tools like AR and VR to drive cultural relevance, and run rapid experimentation that bridges the gap between idea and impact. Sarah reflects on high-pressure public sector projects such as the NHS COVID-19 WhatsApp response, as well as creative campaigns for brands like L’Oréal and Dove that combine technology with purpose.

The conversation also explores how emerging media environments are driving a shift from passive advertising to participatory engagement. As attention becomes the ultimate currency, Sarah explains how brand storytelling is evolving through platforms like Roblox, Apple Vision Pro, and generative AI tools. She shares why gaming is becoming a vital channel for modern marketing and how experiential design is changing the way consumers connect with brands.

Sarah also discusses her commitment to diversity in tech leadership. She highlights how inclusive teams drive better innovation, the systemic changes still needed in the industry, and the importance of supporting initiatives that bring more women into tech. Whether mentoring future leaders or driving responsible AI adoption, her message is clear—technology should serve people, not the other way around.