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Data without context is just noise. Despite billions invested in data infrastructure, most Fortune 1000 companies struggle to extract meaningful value from their investments. Why? They've built complex, fragmented ecosystems focused on tools rather than outcomes.

Srujan Akula, founder of The Modern Data Company, shares how his frustration with this industry-wide problem led to a revolutionary approach. After witnessing global enterprises repeatedly fail to achieve ROI from massive data investments, he and co-founder Animesh Kumar developed an operating system for data that converges the entire management stack into a simplified, business-centric ecosystem.

What makes their approach unique is how they flip traditional data management on its head. Instead of starting with source systems and figuring out what to do later, they begin with business intent and work backward. This right-to-left paradigm dramatically improves efficiency and accelerates time-to-value. One $30 billion distribution company transformed their customer marketing capabilities in just six weeks after spending years and $70-80 million without success.

The timing couldn't be more critical as organizations rush toward AI adoption. Akula reveals that 75-80% of enterprises are "stuck at the starting line" with AI initiatives because their data lacks the context and business meaning AI requires to be effective. By positioning their operating system as the "brain" that provides this context, The Modern Data Company helps businesses move beyond experiments to embedding AI into decision-making processes.

Perhaps most refreshing is their business approach - founded on humility, empathy, accountability, and transparency, they measure success by time-to-ROI and charge based on value created rather than seats or data volume. As Akula looks toward a future where agent technologies will transform enterprise efficiency, The Modern Data Company continues expanding with federal partnerships and an upcoming SaaS offering that promises to be "an AWS for data."

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Imagine having a delete button for the internet. That's exactly what Loti offers—a groundbreaking service that literally downloads the entire web and runs sophisticated face and voice recognition across billions of pieces of content to find and remove unwanted digital traces.

Luke Arrigoni, Loti's founder, shares how the service evolved from combating non-consensual intimate imagery into a comprehensive digital protection platform now backed by major entertainment agencies and venture capital. What sets Loti apart is their extraordinary technical approach—they can identify as little as 15% of a face or voice, making them uniquely effective at finding content that's deliberately hidden or manipulated. The company processes takedown requests within 24 hours, dramatically faster than traditional DMCA requests that can take weeks.

Corporate executives have become major users of the platform as deepfake threats proliferate. Scammers create convincing impersonations of C-suite leaders to sell fake access to companies or release fraudulent financial information. Meanwhile, celebrities and public figures use Loti in surprisingly strategic ways. Rather than removing everything, most clients establish specific rules about what should remain online versus what should be taken down, understanding that their digital presence forms an important part of their public identity.

The conversation explores fascinating ethical dimensions of digital protection. Loti operates as a "strategy engine, not a morality engine," allowing clients to set their own boundaries. While they support child protection organizations and partner with major social platforms to streamline takedowns, they deliberately avoid providing "surveillance as a service" to law enforcement, recognizing the complex ethical questions such arrangements would raise.

Ready to protect your digital self? Visit Loti's website to explore their services, including a free option providing five takedowns monthly for individual users who need protection without the hefty price tag.

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The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but what actually works for small businesses with limited time and resources? Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reveals the surprising truth: despite all the technological advancements, success still comes down to building authentic relationships.

Drawing from Constant Contact's extensive research with thousands of SMBs, Dave shares eye-opening statistics: 56% of small business owners have less than an hour daily for marketing, 73% feel uncertain about their strategy, and over half regularly procrastinate on marketing tasks. These challenges create a perfect storm where business owners know marketing matters but struggle to implement effective approaches.

What's truly fascinating is the generational shift happening right now. Gen Z and millennials are actively seeking out small businesses at nearly twice the rate of baby boomers. They're deliberately choosing to support companies that align with their values and create authentic experiences. This presents an incredible opportunity for SMBs willing to showcase what makes them unique.

While social media remains important, Dave cautions against over-reliance on these "rented" platforms where algorithms can change overnight. Instead, he advocates building assets you actually own—particularly your email list, which he describes as "pure gold" for small businesses. Unlike social followers that can disappear with algorithm changes, your email list represents a tangible business asset that adds significant value.

The conversation takes an exciting turn when discussing AI's potential for time-strapped business owners. Dave highlights Constant Contact's AI-powered campaign builder that can create comprehensive multi-channel marketing strategies based on simple prompts about your business goals. These technologies don't replace human connections but rather free up owners to focus on creating the personal experiences that increasingly differentiate them in today's marketplace.

Looking for practical marketing guidance that cuts through the noise? This conversation delivers actionable insights on building customer relationships, leveraging automation effectively, and finding the right balance between technology and human connection for your small business.

An Acxiom podcast where we discuss marketing made better, bringing you real...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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More at https://linktr.ee/EvanKirstel

Interested in being a guest? Email us at admin@evankirstel.com

Testing has become the hidden bottleneck in software development. While companies invest heavily in AI-powered coding tools to accelerate development, quality assurance can't keep pace—until now.

Tal Barmeir, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of BlinkIO, reveals how his company's AI test engineer is fundamentally changing the testing landscape. This isn't just another automation tool; it's an intelligent system that autonomously creates, executes, and maintains test code by understanding the business logic behind requirements. When a user interface changes, the AI doesn't break—it adapts, just as a human would.

The most revolutionary aspect? Solving the seemingly impossible challenge of comprehensive testing coverage. Traditional testing requires enormous resources to cover multiple browsers, devices, screen sizes, and languages. BlinkIO's AI test engineer handles all variations from a single test requirement, effectively "speaking" 50+ languages and navigating different UI layouts with human-like intelligence.

Contrary to replacement fears, this technology transforms rather than eliminates human roles. Testers evolve from frantically coding automation scripts to managing and auditing AI-generated work. Organizations finally have a path to achieve 100% testing coverage—something most have given up on due to resource constraints.

Getting started takes minutes, using familiar test recording workflows enhanced with AI capabilities. The system creates business-logic descriptions rather than mechanical UI interaction scripts, enabling intelligent adaptation as applications evolve.

Ready to eliminate your testing bottleneck? Discover how an AI test engineer could transform your quality assurance while accelerating your entire software development lifecycle.

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The AI revolution demands a new approach to computing infrastructure, and AMD is positioning itself at the forefront of this transformation through an ambitious software strategy that empowers developers and enterprises alike.

In this illuminating conversation, Anush Elangovan—who joined AMD through the acquisition of his company NordI—shares how AMD is fundamentally rethinking its approach to software development. Rather than treating software as merely an enabler for hardware, AMD now views its software layer as a product with a 10-year lifecycle that transcends hardware generations. This philosophical shift is enabling developers to build with confidence on AMD platforms like ROCm, knowing their investments will be supported long-term.

Perhaps most striking is AMD's embrace of open source development. The company has moved to a model where both internal and external developers work from the same source code, allowing customers to modify core components just as AMD engineers can. This democratization has already yielded impressive results, with community contributors enhancing Windows support for ROCm faster than AMD might have accomplished internally. For enterprise customers, AMD is launching a Developer Cloud that offers free credits to try AMD GPUs with a seamless path from development to production.

Energy efficiency—increasingly critical as AI compute demands grow—represents another AMD advantage. Their innovative chiplet design for Instinct platforms provides granular control over power utilization, with features like CPX mode that can partition compute units and disable interconnects when not needed. Looking ahead, AMD anticipates inference workloads will dominate AI compute demands, and is designing both hardware and software to excel in this environment.

Explore these innovations and more at AMD's Advancing AI event on June 12th, featuring new hardware announcements, RocM 7, and the Developer Cloud launch. Connect with AMD's AI team on X @AIatAMD to join the conversation about the future of artificial intelligence.

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Artificial intelligence isn't just changing how we work—it's fundamentally transforming the workplace itself. In this eye-opening conversation direct from InfoComm, Ryan from Unified Communications takes us inside booth 3817 to explore their groundbreaking approach to creating truly intelligent workspaces.

What makes their vision unique is how they're moving beyond traditional AV integration to develop specialized AI agents addressing real business challenges. Their Company Pulse Agent conducts conversational interviews with employees through Teams, gathering and summarizing valuable feedback for leadership. Their Customer Advocate Agent monitors email communications to detect potential issues before they escalate, while their Teams Room Support Agent provides comprehensive help for meeting technology, grounded in Microsoft documentation and manufacturer specifications.

The most captivating demonstration happens inside their "Whisper Suite," where Ryan showcases how AI integration with hardware platforms creates almost magical workplace experiences. Imagine walking into a meeting room and simply asking how to use it—no manual needed. Or picture a room that automatically adjusts settings when the furniture arrangement changes from boardroom to classroom setup. These aren't futuristic concepts but practical applications UC delivers today.

Beyond the technology itself, Ryan emphasizes the importance of having a holistic partner for implementing AI workplace solutions. Their GlobalView AV portal provides complete visibility from project proposal through ongoing room management, while their e-procurement solutions help manage device standards across global organizations. For organizations feeling overwhelmed by rapid technological change, UC offers both strategy sessions and a learning platform integrated with Microsoft Graph to help teams stay current.

Ready to transform your workplace with intelligent technology that works for you, not the other way around? Visit UC at InfoComm booth 3817 or book a strategy session through the link below to begin your journey toward a truly AI-powered workplace ecosystem.

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What would your sales team look like if every rep could sell like your top performer? That's the transformative promise of AI in sales, and it's happening right now.

Arjun Pillai, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Docket, an AI platform transforming B2B sales, reveals how his third venture in sales technology is fundamentally changing how companies approach go-to-market strategies. The problem? A staggering 90% of sales knowledge exists either in people's heads or buried in unstructured data like call recordings and chat conversations. This creates endless inefficiencies, slows down new hires, and leaves revenue on the table.

Docket's solution is brilliant in its simplicity: create a comprehensive "sales knowledge lake" that captures both structured and unstructured data, filters out the noise, and learns specifically from top performers. On this foundation, they've built two game-changing AI agents. Their AI seller autonomously engages website visitors with human-like conversations, while their AI sales engineer – the true breakthrough – provides real-time support during sales calls, helping representatives instantly answer technical questions or handle objections exactly as the company's best salespeople would.

The results speak volumes: customers report 12% higher win rates, 10% shorter sales cycles, and 15% faster onboarding for new reps. With over 15 months of enterprise deployment and 55,000+ questions answered, Docket has proven these systems can work at scale without the hallucination problems that plague many AI implementations. Through confidence scoring, reference links, and customizable guardrails, they've built the trust necessary for widespread adoption.

Perhaps most fascinating is Arjun's perspective on the future. While fully autonomous AI sellers will increasingly handle simpler, high-volume transactions, human representatives will remain essential for complex enterprise sales. The companies that thrive won't be those that replace humans, but rather those that strategically augment their capabilities – enabling every seller to perform like their very best.

Want to see how AI could transform your sales organization? Discover what's possible when you unlock the hidden knowledge in your go-to-market teams.

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