BlueStar Nation

Generative AI, Employee Experience, Cybersecurity & More w/LG’s Mike Stachura & Aaron Addison

An epic AI trilogy deserves an epic conclusion, so this week, we welcomed LG’s Mike Stachura & Aaron Addison into the studio for various topics and a lot of laughter. First, we discuss some predictions for generative AI’s impact on business. Next, we dig into the importance of addressing employee experience by featuring the story of Fordlandia. Finally, what does Constantinople have to do with cybersecurity? It’s the episode that knows how to be professional and charming at the same time.

 

#VARValue - How is LG addressing the topics we’ve discussed today, and how are you helping VARs tackle these timely solution needs with their customers?

 

Check out LG's All-in-One Thin Client

 

TEConnecting with us:

Mike - Aliens

Aaron - Electric toothbrushes

Dean - Acoustic hacking

John - Self-repossessing cars

 

Talk to us!

X/Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Large Format

Zebra Sell & Win Club

AI in Retail w/Honeywell’s Tony Boncore

Part two of our AI trilogy focuses on the specific benefits and use cases for retail, and we turned to the globe-trotting Tony Boncore from Honeywell for his expertise. How has AI already been part of retail? What are retailers’ current expectations and barriers to adoption? How does AI impact checkout and inventory management? What is Tony watching for in the next 5-10 years?

 

#VARValue - For VARs interested in developing partnerships to go to market with AI solutions, where do you recommend they start, and how should they vet potential partners?

 

Honeywell Report: Navigating the AI Revolution

 

TEConnecting with us:

Tony - AI capabilities, including recipe testing

Dean - Wearable sweat sensor

John - How do we know it's really ET calling?

 

Talk to us!

X/Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Honeywell CT30XP

Elo M50 Mobile Computer

Zebra Future-Proofing Retailers eBook

Unique Use Cases for AI & ML w/meldCX’s Raffi Vartian

This week begins a trilogy of episodes with artificial intelligence at the center of the conversation. To kick things off, meldCX’s VP of Business Development, Raffi Vartian, is here to give his experienced perspective. How does an AI expert view the explosion of interest in recent months? What are “visual analytics,” and how does it fit into what resellers are currently doing? How does AI take digital signage to the next level? What’s the use case for education?

 

#VARValue - Are these AI solutions viable when you get below the Tier 1 retailers or hospitality venues? 

 

Referenced Articles/Sources

Innovative Digital Signage Campaigns

Using AI in Schools

 

TEConnecting with us:

Raffi - Next-gen communication networks (like Starlink)

Dean - Electrified cement

John - JWST stellar nursery image

 

Talk to us!

X/Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra Refresh the Base

Elo Linux Devices

Customer Journeys & Experiential Shopping w/CDW’s Andy Szanger

Consumers are returning to brick-and-mortar stores, but after years of convenience and digital shopping, expectations for seamless, fast, and maybe even fun visits are higher than ever. This week, CDW’s Andy Szanger joins the pod to discuss how retail tech can improve customer journeys and create an “experience” that keeps them coming back. How much do consumers value their time? Why is improving employee experience just as important as customers? Are experiential solutions just for Tier 1 retailers?

 

#VARValue - What new retail tech, innovations, or trends should VARs be learning more about that is likely to become part of their tech stack in the future?

 

Referenced Articles:

Forbes - "How Tech is Making the Retail Industry More Efficient and Improving the Customer Experience"

Lightspeed - "What is Experiential Retail?"

Lowe's "Project Unlock" - Video

 

TEConnecting with us:

Andy - Web3

Dean - Netflix Adds New Subscribers

John - Apple Fixes "Ducking" Problem

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Z-Stands

Zebra Retail Fulfillment eBook

Toshiba TCX810

TEConnect Replay: Can AI Replace Your Marketing Department w/Barcoding’s Jody Costa

The AI conversation has not slowed since we recorded this episode in the spring, so it was a good time to revisit our conversation with Barcoding's Jody Costa about generative AI tools, their potential to improve marketing efforts, and what to beware of. We'll return with a new episode next week on Customer Journey and Experiential Shopping!

* * *

(Originally released March 2, 2023) Unless you’ve been on a severe information detox, you’ve probably seen more than a few stories recently about AI and various tools for content creation. Not ones to miss a trend, we asked Barcoding’s Jody Costa to return to the pod to weigh in. She shares her experience with ChatGPT and similar programs, whether AI will impact marketing jobs, and the positives and negatives of using them in our business. It’s the episode that still feels pretty good about its job security.

 

#VARValue - Beyond marketing & advertising, in what other ways can AI tools be used by VARs to improve their business? 

 

Referenced articles & further reading:

BlueStar Nation - Creating Ads for Your Business Using AI

ChatGPT Sees Strong Early Adoption - Fishbowl

Google Unveils Bard - CNET

Eden Bidani post - LinkedIn

OpenAI is Using Media Websites to Train ChatGPT - Moguldom

The Prompt Box is a Minefield - The Convivial Society

Marketing AI Institute

 

TEConnecting with us:

Jody - Jurassic Park & evolution

Dean - Subscription Trash

John - Accidental James Webb Discovery

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra TC53/58 Touch Computers

Elo 70 Series

Getting More Out of Marketing w/IPCMobile’s Tolgar Alpagut

Most businesses know they have to do some marketing to let potential customers know who they are and what they do while retaining existing business, but this week, we’re taking those efforts up a notch. IPCMobile’s VP of Marketing, Tolgar Alpagut, joins to explain how. What is attribution mirage, and how is it harder to know where to market? What’s the baseline for effective marketing? Is organic or paid posting on LinkedIn better? Are we over-relying on shiny new tools like AI and automation?

 

#VARValue - What’s one thing a VAR or ISV could do in the next few weeks to immediately improve their marketing efforts? (Tolgar also recommends Microsoft Clarity.)

 

References:

Attribution Mirage - Banker Creative

Dark Social - SparkToro

 

TEConnecting with us:

Tolgar - Google I/O- Imagen Video and Phenaki text to video

Dean - Lawyer used ChatGPT

John - Secret Invasion opening credits

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra Intelligent Cabinets

Elo 70 Series Displays

 

What We Learned from 100 Retailers About Self-Service Technology

We’re back to dig into a new BlueStar Nation survey (sponsored by our friends at Elo!) with 100 actual retailers about the self-service technology they currently deploy. Who did we talk to? What’s their perception of the cost of self-service solutions? How do they use them? How often do they experience technical problems? It’s the episode that doesn’t need any help to get the job done!

 

Full article: https://nation.bluestarinc.com/articles/100-retailers-told-us-about-self-service-technology-use-in-their-stores 

 

#VARValue - For retail, POS, or digital display VARs, what are the key takeaways here?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - Muon GPS & "colachup"

John - The Internet of Animals

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Wallaby Pro

Zebra Legacy Printer Refresh

EVCSaaS with Ben Simon

Electric vehicle sales are rapidly growing, bolstered by government incentives, environmental concerns, and substantial investment in charging infrastructure—an opportunity for the reseller industry. This week, BlueStar’s Emerging Technologies BDM, Ben Simon, joins us to explain the landscape for EV charging, our partnership with Loop, and how VARs can cash in. What does an EV charging solution look like? What industries and business types should be installing chargers? How do they generate recurring revenue? What options are there to finance these projects?

 

#VARValue - If a VAR is interested in EVCSaaS, how do they get started?

 

References:

• White House Statement on EV charging network growth
• BlueStar's EVCSaaS site

 

TEConnecting with us:

Ben - EV Delorean

Dean - House built with disposable diapers

John - Wishcycling

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo M60 Mobile POS

Zebra Promotions

Retail Warehousing Fulfillment w/Zebra’s John Wirthlin & Tim Kane

Retailers are balancing a “new normal” of heightened customer expectations in-store and online with staffing shortages and inventory challenges. The back-of-house, supply chain, and warehousing aspects of retail require better tech solutions that VARs need to understand and drive. This week, Zebra’s Retail and Warehousing/Supply Chain SMEs, Tim Kane & John Wirthlin, help us look at the opportunities and break down the trends shaping retail fulfillment. How is the retail supply chain adapting? How can we help address customer expectations and operational visibility and empower employees?

 

Read the Zebra Retail Fulfillment eBook

 

#VARValue - For VARs currently working with retailers or supply chain customers that serve retail, what kind of questions should they ask to find out where these fulfillment solutions could be an option?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Tim - The pace of automation & AI

John W. - RFID baggage tags

Dean - Google text to music AI

John M - Traffic noise impact on work

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Elo Edge Connect

Zebra Workforce Connect

Tech Trivia Returns!

It’s another excuse to have fun as we celebrate 150 episodes by playing another round of Tech Trivia! Whitney Gerrety is back as a two-time defending champion. Sarah Schlueter is our newest contestant, and this time, John steps out of host duties to compete. Who comes out on top, who talks smack, who’s buzzing in early, who bursts into song, and will anyone tune in for another 150 episodes?

 

Thank you to all of our sponsors, listeners, and guests!

 

Talk to us!

Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

Follow BlueStar on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star/

Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe 

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra Tablet Solutions

Elo POS Solutions