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TEConnect is the podcast that tackles the news, trends, and technologies impacting the specialty IT reseller channel, software companies, and hardware manufacturers. Hosted by John Martin & Dean Reverman. Tell us what YOU want to hear about: teconnect@bluestarinc.com
Episodes
4 hours ago
4 hours ago
**We're off this week, recovering from #VARTECH2024, but as a prelude to the episode we recorded there on website design and social media, here's a flashback to one of our most popular episodes with Barcoding's Krystal Cotriss! See you next week with a new ep!**
Originally released July 21, 2022
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Having smart content, a strong message, and an understanding of your audience is a great place to start marketing, but without great design, it’s just so many words. We turned to an expert, Krystal Cotriss, Lead Designer & Content Strategist with Barcoding, Inc., who stresses the importance of design to attracting customers, making a good impression, and driving engagement. She’ll help us explore free or low-cost tools anyone with little to no experience could use, from photos to fonts and beyond. We’re also talking website design (one of John’s pet peeves) and some design aesthetics and clichés that Krystal is “over.” Check out her post and bookmark all of the handy links!
#VARValue – Let’s say someone is looking to hire a designer or employ some freelancers. What should they be looking for, asking about, or expecting?
Krystal's blog with a plethora of free resources: https://krystalcarpintieri.medium.com/free-design-resources-for-designers-marketers-more-e6b8bb3dbf0e
Kel Lauren's Best Free Design Resources: https://youtu.be/myYwUoXfxt4
TEConnecting with us:
Krystal - Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
Dean - Cancer Genome Scanner & Companies Making the Most Money Per Second
John - Alexa speaking as the voice of a deceased loved one
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Thursday Sep 12, 2024
Thursday Sep 12, 2024
As POS evolves, so does the need for receipt printers to keep up with modern hardware, software, unique use cases, new types of commerce, and myriad connectivity options. That presents many potential problems, which Star Micronics' Kate Orara & Bill Shuff are here to tackle! What's happening with interfaces? How do tablets change printing needs? What happens to device management across multiple locations? What about peripherals? It's the episode that's getting hangry.
#VARValue - How does Star's mC-Print3 series solve these problems?
TEConnecting with us:
Bill - Sustainability, bioplastics & seaweed
Kate - Gen Z leading the use of sick days
Dean - $16K humanoid robot
John - Farmers need reliable connectivity, too
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Star Micronics mC-Print3 Thermal Receipt Printer
Elo I-Series 3
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Thursday Sep 05, 2024
Mobile devices are as standard in the workplace as in our personal lives, so we turned to an expert—Zebra's Eric Hilton—to investigate the market, potential opportunities, and the results of a recent BlueStar Nation survey of Field Service Companies. How have consumer devices affected the enterprise market? What challenges and problems do field technicians say they encounter more from rugged devices? When and how should VARs position CBRS-enabled devices?
#VARValue - How does Zebra's Mobility DNA platform help VARs win business and keep it?
TEConnecting with us:
Eric - How AI makes us more efficient
Dean - North Korean trash balloons
John - Scientists creating real-life Dune "stillsuits"
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 29, 2024
Thursday Aug 29, 2024
John & Dean have more hot topics and deep dives to get you through the holiday weekend and break the ice at your next team meeting.
- What’s going on with Amazon drones?
- What US cities have the highest rent?
- What cities are most polluted?
- Who are the world’s most sustainable companies?
- What bands put together the best single-show setlist?
- What are the best US states to retire to?
- Starter homes that cost how much?
It’s the episode that’s perfectly happy right where it is.
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Reasons to love America
John - Record-setting Chinese bridge/tunnel system
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 22, 2024
Thursday Aug 22, 2024
Intel has been increasingly investing in our channel, but what does their interest in VARs and solution integrators mean? This week, Intel’s VP of Global Distribution & Partner Sales, David Guzzi, shares his insights as someone with experience in the channel. What’s changed, and how is it impacting Intel’s market strategy? What has surprised him about working with VARs? Why partner with Intel, and what do they bring to VARs to help them find and win business?
#VARValue - How is Intel helping drive solutions & outcome-based selling to VARs and integrators with their education programs?
Join Intel's Partner Alliance! https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/partner-alliance/overview.html
TEConnecting with us:
David - How AI is impacting soccer
Dean - Joby Aviation - hydrogen-electric air taxis
John - Using chatbots to combat phone scammers
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
Thursday Aug 15, 2024
The robots are here and moving into the reseller channel, but what does that mean for you? Intel’s Robotics Specialist, Milt Walker, joins the show to share his insights into the market and where there may already be opportunities for VARs willing to add robots to your offerings. What industries and use cases are easy fits for robots? What are some common objections to buying/selling robots? How can VARs turn robotics into recurring revenue and demonstrate ROI for their customers?
#VARValue—Entering the robotics market might not be right for every VAR. What recommendations or checkpoints should they consider to determine if robotics are the right fit for their tech stack, and how does Intel support them?
TEConnecting with us:
Milt - James Webb telescope
Dean - Robots w/living tissue faces?
John - Lego moon bricks
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Aug 08, 2024
Thursday Aug 08, 2024
We’re talking more about AI with Elo’s Kristin Roubie, this time regarding digital displays and industries deploying the technologies together. How are Kristin & Elo approaching AI at the moment? What are some practical applications she’s seen or expects to grow? How does touch, in particular, amplify the power of AI?
#VARValue - What should VARs and their customers look for in an AI solution to ensure it takes advantage of displays like Elo’s?
TEConnecting with us:
Kristin - Modern building materials
Dean - Dark oxygen
John - Notepad adds spell-check
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Elo I-Series 3
Thursday Aug 01, 2024
Thursday Aug 01, 2024
Restaurant and hospitality kitchens are more chaotic than ever, pulled in multiple directions between in-house customers, take-out, delivery apps, and sometimes ghost kitchen responsibilities. This week, Epson’s Tessa Kohl explains their challenges with labor, tackling waste, inefficiencies, and narrow margins, and the role of KDS in a full kitchen technology solution. It’s the episode that’s looking to reduce your cognitive load!
#VARValue - Tell us about TrueOrder, Epson’s new KDS software. How will this help VARs win some business?
TEConnecting with us:
Tessa - The evolution of generative AI
Dean - Limited value of multivitamins
John - NASA Mars mission sim ends
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Epson TrueOrder KDS
Thursday Jul 25, 2024
Thursday Jul 25, 2024
No one thinks about batteries until they run out and need replacement or a charge. Any downtime wastes time and productivity for enterprise operations using handheld computers, scanners, printers, and other mobility devices. This week, GTS’ Rob Cass and Danny Rockett join the pod to explain why battery health is so important, how to stay ahead of problems, and how VARs can generate new revenue with customers still using legacy devices. What are the benefits of custom batteries? What’s rapid disassembly? It’s the episode that needs to find a charger!
#VARValue - For anyone unfamiliar with GTS, give us an overview of your key products and services.
TEConnecting with us:
Danny - Exoskeleton batteries
Rob - Lithium phosphate battery jump
Dean - Nanorobot kills cancer cells
John - NASCAR EV
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Wow! 200 episodes! We’ve been doing this for a while, and to mark this milestone, we're taking a break from our usual educational discussions to have some fun with another installment of Tech Trivia. It's Dean versus the younger generations, Sarah Schlueter and Sarah Stenger, in a battle of tech knowledge. Plus, as a special bonus, John & Dean finally do more than make a passing reference to the unofficial TEConnect Podcast film, “Minority Report.”
Thank you to our viewers/listeners and sponsors! Elo, Zebra, Intel, Epson, Star, Honeywell, Datalogic, Wasp, MicroTouch, Code by Brady, Toshiba, & LG
Keep in Touch!
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star
Submit your topic ideas - https://www.bluestarinc.com/en-us/about-the-company/bluestar-teconnect-podcast
Subscribe to the BlueStar Nation Newsletter - https://nation.bluestarinc.com/#subscribe
Sponsored by: