TEConnect Podcast

End-User Surveys – AI & Restaurant POS

To bring additional value to VARs & ISVs, we’ve conducted multiple surveys for our BlueStar Nation blog with end users in various industries to gain insights into how they use technology and where opportunities might lie. In this episode, we explore two surveys, starting with artificial intelligence. Who’s using it and why? What do businesses think would need to change to incorporate AI? Next, we tackle restaurant point-of-sale insights. How long are systems in use? What are the most popular POS? What do owners like most and least? What other tech are they using? We’ve got the receipts to help you win business!

 

#VARValue - What else would you add for VARs to take from these surveys?

 

AI Survey

Restaurant POS Survey

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - New Dictionary.com words

John - A 4th traffic light color?

 

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 Large Format Displays

Zebra Mobile Computing Portfolio

Modernizing Sales Management & Process w/Terry Miller

The sales and sales management landscape constantly changes, but it’s always a good time to reevaluate your prospecting and client management approach. Terry Miller, President of V-KATA, is here to explain what he sees from his time selling in the channel. Where does he see stagnation occurring? What are salespeople doing right and wrong? How did good leaders pivot during the pandemic? What is poor CRM management doing to the sales process, and how are Terry and V-KATA trying to fix it? It’s the podcast that would like a few minutes of your time.

 

#VARValue - What’s your advice to VARs in sales management themselves, or maybe someone who thinks their management could use the kind of shakeup you’ve described? 

 

TEConnecting with us:

Terry - Gong.io and V3 Stent

Dean - The world's new most popular cuisine

John - Vocal fatigue sensor

 

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/

 

Sponsored by:

Zebra ET Tablets

Elo Restaurant/QSR Solutions

POS – One Size Fits All? w/Auto-Star’s Josh Wintoniak

VARs know that point-of-sale hardware and software is not a “copy & paste” proposition. Every retailer or restaurant has differing needs or industry-specific concerns, yet cheap or “free” POS providers will suggest that any setup will do. Auto-Star’s Josh Wintoniak joins us this week to dispel that myth and help explain how to talk to end-users, why back-of-the-house is an essential part of the conversation, and what types of retailers benefit from specialized POS systems. It’s the episode that can’t help you unlock your car but will entertain you while you wait.

 

#VARValue - Let’s talk hardware for a moment. Some selectivity and business-specific needs should be considered there, too, right?

 

Webinar w/Josh - Affordable Grocery Self-Service for Retail VARs

 

TEConnecting with us:

Josh - ChatGPT

Dean - Spotify's AI DJ & why shooting down balloons is making scientists nervous

John - Twitter & Meta "verified"

 

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:

Elo E-Series 2 POS

Zebra Barcode Scanner Portfolio

Can AI Replace Your Marketing Department? w/Barcoding’s Jody Costa

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

TEC Bytes 9: TEConnect Unchained

It’s time to riff on more exciting stories, trends, lists, and technology.

 

Topics Covered:

• The Most Sinful Cities in America
• MIT’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies for ‘23
• A Chronicle of the Four-Day Workweek
• AI – What Do Workers Think & What’s China Doing?
• Tulsa Bet on Remote Workers
• US Migration Patterns
• Cracking Down on Digital Piracy

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - TEC BEEF: Indoor security drone and the Corruption Perceptions Index

John - Businesses wasting money on software licenses

 

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:

Elo Healthcare Touch Solutions

Zebra RFID Portfolio

The State of the Government VAR w/Jeff Smith

Government consultant and expert Jeff Smith is back to catch us up on what's been happening with public sector technology. How is the spending of approved U.S. funds going? What's Jeff's take on public safety as a branch eager for new tech? Are there opportunities in education? Finally, we asked him to look into his crystal ball and give us predictions and trends to watch out for in 2023.

 

#VARValue - What should VARs be doing now with their government accounts, and whom should they talk with to get the year off to a strong start? 

 

Referenced Articles:

Deloitte Gov't Tech Trends '23

State of the States Forecast

4 Federal Government IT Trends to Watch in 2023

 

TEConnecting with us:

Jeff - NASA's X57 all-electric plane

Dean - Getty Image AI lawsuit and what's the #1 dream job worldwide?

John - Audi's EV SUV concept vehicle

 

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 Public Safety Tech

Elo Large Format Displays

What is Web3? w/James Korte

After he threw out an idea to discuss Web3, we turned the tables on James Korte and invited him to join us! First, a quick review of Web1 & 2—essentially what the internet has been to date—before explaining what Web3 could be and why. How would Web3 be built? What advantages and disadvantages would it create? Does Web3’s connection to blockchain & cryptocurrency concern us? Is this internet iteration feasible, or is the idea the path to something else?

#VARValue - Does this mean anything to our channel yet? If it came to pass, what would it mean? 

 

Referenced articles:

What is Web3? - Harvard Business Review

What Is Web3 All About? An Easy Explanation With Examples - Forbes

 

TEConnecting with us:

James - ChatGPT & Notion

Dean - Brainwave rhythms

John - Real-life T-1000?

 

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:

Elo Wallaby Pro

Zebra WS50

Automation Opportunities w/MicroTouch’s Tyler Wells

Automation is increasingly a part of our daily lives, and we’ve preached it as a way for VARs to make their own business more efficient. In this episode, MicroTouch’s Tyler Wells helps us identify how they can take that automation to their customers, combating labor shortages, addressing new expectations for speed, and staying ahead of the competition. How do touchscreens fit into the conversation? What industries benefit the most? When should VARs get in on robotics?

 

Tyler's XaaS Journal article:

https://www.xaasjournal.com/vars-get-ready-to-ride-the-automation-and-robotic-systems-adoption-wave/

 

#VARValue - For VARs exploring automation with their customers, how can partners like MicroTouch help them win business?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Tyler - Electric car adoption, fission/fusion advancements, automation in manufacturing

Dean - "Silent" cargo delivery drone

John - No more airplane mode?

 

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:

MicroTouch Mach Series

Zebra RFID Opportunity eBook

Crowd Management Technology w/WaitTime’s Zack Klima

No one likes crowds, long lines, or waiting. We didn’t before COVID changed how we felt about being around strangers, and we certainly don’t today--but how do retailers, hospitality, and event companies find the right solutions to a problem that’s been around as long as people have congregated? Zack Klima, Founder & CEO of WaitTime, has his own story about the frustration of waiting which led to his solution, crowd management technology that benefits fans, attendees, and customers but also provides valuable intelligence to venues and businesses. How does it work? What hardware is involved, and how should VARs approach their customers to find opportunities? It’s the episode that offers “no-brainer tech” to add to your solution stack.

 

#VARValue - What should VARs be asking their customers to determine if a crowd management solution is viable, and when should they get WaitTime involved?

 

WaitTime webinar: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8354486700101210112

WaitTime Blog - 10 Questions to Determine Crowd Management Needs:

https://www.thewaittimes.com/post/10-questions-to-align-crowd-technology-solutions-to-your-needs

 

TEConnecting with us:

Zack - AI advancements

Dean - ChatGPT

John - Sink Twice

 

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 Temp Sensing Tech

Elo Restaurant/QSR Solutions

Reflections & Resolutions: 2023 Kickoff

We’re kicking off the fourth year of the pod by looking back and ahead. First, we reflect on 2022 and the stories, trends, surprises, disappointments, and personal moments that stood out to us in the channel, our lives, and the world at large. After that, it’s fun with “Best of” lists, predictions and resolutions, our top episodes of the year, and more!

 

ALERT!! We need YOUR help! Please send us your ideas for the podcast. What topics, industries, technologies, and partners interest you? https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html

 

#VARValue - What’s your advice for VARs looking ahead?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - VALL-E AI voice simulator

John - CES 2023

 

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:

Elo 70 Series Touchmonitors

Zebra Public Safety Tech eBook