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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
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Thursday Jul 14, 2022
Retail obviously isn’t the same as it was pre-pandemic, but much of what’s changed is for the better and was already beginning to happen anyway. This week, Tony Boncore, Honeywell’s Global Retail Marketing Manager, is on the show to help us talk specifically about how consumer behavior and demand have moved the needle. What is he seeing now and expects over the next year or so? Are retailers essentially becoming distribution centers? What about the challenge of returns? How should retailers change their mindset to accommodate online shoppers? What new technologies are facilitating these changes? It’s the episode that is ready to get “phygital.”
#VARValue – Addressing consumer experiences with tech is important, but how can VARs also position their solutions as beneficial for store owners and their employees, too?
Referenced Articles:
- 7 Trends Reshaping Smart Retail - CTA
- The Future is Now: 3 Retail Trends to Watch - RetailCustomerExperience.com
- NRF 2022: 4 Key Trends from This Year's Big Show - Forbes
TEConnecting with us:
Tony - Biometric sneakers
Dean - Micrometeor strikes James Webb telescope
John - Google translation glasses
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your ideas for the show and get a free T-shirt! - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Thursday Jul 07, 2022
Spatial intelligence is a way of understanding the movement of people and objects through physical spaces, but the AI and analytics necessary to gather and use that data require an expert. That expert is George Shaw, Founder & CEO of Pathr.ai, who joins us to explain Pathr’s methodology and tech. How does this data benefit retail? What other industries benefit from spatial intelligence? How do they address privacy concerns?
#VARValue - For VARs interested in fitting Pathr solutions into their tech stack, how do they work with them and help them generate recurring revenue and sell more hardware?
Watch Supermicro's Edge Computing Webinar
TEConnecting with us:
George (and John) - Did Google create a sentient AI?
Dean - Microsoft eliminating facial recognition tools
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your episode ideas: https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Tired of hearing/talking about our broken supply chain? So are we! However, not talking about it doesn’t solve any problems or help us understand what to expect next, so we’re diving in and consulting an industry veteran, Code Corp’s Director of Operations, Dave Frick. He fills us in on what he’s been hearing and seeing. What’s next? What’s working and what isn’t? Are other challenges looming? What’s changed about planning & forecasting inventory? How can VARs help supply chain partners that are too busy for sales conversations or new solutions right now?
#VARValue - What’s your advice for VARs with customers that simply don’t have the time for “sales” conversations or adopting new technology? What can they do to truly help?
TEConnecting with us:
Dave - Drones for warehouse management
Dean - Robotic finger w/human skin
John - 3D printed ear
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your episode ideas: https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Code CortexDecoder
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
Thursday Jun 23, 2022
We’re pretty tech positive on this show. We love technology and science and its potential to assist and improve our lives, jobs, and the world’s various problems. But sometimes innovation can be very frustrating, which leads us to a few of our “TEC Beefs”—things that annoy us, frustrate us, or completely confuse us. This week, we’re getting some of that stuff off our chests.
- Are some scientific studies unnecessary? (i.e. How we see faces in everyday objects)
- Subscription services that (intentionally?) make it hard to cancel
- Netflix cracking down on password sharing
- Apple tooling around with the Podcasts app
- Too many charging cable interfaces!
- Streaming series eps are getting very long
- Social media algorithms with little to no control
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Mastercard biometric checkout
John - Severance on Apple TV+
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas (or TEC Beefs!) - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Co-Marketing Tool
Thursday Jun 16, 2022
Thursday Jun 16, 2022
Selling point-of-sale technology is probably one of the hardest asks in the reseller channel. While there are thousands of businesses that need it, there are also a LOT of options on the market. So what moves the needle? What do retailers like or dislike about their current system? What would they change? What would make them switch? In connection with our recently published findings on BlueStar Nation, we’re doing a deep dive into the survey results from over 80 retail owners about the technology their business uses every day. The answers were often surprising, but they tell an important story about what VARs can actually do to win more business and conquer POS inertia.
#VARValue - What would you do as a VAR with this information?
Subscribe to BlueStar Nation: https://nation.bluestarinc.com/
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Uber Eats Autonomous Delivery
John - But really, what are the odds a malicious alien race could attack Earth?
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your ideas for topics, surveys, or guests: https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Intelligent Cabinets
Thursday Jun 09, 2022
Thursday Jun 09, 2022
There are more people in the world over the age of 65 than under 5. That means a huge amount of money and resources are devoted to health care for an aging population with increasingly fewer people to attend to their daily needs. That’s where technology comes into play, but with much of that population still uncomfortable with modern devices, how do you engage seniors to stay on top of their health, maintain connections to friends and family, and manage chronic conditions. Independa’s Founder & CEO, Kian Saneii, joins us to explain a simple solution…incorporate modern tech into a device most older people use every single day—their TV! How do you pitch this kind of solution to LTC and other healthcare facilities? How does such a remote management platform work? It’s the episode that acknowledges we’re not getting any younger.
#VARValue - What should VARs be looking for or asking about with their customers and how does Independa help?
TEConnecting with us:
Kian - Voyager 1 sending interesting data
Dean - Tastee Tape
John - BeReal app
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Submit your topic ideas (and get a free t-shirt!): https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Thursday Jun 02, 2022
Thursday Jun 02, 2022
Holy podcast, friends…we’ve reached 100 episodes! That means it’s time to reflect on where we came from and where we’re going next. How do we feel about our earliest episodes? Should anyone listen to podcasts at higher speeds? What are some of our favorite episodes, guests and moments? What do we think we’ll be talking about at 200 episodes? Finally, we play another round of Tech Trivia with returning champ Whitney Gerrety & new contestant Patrick Troutt. It’s the episode that doesn’t even know how it got here, but you’re stuck with us now! (Plus, listen for a couple bloopers Marko inserted!)
Thank YOU for listening!
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 DICOM Monitors
Zebra Media & Supplies
Thursday May 26, 2022
Thursday May 26, 2022
We’re touching stuff again! (Sort of…) Touchscreens are, of course, very common in our daily lives and we’re seeing more of them in industries like retail and hospitality, but we wanted to know if there were any unique use cases that VARs could take advantage of. MicroTouch’s Bill Nulf joins us to answer that question. How are touchscreens used in correctional facilities? Cannabis dispensaries? Healthcare? Bill also gives us a speed round of additional opportunities. It’s the episode where Dean emphatically notes he doesn’t frequent prisons!
#VARValue - How does MicroTouch help VARs find and win unique opportunities for touchscreen technology?
What's TEConnecting with us:
Bill - BMW color changing cars
Dean - Rewinding skin cells 30 years
John - An oral history of Disney's "The Black Hole"
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 IC-215P All-in-One
Thursday May 19, 2022
Thursday May 19, 2022
We know…everyone is dealing with supply, component, and/or labor shortages. You’re ready to sell, your customers are ready to buy, but you simply can’t get the product they need. While we don’t have a quick fix for that (spoiler alert, no one does), something you can sell right now are Services. Epson’s Andy Scherz is back on the pod to explain. What does “services’ mean to him? How do they fit into a full solution provider’s offerings and what’s the benefit? How do we offer services to end users in a way that doesn’t just feel like an “add-on”? Dean says your business will probably die if you aren’t listening to this episode!
#VARValue - Let’s talk a bit about BlueStar’s services and how we help VARs become a trusted partner.
TEConnecting with us:
Andy - RFID
Dean - Paper-thin loudspeaker
John - RIP iPod
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:
Epson's ColorWorks Printers
Thursday May 12, 2022
Thursday May 12, 2022
A lot of discussions around asset or inventory management, mobility, connectivity, cloud-access, etc… revolves around work and processes taking place within four walls, but field-based workers need the same kind of tech, too! This week, Versona System’s Dan Fuller is here to help us look for opportunities for rugged hardware, barcodes, RFID, enterprise devices, and more for businesses who operate in remote areas or are consistently on the go. What’s the pitch for purpose-built versus consumer devices? What does asset management look like in the field? It’s the episode that just wants its refrigerator fixed!
#VARValue - How does Versona assist VARs with driving mobility solutions to field-based customers? Are there any devices that you’re excited to show off?
TEConnecting with us:
Dan - No battery BLE tagging
Dean - More interesting info from the UFO files
John - 9 Innings '22
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Send us your topic ideas! - https://www.bluestarinc.com/us-en/landing-pages/podcast-topics.html
Sponsored by:
Zebra Workforce Connect