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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 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:
Thursday Jul 11, 2024
Thursday Jul 11, 2024
It’s no secret on this podcast that we believe in full solution-selling as the path forward for VARs, but resellers and integrators have probably been burned a few times by software providers and shifting customer expectations, especially in highly competitive industries like restaurants/hospitality. Is leading with software still worth it? This week, Tonic POS CEO Tyler Young joins us, not just to affirm his belief that it is but to explain why VARs should be more selective than ever about choosing ISV partners…and vice versa. What challenges does “software-first” create? What does an ISV look for in a quality partner? What best practices have Tyler and his team deployed to grow and win? It’s the episode that wants to help everybody win!
#VARValue - What differentiates Tonic POS from other offerings? What can VARs expect when working with you?
Innovating with Intention: The Tonic POS Approach to Product Development
TEConnecting with us:
Tyler - Sonos headphones & Boston Robotics
Dean - ALCHEM-E electronic drum kit
John - The Bear, Season 3
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:
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Wednesday Jul 03, 2024
Most VARs and solution integrators, especially those with smaller businesses, are not legal experts and probably don’t have experts on staff. That can make navigating contracts, new partner agreements, and legal disputes difficult to navigate. This week, RSPA Legal Counsel Jill Miller joins the pod to explain some common errors she sees, the bare minimums all business owners should put in place, and how retail payments, in particular, create unique challenges.
#VARValue - Explain your role with the RSPA and how members can utilize your expertise.
https://www.gorspa.org/legal-documents/
TEConnecting with us:
Jill - Bartesian
Dean - Bandle and billboards you can smell?
John - Spinal cord stimulation for the paralyzed
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 Jun 27, 2024
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
We're getting in the summer spirit by discussing baseball stadiums, blockbuster movies, and, of course, the zombie internet!
Topics:
First AI-generated music video
Ranking the most beautiful ballparks in Major League Baseball
How AI is zombifying the internet
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - US banning Kaspersky anti-virus software
John - X-ray vision coming?
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 70-Series
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
We recorded another live episode with a panel of RFID experts (Zebra’s Eric Malmed, DecisionPoint’s Steve Weiss, & RFID4U’s Archit Dua) and an eager audience. What trends and technology innovations are moving the RFID market? What recommendations or best practices can help VARs sell RFID to SMB customers? What are some specific use cases for RFID in warehousing and retail? It’s the episode that forces everyone to answer, “Is this the Year of RFID?”
Get your Zebra Refresh Report! https://reach.bluestarinc.com/refreshthebase
#VARValue - Questions from the audience!
TEConnecting with us:
Archit - Apple WWDC
Eric - Tech in sports
Steve - Robotics
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 Jun 13, 2024
Thursday Jun 13, 2024
Is AI fatigue setting in? Maybe, but that doesn't mean there isn't a real opportunity for VARs to be found. MicroTouch's John Dittig joins the show this week to help us separate the hype from the reality of AI solutions. What industries and end-users are most interested in AI? What needs do they want to be addressed? Is SMB better suited for innovation at this point? How will AI help sell more hardware? It's an "incrinculent" episode!
#VARValue - How is MicroTouch approaching AI solutions, and how are you helping VARs find the right partners to solve their customer’s needs?
TEConnecting with us:
John D - LetzChat
Dean - Combining AI with robotics
John M - Deepfake conversations with dead loved ones
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:
MicroTouch's AI Town Hall
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
We are again investigating the results of an excellent BlueStar Nation end-user survey (shout out to HP and Intel for sponsoring this one!), this time from SMB grocery leaders. The survey focused on the tech they currently use and want to deploy and where they see industry challenges that tech could solve. How are grocers addressing customer experience and collecting data? What are they most interested in improving? What opportunities for VARs does the data show?
Read the Article and More at BlueStar Nation
TEConnecting with us:
Dean - Why is ice slippery and disappearing web pages
John - AI determining ER admissions
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 May 30, 2024
Thursday May 30, 2024
Next week, we'll discuss the results of a grocery executive survey, exploring what technologies they are using and considering and how they envision tech impacting the industry. In preparation, we thought we'd revisit this conversation with Epson's David Vander Dussen.
* * *
Grocery stores are an essential service, but they’re not immune to the changing whims of consumers and the desire for convenient options and dynamic shopping experiences. The razor-thin margins they operate under can cause challenges to VARs hoping to pitch new technology, but Epson’s David Vander Dussen is back on the pod to emphasize the opportunities. Why are midsize & regional chains still seeing growth? How have grocers changed their offerings and workflow? Why is the demand for dynamic color labeling higher than ever? It’s the episode where we learn why Dean is banned from grocery shopping.
#VARValue—For VARs that work primarily with SMB grocer chains or local independents, what’s the pitch for implementing tech like color labeling?
References:
Why Grocery Chains are Outperforming Expectations Amid Inflation
FMI study: Private brands not just about price
How to Ramp Up Online Grocery—without Breaking the Bank
The State of Grocery in North America
TEConnecting with us:
David - World Cup Video Assistant Referee
Dean - The success of the DART mission and robotics companies commit to not weaponizing
John - New Apple devices might confuse rollercoaster for a car crash
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's New Mobilink Printers
Thursday May 23, 2024
Thursday May 23, 2024
Retail has “grown up” a lot in the last few years, as competition and shifting customer expectations drive innovation and open the door to new technologies. But that modernization can come with some tradeoffs as retailers determine what is must-have vs. nice-to-have. Intel’s Global Retail Director, David Dobson, joins the pod to explain the outcomes that retailers are pursuing and how we can help. How is AI affecting retail? How do retail leaders determine what innovations to pursue? What’s causing hesitation, and how can VARs & ISVs become go-to solution architects for the industry?
#VARValue - What’s your future view on how modernization will happen on the edge and how VARs and their ISV partners can be modern solution architects?
TEConnecting with us:
David - The moon landing and creation of DARPA
Dean - Project Astra
John - Dublin to NYC portal
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: