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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 Feb 25, 2021
Thursday Feb 25, 2021
A year into the pandemic, all businesses and communities have felt some impact, but perhaps the most troubling has been to our elderly population, particularly those living in senior/assisted living and long-term care facilities. Not only in the number of COVID deaths and outbreaks, but in the isolation and disconnection that residents are feeling as restricted or no visitations separate them from loved ones on the outside. This week, we are joined by AccuShield’s COO, Lever Stewart, to discuss how technology is not only helping keep our seniors safe from illness, but also from other vulnerabilities that were present in these settings long before the virus. How did their business change? Are temperature screenings still useful? What technology is vital to this industry post-COVID, for both residents and their loved ones?
TEConnecting with us:
Lever - Fall prevention technology, interactive TVs for seniors
Dean - Roblox
John - Anti-laser charging
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
Thursday Feb 18, 2021
It’s been a while since we could gather en masse at concerts, sporting events or other entertainment. We know these industries were impacted in massive ways by the pandemic and while some have been able to reopen in limited ways, there’s still a long road ahead and some changes will be permanent. This week, we’re joined by Shannon Moyes from Volante Systems, experts in point-of-sale software. She has some excellent insight into how technology can help hospitality re-open, stay open, and be on the cutting edge of new innovations. How important is it to understand your customer’s point of view? What is “digital labor?” Do you know if your food came from a storefront or a ghost kitchen? What about corporate/educational/hospital dining…how have those businesses survived closures? We’re ready to pack our bags and break out a giant foam finger!
#VARValue - How does Volante work in the reseller channel and what is their business model?
Learn more about Volante Systems
TEConnecting with us:
Shannon - Apple Watch and health analytics
Dean - "Lego" cars - eBussy
John - Declassified UFO archives
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo Edge Connect
Zebra CS60 Series Scanners
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Thursday Feb 11, 2021
Over the past year, we’ve talked a lot about what we touch and, more importantly, who else has touched it. Transmission of microbes, infections and viruses is a real concern, but the technology to combat it isn’t entirely new. This week, we’re joined by Robyn Ewers from Seal Shield, a company that specializes in infection control technology, and BlueStar’s Matt Jordan. What’s the difference between cleaning & disinfecting? Healthcare has always paid attention to infection prevention, but what are other industries learning? Are personal devices part of the problem? You’ll never look at your keyboard the same way after this one!
#VARValue - How should VARs talk to customers that may think they already have infection control figured out?
Fierce Healthcare article: "One year of COVID-19: Providence infectious disease expert shares lessons learned from the front lines"
TEConnecting with us:
Robyn - Skygazer app
Matt - Vertical market adaptation to COVID
Dean - "10 Facts About Viruses" (Seal Shield website)
John - “Researchers Develop Framework To Identify Health Impacts Of Self-Driving Vehicles” – Texas A&M Today
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Zebra Healthcare Solutions
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Thursday Feb 04, 2021
Facial recognition technology pops up routinely in the news, often in alarming stories about the dangers, privacy issues, and who should or should not have access to the technology and the data it captures. However, the technology also has a lot of useful benefits for security and intelligent access, far beyond other biometrics and standard passwords. We’re joined by Richard Carriere of CyberLink, creators of FaceMe, to discuss how the technology works and some use cases you might not know. We also dive into some of those concerns, negative press, and how important it is to work with the right company to address those. It’s the episode where John gives everyone a tip to impress your Valentine!
#VARValue – How does CyberLink work in the reseller channel? What is their business model?
TEConnecting with us:
Richard - Ember mug
Dean - Game Stop stock debacle
John - Recipe box services (Blue Apron & Hello Fresh)
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Sponsored by:
Elo's 3203L Interactive Display
Zebra RFID Portfolio
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
Thursday Jan 28, 2021
It’s a new year and, if we recall our days in sales correctly, salespeople are planning out their account strategies for the year. We’re here to help by bringing in Luke Wilwerding, Elo’s Sr. Director of NA Field Sales. Luke is a big believer in “people buy from people” as the starting principle in learning how to dig deeper into your accounts. We’ll discuss how being personable, asking questions and addressing simple needs can turn into major partnerships. What does Luke see that works and doesn’t when he’s in the field? How do strategies change from established accounts to new ones? What tips do we have for 2021 as we continue selling from a distance?
#VARValue – How does working with a vendor like Elo (and a distributor like BlueStar) help you win and dig deeper?
TEConnecting with us:
Luke - Robotics at CES 2021
Dean - In-home robots
John - 60 Songs That Explain the '90s Podcast
Sponsored by:
Elo's M50 Mobile Computer
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Thursday Jan 21, 2021
Happy New Year! After a much-needed break, John & Dean are back with a new season of the pod! Before we get to all of the great guests and content you're used to, we wanted to give you a sneak peak at some of the new topics we're planning to tackle, the kind of guests we'll be adding to the mix and a brief overview of BlueStar's TEConnect program. We also discuss some of the cool gadgets we received for the holidays and have a brief follow up discussion on "The Mandalorian" and all the new Star Wars content that's been announced.
Learn more about the TEConnect program at https://www.teconnect.com/
Tell us what YOU want to hear on the show:
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
Thursday Dec 17, 2020
The strangest year most of us have ever known (and hopefully ever will) is coming to a close and of course we have to recap it, riff on it and put it to bed before turning the page to 2021. What went wrong (duh...)? What went right? We'll reflect on the podcast, our channel, what we've learned, and look forward to the year to come, making some predictions and not-really-resolutions. To wrap things up, we'll also geek out about some of our favorite things this year that helped us pass the time and bring some silver linings to one massive cloud.
A HUGE thank you to our sponsors, listeners, guests and all of the amazing people who made our first year possible. We will be back in the new year with more content, great guests and our usual level of tech nerdiness. Stay connected!
Our Favorite 2020 Things and Recommendations:
Dean - Hamilton, The Haunting of Hill House, biking
John - The Mandalorian, Lovecraft Country, His Dark Materials, The Queen's Gambit, Onward, Fiona Apple's "Fetch the Bolt Cutters", The Greatest Discovery podcast
Sponsored by:
Elo Edge Connect
Honeywell CT40XP
Zebra Healthcare Solutions
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
Thursday Dec 10, 2020
The nerds speak!
In a year of great distress and unprecedented weirdness,
Dean, Marko & John were tasked with starting a podcast for BlueStar,
because we still need to provide all our awesome, geeky customers with information!
After months of interviewing amazing guests from the reseller channel,
we decided to spend some time talking about something completely different—
Star Wars!
Why? Because we know our customers
are just as interested in the Star Wars canon as we are…
and, we all need a break from reality, right?
How and when did they become fans?
John ranks the movies (with some controversy)
What makes Star Wars so fun and timeless?
Who are our favorite characters?
Don’t check your midichlorian levels,
this is the podcast you’re looking for.
Our Favorite Star Wars Tech:
Marko - Hacksmith Industries' Plasma Proto-Lightsaber Build and Test
Dean - Holograms
John - The Millennium Falcon
Sponsored by:
Honeywell CT40-HC Mobile Computer for Healthcare
Zebra ISV eBook
Talk to us!
Twitter - @TEConnectPod
Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
Thursday Dec 03, 2020
The first of our fun episodes to wrap up the year! Technology in popular culture has always been cyclical in how it’s influenced by what’s happening in the world and, in turn, influences and inspires us. In this episode, we examine that relationship and highlight some of the cultural milestones in film and television that introduced concepts that came true, as well as how popular technology impacts our entire way of life. How much did Star Trek get right about future tech? What tech is unlikely to ever happen or is so far off, it’s still science fiction? What are some of our favorite TV shows or movies for cool tech? It’s the episode where we get our geek on, with some special returning guests!
Our Favorite Pop Culture Tech:
Mike Stachura: SpaceX Earth to Earth rocket travel
Sam Kalany: Back to the Future II & WALL-E
James Korte: Election night touch screens
Mark Ryan: Plugging into the Matrix
Dean: Sampling in music (John references Andrew Bird one-man orchestra)
John: Holodeck
Terry Miller: Men in Black Neuralyzer & Star Trek Transporters
Sponsored by:
Elo Touch Solutions for Healthcare
Zebra Scan Selector Tool
Honeywell RT10 Tablet
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Printers are a vital component of many workplaces, from retail and hospitality to warehousing, manufacturing & healthcare, but these devices are more than just boxes for spitting out labels and receipts. They are increasingly connected to organizational infrastructure and systems and there are a multitude of options for printer media. We're joined this week by Zebra's Leo Lowy & Christine Weber to discuss. How can printers be a network security risk and how can you prevent it? What types of media are available and how does one decide what they need? Hint, we were imPRESSed by the acronym for making those decisions.
#VARValue – What should VARs be talking to their customers about regarding printer security and supplies?
TEConnecting with us:
Leo - 5G
Christine - Temptime
Dean - Dry ice storage and shortages
John - RIP Alex Trebek
Sponsored by:
Zebra's "Printer Media & Consumables" eBook
Zebra's "What Can You See?" campaign
Talk to us!
Twitter: @TEConnectPod
Email: TEConnect@bluestarinc.com