TEConnect Podcast

Advice from a Reseller Channel Veteran w/Code’s Dave Judy

In our industry, looking back can be as important as looking forward, so this week, we’re tapping into a channel veteran for insights and lessons. Code Corporation’s Dave Judy has nearly 50 years of experience in retail, sales, and barcode technology. What’s his background, and how has Code grown & changed? What is his selling philosophy, and why does the channel make it even easier? What professional and personal lessons has Dave learned? Finally, how is Dave helping make driver’s licensing easier in the age of digital wallets?

 

#VARValue - What advice do you have for the next generation in this channel? Is there any new/upcoming tech you think will be a big deal sooner rather than later?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dave - Digital driver's licensing

Dean - World's smallest QR code

John - Disney star launches satellite data startup

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 Edge Connect

pDOOH: Revenue Streams for You and End Users w/Smartify’s Joe Kunigonis & BlueStar’s Ben Simon

Storefronts and public venues offer plenty of opportunities for national and local brands to market & advertise. It’s also a potential source of recurring revenue for retailers, venue owners, and VARs. That’s the idea behind pDOOH (Programmatic Digital Out-of-Home) advertising, which uses “monetized & managed digital signage” in highly trafficked areas. Ben Simon, BlueStar’s Emerging Technologies BDM, and Joe Kunigonis, CEO of Smartify Media, our partner in the pDOOH initiative, explain the landscape, the solution, and how VARs benefit from selling it.

 

#VARValue - What should VARs interested in these solutions do next? How should they identify potential customers, and how do we help?

 

Learn More About pDOOH: https://pdooh.bluestarinc.com/ 

 

TEConnecting with us:

Ben - Dyson Zone - headphones w/air purifier

Joe - Mobile to screen sync

Dean - Chomper, the $20M baby T-Rex

John - Beef-infused rice

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 70-Series Touch Monitors

 

Is RFID Right for Your Business? w/TSC Printronix’s Chris Brown

RFID adoption is rapidly increasing, but traditional AIDC barcode VARs may still be uncertain if they want to add the technology to their portfolio. This week, TSC Printronix's RFID expert, Chris Brown, acknowledges the complexity of RFID solutions alongside the potential for your business. He presents what he sees as four clear options for barcoding VARs to take on (or not) RFID, followed by a look at mandates pushing the technology down the supply chain. What's the "Walmart blast off?" What other industries are primed for RFID? How does the "tush push" fit into this conversation?

 

#VARValue - Thinking about the process for implementing RFID, how does TSC help VARs get an opportunity over the finish line? 

 

TSC Printronix Webinars

RFID Printers - April 2023

Genuine Supplies, Powered by DLS - August 2023

 

TEConnecting with us:

Chris - RFID asset tracking

Dean - Bipedal robots get us one step closer to Terminator

John - Oh, and AI LLMs are already acting like Skynet

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 Outdoor Open Frame

Winning in Search for SMB Solution Providers w/James Korte

When the guys need a last-minute guest, bringing in James Korte and telling him to talk marketing is never a bad idea! James predictably nails it with a dive into SEO strategy and how SMB solution providers can position themselves high in organic searches. How long does it take? Where do you start? What should you create? How do you know it's working? Finally, we give you some concrete examples. It's the episode that's constantly Googling itself.

 

#VARValue - What can anyone listening (regardless of their position or marketing prowess) do to help their company’s SEO?

 

TEConnecting with us:

James - Rediscovering Pinterest

Dean - AI water consumption

John - Is KITT finally coming?

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 I-Series 3 with Intel

Retail Digital Signage Survey - Opportunities Abound

We're sifting through the data from another BlueStar Nation end-user survey (sponsored by Samsung): 125 retailer leaders shared their concerns, expectations, and perceptions about deploying digital displays. Why aren't they utilizing it? How would they if they did? Are their cost expectations accurate? Who do they think would be responsible for purchasing, maintaining, and managing content? It's an episode filled with data to help YOU find and win business.

 

#VARValue - Dean's takeaways as a former digital signage reseller.

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - Boston Dynamics = Cyberdyne Systems?

John - NASA beams a cat video via laser

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 M60 Mobile POS

TEC Bytes 15 - Trying to Make TEC Happen

We’re covering six more topics in technology, business, entertainment, and more!

 

Topics Discussed:

• MIT’s 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2024
• US companies that failed in China
• 50 years of video game revenues
• Most popular apps by downloads
• LinkedIn for dating?
• CES 2024 (and this article)

 

TEConnecting with us:

Dean - "Shotski" record

John - Strike Force Five podcast

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 Pay 7"

MSPs & VARs – Bridging the Gap w/SD Tech’s Shane Mishler

VARs and MSPs can sometimes be represented as operating in two different, siloed segments of the B2B technology market, but in a world where “one source” partners and consultants are more valuable than ever, collaboration is the future. This week, we’re joined by Shane Mishler, VP & COO of SD Tech, an MSP that’s already doing just that. How does Shane equate tech consulting to a construction project? How do MSPs handle requests that are outside of their scope? What emerging tech are his clients asking about?

 

#VARValue - How can VARs develop better mutual relationships with MSPs?

 

TEConnecting with us:

Shane - Samsung "Ballie"

Dean - Thwarting deepfake photos w/camera tech

John - The Nintendo Switch (and Breath of the Wild)

 

Keep in Touch!

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-star

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 Edge Connect Peripherals

Parking Management Technology w/OmniQ's John Whiteman

Finding a parking place has been a struggle as long as there have been motor vehicles. That’s especially true in big cities, at sporting events, entertainment venues, airports, and anywhere else that must accommodate large numbers of drivers. This week on the pod, OmniQ’s John Whiteman walks us through the technology that’s simplifying parking for drivers, garage/lot owners, and operators. How has AI changed parking technology? What hardware opportunities can VARs find with parking solutions? What are the benefits and recurring revenue? It’s the episode that just wants to get to the big game on time!

 

#VARValue - Where should VARs interested in parking opportunities begin? Who should they speak to, how would OmniQ fit into the process, and what do they gain by working with you? 

 

TEConnecting with us:

John W - Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

Dean - Nuclear fusion enters "new era"

John - Hangover free beer

 

Talk to us!

X/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 Outdoor Open Frame

Smart Fit Technology w/Fit:match’s Haniff Brown

We’re kicking off a new year of the podcast by exploring a topic that most of us have struggled with at some point--finding the right “fit” for our clothes--and some cool new tech that’s tackling the problem and improving apparel retailers’ bottom line in the process. We’re joined by Intel partner Fit:match’s Founder & CEO Haniff Brown. Fit:match uses “3D shape mapping” to match shoppers to a similar digital twin and allow retailers to recommend the best fit and styles for that body type. How does it work? Where did he see a need? How does this technology mitigate returns issues? What’s the hardware angle? It’s the episode that just wants all of their shirts to fit the same.

 

#VARValue - What are you looking for in the reseller channel and from VARs? What will they get from partnering with you? 

 

BlueStar Nation Survey - Retail Returns Management: https://nation.bluestarinc.com/articles/end-user-survey-returns-management-the-cost-loss-tools-and-approaches 

 

TEConnecting with us:

Haniff - OpenAI drama

Dean - Jupiter jetstream

John - Data center waste heats homes

 

Talk to us!

X/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:

Intel AI Solutions

Elo 70 Series

Star Wars Nerdfest – Episode IV

Another year of the podcast is closing out, so it must be time for the annual Star Wars episode! Sam & Marko join us to talk about the latest news for the franchise, including new movies, Dave Filoni’s promotion, and the end of Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser. We recap season 3 of The Mandalorian and the first (only?) of Ahsoka before John & Sam pitch why fans should check out the Rebels animated series. Finally, we share our favorite Star Wars weapons and spicy takes on the franchise that could bring down certain members of the fandom on us.

 

Talk to us!

X/Twitter - @TEConnectPod

Email - TEConnect@bluestarinc.com

Submit your topic ideas (or spicy takes!) - 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 M60 Mobile POS Computer

Zebra RS6100 Ring Scanner