Cloudspotting
Rackspace Technology
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Cloudspotting is a podcast about cloud computing and technology hosted by Scott Pankonin and Saikumar Iyer from Rackspace Technology. Keep up with the cloud with Cloudspotting - episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and other podcatchers.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Nov 23, 2021
Episode 31: Why ITIL isn’t dead — and how it’s relevant in a cloud world
The principles of ITIL are still relevant in an agile cloud world. This episode of Cloudspotting takes a deep dive into how ITIL can benefit organizations by helping to protect infrastructure and provide service stability.
Recommended reads
https://www.axelos.com/for-professionals/publications
https://www.vanharen.store/itsm-process-assessment-supporting-itil-tipa Special Guest: Paul Jackson.
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Jul 19, 2021
Episode 30: What can AI and machine learning do for your business?
This episode of Cloudspotting takes a deep dive into the latest AI and machine learning trends for businesses to leverage. With voice capabilities becoming readily available and edge technology growing in popularity there are many ways for businesses to benefit.
Show notes
Recommended reads:
• Data Science on AWS by Chris Fregly, Antje Barth https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55769407-data-science-on-aws Special Guest: Mark McQuade.
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Mar 15, 2021
Episode 29: Women in Tech: Creating stronger female networks
If you believe in equal opportunities, then we have a long way to go in IT. Creating stronger female networks is one way forward. In a special #WomenInTech Cloudspotting episode, Sai and Alex are joined by four members of the Professional Organization of Women Empowerment at Rackspace Technology (POWER).
Show notes
• Rackspace Technology POWER Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXK8KWNgW1Msvv2LcWVp7xGgjJeSev45g
Recommended reads:
• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13588356-daring-greatly
• How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber and Julie King https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29430725-how-to-talk-so-little-kids-will-listen
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish, Kimberly Ann Coe https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/769016.HowtoTalkSoKidsWillListenListenSoKidsWill_Talk
• Little Girls Can Be Mean: Four Steps to Bully-proof Girls in the Early Grades by Michelle Anthony, Reyna Lindert https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7607611-little-girls-can-be-mean
• Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34890015-factfulness
• Corporates Are from Mars, Charities Are from Venus. By Kay Allen with Tanja Rasmussen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15939995-corporates-are-from-mars-charities-are-from-venus-kay-allen-with-tanja Special Guests: Danielle Rudden, Gavin Bounds, Jo Glass, and Vanessa Thompson.
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Nov 20, 2020
28: Going digging down the data goldmine
Your business is sitting on an untapped data goldmine. But how do you transform your organization into a mining machine? In the latest episode of Cloudspotting, three data experts join podcast hosts Alex and Sai to break down the complex topic of utilizing data in your organization.
Show notes:
Recommended read - The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/44333183-the-unicorn-project
Recommended read - Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn, Keras, and Tensorflow by Aurélien Géron https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/40363665-hands-on-machine-learning-with-scikit-learn-keras-and-tensorflow
Recommended read - The Rack We Built: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Creating Company Culture by Lorenzo Gómez https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55681761-the-rack-we-built Special Guests: Ben Morgan-Smith, Mark McQuade, and Nirmal Ranganathan.
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Sep 16, 2020
27: It’s Black Friday every day as ecommerce booms
The surge in demand for online goods and services means that many companies are now experiencing Black Friday numbers on their websites every day. Cloudspotting hosts Alex and Sai are joined Wesley Lomax, Larry Hau and Will Parsons, to discuss the ecommerce boom from a technology perspective.
Show notes:
* Our first pod on ecommerce (and first ever pod!) featuring Will Parsons https://cloudspotting.fireside.fm/1
* Podcast about SRE/CRE https://cloudspotting.fireside.fm/11
* Recommended read - Winning Is Not Enough by Jackie Stewart https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2331618.WinningIsNotEnough
* Recommended read - Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) Handbook: How SRE implements DevOps by Stephen Fleming https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42934361-site-reliability-engineering-sre-handbook
* Recommended read - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/397483.TheDevilintheWhiteCity
* Recommended read - Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3228917-outliers Special Guests: Larry Hau, Wesley Lomax, and Will Parsons.
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Aug 21, 2020
26: Being authentic and building trust in the machine age
Authenticity enables us to build trust and lays the foundation for quality relationships in the working world. In the latest Cloudspotting episode, Diane Dowdell, Professor of Marketing and Management at St. Mary's University, joins the Cloudspotting team to discuss authenticity and building trust in the machine age.
Show notes:
* Podcast on continuous improvement with Matt Stoyka https://cloudspotting.fireside.fm/17
* Recommended read - Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26329.Emotional_Intelligence
* Recommended read - The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23316526-the-second-machine-age
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Jul 20, 2020
25: A day in the life of a Solutions Architect
Solution Architects (SAs) play an major role in solving the most complex modern business challenges. In this episode of Cloudspotting, find out what it means to be a SA, what makes them tick and what attracts them to extremely complex business challenges.
Recommended reads:
* S.U.M.O. (Shut Up, Move On) by Paul McGee https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205541.SUMOShutUpMoveOn
* Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow
* Building Microservices by Sam Newman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22512931-building-microservices
* Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37976541-bad-blood Special Guests: Markus Schmid and Simon Roberts.
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Jun 9, 2020
24: The future is even more cloudy after COVID
Our podcast hosts Alex and Sai are joined by Jeff DeVerter, Rackspace CTO and host of Cloud Talk, to discuss how the current pandemic has been a catalyst for more cloud adoption and usage. The IT enthusiasts look back and imagine how we would have coped with the current situation even 20 years ago. Listeners are then brought up to the modern day where cloud technology is helping us share vital information, stay connected with friends and family, and adopt a new way of working from home. The conversation then looks to the future and why it's going to be even more cloudy, after a necessity-driven shift from IaaS to SaaS.
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May 7, 2020
23: Can security keep up with digital transformation?
For the latest CloudSpotting episode, we recruited Dan Pitman, Principal Security Architect at Alert Logic, to join our timely discussion about security. With everything moving so quickly in tech, the truth is organisations are more vulnerable than ever and attacks are always imminent. In fact, despite all our modern cybersecurity, breach dwell time is higher than ever. Dan explains the importance of enhancing the detection and response process, as a locked door is no longer enough, we need to bring in the guard dogs!
Here's some links we mention:
Previous security episode with Danny O'Neill: https://soundcloud.com/user-741930142/keepingitreel
The MDR Manifesto: https://www.alertlogic.com/docs/the-mdr-manifesto.pdf
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Apr 28, 2020
22: You're not alone. Join our discussion about mental health.
Alex and Sai welcome Anchal Kaushal, Engagement Manager and Mental Health First Aider at Rackspace, on to the podcast. Anchal is a steering member of Rackspace Lavender, a volunteer group with the mission to support mental wellness and physical abilities in the workplace. Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us Anchal!
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Apr 9, 2020
21: Not another work from home podcast
In this episode of CloudSpotting, Sai and Alex are joined by our experts in productivity tools and collaboration solutions Jonathan Lui and Nigel Choji.
Listen to get tips, quick fixes and practical advice on how to improve your organisation's working from home strategy and how to work from home more effectively.
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Mar 12, 2020
20: VMC on AWS: getting the best of both worlds
We are joined by vExpert, host of OpenTechCast (another great podcast!) and technology enthusiast Ather Beg, who comes to discuss the hot topic of running VMware Cloud on AWS. We delve into the following: What are the benefits and use cases of combining these private and public clouds? How exactly does it all work? How reliable is this solution in terms of availability?
Thanks for joining us Ather, and for helping us set new records for acronym usage!
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Jan 21, 2020
19: Personal Development – Are you doing things to make yourself grow?
Sumit Sharma, Solutions Architect and 8 year Racker, joins our podcast hosts Alex and Sai for an episode about personal development. In this episode, Sumit asks some thought-provoking questions. How have you started the new year? Have you stepped out of your comfort zone yet? Are you doing things to make yourself grow?
Show notes:
Gallup Strengths Finder - https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
The Myers & Briggs Foundation - https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/home.htm?bhcp=1
16 Personalities - https://www.16personalities.com/
Getting Things Done by David Allen - https://gettingthingsdone.com/ & https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-free-Productivity/dp/0349408947
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Jan 9, 2020
18: Special Episode - re:Invent destroyed my pedometer
Our podcast hosts are joined by Kyle Jenner, AWS Architect at Rackspace, and Simon Treacy, Head of UK Specialist Solution Architecture at AWS, for a CloudSpotting re:Invent special.
It’s time to reflect on the mega-event: the tech, the talks and the walks (pedometer records were broken). What updates are we most excited about? What do some of these updates mean for the industry and beyond? Tune in to find out.
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Oct 15, 2019
17: It's always sunny in California...
and change is always constant.
Rackspace’s Chief Relationship Officer Matt Stoyka reveals how businesses need people, processes and technology to work in a harmonious trinity to achieve success.
Tune in to hear how cloud is disrupting the way businesses embrace change. His insights include how continuous improvement is the north star for businesses, therefore they should leverage technology at speed to enhance the delivery of great services and products.
Show notes:
How to use storytelling in change management - https://www.changecorner.com.au/current-news/how-to-use-storytelling-in-change-management
How to be a business transformation advocate at your company - https://ceoworld.biz/2019/02/15/how-to-be-a-business-transformation-advocate-at-your-company/
Ensure your change communication strategy first aligns with the external business environment - https://cuttingedgepr.com/free-articles/ensure-your-change-communication-strategy-first-aligns-with-the-external-business-environment/
Bo…
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Sep 18, 2019
16: Back to school - on their Rackspace anniversary grads share their journey
On the anniversary of their first day at Rackspace Will, Sabeeah, Trisha and Yousef share their experience of the journey from uni to a fully certified Solutions Architect.
Tune in to learn all about careers and opportunities awaiting you in tech!
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Jul 9, 2019
15: Who is paying for the Game of Clouds? - this one is about FinTech
A subtle reference to the most controversial final season ever leads Alex, Sai and their guest Sean Lee, Rackspace Portfolio Architect and Financial Services Expert to a discussion about the history of FinServ industry. Tune in and learn all about new comers to the industry and how tech is helping us manage budgets.
The news item mentioned by Sean is available here:
https://www.bworldonline.com/banks-and-fintech-the-next-step/?utmmedium=email&utmsource=fintechweeklycom
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Jun 7, 2019
14: OnCloud vs ToCloud - who's born in the cloud?
In this episode Sai and Alex are joined by Wilco Noordermeer to talk about Cloud migration trends. Find out if it's easier and better to migrate to cloud or create in the cloud.
Show notes items:
1.Cloud native maturity matrix: https://container-solutions.com/cloud-native-maturity-matrix/
2. Sai mentions Cloud migration trends by Gartner: https://www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/public-cloud-spending-to-surge-as-companies-start-moving-from-cloud-first-to-cloud-only-says-gartner/
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May 31, 2019
13: Not so timely on Google Next...
Long overdue, but we are back!
On today's episode Alex and Sai host Luke Carter and Rackspace Google Next speaker Tom Bottrill.
Interested in our view on Google's announcement on GKE and AI&ML?
Tune in!
You can also find us on Twitter @SpottingClouds
and at go.rackspace.com/CloudSpotting
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Mar 29, 2019
12: Diving into WAF and on ways to prevent DDoS
Second of the series with Tomasz Ziolkowski. This time the gang dives into Web Application Firewall and discusses the business impact of DDoS.
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Feb 22, 2019
11: Some people just talk too much about SRE/CRE
In this episode Sai and Alex are joined by our Google Specialist Architects Welby McRoberts and Luke Carter who go through the ever so interesting concept of SRE/CRE. Learn how companies manage user expectations, predict the outages and secure service reputation.
Resources mentioned on the show can be found here:
Seeking SRE:http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920063964.do
Site Reliability Engineering: http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920041528.do
The Site Reliability Work Book and Site Reliability Engineering: https://landing.google.com/sre/books/
SRE vs Devops: https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/gcp/sre-vs-devops-competing-standards-or-close-friends
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Jan 18, 2019
10: What Cloud?! - A portfolio architect's viewpoint.
Welcome to season 2 of CloudSpotting!
In the first episode of 2019, Sai and Alex speak to Mark Folsy Folson and Kevin Kennedy aka KK; Rackspace Portfolio Architects about choosing the right Cloud.
Tune in to learn more about different clouds, differences between PaaS and IaaS and find out what approach to take when deciding if and where to move your workloads.
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Dec 12, 2018
9: Special Episode - AWS Re:Invent Recap
In this Special episode Alex and Sai host two AWS Specialist Architects at Rackspace Steve Drew and Malcolm North and Dan White, special guest from AWS Architect team. Tune in find out what happened at the biggest AWS event of the year, apart from new announcements, you will also find out what happened in Vegas and what was on the menu!
Show notes links:
1. Racker Blockchain Intro at AWSUG UK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f99TwDZUG0A
2. AWS re:Invent 2018 - Keynote with Werner Vogels -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=femopq3JWJg
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Oct 10, 2018
8: CDN - back to tech
A total geek-out with Alex and Sai joined by Tomasz Ziolkowski (Rackspace Solution Architect) discuss application design, performance improvement and security. Our speakers focus on CDN but will give you an introduction to WAF and DDoS which will be further discussed in the part 2 of the episode with Tomasz.
In simpler words, how to make your end-user happier with your online services!
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Aug 28, 2018
7: The business "why" behind the cloud
In this episode of CloudSpotting Sai and Alex are challenged to a discussion about business reasons behind adopting cloud technology, our special guest this time is our Mid Market Sales Leader, George Earp. Can asking why help you create a better solution?
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Jul 23, 2018
6: Deeper into the mysterious world of DevOps
The 6th episode of CloudSpotting brings us a discussion around automation and its role in software development. Sai, Alex and their guest Iskandar (Specialist Architect at Rackspace) talk DevOps, development automation and how good coffee is key. Tune in!
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Jun 22, 2018
5: Well-Architected Framework Reviews, hay fever struggles and code inception
In the 5th episode of CloudSpotting Alex and Sai go into well-architected framework reviews with AWS, special guests on the show are Tom Ellis and Danny Wilkinson.
Show notes:
1. Well-Architected Framework Reviews whitepaper: https://d0.awsstatic.com/whitepapers/architecture/AWSWell-ArchitectedFramework.pdf
2. Well-architected Framework landing page: https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/
3. Azure Cloud Solution Architecture Mind Map: http://bit.ly/2BppIFo
4. AWS Well-Architected Framework Mind Map: http://bit.ly/2A0r2B4
5. Google Architecture Tutorial: https://cloud.google.com/docs/tutorials#%22architecture%22
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Jun 15, 2018
4: Application development, security injections and cluster questions...
In this episode Sai and Alex (Rackspace Solution Architects) discuss application development old and new trends.
Special guest Paul Fryer(Lead Solution Architect at Rackspace), shares insights and fun facts from the life of a developer.
Show notes:
Could Journey Webinar - available on demand https://go.rackspace.com/CloudJourneyWebinar
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Apr 11, 2018
3: At rest encryption and exploding boxes
In this episode Sai and Alex (Rackspace Solution Architects) discuss if at rest encryption is good enough...
Special guest includes Simon Roberts(Lead Solution Architect at Rackspace), who explains methods of protecting your data.
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Mar 1, 2018
2: Keeping it Reel – The Art of Phishing and Advanced Persistent Threats
In this episode Sai and Alex (Rackspace Solution Architects) discuss the art of phishing and advanced persistent threats.
Special guest includes Danny O'neill (Rackspace Head of Managed Security), who gives an insight into methods of data protection in light of GDPR.
References:
1. Phishing attacks - how to keep yourself and your information safe: https://blog.rackspace.com/phishing-attacks-how-to-keep-yourself-and-your-information-safe
2. On demand - GDPR webinar - Things to consider before May 2018: http://go.rackspace.com/GDPRwebinar
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Feb 7, 2018
1: Peaking Early - A discussion on Application Scaling
Work in IT for a growing company? Want to delve deeper on stress testing without stressy resource issues?
Hear from experts and new podcast hosts Alex, Sai (Rackspace solution architects) and this month’s special guest, Lead Engineer Will Parsons.
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