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Latest Podcasts

Listen to audio interviews that dig deeper into headline news stories, adding context, background and unique perspectives. Hear about fascinating tech topics that otherwise may not have been on your radar. Enjoy insightful discussions with business executives on some of of the top-of-mind enterprise IT issues that can seriously impact the bottom line.

Download ECT News podcasts and listen to them on your MP3 player, or use your favorite media software to tune in on your computer -- no separate device required.

Virtual Testing Trims Real World Costs and Delivery Times (23:58 minutes)
Posted: May 20, 2013
When you're a top Internet service provider in Turkey, and you deploy scores of applications each year, you have to find an efficient testing method that ensures the apps are working properly across all infrastructures. In this podcast, TTNET's test and release manager Hasan Yukselten discusses how his company used advanced service virtualization (SV) solutions to automate end-to-end testing, which helped pave the way for integrated functional testing.

New IT Tools Untie Tangled Webs of Business Data (36:23 minutes)
Posted: May 6, 2013
Organizations of all sizes are discovering that they have to expend more energy than ever to keep up with the data streams flooding their infrastructures. It's not just the internal data that provides intelligence about their businesses -- organizations must also manage all of the external Big Data coming in that can help them win new clients and grow revenue. In this podcast, Matt Wolken, executive director and general manager for information management at Dell Software shares his insight into the current state of the information management market and its future path.

Transforming an Enterprise From Sluggish to Sleek (33:33 minutes)
Posted: April 22, 2013
When it comes to the enterprise, thin is in -- as in slimming down business processes and reducing the level of complexity that comes with running organizations in the 21st century. That goal would be challenging enough without the arrival of trends like Big Data and mobility. There are also the continuing struggles to secure company data, manage risk, meet compliance deadlines and overcome regulatory hurdles. In this podcast, executives from Enterprise Architects talk about how they help companies in verticals such as finance, defense, utilities and education deal with business challenges and transformation.

Power to the Wiki-People (14:41 minutes)
Posted: April 20, 2013
Earlier this month, agents for France's top intelligence agency were accused of attempting to force a Wikipedia volunteer to remove a Wikipedia page describing a French military radio relay station. The volunteer reportedly was threatened with jail unless he complied. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we talk with Geoffrey Brigham, the general counsel and board secretary for the Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts a number of projects, including Wikipedia. Brigham explains the logistics of a Wikipedia takedown request, what the criteria for legitimacy are, and how Wikipedia's linguistic expansion -- which invariably means a geographic expansion -- affects this process.

Virtualization: An IT Prescription for Healthcare Providers (32:22 minutes)
Posted: April 8, 2013
Healthcare providers know that technology can provide an answer to higher operating costs and ailing efficiencies within their organizations, but strict regulatory issues and other compliance matters have always proved to be tough obstacles. In this podcast, Ray Todich, systems administrator for Associated Surgeons and Physicians, shares his story on the best methods and technologies for better IT and business results in the healthcare services sector. Todich relates his experiences in allowing users to designate their own device choices while also gaining an ability to better manage sensitive data and creating a data-protection lifecycle approach.

A Slam Dunk for College Basketball Stats (15:22 minutes)
Posted: April 6, 2013
No one is keeping a closer eye on the NCAA Final Four than Ken Pomeroy, who has turned his hobby of analyzing basketball stats into one of college sports' most talked-about websites. Pomeroy has created a brand that is no longer merely a labor of love, but an increasingly mainstream -- and lucrative -- outlet. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, Pomeroy discusses the evolution of kenpom.com, the science of paywalls and the prospect of pulling a Nate Silver and joining with a mainstream media outlet.

The UK's Bloody Mad Blogosphere Battle (14:48 minutes)
Posted: March 30, 2013
News surfaced last week that the UK was mulling an overhaul of press regulations. The legislation, born out of the phone-hacking investigation known as the Leveson Inquiry, is designed, among other things, to better regulate online media. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we talk with Nick Pickles, the director of Big Brother Watch, a UK-based civil rights organization. Pickles explains how this legislation came to be, what's worrisome about the current wording, and what his organization is doing to avoid what it considers a gargantuan intrusion into Web-based content.

Rebooting IT to Run Like a Business (28:30 minutes)
Posted: March 25, 2013
It's one thing to employ enterprise resource planning to streamline an entire organization's business processes -- to use software and data to create a more efficient flow of information between different departments. However, what about applying ERP to an individual information technology department within that organization? What benefits could be achieved? In this podcast, listen to how the idea of running IT with the customer in mind has changed over the last decade and how it has propelled to the top of business agendas, thanks to trends such as cloud computing and mobility.

China's Great Big Holey 'Twitter' Net (18:51 minutes)
Posted: March 23, 2013
A recent study by researchers at the University of Hong Kong suggests that China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo -- which boasted in February that it had surpassed 500 million users -- might be overrun by zombie accounts. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we talk with one of the authors of the study, King-wa Fu. Fu talks about why previous studies of Sina Weibo overlooked the tumbleweeds blowing across so many accounts, and how his study fits (or doesn't fit) the narrative that Sina Weibo is a revolutionary tool for muzzled Chinese citizens.

Locking Up Big Data to Unlock Its Value (32:24 minutes)
Posted: March 18, 2013
The bad news about Big Data: This business trend means enterprises now have more valuable information within their systems that must be protected. The good news about Big Data: The analytics and business intelligence that come along with the trend can also be used to enhance risk management within organizations. The threats to businesses have changed in the past few years. "Script kiddies" out for fun have been replaced by better-organized hackers with agendas that include financial damage. That has led corporate executives to ask more pointed questions about risk assessment and the impact on their businesses. Those were some of the points brought up in this conversation on new directions and solutions in risk management.

How to Drink from the Big Data Firehose Without Drowning (45:30 minutes)
Posted: March 11, 2013
Big data necessitates rethinking the standard methods of analyzing and using data. Companies may have to go back to the whiteboard to sketch out new models of data architecture. They also have to think about the data archives they're creating for those who come after them in the organization; will they be able to find value from what's left behind? Those points and more were covered during a panel discussion about big data's impact on the enterprise at the recent Open Group Conference.

How Microsoft Became Denmark's Billion-Dollar Baby (15:36 minutes)
Posted: March 9, 2013
The 2002 purchase of a Danish tech company has come back to haunt Microsoft. Denmark's taxing authority wants the software giant to pay $1 billion in back taxes related to the acquisition. The purchase made headlines in the country back then, and Danes have some opinions now about Microsoft's business practices involving their homegrown firms. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we are joined by Kevin McGwin, the editor-in-chief of the Copenhagen Post. McGwin discusses what Danes think of the Microsoft tax bill, a busy Danish tax authority, and more.

With Business Foundations Shaking, Good Enterprise Architects Are Hard to Find (28:48 minutes)
Posted: March 4, 2013
Enterprise architects are looking at several trends impacting their roles in the business world -- the growth of cloud computing, the arrival of big data, more security challenges and the overall rate of technological advances. These are the topics discussed at conferences, and the feedback from EAs at these events ranges from struggles in defining their roles so they can remain relevant, to embracing the new opportunities that can help businesses drive transformation. In this podcast, a panel of enterprise architecture experts discussed the trends, challenges and opportunities in their field at the recent Open Group Conference.

AT&T's Take on Shifting Cloud Challenges and Opportunities (33:23 minutes)
Posted: Feb. 25, 2013
Chris Costello, assistant vice president of AT&T Cloud Services, knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities involved in implementing cloud technology to deliver and commercialize an adaptive and reliable cloud services ecosystem. Costello sees which cloud computing needs are being requested by smaller companies -- bundled services, on-demand capabilities -- and knows why the enterprise is emphasizing state-of-the-art security features. In this podcast, Costello shares her story, and discusses how the cloud services trend could open the door to more opportunities for women in technology.

Inside the Hunt for Chinese Hackers (19:05 minutes)
Posted: Feb. 23, 2013
A recent bombshell report from the security company Mandiant about Chinese hacking practices has been international fodder for media outlets eager to report and Chinese officials eager to deny. In the process, the firm has found itself in the public spotlight. In this episode, Dan McWhorter, managing director of Mandiant's threat intelligence unit, discusses the roots of the investigation.

Africa Is Not a Country - It's a Collection of Smartphone Markets (15:40 minutes)
Posted: Feb. 16, 2013
A recent wave of product activity by major technology companies is forcing a second look at Africa as the next big arena of opportunity for smartphone manufacturers and providers. Duncan McLeod, the founder and editor of South Africa-based Tech Central, joins us to explain the smartphone landscape in Africa. McLeod talks about Africa's emergence as a viable smartphone market and the wisdom -- or folly -- of Africa-centric marketing campaigns. He also discusses where BlackBerry -- which currently dominates the smartphone market in Africa -- will find itself amid the uptick in competition.

Auto Biz Game-Changers: Big Data Mashups (29:46 minutes)
Posted: Feb. 4, 2013
Ford has exploited the strengths of big data analytics by directing them internally to improve business results. In doing so, they scour the metrics from the company's best processes across myriad manufacturing efforts and through detailed outputs from in-use automobiles. In this podcast, Michael Cavaretta, Ph.D., technical leader of predictive analytics for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, explains how big data is fostering business transformation through efficient access to deeper insights into more types of data, thereby improving processes, quality control and customer satisfaction.

Online Gambling: The WTO Loads Antigua's Slingshot (34:08 minutes)
Posted: Feb. 2, 2013
Earlier this week, the World Trade Organization ruled that the nation of Antigua will be allowed to turn a blind eye to United States intellectual property rights. Antigua now has the right to suspend its obligations to American copyright, trademark and patent holders. In this TechNewsWorld podcast, Mark Mendel, an attorney for Antigua in the WTO case, joins us to discuss the situation. Mendel explains the importance of online gambling to the Antiguan economy, as well as what the nation plans to do with its WTO victory. He also discusses the piracy story line, and whether we should expect to see some sort of Antiguan-backed Pirate Bay.

Google, the EU and Competition: Speaking Different Languages (21:48 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 29, 2013
In this TechNewsWorld podcast, we are joined by Charles Arthur, the tech editor for The Guardian, and author of Digital Wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft and the Battle for the Internet. We'll discuss Europe's ongoing investigations into Google, the friction caused by America's and Europe's differing notions of competition, and what -- if anything -- Google can do to appease regulators.

Enterprise Security: No Perimeter Is Perfect (33:45 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 21, 2013
Enterprises of all types are increasingly under attack by advanced persistent threats, which pose much greater danger than the lone hacker who just wants to use brute force to get in and deface their website. The growing sophistication of intruders means they can take advantage of lax application security unnoticed and gain access to an organization's entire infrastructure. This podcast features guest George Turrentine, senior IT manager at a large telecom firm, whose focus is on IT security and compliance. Co-hosting the discussion are Raf Los, chief security evangelist at HP Software and Dana Gardner.

When Apple Met China (20:21 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 19, 2013
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently wrapped up his second trip to China in less than a year. While there, he met with regulators, declared that China would become Apple's biggest market, and talked shop with the nation's No. 1 mobile carrier, China Mobile. This podcast features Charlie Custer, the China editor for TechInAsia.com, who talks about Cook's trek to China, how the nation's wages complicate the Apple business model, the hurdles posed by China's zealous regulatory system and more.

Letting the Customer Experience Drive Innovation (31:31 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 14, 2013
In this episode, learn how American International Group's Global Performance Architecture Group has improved performance of the company's services to deliver better experiences and payoffs for businesses and end users alike. The group looks at the user experience and tailors the company's technology to maximize customer satisfaction and utility. Additionally, it results in better innovation, more efficient data management and higher return on investment for AIG.

The UK's Tangled Antipiracy Web (26:47 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 12, 2013
In the battle against online piracy, industry and government officials tend to cast a wide net in blocking suspected piracy-enabling websites. Sometimes this process results in the removal of sites that have nothing to do with piracy. Last April, the UK ordered Internet service providers to block file-sharing site The Pirate Bay. In this podcast, Jim Killock, executive director of the UK-based Open Rights Group, and opponent of The Pirate Bay block from the start, talks about the events to transpire since the April ruling, and what it means for Internet users going forward.

Bringing Order to Data Backup Chaos (36:07 minutes)
Posted: Jan. 7, 2013
Nowadays, the backup of enterprise information and associated data protection are fragmented, complex and inefficient. However, some new approaches are helping to simplify the data-protection process, keep costs in check, and improve recovery speed and confidence. This episode features John Maxwell, vice president of product management for data protection at Quest Software, and George Crump, founder and lead analyst at Storage Switzerland, an analyst firm focused on the storage market. They discuss how data protection became such a mess, and what new techniques are helping to gain comprehensive and standard control over the data lifecycle.