Techstrong Gang

Techstrong Gang - 1/15/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Jon Swartz, Fred Wilmot, Gina Rosenthal, and Futurum Group analyst Guy Currier examine the merits of this year’s Techstrong Person of the Year award and what the selection says about leadership in the technology industry.
The discussion then turns to Apple’s decision to tap Google for AI support as it looks to improve Siri, a move that raises questions about platform strategy and competitive positioning. The episode closes with a look at the potential implications of a reported source code theft involving Target, highlighting ongoing cybersecurity and software risk concerns.

Techstrong Gang - 1/14/2026

Alan, Mike, Jon and Teri Robinson dive into a Microsoft pledge, prompted by President Trump, to pick up the cost of electricity when building out data centers to run artificial intelligence (AI) applications.Then the gang delves into the implications of a Taiwan trade deal that calls for more TSMC semiconductor manufacturing plants to be built in the U.S. before taking a minute to acknowledge the great work cybersecurity professionals have been doing to protect us all.

Techstrong Gang - 1/13/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Chris Blask, Kate Scarcella, Sid Nag and Dan O’Brien, president and COO of the Futurum Group, discuss a new protocol from Google designed to enable AI agents to conduct shopping transactions, highlighting how agent-based workflows are expanding beyond experimentation.
The gang then examines recent advances in AI coding, including how new tools are changing application development and DevOps practices. The episode wraps with a look at a U.S. Congress effort to secure funding for quantum computing research and development, underscoring the long-term strategic importance of quantum technologies.

Techstrong Gang - 1/12/2026

Stephen Foskett, Mike Vizard, and JP Morgenthal, the Techstrong Gang takes stock of 2026 and examines how the year is actually unfolding. From AI and agentic systems to cloud infrastructure, rising cybersecurity pressure, and enterprise realities, the conversation focuses on what’s proving real, where friction is emerging, and which expectations are already being challenged.
Rather than forecasting what might happen, the panel looks at early signals, course corrections, and the practical implications for organizations navigating technology, economics, and regulation right now.

Techstrong Gang - 1/9/2026

Alan Shimel, Mike Vizard, Mitch Ashley, Camberley Bates and Jack Poller discuss the state of DevOps in the age of artificial intelligence as 2026 gets underway, focusing on how workflows, tooling and team structures continue to change.The gang then asks where the promised AI jobs are before turning to the critical role identity plays in cybersecurity, an area that remains widely misunderstood as attack surfaces expand.#AI #DevOps #Cybersecurity #Jobs

Techstrong Gang - 01/8/2026

Alan, Mike, Jon, Fred Wilmot and Gina Rosenthal dive into an Intel resurgence that might be underway following some announcements made this week at CES.Then the gang debates the merits of a California effort to protect privacy by reining in data brokers before discussing how continuous observability might be the key to cybersecurit

Techstrong Gang - 01/7/2026

Alan, Mike, Mitch, Jon and Teri Robinson dive into the rapid pace of robotics development that manifested itself this week at the CES conference.Then the gang takes a look at the rate of investment being made in data centers that are expected to run artificial intelligence (AI) applications before discussing the degree to which cybersecurity spending might increase in 2026.

Techstrong Gang - 01/6/2026

Alan, Mike, Mitch, Chris Blask, Kate Scarcella and Dan O'Brien, president and COO of the Futurum Group, dive into an autonomous vehicle push being made by NVIDIA and the launch of a series of AI laptops from HP, Inc. that don't require a graphic processor unit (GPU) that were all launched at the CES conference this week, Then the gang remembers former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner, who passed away over the holidays.

Techstrong Gang - 01/5/2026

Alan, Mike, Mitch, Jack Poller and Stephen Foskett, president of the Tech Field Day arm of the Futurum Group, dive into a $20 billion licensing agreement that gives NVIDIA access to an artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator developed by Groq AI before delving into why Meta is acquiring Manus to gain access to a set of general purpose AI agents.Then the gang takes a look at MongoDB Bleed, a vulnerability affecting the widely used database that has been actively exploited over the holidays.

Techstrong Gang - 12/23/2025

Alan, Mike, Mitch, Jon, Tracy Ragan, Chris Blask, JP Morgenthal, Fred Wilmot, Jack Gold and Teri Robinson wrap up 2025 by discussing how the biggest trends in IT, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) are, for better or worse, impacting not just businesses but society as a whole.