Recap of all the latest AI news as it relates to small and medium-sized businesses. Made with Notebook LM.

discretelogic.ai

This Week in AI 10-17-2025

MANTEK.BERLIN @ SMB833 OPEN AIR [20.09.25]

Kat's on the road, and in a haunted hotel...which begs the question: do you believe in ghosts?

We segue (beautifully) into talking about the cloud at 5:05 into the episode if the ethereal doesn't do it for you. From dispelling common myths to highlighting benefits for small businesses, we've got you covered. We all use it every day, possibly without knowing it. Kat even makes this about Cisco at 15:20 and we highlight what role Cisco plays in the cloud.

If you're interested what Cisco has in terms of cloud networking, check it out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

404 Script Not Found: Cloud Computing

In this episode, Edd Hall discusses the latest wave of cybersecurity incidents shaking global infrastructure — from the massive AWS outage that disrupted Prime Video and Fortnite, to China’s accusations against the NSA over cyber-espionage operations. He also breaks down CISA’s addition of new exploited vulnerabilities, the discovery of 131 malicious Chrome extensions hijacking WhatsApp sessions, and the major F5 Networks breach affecting over 262,000 systems. The episode wraps up with updates on Volkswagen’s suspected ransomware attack, the active exploitation of a critical Windows SMB flaw, and the emergence of the self-spreading “GlassWorm” malware targeting developer ecosystems.

Major Cyber Incidents Expose Global Infrastructure and Supply Chain Risks

Golden minds and golden interview tips this week, as Ian and Kat are joined by Cisco's US Public Sector Sales Director Sammy Brenner for all her best interview tips (after we get through talking supplements and subscriptions...bear with us)!

Sammy shares her career journey (starting at 5:10 in) before we segue into into interview icks, tips and best practices (7:17 in). From being dressing for success to not using the interview to rant about animal rights, we've got you covered. Bottom line: you've got to play the game!

Sammy WILL be back for a part 2, so stay tuned!

If you want to apply (and hopefully interview) for a role at Cisco, we've got you covered:  https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/careers.html

Also, check out Sammy's podcast Meraki Unboxed here (after you listen to ours): https://open.spotify.com/show/3ahh6qHnNoYvCBSYBJMZX1?si=22ee47049d664d8a



404 Script Not Found: Interview Tips with Sammy

This Week in AI 10-23-2025

In a series of podcasts taped live at 2025’s Money 20/20 in Las Vegas, host Lou Carlozo brings you the latest from one of the premier financial services conferences in the world. On this episode, Anthony Vassallo, Senior Vice President of Crypto at Silicon Valley Bank, walks us through the state of crypto in 2025, the ascendancy of stable coins--and why the bank chose not to rebrand following its well publicized collapse in 2023.

LIVE FROM MONEY 20/20 EPISODE 4: SILICON VALLEY BANK'S CRYPTO EXPERT ON STABLECOINS, THE BANK'S COMEBACK STORY AND MORE

We're back with Sammy Brenner (Cisco's US Public Sector Sales Director, NBD) for part two! Usually sequels are worse than the original, but this one may be better! 

We dive RIGHT in to how to network at work, how to (and how not to) get referrals into jobs and how to grow your career from three people all in different stages of their career and journey. Grow where you are, even if you're old like Ian.

If you want to apply (and hopefully interview) for a role at Cisco, we've got you covered: www.cisco.com/c/en/us/about/careers.html

Also, check out Sammy's podcast Meraki Unboxed here (after you listen to ours): https://community.meraki.com/t5/Meraki-Unboxed-Podcast/Episode-138-Converging-Forces-The-Next-Wave-in-Networking/ba-p/283068

404 Script Not Found: Career Tips with Sammy Brenner

This Week in AI 10-30-2025

Fresh out of the studio, Ralph Haupter, President & CRO, Small Medium Enterprises and Channels at Microsoft, joins us to explore how Microsoft is empowering 400 million small and medium businesses globally across 56 counties through a partner-first strategy that combines platform standardization with deep specialization. He shares his career journey spanning over 20 years at Microsoft, from running Europe to leading Greater China, building Asia's geographical operations in Singapore, and eventually taking on global SME strategy. Ralph explains that Microsoft's unique advantage lies in being a platform company at its finest, offering a complete technology stack from productivity to infrastructure, security, and applications—all with core AI integration—while relying on a specialized partner ecosystem to deliver local expertise and support. He highlights how partners are creating entirely new business models on agentic AI while emphasizing the four critical partnership moments from transaction to ongoing support that most companies neglect. Closing the conversation, Ralph shares what great looks like for Microsoft. 

“The partner program for us is a place where we want to have expertise for our customers. The only way to make that happen is to standardize on portfolio and standardize on offering.If you don’t provide standardized offers — if the experience in Word, for example, is different in one country than in another — you can’t build an ecosystem that helps partners scale with expertise. I call that a platform company at its finest.We have the full assortment — from the productivity world to infrastructure, security, and applications. And if you’re a small or medium enterprise, the last thing you want is to have four meetings with four people, serving four different types of coffee to four different vendors, just to get a full-stack solution for your business.” - Ralph Haupter

Episode Highlights: 
[00:00] Quote of the Day by Ralph Haupter
[00:54] Ralph's 20+ year Microsoft career journey from Europe to China to Global
[02:19] Ralph's Experience in Microsoft Greater China
[04:24] Giving space to local country leaders
[06:16] Career advice: Get out of comfort zone
[08:02] Microsoft's 400 million SME customer opportunity
[11:00] AI accessibility for small business competitiveness
[13:09] Satya's vision: Empower every organization globally
[15:00] Microsoft as AI platform company strategy
[17:24] Standardization enables partner ecosystem at scale
[21:22] Security partners drive consultative innovation
[25:15] Full stack portfolio simplifies SME technology
[28:00] Training investment for partners and customers
[32:00] Four critical partnership moments: Sales to support
[35:00] Local partner presence matters by geography
[40:36] Scale requires clarity, simplicity, and standards
[42:36] Global Leadership Lessons: Learning from positive performance signal deviations
[45:22] Customers should ask partners for expertise
[47:34] What does Great Look Like for Microsoft SME & Channel Globally
[48:00] Closing

Profile: Ralph Haupter, President and CRO, Small Medium Enterprises and Channel (SME&C), Microsoft 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphhaupter/

Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. The proper credits for the intro and end music are "Energetic Sports Drive." G. Thomas Craig mixed and edited the episode in both video and audio format. 

Microsoft's Global Partner Strategy_ 400M Businesses & 1 Platform with Ralph Haupter

Banks dramatically underestimate how their customers share financial data, and most of it happens through insecure screen scraping that creates fraud vulnerabilities and slows performance. Shane McWilliams, Head of Retail Digital Banking at FIS, breaks down the three critical challenges separating thriving institutions from those being left behind: serving small and medium businesses as a central financial hub, enabling secure data sharing through APIs, and moving beyond product-centric thinking to build sticky customer relationships.

McWilliams reveals that when he asks bank executives to guess what percentage of their customers are sharing data with third parties, "they're not even close" to reality. He explains how modern SMBs expect their banks to integrate everything from cash flow monitoring to accounting systems, why personalization needs to go beyond UX optimization, and how banks that orient around customer needs rather than products will win in today's competitive environment.

FIS's McWilliams on SMBs, data sharing, and the strategy that wins in a competitive environment

WHERE IS THE MONEY? The million dollar question that Kat and Ian cannot answer. Please leave a comment after minute 6 if you can answer this question for us. 

From here, your favorite duo hits the highlights on SMB pain points with marketing. From cost to time consumption, Kat and Ian debunk allll the myths for SMBs.

AND if you're more interested in exactly what Cisco is selling, check it out here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html#tabs-a107e9a621-item-6caff3e5bb-tab

404 Script Not Found: Where is the Money? SMB Pain Points

This Week in AI 11-06-2025

We are joined by our producer extraordinaire, Alex Giroux the Associate Director of Brand and Customer Experience at Agital to talk all things marketing from the brain of an ad agency leader. 

From how direct mail is so cool that Kat keeps hers (but somehow is responsible enough to develop disposable camera pictures) to AI content creation, Alex has us covered on the latest and greatest marketing trends for both B2B and B2C. 

Whether you are in marketing or in business, this episode should resonate for you! And if it doesn't, you can just watch the YouTube with the sound off like Ian. 

If you enjoy the pod, and want to keep our bosses happy, please click here: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html


404 Script Not Found: State of the (Marketing) Union

Kat's out of town, so Ian is joined by Brad Oliver, Director of the US Commercial Collaboration SMB & Midmarket Sales Organization at Cisco to talk hobbies, work/life balance and fighting off burnout. You have to be able to bring your best self everyday, but how do you go about doing that?

Just two bros talking life, love and pursuit of happiness. Truly an episode for the people. 

If you came for Cisco information...sorry, but click here so our boss doesn't fire us! id.cisco.com/app/ciscoid_aemcloudprodsaml_1/exk14lk1xf6SKDANc5d7/sso/saml


404 Script Not Found: Life Advice

This Week in AI 11-20-2025

This is the soundtrack or something like that for Daily Life (UT fangame). That track was made on March 5th of 2024 (yeah, I just forgor about this track for almost 2 years, lollll). Also the artwork I drew yesterday

SMB SF ⁽⁰⁵⋅⁰³⋅²⁰²⁴⁾

We’re talking cookies today – both kinds. 

Kat harkens back to her digital marketing days to share her knowledge on first- and third-party cookies, and more importantly why you keep getting asked to accept them when you visit a landing page. We also clear up if your phone is listening to you, and if the internet will get even better at predicting your buying decisions. 

We then spend the last 5 minutes going in-depth on cookies (the kind you eat). From our favorites, wildcards and how wild Oreos have gotten, we give a comprehensive breakdown of them all... Weigh in with your takes!

If you haven’t already, and want to help us keep making sure this podcast gets funded, please check out Cisco’s solutions for small and medium businesses: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/solutions/small-business/index.html 


404 Script Not Found: Cookies

The Analyse Podcast, formerly Analyse Asia, is a weekly show that dissects the pulse of business, technology, and media across the world. Hosted by Bernard Leong, it features in-depth conversations with leading journalists, senior executives, visionary authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders who shape industries and ideas. Each episode dives into the most important trends and stories redefining how the world builds, scales, and innovates — from Asia to the globe.

EAR | Electronic Ambition Records

www.mantek.berlin

The Daily HEAL Security Dispatch Podcast is a leading source for up-to-the-minute news and deep insights in the realm of healthcare cybersecurity and threat intelligence. 

At the heart of HEAL Security's vision is the commitment to equipping organizations and individuals with rapid, contextually rich cybersecurity updates, establishing itself as a pivotal force in unifying practice and data against the ingenious tactics of criminal and malicious entities. HEAL Security is fervently devoted to constructing a robust resource and community that champions the defense of the healthcare sector against the growing cyber threats from organized crime groups and antagonistic nation-states. Our core focus encompasses the protection of vital IT infrastructures, the security of sensitive patient and clinical information, the safeguarding of critical healthcare systems, and the assurance of continuous, undisturbed patient care services.

The Cisco Podcast Network is a collective of podcasts from across Cisco spanning technology to culture and everything in between. Hear from Cisco customers, partners, and Cisco insiders on the topics that matter most to you. Email us with your feedback and suggestions. Discover your favorite playlists today!

Tearsheet is news, opinion, and analysis on the business of finance.

Candid conversations with senior executives, fintech entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts -- all weigh in on the trends impacting the industry and the disruptive impact technology is having on the business.

Where social media, technology and finance intersect.

After amassing 125K listens as host of my previous banking podcast, I'm on my own and taking the game to a new level. Award-winning journalist, Pulitzer Prize finalist, composer and performer of all the Bankadelic music ... pizza fanatic.

New tracks tagged #SMB