The ITPro Podcast

The rise in popularity of generative AI has been centered largely around cloud AI, with popular chatbots and models accessed via API or dedicated websites. But with the right hardware, AI models can also be run on-device – and PC manufacturers are rushing to fill this niche.AI PCs are quickly becoming the norm for new product lineups, with specialized hardware to run certain AI processes on-device, alongside integrated AI assistant software.But what are the main benefits of this technology to businesses – and how far can we expect AI to transform the PC?In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner, to explore the impact of AI on PCs and how it’s already being deployed at the edge.What is an NPU and what can they do for your business?Dell says Windows 11 migration is a prime opportunity to overhaul ageing PC fleets – and AI devices are in the spotlightAI PCs will ‘become the norm’ by 2029 as enterprise and consumer demand surgesAI PCs are becoming a no-brainer for IT decision makersAI PCs are paying dividends for HP as firm reports sales surge“It’s almost mind boggling” – Dell is betting big on AI PCs, but customers are less enthusiastic

As developers have embraced AI to a greater degree, many have hailed the rise of so called vibe coding, in which broad prompts are given to AI models to produce refined code that's actionable and in many cases deployable.But vibe coding also comes with risks, because by its very nature it's more of a hands-off activity. It decreases the degree to which developers can explain what their code is doing, and may lead to them overlooking vulnerabilities. How serious is this risk, and what are the potential benefits of vibe coding in the future?In this episode, Rory speaks to Simon Black, director of evangelism at Mendix, to unpack what vibe coding is and why it comes with such high risks.

In modern businesses, your data is your value. This is not a new concept, but it can be a struggle to understand where to start when it comes to harnessing your data effectively.Unstructured data, which can be generated in massive quantities before it ever produces value, can be especially difficult to handle. But if this task is completed correctly, businesses can future-proof their operations and lay the groundwork for future AI deployments.What solutions are available to turn unstructured data into machine-readable content? And how does this feed into implementing in-demand tools such as AI agents?In this special edition of the ITPro Podcast, in association with Hyland, Rory and John explore how businesses can harness their structured and unstructured data to generate value and enable AI tools.Read more:Structured vs unstructured data managementA quarter of firms still don’t have a formal data strategy – and it’s hampering AI adoptionData quality worries are holding back AI adoption among manufacturers, despite optimism over its growth potentialAI is causing a data storage crisis for enterprises

The UK has immense AI potential, according to some of the biggest names in tech, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang having described the region as being in a “Goldilocks circumstance” due to its strong AI ecosystem and rich academic history.This month, the US tech ecosystem made its first significant contribution to recognizing this reality with tens of billions invested in the UK ecosystem. Will it pay off? And what does this investment mean in practical terms?In this episode, Rory welcomes back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to unpack this bumper investment in the UK tech ecosystem.Read more:Google opens doors on UK data center ahead of Trump visitMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella says UK ties are 'stronger than ever' as tech giant pledges $30bn investmentUK to host largest European GPU cluster under £11 billion Nvidia investment plansIs the ‘British firm’ at the heart of Britain’s AI plans actually British?UK is going to be ‘AI superpower’, says Nvidia boss as he invests £500m‘This is the largest AI ecosystem in the world without its own infrastructure’: Jensen Huang thinks the UK has immense AI potential – but it still has a lot of work to do

Identity management in security has been a difficult issue for many years, but the arrival of AI and AI agents has only complicated this picture. In addition to human and machine identities, cybersecurity professionals now have to handle potentially 1000s of AI agent identities across MCP and API endpoints. How can businesses handle all of these complications while maintaining their cybersecurity?In this episode, Rory speaks to Art Gilliland, CEO of cybersecurity firm Delinea, to discuss the thorny issue of identity attacks, and how IT leaders can get a grip on digital identities.

Artificial intelligence has made data more useful and accessible to businesses than ever, but if businesses want to get the most from their data they have to get it in a fit state to use.There’s a significant disconnect between IT specialists, CEOs, and other parts of the business when it comes to understanding what this means and how ready they are, however. Research from Informatica found 69% of IT teams rate their data quality as excellent or very good, barely half of business leaders say the same at 51%. The same survey found 57% of business professionals and 30% of IT workers don’t know what it means for data to be ‘AI ready’.In this special edition of the ITPro Podcast, in association with Informatica, we explore what data excellence is, why it’s important to companies, and how they can achieve it.

The flow of data is core to businesses all around the world – how much can be transmitted, and at what speed, is a fundamental aspect of IT systems ranging from cloud computing to the frontier of AI models.In data centers, the tech sector is focused on reducing latency, improving bandwidth, and reducing energy consumption to improve AI performance and lower operating costs. But achieving these goals by shifting about current technology can only go so far. Increasingly, firms are looking to cutting-edge technologies and approach such as all-photonics networks, which use photons for all processes including data transfer and storage, rather than electronic components. How close are we to achieving this technology? And how could it benefit every business.In this episode, Rory is joined Chris Wright, SVP global engineering and CTO at Red Hat, to discuss the potential benefits of all-photonics networks and how they could upend current network architecture.

Digital sovereignty is an issue that has been bubbling away in the background of IT for some time but doesn’t often see the limelight. In this episode of the ITPro Podcast, we’ve decided to change that.From sovereign clouds to AI, Jane McCallion and Ross Kelly dig into what digital sovereignty is, how it’s being used, and its relationship with AI, cloud, and national data regulations.Highlights“The World Economic Forum describes digital sovereignty as the ability to have control over your own digital destiny andI think that's a really great way of describing it. And when you look at how the EU has positioned itself in recent years, that certainly is the key focus there – it's all about … maintaining control.”“You can't understate the impact of regulatory compliance in the EU – that's the huge driving factor, Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Google Cloud, they wouldn't be bending over backwards if they didn't know the risks there. And for individual organizations as well as customers of these providers, they're the ones that are pushing for this because they're conscious of their compliance as well.”Related linksSovereign cloud services are now the “bare minimum” expected by customers, and hyperscalers are scrambling to meet demandWhat the new Microsoft Sovereign Cloud push means for European customersAWS says only Europeans will run its European Sovereign Cloud serviceWhat is a sovereign cloud?SAP wants to take data sovereignty to the next level with new 'on-site' infrastructure optionsHPE launches exclusive sovereign cloud offering for the channel

In a recent episode of the podcast, we discussed the potential for AI to actually replace developer jobs. This is a complicated issue, as one has to consider both the accuracy of outputs – how well LLMs can code – as well as what execs think it can do.Well, AWS CEO Matt Garman has weighed in this month, calling replacing devs with AI “the dumbest thing” he’s ever heard.Elsewhere in August, Cisco has engaged in a round of layoffs, despite healthy figures in its recent financial report. What does all this mean for tech jobs at large?In this episode Jane and Rory welcome back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to explain why tech jobs have become such a hot talking point this August.

This episode was first published on 13/10/23.The role of chief information security officer is among the most important in any firm. CISOs shoulder a heavy burden, with responsibility for protecting their company’s data, infrastructure, and associated assets.As the tech stack has grown, so too has the pressure on those in the role. CISOs have to shepherd technologies including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and edge computing.Gartner predicts that nearly half of all IT leaders could leave their roles by 2025, and CISOs are subject to the same talent shortages as the rest of the sector amidst a constant need to maintain oversight of a growing IT estate.In this episode, Jane is joined by Andrew Rose, resident CISO for EMEA at Proofpoint, to expand on how to be an effective CISO, and how the role is changing.For more information:Work-related stress “keeps cyber security professionals awake at night”CISO job description: What does a CISO do?Gartner: Nearly half of cyber leaders to leave roles over mounting stressFighting the ‘always on’ culture that’s savaging mental health in cyber securityGartner urges CISOs to adopt new forms of trust and risk management for AIWhat is ransomware?What is business email compromise (BEC)?96% of CISOs without necessary support to maintain cyber securitySix generative AI cyber security threats and how to mitigate them

Every now and then, international law enforcement announces a stunning takedown of a cyber crime group.Typically realized in the form of website shutdowns, in which the National Crime Agency logo is emblazoned across the dark web site of would-be hackers, these are powerful PR moves to show that cyber crime doesn’t always pay – and the seriousness with which law enforcement approaches these crimes.But the truth is, hackers continue to operate. And sometimes, the very groups that have been billed done and dusted simply reemerge under a new site, new servers, or with a fresh coat of paint.What can we learn from this cycle – and does the industry need to take a different approach?In this episode, Rory is once again joined by Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to explore some of the most prominent cyber crime gang takedowns we’ve had recently and what it means for the sector.Read more:BlackSuit ransomware gang taken down in latest law enforcement sting – but members have already formed a new groupCobalt Strike abusers have been dealt a hammer blow: An "aggressive" takedown campaign by Fortra and Microsoft shuttered over 200 malicious domains – and it’s cut the misuse of the tool by 80%Hundreds of Cobalt Strike servers have been taken offline in a major law enforcement stingRansomware victims are refusing to play ball with hackers – just 17% of enterprises have paid up so far in 2025, marking an all-time lowAverage ransom payment doubles in a single quarter75% of UK business leaders are willing to risk criminal penalties to pay ransomsCan the UK ban ransomware payments?LockBit could be done and dusted after NCA operation gained access to admin environments, source code, and affiliate infoLockBit ransomware group falls victim to hackers itselfThe Zservers takedown is another big win for law enforcement‘I take pleasure in thinking I can rid society of at least some of them’: A cyber vigilante is...

For years, we humanities graduates have been told variations of the following message: you’re better off learning to code, because we’ll always need developers but writers will go the way of the dodo.But advances in AI since 2022 have put this to the test. While human writers are no doubt being forced to compete with AI-written content, developers are also being asked to outsource more and more of their work to large language models in a bid for improved productivity.While AI-generated code can be quick to produce and efficient to run, it also comes with associated risks such as overlooked vulnerabilities.Are developers actually going to lose their jobs to the machine?In this episode, Jane and Rory discuss the extent to which developers are already using AI to generate code and the potential risks associated with the practice.

As the old saying goes, it never rains but it pours. And, seeing how we’re based in the UK, it would be fitting that the month this most accurately described in 2025 so far has been July.In the past four weeks, two almighty security stories have broken, with far-reaching implications for the tech sector and beyond. First, we learned that the China-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon had critically breached the US National Guard for more than a year – and has potentially gone undetected in other US military networks.Later in the month, Microsoft revealed a major vulnerability in on-premises Sharepoint servers, sounding the alarm for users to patch with urgency – but the days after have seen attack after successful attack carried out.In this episode Jane welcomes back Ross Kelly, ITPro’s news and analysis editor, to explore what happened to make July such a bad month for cybersecurity.Read more:‘All US forces must now assume their networks are compromised’ after Salt Typhoon breachFCC orders telcos to sharpen up security after Salt Typhoon chaosUK cyber experts on red alert after Salt Typhoon attacks on US telcosSalt Typhoon hacker group recorded conversations of ‘very senior’ US political figures300 days under the radar: How Volt Typhoon eluded detection in the US electric grid for nearly a yearMicrosoft’s new SharePoint vulnerability – everything you need to knowNCSC says ‘limited number’ of UK firms affected by SharePoint attack as global impact spreadsSharePoint flaw: Microsoft says hackers deploying ransomware

Ransomware payments could soon be a thing of the past in the UK – at least that’s the hope of new controls and mandatory reporting requirements to prevent ransomware from inflicting damage on UK businesses.Under government proposals, public bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure would be banned from paying up when they’re hit by ransomware – and other businesses would have to be transparent when they decide to cough up the cash.But can we really put a lid on ransomware? And might the new rules have unintended negative consequences?In this episode, Jane and Rory discuss the UK government’s new ransomware payment ban and what it could mean for the sector.Read more:Nearly half of MSPs admit to having a ransomware kittyA ransomware payments ban risks criminalizing victimsThe end of ransomware payments: How businesses fit into the fightBuilding ransomware resilience to avoid paying outUK government officials consider banning ransomware payments

Cyber attacks can feel a layer detached from the real world. Yes, businesses frequently see IP stolen, get frozen out of systems, or have data wiped by malicious actors. But if you haven’t got your finger on the pulse, cyber attacks can also fail to register in your day to day.But there are instances where cyber attacks come crashing into the lives of everyday people, and become impossible to ignore: when attackers go after critical infrastructure and operational technology.Breaches and malware attacks at power and water plants, against core supply chain organizations, or against transport networks can all cause catastrophic damage, enormous financial losses – and even lead to deaths.What are some of the groups leading the charge against critical infrastructure, how are groups targeting operational technology – and what can we do to protect that infrastructure we hold most dear?In this episode, Rory speaks with Magpie Graham, technical director of intel and services at Dragos, to discuss attacks on operational technology, critical infrastructure, and the future of large-scale cyber attacks.

As organizations race to train more and more advanced AI models, as well as deploy existing models at scale, an enormous amount of time and money is being invested in expanding AI infrastructure.All around the world, data centers are becoming more and more important, bringing data and computing power together to get the most out of AI workloads.But this is far from a simple process. Without the right data center architecture, assembled with rigorous testing, organizations can’t achieve the full speed and performance of AI.In this episode, in association with Keysight Technologies, Jane speaks to Ben Miller, product manager at Keysight Technologies, to learn more about AI infrastructure and how Keysight can optimize it for the best performance possible.Read more:Keysight Introduces AI Data Center Builder to Validate and Optimize Network Architecture and Host DesignWhat is a GPU?

The level to which firms are already using AI varies according to technological maturity, strategic focus, and on an industry by industry basis.But what’s clear is that from the smallest to the largest businesses, the landscape is already shifting. We’ve spoken about AI agents on the podcast before – the promise of autonomous AI activity – but it’s only now that businesses are beginning to put more faith in these tools.How is AI already being used to improve business processes? And what will progress in the sector look like?In this episode, Rory speaks to Oliver Parker, VPAI GTM at Google Cloud, to explore some of the practical ways AI is changing organizations from startups to the enterprise.Read more:The UK government is teaming up with Google Cloud to kill public sector legacy techGoogle Cloud announces new data residency flexibility for UK firms, accelerator for regional startupsEnterprises are worried about agentic AI security risks – Gartner says the answer is just adding more AI agentsHow effective are AI agents?IT leaders are less AI-ready than they were a year ago, says Cisco report

This episode was first broadcast on 20 September 2024.When people talk about the environmental impacts of data centers, normally the discussion focuses on energy usage. It’s something we’ve talked about at several points this year already, with reference to growing efforts to house AI workloads in green data centers that run on renewable energy to reduce their carbon impact.But while we can generate nearly limitless amounts of green energy, there is a decidedly finite amount of water in the world – and unfortunately, most data centers need vast amounts of fresh water to cool hardware. Without care, big tech could push already drought-stricken communities to breaking point.In this episode, Jane and Rory unpack the growing problem of data center water use, how operators can tackle this, and how it will exacerbate environmental tensions in the near future.Read more:Data center water consumption is spiraling out of controlGoogle data centre soaks up a third of Oregon city's water supplyWhat is a green data center and why are they attracting big investment?Data center waste energy to heat homes in 'UK-first' schemeOVHcloud just open sourced its data center liquid cooling system — here’s whyAWS plans to be 'water positive' by 2030Microsoft lays out water-positive plans for next decade

If you’re looking to adopt AI right now, you’ll likely have heard the term ‘AI agents’. These systems can complete complex tasks autonomously, without user input.But no doubt some of the audience will be thinking: “haven’t we heard this before?” Indeed, robotic process automation and software robots have been available since the turn of the century, completing multi-step, repetitive tasks for businesses without human oversight.How have we evolved from robots to agents? And how can both be used by businesses to boost their productivity?In this episode, in association with UiPath, Jane and Rory are joined by Edward Challis, head of AI strategy at UiPath, to discuss the foundational role robotic process automation has played in getting us to advances such as AI agents, and how both fit together in the modern enterprise.

June has been another busy month for IT and technology news. Whether it’s new naming conventions for cybercriminal groups, Britain’s big tech potential, and national security concerns over lost government devices, we’ve got a lot to unpick. ITPro’s news editor Ross Kelly and reviews editor Bobby Hellard step in for Jane and Rory this week to chew that fat on some of the biggest IT news stories of June.