Send us a text Start with a simple truth: when the platform breaks, your clever architecture won’t save you. We dig into the AWS US‑East‑1 outage where DynamoDB’s role in DNS planning for load balancers collided with a race condition, leaving empty records and stalled EC2 instances. Forget the finger‑wagging about “well‑architected” apps—this was a platform failure with limited customer escape routes. We weigh multi‑region and multi‑cloud trade‑offs with a sober look at cost, complexity, and ...
Send us a text If the network is the backbone of modern tech, why did it fade into the background while cloud, AI, and security stole the spotlight? We sit down with technical evangelist Alexis Berthoff to pull the curtain back on the real work of making complex systems understandable, usable, and resilient. Alexis shares how she acts as a translator between product, marketing, sales, and the community, turning feedback into better features, clearer messaging, and practical guidance that actu...
Send us a text We weigh efficiency against hype as Huawei’s open-source quantization aims to shrink LLM costs while AI spending sprints toward $1.5T. From Oracle’s blue-sky risk to Cisco’s SNMP flaws, Equinix and Alkira’s AI networking moves, and a leap into quantum networking, we look for what’s real and what’s next. • Huawei’s SINQ quantization for smaller, cheaper LLM deployments • AI spend approaching $1.5T amid capacity and power constraints • Oracle downside risk and the velocity of mo...
Send us a text The gap between cloud-native and traditional networking has never been more evident. As organizations struggle with hybrid environments, finding a unified management strategy feels like searching for the mythical "one ring to rule them all." In this thought-provoking episode, we welcome Eric Chou, author, instructor, and podcast host with over a decade of experience at AWS and Azure. Eric brings a rare insider perspective on how hyperscalers approach networking fundamentally d...
Send us a text Tim and Chris dive into the month's most significant tech developments, exploring antitrust rulings, emerging AI security threats, and the financial sustainability of the AI industry. • Google avoids having to sell Chrome in federal antitrust ruling but is barred from exclusive distribution contracts • Cybercriminals deploy "S1ngularity Attack" using LLM prompts to steal credentials from 2,100 GitHub accounts • Cisco reintroduces dedicated wireless certification track with foc...
Send us a text What happens when three major cloud providers each reimagine network design from scratch? You get three completely different approaches to solving the same fundamental problem. The foundation of cloud networking begins with the virtual containers that hold your resources: AWS's Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), Azure's Virtual Networks (VNets), and Google Cloud's VPCs (yes, the same name, very different implementation). While they all serve the same basic purpose—providing logica...
Send us a text Cloud security and infrastructure providers are making strategic moves to maintain competitive advantage through acquisitions and service enhancements while combating emerging threats. We explore the latest developments including Palo Alto's massive acquisition, new cloud services, and enhanced security features that are reshaping the industry. • Palo Alto Networks announces $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk to strengthen identity security capabilities, particularly for mach...
Send us a text Making a career transition is never easy, especially in specialized technical domains. In this episode, we dive into the world of professional evolution with returning guest Will Collins, who shares his journey from cloud networking at Alkira to automation engineering at Nintex. "I'm not lazy, but I hate repetition," Will explains, describing the mindset that led him toward automation throughout his career. This natural inclination eventually blossomed into a specialized focus...
Send us a text The tech industry's shifting strategies and priorities take center stage in this episode as we examine several major developments reshaping the landscape. We dive into Ingram Micro's recent ransomware attack by the SafePay group, analyzing both the immediate impacts and potential long-term consequences of the four-day operational disruption. The incident raises important questions about security protocols, attack vectors, and the possibility of data exfiltration that could have...
Send us a text Cloud network engineering interviews at tech giants require specialized knowledge beyond traditional networking – particularly when it comes to cloud-native services. In this final installment of our interview preparation series with Kam Agahian, we explore the specialized networking services that frequently appear in technical assessments. Security takes center stage as we discuss the critical boundary between networking and security responsibilities. Kam explains that while ...
Send us a text The landscape of cloud security is rapidly evolving as AWS flexes its muscles with a suite of new native security offerings unveiled at AWS re:Inforce. From enhanced threat correlation capabilities in AWS Security Hub to seamless Transit Gateway integration for Network Firewall, these announcements signal Amazon's strategic expansion into territory traditionally dominated by third-party security vendors. We dive deep into the HPE-Juniper acquisition that finally received regul...
Send us a text The invisible threads connecting Kubernetes and networking infrastructure form the backbone of today's cloud-native world. In this revealing conversation with Marino Wijay from Kong, we unravel the complex relationship between traditional networking concepts and modern container orchestration. Marino brings a unique perspective as someone who entered the Kubernetes ecosystem through networking, explaining how fundamental networking principles directly translate to Kubernetes o...
Send us a text When automation fails, it fails spectacularly—and at scale. The recent Google Cloud outage that took down over 54 global services for more than seven hours demonstrates this perfectly. A simple error—blank fields in automated policy updates—cascaded into widespread failures affecting millions of users worldwide. This episode dives deep into what went wrong, how it happened, and what it means for cloud resilience in the AI era. We also explore Cisco's dramatic pivot at Cisco Li...
Send us a text Entrepreneurship is often glorified as the ultimate career goal, but what happens when running your own business loses its luster? Jason Gintert takes us behind the scenes of his journey from corporate life to co-founding WAN Dynamics, and then back to the corporate world as CTO of Laketec. The entrepreneurial path wasn't always smooth. "The first two years were kind of rough," Jason reveals, describing how his income dropped to half of his previous corporate salary and requir...
Send us a text Tim and Chris discuss major cybersecurity acquisitions and innovations, examining how these changes will impact enterprise security and cloud architecture. • Zscaler acquires Red Canary MDR (Managed Detection and Response) to fill gaps in their platform despite potential integration challenges • AWS Network Firewall now supports multiple VPC endpoints without requiring Transit Gateway deployment • AWS exits the private 5G market, pivoting to partnerships with established telec...
Send us a text What does it take to write the books that build the backbone of the networking industry? In this energetic conversation with Jason Gooley, Technical Evangelist at Cisco and author of numerous certification guides, we dive into the fascinating world of technical education and the art of making complex networking concepts accessible to learners. Jason shares his remarkable journey from networking novice who once believed the myth that "CCIEs make more than the president" to beco...
Send us a text Major tech companies are making significant moves with mergers, acquisitions, and layoffs as the industry continues to evolve rapidly and face new challenges in the market. • Rumors suggest Arista Networks is acquiring VeloCloud from Broadcom for nearly $1 billion, potentially strengthening Arista's SD-WAN offerings • Charter and Cox Communications are merging to combat declining cable relevance, continuing the trend of telecom mega-consolidation • Microsoft laid off 6,000 emp...
Send us a text When most people think about cybersecurity careers, they envision ethical hackers or security analysts huddled behind screens of scrolling code. But as our guest Brian Eidelman, VP of Cloud Engineering at Oracle, reveals, the reality is far more diverse and fascinating. Security careers exist in what Brian describes as a three-dimensional landscape. Across one axis, you have different job functions ranging from compliance specialization and policy development to threat researc...
Send us a text The relentless race for cloud dominance continues as AWS reports 16.9% growth year-over-year—a number that would thrill most companies but falls short of expectations for the cloud giant. Tim and Chris dig into what's behind these numbers and why Microsoft and Google continue gaining ground with stronger-than-anticipated growth rates. Microsoft's massive 53% increase in capital spending signals their aggressive push into AI infrastructure, raising questions about whether AWS ca...
Send us a text Scott Robohn's journey from corporate network engineer to successful independent consultant offers a roadmap for anyone considering the entrepreneurial path in tech. After 35 years in the networking industry, Scott found himself ready to build something of his own—not necessarily a product, but an enterprise he could be fully responsible for. The transition wasn't without careful consideration. Scott spent a full year planning his exit, having extensive conversations with his ...