Learn more about ⁠Networking Field Day 40 here⁠.

AI networking is driving innovation in the market like no other time in history. But the likelihood of all these advances filtering down into the enterprise is very slim. In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, host Tom Hollingsworth and a panel of IT experts debate whether high-performance AI networking will ever truly penetrate the traditional enterprise. The discussion centers on the premise that the specialized, low-latency fabrics and ultra-high-speed Ethernet modules (like 800GbE) may be overkill for the average organization. While Ethernet continues to evolve to meet these demands, they question if the typical enterprise workload, primarily driven by human users rather than GPU clusters, actually requires the “trickery” of distributed flows and SmartNICs.

The conversation shifts toward the practicalities of adoption, highlighting that while the technology exists, its integration into the enterprise is often limited by physical constraints like power, cooling, and the lack of a killer app. However, the guests suggest that AI networking might arrive in smaller, rack-optimized pods or self-contained black boxes as companies begin to train private models on their own sovereign data. Ultimately, the experts advise that while engineering teams must become literate in high-performance computing, organizations should be wary of over-provisioning for a future they may not yet need, lest their expensive high-speed infrastructure ends up collecting dust.

Panelists:

Jeff Ello, Head of AI at Purdue University

Mike Witte, World Wide Technologies

Vincent Celindro, Director of Strategic Sales & Technology at Quantum Foundry

Hosts:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead for Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead at Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Foskett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, President and Organizer of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Learn more about IBM Watsonx here.

Keeping your AI applications waiting for data is not a technical problem; AI agents can help deliver the right data. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Stephanie Valarezo from IBM, who discusses Agentic data enablement with Karen Lopez, Jim Czuprynski, and Alastair Cooke. Organizations face many critical challenges in providing high-quality, secure, and well-governed data at scale for AI, especially agentic AI applications.

Beyond simply possessing data, the challenges include managing vast, disparate data sources across hybrid environments, ensuring rapid access, and building trust through robust data governance. IBM's Watsonx is presented as a comprehensive data foundation with pillars in AI, Data, and Governance, offering composable products for data integration, quality, cataloging, and the creation of automated data products. Autonomous agents for repetitive data tasks will allow data professionals to concentrate on higher-value activities such as architecture, policy design, and security. Ultimately, enabling organizations to build scalable, automated, and well-governed data ecosystems for their AI initiatives.

IBM Representative: Stephanie Valarezo, Program Director, Product at IBM

Panelists:

Karen Lopez, Senior Project Manager and Architect, InfoAdvisors

Jim Czuprynski, Chief Storyteller at Zero Defect Computing

Hosts:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead for Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Event Lead at Tech Field Day

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Foskett⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, President and Organizer of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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