Technology Now

HPE Discover 2023 is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, from the 20th-22nd June 2023. It’s one of the highlights of the enterprise technology calendar, attracting thousands of delegates to hear talks on everything from edge computing to cyber security. Here’s our top seven (for good luck) highlights of the upcoming show.

Events we mention (in order): You can find details of all these events and more on the HPE Discover website -  hpe.com/discover

‘Digital ambition is only met by reimagining your operating model panel’ - Wednesday 21st at 01:30 pm
From zero to hero: Build a private cloud that fuels your enterprise with an integrated marketplace and partner ecosystem’ -  Thursday 22nd June at 9 am
Solve the Data Lifecycle Nightmare - Tuesday, June 20th at 2pm. 
What comes after exascale - Wednesday, June 21st at 08:30 am.
Sustainability: Your game changer and change maker - Wednesday 21st at 8:30 am
Keynote speech by HPE CEO and President Antonio Neri - June 20th 10am

Technology Untangled podcast episodes we mention:
The Cloud: How far is too far? - https://www.technologyuntangled.fm/episodes/the-cloud-how-far-is-too-far
The cloud: Is hybrid the answer? - https://www.technologyuntangled.fm/episodes/the-cloud-is-hybrid-the-answer
5G: Build it, but will they come? - https://www.technologyuntangled.fm/episodes/5g-build-it-but-will-they-come
5G: Do you want that slice to go? - https://www.technologyuntangled.fm/episodes/5g-do-you-want-that-slice-to-go
Ransomware Attacks: Should we be worried? - https://www.technologyuntangled.fm/episodes/tbc-ransomware-should-we-be-worried

We'd love to hear your one minute review of books which have changed your year! Simply record them on your smart device or computer and upload them using this Google form: https://forms.gle/pqsWwFwQtdGCKqED6

This is Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Every week we look at a story that's been making headlines, take a look at the technology behind it, and explain why it matters to organisations and what we can learn from it.



Creators & Guests

Host
Aubrey Lovell
Host
Michael Bird

What is Technology Now?

HPE news. Tech insights. World-class innovations. We take you straight to the source — interviewing tech's foremost thought leaders and change-makers that are propelling businesses and industries forward.

Michael Bird (00:10):
Hello, hello, hello and a very big welcome to Technology Now, a weekly show from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, where we take what's happening in the world around us and explore how it's changing the way organizations are using technology. We are your illustrious hosts, Michael Bird.

Aubrey Lovell (00:26):
And Aubrey Lovell, and in this episode we're going to be talking about HPE's annual Edge to Cloud conference, HPE Discover, which I think you'll agree, Michael, is basically like our Super Bowl of a tech event.

Michael Bird (00:41):
Yeah. Basically. And it attracts thousands of customers and partners, doesn't it?

Aubrey Lovell (00:46):
It really does. It's going to be a good time.

Michael Bird (00:48):
And we're not just contractually obliged to say that. HPE's Discover runs from the 20th to the 22nd of June 2023 in the fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. And the conference brings together business leaders, technologists, and experts for a three-day knowledge sharing extravaganza. Now, a lot of business will be there to brush up on the latest technological trends that will affect their organizations and businesses, while others will be coming to see innovation in action through new product demos.

Aubrey Lovell (01:18):
There's certainly a lot going on, and with big events like this, it's sometimes difficult to know where to start. But don't worry, because this episode is your pocket guide. We'll be giving you a rundown on our seven highlights of Discover 2023 and explain why they matter to you and your organizations. We'll also give you a guide on how to tune in and access all the great HPE Discover content that we'll be talking about.

Michael Bird (01:42):
And plenty of these talks will be live-streamed, so we'll put some links in the description to help you find them so you can catch up even if you can't be there in person. So if you are the kind of person who needs to know why, what's going on in the world matters to your organization, then this podcast is for you. And if you're enjoying it, do make sure you subscribe on your podcast app of choice so you don't miss out. All right, Aubrey, you ready?

Aubrey Lovell (02:06):
Let's do it.

Michael Bird (02:07):
Let's do it. Item number one, what is our first Discover highlight?

Aubrey Lovell (02:14):
Okay. Drum roll please. Beautiful. So our first highlight is Edge Computing.

Michael Bird (02:22):
Yeah.

Aubrey Lovell (02:22):
HPE Discover is the Edge to Cloud conference. So it makes sense that there will be a big emphasis on organizations looking at ways to act on their data wherever it lives, and how they can open those opportunities. When data flows, business flows. And with the widespread rollout of 5G, IoT and Edge Computing help unlock insights to deliver faster, more intelligent and efficient experiences.

(02:45):
And that's one of the reasons the Edge Computing market is expected to grow by 44% year-on-year from $6.8 billion in 2022 to over $50 billion by 2028. If you want to learn more about Edge and find out how it's transforming organizations in the real world, we recommend grabbing a seat at the panel discussion called Digital Ambition is Only Met by Re-imagining Your Operating Model Panel. Snappy, right? It's on Wednesday the 21st at 1:30 PM and features voices from eSports team and friends of this podcast, Evil Geniuses, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and HPE themselves.

Michael Bird (03:25):
And it's worth mentioning when we mention times in this show that is Pacific Time because that's the time zone of HPE Discover. And if you can't be that, we have done a few podcast episodes on Edge computing and 5G, and we'll put some links to those shows in the description.

Aubrey Lovell (03:42):
So what's up next, Michael?

Michael Bird (03:44):
All right, coming in at number two, we have hybrid cloud transformation, and according to tech consulting group, Gartner, by 2025, 80% of businesses will try to move their computing to the cloud. However, as we've explored in a previous two-parter on one of our other podcasts, Technology Untangled, which we'll link in the description of course, that can pose a number of challenges. Going purely for a cloud-based digital transformation can come with unexpected costs. Not all data can be easily moved over and sometimes things just work a bit better on premise.

(04:18):
That said, Gartner predicts the market for hybrid cloud solutions and intelligent blend of on-premise and cloud computing will triple by 2026. This is going to be a hot topic at HPE Discover because Hybrid Cloud offers so many opportunities for embracing AI integration, high performance computing on demand, improved customer journey data, and a more integrated workforce. And working out what going hybrid can offer your organization and how to implement it might seem like a daunting task, but fortunately we've got workshops and panels a plenty to help inspire you. Now, one which looks like it'll tick a lot of boxes is From Zero to Hero, build a private cloud that fuels your enterprise with an integrated marketplace and partner ecosystem, which is going to be on Thursday the 22nd of June at 9:00 AM, again Pacific time. The session is designed to help you make the transition from siloed data to a hybrid model and even includes some live product demos. All right. Aubrey, hit me with our third highlight, please.

Aubrey Lovell (05:19):
All right. Up next, we have cybersecurity. So a big question that arises today is how do you secure your data and protect your business against online threats? And we know as data becomes more fragmented, it's clear that keeping important data safe can be a complex and pressing concern. In fact, Cybercrime Magazine projects that by 2025 businesses will lose approximately $10.5 trillion per year due to cyber crime. So that's an incomprehensible amount of money, right?

Michael Bird (05:48):
Yeah, that really is. Wow.

Aubrey Lovell (05:51):
Crazy. Fortunately, there's a whole load of talks and round tables around digital security at HPE Discover from future proofing your business against regulatory changes to simply protecting your network connections. And as with so many of the topics we're covering today, we've done an episode of Technology Untangled on cybersecurity with a particular focus on ransomware. So you'll find that in the description in case you can't make HPE Discover in person. So that leads us to the next topic on our list. What is it, Michael?

Michael Bird (06:23):
Right. So number four, we have everyone's favorite topic data management. I promise this one is worth it because according to the Enterprise Strategy Group, 74% of businesses acknowledge their data management capabilities cannot keep pace with business requirements. Businesses are generating ever-increasing volumes of data. I know you like some stats, let me chuck some at you. We humans turned out 97 zettabytes last year, and it's due to be 120 zettabytes this year, hitting 180 zettabytes by 2025.

Aubrey Lovell (07:00):
Wow.

Michael Bird (07:00):
That is a ridiculous number and it is a scary number for those of us who care about where all this stuff goes, not just sort of how to store it, but also it's environmental impact and how to keep it all sort of neatly sorted.

Aubrey Lovell (07:15):
Can we just talk about the fact that zettabytes sounds like a fancy Italian, not fancy, but some type of Italian appetizer that you could put in the microwave. But anyways, I digress.

Michael Bird (07:27):
Have you tried those zettabytes?

Aubrey Lovell (07:29):
Yeah.

Michael Bird (07:29):
They are [inaudible 00:07:30]/

Aubrey Lovell (07:30):
I saw them at the the grocery store the other day.

Michael Bird (07:33):
I had to pick some up.

Aubrey Lovell (07:37):
Anyways, segue, I guess it's one of those fundamental things that's kind of easy to forget about. So every business, every government, everybody accumulates data. So the longer you leave your data management strategy unattended, the bigger the problem you're storing up to be dealt with down the road.

Michael Bird (07:53):
Absolutely. The so-called data debt, and this topic brings together a lot of the challenges that we've already talked about. Things like how to optimize data across your cloud and on-prem infrastructure, how to protect it and how to optimize its access. And if you want to get some guidance on managing data, look no further than the Solve the Data Lifecycle Nightmare Panel, brilliant name, featuring HPE's executive vice president and general manager of HPE Storage, Tom Black. That's on at the HPE GreenLake Innovation Theater on Tuesday, June the 20th at 2:00 PM.

Aubrey Lovell (08:27):
All right, and before we wrap up this section, Michael, we do have to give a little bit of shout out to the glittering city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Have you ever been?

Michael Bird (08:37):
I have, actually. I have.

Aubrey Lovell (08:38):
Excellent. So this oasis in the desert is home to over 650,000 people, and it's often called the entertainment capital of the world, and the city isn't just about slot machines or music. Nowadays, it's a huge hub for innovation and seeing an autonomous car and testing wouldn't be a strange site on the roads.

Michael Bird (08:56):
That's right. The city has also been extremely proactive in welcoming vehicle manufacturers to its streets to test out new technology. Its mix of highways and urban streets make it a great place to test safely. So Aubrey, will you be hitting the blackjack table?

Aubrey Lovell (09:11):
So I'm not a gambler, but I am looking forward to chatting with our customers on the show floor and also finding my way to some amazing restaurants. Vegas is not just for the gamblers, it's also for the foodies, as you can tell by my zettabytes discussion.

Michael Bird (09:27):
I mean, speaking of which, did you know HPE once built an AI that could beat professional poker players?

Aubrey Lovell (09:32):
Oh wow. I did not know that.

Michael Bird (09:34):
And it actually learned to out-bluff them and I think actually won back its own development cost, which is pretty incredible.

Aubrey Lovell (09:41):
Wow. Yeah, I could see where they could technically outlaw that. I think that would definitely give them an advantage and casinos would be pretty angry.

Michael Bird (09:50):
We'll be back with our final three Discover picks in a short moment, but first it's down to you our audience as we open the floor for you to give us your recommendations on books, which have changed the way that you look at the world, life and business in the last 12 months. Now, they could be technology based, they could have changed the way that you work, or they could have just made you look at the world in a slightly different way.

Aubrey Lovell (10:10):
If you want to share your recommendations, there's a link in the podcast description. Just record a voice note on your phone and pop it in.

Grant (10:26):
My name is Grant, I'm from the United States. I just read this book called Let's Go: One Phrase That Could Change Your Life written by Jay Morales. This book is really about how we can unstick ourselves in our personal and our professional life. Saying the phrase "Let's go," can get us out of our mind and into action. If you're anything like me, I can have what they call analysis paralysis. I think I have to have everything just right. The stars need to align, but this book can really jar you out of it. Sometimes you just have to say, "Let's go" and just jump into it. This book has really helped me get out of my head, leading me to great results at work and in my personal life. So I highly, highly recommend this book.

Michael Bird (11:22):
Fantastic. All right then, Aubrey, it is time for our final three HPE Discover 2023 highlights. What do you have in number five?

Aubrey Lovell (11:32):
Okay, so behind door number five is high- performance computing, it's a very creaky door, high-performance computing or HPC. So the technology and capabilities of supercomputing are accelerating at a dizzying pace. In fact, the first exascale computers have just been launched in the last year, and that's 10 to the power 18 operations every second.

Michael Bird (11:55):
Yeah. Wow.

Aubrey Lovell (11:57):
Yeah, it's pretty crazy. For a very simplified reference that's around a million times faster than a mid-range laptop and opens up huge possibilities in AI modeling and training, simulations, and high resolution data scanning and analytics.

Michael Bird (12:15):
And shh, don't tell anyone, don't tell anyone, but we have got an upcoming episode of our sister podcast Technology Untangled coming very soon, talking about that very particular topic, which is pretty exciting too.

Aubrey Lovell (12:24):
It certainly is. And for the last couple of years, we have seen HPC become much more accessible due to dropping costs, cloud integration and subscription services. In fact, supercomputing as a market is due to grow by 10 to 20% annually between now and 2027, which is pretty astonishing considering until recently it was a very niche field. If you want to know more about what HPC might be able to offer your business now and in the future head to Accelerate AI Breakthroughs with HPE GreenLake for HPC on the show floor. And if you want to see what HPC can really do, there's a talk called What Comes After Exascale featuring HPE fellow vice president and director of Hewlett Packer Labs, Andrew Wheeler. Join him on Wednesday, June 21st at 8:30 AM.

(13:12):
So what's behind door number six?

Michael Bird (13:14):
Well, behind door number six, we have sustainability. Yes, it would be remiss of us not to talk about it. With all this emphasis on more power, more data, and more computing, it's going to be a real challenge to keep energy consumption down. Research suggests that organizations that link digital and sustainable transformation are a staggering 2.5 times more likely to be among the strongest performing businesses in the medium term. That does make sense though, right? Because being more sustainable keeps costs down and gets businesses thinking in a more innovative way.

Aubrey Lovell (13:48):
Completely. ESG is such a huge issue in the tech sector at the moment as well. Being seen to do the right thing for the environment is a massive draw for potential staff as well as potentially good for the bottom line and for the environment.

Michael Bird (14:01):
Exactly. And research suggests that in the US alone, organizations have spent over $1.3 billion on ESG research and compliance in 2022. Now, it could be as simple as going paperless or as complex as using AI to identify energy usage patterns or supply chain inefficiencies. Ultimately though, this is an issue that is top of mind for many, and it will be fascinating to hear what speakers at HPE Discover 2023 have to say about it.

(14:29):
And if you want to learn more about sustainable transformation, then may we suggest the panel discussion Sustainability, Your Game Changer and Change Maker, which is on Wednesday the 21st at 8:30 AM at the GreenLake Innovation Theater and features Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Sustainability Officer Monica Batchelder. All right. How about lucky number seven, Aubrey, what's it going to be?

Aubrey Lovell (14:55):
Well, it's probably not going to surprise you to hear that Swarm Learning and AI is our topic highlight at HPE Discover this year. AI has been doing some incredible work behind the scenes over the last five years, but recently in the last year was the year that AI really became mainstream and generative AI in particular took off in the public consciousness. That has really forced us to ask difficult questions about its application. When is it the right time for AI, and how far should it go in replacing rather than augmenting human expertise? That's likely to bring with it regulatory changes and its own challenges.

Michael Bird (15:31):
And in fact, very soon we are launching a new series of Technology Untangled with an episode on gender bias and AI, which will tackle those very topics. So do look out for that,

Aubrey Lovell (15:41):
Of course. So it's no surprise a key focus of HPE Discover this year is how organizations can responsibly scale AI to help them expand and modernize. This brings us neatly to the highlight of the show, the keynote speech by HPE CEO and President Antonio Neri at 10:00 AM on June 20th. So a quick blurb for you from the HPE Discover website, which will link in the description. Michael, will you do the honors?

Michael Bird (16:07):
I'll give that a read. So our world is at an unprecedented inflection point. The promise of AI is becoming a reality, and it has the potential to advance the way people live and work on a scale unlike any technology in our lifetime.

Aubrey Lovell (16:20):
Join Antonio Neri and influential industry leaders to learn how HPE can help you connect, protect, analyze, and act on all your data from Edge to Cloud so you can leverage AI to create a competitive advantage for your business. And for those who are not attending in person, you can head to hpe.com/discover and watch Antonio's keynote, as well as access other content during the week.

Michael Bird (16:43):
Oh, right then, Aubrey, that has been a lot of ground to cover. And that of course concludes our HPE Discover 2023 highlight list.

Aubrey Lovell (16:53):
Right, so we're getting towards the end of this week's show, which means if you know, you know. Are you ready, Michael?

Michael Bird (17:01):
Oh, I'm ready.

Aubrey Lovell (17:02):
It's time for This Week in History.

Michael Bird (17:05):
This Week in History. Ooh, we went up. That's a new one. Okay.

Aubrey Lovell (17:12):
It's a look at something in the world of business and technology, which has changed our lives.

Michael Bird (17:17):
So the clue for this week was 1983 and a pioneering journey. Did you get it? Well, on June the 13th, 1983, the NASA spacecraft Pioneer left the solar system after an equally pioneering voyage of discovery. This made it the first human made object to pass outside the boundaries of our solar system. Pioneer made a lot of cool discoveries. It was the first outer planetary probe to take pictures of Jupiter. It also successfully navigated the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which had concerned scientists who are dreaming of interplanetary human travel in the future. Pioneer finally sent its last picture in 2003, a staggering 31 years after its original launch. I wonder where it is now, Aubrey?

Aubrey Lovell (18:02):
I don't know. It's probably in Vegas with money on red.

Michael Bird (18:07):
So for the next episode, the clue is as simple as QWE. Do you know what it is?

Aubrey Lovell (18:14):
Ooh.

Michael Bird (18:14):
I think I do.

Aubrey Lovell (18:16):
I think I actually know this one for once. Yeah.

Michael Bird (18:18):
Yeah. Well, if you do, keep it to yourself.

Aubrey Lovell (18:21):
All right. That brings us to the end of Technology Now for this week. For those going to HPE Discover, we can't wait to see you there. Next week we'll be taking a look at sustainable AI and the true cost of our tech with HPE Chief Technologist, Matt Armstrong Barnes. Don't miss it.

Michael Bird (18:38):
And until then, thank you all so much for joining us. Technology Now is hosted by Aubrey Lovell and me, Michael Bird. And this episode was produced by Sam Dattapaulin and Zoe Anderson with production support from Harry Morton, Alicia Kempson, Alison Paisley, Alex Podmore, and Ed Everston. Technology Now is a Lower Street production for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. And we'll see you next week. Cheers.

Aubrey Lovell (18:58):
See you in Vegas.