How secure is your supply chain? With the recent swathe of supply chain cyber attacks on big name brands, now more than ever it’s important to protect your supply chain. On this edition of Explain IT, we’re talking about recent breaches and how that is affecting customers. We're also delving into the question of 'who are these threat actors?', and the impact on career goals. This episode is hosted by Ashleigh Baker, team leader in Softcat's Architecture Services and is joined by Softcat colleagu...
Jun 24, 2025•35 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Ever wondered how we can stay ahead of cyber threats without burning out? On this edition of Explain IT, we're talking about the leveraging of advanced technology to automatically detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats, reducing the need for constant human intervention that could lead to burnout. It's all about enhancing efficiency, speed, and accuracy in cybersecurity operations. This week, Ashleigh Baker is guest host. She is the team leader in Softcat's Architecture Services. Think...
May 27, 2025•32 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Keeping your data structured and secure is key to keeping your business safe. But how do we ensure that at every level of our IT infrastructure, including your backups? With data being stored across an organisation, from edge to the data center to the cloud, cyber resiliency is important when safeguarding an organization's assets against cyber threats. Today, we'll discuss the evolving nature of backup strategies in response to sophisticated cyber threats. Understand the methods to ensure the sa...
Apr 29, 2025•35 min•Season 8Ep. 2
You rely on wireless connectivity, we all do… and having a good wireless system can have a big impact on the success of your business. As companies strive for greater flexibility, efficiency, and connectivity, Wireless First is emerging as a game-changer. Post Covid, we’re seeing employees want more dynamic and collaborative work environments, and teams need to be able to move freely and adapt to those changing spaces quickly. We’ll discuss the benefits of wifi 7 and why building a private 5G wi...
Mar 25, 2025•45 min•Season 8Ep. 1
From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024. In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. We have a whole hos...
Feb 11, 2025•22 min•Season 7Ep. 15
From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024. In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. We have a whole hos...
Jan 28, 2025•50 min•Season 7Ep. 15
Workplace AI bots, like Microsoft Copilot, have exploded in use over the last 12 months. They are transforming how businesses operate by automating routine tasks, enhancing decision-making, and allowing employees to focus on more strategic activities. Back in November 2023, Explain IT discussed how Copilot could potentially revolutionise the workplace. We’re back again to see how it has changed in the last 12 months with our guests Bradley Howe, Copilot Presales professional, and Dave Simmons Se...
Dec 19, 2024•39 min•Season 7Ep. 14
Cloud computing, first introduced in the 1960s as the "intergalactic computer network," is now essential to our digital existence. There are so many cloud options available on the market today. Private clouds are essentially dedicated environments that offer greater control and security. They are typically used by businesses to store sensitive data and run critical applications. On the other hand, public clouds are shared environments managed by industry hyperscalers. These providers offer scala...
Oct 28, 2024•38 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Ever thought about how much of your life is protected by passwords? And why do hackers want to steal credentials? How do they do it and more importantly, how can we stop them in their tracks? From your emails to your retirement savings, passwords are quite literally the gatekeepers to your online life. And there are layers to password security, from your own password to the passwords that companies use to protect the collective data. Hackers are constantly using different tricks to try to crack ...
Sep 24, 2024•39 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Where do you want to work from today? The coffee shop? The beach? It’s all possible with a Virtual desktop infrastructure. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, lets you access your companies’ systems from almost any device, essentially you can carry your office in your pocket. In this special episode, we’ll answer some important questions to help you get it right. How do you keep VDI working for everyone? How do you manage it effectively? How do you keep it secure? Featuring our expert guests...
Sep 09, 2024•36 min•Season 7Ep. 11
Customer service is tough for everyone, but how do we make it better for the employee and for the customer? Business contact centres are starting to use AI at the very first step of their customer interactions. By automating elements of the customer service interaction and using AI insights, staff can resolve service incidents faster and keep customers happy. Our team of experts, Andrew Hermsen, Softcat's Chief Technologist for Data, Automation and AI, and Lucky Sharma, Senior Partner Solutions ...
Aug 27, 2024•32 min•Season 7Ep. 10
In the hybrid working world, everyone needs a fast and secure way to connect to their company's data. WAN or Wide Area Networks technologies have had an impressive impact; It's now easier than ever to do business. Using intelligence to optimize traffic across multiple links, we’ve gone from a trickle of information being sent between two direct points to terabytes of data sent at lighting speed across a network of points. In this episode of Explain I.T, we answer some important questions. How do...
Jul 30, 2024•30 min•Season 7Ep. 9
To the public, elections can look relatively simple. However for lots of public sector organisations, there are weeks of preparation fraught with risk, excitement and a huge sense of purpose. Despite using paper ballots and lots of people-based processes on the day, technology and digital is key to delivering a successful election. There are so many technology areas to think about pre and post-election, from how authorities can protect election data, and how they prevent interference or rigging,...
Jun 27, 2024•31 min•Season 7Ep. 8
In the year of AI, can we get even closer to having it right at our fingertips? Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture, and a team of experts discuss this fascinating question. AI is developing quicker than we can think and we’re seeing it pop up in our everyday lives more and more and in this episode we'll answer the big AI questions of the moment like, what is an AI laptop or AI PC and what can one do? How can it help customers in their work day? What could AI PC’s help us do in the futu...
Jun 25, 2024•35 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Do you know everything that’s going on in your organisation? Today we’re talking about Observability. It isn't just a buzzword; it is the evolution of application and network performance monitoring into a seamless way to measure your full systems health. As IT environments become more complicated, observability is crucial for pinpointing the root causes of issues, harnessing data and logs from every corner of your environment to ensure that your systems remain efficient, reliable, and customer-c...
May 28, 2024•32 min•Season 7Ep. 6
With the explosive growth of internet connected devices in our everyday world, from mobile phones to our cars and even our homes, we are generating massive amounts of data all the time. Traditional centralised infrastructures just can’t keep up with the pace of information. So how do we bring processing power closer to the source of this data to help us harness its insights? What is Edge Computing? What are the benefits of Edge Computing? What are the challenges with Edge computing and could cus...
Apr 30, 2024•31 min•Season 7Ep. 5
On this edition of Explain IT we're discussing how to power your SOC. No, we're not talking super powered footwear. SOC stands for Security Operations Centre, and it’s where cyber experts battle threats posed against your data day and night. We know security is a key part of any business, to protect your best kept secrets, and to keep third parties out of your information. But with a massive lack of Cyber Security skills in the market and the cost of Cybercrime skyrocketing year after year, how ...
Mar 26, 2024•27 min•Season 7Ep. 4
AI has been making headlines for a while now, and this year we’ll see more and more businesses adopting it to improve their performance and efficiency. But how do we ensure that AI is used in a responsible and ethical way? How do we avoid the risks and pitfalls that come with such a powerful technology? And how do we stop AI from getting out of control? Podcast host Helen Gidney, Softcat’s Head of Architecture, along with a team of experts are here to answer these questions and talk tech in simp...
Feb 27, 2024•29 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Part two of our Tech Predictions for 2024! You can hear part one, here. In the past twelve months, Explain I.T has generated over 20,000 unique downloads and covered an array of topics. In the present, we have a collective group of Softcat technologists here to share their thoughts on tech. And in the future, Explain I.T will have a new presenter; Helen Gidney, Softcat's very own Head of Architecture. So, along with Dean Gardner, Softcat's Technology Director, join Helen along with a whole host ...
Jan 23, 2024•47 min•Season 7Ep. 2
In the past twelve months, Explain I.T has generated over 20,000 unique downloads and covered an array of topics. In the present, we have a collective group of softcat technologists here to share their thoughts on tech. And in the future, Explain I.T will have a new presenter; Helen Gidney, Softcat's very own Head of Architecture. So, along with Dean Gardner, Softcat's Technology Director, join Helen along with a whole host of tech experts as they look ahead to the key innovations and challenges...
Jan 16, 2024•34 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Our team of experts are here to talk tech in simple, jargon free language, and today is no exception, although we do come with a twist. Today we are covering the automotive industry and how it continues to modernise by innovating, designing and building the now and future transportation that positively impacts all of us. What challenges and pressures face the industry? The level of technology advancements over the years appears to be driving so many global initiatives such as electrification, AI...
Dec 19, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Dean Gardner, Softcat's Technology Director, hosts another episode of Explain I.T. Another team of experts are here to talk tech in simple, jargon free language. Are you open to AI? Yes, we are, but not in the sense of OpenAI who appear to have performed a fire rehire and resign strategy in less than a week. We are open to AI in the sense that it's now part of every conversation. But to what degree will we use AI? How will it impact our everyday lives? And what are the risks and what are the pos...
Dec 05, 2023•35 min•Season 6Ep. 9
We are motoring towards the end of year like an AI powered electric scooter - and yes, they actually do exist thanks to UK tech startup Hilo One. In a world where AI is now taking charge in every aspect of our daily lives, Microsoft has recently released a Copilot. AI driven, all encompassing, innovation of the ages. What is it? Why do we need it? What are the risks of implementing this technology? And will it change, evolve and revolutionise our lives? To answer these questions on this episode ...
Nov 07, 2023•38 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Hello and welcome back to Softcats Explain It Podcast series. This is episode seven of season six, and we are here after a small break in the schedule. And we are back with a corker. My name is Dean Gardner, softcats technology director, and I'm still the host after a busy few months of AI. Today, we are heading into the quantum realm. Is quantum a reality? How fast will it move? And what are the motivations for moving to quantum computing? And actually, what are the possibilities, as they appea...
Sep 29, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 7
'Customer focus', 'customer obsession' and 'customer first' should surely be at the front of every organisation, but are they? Are we solely relying on technology to solve customer outcomes? Is it old fashioned to say that listening, understanding and being empathetic and solving challenges equally are more important than the tech we provide? This time, we tackle all these questions and much more on Explain I.T, where we talk tech in simple, jargon free language. This podcast is hosted by Dean G...
Jul 20, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Welcome to episode five of season six of Softcat’s ‘Explain IT’ podcast series. We are here to Explain IT. Our team of experts talk tech in simple, jargon free language. This time we’re discussing technology in the education sector. Think of this as the sequel to the first education episode we released in season five - you can listen again to that episode here . This podcast is hosted by Dean Gardner, Softcat’s Technology Director. Joining Dean are Softcat’s head of education, Rachael Clay; and ...
Jun 06, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 5
We asked an AI to make us a podcast and this is the result. Just kidding, we don’t trust technology, so we are doing it the old-fashioned way and having a chat about this exciting new technology. To share some fabulous insights, podcast host Dean Gardner is joined by Softcat’s resident AI expert and Account Chief Technologist Andrew Hermsen and the true pioneer of the cloud marketplace, Darren Sharpe from our amazing friends at Microsoft. In this episode we discuss what this ChatGPT and chat AI ...
May 03, 2023•30 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Your organisation will be hit by a security breach. It's inevitable. But how can you survive Armageddon if Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis aren’t available? Our experts are on a mission to guide you through the murky black hole of being breached. To share insights Softcat’s CTO Dean Gardner is joined by colleague Kieron Newsham and Ian McShane from Arctic Wolf. So what do you do when your security is breached? Listen to find out! If you have a burning question, or an opinion on our topics you'd lik...
Apr 11, 2023•38 min•Season 6Ep. 3
This week, we talk all things data and the value that everyone is trying to mine, extract and use - data. To share insights, we are joined by two amazing guests today; Francois Zimmerman from our friends Tableau and Eva Murray from one of Softcat’s newest friends, Snowflake. Why does data now appear to be a priority for almost everyone? How does an organisation build a data strategy? How will Data growth impact how AI continues to evolve? All these questions and more are answered on this episode...
Mar 03, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 6 of Softcat's podcast, Explain I.T. Every episode, our team of experts are here to talk tech in simple, jargon free language. To launch season 6 of our podcast we're here to predict your tech for 2023. We'll be discussing what is on the cusp of revolutionising the world as we know it. Basically, we’re attempting to show that don’t need to travel to Davos on an all- expenses paid trip to provide tech insight to a general audience! To share insights, podcast host Dean Gardner - ...
Jan 30, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 1
