Purchasing insurance for a product or service at the point of sale used to be a complex undertaking, often requiring customers to leave the platform, fill out lengthy forms, and complete payments separately.But today's embedded insurance solutions offer retailers the ability to offer personalized insurance on or around their items with little interruption to the customer's journey.In this episode of the Tech Means Business podcast, we talk to Nikola Djokic, Managing Director of Insurance at SAP Fioneer to discuss how insurers, fintech startups, neobanks, and retailers can leverage this technology to offer personalized insurance tied not just to the product but also to who the customer is, factoring in details like their purchase history, credit rating, and more.The technology underpinning new-generation embedded insurance is event-driven, API-first software that connects financial companies with multiple sectors seamlessly, allowing insurers to whitelabel their offerings and develop new product lines that will dramatically increase sales.You can connect with Nikola on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-djokic-b582305/Read more about SAP Fioneer here:https://www.sapfioneer.com/Meet the team IRL:https://www.sapfioneer.com/events/Connect with host Joe Green here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephedwardgreen/
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21:12
Low-Code and the Smart, Future-Proof Data Fabric
The business benefits of using a low-code development platform are many and varied, from faster development times to an increased involvement of business stakeholders in the development process – meaning a better alignment between desired outcomes and the emerging software.In this episode of the Tech Means Business podcast, we talk about low-code, and focus on the insurance sector, detailing where and how insurers get maximum value from enterprise apps that are fast to emerge and quickly iterated on.With increasing governance and statutory guidelines for the financial industry, low-code can help bring data policy in line with legislation, too, plus create a data fabric that's fit for the future.It turns out that many of the pre-requisites of an effective low-code environment are the same as those needed for a meaningful implementation of AI. With Luke Thomas (Area Vice President - Asia Pacific and Japan, Appian) and Dean McIntosh (Enterprise Account Executive - Insurance), we chat about AI's use in low-code and in the wider enterprise, too.Appian's website:https://appian.comAppian's solutions specifically for Insurers:https://appian.com/industries/insurance/overviewLuke Thomas on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukeathomas/Dean McIntosh on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-mcintosh-921b8815/Host, Joe Green on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephedwardgreen/
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35:46
Helping APAC's IT Support Companies: ConnectWise
The burden of responsibility placed on MSPs (managed service providers) is huge. They not only must keep all their clients' IT systems running and secure, but they also have to be proactive in data governance, backups, cybersecurity and much more. Plus, there are the small matters of internal HR, Finance, Marketing and the rest!The ConnectWise ASIO platform is the go-to software that MSPs use to run their businesses, and on this episode of the Tech Means Business podcast, we talk to APAC Evangelism Director, Nick Moran.Nick ran his own highly successful MSP business in Australia for nearly three decades, a company he started from scratch and built to a point where it was acquired last year. Instead of enjoying a well-earned retirement however, Nick soon joined ConnectWise to share his experiences and promote the capabilities of the company, plus he's helping improve the platform further still, in line with feedback from frontline staff in MSPs across the APAC region.Entirely developed from the ground up on cloud-native, containerised technology, and integrating AI functionality, the ConnectWise ASIO™ platform is the world's first purpose-built platform for TSPs, taking ConnectWise ahead of its competitors in this highly specialised software space.You can check out ConnectWise here:https://www.connectwise.com/Information on the IT Nation event in Sydney is here:https://www.connectwise.com/theitnation/apacConnectWise ASIO platform:https://www.connectwise.com/platformNick Moran's LinkedIn profile is here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmoran/The show's host, Joe Green, is here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephedwardgreen/
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17:22
UCaaS's evolution takes communications centre stage
Any organisation lives or dies on its communication abilities. In today's digital-first environment, connecting customers and companies via the channel they're most comfortable with is a critical operational component.With the advent of mature, cloud-based systems, an increasing number of businesses are migrating from on-premise VOIP systems to UCaaS or CCaaS platforms (unified communications as a service, or contact centre as a service).These advanced pieces of software let contacts and collaborations take place seamlessly as the participants shift from voice, to video, to text - even mid-call. But UCaaS means a whole lot more besides these engineering basics, and today's guest on the Tech Means Business podcast takes us through the details.Amir Hameed, Senior Vice President Worldwide Software Sales and Engineering at RingCentral, has a long career spent promoting high-quality customer and employee experiences. At RingCentral, his role is to make sure that call centre agents all over the world enjoy their work and give delightful customer experiences at every touchpoint.In this episode we find out how CX and EX can be transformed, statutory data compliance achieved, and primarily, how organisations and brands can turn customers into brand advocates, and transient employees into long-term investments that bring great value to any-sized business.You can learn more about RingCentral offerings here:https://www.ringcentral.com/au/en/The AI-enhanced UCaaS, RingCX is the subject of focus here:https://www.ringcentral.com/au/en/ringcx.htmlAmir Hameed is on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirhameed/And the host of the show, Joe Green, is here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephedwardgreen/
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23:07
Not the end-of-life for Linux and open-source
The Linux operating system and open-source software run much of the world's digital infrastructure. Its unusual business model is based on value-added service agreements comprising support, maintenance, security, and bug fixes.In 2024, many organizations using open-source software have been impacted by decisions by vendors to effectively prevent access to source code and sudden changes in end-of-life schedules on which businesses rely to prioritize spending.This episode of the Tech Means Business podcast talks to Vishal Ghariwala of SUSE (one of the leading enterprise software supply and development companies) about the state of open-source in 2024. What alternatives are there for companies looking at the approaching end of support for their essential, business-critical software?Vishal is the Director and CTO at SUSE for the Asia-Pacific region and brings his experience from a lifetime in open-source to the table. We talk about byte-for-byte compatibility between different brands' offerings, the spirit of innovation that comes from collectivism, and how software developed and freely distributed marries with traditional financial models.The OpenELA (Open Enterprise Linux Association) is here:https://openela.org/Find out more about Liberty Linux here:https://www.suse.com/products/suse-liberty-linux/This editorial covers some of the issues discussed:https://techhq.com/2024/02/when-is-centos-os-7-reaching-end-of-life/Vishal Ghariwala is here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalghariwala/And your host, Joe Green, has been forked here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephedwardgreen/
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