The CDW OCTOpod

Hybrid Trends with Veeam: Why Securtity.AI

In Part 2 of this Hybrid Trends conversation, Rob Sims sits down again with Michael Cade, Field CTO at Veeam, to unpack the next evolution of data resilience.

This episode moves beyond traditional backup to explore why Veeam made a bold move into data security and intelligence with the acquisition of Security AI.

Together, they dive into:

• Why understanding and classifying data is now the foundation of cyber resilience
• The rise of DSPM (Data Security Posture Management) and what it means for enterprises
• How mapping data flows unlocks security, governance, and breach impact analysis
• The shift from “data protection” to true data management and intelligence
• Why clean, well-governed data is the key to unlocking safe AI adoption

Part 1 was about trends, this episode is about execution—and the platform shift redefining how organisations manage, secure, and extract value from their data.

Hybrid Trends with Veeam: Data Sprawl and the Cyber Resilience Challenge

In this episode of Hybrid Trends, Rob Sims is joined by Michael Cade, Field CTO at Veeam, to explore the growing challenges around data protection, cyber resilience and enterprise recovery strategies.

As organisations continue to expand across cloud, SaaS, edge and on-prem environments, data is now everywhere. While this distributed architecture brings agility and innovation, it also dramatically increases the attack surface for cyber threats.

Looking back at the lessons of 2025 and heading into 2026, Rob and Michael discuss the key trends shaping data resilience today. The conversation also highlights the shift from traditional disaster recovery thinking to a more realistic cyber recovery strategy, where recovery timelines, data classification and business process understanding are essential.

Ultimately, the message is clear:
data resilience is no longer just an IT responsibility — it’s a business survival strategy.

This episode sets the stage for part two, where Rob and Michael explore why Veeam’s acquisition of Securiti AI signals a deeper shift in how organisations must approach cyber resilience in the future.

Hybrid Trends with Dell: The AI Factory Explained

In the final episode of the Hybrid Trends with Dell series, Rob Sims is once again joined by Dell’s Ihab El Ghazzawi to explore how organisations can move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale deployment.

After discussing multi-cloud optimisation in part one and the common reasons AI projects fail in part two, this episode focuses on the practical framework Dell calls the AI Factory.

Rather than simply being a collection of GPU servers, the AI Factory is a complete architecture designed to help organisations build, deploy and scale AI capabilities efficiently and securely.

Rob and Ehab break down the key components of the AI Factory approach. They also discuss why the term “factory” reflects the idea of creating repeatable AI outcomes at scale, transforming experimentation into production-ready platforms that generate real business value.

This episode concludes the three-part series with Dell on hybrid cloud and AI, providing a practical blueprint for organisations looking to operationalise AI and unlock the next wave of digital innovation.

Hybrid Trends with Dell: Why AI Projects Fail (And How to Fix Them)

In part two of the Hybrid Trends with Dell series, Rob Sims is joined again by Dell’s  Ihab El Ghazzawi to explore a critical question facing organisations today:

Why are so many AI projects failing?

Despite the huge momentum behind AI adoption, many organisations struggle to move from experimentation to real business value. In this episode, Rob and Ehab break down the three most common reasons AI initiatives fail and what technology leaders can do to overcome them.

The discussion focuses on three core challenges!

This episode sets the stage for the final part of the series, where Rob and Ehab break down the Dell AI Factory and how organisations can move from experimentation to production-ready AI environments.

Hybrid Trends with Dell: Multi-Cloud by Design, Not by Accident

In this episode of Hybrid Trends, Rob Sims and Dell’s Ihab El Ghazzawi tackle one of the biggest challenges facing IT leaders today: how to optimise a multi-cloud world without losing control.

From cloud sprawl and inconsistent policies to rising costs and duplicated data, they discuss why successful organisations are shifting to a multi-cloud by design approach — placing workloads in the right location based on business value, not just trend or habit.

The conversation explores hybrid cloud strategy, operational simplicity, Dell APEX, private cloud automation and the growing need for flexibility, control and security across on-prem, co-lo, edge and hyperscale environments.

Breaking the Data Centre: How Coventry University Rebuilt for the Hybrid Era - Part 3

Episode 3: Securing the Future & Designing the Smart Campus

In the final part of the series, Rob Sims and Coventry University CTO Steve Rogers look beyond the last decade of transformation and focus on what comes next for hybrid in higher education.

Steve shares why his immediate priority isn’t “jumping on the AI bandwagon,” but doubling down on cybersecurity, human firewalls and smarter use of data to drive better decisions. He explains how Coventry is consolidating tools, moving away from “premium by default” vendors, and choosing platforms that are good enough, cost-effective, and tightly aligned to real needs.

The conversation then widens to the future student experience: immersive learning spaces, VR and AR, sensor-driven smart campuses, edge capabilities, and how technologies like Cisco Spaces are already helping Coventry make data-informed decisions about estate usage. Steve outlines his ambition to become a cloud-native, cloud-only organisation for core infrastructure within five years, with on-premise reduced to focused edge processing.

Packed with forward-looking insight, this episode explores how universities can prepare their networks, teams and strategies today to stay competitive tomorrow—and why continuous innovation, smart partnerships and a clear view of the “connected campus” are now essential to attracting and retaining the next generation of students.

Breaking the Data Centre: How Coventry University Rebuilt for the Hybrid Era - Part 2

Episode 2: Why Partnership Became the Missing Piece

In part two of the series, Rob Sims is joined again by Coventry University CTO Steve Rogers—this time alongside Matt Smith, Higher Education Account Director at CDW—to explore the strategic leap that shaped Coventry’s next decade of hybrid evolution.

With the university already deep into its cloud-driven transformation, Steve reveals the moment he realised that future progress required more than technology alone. As platforms modernised, teams shrank and skills became harder to retain, the pace of innovation risked being slowed by prolonged procurement cycles and fragmented vendor engagements. The answer? A new kind of partnership.

Rob, Steve and Matt unpack how Coventry moved from traditional framework-driven tendering to a strategic, long-term collaboration with CDW—designed to unlock agility, simplify decision-making, and give the university direct access to deep technical expertise across the entire stack. They discuss co-sourcing over outsourcing, building trust, aligning visions, and why cultural fit matters just as much as technology capability.

Packed with honest reflections from both sides of the partnership, this episode provides a practical blueprint for universities considering a strategic technology partner—and highlights the mindset shifts required to make it successful.

Breaking the Data Centre: How Coventry University Rebuilt for the Hybrid Era - Part 1

Episode 1: A Decade of Change, Culture and Cloud

Rob Sims welcomes Coventry University CTO Steve Rogers to unpack the university’s bold shift away from overloaded comms rooms and sprawling legacy infrastructure toward a modern hybrid cloud strategy.
Steve reveals what sparked the transformation, how 850 services were re-imagined for the cloud, why culture and skills mattered more than servers, and how universities can unlock agility for a new generation of digitally-native students.

Part 1: Building a Sustainable Hybrid Strategy past

Part 2: The Partnership Approach 

Part 3: The Future View in Higher Education

A candid, practical and inspiring conversation that any technology leader grappling with hybrid strategy will want to hear.