Welcome to The CDW UK OCTOpod, your go-to source for the latest technology innovations. In each episode, experts from CDW and our trusted partners explore hot topics like Generative AI, Hybrid Cloud, Cybersecurity, Service Optimisation and Modern Work.
Backed by CDW’s Office of the CTO, we dive deep into trending tech, break down the news you need and provide actionable insights to apply right away. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or simply curious about the digital world, OCTOpod will help you harness technology to drive growth in today’s fast-evolving landscape.
All thoughts and opinions on this podcast are those of the CDW UK Office of the CTO and provide independent viewpoints.
Episodes
Jun 6, 2025
Jun 6, 2025
20 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI. In this episode we dive into the topic of Hybrid Cloud covering topics such as Azure Arc, StackHCI, AVD and the value of running applications at the edge.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Christophe Le Roux, Azure Local EMEA Lead, Microsoft
Jake Walsh, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
Jun 2, 2025
Jun 2, 2025
16 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI.
In this episode, we introduce the concept of App Modernisation and the value it can bring in both cost optimisation and business agility.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Michelle Azzopardi, Senior Apps and AI Innovation Business Lead, Microsoft
Sam Swaby, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 30, 2025
May 30, 2025
23 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI. In this episode we dive into the topic of Hybrid Cloud covering topics such as Azure Arc, StackHCI, AVD and the value of running applications at the edge.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Christophe Le Roux, Azure Local EMEA Lead, Microsoft
Jake Walsh, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 26, 2025
May 26, 2025
15 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI.
In this episode, we introduce the concept of App Modernisation and the value it can bring in both cost optimisation and business agility.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Michelle Azzopardi, Senior Apps and AI Innovation Business Lead, Microsoft
Sam Swaby, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 23, 2025
May 23, 2025
13 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI. In this episode we dive into the topic of Hybrid Cloud covering topics such as Azure Arc, StackHCI, AVD and the value of running applications at the edge.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Christophe Le Roux, Azure Local EMEA Lead, Microsoft
Jake Walsh, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
13 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI.
In this episode, we introduce the concept of App Modernisation and the value it can bring in both cost optimisation and business agility.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Michelle Azzopardi, Senior Apps and AI Innovation Business Lead, Microsoft
Sam Swaby, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 16, 2025
May 16, 2025
13 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI.
In this episode we dive into the topic of Hybrid Cloud covering topics such as Azure Arc, StackHCI, AVD and the value of running applications at the edge.
Speakers
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Dan Figueiredo, Global Technology Strategist - Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft
Jake Walsh, Senior Solutions Architect, CDW
May 14, 2025
May 14, 2025
15 min
Welcome to a special series with our friends from Microsoft centred around the topic of Cloud Beyond IaaS and how we can drive cost optimisation and innovation through technology. This will be a 13-part series starting with the strategy and diving into the technology across three core areas: App Modernisation, Hybrid Cloud and Data & AI.
In this episode, we kick off the series by discussing cost optimisation and how it is much more than saving on cloud computing bills.
Speakers:
Rob Sims. Chief Technologist, CDW
Wendy Carstairs, Partner Technology Strategy Leader, Microsoft
Will Barlow, Practice Lead Microsoft Solutions, CDW
OCTO MISSION
The IT industry is constantly changing. At CDW, we pride ourselves on staying at the cutting edge of innovation to keep our customers ahead of the competition. The Office of the CTO plays an integral role in the development of CDW's UK Integrated Technology business.
The Office of the CTO consists of a team of experts with their own specific industry expertise. Each member offers valuable insight into their pillar, and not only helps develop the CDW market proposition and service capabilities, but assists customers in making the most of their IT capabilities, options, and future opportunities.
On this page, you can learn about our experts and their specialisations and you’ll have access to their latest articles.
Kyle Davies
Kyle leads the Office of the CTO, which plays an integral role in promoting CDW’s opinion and voice in the market, and provides progressive and balanced thought leadership for CDW customers, as well as leading the CDW ITS technology direction. In this role, Kyle also leads our product management function, alongside the Chief Technologists, to understand the market and opportunities to enable the development of market-relevant propositions and service capabilities. Learn more about OCTO here.
Who Are CDW?
Founded in 1984, CDW is a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education, and healthcare customers in the United Kingdom, and more than 170 countries across the globe. With more than 13,000 global coworkers – including 1,600 in the UK – we help you achieve your goals by delivering integrated technology solutions and services that maximise your investment.
Our IT solutions and IT services, backed by the industry's highest accreditations, are designed to offer you strategic advantages over your competitors, helping you attract and retain more customers while driving business success. With our help, you can focus on running your business - not on managing your IT.