 Hey everybody, welcome. This is JSA's new series called JSA Fast Forward, where we broadcast live via LinkedIn. I'm your host, Jamie Scott of Kataya, CEO and founder of JSA and with me is my fabulous co-host, longtime friend and colleague, Dean Perine, overall guru, you know, of client strategy, lead gen marketing, giving us a good laugh every now and then here at JSA. Thank you, Jamie. It is always a pleasure to be with you on Fast Forward. We, I think, this is our third Fast Forward now, so I don't think they can actually take it back. I think we, we run this thing throughout the entire year regardless of what anybody says. What do you think? I mean, we haven't been canceled yet, right? So I, they haven't renewed us though. But anyway, I think we keep on going down this path for us or beaten path. I don't know. It's our path and it's gonna meander, but you know, that's what, that's why people are tuning in, right? I hope. Yeah, and did we mention this is live? So... Yeah, it is live. So let's just go ahead and jump right in, Jay. The first bit of news is Primo. You want to talk about it? Oh, cute, Dean. But yeah, the Rive, a premier provider of Next Gen managed services, has entered the Florida market after acquiring Primo, P-R-E-E-M-O, a Miami-based award-winning technology services firm. That's right. The acquisition of the IT support company will provide South Florida businesses a huge boost in their technology ROI with Thrive's Next Gen cyber security, cloud platform, and digital transformation solutions. Digital transformation is everywhere right now. Absolutely, absolutely. And you know what? Speaking transformations, segue, segue. Data Bank has completed its migration of the Z-Colo data center. So of course that made big news a few months back. Now over the past few years, Data Bank has really transformed itself and we should think about this. Initially, way back when, they were just a provider of PureColo. Now they are a leading edge infrastructure powerhouse, combining colocation, cloud, interconnection, as well as managed services and compliancy. So a huge transformation for Data Bank and of course completing that Z-Colo big deal. Yeah, we talk about migrations as if they're just something that happens. You know, they're like, oh, we're just going to, you know, fit this in here and everything's going to be fine. It doesn't work that way. It takes a while to get this done. It takes even longer to get it done right. So congratulations to to the team at Data Bank and Z-Colo. An example of Data Bank's growth in action is the company's recent completion of its migration of customers and assets. That's a lot of migration. You've got customers. You've got assets. There's a lot to go on there from the purchase of Z-Colo data center assets from ZEO networks. We've all heard of ZEO, which added 44 data centers, 13 key interconnect locations across 23 markets in the U.S. and the E.U. So again, a big migration, a big haul there. Absolutely. So impressive. 44 new data centers. That's craziness. So shout out to Data Bank and also impressive. Let's go to our friends over at Involta. Involta now named VMware 2021 partner of the year. Yeah, let's go ahead and break that down just a bit more as VM Cloud Verified Partner Involta. By the way, Jay, every time I see the word Involta, I think John Involta. Anyway, it is not John Involta or John Travolta. It is Involta. I see where we're going with that. Yes, thank you very much. Involta worked closely with VMware to provide VMware Cloud and VMware-based SD-WAN services to its national base of enterprise clients. Over the past year, VMware's unmatched support and concierge program has boosted Involta's ability to launch and deliver its managed VMware SD-WAN solution. Yeah, yeah, wow. I can't help to thank Disco now. Go Involta. Tearing it up on the dance floor and other where. Okay, which makes me think of our next headline, getting back here. Tearing it up, Precision OT has been on a tier when it comes to growth and expansion as a company. And now Precision OT has announced their move into a new facility in Rochester that can accommodate so much more growth. 43,000 square foot standalone facility, Rochester, New York, perfectly outfitted to meet Precision's specialized needs as a network equipment manufacturer. Excellent. And as you know, Jayla's global supply chain woes have plagued the IT and telecom infrastructure sector for some time now. It's plaguing everything right now. By the way, I did get a shift order yesterday. I got maybe a third of the things that were actually on my list because of that very same supply chain issue. But anyway, back to fast forward. So the IT, the telecom infrastructure sector for some time now that again supply chain issues and solutions that help these mission critical providers keep the pace of innovation and service delivery are paramount. They really are. And you know what? This is why her aurelion, aurelion. Yeah, I'm working on it guys. It's the newly rebranded telecarrier. You know, those guys as number one ranked global internet backbone, telecarrier. All right. Well, aurelion, their new name has just launched expanded capabilities and upgraded capacities with our friends over at 1623 Farnum. I love it when we get to talk about 1623 Farnum because when we call them friends, that ain't no lie. Every time I have ever been, they're not even a client of mine. I rarely work with them, but anytime I've ever been in front of them, what a great bunch of people. I really enjoy them. But as a highly interconnected edge data center in Omaha, 1623 Farnum boost, I'm going to go with our lions, our lions. I mean, we must have said it 12 different times. One of them had to be right. Right. And I'm sure that I'm going to be, I'm going to be lashed after this because aurelion's ability to avert bottlenecks and deliver rapid deployments on its 800 gig route. Yeah, that's, I mean, that's a new route there. And it's huge. All right. So we're going from routes to waves. Nice transition. Thank you, writers. Light Rivers SD waves is high score recipient for the 2022 light wave innovation reviews. We love these light wave innovation awards. The company announcing that its software defined waves, SD waves solution was recognized among the best by the 2022 light wave innovation reviews, achieving 4.0 score in the SDN and FV technology category, which is a tough category these days. A lot of great technology out there for sure. Congratulations to all there. Moving along edge IR showcase the leading players in the edge space in its edge computing fireside chat series. Yeah, fireside chat. I don't know that their fireside chats aren't really happening anymore. People aren't actually sitting by the fire. I don't think either way, we all know exactly what a fireside chat is. Right. Virtual background with the fireside. Anyway, edge IR showcase the leading players in the edge space in its edge computing fireside chat series. In this fifth episode, Jim Davis edge IR editor and not the creator of the Garfield comics. And Philip Marangella, we've all heard of Philip over the last 12, 18 months he's everywhere. The chief marketing and product officer for edge connects discuss the edge data center market, what has changed over the last couple of years and the ongoing drivers for edge adoption. So check out edge connects in the latest edge IR fireside chat series. Yeah, I really love that publication. By the way, edge IR, they're really doing some great great content out of out of that out of that media company. So edge IR. Yay. And also, you know, check that fireside chat out. But also we're talking friends like Philip from edge connects. Let's talk other friends ex square technology has announced their partnership with Arizona public service company or EPS. And that's to provide commercialization services for communications infrastructure along APS is right away. APS is communications infrastructure follows a secure 27 mile 2700 mile fiber optic network backbone, which will pass through numerous rural rural a word I always stubble over rural underserved, unserved and underserved communities along that route, ultimately providing a wealth of broadband expansion opportunities throughout the majority of Arizona. Jay, we have to stop there because this is something that we're seeing a lot of and there's a lot of folks who are considering or reconsidering or doubling down on their on their commitment to serving those underserved or unserved communities. And though, you know, the one thing that is working with vibe, one of the one of the things that I was thinking about a lot the last month or so is the impact that that ultimately has on health care in these communities, education in these communities, overall communications and infrastructure within these communities, it is truly like transformative when a broadband carrier comes in provider comes in and and gives it to them and it's reliable and it's and it's high speed and you know, there's so so many so many things that are positively impacted there. Yeah, and you mentioned Vive, BYVE broadband there too and that's a good example too. Yeah, but we I think this pandemic done a lot of crazy things, horrible things, but silver lining is is really showing everyone just the need to to bridge that digital divide really get into those rural communities and provide the level of access so we can all work where we are, learn from where we are, enjoy life from where we are and and a better quality life with health care, etc. So insecurity. So yeah, what a little statement it says for our industry, our our network infrastructure families, they've really been unsung heroes I think in this pandemic really rising to the top to to provide this type of access, even when it might not be the most initially cost effective thing to do. Absolutely, yeah absolutely I mean that there's a reason why some of these markets I mean it proxemics aside there's a reason why some of these markets are not served or are underserved, but again it's kind of like a recommitment to to that cause and to that purpose and it's great that we're a part of it too. You know another theme that's been coming up is partnering and it's funny because I'm reading and editing a lot of our chapters for for greener data a book that's coming out April 22nd but we talk a lot about partnering in that in that book as well but here's another current headline that we got to get to Light River and smart optics partnering to further enable open optical networking. Can you give us more there? I can and I love talking to our friends at Light River more specifically Mike Jonas I feel like I've known him forever but Mike is commenting saying commenting saying he maintains that in our extensive lab validations we find that smart optics open line systems provide a market leading plug-and-play experience in terms of both physical connection to the network and integration into their Light Rivers end-to-end visibility and management within the net flex so yes partnerships and more more capabilities and the new the new seamlessness that end users definitely want and I did my best to to try to do my Mike Jonas impersonation but his voice is three octaves lower than mine. Yeah I kind of wanted to hear like Mike Jonas's deep baritone voice coming from you so I don't know maybe next one maybe next up next up significant company milestones we got to get to it T5 data centers you know them of course as they build manage and operate their own data centers as well as on behalf of many of its customers so big name in data center construction and management they just celebrated two million worked hours without one lost time accident. That's big and this is a result of the company's proactive safety culture as well as having processes in place to help ensure that culture is ingrained in the team at every level this impeccable safety record coupled with a hundred percent uptime delivers on T5's promise of forever safe and forever on. Yeah that's a big promise too and they keep to it it's pretty pretty incredible so here's my question for you Dino do you ever get FOMO is that a thing for you you know the feeling that you get when you're missing out on something I want to say no but the answer is probably yes well we all know like social FOMO oh my gosh I wish I was there I missed out on this you know particular memory with my friends etc but there's also a thing called IT FOMO whole different story the sinking feeling you get when you miss out on key digital transformation opportunities of course. Yeah no that makes sense IT FOMO fear of missing out on those kind of digitally transformative kinds of things but fortunately organizations that are searching for this for these top tips for meeting their digital transformation needs can find all the answers in our friends at 1623 Farnum's latest ebook so check that out on IT FOMO so no more FOMO thanks to our friends at 1623. Really no more FOMO all right I mean any who pretend we don't hear that in the headlines once again going back to script in Volta now recognized as the 2022 best in class KLAS in that partial IT outsourcing category really quite a distinction and this is published by a report Research and Insights from the firm class KLAS so class best in class and and this research firm recognizes providers who excel at enabling healthcare with the technology and support needed to improve patient care like we were talking about exactly some great in Volta shout outs there. Yeah Jim Bowie I believe I got his last name correctly he the president of in Volta has said that the team's dedication to innovation and solving complex healthcare challenges continues to prevail from develop from developing industry leading solutions to supporting regulatory frameworks to delivering unmatched customer service so congratulations to Jim and the in Volta folks. And you know what let's move to Northern California big news coming out of Silicon Valley bandwidth IG now adding 40 kilometers of new fiber connectivity to the San Fran Bay area big stuff. Yeah with this news the Silicon Valley area now has additional dark fiber route an additional dark fiber route connecting Santa Clara to San to south San Jose so this is this is pretty significant. Yeah especially that area lots of folks needing that. Also speaking big news bandwidth IG big okay big news moving over to our friends over connected to fiber who what they're not our friends anymore that is so not true it is that they are our same friends but new name they rebranded to connect base connected to fiber now connect base and that aligns really more with their entire spectrum of network connectivity options which includes wireless copper coax and fiber all available on their automated connect world platform. Same great people new brand it looks real good too so Jay why don't you tell us where the the JSA team is going to be next. Oh my goodness yes everywhere Dino everywhere we are taking over the planet like our clients. I think our next field trips are going to be at channel partners in Vegas so particularly fun if you have a channel program you want to promote we will be there to help you channel partners Vegas and then of course Monaco can't pass up a flight to Monaco data cloud will be happening in April and then two weeks later ITW near DC in May. Yeah so as always if you would like to schedule a meeting with us or our attending clients at any of these events send us a note at again my favorite URL say hi at jsa.net. Say hi yes and we are here at JSA always connect to you with more industry news and trends upcoming events virtual live across our blogs newsletters those virtual roundtables we have one coming up on Thursday podcasts now LinkedIn live hopefully LinkedIn doesn't kick us off uh to get more informed so that we can grow this industry together. Yeah being kicked off at LinkedIn is entirely plausible uh so so hopefully we will see you all next month Jamie it is always a pleasure to see you and thanks to all of you for tuning in to JSA fast forward and as always friends stay safe and happy networking