The Critical Lowdown

Hosted by EPS Global

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Jul 2026

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The Critical Lowdown is a technology podcast from the team at EPS Global. Each episode will give you access to industry experts, and step beyond the anecdotes to see how new technologies, chip shortages, and an ever-changing security landscape affects you and the projects you're rolling out. Over the course of this series, we are going to bring you interviews, explainers, and valuable insights on topics ranging from traditional and open networking, to electronics manufacturing and IoT security.

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July 28, 2026Episode 318 min

The Hardware Behind the AI Explosion | In Conversation with Giorgio Ghislotti from Coherent

AI is dominating the headlines, but what about the physical infrastructure actually running it?In this episode, John Lynch is joined by Giorgio Ghislotti, VP of Sales EMEA at Coherent, to talk about the physical "picks and shovels" of the AI gold rush. Giorgio reveals how Coherent is handling the massive surge in demand for optical hardware, why Nvidia recently invested billions into their technology, and how they are innovating to keep high-speed AI data centers from overheating.Tune in for an inside look at how global supply chains, next-gen lasers, and multi-terabit link speeds are being shaped by the AI revolution.00:00 - Introduction & Welcome back to Dublin00:35 - The impact of the AI boom on Coherent’s business01:49 - Why Coherent's optical products are uniquely suited for AI02:48 - The shift to 800G and 1.6 Terabit platforms03:37 - Navigating global laser shortages and manufacturing scale-ups05:01 - Beyond Transceivers: Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) and high-power lasers06:34 - Is the AI market a bubble?08:06 - The future of traditional optical modules vs. CPO10:16 - Solving AI power density and thermal cooling challenges12:12 - Nvidia's major investment in Coherent13:33 - The 3-year outlook for data center link speeds14:24 - Managing distribution, supply allocation, and legacy products with EPS🔗 Talk to us today🌐 Learn more at: https://www.epsglobal.com💻LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/🐦Twitter: https://twitter.com/epsglobal1🎵Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0A5NqVPw9LTKYflTmvnQwB?si=VecTGaFfSea7CX0Fvb87Aw#AI #DataCenters #OpticalNetworking #Coherent #Nvidia #OpticalTransceivers #CoPackagedOptics #CPO #TechPodcast #EPS #Semiconductors #Telecom #DataCenterInfrastructure

July 9, 2026Episode 216 min

Why Your AI Infrastructure Is Only as Fast as Your Network | Tim Lieto, MaiaEdge

AI is driving a massive boom in purpose-built data centers known as "Neoclouds." But as AI infrastructure shifts from massive, centralized training clusters to highly distributed, latency-sensitive inference sites, a new bottleneck is emerging: the network. After all, your AI infrastructure only runs at the speed of its worst connection.In this episode of the Critical Lowdown, Alan Fagan sits down with Tim Lieto, AVP of Sales at @MaiaEdge New England tech startup founded by the same visionary team behind Acme Packet and 128 Technology.Alan and Tim discuss the explosive growth of the Neocloud market, the complexities of multi-tenant AI networking, and how MaiaEdge is completely changing the way private connectivity is established across distributed AI infrastructure.In this episode, we cover:• 0:00 – Intro: The explosion of AI and purpose-built "Neoclouds"• 1:17 – Tim Lieto’s background and the tech royalty behind MaiaEdge• 2:29 – How AI data center infrastructure is changing in 2025• 3:56 – Why the network is the hidden bottleneck in AI workloads• 4:59 – The critical shift from AI training to AI inference• 6:18 – The complex challenge of connecting multi-tenant AI sites• 8:59 – How MaiaEdge’s Path Border Controller simplifies private connectivity• 11:21 – Why MaiaEdge partnered with EPS Global to deliver a complete AI stack• 13:08 – The future of AI data centers: immersion cooling, tidal power, and innovation🔗 Talk to us today: https://www.epsglobal.com

June 25, 2026Episode 114 min

Building the AI Factory: Why Legacy Networks Are Failing GPUs | Matt Free, Aria Networks

The AI infrastructure market is projected to hit an astounding $400 billion by 2031, but there’s a hidden problem: legacy network architectures are quietly bottlenecking massive, multi-million-dollar GPU clusters. In this episode of The Critical Lowdown , host Alan Fagan (VP of Sales, Americas at EPS Global) sits down with enterprise networking veteran Matt Free of Aria Networks. Fresh off a $125 million launch out of stealth, Aria is building "networks that think"—hardware and software designed from the chip up specifically for AI workloads. If you are a Neo Cloud provider, a sovereign data center operator, or an enterprise scaling AI, this episode breaks down exactly why traditional networks fail under the weight of AI and how to turn your network into a revenue multiplier. In this episode, we discuss: The AI "Land Grab" vs. The Harvest: Why the race for power and space is shifting toward maximizing compute efficiency. Deep Networking: How pulling microsecond telemetry directly from the chip allows AI to auto-detect and fix invisible "gray failures." The ROI of Networking: How a 1% improvement in Model FLOPs Utilization (MFU) can pay for your entire network for five years. The Neo Cloud Bottleneck: Why power, optics, and supply chains will be the biggest hurdles over the next 12–18 months. The Ricky Bobby Rule: Why speed and risk reduction are everything when standing up AI data centers today. ⏱️ Chapter Markers: 0:00 – Welcome to the AI Factory 0:45 – Matt Free’s Path from Cisco & Juniper to Aria Networks 1:50 – What is Aria? Building "Networks That Think" 3:10 – The $400 Billion Neo Cloud Boom 4:30 – The Farming Analogy: Why Compute Efficiency is Everything 5:30 – What is "Deep Networking"? 6:30 – Using AI Agents to Manage AI Networks 7:30 – The Revenue Impact of MFU 8:00 – EPS Global & Aria: Reducing Deployment Risk 10:10 – The Biggest Bottlenecks for 2024-2025 11:20 – The Shift from AI Training to Inference 12:15 – Final Advice for Neo Cloud Operators

October 16, 2025Episode 1810 min

Optics in the AI Era: Coherent's CTO on the Future of CPO and Pluggables

Learn More: https://www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-58 Are Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) set to replace the pluggable transceivers we've used for decades? As AI pushes data centers to their limits, this is the billion-dollar question facing the entire networking industry. We went straight to the source for answers, sitting down with Julie Eng, CTO of optical technology giant Coherent, live from the floor of ECOC 2024 in Copenhagen. In this in-depth conversation, Julie breaks down the complex world of next-generation optics and provides a clear, data-backed vision for the future. 🔹 What Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) actually is and how it differs from traditional pluggables. 🔹 Why CPO is critical for solving the power and density challenges of AI & ML workloads. 🔹 The surprising market forecast: A deep dive into why the pluggable market is projected to reach $25 BILLION by 2030, coexisting with the emerging CPO market. 🔹 The engineering challenges of keeping up with an exponentially increasing pace of innovation. 🔹 Other exciting trends on the horizon, including optical circuit switches and the path to 400G lanes. Chapters: (0:00) Intro (0:48) Interview with Julie Ang, CTO of Coherent (1:50) What is Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)? (3:20) Future of pluggables in the CPO era (5:25) CPO in AI & machine learning (6:30) Engineering challenges & innovation speed (8:05) Emerging optical trends beyond CPO (9:28) Closing remarks Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻 LinkedIn 🎬 YouTube 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #ECOC2024 #CPO #PluggableOptics #DataCenter #OpticalNetworking #Coherent #AI #Photonics #TechTalk #Engineering

October 8, 2025Episode 1716 min

Build Better AI Networks for Half the Cost | In Conversation with Hedgehog CEO, Marc Austin

Learn More: www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-57 What if you could build a high-performance AI network with better performance than proprietary solutions... for half the cost? The secret lies in "networking like a hyperscaler," and it's more accessible than you think. In this insightful conversation, Alan Fagan of EPS Global sits down with Marc Austin, CEO & Co-Founder of Hedgehog, to demystify the world of open AI networking. They dive deep into how companies are leveraging open-source software and disaggregated hardware (from partners like Celestica) to build powerful, cost-effective GPU clusters that challenge the dominance of traditional, closed-ecosystem vendors. Discover the proven strategies that hyperscalers use and learn how you can apply them to your own AI infrastructure, whether you're training massive models or deploying inference at the edge. Chapters:(00:00) Introduction: The Power of Open Networking (00:54) What is Hedgehog & Its Role in the AI Ecosystem? (01:27) Meeting the Massive Demands of AI on Networks (02:35) How to Operate Your AI Infrastructure Like the Cloud (03:02) Open vs. Proprietary: The Price & Performance Comparison (04:07) Why Open Networking is Proven, Not Experimental (04:50) How EPS Global, Hedgehog & Celestica Make Adoption Easy (06:33) Case Study: FarmGPU's 800-Gig Back-End Fabric (08:17) The Future is Fast: The New 1.6 Terabit Switch (10:10) The Partnership Experience with EPS Global (11:26) Case Study: Zipline's AI-Powered Drone Delivery Network (13:32) The Next Big Disruption in AI Networking: Inference at the Edge Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTxgeDg0p4c 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #AINetworking #OpenNetworking #DataCenter #ArtificialIntelligence #CloudComputing #Hedgehog #EPSGlobal #Celestica #Hyperscaler #GPU #Disaggregation #NVIDIA #TechTalk

August 27, 2025Episode 1628 min

The Great Disaggregation: How SONiC is Reshaping the Network

Learn More: www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-56 The networking industry is undergoing a monumental shift away from traditional, vendor-locked models. At the heart of this revolution is SONiC—Software for Open Networking in the Cloud. Originally developed by Microsoft and now thriving under the Linux Foundation, SONiC is unbundling hardware and software to create a more flexible, powerful,and cost-effective future for networking. In this episode, Barry McGinley of EPS Global welcomes Paul Lysander, a Product Manager at Celestica, to break down the rise of open networking. Paul explains why SONiC is earningits title as the "Linux of networking," fueled by a vibrant open-source community and the intense performance demands of new AI/ML workloads.The conversation also explores SONiC's next frontier: the enterprise. Learn about the new features being developed to bring open networking to campus and branch offices, and how companies like Celestica are creating a clear migration path for businesses ready to make the switch. Chapters: (00:40) Welcome to The Critical Lowdown (Barry & Paul intro) (02:30) Celestica’s role in open networking (05:00) Moving away from vendor-locked models (07:30) SONiC as the “Linux of networking” (10:00) Open-source ecosystem & Linux Foundation (13:00) AI/ML workloads and networking demands (16:00) SONiC’s journey into the enterprise (23:00) Enterprise networking features (PoE, AAA, VLANs) (26:00) Future of SONiC & closing thoughts Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG23i34kEAI 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.epsglobal.com/manufacturers/celestica⁠⁠ #opennetworking #sonic #linuxfoundation #cloudnetworking #machinelearning #networkautomation #futureofnetworking #epsglobal #enterprisenetworking #opensourcecommunity #networkengineering #cloudinfrastructure

July 29, 2025Episode 1524 min

Network like a Hyperscaler | In Conversation with Matt Roman from Celestica

Learn More: www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-55 Is your enterprise ready to move beyond traditional,proprietary networking? The same open, disaggregated technologies that power the world's largest hyperscalers are now more accessible than ever, offering unparalleled flexibility, cost savings, and performance. In this in-depth conversation, Alan Fagan of EPS Globalsits down with Matt Roman, Senior Director of Product Line Management at Celestica, to explore the strategy and technology behind Celestica's Portfolio Systems Group. They break down the real-world advantages and challenges of adopting an open networking model and discuss how a strong partnership ecosystem is key to navigating this new landscape. Chapters: (00:07) Networking like a hyperscaler (00:33) Guest intro: Matt Roman, Celestica (02:01) Celestica’s Portfolio Systems Group & strategy (03:20) Supply chain & manufacturing advantage (05:20) Open networking: hardware & software choice (12:00) Automation & DevOps tools in scaling networks (14:00) Partnerships with EPS Global (17:00) Data center trends: power & liquid cooling (20:00) Software integration & SONiC contributions (22:00) Sustainability, ESG & end-of-life management Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jof-W2q2fyg⁠⁠ 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.epsglobal.com/manufacturers/celestica⁠ #Celestica #NetworkingSolutions #OpenNetworking #DataCenter #TechPodcast #FutureProof #ITInfrastructure #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseNetworking #OpenStandards #NetworkDeployment #EPSGlobal #TechTalks #NetworkingInnovation

June 5, 2025Episode 1416 min

Unlocking Network Agility | In Conversation with Don Evans from Celestica

Learn More: www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-54 In this insightful conversation, Don Evans of Celestica sits down with Alan Fagan to discuss how Celestica is empowering customers with flexible and powerful networking solutions. From robust storage to open-standard switching, learn about their commitment to quality, customer choice, and the importance of integrating hardware and software. Get insights into simplifying complex deployments and future-proofing network infrastructure. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction & Product Philosophy (01:00) Open Networking & Market Shift (02:00) Celestica’s Portfolio Systems Group (03:30) Benefits of Open Networking (05:00) Customer Empowerment & Simplification (06:30) Avoiding Vendor Lock-in (08:00) Disaggregated Networking & Flexibility (10:00) Storage Products & Customization (12:00) Migration Path for Enterprises (14:00) Partnership with EPS Global (15:30) Future Trends in Networking Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jof-W2q2fyg⁠ 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠⁠ https://www.epsglobal.com/manufacturers/celestica #Celestica #NetworkingSolutions #OpenNetworking #DataCenter #TechPodcast #FutureProof #ITInfrastructure #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseNetworking #OpenStandards #NetworkDeployment #EPSGlobal #TechTalks #NetworkingInnovation

May 29, 2025Episode 1332 min

The 100G ZR Advantage: Power, Performance, and Simplicity | Kevin Affolter from Coherent

Learn More: www.epsglobal.com/about-eps-global/podcasts/episode-53 Dive into the world of optical networking with Ciara McCarthy (CMO, EPS Global), John Lynch (VP of Sales, EMEA, EPS Global), and Kevin Affolter (Product Line Manager, Coherent). In this episode, we explore Coherent's groundbreaking 100G ZR DCO optical transceiver, a product designed to revolutionize IP over DWDM applications.Discover the technical intricacies, cost benefits, and real-world use cases of this unique technology. Learn how it enables smaller footprints, lower power dissipation, and enhanced network reliability. We also discuss the manufacturing process, global availability, and how network operators can evaluate these optics for their specific environments. Chapters: (0:00) Introduction (1:30) Meet EPS Global & Coherent (3:50) What is 100G ZR? (6:45) Why 100G ZR is a Game-Changer (9:20) Use Cases Across the Industry (13:00) Customer Success Stories (17:30) Technical Deep Dive: Optics & Power Efficiency (21:10) Deployment Strategies (25:00) Future of Optical Networking (29:30) Key Takeaways & Final Thoughts 🔗 Learn More & Apply for a Proof of Concept: https://www.epsglobal.com/lp/100g-zr The 100G ZR QSFP28 DCO Transceiver is a standout innovation, exclusively developed by Coherent. We’re currently testing these transceivers across Europe, and they’re in stock now! https://www.epsglobal.com/products/transceivers/qsfp28/ftlc3353s3pl1 Subscribe for more content from EPS Global. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/epsglobal1/⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jof-W2q2fyg 📞For more information, please visit our website https: ⁠⁠//www.epsglobal.com⁠ #100GZR #QSFP28 #DCOTransceiver #NetworkUpgrade #OpticalNetworking #telecomsolutions #dwdm #fiberoptics #datacenter #HighSpeedNetworking #coherent #epsglobal #futureofnetworking #Connectivity #techinnovation

April 24, 2025Episode 1220 min

Locking Down IoT at the Source | Part 3: How HSMs and Automation Are Revolutionizing Secure Manufacturing

Read More: https://www.epsprogramming.com/podcasts/locking-down-iot-at-source-part-3-how-hsms-and-automation-are-revolutionizing-secure-manufacturing/ In this episode our panel explores secure IoT manufacturing at scale with our experts Malcolm and Shawn Prestridge from IAR. They break down zero-touch provisioning, Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), and why 2025 will force embedded security into every device. Learn how to protect your products—before hackers or regulations catch you off guard. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:45) Key Challenges in Secure Component Programming (03:30) In-Circuit Test vs. Offline Programming (06:00) Real-World Case Study: GSM Base Station in Romania (08:15) Security Layers: HSMs and Connectivity Issues (10:30) Benefits of Outsourcing Programming (13:00) Cost, Quality, and Efficiency Gains (15:30) Regional Limitations and Workarounds (17:45) EPS Global’s Global Support and Infrastructure (19:30) Final Thoughts and Takeaways Subscribe for more EPS Global videos. Give a like, share with others, and comment your thoughts below! 🎯📌 💻 LinkedIn 🎵 Spotify 📽️ YouTube Need help securing your embedded devices? Contact EPS Global today! https://www.epsprogramming.com/ #EmbeddedSecurity #CyberSecurity #IoTSecurity #SecureByDesign #SupplyChainSecurity #iot #iar #manufacturing