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In this episode of Exchanges with Hitachi Solutions, host Matt Volke sat down with Evan Sotos, Engineering Manager for the Empower Data Platform, and Stuart Morris, Director of Research & Development, for a fast‑paced wrap‑up of their time on the ground at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. With Hitachi’s presence spanning IoT, mobility, digital cities, energy, and data innovation, the team shares firsthand observations from the world’s largest consumer electronics event and highlights the trends shaping the year ahead.

In this episode, you’ll hear Evan, and Stuart discuss:

• What it’s like navigating CES across massive halls filled with humanoid robots, batteries, e‑mobility, and next‑generation digital city technologies—and why even three days on the show floor isn’t enough to see it all.
• How Hitachi’s unified booth showcased the full “One Hitachi” vision, bringing together group companies across industries to demonstrate integrated solutions for AI, data, and digital transformation.
• What Empower brings to the CES conversation, including how organizations can unify, orchestrate, and model their data to support analytics, AI, business insights, and industry‑specific use cases.
• Why clean, consolidated data is the foundation for any successful AI initiative, especially as companies discover the limits of rushing into AI without the right data architecture.
• How Hitachi Solutions is applying AI internally first—building real workflows, modernizing processes like RFP response management, and proving value before productizing solutions for customers.
• The industry’s growing focus on pragmatic, value‑driven AI, including a shift away from “toy” demos toward real workflows, hybrid models, and the rise of agentic AI—paired with the need to combine classical automation and machine learning with modern LLMs.

Whether you’re exploring how AI can drive real business transformation, looking to modernize your data foundation, or just curious about the innovations making headlines at CES, this episode offers an insider’s perspective on the technologies and trends expected to define 2026.

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In this episode of Exchanges with Hitachi Solutions, Alex Rigaud, Vice President of Incubation Solutions, reports live from CES 2026 in Las Vegas, and explores the latest innovations on display at the world’s largest consumer electronics show and highlight how Hitachi Solutions is shaping the future of AI, data, and automation. You can meet Alex and the rest of our team at CES at North Hall Booth #8529.

In this episode, you’ll hear Matt and Alex discuss:

• What it’s like to experience CES firsthand, from robots and gadgets to Hitachi’s massive two-story booth showcasing solutions across rail, energy, digital, and more
• How Hitachi Solutions is uniting its global teams under one roof to demonstrate cutting-edge technology, including a multilingual AI-powered receptionist avatar that delivers seamless, human-like interactions and integrates with visitor management systems
• Why clean, structured data is essential for effective AI, and how the Empower enterprise data platform unifies data, ensures governance, and enables actionable insights for organizations
• The role of AI agents like the QA bot in automating quality assurance, reducing manual effort, and accelerating release cycles—saving up to 85% turnaround time internally
• The importance of engaging with experts from manufacturing, IoT, energy, supply chain, rail, life sciences, and financial services to turn ideas into reality and address industry-specific challenges
• Personal anecdotes from Alex about the CES experience, including testing high-end tech and the excitement of interacting with visitors from around the world

Whether you’re interested in the latest AI-powered solutions, want to understand the practical impact of data governance, or are curious about how Hitachi Solutions is driving innovation at CES, this episode offers a front-row seat to the trends and technologies shaping the future of business.

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Is your ERP digital concrete? Or does it have the flexibility and capability to deliver what your organization needs in the era of AI?

In this episode of Exchanges, host Hannah Story is joined by guests Ted Kempf from Microsoft and Marcus Raddatz and Nick Gulmon from Hitachi Solutions, to discuss the importance of a flexible and AI-enabled ERP solution.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Ted, Marcus, and Nick as they discuss:

• What Makes Microsoft ERP Special
• The Importance of Data Integrity, Interoperability, Security, and Flexibility
• How AI is Simplifying Processes
• Why You Need to Know About MCP

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What do navigating economic uncertainty, integrating AI, data privacy, personalization, and marketing ROI all have in common?

They are few of the challenges marketing leaders face today and in this episode of Exchanges, host Hannah Story is joined by guests Tracie Poland and Michael Green, to discuss the relationship between data and these challenges.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Tracie and Michael as they discuss:

• The Complex Challenges Marketing Leaders Face Today
• Why Customer Expectations for Personalization Require a Data-Driven Mindset
• How to Overcome Data Privacy, Complexity, and Organization Challenges
• And More!

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In this episode of Exchanges with Hitachi Solutions, host Matt Volke sits down with Alex Rigaud, Vice President of Incubation Solutions, fresh from Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco. Together they unpack the biggest announcements from Ignite—including Microsoft’s new Agent 365 platform—and explore how organizations can move from experimentation to truly embedding AI across their business.

In this episode, you’ll hear Matt and Alex discuss:

• Why Agent 365 is a game changer for identity, security, and compliance in the age of AI agents
• How organizations can get ahead of the challenge of shadow AI before it overwhelms their networks
• Why starting small—like building a Lego set or boiling pasta—is the smartest way to approach AI adoption
• How workshops at Ignite revealed that data governance and structure remain the biggest hurdles to effective AI use
• What it means to be a Frontier Firm and how Hitachi Solutions is “walking the walk” by embedding AI into its own workflows before bringing solutions to customers
• Why proof‑of‑concepts aren’t enough, and how moving to execution with agents and co‑pilots creates real business value

Whether you’re curious about Microsoft’s latest innovations or looking for practical insights on how to responsibly scale AI, this conversation offers a candid look at where enterprises stand today—and what it will take to reach true enterprise‑level AI.

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What does boiling pasta have to do with a conversation on AI and security?

In this episode of Exchanges, host Ginny Lebeck is joined by guests Dr. Michael Green, Principal Consultant for Hitachi Solutions Empower Data Platform, and Alex Rigaud, VP of Incubation Solutions, live from Microsoft Ignite in San Francisco, to discuss the future of security in the age of AI.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Michael and Alex as they discuss:

• How organizations are embedding AI at every layer and rethinking security as a core function
• How the era of AI agents and Co-workers is changing the way organizations approach threats and data governance
• Why organizations should be asking “where to AI?” as it relates to their data and workflows
• Why observability, security, and governance require a new level of maturity in automated environments
• And more!

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What does a case for a cell phone have to do with a conversation on security?

In this episode of Exchanges, host Hannah Story is joined by guests Peter Garadis and Matt Aghedo, to discuss security in the era of AI in financial services.

In this episode, you’ll hear from Peter and Matt as they discuss:

• How organizations are rethinking security as a function within their organization
• How the Era of AI has changed the way organizations think about threats
• Why organizations should be asking “where to AI?” as it relates to their data
• Why Identify Access Management (IAM) and governance require a new level of maturity
• And more!

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The conversation begins with a sobering statistic from an MIT report: 95% of generative AI pilots fail to deliver measurable impact on P&L. But as Stuart points out, that doesn’t mean they’re worthless. Many projects drive internal process improvements, enhance compliance, and streamline operations—benefits that don’t always show up on a balance sheet but are critical to business success.

This discussion highlights a recurring theme: back-office automation consistently delivers higher ROI than customer-facing AI. Internal processes are well-documented and easier to optimize, while public-facing AI carries reputational risks. Stuart shares examples of chatbots behaving badly on social media, underscoring the importance of starting with internal use cases.
Key Takeaways:

• Most AI pilots fail to impact P&L—but still deliver internal value.
• Data readiness is essential; clean, structured data is the foundation.
• Back-office automation offers higher ROI and lower risk than customer-facing AI.
• Targeted, repeatable solutions outperform one-off proofs of concept.
• Avoid vendor lock-in by deploying in customer tenants and delivering code.
• Success lies in purposeful design, tailored agents, and a steady approach to innovation.
  
  

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