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This episode sets the stage for Microsoft FABCON 2026 by spotlighting the people, perspectives, and practical guidance attendees can expect at Booth 545. Host Matt Volke is joined by Philip Rainsberger and Mark Shoesmith of Hitachi Solutions to discuss how organizations are approaching Microsoft Fabric today—what’s driving adoption, where teams get stuck, and how to move from exploration to execution with confidence.

Highlights:

• FABCON is where Microsoft Fabric conversations become practical—shifting from “what’s possible” to “how do we implement and scale this responsibly?”
• Successful Fabric initiatives start with the business problem, not the technology, ensuring data and AI investments are tied to real outcomes.
• Hitachi Solutions’ “thin slice” approach delivers production-ready wins early, avoiding proof-of-concept efforts that never make it to value.
• Common Fabric adoption paths include migrations from on‑prem SQL Server, SSIS, and Synapse Analytics into a unified Fabric architecture.
• Fabric is increasingly the analytics and AI foundation for Dynamics 365 customers, supporting both Finance & Operations and Customer Engagement workloads.
• FABCON attendees are encouraged to come prepared with their current data landscape, top Fabric goals, and key blockers to make booth conversations immediately actionable.

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This episode demystifies AI agents, explaining how they differ from chatbots and showcasing their real-world impact in business applications. Chris Fairfax, Technical Product Manager for Industry Cloud at Hitachi Solutions, shares actionable insights on deploying agents to drive efficiency, empower employees, and unlock new value from enterprise data.

Highlights:

• Agents are AI-powered tools that execute business processes, going beyond simple chatbots by leveraging multiple skills within platforms like Microsoft Dynamics.
• Automation with agents can increase productivity by 20–30%, but the focus is on augmenting—not replacing—employees through human-in-the-loop design.
• Practical use cases include process management, identity verification, call center workflows, and field service automation.
• Data quality and a modern data estate are essential for successful agent deployment and scalability.
• Early wins are seen in industries like insurance, with plans to expand agent capabilities for industry-specific needs.
• Transparency, confidence scores, and purposeful design are key to building trust and driving adoption of AI agents.

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In this episode of Exchanges with Hitachi Solutions, host Ginny Lebeck joins Matt Volke, Chris Satterly, and Mark Shoesmith to preview FabCon 2026 in Atlanta. The conversation explores why FabCon has become a must-attend event for data and AI professionals, how customer expectations around data have evolved, and what organizations need to succeed on their AI journey. Drawing from real-world client conversations and healthcare use cases, the panel discusses Microsoft Fabric as a unifying data platform, the importance of strong data foundations and governance, and how emerging capabilities—from low-code tools to advanced analytics—are enabling teams to move faster and unlock more value from their data. You can find Hitachi Solutions at Fabcoon Booth #545 March 18-20.

Highlights:

• FabCon brings together customers, partners, and Microsoft experts to share practical insights on data management, analytics, and AI, with a strong emphasis on real-world business challenges.
• Organizations are increasingly treating data as a strategic asset rather than a byproduct, focusing on real-time insights, advanced analytics, and AI readiness.
• Microsoft Fabric is emerging as a key enabler, simplifying data ingestion, modeling, and curation while supporting both self-service analytics and advanced data science workloads.
• Healthcare organizations are adopting Fabric to modernize legacy, on-premises data platforms, reduce manual ETL effort, and better handle diverse and high-volume data sources.
• Tools like pipelines, copy jobs, mirroring, and Copilot-assisted development help small data teams work more efficiently and respond faster to analytics demands.
• Strong data models, governance, and curated information are essential prerequisites for successful AI and advanced analytics initiatives.
• Hitachi Solutions’ presence at FabCon focuses on connecting customers with experienced data engineers, data scientists, and industry experts to help translate technology into outcomes.

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Generative AI has captured the imagination of the enterprise world—but the reality is more complex than the hype. In this fireside chat, Stuart Morris, Director of R&D at Hitachi Solutions, joined me to unpack the findings of MIT’s “Gen AI Divide” report and share practical insights from the front lines of AI deployment.

The conversation begins with a sobering statistic: 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.

In our chat above, Stuart emphasizes that readiness is key. Companies often jump into AI without ensuring their data is clean, organized, and accessible. “There’s no amount of AI you can throw at a data situation that’s in shambles,” he warns. Instead, success starts with foundational work—cleaning up CRM systems, structuring data warehouses, and defining clear business processes.

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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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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