Ep. 35- What 2026 Holds for IT Leaders, with Jeff Garrett

On this episode of the IT Matters Podcast, our host is joined by Jeff Garrett, VP of Solutions Architecture at Opkalla. Together, they discuss 2025’s biggest technology trends, the evolving role of IT in business strategy, and predictions for the technology landscape in 2026.

Conversation Highlights:

00:00 Introducing Jeff Garrett, VP of Solutions Architecture at Opkalla

[03:19] Key trends in IT for 2025 

[07:09] AI implementation and its challenges 

[16:37] Cybersecurity trends and MDR 

[22:53] The evolving role of IT in business 

[40:48] Predictions for 2026 

Notable Quotes:

“It feels a little bit like the Wild Wild West, you can't turn around without hearing AI-enabled or AI-driven something nowadays.” -Jeff Garrett [08:11]

“Data has never been further stretched out from the center of our organization than it is now." -Jeff Garrett  [21:50]

Read Transcript:  IT Matters Episode 35

Connect with Jeff Garrett:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-garrett-1357b36/

The IT Matters Podcast is about IT matters and matters pertaining to IT. It is produced by Opkalla, a technology advisory firm that helps their clients navigate the confusion in the technology marketplace and choose the solution that is right for their business.

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