In this week's episode, we're joined by Moser's Hersey Richardson, who will guide us through the thrilling world of IT helpdesk adventures and misadventures. From phishing attacks to ransomware threats, discover the everyday challenges that IT professionals face and explore the strategies employed to keep systems secure. Strap in for gripping tales of combating spam, thwarting scams, and navigating sabotage during this insightful conversation that takes us "behind the screens" and offers valuable tips for staying safe in the digital age.

Join us this week for a heartwarming and nostalgic journey celebrating Moser's 29th anniversary. In this special episode, we'll be talking all things Moser with a sampling of Moser employees, from one of our longest-tenured to a relatively new employee. We'll trade stories, share memories, and listen to their reflections on what makes Moser a unique and beloved workplace. This episode is a tribute to the dedication, passion, and camaraderie that have defined Moser for nearly three decades.

This week we've got Part 2 of our 2-part discussion that starts where part 1 left off. Join us as we dovetail into cybersecurity trends around advanced AI models like DeepSeek with Moser's Director of Security and Compliance, Eric McCombs. 

DeepSeek AI is a Chinese startup that gained attention for its advanced, efficient, and cost-effective AI models, particularly DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1. Those models rivaled even the most advanced models from companies like OpenAI and Meta. DeepSeek's AI Assistant has become the top-rated free application on Apple's App Store in the US. Eric is joining us to discuss rising concerns about the potential risks associated with installing DeepSeek AI on a company's network, including the possibility of accessing and exposing confidential information.

This week's episode is part 1 of a 2-part discussion that covers cybersecurity trends around advanced AI models like DeepSeek with Moser's Director of Security and Compliance, Eric McCombs. 

DeepSeek AI is a Chinese startup that gained attention for its advanced, efficient, and cost-effective AI models, particularly DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1. Those models rivaled even the most advanced models from companies like OpenAI and Meta. DeepSeek's AI Assistant has become the top-rated free application on Apple's App Store in the US. Eric is joining us to discuss rising concerns about the potential risks associated with installing DeepSeek AI on a company's network, including the possibility of accessing and exposing confidential information.

In this week's episode, we'll discuss how AI and Automation are impacting impact leadership roles, explore strategies for leading through change, and look at how leaders can leverage technology to enhance—not replace—human potential. 

As technology continues to evolve, automation is reshaping how we work, streamlining processes and driving efficiency. But what does that mean for leaders? How do we navigate the challenges of integrating automation while keeping teams engaged, motivated, and adaptable?

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KZUBpj8o23M?si=R9do_uXOJUNUe19b

This week, Moser Consultants Anwar Eaton, Emma Rosen, and Sandy Nguyen join us to explore revised ADA/508 Standards and what they mean for businesses and federal agencies. We’ll break down the key updates made in 2017, which align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, and discuss how these changes impact electronic and information technology (EIT) accessibility. We’ll cover practical steps organizations can take to ensure compliance, the risks of failing to meet these requirements, and the broader benefits of accessible technology for employees and customers with disabilities. Additionally, we’ll highlight real-world examples of companies successfully implementing these standards and share resources to help businesses navigate their Section 508 obligations.

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f4H56k-l4ts?si=BjLaqT_LHM-TYTDJ

This week we'll be discussing how, with the right strategies, remote IT projects can be just as efficient and productive as in-person teams—if not more.

Managing remote IT projects comes with unique challenges, and joining us this week is Moser's own Derrick Spires. Derrick is a Senior Consultant with more than a decade of experience in the IT and consulting industry. Known for managing complex projects, improving business processes, and leading cross-functional teams, Derrick has a proven track record of exceeding business goals and delivering high-quality results. Derrick has a strong background in computer software engineering and information systems and he is certified as a PMP, CSM, and KCS professional. Derrick helps clients optimize performance and achieve strategic objectives. Continuous learning and knowledge sharing are at the core of his professional mission, from coordinating distributed teams to ensuring seamless communication and collaboration. Because success hinges on leveraging the right tools, setting clear expectations, and fostering a strong team culture despite physical distance. 

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VBQ90MGJD2Y?si=JsKuqg-Z_LY5cBGw

This week's episode features Moser's Director of Quality, Alphia Stephens, who joins us to discuss audits and auditing. Alphia leads a dynamic team that thrives on the principles of continuous process improvement and exceptional service delivery. With deep expertise in information technology and a passion for service delivery and customer satisfaction, she has strategically integrated best practices to boost efficiency and quality. The team's dedication to excellence is reflected in their impressive CMMI rating and ISO 9001 certification. Aligned with the organization's culture of excellence, Alphia and her team are committed to delivering innovative solutions that consistently exceed client expectations. 

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r-3NBpl3Fkk?si=T-24zNjqoUh1xbG9

On this week's edition of ASCII Anything we're discussing the future of work with AI agents. Joining us to talk through the development and uses of AI and AI-powered assistants is Ari Moreland, a consultant in Moser's Data & Analytics division. 

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-AkwgCbDXwY?si=g9OWaJHEbPtba9Pu

Welcome to the premiere of SEASON 9!

Dashboards are a powerful tool that transform complex data into clear, actionable insights. By consolidating key metrics in one place, they help individuals and organizations make informed decisions, track performance, and drive strategic outcomes.

Joining us this week are Moser's VP of Data & Analytics, Adrienne Watts, and one of our Senior Consultants, Melissa Steffensen. They're with us to discuss dashboard creation and the 3/30/300 principle, a design philosophy that states in 3 seconds, users should get an overview of the most important questions and areas. In 30 seconds, they should filter and zoom to identify periods and categories to focus on. And in 300 seconds, they should be able to get details on demand to inform their decisions and actions.

Listen to the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TN94S8QKmk0?si=u9csttjPtgDH3lyO

Season 8 of ASCII Anything is drawing to a close as we wind down 2024 with our traditional Best-Of episode. Join us as we revisit our favorite moments from Season 8!

We've got a little bit of everything, from the best and worst IT Tropes in pop culture to our Black Friday cavalcade of capitalism, and even a way more in-depth than expected digression for the 1990s-era Chicago Bulls that featured in our last episode on Agency.

Thank you for joining us this season, we appreciate you taking the time to listen. And if any of the clips from this week catch your ear, we encourage you to go back and listen to their full episode. 

See you in early 2025 for Season 9! 

On this week's show, we're talking about the power of agency. How the feeling of control and influence a person has over their environment and situation leads to higher satisfaction and greater productivity. Moser's own Marcus Reed and Jim McKean are joining us for the discussion. 

Jim is a senior information technology leader and an Agile coach known for turning around troubled implementations and providing direction and drive. 

Marcus is a principal consultant and team leader at Moser. He helps IT organizations reshape operations and culture to be more effective now, and industry leaders tomorrow. 

Former Moser intern turned Moser Consultant Alex Payne joins us this week to discuss the updates included in the latest release of Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehousing service that allows organizations to store, manage, and analyze large amounts of data.

Alex  works in Data Engineering, specializing in Data Migrations, Power Apps, Streamlit Development, and Snowflake Data Management. He is also a leader of the AI-Tig, where he presents monthly on cutting-edge AI technology. Outside of work, he enjoys playing and watching sports, as well as working out.

As the holiday season approaches, we're back with our annual crowd-sourced Black Friday gift ideas episode. Join us as we talk with some of Moser's consultants about the things they're putting under the tree this year, as well as what they're hoping to find in their own stockings.

Here are just a few of the items we covered:
The Remarkable 2 Digital Writing Tablet:
https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2

The Fluffy Puffin Microfiber Hand Towel:
https://www.amazon.com/JJ-KENT-Puffins-Bathroom-Attachments/dp/B0CYDTL86G?th=1

The Life Straw Personal Water Filtration System:
https://amzn.to/4hYbmRe

Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling Headphones:
https://amzn.to/4fQId8S

The VSee Box V3 Plus:
https://vseebox.com/v3-plus/

In this week's episode, we're going to explore the origin stories of several of our consultants and learn how they got their start in data and analytics. Joining us are: Ari, Jason, Tim, Kris, and Melissa. We'll learn what they did before joining Moser and how they made the switch from things like forestry, Japanese interpreter, teacher, and au pair. So sit tight, relax, and enjoy listening to these consultant origin stories.

The age-old cliche about tech workers is that you can spot an extrovert because they stare at your shoes instead of their own. 

So, there was some hemming and hawing, and "aw, shucks" was muttered around the studio more than a few times, but we managed to get some of our Moser colleagues to talk to us about some projects or other cool things they've done in their careers or personal lives.

We're happy to share these stories with you and happier still that collecting them helped us get to know some of our fellow Moserites even better.

Enjoy! 

And if you'd like to learn more about St. Baldricks, or to make a donation to help them find a cure for childhood cancers, here's the link:

https://www.stbaldricks.org/

Moser's Director of Sales and Marketing, Malinda Lowder (Podcast Mom!), is joining us this week to discuss guerilla marketing, a marketing strategy that uses unconventional methods to attract customers and promote a product or service.

From nontraditional media placement to not quite Olympic coverage, and, frankly speaking, far more hot dog references than we were expecting...we really enjoyed this week's talk. We hope you will, too! 

This week we're joined by two of Moser's consultants to discuss AI Ethics and Biases. Nathan Rinard and John Caviness have been great guests during past episodes of ASCII Anything and we're very excited to welcome them back for a chat on this very important and ever-evolving topic.

Today's episode tackles a theme that is either loved or hated: MEETINGS.

Our guest David Brown is the founder of Convergence Consulting, an organization that works with businesses that help people reach their full potential and accept responsibility for their role in transforming the world. The company is currently fulfilling contracts in service of executive leaders, progressive congregations, LGBTQ social services, and high school students. They also provide meeting facilitation and program delivery to companies of all sizes with their proprietary programs and other organizations’ materials. David has spoken to audiences of all ages across the country for more than 30 years in a variety of settings. He passionately helps nonprofit organizations be more effective and empathetic when engaging their paid and volunteer staff members. He is the author of three books and several plays. 

This week, we're joined by Matt Bennett, Natalie Fischesser, and Marc Brickley from Moser Labs, one of Moser Consulting's newest departments. We'll be taking a deep dive into how Moser Labs came to be, its mission, what it's currently focused on. We'll explain a few projects that have been released, and where Moser Labs is headed in the future. 

And to do that I've got the very smart people behind this, Moser Consulting's Vice President of Application Services, Matt Bennett, the Director of Moser Labs, Natalie Fischesser, and our Director for Software Engineering Marc Brickley.   

Matt Bennet's mission trips to underserved communities inspire him to build solutions that empower users. 

Natalie Fischesser's charitable design work influences her focus on delivering user-centered experiences.

And Marc Brickley's experience coaching youth sports translates into creating products that foster teamwork.

Together, they bring a shared mission to improve lives—both in their communities and through the products we create at Moser. Today, we’ll explore how their values drive our work within Moser Labs. 

This week Producer Brian brought some backup. The rest of the Moser Marketing Team is joining us! We're talking with Malinda Lowder, our Director of Marketing and Sales at Moser Consulting, Janelle Shideler and Jade Layman our Graphic Designers, and Latisha "Tish" Guinn, our Marketing Coordinator, about current trends, how the industry has evolved, and what services Moser's Marketing team can provide. 

And if you'd like to see a video podcast of this episode, copy and past this YouTube link into your browser:
https://youtu.be/AoNFFlLkA9g

This week we're taking with two of Moser's summer interns, Adam Lowder and Ethan Murphy about the effects of AI in the classroom.

Ethan is a rising junior at Purdue University studying finance with a concentration in leadership, he spends most of his time invested in extracurricular activities such as the Larsen Leaders Academy on campus where he is the Vice President of Data Analytics, he offers a unique experience with AI having competed in a case competition as the main driver being generative AI, along with utilizing AI in the classroom.  

 Adam is a senior at Indiana University Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis studying Supply chain management and International Business. He is a dedicated worker and problem solver with an entrepreneurial spirit. He is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, a certification that signifies expertise in the Lean Six Sigma methodology. This approach focuses on improving efficiency and quality in supply chain operations through data-driven decision-making and process optimization. Adam is a business operations analyst for the summer at Moser Consulting.  

Two of Moser's top consultants, Shannon Call and Anwar Eaton, are joining us this week to discuss UX Design.

Shannon's excitement for user experience comes from her relentless drive to improve products that don’t function smoothly, constantly assessing which adjustments could enhance a product's functionality and user engagement. Her creative approach—no matter the medium—is to create an enjoyable experience and to ultimately be an advocate for the end user. With more than 10 years of experience in the industry, she has worked with international clients such as Cigna, Bayer Crop Science, and Eli Lilly. 

Anwar is passionate about UX and aims to create user-friendly products for everyone. He has a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction and more than eight years of experience in UX, having worked for companies such as Eli Lilly, Liberty Mutual, and the Health and Human Services Department. In addition to his dedication to creating accessible products, he shares his knowledge with the next generation of UX designers by lecturing at IUPUI (now IU Indianapolis).

Premiere Episode of ASCII Anything’s 8th Season!
Join us for an exciting start to our 8th season with some crowd-sourced content you won’t want to miss! We asked Moser’s consultants to share their thoughts on the best and worst IT representations and tropes in popular culture. And trust us, they have opinions! This episode covers a lot of ground, from TV and movies to the quirky world of felony-assisting cereal box prizes. Tune in for a fun and insightful discussion! 

Here are some links to a few of our favorites and least favorites.
NCIS: Two Techs, One Keyboard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6rsi7BEtk

ENHANCE!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxq9yj2pVWk

War Games Social Engineering:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UqEg1cFqig

War Games Phone Freaking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkMX4s6ZstQ

Independence Day Hacking Alients With A Macbook:
https://youtu.be/0SA1iJR8HzY?si=-nCS9thRjyn15fP7&t=76

JARVIS in Iron Man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt1dBr2Jz78

It's the final episode of Season 7! 

Experience time and space condensing into a singularity with host Angel Leon and Producer Brian as they guide you through ASCII's rendition of the Multiverse!

We'll revisit some of our favorite episodes and guests from Season 7 and have some laughs along the way.

Thank you for tuning in this season and we'll see you in August for Season 8!