Our Biggest Takeaways from ESX 2026
episode
Entry & Exit - Inside the Security & Fire Industry
17 min
2 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why do some conference panels feel useless and how can listeners spot low‑value panels?
I don't wanna come across arrogant, but I don't like in industry conferences when people are put up on a panel who are put up because they asked a buddy or because yeah, they've been around and then and they actually don't provide any value. Bothers me.
It's okay to say, hmm, I don't actually know the answer to that. We'll have to figure that out. Let's go look that up together, because I don't know. As they Great response. And they had some great questions and it it really shows you the level of demand for AI in this industry.
A lot of incumbents from a technology perspective are gonna have to stare that in the face and make significant changes to their business because they're gonna get run over. Welcome to entry and exit. My name is Steven Ullman and I also have Colin Trimble with me. And today we are going to do a recap of ESX, which uh is an industry conference that happened in my backyard. I had to drive all of twenty minutes to get there, which was a blessing. 'Cause most conferences are in like Vegas or like New Orleans or other place Nashville, whatever. Which is where ESX.
Which is where ESX normally is.
Yeah. I think it's in Tampa next year.
I think so too. I'm excited.
Yeah. Shout out my Tampa friends. Like all three of them. Um so uh it was it was good. I'm glad we went. And there was there was a few very specific takeaways. Uh so we'll we'll talk about those. Um and I I think um the first thing that we both noticed when we got there was like Oh, like this is this is not as large of a conference as I recall. Yeah. And I think there's a few reasons for it, but it was kind of nice because it wasn't overwhelming. Like if you go to ISE West really nice. Yeah, you go to ISC West and you're like, I this is an ocean. of things and I'm overwhelmed and there's no way I'm gonna see and talk to everybody I want to. This was like, oh, I have time and space to actually get around to all the people I'd like to talk to.
How does ESX 2026’s size and layout compare to ISC West and why does that matter for networking?
And I just sat around and got to know some people, got to ask a bunch of questions. So I kind of liked it. I kinda liked it it was a little little slower pace.
Yeah, it it's definitely not as big as ISC West and I walked into the expo thinking, Oh man, like uh Yeah, we're not gonna be in here long. We ended up being in there way longer than we were at ISC West. It's kind of funny because I was thinking to myself. When I was that ESX was like, Man, maybe next year I won't go to ISC West. And then I literally I didn't even tell you about this. I literally got invited. Uh, and I'll tell you more about it later. But I ended up getting invited to do a panel at ISC West next year for AI specifically, which is sort of a salient takeaway for some of the stuff we're about to talk about. But yeah. So I guess I am going to ISC West now. But you are. Anyway, I thought it was a really good uh ESA runs it.
It's definitely more geared around the sessions where IAC West is more geared around the expo. Um and you could feel that. Like they the people attended a lot of the sessions at ESA. We did not, we just simply 'cause of the schedule, we didn't have the time to do it, but we did go to the expo. What was really cool was like it was a smaller group and so you ended up really getting to talk to the the booths that were there and spend some time and it was like you weren't rushed, you really got to know the vendors. Like it was kind of surprising there's a lot of vendors not at at like At the conference. Uh and the ones that were there got a lot of our attention 'cause We were curious and like we're it was chill, wasn't super crowded, so we could sit and kind of talk to folks.
The other thing that was really great was like there's a lot of our friends and like other folks in the industry, like some of our due diligence providers and consultants and brokers and whatever. And we got to really just like talk, which was really cool. Like to do people we've seen and talked to over the phone and virtually millions of times, and then finally got to do that in person. So It definitely fosters a little bit of an more inf intimate environment, which I really appreciated.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why do some conference panels feel useless and how can listeners spot low‑value panels?
0:00–2:12
2
How does ESX 2026’s size and layout compare to ISC West and why does that matter for networking?
2:12–4:30
3
What did the hosts learn about the rapid rise of AI‑focused software vendors at ESX?
4:30–6:34
4
Why are open APIs becoming a critical differentiator for security technology providers?
6:34–8:58
5
How can security startups gain better visibility at conferences and avoid being hidden in the back corner?
8:58–11:01
6
What is the proposed middleware platform that unifies security APIs and how could it work for dealers?
11:01–13:17
7
What were the biggest frustrations with the AI panel and how should experts handle questions they can’t answer?
13:17–15:15
8
How will incumbent security firms be forced to adapt as AI‑driven, lower‑cost solutions disrupt the market?
15:15–17:05
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Entry & Exit - Inside the Security & Fire Industry
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