XgridTalks

In this insightful podcast, we delve into the crucial role of technology, data-driven policy, and pollution control in promoting sustainable urban development, with a particular focus on the cities of Lahore and Islamabad. As two of the fastest-growing cities in Pakistan, Lahore and Islamabad are grappling with multiple challenges related to urbanization, including pollution. This podcast showcases how technology and data-driven policy can be used to tackle urban development problems and create more sustainable urban spaces. We hear from Dr. Momin Uppal who share his insights on how cities can leverage data to track and monitor pollution levels, identify sources of pollution, and implement effective pollution control measures. Dr Momin also explores real-world examples of cities that have successfully implemented sustainable urban development initiatives through technology, data-driven policy, and pollution control. From the use of smart sensors to measure air quality to the adoption of clean energy technologies and waste reduction programs, these examples demonstrate the power of technology and data in creating more sustainable and livable cities. Speakers: Dr. Momin Uppal (Associate Professor - Electrical Engineering at Lahore University of Management Sciences) Saad Arshed (COO - Xgrid)

In the early days of a startup, security is often an afterthought. But as startups begin to scale and grow, they face new challenges and risks. That’s why a security-first approach is essential. A security-first approach means that security is built into the DNA of the company from the very beginning. It’s not an afterthought or something that’s tacked on later. Security is integrated into every aspect of the company – from the way, products are designed and built, to the way they’re deployed and used. An immutable security approach is a key part of a security-first approach. Immutable security means that it cannot be changed once something is built. This approach eliminates the need for constant security updates and patches. It also makes it much harder for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities. We discover more about the topic with our experts on Xgrid’s latest podcast. Speakers: Tayyab Mahmood (Director of Engineering, Xgrid) Saad Arshed (COO, Xgrid) (Technical Marketing Engineer, Xgrid.co)

Landing a sale isn’t just a process, it’s an art. You have to be creative and gritty about it and it takes many tries to get it right. One solution doesn’t work for everyone! This episode of Xgrid talk brings in exclusive insights from a well-known industry expert in the field of Sales - Kristen Conner. In this episode, Kristen touches on many topics such as: - Probing a potential client’s pain point and how to address it properly. - Using conventional and unconventional means of landing a sale. - Success stories. - Creating out-of-the-box creative solutions for clients. - Handling skepticism. - How to measure the performance of your sales and strategies. - The sales mindset. - Much more.

Speakers: Krysten Conner - Sales Strategist at User Gems Saad Arshed - Chief Operations Officer at Xgrid Xgrid Services

In this podcast hosted by Xgrid, industry experts Tayyab Mahmood, Isma Tipu, and Hassan Abbas Kazmi come together to talk about various topics related to Quality Assurance (QA) automation and how it’s still evolving in 2022 and 2023. In this podcast, we dive into the world of Quality Assurance (QA) and explore the latest trends, tools, and techniques that are shaping the field in 2022 and beyond. Firstly, we discuss the most popular QA trends that are expected to dominate the industry over the next few years. We look at how companies are embracing automation and prioritizing tasks to optimize efficiency and productivity. We also touch on the increasing importance of testing in Agile and DevOps environments. Next, we discuss how to prioritize QA tasks to automate, which is crucial for improving software quality and reducing costs. We examine the various automation frameworks such as CyPress, Selenium, JMeter (Apache), Appium, and Postman. We then move on to discuss the role of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) in QA, explaining how they enable teams to build and release high-quality software quickly and efficiently. We look at how automation can be used to streamline these processes and enhance the overall quality of software releases. In addition, we delve into the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in QA automation and discuss how it is changing the way companies approach testing. We look at some of the most popular AI-based tools and techniques used in QA and how they are helping organizations improve efficiency and accuracy. Furthermore, we discuss the importance of evaluating and improving the QA process, highlighting some of the critical metrics and techniques that can be used to measure the effectiveness of testing. We also compare automated and manual testing and explain the pros and cons of each approach. Finally, we explore how to communicate QA reports effectively to stakeholders, including executives, project managers, and developers. We discuss the most important metrics to include in reports and provide tips on how to present data in a clear and compelling way. In the last segment, we look at the potential impact of ChatGPT on the jobs of Quality Assurance Engineers. As AI and machine learning continue to advance, many QA tasks will become automated. However, we discuss how this could also create new opportunities for QA professionals, such as those specializing in AI-based testing. Overall, this podcast provides a comprehensive overview of the latest QA trends, tools, and techniques, and is a must-listen for anyone working in the field. So sit back, relax, and join us as we explore the exciting world of QA automation!

Speakers: Tayyab Mahmood (Director Web & Mobile Applications @Xgrid) Isma Tipu (Senior QA Engineer @Xgrid) Syed Hassan Abbas Kazmi (QA Automation Engineer @Xgrid)

Choosing the right technology stack for software development is crucial to the success of any project. The technology stack refers to the combination of programming languages, tools, and frameworks used to build a software application. In this podcast, 4 highly-experienced, well-known industry professionals from Xgrid, Technical Lead: Web/Mobile Applications Development - Umair Atiq, Technical Lead: Web/Mobile Applications Development - Atif Riaz, Senior Software Engineer - Anees Iqbal, and Senior Software Engineer - Sajawal Khan come together and discuss the importance of choosing the right technology stack for developing your software and how by doing so you’ll avoid most of the pitfalls from doing vice-versa. In this webinar, they discuss the following key factors you should keep in mind while choosing the right software development technology stack for your software: Scalability & Maintainability: As your project grows, your technology stack should be able to scale along with it and maintenance should come easy. Consider whether the technology stack you choose can accommodate the future needs of your project. Project Requirements: Different projects have different needs, and the technology stack should align with those requirements. For example, if you need to build a high-performance web application, choose a technology stack that includes a front-end framework like React and a back-end framework like Node.js. Cost: Cost is also a crucial factor to consider. Some technology stacks can be expensive, while others are open-source and free to use. Time To Market: This is a critical factor in the software development industry, as businesses want to get their products and services to market as quickly as possible. Choosing the right technology stack can significantly impact the time to market of a project. Future Proof & Community support: A strong and active community can provide valuable resources and support for your project. Consider the size and activity level of the community associated with the technology stack you are considering. Compatibility & Integration with Other Technology: The technology stack should support easy integration with other systems. If the stack you choose is incompatible with other systems, it could result in added time and effort to make the necessary integrations.

Speakers: Umair Atiq (Tech lead: Web/Mobile Application Development @ Xgrid) Atif Riaz (Tech lead: Web/Mobile Application Development @ Xgrid) Anees Iqbal (Senior Software Engineer @Xgrid) Sajawal Khan (Senior Software Engineer @Xgrid)

It can be daunting to make containerized workloads on Kubernetes both reliable and secure. It requires much consideration and governance of key metrics. More complexity is added through an array of tools available to address the observability concerns.   With this episode of #XgridTalks we explore observability strategies that can lead to more secure and reliable workload in Kubernetes and what factors to consider when devising such an observability strategy.   You get to hear about Kubernetes from Robusta Dev founder in our new episode; “Kubernetes Observability: Improving Reliability and Security”.  As a startup founder, it is imperative for you to understand what observability strategy can do to your cloud native application. Join us on this XgridTalks Episode 08, as we discover all that and more from our Kubernetes expert.  XgridTalks brings you all the exclusive industry best practices from renowned experts to keep you informed about the latest technology trends. 

Speakers

 Natan Yellin (CEO @ Robusta Dev) 

 & 

Abdullah Shah (GM & CTO - Cloud Business Group @ Xgrid)

Xgrid Services

  For more information on our cloud-hosted services, please visit: https://bit.ly/3lFbgma     

Video reference Links

Okteto: https://www.okteto.com/

Newsletter: https://whyk8s.substack.com/ 

 Hashtags 

 #Observability #Kubernetes #Xgrid #XgridTalks #Robusta #Security #Reliability #DevOps #CloudNative #RobustaDev #StartupFounder #Startups #ApplicationDevelopment #ApplicationMonitoring

Key Questions  

 02:22 Why do I need an observability strategy, and what makes it harder to get it right in a Kubernetes environment? 

04:11 What are some of the key metrics in your view that every production Kubernetes user should observe, and how? 

07:24 What's the difference between Kubernetes infra observability and app/workload observability? Do I need different strategies for each?

 09:36 How Observability Is Deployed for Managed Kubernetes Clusters Like EKS? 

12:23 There are so many tools out there: Prometheus, Robusta, Datadog, Komodor, cloud providers’ solutions, and so on. How to manage the complexity and organizational friction in using different tools? 

15:49 What specific benefits do you get by using Robusta?

 18:59 What's the correlation between observability and security? Does Robusta help process security events? 

 20:20 How does one integrate security in to Robusta, if they are required to? 

22:55 Are there any inherent security issues in using an observability tool in a complex environment like Kubernetes? What are a few things to consider in a tool from a security point of view? 

26:41 In your experience, how often are multi-cloud, hybrid K8s environments used in production?

 31:01 How important is observability for early to mid-stage companies and enterprises, and do all of them need to consider an observability solution? Will it impact time to market? 

34:22 The market segments, fintech, retail, and e-commerce, etc., a lot of those workloads have been moving to K8s recently; how critical is observability for them? Can Robusta play a part in making them reliable and secure?

 36:49 Message from Robusta CEO