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A Conference Where Platforms Couldn’t Escape the AI Hype 

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I Was recently invited to participate in an analyst panel at PlatformCon 25 in New York City. The conference was not huge, but still delivered impact and featured a mix of vendor booths ranging from industry giants like Google to ambitious startups. The audience was a blend of platform professionals from industries as diverse as healthcare, professional sports, and video gaming. The featured guest speaker was engineer Kelsey Hightower. 

Here are my key takeaways from the event: 

Don’t Be Afraid To Look Under The Hood of AI 

Hightower kicked off the day with a compelling talk which challenged attendees to critically evaluate AI and its capabilities. He emphasized the importance of viewing AI as another piece of technology —there’s nothing mystical about it. Hightower encouraged the audience to dig into the details and not simply buy into the hype. 

Hightower also touched on how the rise of technologies such as Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol has shifted corporate attitudes. For decades, companies maintained strict control over their internal resources, but now many are rushing to API-enable their entire ecosystems with little caution. He posed a thought-provoking question: “Imagine if they had done this 10 years ago—what could have been accomplished?” 

If you’re curious to learn more about AI, MCP and its implications, refer to this blog. 

The Tension Between Developers, Operations, And Platform Teams Is Real

One of the liveliest discussions at the conference centered around the persistent struggles between developers, operations teams, and platform engineers. During the Developer Productivity roundtable, which I had the honor of joining alongside other fellow industry analysts, this tension was laid bare. 

Far from a dry technical discussion, the session felt more like group therapy for platform leaders. Many attendees shared candid stories about the tug-of-war between developers seeking speed and agility, and platform engineers urging patience and structure. It’s clear that the question of whether platform engineering can fully resolve this dynamic is still open. 

Several actionable strategies emerged during the conversation: 

  • Adopt a “platform as a product” approach. Treat your platform as a product designed to serve your internal stakeholders. Read this report for more insights. 
  • Set clear expectations. When building a platform, align all stakeholders from the outset. Refer to my report for practical guidance. 
  • Define common goals based on value streams. Establish shared objectives to bridge the gap between teams. Check out this webinar for actionable advice. 

The tension may never fully disappear, but fostering collaboration and setting shared goals can help mitigate the friction. 

Final Thoughts 

PlatformCon 25 offered a unique window into the evolving world of platform engineering set against the backdrop of AI’s growing influence.  

Whether you’re a developer, an operations leader, or a platform engineer, one thing is clear: the platform landscape is shifting rapidly, and AI is playing a central role.  

Clients of Forrester that have questions on developer platforms or portals are welcome to request an inquiry or guidance session with me. 



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Tools & Platforms

Scotta taps Nextail AI powered technology to support retailer’s growth across stores and online — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

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“We’re committed to growing without compromising our values or customer experience. Partnering with Nextail allows us to proactively address operational bottlenecks and bring more precision and agility to our stock decisions. As we grow, it will be even more important to continue delivering on our brand promise of offering high-quality products at a fair price with an authentic story,” says Carlos Serra, Scotta CEO.

By leveraging Nextail, Scotta aims to boost sell-through and margins, reduce markdowns and stockouts, and improve strategic collaboration across teams through data driven insights and automation.

“Growing brands like Scotta prove that forward thinkers don’t need to wait to operate like larger industry leaders,” says Carlos Miragall, CEO and Co-Founder at Nextail. “By choosing to tackle key inventory challenges early on, they’re setting the foundation for sustainable and efficient growth, and we’re proud to be part of that story.”

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers’ businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work – resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.  



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Virginia 911 call center implements AI technology to allow dispatchers to focus on emergency calls – KTVB

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Virginia 911 call center implements AI technology to allow dispatchers to focus on emergency calls  KTVB



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In test-obsessed Korea, AI boom arrives in exams, ahead of the technology itself

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