Feb 2019 - Cover

FEB 2019, ISSUE 2

FROM PRODUCTS TO MEDIA

A RECAP OF THE JANUARY 2019 LDP CONNECT CONVERSATIONS

by Megan Shulby and Andrew Petillo, Class of 2018

What are the coolest tech products today that come to mind? What if Disney “messed up” the

get to know other members of the LDP community and share their ideas on hot button issues of the day. Based on November 2018 poll survey results, the two topics selected for the inaugural conversations were “cool, new tech products in the news” and “movies or TV show recommendations.” First up were new products and technologies that stood out to participants. There was something for everyone. Whether it was a series of new, “smart” water bottles that one can order off Castlight or rollable television screens, recently presented at CES 2019, the newest and edgiest products on the market facilitated dynamic conversations between all. Eventually the conversations led to AT&T’s current participation in the over-the-top (OTT) streaming market with the launch of its new OTT product, Osprey. Debate picked up based upon initial testing by members of the Connect Conversations roundtable. Participants compared Osprey to its competitors such as the Amazon Firestick and Apple TV. The 30 minutes for each topic. Ready, set and go.

new Mary Poppins movie? How can businesses get consumers and other

organizations to trust them with their data? These questions and more were the center- points of conversations held at the inaugural LDP Connect Conversations in January 2019. “Connect Conversations” is a new initiative sprung from the revamped LDP Connect platform that seeks to build deeper connections across current and past LDP classes in unique and interactive ways. These optional bi-monthly telepresence get- togethers enable each LDP attending to share “something cool” based upon pre-selected topics and spontaneous tangents along the way. Pre-planned or not, Connect Conversations’ ultimate objective is to put the “away” sign up on Qs and emails for a moment and bring some fun face-time to the LDP community during the workday. 15 LDP graduates and current participants from around the United States virtually gathered with the LDP Connect committee to