What happens when a customer service platform stops thinking like a vendor and starts operating like a partner? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Andrew Lawson, EVP and GM for Zendesk Europe, to explore how the company is redefining the future of customer experience through AI, innovation, and a customer-first mindset.

Zendesk may be a global name, but its European roots and strategic growth across the continent tell a story of evolution. From its founding in Copenhagen to becoming a powerhouse that supports over 100,000 customers globally, Zendesk has remained focused on one thing: being the best in customer service. Andrew and I unpack how this commitment translates into real-world outcomes, from faster resolution times to dynamic partnerships with top UK brands like Tesco, Next, and Liberty London.

One of the standout themes of our discussion is the company’s investment in Agentic AI, designed to handle up to 80 percent of customer interactions while leaving high-touch cases to human agents. We also dive into Zendesk’s outcome-based pricing model, a shift that aligns success with resolution rather than licenses or agent seats. Andrew offers insights into why this change reflects a broader market expectation for ROI-driven platforms.

We also touch on the company’s five acquisitions over the last 18 months, including Local Measure, and how these moves strengthen Zendesk’s capabilities in the CCAS space and deepen integrations with platforms like AWS Connect. As AI continues to shape customer and employee experiences, the conversation explores not just the technology but also the challenges, especially around execution, platform stability, and cybersecurity.

So, what should business leaders be doing right now to balance rapid AI adoption with responsible deployment? How are enterprise expectations evolving in the face of economic pressure and customer demand? And what does it mean to lead in customer service when the rules are changing fast? Tune in to hear Zendesk’s perspective from the frontlines of transformation.

In a world where payments have evolved from a back-office utility into a strategic business driver, how do you build a platform that truly puts control back into the hands of merchants? On this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Dwaine Thomas, CIO of PXP, to explore how the company is transforming the payment landscape with its next generation platform, PXP Unity.

PXP has been a force in fintech for over 30 years, processing over €30 billion in payments annually for some of the world’s most recognised retail, hospitality, entertainment, and online gaming brands. But rather than rely on legacy systems, PXP has gone all in on greenfield development with PXP Unity, a fully API driven orchestration platform that enables merchants to plug into the services they need without the complexity of managing the entire payment stack.

Dwaine walked me through how Unity empowers businesses with real-time data aggregation, smart routing, and complete transparency, all delivered through an intuitive interface. He also shared how the platform supports seamless scaling during high-demand periods, like Black Friday, and provides merchants with both control and automation to optimise payment performance across channels.

What stood out was the clear shift in mindset. Sixty-four percent of merchants now view payments as a growth enabler, not just a necessity. With Unity, merchants gain the flexibility to adapt strategies on the fly, personalise the payment experience, and align payments with broader business goals.

We also explored the growing role of AI in PXP’s roadmap, from driving development efficiencies to enabling future use cases like AI agents within payment flows. As regulation evolves, Dwaine highlighted how initiatives like the FCA’s AI sandbox point to a more proactive and structured approach to innovation in the payments space.

So how can enterprises unlock new value from their payments infrastructure? How do you build for performance, resilience, and adaptability in equal measure? And what happens when payments become central to customer experience and brand loyalty? Tune in to hear how PXP is answering those questions with technology that is both powerful and practical.

What happens when you stop thinking of satellites as data collectors and start thinking of them as data analysts? That is precisely the shift we explore in today's episode of Tech Talks Daily with Michael Bartholomeusz, CEO of NOVI.

Traditionally, Earth observation has relied on satellites to capture massive volumes of raw data, which is then transmitted back to Earth for processing. However, this model presents several significant challenges: cost, latency, and complexity. NOVI is flipping this model on its head. Instead of sending terabytes of data back down, their satellites analyze it in orbit and only transmit the results. That means smaller data packets, faster insights, and drastically reduced costs.

Michael and I dig into how NOVI's space-based edge computing infrastructure is opening new opportunities in defense, agriculture, mining, and more. With multiple sensors onboard each satellite and a proprietary AI processing platform, NOVI enables organizations to fuse and process Earth observation data in real time. It is a shift from intelligence as a feature to intelligence as the foundation.

We also discussed NOVI's evolving roadmap as it transitions from Department of Defense projects to a dual-use model that includes commercial services. Their commercial constellation is set to launch in early 2026 aboard SpaceX Transporter missions, and the company is already onboarding early adopters who are building custom inference models in preparation for this launch.

What stands out in this conversation is NOVI's goal of democratizing Earth observation. Their open-access platform enables users to retain full ownership of their data, marking a significant departure from the closed systems that currently dominate the industry. Lower cost, faster processing, and open access could change who benefits from space data and how.

So, what does it take to process AI in orbit? How do we reimagine satellites as part of the compute layer, not just the sensor layer? And what happens when access to real-time Earth intelligence becomes available to more than just governments and large enterprises? Listen in to find out.