Tech Talk | Email Signatures to Shadow AI: How IT Teams Can Make Smarter Build-or-Buy Decisions
Date: Thursday, June 4 at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET
IT teams are under constant pressure to move faster, reduce manual work, and support new business needs, but not every problem should become an internal development project. When teams build their own tools, especially for highly specialized functions, the work can quickly expand beyond the original scope, creating delays, hidden costs, maintenance burdens, and new security concerns.
In this live Tech Talk, veteran technology journalist John K. Waters leads a practical conversation with information security and operations management expert Karl Bagci on the build-versus-buy decision for email signature management, meeting branding, and related governance challenges. The discussion will examine when building internally makes sense, when it becomes a long-term liability, and why seemingly simple tasks, such as managing consistent email signatures across Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace, can become harder than they look. The conversation will also explore how AI is changing the equation as employees experiment with AI-generated apps, vibe coding, and unsanctioned tools.
You’ll learn:
- How to evaluate build-versus-buy decisions without focusing only on upfront cost
- Why internal builds often run over budget, miss deadlines, or become difficult to maintain
- Where DIY approaches can make sense, and where they can create long-term risk
- How email signature management can become a governance, branding, and operational challenge at scale
- How centralized tools can help manage consistent email signatures across Microsoft 365, Exchange, and Google Workspace
- Why AI-generated internal tools and “vibe coding” are creating new shadow IT and shadow AI concerns
Join us for a practical conversation on how to make smarter build-versus-buy decisions, reduce IT complexity, and avoid hidden risks as AI reshapes the way teams create and manage business tools.
Register now!
About the presenters:
Karl Bagci, Director of IT and Information Security, Exclaimer
Karl Bagci is Director of IT and Information Security at Exclaimer. He leads IT, InfoSec, and data privacy across the business, with a focus on building security that's practical rather than performative. He's currently co-leading Exclaimer's AI adoption programme, helping the business use AI tools responsibly and at scale. Outside work, he writes and speaks about security, automation, and making technology work for people rather than the other way around.
John K, Waters, Editor at Large, Redmondmag.com
As the Editor in Chief in the Converge360 group of 1105 Media, journalist and author John K. Waters manages leading news sites focused on worldwide technology trends, from artificial intelligence to the software development lifecycle.