Information Technology

One of my responsibilities at Argenia is the office IT guy. More by necessity than by choice, but I don’t mind stringing cables and installing software as a break from the everyday.

Early on I saw a gap in how we handled email and managed shared files. Email was a POP service hosted by Bell Canada Business (trash) and file sharing was done on a rickety Windows XP machine with a death rattle. DropBox was being used to share files as well, but this proved costly when a virus swooped in and encrypted their files which then automatically updated their DropBox versions.

Much of the discussion on the economic impact of cloud computing has focused on the cost savings and increased value for businesses, but the cloud is also impacting the IT industry, as new job roles are being created and the demand for other roles is decreasing. Many IT professionals may soon find themselves needing to transfer their skills and acquire new ones in order to be valuable in a cloud environment. Here’s a look at the impact the cloud is having on the job market and the skills IT professionals will need to develop.

Bring your own device (BYOD) and big data are pretty big terms in the tech space right now, but so far the conversations about big data and BYOD have been largely separate. Many articles have addressed the problems and headache it is causing IT teams, especially since many companies are not prepared to handle employees bringing their own mobile devices. A survey of small and medium-sized businesses found that 22 percent had a BYOD policy in place.

"Of course, the idea of making enterprise-grade software easier to use is a commendable one in the world of Web CMS.  That said, I’ve never seen a successful CMS project where either IT or Marketing/Business were left out of the decision making process."

- Irina Guseva, Selecting a cloud CMS without your IT department - is that OK?, Real Story Group, December 18, 2018.

One of the most common concerns businesses have when they consider adopting a cloud computing solution is that they will have less control over their IT system. Thus, they worry that their data will not be secure enough, and their concern is understandable. Data breaches are expensive, both financial-wise and reputation-wise, and with attacks becoming more and more sophisticated, security has become a top priority. Luckily, adopting cloud computing does not mean that you have to give up security, but you will want to do your research when comparing options.

Big data is an exciting opportunity for businesses looking for the information they need to use targeted messaging and personalized experiences to boost profits, but the thought of a company having access to all of their online information has many consumers worried. With information about the National Security Agency’s monitoring of email and phone calls, and social networks like Facebook constantly pushing that privacy boundary, it’s only natural that people are concerned about the privacy and security of their data.

When Google announced in 2012 that they were bringing Google Fiber to Kansas City, my father called me and said he was interested. As an information technologist, I was excited. I told the “old man” that Google Fiber was going to change everything. Last month, Google Fiber finally came to my parents' neighborhood, and I made the six-hour drive to visit the house I grew up in.

Google has already rolled out its fiber-optic technology for residents in specific areas of Kansas City – on both sides of the state line. High-speed Internet and TV services have come to many of the city’s “fiberhoods” – a neighborhood which has pre-registered for Google’s network in order to get its service.

The fiber has been installed in twelve areas of Kansas City, Kansas and in two areas of Kansas City, Missouri. The installation is in progress in many more areas of the Kansas City metropolitan.

There was a time when marketing firms had to treat everyone like generic off-brand mac & cheese. Sure, they could make certain assumptions based upon average consumers, but real, personalized customer offers and promotions just weren't possible. That time, however, has passed. These days, brands are able to gather data about individual customers from before any sort of interaction even begins to take place. Through information sources such as web browsers, social media, surveys, customer reward programs, transaction data, etc., it is possible to gather massive amounts of data regarding the personal preferences of millions of potential customers.

Businesses have seen the value of data for years. Thus, businesses have collected survey, transaction and marketing data all with the hope that by analysing it they can improve their business processes and become more profitable. The problem is that some companies end up paying more than the data is actually worth, due to poor business practices or relying on a data warehouse that simply can't keep up with today’s influx of data. For business leaders who find the following five signs familiar, it may be time to switch to big data as a service, such as Qubole, to get the most out of the data they collect and the money they spend.