Summary Bullets:

• To maximize the investment in I.T. companies should have a robust training program

• Regular training will benefit everyone, as well as make the workplace run smoother.

“Never stop learning” – a pithy phrase, something you could see on a motivational poster next to the one with the adorable kitten clinging to a branch that says “hang in there.” But the significance of the phrase “never stop learning” is one that comes with particular meaning in the tech industry. The pace of the tech industry overall requires a learning process that can’t stop. Everyone in technology, from day to day techs, senior administrators, coders, management, and senior management all need to keep learning. But how we treat learning in IT is still outdated and is centered around 1950s-era notions of top-down control, where workers don’t need to know that much, management will know for them, and that knowledge is based on professional certifications.
Continue reading “Never Stop Learning!” →

Summary Bullets:

• Comcast Business is looking to move beyond its small and mid-sized business roots and expand into the large enterprise market.

• As part of its vision to serve large enterprise customers, Comcast is looking towards international expansion and to grow its product portfolio.

On September 4th and 5th, 2019, Comcast Business hosted industry analysts at the newly opened Comcast Technology Center and Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia. During the conference, Comcast outlined its Enterprise 2.0 strategy that will drive its agenda over the next year, highlighted its plans for leveraging recent acquisitions, and detailed its launch of two new security-related solutions. It plans to build on the success it has already seen in the business market, which includes revenue growth of 10.8% of 2018 (which compared to 2017), a base of 2.3 million business customers, and a team of over 10,000 employees dedicated to business services.
Continue reading “Comcast Business Details New Enterprise 2.0 Strategy During Analyst Conference” →

Summary Bullets:

• Everyone has brand and product preferences based on experience, emotion, and environment.
• Pick the right tool for the job, even if it’s outside your personal preferences.

Marketing teams talk about brand perception and brand loyalty. They talk about mind share and name recognition. As individuals, we try to act as if we don’t have brand loyalty, but instead loyalty to quality, price, utility, or some combination of those factors. Despite everyone having a bent towards economic rationality, its clear that emotion, experience, and our peers and self-identified group play a much larger role in our buying decisions. As individuals, this is not really a big deal. But in the IT workplace, brand or technology preferences can have negative consequences. More surprisingly, these preferences are extremely strong and take on the aspect of nearly religious belief. If you find that to be an exaggeration, find your local expert Linux system administrator and ask them what they think of Microsoft. More often than not, you will be treated to a sermon on the evils of the Beast of Redmond. Continue reading “The Right Tool for the Job” →

Summary Bullets:

• The social media giants have been under pressure to shield users from influencer posts that make specious claims.
• Some questions on policy definition and enforcement remain, but Facebook and Instagram are moving in the right direction with the new rules.

Social media sites Instagram and parent Facebook are tightening their content standards to restrict advertisements and posts from influencers and other users who peddle weight loss and cosmetic procedures to teenagers. In September, the two social media giants disclosed a policy change which aims to prohibit the distribution of content to users under the age of eighteen that promotes the sale of weight-loss products or even mentions or depicts a weight-loss product or supplement. This content, which often makes bold claims about dramatic results with minimal scientific backing, has been linked to a number of negative impacts on users. Continue reading “Facebook and Instagram Take a Stand Against Controversial ‘Miracle Claims’ Content” →

Summary Bullets:

• According to a new survey, citizens feel overwhelmed by rapid changes in technology, making for cautious purchasing and declining trust in business.
• Business leaders are more positive, but they are keenly aware of public confusion around new technologies; as a result, they are moderating their adoption planning.

The well-established promise of a digital future for society is welcomed by most people and businesses, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t accompanied by a certain level of confusion and concern. While the disruption caused by technological change has revealed new opportunities for UK citizens and companies, it has also exposed the limits of tech knowledge among both individuals and organizations, often necessitating what feels like ill-prepared decision making. A recent survey by Fujitsu captured public opinion on the importance of digital transformation to the success of future generations. It also tapped business leaders across the UK’s major industries to gain insights on how they view the advantages and challenges of increased digital adoption. Continue reading “Vendors Find Pace of Tech Change Causing Tension Within UK Public and Businesses” →

Summary Bullets:

• Enterprises and vendors need to resist the urge to spend too much time defining broad marketing terms when it doesn’t really matter.

• Get your vendors to narrow their pitch to your industry/use cases.

IT in its early days was driven by technical terms. Magazines and advertisements were overflowing with megabytes per second and POSIX compliance and IEEE specifications. But things changed and it soon became clear that IT was a driver of business and that non-IT managers would need to become an integral part of the decision-making process. The marketing changed to something less technical and more approachable. But sometimes the pendulum swings too far, with must-have marketing terms that get spread out so far that they become meaningless. Common terms become umbrellas for what need to be more focused discussions, whether it is from a technical or non-technical standpoint.
Continue reading “Narrow It Down!” →