If you’re in the early stages of container adoption, you’re probably asking yourself questions such as: How do I know what my virtual private servers are up to? How do I decide which container system to use, and, once I’ve done that, how do I distribute it to an unknown number of servers running at unknown IP addresses? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a guidebook? We thought so. Our…
The CIOs that I talk to regularly say they believe technology is not the biggest obstacle to crossing the digital chasm. They believe the limiters to success come down to culture, resources, and analog thinking on the part of business leaders. They stress that CEOs need to understand that someone is out there trying to eat their lunch and that their inaction can lead to business obsolescence. Clearly, disruption is…
Intro Continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) is the next logical step in the evolution of software development, packaging, and deployment. It utilizes automation to deploy software changes faster, safer, and more frequently than ever before. Next generation toolkits are now available to implement CI/CD methodology. What’s the earliest build tool you remember using? Tools such as GNU Make, Scons, and Autoconf date back to the 1990s and beyond. They give many…
I seriously doubt that agile initiatives can have success in the long run if they are not supported by an enterprise and business architecture framework that can be reused and enhanced from one project to the next. Digital transformation is not about a one-time change project or about spontaneous business activities. Digitization is more about transforming many dimensions of an organization with a structured approach involving business and enterprise architecture….
When I started my first business in the mid-90’s I did what most first-time entrepreneurs do — I ordered business cards. Actually, I first had to get an address and order a phone. After all, I couldn’t order business cards without them. Then it was setting up an accounting system, doing the legal paperwork, building a website, and, of course, writing a really long business plan. I did everything except…
While many companies are well into their digital transformation journey, it’s been widely reported that relatively few organizations are truly thriving or succeeding. Consultancy Inc.Digital, for example, cites only 18% of organizations as digitally thriving and consultancy ClearPrism has found that “fewer than 12% of companies capture more than 85% of economic profit in any industry.” Difficulties in execution aside, digital transformation is clearly an ongoing journey, not a destination,…
Many IT admins often sit back and reminisce about the days when life was easier, simpler. Maybe they are looking out at a business and a data center that is growing faster than they can keep up with, or a shrinking budget that is difficult to operate within. Maybe they are trying to figure out how they can tackle both. From deploying new infrastructure that meets expanding workloads to training…
To rewrite or not to rewrite the legacy system. It’s a perennial question for IT organizations and one that weighs heavy with IT budget, talent and operational concerns. Every week I come in contact with CIOs and CTOs trying to determine the best way to upgrade an aging but mission-critical system or application. After years of helping businesses consider and address their upgrade needs, I have determined there are five…
Embracing digital is inevitable as that is now part of the reality. However, taking a journey of digitalization is a bumpy road with many ups and downs. It could be misled because of the wrong focus, the wrong assumptions, the wrong ends, or the wrong means. It is important to clarify the myth and misconception in order to lead change and drive digital transformation seamlessly. 1. Digitalization is not equal…
Bill Predmore, president and co-owner of professional women’s soccer team the Seattle Reign, has enough to worry about without managing PCs. “I don’t want to have to think about technology,” he told CIO.com. “I want it to be like a utility where I flip a switch and it just works.” So, in December 2017, the Seattle Reign turned to a private preview of Microsoft Managed Desktop (MMD), a new desktop…