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I'm new to the IM Security field so I hope this is not a dumb question. This may deviate a little from point number 2, The Cloud but ties in with point number 6. What makes the "cloud" so much better than a traditional infrastructure? Is it less vulnerable to malicious activity and attack? Are the cost savings, ROI, data confidentiality, integrity and access that much greater? I know you only mention it from a Dev perspective. I'm not being sarcastic, I'm asking an honest question. It seems to me the "cloud" will cause downsizing in IT/IM.
I agree that the cloud will downsize but only if the IT staff does not prepare for it. People hear the buzzword 'cloud' and they want it. the slick M$ commercials about the cloud make it sound really nice. so if the IT staff does not learn virtualization (at least an understanding of how it relates to the cloud) then people will look for those that know it.
Of course this is just my opinion.
Of course this is just my opinion.
Sure, I may be a broken record.. but.. the next hot technology and career trend is "business acumen and communication skills". Like it or not, there is still a big gap between the IT Professional and business owners and executives.
Back in 2003 KPMG and Computer world had found the more than 78% of managers felt their IT pros did not speak about business in business terminology. More than 48% indicated an actual distrust of the IT professional. Mostly due to confusing jargon and a belief it was used to hide budget and timeline overruns.
Certainly it is important to be aware of new technologies and keep skills up to date - but skills can be improved fairly rapidly - ie: programming is programming - but the ability to digest a business challenge and connect the dots with and for management is the killer app.
Back in 2003 KPMG and Computer world had found the more than 78% of managers felt their IT pros did not speak about business in business terminology. More than 48% indicated an actual distrust of the IT professional. Mostly due to confusing jargon and a belief it was used to hide budget and timeline overruns.
Certainly it is important to be aware of new technologies and keep skills up to date - but skills can be improved fairly rapidly - ie: programming is programming - but the ability to digest a business challenge and connect the dots with and for management is the killer app.
"The cloud has made development faster and more iterative." In how far is that ment to be an (exclusive) feature to the cloud? Can someone explain?
This assumes that there will be off-the-shelf (OTC) packages which can speak to at least 80% or more of applications needed to run a business. It makes little sense to reinvent payroll / personnel and budget / finance when specialists have made successful businesses supplying those services for the past 25 years. Best of all worlds is to have much of the infrstructure on The Cloud if those niggling questions about security can be resolved. Perhaps the front office business needs an IT staff of developers specializing certain software, but it might be possible for companies like SAP providing the necessary components.
There are two big heartburns. SAP is one example -- it is expensive for a company to make a transition and past experience is that to make the transition successfully, it typically takes about $100 million, as in the case of major Fortune 500 companies. It would be so much better if SAP were to supply turn key solutions hosted outside the company buying the services.
The other major stumblingblock to OTC and outsourcing is the transition. It is not only expensive, but in the short term, it can be unbelievably disruptive. Very smart professional project managers need to guide such efforts with no scope creep with a very strong hand with an extremely committed businesses. Half hearted attempts badly planed are roadmaps to disaster and anyone who pursues a sloppy transition is going to pay dearly.
Doing the right thing for the long term takes a lot of courage and costs more than just money. The rewards are many, if only the transition occurs decently and in order.
There are two big heartburns. SAP is one example -- it is expensive for a company to make a transition and past experience is that to make the transition successfully, it typically takes about $100 million, as in the case of major Fortune 500 companies. It would be so much better if SAP were to supply turn key solutions hosted outside the company buying the services.
The other major stumblingblock to OTC and outsourcing is the transition. It is not only expensive, but in the short term, it can be unbelievably disruptive. Very smart professional project managers need to guide such efforts with no scope creep with a very strong hand with an extremely committed businesses. Half hearted attempts badly planed are roadmaps to disaster and anyone who pursues a sloppy transition is going to pay dearly.
Doing the right thing for the long term takes a lot of courage and costs more than just money. The rewards are many, if only the transition occurs decently and in order.
It used to be standard wisdom that having someone else manage your data center was a stupid expensive idea. Facility management meant that you couldn't really manage your own IT in your business successfully.
Back in the day, it made sense -- sometimes. Pierce County had less than stellar people in their data center and hired CSC. The last straw was when one of the operators printed eight boxes of Assessor / Treasurer bills on payroll check stock. Drives would have a head crash and the operators would see the read errors, only to move the packs from one disc drive to another... repeatedly... until all 10 disk drives had to have the heads replaced and the packs had to be replaced as well.
They transitioned out of that and things seemed to go well for awhile. Nevertheless, Empire Building became the rule of the day with the two managers in IT controlling millions of dollars a year and 85% of the people -- all while they locked down IT for their own advantage and being -- in defiance of the law against conflict of interest -- married to each other.
It is in the last year that the chickens have been coming home to roost in this coop where the foxes are on guard, paid for by tax payers. It has occured to County Management that outsourcing a lot of the very expensive IT components to the Cloud could make very good sense and save tax payers a lot of money. All sorts of studies have been commissioned and, actually, outsourcing, using the Cloud and buying Off-The-Shelf packages for strategic systems makes a lot of sense to run more efficiently and save a lot of mony. That poor little computer room on the 7th floor of the County City Building down the hall from the Executive's Office is out of power, out of room and out of air conditioning. So much could be cheaper with fewer people.
Ah, but now, who does the research and who makes the decisions? Who looks at the truth? Who does the evaluations?
I had a year of that before I was RIFfed. I told them up front what it would take in my detailed report. They would not listen and went out on their own. They spent plenty of money. And do you know what they found? They found that my figures were right on the money and decided that they weren't going to pursue it any further. On the way out, I was told by the Director to outline a solution to Payroll / Personnel and Budget / Finance. I did and it is 16 pages of details of exactly how to do it. If it were possible to attach the report, I would submit it to you folks so you could see what you think. I also was commissioned to do a study to determine what Open Source Database they should use, since Sybase is costing them an arm and a leg. Well, not them... the taxpayers. I gave them the right solution. The Development Manager had other designs, since he codes applications along with his job as Manager.
The point here is that there is an opportunity to make things more streamlined, efficient and have an acceptable ROI.
The problem is politics.
With foxes guarding the chicken house, the IT management is counting their eggs as they are hatching and decided that they are the ones to make the omlets from now on -- saving their careers while tanking the County IT.
The point here is that the above initiatives are worthwhile in many cases. It just depends on whether the decisions are made by honest business people or by narcissists, sociopaths, psychopaths and very selfish nutcases.
Back in the day, it made sense -- sometimes. Pierce County had less than stellar people in their data center and hired CSC. The last straw was when one of the operators printed eight boxes of Assessor / Treasurer bills on payroll check stock. Drives would have a head crash and the operators would see the read errors, only to move the packs from one disc drive to another... repeatedly... until all 10 disk drives had to have the heads replaced and the packs had to be replaced as well.
They transitioned out of that and things seemed to go well for awhile. Nevertheless, Empire Building became the rule of the day with the two managers in IT controlling millions of dollars a year and 85% of the people -- all while they locked down IT for their own advantage and being -- in defiance of the law against conflict of interest -- married to each other.
It is in the last year that the chickens have been coming home to roost in this coop where the foxes are on guard, paid for by tax payers. It has occured to County Management that outsourcing a lot of the very expensive IT components to the Cloud could make very good sense and save tax payers a lot of money. All sorts of studies have been commissioned and, actually, outsourcing, using the Cloud and buying Off-The-Shelf packages for strategic systems makes a lot of sense to run more efficiently and save a lot of mony. That poor little computer room on the 7th floor of the County City Building down the hall from the Executive's Office is out of power, out of room and out of air conditioning. So much could be cheaper with fewer people.
Ah, but now, who does the research and who makes the decisions? Who looks at the truth? Who does the evaluations?
I had a year of that before I was RIFfed. I told them up front what it would take in my detailed report. They would not listen and went out on their own. They spent plenty of money. And do you know what they found? They found that my figures were right on the money and decided that they weren't going to pursue it any further. On the way out, I was told by the Director to outline a solution to Payroll / Personnel and Budget / Finance. I did and it is 16 pages of details of exactly how to do it. If it were possible to attach the report, I would submit it to you folks so you could see what you think. I also was commissioned to do a study to determine what Open Source Database they should use, since Sybase is costing them an arm and a leg. Well, not them... the taxpayers. I gave them the right solution. The Development Manager had other designs, since he codes applications along with his job as Manager.
The point here is that there is an opportunity to make things more streamlined, efficient and have an acceptable ROI.
The problem is politics.
With foxes guarding the chicken house, the IT management is counting their eggs as they are hatching and decided that they are the ones to make the omlets from now on -- saving their careers while tanking the County IT.
The point here is that the above initiatives are worthwhile in many cases. It just depends on whether the decisions are made by honest business people or by narcissists, sociopaths, psychopaths and very selfish nutcases.
I'd like to read your report. Can you email it to me? keith.bruno@att.net
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