Although virtualization technology has been mainstream now for a number of years, it’s still a hot topic of discussion among IT professionals. However, the conversation has changed. No longer is it a question of “should we virtualize?” but rather, “how do we get the most out of our virtualized environment?”, “how do we manage it all?” and “now that we’ve virtualized some of our servers, should we be looking at our desktops?”.

For this edition, I’ve taken a recent webcast that I hosted with guests Galen Schreck, a Principle Analyst from Forrester Research and Bruce Cowper, the Virtualization Lead from Microsoft Canada and have condensed it down to 20 minutes of goodness for your listening pleasure. During our conversation where we took questions from the live on-line audience, we cover topics such as how the Microsoft solution stacks up against the competition, the nuances of licensing and where virtualization technology research may be heading in the future.

Additional resources:

•  www.microsoft.ca/virtualization

More information about this podcast series can be found on the AlignIT IT Manager Podcast web page.

Comments, suggestions and ideas for future topics can be left below as a comment or emailed directly to the AlignIT program feedback alias at alignit@microsoft.com. You can also reach us on our comment line at 1-800-693-3827.

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This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, we interview Srikantan Moorthy: International Top-ranking Business and Technology Leader, Industry-Leading Visionary Innovator, Global Executive, Vice-President and Head of Research and Education, Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki,
FCIPS, I.S.P., ITCP/IFIP IP3, MVP, DFNPA, CNP

Srikantan Moorthy - known as Tan to friends and colleagues is a Vice President and Head of Education & Research (E&R) with Infosys. Tan has more than 23 years of experience in the Information Technology based Professional Services Industry. He spent 12 of those years working in the US during which time he gained hands-on experience in strategy formulation, operations management and talent development.

Tan started his career as a software engineer and has worked on a variety of computing platforms working on both systems and applications programming. Tan has played multiple roles including those of a division General Manager and Client Partner working with Fortune 500 clients. During his tenure at Infosys, Tan managed client delivery for a large business unit managing projects worth over two hundred million dollars with a team of more than 4000 people.

As head of Education and Research at Infosys, Tan's primary responsibility is talent development through competency building. The residential 19 week training for fresh engineers joining Infosys is a key program run by Infosys E&R. Over 15,000 fresh engineers go through this program every year. The certification program of E&R is aimed at renewal of competencies of experienced professionals in the organization. More than a 100,000 assessments are conducted annually as part of this program. Infosys Campus Connect (which is also run by E&R) partners with over 500 engineering colleges in India and provides interventions to raise the employability of graduating engineering students.

Tan has a passion for people development and has been involved in the competency development initiatives at Infosys. He is part of the Infosys Competency Council. Tan is also a member of the Professional Development Committee of ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), and is on the board of IUCEE (Indo US Collaboration for Engineering Education).

Tan has a Bachelor's in Engineering from Bangalore University.

Link to "Take on the world" by Srikantan Moorthy of Infosys.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:54:
Tan tells us about Infosys, its roots, vision and mission.
"...I think the tagline "Powered by intellect and driven by values" gives you an indication of the emphasis the firm places on human capital and ethical behavior...."

:02:37:
What triggered your interest in computing and please profile your journey up to the present?
"....My first opportunity to work on computers came in the final year of my engineering degree way back in 1984....My final year project turned out to be something where I was creating a translator using assembly language. That was my first interaction with a computer and from then on I wanted to be associated with computing and being an IT professional...."

:06:18:
Tell us more about your vision and objectives behind your current roles? What do you hope to accomplish and how will you bring this about?
"....My job is to build the capability of people. We are a 100,000+ organization today and we work with clients in solving their business problems leveraging technology. This means the competency of our people has to be quite varied, ranging from deep technology through business domains, software properties and good soft skills. My focus is on developing the competencies of our people in these dimensions...."

:08:56:
How do you see the global economic climate in 2009, 2010 and in the next five years?
"....The economic crisis has already proven that we are a globalized world and I see global interdependence happening more and more. For the economy to grow I think there will have to be much more free movement of goods, services and people. I think that is what will facilitate the growth of the economy over the coming years...."

:10:22:
What metrics are important to Infosys in the next three years?
"....As with any corporation, I think there are financial metrics. But more important is earning the respect of all its stakeholders and that is what Infosys has always placed the most emphasis on...."

:11:08:
What must organizations do to be successful?
"....A relentless focus on clients, innovation and employees are all very important. It's also important to look at the larger picture and to look at strategy holistically to address the needs of all the stakeholders for a long time....I also think that bringing transparency to governance is a critical thing for organizations to be successful...."

:12:07:
What are the hot technologies today and into the future?
"....Cloud computing is at the center of a lot of things today....Technologies that will be hot will be the ones that will help the planet to be a better place (green technologies) and technologies that help bring better living standards to the larger base of humanity... "

:13:16:
What are the hot jobs today and into the future?
"....A lot of it is in the services sector.... As the ability of people to buy and the consumption rate of goods and services increases, the ability to provide them better experiences is what will rule the world. That is where service-oriented jobs are becoming more and more prevalent in the developing market...."

:14:09:
Where should the IT professional who is early in his/her career be focusing?
"....My recommendation would always be for people to focus on the business domain and the application and leveraging of technology to solve business problems...."

:15:29:
What are the types of hot companies today and into the future?
"....They are the ones that are creating the solutions of the future. The ones that are making the planet a better place and the companies that combine innovation to take their products to the masses...."

:16:40:
You were invited to a private leaders meeting in Chicago earlier this year due to your global work and outstanding leadership. You talked about Friedman's book, the Asia region, India's graduation rate for engineers, and much more. Can you share these deep and valuable insights with our audience?
"....The emerging markets, the demographic shift, the ubiquitousness of technology and the change in regulations are things that have enabled anybody anywhere in world to have the level playing field to do what they want..."

:22:42:
Where are the global leaders in the future? Why?
"....With the flattening of the world the global leaders can come from any part of the globe....The opportunity today exists for anybody to reach to the top if they have the passion to do it...."

:23:19:
With so many years of success, how does this success contribute to your vision for: business, industry, governments, academia, research, media, society, technology, and internationally?
"....I think that the future belongs to those who are able to make a large difference to humanity as a whole. To me the vision of the future will be one where anybody, irrespective of their background, is able to reach their full potential in any place on the planet by virtue of their desire to be successful, by virtue of the passion they have to be successful and the opportunity that the world provides for them...."

:25:31:
What were the major challenges you faced during your career and how did you overcome them? Which challenges still exist today and can you outline others that are new?
"....One of the challenges coming from a technical background and having a focus on technology for me was not realizing the importance of communication....I think the challenge is to keep pace with everything that is going on in the world to ensure that anything we do is relevant and whatever is being done adds value to the stakeholders...."

:28:14:
What were the most important lessons you want to share from your work at Infosys?
"....First is the value placed on the human being - whether it is a client, a manager, a peer or a team member. To give respect to the individual as a human being is the starting point....Second, deal with everything ethically and legally....Third, make decisions through data and information rather than subjective means....Fourth, focus on building scale through systems and processes ensuring that we are able to do everything on a large scale given the needs that we've always had in the company and the country...."

:30:23:
Tan describes the top innovative achievements in terms of the problems they were trying to solve, their solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future.

:33:16:
Can you profile your current research and work, its challenges, opportunities, and implications?
"....The first area is understanding things that are coming (grid computing, cloud computing, etc) and the challenges related to that....The second area is enhancing learning effectiveness....(understanding real learning can make a difference - how learning can make a difference and what are the parameters that can be impacted through learning interventions)...."

:34:56:
Over your long and distinguished career, what are your top lessons you want to share with the broad audience?
"....First: Have a passion and commitment for the job....Second: The need to connect with people and to treat them with respect. Understanding where they are coming from and understanding the context of the individual is very essential in being able to connect with them....Third: To constantly develop the competence of one's own capabilities, while at the same time having the humility to know that there are areas that one doesn't know, and have the ability to go and learn new things all the time....Fourth: Look at things from the perspective of the 'making a difference' rather than 'what is in it for me'. It is 'what is in it for the larger good' when approaching any problem and defining its solution...."

:37:35:
If you could sum up your life experiences with career tips for the ICT professional, what would be your tips and the reasons behind them?
"....First, develop deep competencies because it is critical to be competent to take on any job....Second, the ability to develop soft skills and to communicate....Third, an attitude of wanting to learn and wanting to work well in teams...."

:39:34:
Can you profile additional skills needed for IT professionals to be successful in today's agile technology driven climate?
"....The ability to adapt and work well in an environment where everything is not well defined...."

:40:31:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how business executives and IT professionals can best prepare?
"....A starting point is to have an open mind - not be constrained by one's experiences or one's own view of the world....The desire to learn, the humility to acknowledge that one doesn't know something....most important, the focus on a value system...."

:41:42:
How do you wish to continue to shape the world and contribute to the fabric of history?
"....By working with people so that we can jointly make a difference....By learning new things and by adapting things that were done in one way and bringing it to play in a different context....By making sure that there is an opportunity for people at various stages to learn from and to give people the opportunity to perform to their best...."

:42:25:
What do you see as the three top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
"....Important to look at things from a holistic and long term perspective....Learn to be more transparent....Focus on deepening one's skills...."

:44:25:
Increasingly there is attention being given to IT as a profession with recognized professional certification, adherence to a code of ethics, demonstrated professional development, alignment with a common body of knowledge and best practices. These concepts are encapsulated in IT Professionalism. Can you share your views on IT Professionalism?
"....As an organization we place high emphasis on ethics and the value system. Embodying all of this and bringing about IT as a profession is timely and needed at this point in time...."

:46:00:
The UN-founded International Federation for Information Processing or IFIP has their International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3) program which received full ratification at the world general assembly in August 2007 with their first implementation meeting in Montreal in October 2007. This marks an historical inflection point and speaks to IT as a recognized profession with global standards, profession-based code of ethics, and widely adopted professional certification-all happening in 2009. Can you provide your comments on the importance of this historical milestone?
"...It is a great initiative and I think it should be embraced wholeheartedly in making it happen across the globe - especially with IT being among the professions that is practiced interchangeably across the globe....Having this uniform certification and a global standard for IT professionals is commendable ....."

:47:08:
If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask, and then what would be your answer?
"....an emphasis on execution and bias for action is something that every IT professional needs to have...."

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Kumar R. Parakala, KPMG Head of IT Advisory Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMA) and India; Chief Operating Officer (COO) Advisory India; past Global COO for Global IT Advisory KPMG; Invited by President Clinton to work on the Clinton Global Initiative, Invited by the Red Cross Society of China Jet Li One Foundation to support various philanthropic humanitarian activities around the world; past National Chairman of the Australian Computer Society (ACS); recipient of national and international honours. Kumar provides unique Insights from an internationally renowned innovator and senior executive with a long history of success.

Enjoy!
Stephen Ibaraki

Mr. Kumar Parakala is currently the Head of IT Advisory for KPMG in Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMA) and India. Apart from leading the IT Advisory business into the next growth phase, he has also been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer of KPMG Advisory business in India. The Advisory practice of KPMG India consists of 2500 people and the EMA IT Advisory practice has close to 3500 people.

Prior to his current role, Mr Parakala was the Global Chief Operating Officer for the Global IT Advisory practice for four years at KPMG. During his career in Australia for over 20 years, Mr. Parakala has worked in senior management roles within healthcare, professional services, manufacturing and the public sector. Boards and CEOs consult with him on various matters relating to management of complex projects, outsourcing, business strategy and IT, performance of IT function and corporate governance. He joined KPMG in Year 2000 and prior to that spent five years in the Queensland healthcare sector in senior executive roles both in private and public sector.

He held several public positions including the National Chairman of the Australian Computer Society and was the IT industry spokesperson for several years in Australia. Mr. Parakala has been a regular columnist for the “The Australian” and his views have been extensively covered across media in India, Australia and overseas.

Mr. Parakala was bestowed with the ACS Honorary Life Membership Award recently; he became the 45th recipient of this award since the formation of the Society in 1966. He also received the Leadership Excellence Award from the Queensland Government and the SEARCC Outstanding Contribution Award.

He has Masters Degrees in Science, Information Systems and Business Administration and is an Adjunct Professor at Central Queensland University, Australia. Mr. Parakala supports major global philanthropic initiatives such as Clinton Global Initiative (by President Bill Clinton) and Jet Li Foundation.

Outside of his professional commitments, Mr. Parakala is an avid golfer, skiing enthusiast, wine connoisseur and restaurant critic.

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:01:20:
Tell us more about your work with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and Jet Li Foundation.
"....Since the inception of the Clinton Global Initiative in 2005, CGI members have helped more than 15 million women and girls to have access to empowered initiatives....I’ve been very fortunate to have been invited by President Clinton to be a part of this initiative and I am continuing to support various activities of CGI including a forum to engage with college students in global commitments to action and various other philanthropic activities....The Red Cross Society of China Jet Li One Foundation was founded by Jet Li and I was invited to participate. The main purpose of the Foundation is to support various philanthropic humanitarian activities around the world, starting with China and other countries...."

:04:16:
Now looking back over your early years - what triggered your initial interest in technology and then what forces shaped your interests?
"....I got into technology accidently. I then worked through various opportunities that came my way and persevered and ultimately I’ve had a very enjoyable career in IT spanning more than 20 years...."

:07:08:
What lessons can you share from your positions as National Chairman of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and regular columnist for the “The Australian”?
"....The main purpose of the Society is to advance ICT professionalism and that is what ACS is well-known for....My columns in ‘The Australian’ have always emphasized the benefits of using technology....My columns were regularly focused on how the government should make technology a strategic national priority, and more importantly what the governments around the world and industry should be doing to leverage information technology and create sustainable wealth for its people...."

:09:20:
From your current roles, what do you hope to achieve and how do you bring value to your stakeholders?
"....Currently I have two roles. One role is being the head of IT Advisory for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India business for KPMG. In that role we are looking at how we can help our clients, particularly at the CEO and CFO level, address their requirements for technology solutions....I also have another role and that is as Chief Operating Officer for our advisory business in India....My role is very much focused on helping create a team of strong advisors who are able to help our clients in the areas of transaction and restructuring, performance and technology, and in the areas of risk and compliance...."

:13:28:
Looking at your remarkable career of successes - what are your most difficult challenges: past, present, and future?
"....I’ve been in situations in the past where there was very little I could do in terms of helping organizations address issues, such as the downturn in the economic situation or changes in the labour market which impacts their businesses. Very recently I have been working with organizations which have been impacted by the global financial crisis - which sometimes has nothing to do with anything they have done, they just got impacted. All these experiences have taught me to become flexible in my thinking, adaptable and to embrace change...."

:16:57:
Please provide your career highlights and valuable lessons you wish to share with the audience.
"....I’ve had had many highlights in my career....The great times I have had working with people and working for large organizations in Australia and overseas....Getting the Leadership Excellence Award from the government....Joining my current firm KPMG....Coming to India (about 18 months back) again after living in Australia for almost 20 years....In terms of valuable lessons - I realize that ‘human-connect’ is the most important valuable lesson I learned in my career over the last two decades...."

:22:40:
Which recognition are you most proud of and why?
"....I am very grateful for these awards but I’ve always enjoyed the journey and will continue to enjoy the journey. I will cherish whatever rewards and awards come my way but I’m focusing on the journey and I want to make sure that the journey remains as enjoyable as is possible...."

:24:13:
Can you share your insights on India and the IT industry?
"....I have no doubt in my mind that the way India is going, it will continue to remain a global force in the IT space and will become a major contributor, not only to many businesses around the world in terms of helping them grow, but also significantly helping the quality of lives of people in all parts of the world, both Western and Eastern...."

:28:47:
What about leadership in emerging markets?
"....Where leadership is concerned, we tend to take a little bit more structured approach in a developed country. We have well defined paradigms and we follow the philosophies and models that have been introduced over several years. But coming to India I found that leadership needs to take a different meaning in terms of organization and its people and in an emerging economy like India where there are lots of young people, it’s very important that the leadership aspects take into consideration the need to be able to connect with these people at every level possible – from senior management to the entry-level...."

:33:08:
What is Professionalism in ICT?
"....Professionalism is beyond qualifications, it’s about creating and maintaining a culture where there are high ethical standards and values where skills are regularly updated and validated, where there is a regular exchange of information and ideas and there is accountability and responsibility of actions. If we look at the dependence that we have on ICT, no matter which industry we come from, you will very quickly come to a conclusion that ICT professionalism is mandatory to have a successful business or industry. I’ve been a great advocate of professionalism for several years in ICT in several roles I’ve taken on...."

:35:10:
What are your thoughts on computing as a recognized profession like medicine and law, with demonstrated professional development, adherence to a code of ethics, and globally recognized credentials?
"....Professionalism is very important, regulation is very important and the governments around the world should embrace the regulation of the ICT profession as a risk mitigation strategy...."

:37:50:
What is the International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3) and how does this program provide value?
"....IP3 in my view is the only professional IT standard that we have with relevant accreditation policies and procedures that can be applied globally in the ICT industry....I believe that it is very important that all the industry and trade bodies around the world embrace IP3 as a set of standards that they should aim to comply with and help create professionals standards committees to take the good work coming out of IP3 and use for improvement of professionalism in the ICT industry globally...."

:40:51:
Where do you see CIOs in the future?
"....Increasingly in these times we are seeing the CIOs becoming more business orientated and their ability to develop greater business and communication skills is going to determine their success....CIOs are also increasingly putting on the hat of Chief Innovation Officers. The role of CIOs is becoming more and more diverse and you can see that CIOs are increasingly contributing to directly running of the business...."

:43:54:
You talked about CIOs becoming Chief Innovation Officers. How do we enable innovation?
"....Make it a priority and part of the value system of the organization....Allow their staff to make mistakes to fail and to learn from those mistakes. If you don’t allow people to do that there will not be much innovation because everyone will be playing it safe....Organizations need to continue to remain connected with their ecosystem (their customers, suppliers, shareholders and others)….Give appropriate levels of recognition - to help motivate and inspire people to innovate...."

:48:17:
What are some of the values of being involved in professional societies?
"....Offers individuals an opportunity to support and be actively involved in research, communication and personal development programs in their chosen field....Being part of a community that helps them to learn from each other and the experiences of others....Allows people to network with leaders in the industry....An opportunity for professionals to become a part of the ecosystem and contribute towards driving their profession and building professionalism...."

:53:08:
You choose the areas – can you provide your top predictions of future trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....There are five trends....Cloud computing....Sustainability....Technology convergence....Social networking....RFID and automatic data capture...."

:58:40:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....As a KPMG partner I’d recommend KPMG Thought Leadership Directory that comes out in 140 countries. Businesses’ have found those resources to be of incredible value for their growth and progress....Resources coming out of Harvard Business School, Australian Institute of Management, Australian Institute of Company Director....Australian Computer Society (ACS)...."

:01:04:00:
Kumar shares a story from his many experiences.
"....You never know what is coming your way and you need to always be out there building relationships and see what you can do in the present moment...."

:01:08:27:
If you could sum up your life experiences with career tips for the ICT professional, what would be your tips and the reasons behind them?
"....Make sure that there is ‘people-connect’....Remain positive....Important for people to feel the need to learn....Have a very clear view in your mind of what you want to do...."

:01:13:23:
If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and what would be your answers?
"....’With growing calls for protectionism in developed countries where they are still going through a recession, what do you think about the future of outsourcing the industry?’....’We hear a lot of stories about India growing and making great progress – but what are the challenges that would prevent India from becoming one of the significant players in the global scene?’...."

Register NOW for ACM's first-ever, free learning webinar, presented on January 26, 2012 at 2 PM EST! Space is limited.

Innovations in wireless networking technology are driving our increasingly connected world, with mobile devices gaining acceptance for both professional and private use. In the future, a vast majority of devices will rely on cloud services to enhance end user experiences-with services being a natural extension of such devices. This webinar will provide an introduction to the exciting new world of cloud-enabled mobile computing. A few complex user scenarios possible with this new paradigm will be discussed, along with a hands-on tutorial for developing such mobile applications on Microsoft’s Windows Phone Platform.

Duration: 60 minutes

Who Should Attend:

· IT Managers

· Software Developers/Engineers/Architects

· Other IT professionals interested in mobile and cloud computing

What You'll Learn:

· Why use cloud services with mobile devices?

· What user scenarios are possible by marrying cloud services with mobile devices?

· How do you develop cloud-enabled mobile apps?

Presenters:
Arjmand Samuel, Senior Research Program Manager, Microsoft Research
Arjmand Samuel is a Senior Research Program Manager at Microsoft Research Connections. He is responsible for building academic research partnerships related to Mobile Computing and Software Engineering. Arjmand's recent research interests are in the areas of cloud-enhanced mobile computing. He is spearheading the academic outreach component of Project Hawaii, a cloud-enabled mobile development platform for the Windows Phone. Arjmand holds a Ph.D. in Information Security and Privacy from Purdue University.

 
Danny Dalal, Senior Development Lead, Microsoft Research
Danny's work in declarative multimedia formed the spiritual foundation for what later became WPF and Silverlight. He has contributed to Visual Studio, BizTalk, and Windows Fabric. Danny currently manages engineering teams in Microsoft Research working on various open source projects intended to accelerate research and innovation in various domains such as Computational Biology, Big History education, Machine Translation, Earth Visualization, and Cloud-enabled Mobile Computing. He received his degree in Math and Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
Moderator:
David B. Johnson, Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University
David B. Johnson is Professor of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University, Past Chair of ACM SIGMOBILE, and a member of the ACM Mobility Tech Pack Committee. David was one of the main designers of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Mobile IP protocol for IPv4, is the primary designer of Mobile IP for IPv6, and his group's Dynamic Source Routing protocol (DSR) for wireless ad hoc networks has been published by the IETF. He has edited six different journals, served on the Technical Program Committee for more than 40 international conferences and workshops, and chaired several major conferences, including MASS, COMSNETS, MobiCom, and MobiHoc.

Click here to register and be sure to share this with friends and colleagues who may be interested in this topic.

 

There has never been a better time to study for and pass the 70-659 exam because we here at Microsoft Canada are determined to get as many Canadian system admins, network admins, IT managers, IT job seekers, and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-yourself certified on Window Server virtualization as possible.

Why? Virtualization is the foundation for private cloud and dynamic IT infrastructure. Getting your team certified is how you ensure their skills are where they need to be. Getting yourself certified is how you prove your own skills. And now anyone can take the exam for free and get $75 for passing!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Contact D’Arcy at CTE Solutions (sales@ctesolutions.com) and get an exam voucher. This voucher allows you to take the 70-659 exam for free but only if you take the exam before May 31, 2012 (more details).

[UPDATE March 28] We've had such great response to this post that we ran out of vouchers! However, never fear, more have been requested and are coming within the next few days!
[UPDATE March 30] We've gotten 200 more vouchers which should (hopefully) last us until the end of the promotion.
[UPDATE April 13] We've had a HUGE uptake on this promotion and are currently backlogged - way more than we anticipated. I'm working to get CTE Solutions more vouchers to fulfill all current requests but your patience is appreciated.
[UPDATE April 16] We are now OUT OF VOUCHERS. I don't have an exact count but I believe we gave out 600 vouchers just in the last few months, which is about about 500 more than I anticipated! 

However, not to worry because the good folks over at Microsoft Learning have come up with another great promotion - 2 for 1 Exam Vouchers. Purchase and take one of the qualifying exams (70-659 qualifies) between April 11, 2012 and June 30, 2012 and you will be emailed a voucher valid for the next version exam of your chosen technology path. So for exam 70-659, you would request a voucher number from the Windows Server 2008 / Private Cloud technology path and use that voucher number when you book your full price exam with Prometric to have your second free voucher sent to you.

The good thing is, it's all done online so you don't have to wait for me or D'Arcy to work through any backlogs!

2. Book your exam with Prometric. Yes, book it now – then you’ll be motivated to buckle down and get studying! Here are some resources you can use:

• Register for a virtual study group that meets online over the course of a few weeks for 12 hours total going through the material. More on this will be coming with specific dates – we’ve been running a pilot study group and I’m now pulling together group leaders for subsequent groups. The cost is $75CAN which goes towards local user groups. Email me if you’re interested in participating.[UPDATE March 29] Added link to information on the virtual study groups.
• Sign up for the Microsoft Virtual Academy for free and work through the virtualization modules.
• Download free evaluations of Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V Server 2008 R2, Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 to build out your study lab.
• Download and read Mitch Tulloch’s free ebook “Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions”.
• Purchase and read the book “Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Resource Kit”.
• Take a 1 day online Jump Start class for $99USD on April 12th or May 9th.
• [UPDATE March 28] Another great resource - check out Joseph Yedid's blog series on what you need to know to pass the exam.
• [UPDATE April 1] Free one-hour exam preparation webcast for exam 70-659

3. Write the 70-659 exam and get $75 for passing.

• If you pass – Email me your Transcript ID and Access Code so I can verify your transcript using this tool along with your mailing address, and I’ll send you a $75 gift card (see legal stuff below). Yeah – it’s a pretty sweet deal – you pass your exam AND get a gift card!
• If you don’t pass – don’t fret…if it was easy, everyone would do it. Many people don’t pass it the first time around but still go on to pass it on their next try. At this point you have the option to register for course #10215 at CTE Solutions (for a fee) and retake your exam using the same free voucher you got from CTE Solutions in step 1. Or you can go back to step 2 but pay to book your second exam. Either way, once you pass your exam, be sure to email me for your gift card!

[UPDATE March 28] Folks have been asking how many gift cards I've given out so I'll keep an update here. To date, there have been 6 - ONLY 6! C'mon, folks - if you've passed your exam I wanna hear about it and give you free money! 94 more gift cards to go.
[UPDATE April 1] I've given out 2 more gift cards! 92 left.
[UPDATE April 8] 11 cards given out, 89 cards left and 53 days to pass your exam!
[UPDATE April 13] 18 cards given out, 82 cards left! Less than 53 days to pass your exam. :)
[UPDATE April 16] 22 cards given out, 78 left!
[UPDATE May 1] I left for a bit of vacation and came back to an inbox full of emails! I was hoping to offload all this to my colleague but I guess my Out of Office message telling people to contact him for gift cards went to everyone's spam folder. Anyhoo - I've given out 45 gift cards now, with 55 left! I'm still working through the backlog but it looks like there might be about 10 more in there which I'll get to tomorrow. Still time to get your gift card if you pass your exam soon!
[UPDATE May 15] The emails keep rolling in! I've given out 74 cards so far. Only 26 left and 18 days to email me your transcript information. Keep them coming!
[UPDATE May 22] Only nine days to go and only 9 gift cards left to give out! Remember to email me your transcript ID and access code along with your mailing address. Don't worry if it's not showing up yet on your transcript - I check them in the order they come into my email and if yours isn't updated, I'll just keep it in queue to check the next day.

[UPDATE May 29] I just gave out the LAST GIFT CARD! Congratulations to everyone who passed the exam whether you got a gift card or not - it's not an easy thing to do. I got many emails from folks thanking us for the program (free vouchers, study groups, gift card incentive) as it was the kick in the butt that they needed. But the learning doesn't end here! Build on your knowledge by working towards your MSCE Private Cloud. Your 70-659 exam can be substituted for 70-247 to count towards your Private Cloud certification! Keep an eye on this blog and sign up for the TechNet newsletter to keep informed with news, information and future incentives.

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Important legal stuff about the gift card promotion (aka Terms and Conditions):

* Offer good only in Canada to legal residents of Canada. Offer runs from 12:01AM EST, March 1, 2012 until 11:59PM ET, May 31, 2012, or when all the 100 gifts have been awarded. To participate in the offer and be eligible to receive the gift, individuals will be required to successfully pass exam 70-659 and email their transcript ID, Access Code and mailing address to ruth.morton@microsoft.com by June 1, 2012.

There is a cost associated with taking the exam. More information on the exam can be found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/virtualization-campaign.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-659#tab3

To schedule your exam, please visit the exam provider here:

http://www.register.prometric.com/Menu.asp

Upon successfully passing exam 70-659 and emailing the required information to ruth.morton@microsoft.com, the first 100 individuals will receive a $75 American Express gift card. For Terms and Conditions of the gift card use, please visit http://www.americanexpress.com/canada/en/giftcards/terms-conditions.html. There will be a limit of one (1) gift per person. The gift card will be shipped to the address provided by the individual.

This offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offer.  This offer is not redeemable for cash.  Taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the recipient.  Any gift returned as non-deliverable will not be re-sent. Please allow 6 – 8 weeks for delivery of your gift. We reserve the right to substitute a gift of equal or greater value.

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Have you already passed your exam since March 1? Did you read all the legal stuff above? Well then you know that the promotion started as of March 1 so you get to go directly to step 3 and get your gift card without further ado. How do you like them apples? :)

 

My dad is in his retirement years, but he’s one of those guys who will never really retire. Once part of the engineering team that built the communications system for the Expo line for Vancouver’s SkyTrain in the mid-80’s among other things, he now works as an IT consultant for a small computer store in a rural Ontario town.

One of his clients had some specific technology needs and my dad called me up for a consult. His client, a family-run small business, had 2 needs:

1. A shared scheduling calendar that could be accessed out in the field (literally!) with cell access, as well as in the office.
2. A place to store large video files that could be accessed as needed.

This is not a company that wants to spend a large upfront sum on IT infrastructure. They don’t want to have to manage or maintain server hardware. They just want to consume a service that fits their need for a reasonable cost. Hmmm…sounds like a lot of businesses I know!

For the first requirement, both Office 365 and Windows Live would fit the bill as well as do more if needed. These are software as a service (SaaS) offerings that reside in Microsoft’s cloud. We (Microsoft) take care of the hardware, operating systems and applications that run the services. All the company needs to do is set them up and use them (or have someone like my dad set them up and give them guidance).

Office 365 has a guaranteed 99.9% uptime and technical support so it requires a paid subscription. If, in the future, the company wanted to share calendars or a global address list, set up team sites, etc., they would just increase their subscription to include the additional users and services needed. Windows Live is a free consumer option without a service level agreement or support calls. It would fit their immediate requirements plus give them access to Office Web Apps and Skydrive. 

For the second requirement, both Windows Azure storage account and Skydrive are options, depending on the file size, high availability requirements, total storage needs, etc. These are again both SaaS options in this scenario, but Windows Azure also provides PaaS (platform as a service) so that organizations can build their own cloud solutions in Azure to be consumed as SaaS offerings by their customers, partners or employees.

The Azure storage account is a flexible option with a 99.95% monthly SLA where you pay only for what you use, up to 100TB of blob (binary large object), table and queue data (in this case, my dad’s client only has blob data storage requirements) for each storage account. You can have up to 5 storage accounts for each Azure subscription. While all the storage is redundant by default, the business can choose geo redundant storage for slightly more cost than locally redundant storage (i.e. $13.88/month for 100 GB vs. $10.33/month for 100 GB). Skydrive is the consumer option which provides 7GB for free and options to purchase an additional 20 GB, 50 GB or 100 GB for an annual cost of $10, $25 or $50. It supports up file sizes up to 2GB.

My dad’s client ended up using Office 365 for their shared calendaring solution and are currently evaluating options for their storage needs. But their story and requirements are far from unique.

This is just one example of how a small business can use cloud services. For IT folk who support small businesses, knowledge of cloud services and the range of choices available is one more useful tool in the ol’ tool belt.

 

 

It's looming and you can't ignore it. What am I blogging about? Regulatory Compliance. So take the time to go these links and to the sub-links. It's well worth your time.

Regulatory Compliance Demystified
Summary: For a developer, understanding the issues around regulatory compliance can be a difficult and frustrating endeavor. This article makes sense of regulatory compliance from a developer's point of view. It examines Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, and other regulations, and covers the most important best practices that are common across multiple pieces of legislation.

Past links:
How do you architect for regulatory compliance?
Regulatory Compliance and the IT Manager

Share your experiences, suggestions and comments here or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.

Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki, I.S.P.

This news item energizes a dialogue: http://www.cips.ca/news/national/news.asp?aID=2270

New and Improved Designation for Tech Workers

Tech Association urges industry to reinforce professional standards

by Mylene Sayo

The Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) recently announced the revamping of a professional designation for Information Technology (IT) workers. The Information Systems Professional (I.S.P.) of Canada designation is being strengthened and is now available to academics, IT leaders and experienced IT professionals, three groups of IT workers that were not eligible for the designation previously.

"The need for an IT designation that acknowledges senior executives and educators as well as the broad range of IT experts in our profession is vital in meeting today’s technology demands," said CIPS Past President Dennis Hulme I.S.P. "Considering the potential technology mishaps that can occur and may even endanger lives, these IT leaders need to take a leadership role in ensuring that those they direct and mentor act ethically and have the necessary education and experience to practice…and that they themselves are continuously keeping their IT knowledge current."

CIPS will officially launch the new I.S.P. designation program during I.S.P. Week (October 16 to 23, 2006). While CIPS puts the finishing touches on the program, the association started a campaign during the INFORMATICS 2006 IT symposium which was held in Victoria last month. CIPS wants to educate the industry about the benefits of the improved designation.

Other key improvements to strengthen the I.S.P. designation include the creation of a Body of Knowledge and the revision of the Code of Ethics.

• The CIPS Body of Knowledge is a tool to help employers to accurately assess the technical skills of IT workers. This will help companies to plan work assignments and help select the most appropriate employees for their needs.
• The CIPS Code of Ethics is a newly revised guide to professional conduct for today's standards. The Code is designed to help guide IT workers in maintaining the highest level of ethical conduct, standards of practice and integrity with respect to their IT activities.

"I believe the new and improved I.S.P. designation, the Body of Knowledge and Code of Ethics, will help address current compliance laws, encourage ethical behaviour, help mitigate technology risk, and ensure that best security practices are followed," said Kerry Augustine I.S.P., a Director at Great West Life in Winnipeg.

Under the enhanced I.S.P. designation, there will be three new qualifications for IT workers:

• New Qualification #1: Established Academics – This qualification is aimed at educators in Canadian universities or equivalent.
• New Qualification #2: IT Leaders – This qualification is directed to senior IT leaders who are responsible for IT strategies, resources, and operations at their organization.
• New Qualification #3: Established IT Professionals – This qualification is aimed at established IT professionals who possess professional IT experience but may not hold a traditional IT degree.

The new I.S.P. designation qualifications still maintain the high standards of the designation.

"We strongly urge chief technology and information officers to become I.S.P. holders under the new qualification #2: IT leaders. They need to lead by example. The designation is a way for them to demonstrate to their customers, clients and the public that their IT departments meet the highest of standards," added Hulme.

The I.S.P. is the only designation for IT professionals recognized by law in Canada. It was introduced in 1989 by CIPS, Canada's association of IT professionals and is legislated as a self regulating designation in six provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Other provinces are working towards similar legislation through their provincial government.

Holders of the I.S.P. designation possess the education and experience to practice in the field of IT. Holders also abide by a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice and are required to keep their knowledge current.

Kevin Brown I.S.P., a CIO for ENMAX Corporation, an energy firm based in Calgary stated that the company looks for IT professionals that either hold or are pursuing the I.S.P. designation. "The I.S.P. designation signifies to us that the successful candidate is committed to maintaining currency in their professional knowledge and skills."

For more information about the I.S.P. designation, Body of Knowledge and Code of Ethics, visit the CIPS National Web site at: www.cips.ca or contact: 1-877-ASK-CIPS.

_____________

This is the next interview in the continuing series of Computing Canada’s (CC) Blogged Down (BD) which is featured here “first” in the Canadian IT Managers (CIM) forum.

In part 5 of this blog series, we continue our talk with Richard Giles, an industry leading authority and pioneer in blogging, podcasting and new media (Web 2.0). Richard is also the founder of Clique Communications.

Today I put these questions to Richard:

 

Stephen: What are the best resources for those wanting to start blogging, podcasting, …?

Richard:

1. A book called Naked Conversations by Shel Israel and Robert Scoble. That sets the scene nicely.
2. A news aggregator, to keep up with what the rest of the blogosphere thinks.
3. Wordpress.com, which offers a free weblog platform, to start your own.
4. Willingness to be yourself.
5. Great content.
   
   Podcasting:
   
6. Microphone and headphone (both don't have to be expensive).
7. Recording software.
8. An original idea, to cut through the chaff. There are still many areas open for people to podcast.
9. Willingness to be yourself.
10. Great content.

Stephen: Which are your favorite blogs, vlogs, and podcasting sites?

Richard: I currently read 152 weblogs, using a news aggregator, but one of my current favourite blogs would have to be http://reverseswing.livejournal.com/ , which is run by a marketing expert who is venturing into the virtual world of Second Life. Not only is it interesting watching a person enter the world, it's often a great laugh.

My favourite podcast of the moment is The Web 2.0 Show. For someone involved in starting a new Internet service, the people they speak to offer some fabulous insight.

Tiki Bar TV has to be my favourite vlog. Other than being very funny, I think it also demonstrates the potential for video on the Internet. A few friends creating a video, publishing it to the Internet, and recent reports suggest it attracts 200,000 viewers.

______________________
In the next blog, Richard will discuss the biggest online challenges/solutions, biggest issues facing bloggers and technical communities, and his predictions of future trends.

I also encourage you to share your thoughts here on these interviews or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.
________________________

Computing Canada (CC) is the oldest, largest, most influential bi-weekly business / technology print publication with an audience that includes 42,000 IT decision makers in medium-to-large enterprises. For more than 30 years, Computing Canada continues to serve the needs of Canada’s information technology management community—you can request your free subscription at: http://www.cornerstonewebmedia.com/plesman/main/Subscription.asp?magazine=CCA.

For the latest online business technology news go to: www.itbusiness.ca
________________________
Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P.

I attend many conferences but there is one that I feel requires your particular attention—INFORMATICS 2006, May 28-30 in Victoria BC.

It is specifically geared for you and so I highly recommend you attend. INFORMATICS 2006 is the premier conference for IT Managers and professionals with “Six thought-provoking keynote sessions, twenty-six workshop sessions focusing on topics related to management, technology, information security and human resources, ITIL Foundation certification, ICCP certification and a post INFORMATICS workshop on RFID.” I encourage everyone to continually look at the CIPS INFORMATICS website, www.cipsinformatics.ca for the latest updates.

I am so passionate about the real value you will get from this conference, that I interviewed CIPS executive director, Mary Jean Kucerak where she talks about its history and details the many benefits to “Project Managers, analysts, IT leaders, consultants, anyone who considers themselves an IT professional and who wants to stay on the leading edge of technology issues, add value to their employers or clients and advance their IT careers. The program and registration packages are designed in such a way to encourage IT practitioners at all levels to participate in some way, whether it is for the full event, one or two particular workshops, or just to hear our thought provoking keynotes.”

There is even a special bonus/award program for the first 300 to register for the conference. Check the INFORMATICS web site regularly for the latest details.

Take a moment to read this interview to find out more:
http://www.stephenibaraki.com/cips/v125/mjkucerk.html

Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki

 

I know this is a hot topic for IT managers. In a recent poll of CIOs, it ranks number one and even ahead of security. So now the question, are there models you can study to gain greater insight and provide you with some really usable guidelines?

Here is a great white paper that does just that. I found it really useful since it provides the processes and tools that the Microsoft Information Technology Group uses to “systemize the approach of supporting regulatory compliance.” And, “this approach uses a framework of common security controls, unique tools for monitoring, and IT tools for tracking and reporting compliance.”

It is worth the read to gain deeper insights.

Thank you,
Stephen Ibaraki

I was talking with Adam Cole and he had some really interesting things to say so I invited him here to provide a "guest blog."

*******
Adam Cole, BMath, I.S.P., PMP
Manager SPS Applications & Development - McKesson Canada
Regional Director, National Board, Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS)
-----------

Methodology, you know what it is. It's the medicine you should take to avoid pain and suffering down the road. But those methodology pills don't always go down so well, especially those big, easily chokable pills called BDUF(1) (Big Design Up Front).

The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia(2) gives us a pretty palatable definition of methodology: "A specific way of performing an operation that implies precise deliverables at the end of each stage." Alas, no matter how palatable it looks, methodologies are prone to having a very bitter taste if not handled adroitly.

Methodologies range from the seemingly default fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants to the über heavy weights which require documentation for even thinking about a change. One thing that I am absolutely certain of is there is no one-size-fits-all methodology. Each organization, and in many cases, each project deserves its own determination of a best methodology.

Like many of you, I work for a company where we have Titanic projects and we have inflatable dinghy projects. Clearly these projects don't all deserve the same methodology. (Close your eyes and imagine swapping the methodologies you would use to handle these two classes of projects ... ooh, scary!) Yet I frequently see cases of companies trying to shoehorn their "Building the Titanic" methodologies into their small projects. Fortunately the incidence of companies applying micro-methodologies to mega-projects appears to be on the wane. Do you work for either of these companies?

Getting specific, I presently manage multiple large projects. One is highly regulated, the details are very clearly defined, and the end results are expected to match the objectives regardless of what transpires between the period of conception and completion. Wyle E. Coyote could catch the Road Runner and Eminem could write love ballads...I still know what the end results of my project will look like. However, another strategic project I'm working on is only loosely defined. I am pretty sure it's supposed to help my executives make smarter decisions, but anything more defined than this is apt to change more frequently than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie change spouses. This is a system that pulls data from other systems which themselves are in flux and outputs "knowledge" which is highly transient. If I rigorously followed my original specs I would succeed in creating a brilliant piece of obsolescence. The former project is well suited for BDUF(1) whereas the later project better aligns to Agile(3) principles.

Adhering to a methodology provides the opportunity to recognize many benefits such as consistency and predictability. But applying the wrong methodology or applying a methodology for the sake of having a methodology is a sure sign of a project in peril.

Here are some considerations I believe you should take when selecting a methodology. Which ever you choose, remember, you have the freedom to customize the methodology to best suit your environment.

• How well defined are the project objectives? Is this a "dynamic" project?
• What is your team's experience with the methodology?
• What do the communications within and external to the core project team look like?
• How well defined are the specifications?
• What criteria do you use for defining a project methodology?

Once you have defined your methodology, here are some tips on making the most of it:

• Be sure to keep your focus on the objective.
• Be flexible and open-minded.
• Don't fall in to the trap of gauging success by the number of ticked boxes on your checklist. (This is an indication that you should familiarize yourself with the previous two points.)
• Understand that you will not build the perfect solution on your first attempt. Get over it. Plan to be iterative from the start. (If you use the waterfall(4) approach ditch it and pick another.)
• Read the Agile Manifesto(3). You don't need to subscribe to XP(5) to see the merit in these four principals. (Really, I mean it. Go read it! I will wait right here for you.)
• The best methodology won’t do much for an ill conceived project, nor is it a surrogate for good project management.
• Have you evaluated the fitness of your methodologies? What tips do you have?

I am curious to hear your success, and not-so-successful stories.

(1) http://www.answers.com/methodology
(2) http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/AardvarkSpec.html
(3) http://agilemanifesto.org/
(4) http://www.startvbdotnet.com/sdlc/sdlc.aspx
(5) http://www.extremeprogramming.org/

***********
Thank you Adam for sharing you deep insights.

Stephen Ibaraki

Anticipating market shifts and their severe impact on IT careers and their evolution are a definite passion of mine.  This stems from my days as a college teacher as I always wanted to make sure my students were best prepared for the industry today and for the longer term. You don't want to be in a situation where BOOM! - no job or you are experiencing unsettling career uncertainty; sweating the changes. I know the feeling after the Dot Com bust. Have a look at the blog post with the Maria Klawe interview since she talks about some of this change but from an educational, global, and societal vantage point.

I've seen huge shifts over the course of my career-so there's dramatic market change and we work like crazy to keep up. Well there's a really profound one ***happening*** now that affects you as an IT professional. And this change will have lasting effects on your career and on the broad strokes in industry. We have to move from pure technology and adjust our focus to be very business centric and relationship oriented. It's becoming more about business process, strategy, governance, and compliance.  I don't believe that I'm he only one saying this, as I find this message supported in my interviews and travels.  Read my comment to John's post where the deep thinkers such as McFarlan are stating this case. See John's post

Are you and your team ready for this future vision? Are you putting the right career growth paths into place for yourself and your team? An interesting article in Silicon, quoting Gartner, signals the end of the "techie": http://management.silicon.com/careers/0,39024671,39154129,00.htm

I met with a senior IT manager, and she related how her job has changed significantly to a very business orientation, and expects this to continue. It was a bit shocking to her since her focus for so long has been very technical. In a discussion with another IT manager where I was asked for advice on his best career choices, I suggested getting a Masters in Business rather than one in IT. I find many of my colleagues now opting for the same path-MBA rather than MSc. How do you see this in your jobs?

I love the way the article captures the change "Some will be bolstered, some will be carved up, some will be redistributed and some will be displaced...IT professionals need to act now by assessing and building their business-specific, core-process, and industry knowledge ".  According to Diane Morello, VP of Research for Gartner, in five years, midsized and larger companies will have 30% smaller IT departments. Moreover, there are four major trends predicted by Gartner in the article: "Jobs in technology infrastructure and services will decline in end-user organizations but grow in service, hardware and software companies but many of these jobs will be in developing economies. [Maria talks about this offshore component too in our chat.]

Business intelligence, online consumer services and collaboration will grow in user companies, systems integrators and consulting companies.

There will be opportunities in process design and management in terms of competitive business processes, design of process automation and operational processes.

Relationship and sourcing management will gain ground, demanding strengths in managing "intangibles" and managing geographically distributed parties with different work outcomes and cultures..." [You will hear this echoed with Maria.]

What are your thoughts on this trend and what are you doing to prepare? What does this mean for IT workers? I would be interested in your opinions.

Stephen

Everywhere I go, security is a top issue. In every interview, when I ask for the top five concerns, invariably security comes up. Plus in surveys of IT managers, it’s a consistent hot item. So what does it take to be a good CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)? Where should you be heading in your security plans? I found this article hits the bulls-eye and it’s worth a quick scan. I have taken some excerpts and included an interview, both of which answer these questions and give you roadmaps for your security plans.

In the piece, Gartner projects 65% of the largest companies will have a CISO. The role has changed “dramatically from a [sentry] role to being a business [enabler]…have business process defined…identity management processed defined...internal processes defined…diplomacy skills—the ability to partner with business units—very strong project management skills…business managers who are enabling business in a secure way versus those focused on security only.” The article goes on to say, the successful CISO has to manage traditional outside threats and securely: expand the company’s perimeter, allow customers/partners to collaborate, ensure employees are working securely and meeting regulatory-compliance.

These views are inline with an audio interview I just finished with Rosaleen Citron, CEO of WhiteHat Inc., a top security firm. She also provides some good tips on security. Rushed for time! Then use the time index to move to the topics you are interested in.

If you have thoughts on this changing role in your company or effective security tips, we would like to hear them…

Thanks,
Stephen

"Take a fling on a startup.  Experience will be invaluable.  If it fails, you will have gotten valuable training for your next job."

Dr. Mike Stonebraker, Founder and CTO, StreamBase Systems

• Professor at MIT
• World’s foremost pioneer on RDBMS; founder of INGRES, POSTGRES, Mariposa, Illustra
• 2005 IEEE John Von Neumann Medal Winner
• Computer Reseller News Top Five Software Developers of the Century
• Forbes Magazine: Top 8 Innovators
• 1992 ACM System Software Medal, 1994 ACM Innovation Award

I was recently dialoguing with Mike and he provided this great career tip. His tip resonates with me since with startups you develop a multitude of deep skills. You have an opportunity to be involved in all stages of technical development, within a framework of project management, collaboration and integration. Moreover, you can develop a business plan with: executive summary, vision, mission, smart [specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound] objectives, tactics, business opportunity, market size, business model, target markets, delivery models, product/service, technology, management team, competitive landscape, SWOT analysis, marketing strategies, revenue model, financial projections, investment usage, profit estimation, asset estimation.

You receive deep insights into leadership, business strategy, financing, branding, and marketing. I have been involved in many over my career and several even in the past year. It’s a great environment to sharpen your skills and it is one area recommended by Gartner to build your versatilist skills (multiple “deep” skills combined with business knowledge).

If starting a new venture interests you, I have a podcast I did last Friday with legendary Silicon Valley entrepreneur and now Venture Capitalist, Guy Kawasaki. Guy provides some great tips on startups, and also on blogging.

Cheers,
Stephen Ibaraki

I was talking with Margaret Evered recently and she has a lot to say that needs to be heard. Margaret has an impressive 20+ years in IT management and fully appreciates the challenges IT managers have in finding qualified staff and retaining them. I invited Margaret to blog her views in Canada’s only premier forum for IT managers and pros.

Margaret brings an impressive background so take the time to read and comment on her views.

Margaret’s profile:

• More than 20 years in IT management
• Past CIPS Director (Ontario and Toronto boards)
• Helped organize and co-chaired CIPS “Women in IT 2005” conference
• M.Sc. in behavioural science and Executive MBA

Margaret’s blog:

In ComputerWorld (March 3 2006 edition) there was yet another article regarding the concerns of CIOs over the shortage of skilled IT personnel in Canada. Depending on who one talks to, employers, employees, recruiters, or academics we may or may not have a global IT staff shortage. Not only is there disagreement on this, echoing back to 2000 if one checks newspaper and blog postings worldwide, but so too are the perceived causes, consequences, and proposed “cures” In this series of blog postings I will try to cast some light on the issues.

Not only in this country, but worldwide, colleges and universities have experienced falling enrollment in IT programmes and a number have terminated course offerings. Long term, if this trend is not reversed, it could have a profound impact on entire economies. For example, it is projected that by 2010 India will have a shortfall of 500,000 IT workers (Nasscom-McKinsey report www.indianembassy.org/indiainfo/india_it.htm). The shortfall of skilled workers is bemoaned from Australia to the U.K. and the Americas. What we have to ascertain is do we have a skills shortage, or a skills gap? Maybe what we are experiencing is a shortage of people matching overly ambitious job posting skills shopping lists, or possibly a shortage of persons who want to sacrifice a life / work balance and are no longer willing to work long hours with or without adequate recompense. Blog postings from IT professionals worldwide also mention, especially since the dot com crash, poor rates of pay being offered by employers demanding incredible skill sets and certifications. A number of postings in N. America have even suggested that IT workers should unionize. Could it be that employers are contributing to a perceived skills shortage?

That employers could be part of the problem, of the skills shortage they bemoan, seems incredible. And yet there are numerous sources of IT workers they overlook. Among these groups are new graduates, the disabled, women, and the 40 years old plus worker. Everyone seems to demand experienced workers who can hit the ground running. Apart from those graduating from co-op programmes most new graduates cannot readily find entry level positions to start building that experience base and so a percentage drift into other careers and are lost to the profession. Although it will not of itself solve the shortage, possibly organizations can consider apprenticeship / internship programmes for the newly qualified. True the same criticism that is leveled at apprenticeship programmes in the trades could be leveled here - that once trained and experienced the individuals will move on - this is a risk, but at least the country as a whole will benefit. Certainly, if the prospect of post-graduation employment is there more students and parents will consider an education in computer science as a good investment. While some enlightened organizations do offer internships / apprenticeships, there are too few who go this route; maybe what are required are greater government incentives for businesses to hire new graduates and give them needed experience. Although SHRC has a work experience program, to assist employers to hire IT recent graduates, I have yet to encounter anyone who is employed by an organization that takes advantage of the program.

The U.K. and Australia also offer programs to help new graduates, and are targeting youth and school leavers to attract them to the IT profession, which is often perceived even in N. America as a boring career. Neither high school students, nor some career counselors, have any concept of the richness of career opportunities computer science can offer and industry does little to contradict this perspective. There needs to be more concerted effort by industry to educate the population in the doors an IT degree or certification can open – but this will not work unless there are post-graduation employment opportunities. Females are the most likely to perceive IT careers as boring and this is part of the reason that globally the percentage of women in IT, and enrolling in computer science courses, has fallen drastically since the early 1980s. Females also tend to bear the brunt of childcare, household chores, and eldercare so shift work and long and often erratic hours are unappealing. H.R. policies do little to attract or retain female IT workers, so employers need to change their attitudes if they are to take advantage of this source of IT professionals. Employers may find that compressed workweeks, job sharing, and part-time work could attract more IT professionals of both sexes – in Australia a survey of 8,000 organizations found they experienced over an 80% increase in productivity once they introduced job sharing! Maybe IT hiring managers and H.R. policies need a paradigm shift?

New immigrants, the disabled, and older IT workers are also an often neglected resource pool: they have problems gaining employment in this so-called skills short market, despite impressive qualifications and extensive experience. Even when new immigrants to Canada gain Canadian qualifications, or have their foreign ones “certified”, they still run into that more subtle barrier of “lack of Canadian experience” – this “experience” was spelled out in almost every job advertisement I saw when I immigrated here long ago, now it is less obvious yet still raised by recruiters and potential employers alike. Employers seem resistant too, to hiring older workers and often stereotype them unjustifiably, while ignoring the richness of their experience. The challenges of these groups in gaining employment will be discussed in further postings, as well as their frustrations with employers and recruiters. As far as the above groups are concerned, along with many female IT workers, there is no skills shortage just a lack of open-mindedness by employers and recruiters. Educational institutions can also do much to improve the calibre of their graduates and attract students with creative programmes, and some are making bold moves in the right direction too, but more of this later.

______________

Thank you Margaret for sharing your views in this important area and we look forward to your next blog.

Now to the audience, what are your views?

Best regards,
Stephen Ibaraki

Well, we always knew he was good, but it was a real bonus to see Stephen Ibaraki's name on the list compiled by Shane Schick from ComputerWorld Canada of the top 10 Canadian Technology Bloggers. Shane prefaces his list in the following manner:

Let’s make this absolutely clear: this list is subjective. But isn’t that what an IT manager would want — someone who’s already browsed around a lot to tell them where they should be adding an RSS feed or a favourite to their browser?

And he writes the following about Stephen:

why him? Known as the IT Manager Connection, this blog is run through Microsoft’s advisory program, but Ibaraki remains a key contributor, interviewing countless executives (such as General Motors of Canada’s CIO) and turning them into easy-to-download podcasts. He also serves as a sort of online liaison between the vendor community and associations like the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS), giving him a good understanding of issues across the board.

The complete list is below. So if you're an IT Manager and you don't have a lot of time to sift through everything that's out there, this would be a good list to start with:

1. Mark Evans
2. Rob Hyndman
3. Maggie Fox
4. Mark H. Goldberg
5. Stephan Ibraraki
6. Michael Geist
7. Alec Saunders
8. Kate Trgovac
9. Jevon MacDonald
10. IT World Canada Blogs

Congratulations, Stephen, and thanks for bringing your thought provoking interviews to the IT Manager Connection blog!

Welcome to the first post of 2008! I hope you all had a good relaxing time over the holidays with friends and families. I know I did! Now it's time to get back to work...

A few weeks ago, I asked what you thought of IT's apparent bad reputation, according to an article from CIO Insight and one of their readers' response to that article. I got quite a few reactions - this seems to have hit a nerve with many people. The general consensus seems to be that there are good IT techies that are known as trusted professionals, good IT organizations that work to give opportunities to their IT staff and good companies that understand the value of IT. But there are also slimy IT technicians that use tech talk to intimidate, dysfunctional IT organizations that hinder rather than help IT careers and many organizations that feel IT is just a necessary evil.

IT Individuals - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

From my own experiences, I've seen and worked in all kinds of environments. Most of the IT professionals I've worked with are hardworking individuals who love to solve problems and have an innate curiosity about how things work. However, there always seems to be one in every group that either is too smart for his or her own good and isn't able to talk in layman's terms to less technical people or seeks to confuse and seem smarter than everyone else by using lots of important sounding technical terms in everything they say. My feeling though is that these individuals are becoming less valued and are being forced to either learn some business acumen or be out of work.

There are also the folks that are only in it for their own gain. Unfortunately, these people usually become consultants. I know this as I worked as a consultant for many years and was constantly having to win the trust of senior management who had been taken advantage of by seemingly professional IT consultants who had come in, done little or shoddy work for a lot of money and then disappeared into thin air. However, I really think that it's becoming less easy for these people to do damage and disappear. People are becoming more informed. Business owners and management are talking, either on-line or in face to face networking groups. Reputations are being made and broken, not just in the local area where the damage was done, but in a wider scope. The extinction of this breed of IT predator can't happen fast enough, imho. They do a lot to give IT and IT professionals an undeserved bad reputation.

From the Companies' Perspective

As for companies, I think it's still very tough for organizations whose main business is not technology to understand the value of IT. One reader who works for a company in the biopharmaceutical business emailed me with a comment that it's sometimes hard not to be reactive when the people in the company don't understand the consequences to their actions. It's "...very hard if you work with Bio-scientists. They cannot imagine what are the consequences of buying a new spektrometer (sic) with [a] 4 GB output per hour...". I've seen this happen many times, where business decisions are made without any thought or understanding of the IT implications. So when Nicholas Spanos, the reader who responded to CIO Insight's original article, complains that there is a leadership void, I would encourage IT professionals to become the leader and trusted advisor within their organizations, so that business decisions are being made, they have a seat at the table. I know, I know - that's sometimes easier said than done! Well, for these companies, change won't happen overnight. But perhaps if the company isn't willing to change, it may be time for you to change companies. Just a thought.

Final Thoughts

Speaking of Nicholas Spanos, I really wonder why this guy is in IT at all. He seems to have a very ugly view of our field. Todd Lamothe said it best in his comment to my original post: "I am just glad I'm not working where he is." IT may not have the greatest reputation, but I believe it's changing. And it's changing from the inside out, through the efforts of IT professionals who love what they do and are working to make a difference. These are IT professionals who don't sit in a bad situation and complain but they work to change it for the better. Look around, I bet you know a couple of these people. Better yet, look in the mirror. The profession is what you make of it.

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with leading professionals. In this blog, I interview Don Tapscott, amongst the world's foremost authorities on business Strategy. Don is Chief Executive of International Think Tank, New Paradigm; Best Selling Author; Top-Ranking Speaker and Thought Leader. Don's work has received recommendations from the world's top CEOs. This endorsement means you need to get connected to his ideas too! Don coined many of the familiar terms you hear today and his ideas typically proceed disruptive revolutions in technology, business, and society. I enjoyed doing the interview and I know you will get some great insights from Don.

I encourage you to share your thoughts here on these interviews or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.

Enjoy!
Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P., MVP

• View the Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topics
• Listen to the Interview (MP3)

About Don Tapscott

Don Tapscott, one of the world's leading authorities on business strategy, is Chief Executive of international think tank New Paradigm. Founded in 1993, New Paradigm produces groundbreaking research focused on the role of technology in productivity and business design, effectiveness and competitiveness.

Tapscott recently completed a two-year, $8 million investigation of how firms will innovate in the 21st century entitled, "IT and Competitive Advantage", funded by 30 global corporations. The project continues in 2007; and "The Net Generation Strategic Investigation," focuses on the impact of the Net Generation as consumers and employees. The global phase of this program is now in progress.

Tapscott is the author of 11 widely read books about information technology in business and society, including "Paradigm Shift", "Growing Up Digital", and "The Naked Corporation". His new book (January 2007), co-authored with Anthony Williams, is "Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything". His work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, The Economist, Optimize Magazine, CIO Magazine, Wired and other prominent publications.

Don Tapscott is one of the world's most sought-after speakers, keynoting over 1000 conferences, executive planning sessions and other gatherings since New Paradigm was founded. He has presented to over half of the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies, and has shared the stage with Heads of State such as President Bill Clinton, CEOs such as Sam Palmisano (IBM), Steve Balmer (Microsoft) and A.G. Lafley (Procter & Gamble), as well as social leaders such as Klaus Schwab (World Economic Forum) and Linus Torvalds (Linux). The prestigious Leigh Lecture Bureau praises him as an "enthralling, brilliant and inspiring orator". Don is often described by customers as the most effective speaker they have ever had.

Tapscott is adjunct professor of management at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. His clients include top executives of many of the world's largest corporations, and government leaders from many countries. He holds a master's degree in Research Methodology and two Doctor-of-Laws (Hon).
Full biography is available at: http://newparadigm.com/default.asp?action=category&ID=40

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with leading professionals. In this blog, I interview Jeff Kempiners. Jeff provides great value and practical insights for businesses and managers. His understanding of key issues and his ability to explain prompted a request for a podcast series. So you will hear more from Jeff several times this year.

Take the time to listen to the podcast--it's well worth your time!

Best regards,
Stephen Ibaraki, FCIPS, I.S.P., MVP