Canadian IT Manager's Blog

Moira de Roche: Global Innovator and Top Executive shares her deep success and performance insights

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:36:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Moira de Roche: Global Innovator, Visionary Thought Leader, and Top-performing Executive; GM Laragh Skills, Chairman Career Planet, IP3 Marketing Director, Past President Computer Society South Africa.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Moira de Roche matriculated from Jeppe High School for Girls. She has completed most of a B.Comm through Unisa, majoring in Industrial Psychology.

She started her career in ICT as a Computer Operator and later became an analyst/programmer at The Star.

Feeling a pull towards training and education, she joined ICL Education and Training as a lecturer. After three years of training on COBOL programming and other subjects, she moved to Barlow Rand Computer Services as Training Officer and was later promoted to Training Manager. Subsequent to that, she moved to Cape Town and spent several years with a supplier of video and computer based training products.

Laragh Skills are her current employers, and she has been with the company for over 15 years, first in the role of Regional Manager, and now General Manager and Director. Laragh Skills are distributors for SkillSoft, the world's largest e-Learning company.

In her position at Laragh Skills (formerly known as SmartForce Africa), she has worked with several clients as a strategic account manager to assist with e-learning implementations. Laragh Skills works to the same business model as SkillSoft; providing not only training software, but the resources to help ensure return on investment. Moira firmly believes that a blended learning programme is the only way to encourage and ensure lifelong learning.

Moira is a Professional Member of Computer Society South Africa. She is immediate Past President, having been President for 4 years. Prior to this she served as Chairman of Western Cape Chapter for 3 of the 6 years she was on the Chapter Committee. In this capacity, she served on the Executive Council, and more recently as Vice President: Professional Development, before being elected President. Since stepping down as President, she once again holds the Professional Development portfolio. She received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Information & Communications Technology in November 2009, and was made a Fellow of the Society.

Moira is a Trustee of the South African Computer Olympiad Trust, a CSSA project which runs the Olympiad in South Africa. She is also a Trustee of the Siyakhula ABET Trust, whose purpose is to drive computer literacy in South Africa.

Moira was a Director of the ICDL in South Africa for a 3 year period.

She is currently Chairman of the Board of Career Planet, a not-for-profit dedicated to bringing career information to learners from disadvantaged communities.

Moira has also served on the IP3 (International Professional Practice Partnership) Task Force, which was founded at the beginning of 2007 by the International Federation for Information Professionals to further the aims of professionalism in the industry on an international scale. Her primary role on IP3 has been marketing and she was elected to the new IP3 Board in December 2009. Given the opportunity, she would also like to spearhead IP3 related activities in Developing Countries.

Moira's was elected onto the Council of the Cape Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in November 2009.

Learning and people development are her passion as well as her profession.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:50:
Moira, can you describe how you got into computing?
"....It was an accidental thing; it wasn't something I envisioned when I was still at school...."

:01:40:
Moira, can you discuss your prior roles and projects and five key lessons that you wish to pass on?
"....I truly believe that one has to be the change one wants to see....Nothing can replace the personal touch....The importance of time management....To trust one's intuition because it is the marriage of all your experiences combined with a gut-feel....Everything is a learning experience and everything that ever happens to you (good and bad) gives you an opportunity to learn and grow...."

:03:53:
In your prior roles, what were the most difficult challenges that you were not able to overcome at that time? What would you do differently now?
"....One shouldn't put up with abuse of power....and one must never abuse power....Taking over a business where all the key players had left and having to figure it all out for myself...."

:06:37:
What were the key disruptive forces driving change in your life and how can we learn from your experiences?
"....It's not what happens to you but how you respond to what happens to you that molds who you are...."

:07:55:
Moira profiles her current roles and work at Laragh Skills, Computer Society of South Africa as past president, Chairman of the Board at Career Planet, IP3 (International Professional Practice Partnership Task Force), and the value delivered to her diverse audiences.

:11:41:
In your current roles, what are the biggest challenges and their solutions? How does this relate to business value?
"....The challenge of being in the e-learning business is always to try and change the mindset of people....From the Computer Society's point of view the challenge is getting things done with a largely volunteer organization....For Career Planet the real challenge has been getting donor funds....As for IP3 and the task force, it has been very challenging dealing with people from around the world. Often we have different world views...."

:14:30:
Professionalism in IT - what does this mean and why should we care?
"....It's very much a 2-way street, we want the people in IT to be more professional and at the same time we want them to be recognized as a professional...."

:16:15:
How are you contributing to Professionalism in IT and how can others do the same?
"....I have donated a lot of time to the IP3 program on a strictly volunteer basis to a process I totally believe in and I think that speaks to my commitment as a professional. I'm also working with the Computer Society in South Africa and helping them to become ready for professional accreditation....Really it starts from home; you have to first fix your own Society and then try to duplicate that in other areas...."

:17:10:
You have a long history in education and training. What role does e-learning play in continuing professional development?
"....The reality is that you can't provide lifelong learning using only classroom training because nobody has the time or the money to accomplish this. I believe that e-learning has a vital role to play in continuous professional development because it allows people to access training as and when it suits them to do it, and also allows them to access training on a lifelong basis...."

:18:32:
Moira details her work in supporting career planning and development for disadvantaged groups and explains why this matters.
"....Children need to have access to quality career information so that they can get an idea of what is available....That information should easily be accessible to them...."

:20:32:
You have a passion for Women in IT. What does this mean and how can others get involved?
"....In an industry where there is a worldwide skill shortage, it's really unfortunate that so few women enter the profession...."

:21:52:
Can you talk about the enabling aspect of IT in developing countries and what this means to the world economy?
"....IT development can be done from anywhere so it can be a valuable export for any country...."

:24:19:
With the economic challenges, how can we improve the ability of companies to survive?
"....We've got to learn how to encourage creativity, intuition, leadership and quite often those are the things that we don't do. We have to make sure that we get good people whose contributions are acknowledged so that we encourage creativity, innovation etc....."

:25:05:
What are the five most important broader business challenges and solutions?
"....Lack of corporate governance....Social networking....Business and workforce agility....A change from ownership to access....Green issues...."

:27:17:
Provide your predictions of future business trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....More and more social networking will be used as a business and more importantly as a learning tool....Truly mobile workforces....Trends will be around agility and really using technology to make our businesses better...."

:28:12:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....E-learning resources....On-line books....On-line resources in terms of learning, in terms of reference materials....Virtual meeting tools....Social networking tools..."

:29:49:
You are a member of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), a leader within the Computer Society of South Africa, a leader within the IFIP IP3 program and many other programs. Would you recommend joining these organizations?
"....Definitely, they give you a great opportunity to network with other people....It also allows one to understand that one is part of a global community...."

:31:22:
Moira shares some surprising and interesting stories from her work.

:33:28:
Can you summarize what the United Nations founded International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) is trying to do with the Professional Practice Partnership Program?
"....To create a professional status for IT and the opportunity was there to do it on a global basis so they created IP3 as a means of creating and accrediting a global profession....IP3 will manage and measure the global standard...."

:37:24:
If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
"....'How would you like to be remembered when you die?'....'What would you do differently if you had your life to do over?'....'Who are your heroes?'...."

Wishing all a Happy Holiday and Rewarding New Year!

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:59:00 GMT

Starting in January, after 60 blogs in total including 52 interviews by year-end, I'm writing my last standard blog for this decade, for 2009 :-). This also marks the beginning of my third decade in doing interviews - to share insights, best practices from working professionals and experts; the time and resources donated to support the industry and IT professionals. A very rich and rewarding experience. It only takes an extra minute in my work and travels to ask, this simple question, "How about being interviewed to share your experiences with a broad audience?"

This journey started in 2005 for IT Manager Connection and I still enjoy every minute. It's a real privilege sharing with you every week.

Thank you for your patience, meaningful comments, many e-mails and connecting at conferences too. Always drop me a line or come up and chat. If you have a story you wish to share through an interview, let me know; or why not be a guest blogger in IT Manager Connection and let others benefit from your know-how.

Please take care over the holidays and I wish you all a very rewarding holiday season and new year!

Best regards,

Stephen
sibaraki@cips.ca

Eileen Brown: Leading International Technology Authority and Executive; shares her expertise on social media, online branding, Web 2.0, top trends, valuable resources, best practices to engage with customers

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:27:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Eileen Brown: Leading International Technology Authority and Executive; Eileen shares her top career tips and expertise on social media, online branding, Web 2.0, top trends, valuable resources, technology tips, best practices to engage with customers.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Eileen Brown now spends her time on projects to inspire people, working as Director at Amastra. Amastra is a company which helps you achieve your aspirations, become a better speaker, deliver powerful presentations, and create energised teams in a dynamic workplace. She helps companies extend their social media reach and engage better with their customers using new technologies.

Eileen has worked in the technology industry for over 17 years in technical support, consultancy and management roles, most recently managing the team of technology evangelists at Microsoft. Her company is called Amastra because when Eileen was seventeen, she joined the merchant navy as a deck cadet on a Shell tanker - she was Shell's first female apprentice at sea - and the guidance and motivation Eileen received on her journey gave her the strength and self-belief to inspire her to get qualified and become an Officer. After leaving the Merchant Navy Eileen worked in a container shipping company, moving into IT support, then training, pre-sales consultancy and technical specialist at Microsoft before leaving to start her own company.

Eileen is an accomplished and well-known international speaker and expert on Social Media, Online Branding, Web 2.0, Unified Communications, Systems Architecture. She explores the art of the possible, looking at how technology is changing the world we live in and seeing ways to simplify work and make you more productive.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:01:09:
Eileen tells us a little about herself and shares some career lessons from her interesting prior roles.
"....Anything is possible if you believe in yourself enough....If you look at all the successes in life you find quite often people have achieved great things simply because nobody told them it was not possible....It's all about trying to do what you aspire to do and not taking no for an answer...."

:10:55:
What were the three biggest challenges you had to overcome and what mistakes did you make? What would you do differently today?
"....One of the limitations I had was when I didn't know something, I was too stubborn to ask anybody....One of the greatest lessons I've learned is you cannot know everything....There's a lot of value in getting your peers to help...."

:14:30:
What triggered your interest in computing?
"....I think my main indication of an interest in computing was when I worked out what computers could do...."

:18:52:
After working for large companies - why move to a small company?
"....I find that the dynamics and flexibility of smaller companies really appeal to me...."

:20:25:
Why is Amastra a company focusing on aspirations-what does this mean and what is the value to each community that you serve?
"....Everybody has an aspiration (whether corporate or an individual)....There are three levels of aspirations - corporate aspirations....workgroup level aspirations....individual aspirations....It's all about aspirations on many different levels and there's a team of people working with me at Amastra who will help you realize your goals..."

:23:43:
Why are you looking at social media to help companies with their online branding?
"....I think there is a great opportunity for smaller companies, especially those who may not have the traditional marketing budgets which are available to large corporate companies....The community will broadcast that information for you and you'll find that the message of your product is amplified across the social media network. I think that's really key for smaller companies to give themselves a presence on the global stage..."

:27:50:
What are best practices for becoming a better speaker and delivering powerful presentations?
"....One of the key things is body language....Smile....Start your presentation with a 'hello'....Do not look at the slide deck too much...."

:31:30:
What kinds of specific technologies do you recommend for businesses and why?
"....One of the key things for small businesses is to make sure your business is efficient....For a connected infrastructure I would run Active Directory, Exchange, and would also make sure I had unified communication...."

:34:00:
As noted earlier in our discussion, quite a varied career - from oil tankers to container shipping through to IT - did it all help?
"....I realized that the only limitations I had were all in my head...Being a woman in IT now is nowhere near as difficult as being a woman on a dirty old oil tanker. Being at sea was a great grounding for any challenge that can be thrown at me now...."

:35:34:
What are your current and immediate future projects and what outcomes do you wish to deliver? What can the audience learn from these projects?
"....One of the key things to learn is whatever your challenges are they can be overcome with the right application, dedication and work.... "

:36:42:
You work closely with customers and communities, what do you hear as the biggest obstacles IT organizations are challenged with?
"....The inability to be flexible and move and change direction....You've got to be flexible in the current times...."

:38:28:
How would you describe your top innovative achievements in terms of the problems you were trying to solve, your solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future?
"....I don't think it's innovative now, but at the time when I transferred paper information for scheduling onto a spreadsheet that was probably the most innovative thing that the company had ever seen. Looking back now with 17 years IT experience it was a logical thing to do, so it depends in your definition of innovation...."

:41:17:
How do you connect Women in Technology and why is it a passion for you?
"....I created an initiative called Connecting Women in Technology. I managed to get some amazing companies on board - there are Cisco, Dell, HP, Google, IBM, Intel, Nortel and Microsoft....I feel very proud that this transcends the business challenges that each of these companies have but it actually helps each woman in each technology company to get the best opportunities they can from within their own company...."

:45:21:
Why is it so important for the women working in the technology industry to have a good connection in their network and move beyond the boy's club?
"....One of the things about women in technology is that women quite often have a multi-functional role. They've got their careers and often they are the homemakers and looking after family and they don't often have the time to do the networking in the same way that men manage to do networking. I think that it is absolutely critical for women in technology to create and maintain that network whether that is a virtual, electronic or an in-person network...."

:51:27:
Why is driving alignment between business and IT more important than ever?
"....Simply because of the connectiveness between business and IT....For the business to succeed in this internet age you have to have a very good IT infrastructure, a fantastic disaster recovery plan, and great process in place just in case the worst happens and you have an interruption in your service....IT is becoming a core part of business...."

:53:24:
How does the recession deliver unparalleled opportunities for innovation?
"....One of the key things that we are noticing here in the UK is that innovation is occurring at a much smaller company level than big companies. Big companies, because of their investments and their overhead and their enormous fixed costs, are probably slower to move out of the recession than smaller more agile companies...."

:55:13:
What can be done to find new opportunities to grow the business?
"....You need to look at the new technology improvements out there and try to think outside of the box...."

:56:56:
How do you manage change?
"....Once in a while something appears that significantly enhances your life and that's the one that you've got to use. The trouble is how do you know if it's going to enhance your life unless you try more of them and that's the challenge. Quite often if I haven't got time, I listen to what the community is saying and just go with their recommendation...."

:01:00:24:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how business executives and IT professionals can best prepare?
"....More flexible workforces - the ability to work anywhere and on any device....Ease of collaboration....The ability to transfer information seamlessly...."

:01:02:46:
What do you see as the three top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
"....Security....Geological boundaries....Politics...."

:01:05:29:
What are the best job resources for IT professionals?
"....Microsoft TechNet website...."

:01:06:25:
Please provide your views on the IFIP IP3 program on professionalizing the profession. [http://www.IPThree.org]
"....For the IT profession, this is such a critical path. I think there is a need for an internationally recognized standards body that recognizes the IT profession...."

Greg Lane, Global Top-Ranking Executive, International Thought Leader, Past Chairman CIPS, Chairman IP3, Director Avanade

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:23:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Greg Lane, Global Top-Ranking Executive, International Thought Leader, Past Chairman CIPS, Chairman IP3, Director Avanade.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Greg Lane I.S.P., ITCP, IP3P, MBA, is the past Chair of the Canadian Council of Information Technology Professionals (CCITP) of the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) and Chair of the CIPS Office of the Executive Council. In 2009, Greg was appointed Chair of the International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3), a global initiative under the UNESCO-founded International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) to lead the development of a global IT profession.

In these capacities, Greg is spokesperson on Information Technology (IT) issues related to the profession and the industry on both a national and global stage. Greg also works closely with government, employers and academia to create awareness and a better understanding about the importance of professional standards in the IT sector. He previously served as CIPS President from 2003 to 2004.

From May 2001 to May 2002, Greg was a CIPS Director-at-Large and appointed as CIPS' Marketing Director. At that time, Greg played a vital role in the promotion of CIPS' four national programs: I.S.P. Week, Women in IT, IT Week and INFORMATICS. The programs demonstrated CIPS as a truly national organization to the IT industry and the Canadian government.

Greg served as President of CIPS Ottawa from 1999 to 2000. Prior to 1999, he was a member of the CIPS Ottawa Program Committee. Greg is a former Chair of the Public Sector Business Committee for the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC).

Greg is currently employed with Avanade as the Director, Business Development Public Service for Canada. Prior to joining Avanade Greg worked with Accenture in a Business Development role in the Public Service Group in Ottawa. Greg has also held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, Deloitte Consulting, Bell Canada and EDS.

Greg has lectured at the University of Ottawa in the administration faculty on Governance and IT and is a fellow of the Centre on Governance. Greg has also contributed to Lac Carling Review on the same topic.

Greg holds an MBA from Massey University in New Zealand and both the I.S.P. and ITCP from CIPS. Greg and his wife Elisa are also the proud parents of five children.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:35:
Greg, can you discuss your prior roles and projects and key lessons that you wish to pass on?
"....Understand what makes you feel good and look for opportunities to do more of that....Success is contagious. If you are successful in one area of your life it is easier to become successful in other areas of your life....Having goals in your life absolutely helps you to achieve and they don't just have to be professional....Embrace heroes...."

:03:19:
In your prior roles, what were the most difficult challenges that you were not able to overcome at that time? What would you do differently now?
"....Sometimes it's difficult for me to accept that not everybody fits into every role....Another is that I was reluctant to give any negative feedback....In both instances getting to the truth quickly would have been advantageous and I didn't do it..."

:05:11:
What were the key disruptive forces driving change in your life and how can we learn from your experiences?
"....Children are a key disruptive force and they challenge everything. My children have challenged me and I find that really beneficial when I'm in a business situation. I often ask the question 'why?' and I find the answer sometimes disturbing and sometimes refreshing....The other challenging disruption is technology and the differing perspectives of what technology is...."

:07:05:
Can you profile "all" of your current roles and work and the value delivered to your diverse audiences?
"....They are all important for different reasons and I take a lot of pride in the work I do with them....."

:09:55:
In terms of Avanade and your role there from a business standpoint, what are you doing to address the challenges that businesses are feeling today?
"....For every negative there is a positive so if you try to find a positive aspect of the challenges you face then you don't approach them with a negative attitude which is trying to minimize something....If you push with that kind of mindset, people are much more willing to contribute and participate as well...."

:11:52:
In all of your various roles, what are the biggest challenges and their solutions? How does this relate to business value?
"....Listening is a lost art and the ability to hear what people are saying instead of what you are expecting them to say is a challenge....Sometimes to say no is the right answer - something that from a business perspective is very challenging for people to do but sometimes it's the right thing to do...."

:14:09:
What are your views on the world being flat?
"....Location is by and large irrelevant....IT and the ability to connect people using technology is what changes everything...."

:15:18:
What does it mean that IT is the first truly global industry?
"....Because of the global nature, people and cultures are mixing in truly unique and different ways...."

:16:23:
What is the impact of IT for people, business, and countries?
"....It's like any disruptive change; fortunately or unfortunately there are going to be some winners and some countries, people or businesses that lose....Darwin is still right, people who adapt with change and embrace it soonest (generally speaking) are going to be most successful...."

:17:30:
Can you talk more about the key initiatives for the Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) and what you hope to achieve?
"....Increase the awareness of the impact of IT....Part of what we have to do as a maturing industry is to make sure that our practitioners and professionals are aware of their responsibilities, and protect the public from the kinds of harm that can happen...."

:25:36:
Greg provides more information about IP3 including its goals and how they can be accomplished. Also who the stakeholders are and why everybody should care.
"....United Nations and UNESCO are looking for ways that developing countries and their societies can share, learn and develop standards that are going to allow developing countries to succeed and developed countries to continue to succeed...."

:29:02:
How is the professionalism message resonating with different audiences?
"....My hope for IT is that we will soon come to a day the public, individuals within the industry, employers, government and academia all know that an IP3 means somebody who has achieved a level of knowledge through academics and training, they are committed to a course of continued education and study, they act and behave and are seen to be ethical, they adhere to a standard of practice and they are competent - not just in technology but in business as well...."

:33:26:
We talked about the economic challenges and how we can improve the ability of companies to survive. What are the five most important broader business challenges and solutions?
"....If I had to point at one area where individually and collectively we are going to be focused going forward, it is absolutely how we deal with information and how we use that information to derive value for businesses...."

:36:08:
Provide your predictions of future Business leadership trends and their implications/opportunities?
"....For me there is no such thing as any one single event or technology to present continuous sustained opportunity. The way you'll get continuous opportunity is by your attitude when you approach businesses and challenges, and if you see all challenges as opportunities then embrace them and look for positive ways to use whatever it is that is happening as a platform to move forward and be successful...."

:37:36:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....Wikipedia....Universities and university publications....Libraries....Mentors....At the end of the day it's how you distill it all and how you apply it...."

:48:22:
Where can the audience go to find out more about the IP3 initiative, the accreditation of programs, privacy issues, and other things that IT professionals need to know about?
"....I would recommend http://www.cips.ca....If you google IFIP you will find a number of resources around international committees, international standards, etc.....IP3 at http://www.ip3.org ....Join CIPS or join a society that you feel is relevant to you...."

:49:38:
Greg shares an interesting story from his experiences.

:52:35:
If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
"....'What is the best way for people who want to make a difference to get involved?....'When do you stop learning?'....'Is humour important?'...."

Episode #32: Agile Application Lifecycle Management

ruth.morton — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Effective application lifecycle management is a struggle in most professional development shops.

Done well, it integrates the software development process with business initiatives, promotes team productivity, improves code quality and increases flexibility by reducing the time it takes to build and adapt applications in response to changing business needs.

Done poorly, and you may end up with an application that doesn’t live up to end user expectations, doesn’t integrate well with other systems and can’t meet business requirements.

In this episode of the AlignIT IT Manager Podcast series, we have Forrester Research Analysts, Dave West and Jeffrey Hammond talking about Agile Application Lifecycle Management (ALM). This podcast has been taken and condensed from an hour long webcast hosted by John Bristowe, Senior Developer Evangelist with Microsoft Canada.

Additional resources:

Full ALM webcast, hosted by John Bristowe
Forrester Research ALM presentation deck

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.

Direct Download:

Subscribe to the podcast: (so you don't miss an episode)

Building a Better Team

ruth.morton — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:17:14 GMT

“You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note.”
~Doug Floyd

It’s no secret to anyone that there are more men in the IT industry than women. In my 15 year career, I’ve often been the lone female on the team and I’m pretty comfortable with that. But Dr. Wendy Cukier from Ryerson University has been doing research for the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance Women in IT (CATA WIT) organization on the status of women in the Canadian technology sector and she makes a pretty good case for actively building gender diversity in your team, including fueling innovation, improving team productivity and better serving diverse customers to name but a few.

However, when I talk to most IT managers, it’s not a case of not wanting to hire qualified women, it’s a question of where to find them. Less women are entering the IT field and those who have established careers in technology are now leaving it in droves.

Join myself and Dr. Cukier for an hour long live webcast as we explore what’s happening to the female contingent of technology workers in Canada and how managers can attract, retain and promote women for the betterment of the business and the IT sector.

The Business Case for Team Diversity
Wednesday, December 2
Noon to 1pm EST
Register now

Come armed with your questions as Dr. Cukier will be taking questions from participants during the latter half of the webcast. If you can’t make the webcast, I’ll be providing a link to the recording here on the blog as well as condensing it into a 20 – 30 minute podcast for the AlignIT IT Managers Podcast Series.

Thought Leadership Series with Microsoft Director John Oxley: John talks about growing a strong and capable ICT workforce

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:18:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview John Oxley a Leading Multi-Award Winning International Technology Authority and Executive; John talks about growing a strong and capable ICT workforce.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

John Oxley is a multiple-award winning, Director of Technical Audience Marketing and ICT Evangelism at Microsoft Canada. In this role, John leads and manages a team of Technical Audience Marketing Managers and Senior Technical Advisors that reach out and connect across the ICT industry. Business success, as his mandate, is measured by the technical professional's satisfaction, how his team enables the individual technical professional to be successful, and how they support the ICT industry. His team of select Advisors and Marketing Managers are Microsoft Canada's ambassadors to the ICT community; connecting, supporting and enabling the technical professional and industry. From Academia and across the Industry, his team focuses on driving industry awareness, education, training and adoption of Microsoft solutions through events, industry/community involvement and direct engagement. His globally No. 1 ranked team of Advisors and Marketing managers work exclusively in reaching out to diverse communities leveraging social media, community connections and more.

John is very well respected at Microsoft Redmond, and at Microsoft Canada, plus in the overall Canadian and global community. John is an acknowledged top-ranked speaker, blogger, web-caster, business executive and international thought leader.

To illustrate, since 2007, he was achieved many major awards and recognitions:

Canadian Information Processing Society Gala Award for outstanding contributions.
Judy Elder Award for his impact to the MS organization and to the overall community.
DPE Top Global Manager Award, as the top manager worldwide in the participative web and community programs he runs.
Due to John's extensive internationally acknowledged leadership and innovation in both business and technology, John hosted the first full international OECD Participative Web Conference "Strategies and Policies for the Future" in Ottawa, where top global leaders in government, business, academia, and media presented.

In addition, John created the IT Manager Connection blog in 2006 which in one year was ranked in the top 10% of TechNet blog properties worldwide. This blog was featured in every issue of Computing Canada in 2006/2007 in the editorial column, Blogged Down, received a Top 10 spotlight from Computer World Canada in 2008, and in a press release a Top 7 highlight at the 2008 Global MVP Summit with the speech and profile of MS CEO, Steve Balmer. John and his talented top-ranked team led the development of the very successful Energize IT Conferences; was the creative inspiration behind the online and interactive national Academic forums bringing in faculty and academic leaders, and the very successful Ignite Your Career series plus TechDays Conferences running across the country. In addition, John has been a key participant and invited international advisor in enabling the UN-founded, IFIP International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3), receiving full support and ratification for implementation [in conjunction with Microsoft] at the IFIP World General Assembly in August 2007. This IFIP IP3 initiative, which provides for a global professionalism and certification program, launched in 2009 and is the first of its kind in the world!

Prior to joining Microsoft in 2000 he spent his first 5 years in the Microsoft Consulting Services group delivering enterprise solutions to many large and medium organizations. John has been a consultant and manager for over 13 years working with many professional services companies including EDS. Previous to that, John's spent many years in the Canadian Air force in technical and leadership roles which have taken him across Canada and around the world plus adding to his broad competency set as a skilled pilot. His varied senior-level and in-depth technical experiences have given him a unique insight and fuelled his passion for Business, the IT Industry, community, service, and connection. Technology and Thought Leadership is not only a career for John, it is a mission leveraging his experiences to reach out and support the community.

John, his wife and two kids can attest that he is a geek at heart as he is always bringing home some sort of new technology gadget. There are no bounds and no matter if it is the latest software or hardware from Enterprise applications, home automation to cool geek devices, John will seek it out and share his experiences with others.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:50:
Can you outline the leveling and disruptive forces in the current environment and why this matters?
".... The accessibility, the friction-free access to IT has really made IT more pervasive....The one thing that we really see when we think about the core ICT world out there is change...."

:03:27:
We hear of the term Gap applied. What does this mean and where are the Gaps?
"....I think there is a fundamental shift that has happened in ICT. Now that we have the application of ICT more in the business world it has created a gap between the knowledge of how to implement and how to operationalize IT.... The more that IT becomes a core tenant in enabling the business, the more that this gap between enabling IT and operational IT is separated...."

:05:13:
John comments on the three causes of these Gaps.
"....The fast change of technology....Our learning capability and support within the ecosystem....Canada has a diverse economy and supply and demand is mismatched in some areas...."

:07:55:
Where do you see opportunities and how can we leverage them?
"....We have to think about retraining of our ICT workforce to meet the needs of the coming business in the future....We need to support organizations like CIPS, ICTC, ACM, large organizations and education that actual connect the dots and bring them together.....Industry, whether it's the company who hires the person or the company that supplies the product or the software vendor, needs to step up and provide resources, skills and training at a good cost and at an easily accessible level so that individuals can go out there and do the things that they do best to bring the magic to the software, enable the business and support their customers...."

:10:57:
How is Microsoft involved in generating strategies and actionable programs?
"....The number one feedback that we've received back from our surveys for people to be satisfied is that we provide them with the right resources, the right services and the right training so that they can do their jobs. So we've taken this mantra in Canada, partnering with all of those user organizations, on how we can support the technical professional's skills growth. We focus it on how do we drive the skills growth, how do we support making connections in their local area and how do we actually help them manage change...."

:14:19:
John invites any feed back from this conversation to contact him at john.oxley@microsoft.com.

Chats with Kelly Gotlieb, Internationally Renowned Pioneer in Computing - Kelly talks about the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:17:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Kelly Gotlieb, Internationally Renowned Pioneer in Computing - Kelly talks about the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Kelly Gotlieb is currently Professor Emeritus in Computer Science and in the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto (UT). He is a computing pioneer whose innovations and accomplishments helped lay the foundation of an entire worldwide industry, educational stream, and profession. His contributions are so profound and their impact so diverse and in so many areas that the lasting value cannot be comprehended. Have a look at this blog to find out more: http://blogs.technet.com/cdnitmanagers/archive/2006/09/29/459971.aspx

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:39:
What is the purpose of the International Science and Engineering Fair or ISEF?
"....To promote interest in computers and information technology; in fact, all science among high school students...."

:01:25:
Where is ISEF held and who attends?
"....The contestants are winners at local science fairs in their own communities/cities and come from all over the world. The winners at those local fairs are invited to compete at an international fair which is held in different US cities...."

:04:02:
Kelly describes the general schedule of the ISEF.
"....The work is very often publication quality. They are high school kids but very often you will see real research that would undoubtedly meet the criteria for being accepted into a paper...."

:07:37:
When did the ACM get involved with ISEF?
"....The first time I did it was about ten years ago and we've been involved every year...."

:09:22:
Are there some memorable moments that you can share from past ISEFs?
"....Several times the computer entry was the overall winner and at that time they get quite a high profile...."

:10:33:
Why should schools get involved with the ISEF?
"....The job market for computer and information technology is very good....Generally the outlook for the pool of trained people in computers and information technology in the future in the US and Canada looks dangerously low, so using the science fair to promote interest amongst students is a really good thing...."

:14:30:
If you were doing this interview on the ISEF, what question would you ask and then what would be your answer?
"....'What mechanisms are there for making sure that teachers and students are aware of the opportunities that come from the ISEF?'...."

Security Council Invitation

ruth.morton — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:51:56 GMT

Greetings,

As the National Security and Privacy lead for Microsoft, I get the opportunity to work with a large number of Canadian organizations and gather security best practices from a wide spectrum. We hold an annual event where we have a dialogue about the security threat landscape and best practices for prevention and response. This year the security council will be held on Nov 18 at the Microsoft office in Mississauga, the agenda covers:

Latest security threat landscape
Best practices for securing social networking
How Microsoft secures its own IT systems
Windows 7 security enhancements and
Panel discussions about a variety of topics

It is a great opportunity to learn about security, network with your peers and provide feedback to Microsoft. We are giving away 20 seats at the event through this blog. There is no cost for attending the forum, but seating is limited and will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis, please send an email to cdnsec@microsoft.com and I will send the registration code to the first 20 respondents. I hope to meet some of you at the event!

Best regards,
Mohammad Akif
National Security and Privacy Lead
Microsoft Canada

Barry Sellers: Distinguished Fellow, International Technology and Professionalism Top-Authority, Chair CNP Council, Chief Judge International Awards for Professionalism, Executive Board Director and Vice-Chairman NPA

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:05:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Barry Sellers: Distinguished Fellow, International Technology and Professionalism Top-Authority, Chair CNP Council, Chief Judge International Awards for Professionalism, Executive Board Director and Vice-Chairman NPA.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Barry Sellers has served as a member of the NPA Board of Directors for 9 years for the Network Professional Association (NPA) and most recently as Treasurer/CFO. During his tenure, he has championed, revamped, documented and implemented the NPA Certified Network Professional Certification and is currently working on the Associate Certified Network Professional Certification that focuses on professionalism and ethics, which will be a requirement for the Certified Network Professional Certification. He has held all of the officer positions on the Board of Directors including Chairman over that time. Prior to his time on the Board of Directors, he was the founder and president of the Shreveport Chapter of the Network Professional Association (1993 -1995). He served as the head judge for the Network Professional Association Awards for Professionalism (2002 - 2008). He was awarded the Distinguished Fellow of the Network Professional Association (DFNPA) in 2005.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:43:
Barry comments on what triggered his initial interest in technology.

:01:03:
Can you describe your current job roles and do you have any lessons you wish to share?
"....My current job role is an infrastructure architect for a Fortune 500 financial institution....Some of the key lessons I've learned over the years....Never stop learning....Soft skills such as learning how to do presentations to different types of audiences....How to negotiate and how to influence are also excellent skills to have.....Breadth of knowledge is better than deep knowledge in a single area...."

:03:21:
What were the catalysts to your involvement with IT groups?
"....Wanting to find other people who shared the same interests as I did and a place where we could share problems, solutions and experiences...."

:03:42:
Can you go into more detail about your contributions to IT communities?
"....I always felt that we as an IT community should give back to the community as a whole so I do a lot of pro bono work in places like schools, churches and clubs (such as the YMCA), with fellow members of our local IT community. The work usually involves finding new equipment, troubleshooting, helping with upgrades and doing support work...."

:05:00:
Barry is one of the longest standing members of the NPA holding every position within the organization and he provides information on its history and his role in it.

:06:09:
You talked about the Certified Network Professional (CNP) designation, could you expand on that? What are your views on professionalism?
"....The CNP is the first attempt (I'm aware of) to get an industry-neutral certification. You must have at least 2 different kinds of certifications. We have a very strong position on professionalism. We have an ethics document that everyone must sign when they join the CNP. You also must have a minimum of three years experience....."

:08:22:
You are the Chair of the CNP Council. Can you describe the CNP and its value?
"....The CNP as a certification gives the employer or potential client the knowledge and security that you understand the basics of the vender certifications you have, you have experience, you have a strong belief in ethics and a quest for continuing education...."

:09:02:
You are the Chief Judge for the Awards for Professionalism, the global industry's only awards of this kind. Can you profile the history of the awards, the partners and the next award cycle?
"....The Awards for Professionalism was started because there was nothing out there that recognized people for doing amazing things in the industry. These global annual awards are held in conjunction with the NetWorld Interop conference and have had various partners over time. Some of our partners include Network Computing, Pearson Publishing, Microsoft...."

:10:26:
What is the value in working with professional organizations?
"....First you get like-minded folks together to work through problems....Also from a bigger picture (national or international perspective) it lends credence to the picture that you want to support the industry to accomplish things that are much bigger than your local area...."

:11:25:
Where can people find out more information about the Network Professional Association (NPA) and the Certified Network Professional (CNP) designation?
"....See the NPA website at http://www.npa.org. Also see the CNP website at http://www.cnp.org. They both have excellent information and applications available...."

:12:45:
How would you describe your top innovative achievements in terms of the problems you were trying to solve, your solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future?
"....Where I work we have a constantly changing environment so we have to keep coming up with innovative solutions to meet the business needs....It's a constant challenge and I enjoy it...."

:14:03:
What are the best job resources for IT professionals?
"....The best resource I found is the local IT community....Another excellent resource is the job board run by the NPA and other professional organizations...."

:15:00:
What are your suggestions for managing the economic challenges?
"....There are lots of opportunities out there to do low cost or even free training to further your career...."

:15:42:
How do you manage change?
"....I approach it as an opportunity because in the business I'm in we are in constant change - so it hasn't been a huge factor in what we do. We just have to work at more efficient and effective solutions...."

:16:07:
What are the best ways of making connections?
"....I still come back to networking within professional organizations...."

:16:37:
As a prominent leader, what were your greatest challenges and how did you overcome them?
"....The greatest challenges I had when I was a Chapter leader was managing what was going to be delivered at the next meeting, trying to manage getting vendors in. There was a lot of co-ordination there and I had a lot of help from others who were in the leadership position at the NPA...."

:17:43:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how business executives and IT professionals can best prepare?
"....The best way you can prepare for the future is continuing to learn, not just technical skills but also soft skills...."

:18:22:
What do you see as the top challenges facing us today and how do you propose they be solved?
"....Economic challenges....Ongoing technical challenges because things are changing rapidly....Getting out and being part of the community, both in the professional methodology and just giving back to the community as a whole....

:19:25:
Please provide your views on the IFIP IP3 program on professionalizing the profession. [http://www.IPThree.org]
"....I think the IP3 certification is the perfect way to go and gives the world something to point at and say these people know what they are doing...."

David Maxfield, Bestselling Business Author in Leadership, Influence, and Communication

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:17:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview David Maxfield, Bestselling Business Author in Leadership, Influence, and Communication.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

For more than twenty years, David Maxfield has led high-leverage research initiatives that uncover causes of and solutions to managerial, cultural, and operational inefficiencies that directly affect the bottom line. David's career began with his doctoral work in psychology at Stanford University. Since then, his impact on organizational performance has been wide-reaching as he has helped clients such as Hewlett Packard, IBM, Ford Motor Company, Covenant Healthcare, and VISA to increase organizational effectiveness and to become measurably more vital.

Drawing from extensive academic and corporate experience, David delivers topics that are grounded in solid research and application. Speaking in front of more than five hundred audiences ranging in size from small retreats to large keynote events, David has been featured at prestigious venues including Stanford and Georgetown Universities, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and the National Association of Children's Hospitals. With an unrivaled ability to connect to his audience through engaging stories and captivating examples, David brings concepts to life-motivating listeners to put their newly-found skills and knowledge to immediate use.

Currently David is the vice president of research at VitalSmarts, an innovative corporate training company that teaches skills which deliver significant improvements to the results companies care about most. In the past thirty years VitalSmarts has helped thousands of organizations, including more than three hundred of the Fortune 500, realize widespread and lasting results through its award-winning training programs. Named the 2008 Business of the Year by The Association of Learning Providers, VitalSmarts has also been ranked four times by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America and has taught two million people worldwide. As vice president of research, David has led a series of research projects on a variety of subjects including the role crucial conversations play in the healthcare industry, and how the ongoing failure rate within enterprise projects is consistently linked to the avoidance of a few key crucial conversations. David has also led research projects about diversity, leadership, and influence.

David is the co-author of The New York Times bestseller Influencer: The Power to Change Anything. A respected academic, David has taught at Stanford University and the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. David is the recipient of the Motorola University's Distinguished Teaching Award and Stanford University's Dean's Award for Innovative Industrial Education.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:33:
David, can you discuss your prior roles and projects and five key lessons that you wish to pass on?
"....Bad things happen and you've got to accept it....You have to believe in your own hard work....Find friends not accomplices....Act first and adjust later....Pick the right problem...."

:03:50:
In your prior roles, what were two of the most difficult challenges that you were not able to overcome at that time? What would you do differently now?
"....Failing to speak up when I really needed to....To look at a solution to a problem to be more simple than it really is and to end up applying a simplistic solution to a complex problem...."

:09:14:
What were the key disruptive forces driving change in your life and how can we learn from your experiences?
"....If there is ever an occasion where we can put ourselves in a situation where we are responsible for someone else's success I think that is a time that defines us, helps us to grow and is an important part of being who we are...."

:14:12:
Can you profile your current roles and work and the value delivered to your diverse audiences?
"....I have three main roles here at VitalSmarts as a consultant, a researcher and a writer....The kind of value that we try to deliver to the different audiences we work with is how do we identify these problems that are worth solving and then how do we organize sources of influence into a comprehensive, overwhelming, powerful strategy...."

:17:09:
In your current role, what are the biggest challenges and their solutions? How does this relate to business?
"....challenges within senior teams....challenges that are organization-wide....social problems....In regards to solutions....positive deviants....crucial moments....societal behaviors....Try to develop a comprehensive influence strategy combining all six of our influence models aimed at just those two or three vital behaviors...."

:21:46:
With the economic challenges, how can we improve the ability of companies to survive?
"....What we are looking at is called financial agility - the ability of the senior leaders of a firm to respond rapidly and effectively to changing economic conditions...."

:26:31:
Can you tell us more about the relationship between major financial adjustments and human behavior?
"....Often the best descriptions of a human response to economic conditions resemble a catastrophe curve....But let me add a positive to this negative: there are organizations that because of the environment they work in have become especially good at recognizing and reacting to change. A term is given them in the literature (senior researcher Karl Weick at the University of Michigan calls them highly reliable organizations) and an example would be a forest fire fighting team......."

:31:23:
What are the conditions and practices that allow an organization to respond well and with agility to economic threats?
"....The first is what I summarize as 'denial'....The second is an organization that does not have a lot of 'undiscussables'....The third is that everyone holds everyone accountable for everything....The final is that when a leader feels he/she is giving up on the team....confronts the team and confronts the problem....Those senior teams that are able to handle those situations are five times faster in their response and ten times more successful...."

:33:19:
What are the most important broader business challenges and solutions?
"....External factors (short term) are a weak economy, debt, financing, consumer confidence. Longer term are the global interdependence....incredible gaps between haves and have nots....education....Internal factors are to some extent responses to the external....How do we improve responsiveness? How do we maintain common purpose across silos, regions, separate companies that co-operate? Related to all this how do we execute on plan?....More broadly how do we develop the next generation of leaders?...."

:37:23:
What are the key trends that are redefining leadership?
"....Globalization of where intellectual property is created and where capital comes from and how to get global efficiencies....We are more and more overwhelmed with data that we don't really understand how to turn into actionable information....The need for greening of our industries and our organizations....As leaders we tend to neglect the bottom 80% of our population...."

:40:12:
What are your predictions about what leaders should be in the future?
"....It's becoming more and more the case that we need to be true to our values and our purpose and flexible in our strategies for obtaining those purposes and values and creating resiliencies....Call it network leadership...."

:43:06:
Which are your top recommended resources and why?
"....My customers....Competitors....The internet...."

:45:15:
David shares an interesting and informative story from his experiences.

Managing the Lifecycle of your Applications

ruth.morton — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:04:48 GMT

Do you or your team develop applications? If so, you have no doubt struggled with managing the lifecycle of those applications. Artifacts such as requirements, source code, and defect resolution are just a few of the success factors associated with creating a great application. Some of the most productive development organizations solve this problem through Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), which combines tools with process in a repeatable and predictable way.

Join Jeffrey Hammond and Dave West from Forrester Research and host John Bristowe from Microsoft for a live, online webcast as they examine why ALM matters, highlight how organizations are using ALM effectively today, and discuss what the future holds for ALM and the software development industry in general. Register now.

Canadian Microsoft SBSC Partners Strategize for 2010 in Orlando

ruth.morton — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:08:00 GMT

Leading Managed Services Providers link up for two days of intense business interaction focused on execution and accountability. HTG Canada continues its work on enhancing the Canadian IT landscape with a focus on giving more.

Heartland Tech Groups (HTG), an international organization of Managed Service Providers is currently holding their Q4 board meetings this week alongside the ConnectWise Partner Conference in Orlando, Florida.

HTG10, the sole Canadian only group is among the 19 HTG groups meeting to plan which MSPs will win as our economy slowly shows signs of gaining strength across Canada. Built on a strong foundation of being true “Go-Givers”, HTG brings together the cream of the crop in the Canadian IT community. Members cover almost all of Canada from Abbotsford BC to the Ottawa Valley.

“It is a dog eat dog world out there,” states HTG10 group facilitator Stuart Crawford from Bulletproof InfoTech. “Canadian HTG members have a distinct advantage over those who elect to go after the market themselves. Having a trusted group of peers to lean on and also help each through our challenges provides our members with a competitive advantage. This is something you can’t easily put a price on, it is priceless”.

HTG peers meet each quarter across the country, focused on sharing best practices, reporting on the financial health of their organizations, planning for the future growth and work together for the benefit of each member. HTG is not just another user group. HTG is a committed group of Microsoft SBSC and MSP partners who live daily by their mantra “Business and Personal Growth Driven by Execution”.

Formed in 2001 by Arlin Sorensen, HTG now has grown to an international organization with members in Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. HTG is currently looking for new members in Canada from Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna, Winnipeg, Kingston, Montreal, Fredericton and Halifax, if your Microsoft MSP firm is interested in taking your business to the next level, visit http://www.htgpeergroups.com for additional information.

Jeff Anders, International Innovation Leader and Strategist, co-founder and CEO of The Mark: Shares his ideas on Job Lessons, the Recession, Innovation, Business, Technology

Stephen.Ibaraki — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:13:00 GMT

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Jeff Anders, International Innovation Leader and Strategist, co-founder and CEO of The Mark: Jeff shares his ideas on Job Lessons, the Recession, Innovation, Business, Technology.

Enjoy,
Stephen Ibaraki

Jeff Anders is the co-founder and CEO of The Mark. He has a decade of experience innovating in companies and international organizations. He worked for five years at Mercer Oliver Wyman as a strategy consultant to executives of Fortune 1000 companies. Later, as an independent consultant, he was retained by Hewlett Packard in India to help launch a team of local PhDs to perform marketing analytics for Western clients. Subsequently, he worked with a software provider in Beijing to raise capital and plan its international expansion. His first international engagement was with an NGO in Kosovo doing economic development. Jeff completed a Bachelor of Commerce at McGill, a MBA at MIT, and a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard.

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

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

:00:44:
Jeff can you tell us a little about yourself including your past and current roles.
"....My background is primarily in business....an undergraduate degree in finance.... five years of management consulting....MBA at MIT....Masters in Public Administration at Harvard....worked in startup companies in both India and China....worked with Michael Ignatieff....co-founder of The Mark...."

:02:19:
How would you describe your top innovative achievements in terms of the problems you were trying to solve, your solutions, and the impact it has today and into the future?
"...These are problems that don't have precedence and there are no textbook answers to what one should do....What characterizes the solutions can be boiled down to two key things: one is the effectiveness of the solution and the second is the ease of implementation...."

:04:20:
Can you overview the origins of The Mark?
"....The Mark tries to showcase Canadian ideas and to propel the thinkers behind those ideas. The Mark aims to harvest Canadian ideas and to bring them to market...."

:09:54:
What are some of the obstacles you are facing right now?
"....The big obstacle right now as with any content-based business is trying to be financially sustainable...."

:12:50:
What are the opportunities that are available beyond what you talked about here today with The Mark?
"....We recruit our contributors based on two criteria: one is professional credibility....the second is the connection to Canada...."

:16:23:
Who are your contributors and what do they hope to achieve?
"....One of the things that Obama demonstrated in the last US election is that you can actually elevate the debate and still reach large numbers of people. That is, in effect, what we are trying to do and at the same time what our contributors are achieving for themselves is that they are building a body of work online...."

:19:03:
What are some of the hot button issues of today in the areas of politics, business, science or technology?
"....One that might be of particular interest to this audience is Michael Geist and the people who are thinking about copyright and privacy....International conflict is another area....Certainly the hot button issues are important, but at The Mark we are going to try to host hundreds of conversations about niche issues...."

:23:05:
What triggered your interest in technology?
"....I went to school at M.I.T. - a thriving, innovative technological environment....From my perspective, I'm not a technologist, I'm not an engineer. I come from the business end and have a political background so for me the technology is just an enabler of the vision that I have for the exploration and the expression of ideas...."

:26:11:
How does the recession deliver unparalleled opportunities for innovation?
"....Periods of uncertainty are ripe for disruption...."

:29:30:
How do you manage change?
"....I don't manage change, I ride the change....For us, change is the medium through which we build and grow because we are evolving with that change....I try to make people feel as if they are the change and have them lead and drive the change...."

:32:09:
Please make predictions for the future, their implications, and how business executives and IT professionals can best prepare?
"....In publishing, the move from objectivity to transparency....people who are transparent in their bias, writing in their expert opinion instead of pursuing objectivity....Another thing is openness in terms of data....Also, you can do more with less and that is probably a universal trend that you can track back hundreds of years but I wonder if it's accelerating now and whether it will continue to accelerate in the future. I certainly hope it does...."

:40:31:
If you were doing this interview what question would you ask and what would be your answer?
"....What is the Canadian angle in all of this?....What it means to be Canadian is demonstrated through the totality of things that are said and written and that message is resonating with people from all professional disciplines...."

Episode #31: Talking About Virtualization

ruth.morton — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:00:00 GMT

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.

On Demand Player:

Direct Download:

Subscribe to the podcast: (so you don't miss an episode)