A new global study by data
virtualisation company Denodo identifies hybrid cloud as the most widespread
deployment path.
Hybrid configurations account for 42% of all
deployments. Public cloud takes second place with an 18% share – head-to-head
with private cloud, which accounts for 17% of enterprise configurations.
Companies pursue the hybrid approach for its versatility, which allows them to mix and match resources and IT skills to obtain the best of both worlds.
Two-thirds of respondents (66%) use the cloud for analytics and business intelligence, while 42% of companies leverage the technology for logical data warehousing. Data science applications are the focus of 41% of respondents.
Choosing the right AI stack
Research firm IDC released two new
reports that shed some light on how to choose the best AI
infrastructure stacks for your company.
IDC thinks it is a good idea for
organisations to invest in full stacks from a single vendor, as it can help
speed up deployment and promote the universal adoption of AI.
That is, of course, as long as every element in the package is thoroughly vetted to ensure proper performance and the compatibility of all elements across the board.
The company defines an interoperable framework, called the AI Plane (AIP), to help companies evaluate the myriad of AI offerings out there and choose the right one.
News from the frontlines…
One more week means one less week until
things start looking normal again. This is what the tech world is doing to help
in the fight against COVID-19…
Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York are using AI to identify COVID-19 in patients. The research, published recently in Nature Magazine, describes how the scientists are leveraging AI analysis of CT scans and clinical data to quickly detect potential infections.
Wearables like smart wristbands and watches are being used to stem outbreaks of the virus in adult care homes. The system allows staff to track contact among elders within the centre, helping curb the virus spread by isolating those infected.
SEO, or natural referencing, has become a key point in generating quality traffic on a website. And users are growing more impatient. Enter the SEO Expert.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Creative Technologist job description to attract top talent.
When it comes to creating new marketing strategies, brands know they need to invest in emerging technologies to stand out from the competition. They are therefore constantly looking for digital experiences combining emotion and innovation. Tt is in this kind of context indeed that they seek the help of a Creative Technologist.
The Creative Technologist plays a big role in the digitalisation of an agency or a brand. Their main mission is to help position brands through technology and innovation. It is a hybrid job requiring skills in technology, marketing and design.
Interested in exploring more roles within tech? Take a look at the role of the Salesforce Consultant
What is the role of a Creative Technologist?
Keep up with tech trends
The first mission of the Creative Technologist is to keep abreast of the latest technologies, trends and industry events. That is to say, everything a specialist in innovation should be aware of.
Understand the organisation and manage information
Moreover, they must have a good understanding of the company’s culture to be able to ensure proper distribution of information within the company and with the outside world.
They know how to manage a project internally as well as externally, ensuring that information always flows correctly between the different teams.
Invent, experiment and create prototypes
The Creative Technologist must also be able to deliver innovative ideas by going beyond traditional means. They must know how to design digital solutions and imagine how they could be used by the company.
After having experienced with a piece of software, an application or a service, they must make prototypes (demos) to present them internally or to their client.
Required skills
Communication skills
The Creative Technologist is in constant contact with the marketing department and teams of developers or creatives. They are also called upon to meet with multiple interlocutors during presentations, site visits and calls for tenders. Therefore, they must be able to introduce a technology or solution in an educational way and convince the audience of its advantages.
Ability to anticipate and estimate
The Creative Technologist must be able to estimate the costs generated by the digital products and uses they propose. Before the project materializes, they must anticipate all stages, from pre-production to daily operations, to identify any problems that may prevent the idea or project from working.
Strong technical background
The Creative Technologist must have very good knowledge of computer languages and software, as well as master digital communication techniques. They are often coders and computer scientists.
Within the industry
The profession of Creative Technologist is halfway between design and research and requires great versatility. Although Creative Technologists are still relatively few, their future is very promising in digital and general communication agencies. Their expertise is increasingly important to companies that need to be able to quickly respond to new and evolving consumer trends.
Salary
The average daily rate of a Creative Technologist is between €800 and €1,500.
Training
There is no specific training at this time for the role of Creative Technologist. The profession is accessible to IT professionals (project managers, developer, etc.) and communication professionals, requiring solid experience and strong technical and digital skills. However, a college degree is highly recommended. Advanced knowledge of UX (User Experience), ergonomics, information architecture, development, graphics, and marketing and communications are highly appreciated.
In terms of career development, there is no clear path: the Creative Technologist follows the evolution of market needs, the movement of technological innovations and current cultural trends while trying to anticipate the future.
Discover the evolving role of the CIO. There was no need to know how everything works, the details, as long as it did work. That’s until COVID-19 showed up.
Discover the evolving role of the CIO after Covid-19. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have always been aware of the key role they play in their organisation’s success. Others were not so convinced. No matter how commonplace concepts like digital transformation have become, a sizeable portion of today’s business world still regarded IT as a bare necessity, one of the many cogs and wheels that keep the enterprise moving forward. There was no need to know how everything works, the details, as long as it did work. That’s until COVID-19 showed up.
Evolving Role of the CIO
The sudden shift in paradigm
has left companies scrambling to come up with solutions to new logistical and business
model issues. Adapting normal operations to a fully remote workforce. Devising alternative
ways of conducting normal operations while cutting down costs. Identifying new
revenue streams. In this climate of uncertainty, a realisation has hit uninterested
board members: technology is not just one of the many parts of the behemoth
that is the modern enterprise – it’s the engine propelling it into the future.
IT has never been more critical to a company’s prosperity than it is now. And, as the person in charge of designing and bringing to life corporate digital strategy, the figure of the CIO is finally receiving the spotlight it deserves. But CIOs are not only facing the greatest practical challenge of their careers – their role is fundamentally changing, and it will keep on doing so.
From saving the day
to ruling it
The pandemic took many organisations by surprise, forcing IT leaders to adapt company infrastructure to support remote work and comply with safety regulations. That was the first of three stages that CIOs will have to navigate to see this crisis through. A mighty task as it is.
Some companies are
still ultimating work on this initial step. Together with the C-suite and division
managers, CIOs have had to take a deep look at all available resources — not
only at the digital transformation strategies and tools already in place, but
also at the existing talent within their team.
Covering the holes is
not easy in times of dwindling budgets and company-wide cuts. CIOs have had to
resort to a mix of ingenuity, agility and adaptability to find creative and
efficient ways to save everyone’s day.
When it comes to talent, IT leaders have continued hiring for the most business-critical digital transformation projects: cloud, cybersecurity, digital payments, shipping logistics, etc. In addition to permanent hires, CIOs are enlisting external IT consultants as a great way of upskilling their teams.
Once the fire is out,
the second step for CIOs to take is to consolidate the new measures, protocols
and ways of working. CIOs are working together with HR to develop online
training programs and tools that live on beyond the current crisis. They also
have an important part to play in the return to the office, advising the larger
organisation on how to best use digital resources to implement a process that
is both safe and seamless.
A larger role moving
forward
As the world slowly
starts going back to normal, the lessons learned from this health emergency
will have severe implications on how IT is approached in the future. Rather than
supporting business decisions, CIOs will have a bigger say in how companies are
run — from helping companies develop a more adaptable work culture, to being a
decisive factor in defining new business strategies.
This is the third and
last stage in the journey towards a more relevant and recognised CIO. The novel
coronavirus has only sped up what was already bound to happen. IT leaders are
now in the driver’s seat. Godspeed.
Given how competitive today’s IT jobs market is, most of us can use a few pointers on how to find a job in IT.
But, first of all, let’s get something out of the way: the question of whether it is best to look for a job when employed than when unemployed.
There are many reasons why someone would think looking for a job while unemployed is harder. Hiring companies might be suspicious of your trajectory when you have been out of the game for a while. They could think you lack certain skills or drive; that there’s something missing from your profile that led to you being unemployed.
On the other hand, looking for a new job when you already have one shows ambition, nonconformity. It is proof that the IT talent market values you and gives you more leverage when negotiating your contract conditions.
Well – yes and no.
There are many good reasons for an IT professional to be out of work. You might be waiting for the perfect project, planning a change in direction. Or perhaps you simply wanted to take some time off after a few intense projects in a row. That’s especially true for freelancers, who often experience employment gaps in between projects.
These four simple steps can be of help to find a job in IT, whether you are employed or unemployed.
Develop a solid portfolio to find a job in IT while being unemployed
Chances are you already have a great deal of experience under your wing. You’ve worked for interesting companies, played a key role in noteworthy projects, helped bring to light successful products.
Beyond including all that experience in your CV, putting together a short portfolio can help potential employers get a better picture of your skills and strengths. It doesn’t need to be a portfolio as polished as. Let’s say, that of a designer or a graphic artist – a simple explanation of every one of your best projects will suffice. If you’re after a programming job, put together some of your best code.
Gather your references
Nothing validates your capabilities better than satisfied former employers. Instead of waiting for the hiring company to ask for your professional references, present them upfront. By doing so, you will be showing proactiveness, confidence in your professional profile. It will also help you stand out among other candidates.
A good letter of recommendation by an ex-colleague who is in a good position and/or company at the moment can be very helpful as well.
Keep on learning
This is something you should do even if you are not looking for a job at the moment. Since technology is continuously evolving, your success as an IT pro depends in great part on your ability to keep up with the most in-demand skills – both technical and other, softer skills.
Take advantage of the many free online IT courses out there. Develop new skills, challenge yourself. It will show employers you’re not just standing there, idle, that you are ambitious and in constant motion.
Find a job in IT by attending industry events
It’s true: the pandemic has put on halt most in-person industry events. However, and just like the rest of the business world, these get-togethers are adapting to the new reality.
Webinars, online Q&As… These events offer a great opportunity for you to gain visibility within the community, to talk or chat to potential employers and let them know you are looking to find a job in IT. It’s always easier to get your foot in the door through an in-person (or online) introduction.
How brain-like should AI be? Cloud and clear, Microsoft… News from the frontlines… Discover our Tech & IT weekly news.
How brain-like should AI be?
What constitutes intelligence and how do we
replicate it? Computer experts and neuroscientists have long been after a
universal theory of intelligence. The idea is simple — the more we understand
how the brain works, the better our AI will be.
Well, not exactly.
Kelly Clancy, a neuroscientist working with
Google’s DeepMind, delves deep into the issue in this WIRED article. Her
main point? Two different roads often lead to the same place.
AI developers should keep in mind that what works for our brain might not work in machines, and vice versa.
Speaking of AI – during its annual Built
conference, Microsoft unveiled a new partnership
with OpenAI to develop an Azure-hosted AI supercomputer.
The computer will be among the 5 most
advanced supercomputers in the world. It will be deployed to test large-scale
models and advance towards general artificial intelligence.
Microsoft also announced its first industry-specific cloud offering for the healthcare sector. The solution, which is now available in public preview, connects products like Microsoft 365 for marketing and customer service and Azure IoT.
Use cases include the development of a “patient journey” that helps manage patient care and maximises positive outcomes.
News from the frontlines…
One more week means one less week until
things start looking normal again. This is what the tech world is doing to help
in the fight against COVID-19…
If the pandemic has taught us anything about
retail IT is that, unlike larger companies, SMEs don’t always have the means to
shift to digital operations when needed. In what is big news for e-commerce,
Facebook has launched Shops, a new
service that will allow companies to sell products on its platforms.
The debate over the effectiveness of contact tracing technology rages on. Industry competitors and researchers are teaming up against all odds to create apps that respect user privacy, but poor adoption could undermine all these efforts. Nature magazine takes an in-depth look at the issue.
Plenty going on with tech these days. Even Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, used his keynote speech at this year’s Build to congratulate the tech industry’s response to the global crisis.
IT freelancers can bring invaluable help to your internal IT team. The direct benefits of involving external consultants are obvious: it’s an efficient way for companies to speed up certain initiatives and tackle ad hoc projects. Indeed, they bring in critical skills that your team was lacking while allowing for more contractual flexibility. Given the speedy and everchanging nature of today’s business world, it is no wonder that the hiring of tech freelancers is on the rise.
However, that’s not all. The regular presence of external consultants has a more indirect beneficial impact on the team in place.
Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.
Skills transfer
Often, freelancers are recruited to compensate for a lack of skills available internally — either because these cannot be mobilised in time, or because no one on the team has them.
In these cases, the intervention of an external expert can foster skills development of existing employees. By being in contact with an expert consultant, the teams in place can learn and benefit from the knowledge-sharing inherent to running a project. Although they will not themselves become experts on the subject in question, they will undoubtedly gain significant understanding in this area of expertise.
Sharing experience on similar project with IT freelancers
By definition, an IT freelancer moves from one project to another and very often, from one company to another. Then, this diversity and multiplicity of experiences allow freelancers to better understand the challenges of a project, giving your team the opportunity to refer to past experiences.
Also, by capitalising on this experience, technology consultants give companies access to best practices, allowing teams to save precious time by avoiding common mistakes.
For example, an SAP consultant who has already participated in a S/4HANA
migration project in another company will have valuable insights on how to implement
the project and the technical solutions required.
IT freelancers : a fresh look and a critical mind
Moreover, an external point of view is something every company can take advantage of and IT consultants can approach a problem from a neutral perspective. Unburdened by internal politics and red tape, they can take a deeper look at the dysfunctions of a system, the opportunities to simplify a process, the good or bad organisational practices of an IT department or a project, etc.
In fact, for freelancers involved in longer projects, it is often
beneficial to by making a full inventory of existing processes and tools, with
recommendations for improvement.
New ideas and to spur innovation
Bringing new blood to a team is always beneficial, regardless of the
department concerned.
In addition, external consultants introduce new factors that can lead to the birth of new ideas and stimulate a real dynamic of innovation within your team. This has made some industry experts refer to freelancers as “pollinators,” who go around accumulating experiences and disseminating them.
The diversity of profiles within a team, and therefore the joint work
between internal and external resources, is a key factor in the correct
implementation of the collective intelligence model.
Efficient working methods
Also, freelance workers have more flexibility in managing their schedule, as their hours cannot be imposed by the employer. Consequently, there is no presenteeism among freelancers. Results are essential.
Accordingly, an IT consultant must organise their time as best as possible to finish their project on time, demonstrating maximum productivity, efficiency and a sense of prioritisation.
As with all the previous points, it can be useful for members of your
team to learn from working methods that are often different from those they are
used to applying. A freelancer who works on-site can have a very positive
influence and boost the motivation and productivity of the team in place.
In some cases, IT freelancers can even develop existing managerial models by playing the role of evangelists of, for example, greater flexibility at work — Freelancers who work remotely knew the ins and outs of remote work way before COVID-19 hit the corporate world.
Are you looking for IT mission opportunities in the Tech and IT sectors on a freelance or permanent basis? Mindquest can help you find your next IT mission opportunity. Find your next mission by browsing our freelance and permanent vacancies available on our digital recruitment platform.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of IT, hiring and retaining top talent continue to pose challenges for modern enterprises. Also, the ongoing skills deficit, exacerbated by the fast-changing technological terrain, necessitates a strategic edge for IT leaders and HR managers. Therefore, choosing the right recruiting partner remains crucial. Explore our updated tips for selecting the ideal partner to address your current IT talent needs.
Need advice on how to start or develop your consulting business in tech or IT? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.
Choosing the Right Recruiting Partner: The impact of technology
Digital transformation permeates every aspect of modern business, including recruiting and human resources. When assessing a staffing firm, pay attention to how it leverages technology to enhance operations and deliver superior service. In today’s context, it’s essential for an IT staffing firm to embrace technology fully.
Consider advancements in AI tools, which now play a pivotal role in expediting the recruitment process. AI enables swift processing of extensive candidate data, including previous roles, areas of expertise, and preferences. In a field where time is critical, the ability to rapidly match candidate profiles with company requirements is a decisive advantage.
Dedicated Support and Expertise: A Dual Perspective
Most staffing firms traditionally combine client management and candidate identification into a single role. However, the best firms take a dual-perspective approach. One team manages client interactions, gathering position details and requirements, while another team focuses on identifying the right candidate. This separation enhances efficiency, speed, and the overall quality of work. It allows both client management and candidate sourcing to offer more personalized, dedicated support to hiring companies.
In the current landscape, with the increasing complexity of roles and the ongoing talent shortage, the need for dedicated expertise has never been more apparent. Specialized skills required for a position can vary significantly based on the field and seniority. To address this, leading staffing firms structure their teams by specialization, ensuring staff members are proficient in the specific areas of expertise required for a given vacancy.
Innovation through Data and Insights: Adapting to the Current Market
The third piece of the puzzle is data. As it happens
in any other industry, quality insights are at the heart of a successful IT
hiring strategy. Look for recruiters who know how to make the most of the data
they come by with and mine.
Moreover, being in permanent contact with organisations and IT professionals allows the best staffing firms to develop a deep and well-rounded understanding of current industry trends. These firms have a good sense of the challenges and needs driving mid- and long-term goals for clients and candidates. In addition to this, data-savvy recruiters can provide you with a more qualitative level of market intelligence – like the skill requirements and salary for a typical position – from which to derive actionable insights.
Navigating the Dynamic IT Landscape
In conclusion, the challenges of hiring in IT persist, but the strategies for overcoming them have evolved. Choosing a recruiting partner is more critical than ever, with technology, dedicated support, and data-driven insights at the forefront. As the IT landscape continues to shift, selecting a partner who adapts and innovates ensures your organization secures the top-tier talent needed to thrive in the dynamic IT market.
Explore how Mindquest can be your strategic IT recruiting partner.
Rebuilding AI Infrastructure? A lot of AI models were built for a world that no longer exists. But the status quo has changed with COVID-19.
A lot of AI models were built for a world that no longer exists. We trained algorithms to interpret consumer behaviour and user patterns based on a certain notion of normality. But the status quo has changed with COVID-19. Let’s talk about the task of rebuilding AI infrastructure.
Online search terms, purchases, location data
– every metric right now is suggestive of a society that has nothing to do with
what our world looked like a few months ago.
What would you think of early-2020 humans if
you were to just look at raw data? Sedentary creatures, obsessed with acquiring
toilet paper and prompt to anger over social media.
That’s what Will Douglas Heaven, senior AI editor for MIT Technology Review, focuses on in his article this week.
We’re adapting to the new normal. The machine learning algorithms powering the modern enterprise will need to be revised as well.
Rebuilding AI Infrastructure
Customised Google search
Just like we resort to Google or any other
search engine to unearth all the existing information on a certain topic,
companies have for long struggled to make it easier for their employees and
end-users to search for information across internal data silos.
This week, Amazon announced the general availability of Kendra, its own solution to this problem. The platform leverages natural language processing to let users search for anything they need through natural questions rather than keywords.
And so, automation keeps on permeating and refining enterprise systems.
News from the frontlines
Another week means a new host of tech
initiatives meant to combat the spread and effects of the pandemic.
Some weeks ago, Twitter announced a series of tools intended to dissuade users from posting harmful content. This week, Facebook made public early results outlining how its AI-based, hate-speech countermeasures are working. Promising, albeit still a ways to go.
Experts in every discipline are relying on tech to come up with ways of avoiding future catastrophes and carry better, collective lives. The Financial Times examines what one of these experts has to say about re-thinking cities for a better future.
Discover more content about artificial intelligence:
What are the best Tech podcasts for IT pros? A list with a few tech-related podcasts that should be part of any IT professional’s audio library.
What are the best Tech podcasts for IT pros? If it’s true that we are what we eat, then it might also be worth entertaining the idea that we are what we listen to. We’ve put together a list with a few tech-related podcasts that should be part of any IT professional’s audio library.
From interviews with subject matter experts to business news analysis and futurism. This list has everything you’ll need to give you an edge in your career journey. Best of all? It’s all free.
There are few names in tech journalism that are as prominent as Kara Swisher’s. After making a career covering high-level cases around Silicon Valley, the U.S. reporter started Recode Decode in 2015. But what was originally a tech-exclusive interview show has now transcended into the broader public realm. Snatching AdWeek’s best podcast of 2019 prize.
Thrice a week, Swisher interviews tech executives, politicians and public personalities to discuss their big ideas about changing the world. As an IT professional, it’s important to keep an open mind. Swisher’s show is a great way of expanding your horizons.
If you are looking for a more tech-focused approach, the Recode Decode brand is also host to other, more targeted tech podcasts. We recommend you check out Reset, a show on how and why tech is changing everything.
Speaking of how tech will shape our future – make sure you give a try to this Wall Street Journal podcast. The Future of Everythingfeatures interviews and analysis by the newspaper’s best reporters, exploring, together with industry pioneers, how technology and science are changing every aspect of life and business.
If you want to keep tab on the tech innovations and trends transforming your industry and others, this is your show. A great way of staying ahead of events and the competition.
If you’d like to focus more on the present, This Week in Techwith Leo Laporte is a good show to stay up-to-date with industry news. From mergers and acquisitions to product and software releases, this popular podcast makes honour to its name by looking at the past week in tech news.
This is your go-to show if you enjoy a mix of straight-up business news and other, softer news stories like Elon Musk’s new son, X Æ A-12, and how his name should be pronounced.
Delving deeper into the user side of technology, Clockwiseproposes a rather quick-paced and original format. Under 30 minutes, 4 panellists discuss 4 tech topics impacting society and business — from how COVID-19 contact tracing technology works to remote troubleshooting tips for IT pros.
The show combines actionable insight and information with good humour and commentary on the everyday life of tech professionals. An excellent lunch companion.
If you are at a managerial level or in charge of IT strategy and operations, IDG’s CIO Podcasts can be very helpful. Packed with interviews with CIOs and IT leaders, the podcasts are a great way of keeping track of IT management best practices.
The publication has two separate podcasts series for the U.K. and North America.
Ruby is a free programming language, object-oriented and multi-paradigm, popular in digital start-ups & companies. Discover the role of the Ruby Developer.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Ruby Dev job description to attract top talent.
In the field of web development, there are many specialities and languages including Swift, Node.js, React.js or Ruby. Ruby is a free programming language. It is object-oriented and multi-paradigm. Relatively few developers choose to specialise in this language, although its syntax is easy to understand and pleasant to use. However, it is a popular language in digital start-ups and companies, such as Airbnb, Hulu or Groupon. Discover the role of the Ruby Developer.
The first mission is to understand the needs of their client, whether internal or external. It’s also to implement the programming solutions best suited to the budget and timing of the project.
Develop adapted applications and functionalities
Using the Ruby programming language and the open-source Ruby on Rails framework, the developer is responsible for coding and designing web applications that respect the specifications established by the web project manager or IT manager.
Manage tests and monitor project development
Throughout the coding process, the Ruby Developer is responsible for the testing. Once the solutions are in place, the developer must ensure that everything works properly. They must also often train their client or internal teams in the new systems installed.
Required skillsof the Ruby Developer
Mastery of the Ruby language
The developer must master this programming language at their fingertips, as well as the open-source Ruby on Rails framework. It is also useful to master other web languages: HTML, CSS, Javascript…
Ability to self-educate
The Ruby language evolves regularly, so developers must always be aware of new features and be able to use them effectively. This requires regular reading and self-training.
Polyvalence
The developer must often be able to work on the web, on mobile applications, on video games … They must, therefore, have knowledge in all these areas in addition to their technical programming knowledge.
Quick execution
If there is a problem with a web or mobile application, it must be managed quickly. The expert must, therefore, know how to analyze where the malfunction comes from and find the solution in the shortest possible time.
Within the industry
The Ruby speciality is quite rare for a developer, so the profile that is quite sought after by companies. The expert can work in a web agency, as a permanent employee or as a freelancer.
Salary of the Ruby Developer
The average daily rate fluctuates between €300 and €550.
Training of the Ruby Developer
In conclusion, a degree from a college or technical school can help candidates access this position. However, it is possible to specialise in Ruby through specific training and certifications. There are also plenty of online resources for professionals to self-educate.
