February 16, 2018
The “as a service” revolution has hit, and as a result, companies of all sizes are aggressively moving their operations to the public cloud. In the first part of this two-part article, we discussed what XaaS is, provided some examples of XaaS solutions and discussed what this trend means for your company. We also discussed why hiring is so hard right now, especially in tech positions. In this article, we’ll talk about hiring smart for XaaS so you can cash in on the competitive advantage these cutting-edge solutions offer. As we said in our last article, hiring effectively for XaaS gives you two options: Hire Using the ABCs of finding Great Tech People Savvy hiring managers are looking outside the box to find the right hires at the right cost in today’s tight job market, and they’re finding success by focusing on the ABCs: Adaptable Bright Candidates. That means you’re looking for bright people with adaptable skillsets. Yes, they may not have the exact knowledge you’re looking for and therefore won’t pass a resume parsing program, but they’re excited to learn more and they’ll be devoted to your company. Here are some adaptable skills you’ll want to look for in a few XaaS roles: Cloud Architect Job summary: These professionals organize your “as a service” architecture to ensure you don’t have competing or redundant applications, so you can streamline your operations and reduce your potential costs. Good candidates for this role will be organized, have great listening skills so they […]
February 9, 2018
In the modern world, everything seems to be offered “as a service.” But what does that mean and how can you hire to take advantage of this trend? Will you have to pay an arm and a leg to compete in the “as a service” economy? Today’s article, part one of two, explores your options and solutions to stay ahead of hiring in 2018 and beyond, for all your tech needs. But First, Let’s Talk About XaaS You’ve run across SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) at this point, so XaaS will be easy to understand. The X is like a fill-in-the-blank; XaaS simply refers to “anything as a service.” XaaS is the increasing trend in which vendors deliver tools, technologies or products over the Internet rather than on-site, which offers your company cost savings because you pay for a subscription to a full-featured solution, instead of having to pay for the full solution upfront. Not sure what that means? We’ve got you covered. If you’ve heard of SaaS but you’re not quite sure what it is, consider a popular SaaS service: QuickBooks Online (a cloud-based invoicing software). In the past, your company would have to purchase a separate $300+ disc and license for each computer you wanted to use QuickBooks on, which added up fast. If you ended up not liking QuickBooks or switching to a different program… well, you were still out those hundreds of dollars. Today, QuickBooks Online is delivered via Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which means you can get […]
January 25, 2018
In a recent blog article, we discussed hiring tips to help your company make the most of interconnected devices for Industry 4.0. Now it’s time to talk about securing those devices. This post will help you understand the complex cybersecurity risks that Industry 4.0 brings to our connected world and offers resources to prepare your business for secured success in the years to come. But First: A Brief Refresher on Industry 4.0 As we discussed in an earlier post, Industry 4.0, also known as the “Digital Supply Network,” is the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was the advent of steam power, the second was electricity and the assembly line and the third was computerization. Right now, we are entering the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), in which our machines are empowered to act independently so they can improve our business outcomes. To do this effectively, the machines need to collect and share physical data using sensors on smart devices, analyze that data in real time and then use their findings to make changes in our physical world. This is truly a new frontier. The Dangers of Industry 4.0 One of the greatest risks of Industry 4.0 is also its greatest asset. Shared Data Today’s analytics systems are effective because they combine your proprietary data with industry data aggregators to help you gain full insight into your business, so you can make faster, better decisions with confidence. Industry 4.0 promises to expand these capabilities by collecting more data from […]
January 20, 2018
The business world’s future is arriving quickly – but you don’t need us to tell you that. Not only is everyone’s workplace getting “smarter” from the shop floor to the back office, modern robotics and workforce automation solutions are making entire industries smarter too. With all the new devices available, it’s only a matter of time until your business technology becomes 100% connected and you’re ready to access that seamless digital thread you need to gather critical, real-time data and work smarter yourself. Except… with the pace of business going so fast these days, you may not have had a single second to think about how you’ll hire the tech-savvy employees you’ll need to succeed in our fast-arriving, connected future. Feel like you’re running out of time? We hear you. This guide offers secrets that’ll help you hire right so you can stay ahead of the curve, even in the face of changing technology. The Future of Hiring – and a Current Problem Experts predict there will be a labor shortage of 2 million people in the manufacturing industry by 2025 (which seems to have already started), and all industries are currently experiencing a skills gap in the U.S. for qualified IT professionals. As more technological products hit the market, this skills gap will only get bigger. In short: Hiring is a serious problem right now. Today’s savvy business leaders understand that in order to secure their future, they need to secure top tech talent for their companies. And they […]
January 18, 2018
As a top IT consultant, your career probably followed a specific trajectory: you spent your childhood taking apart and building TVs, radios, and computers; you studied programming at some point in school or your free time – and then you worked at various tech companies for years. Finally, you struck out on your own to become a freelance IT consultant. Tech consulting is a good gig. You get to advise clients on their IT tools, help them with setup and debugging, take care of a few emergencies and then rest in the knowledge of a job well done. So, why would you want to go back to working for a company again, even if only on a short-term basis? Well, there are three reasons actually. Keep Up with Cutting-Edge Tech As we all know, this ever-exciting industry of ours can always boast some new, innovative tool – one that promises to disrupt everything that’s gone before. Some of these tools are highly relevant to your focus area and those are the ones you certify in. Other tools aren’t directly relevant to your consulting practice, so you may overlook them entirely. But that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. Today’s businesses use a staggering variety of technology solutions, so it’s important that you know about all the latest tools so that you can leverage them properly to streamline processes for your clients. Of course, there’s no better way to learn how a tech product performs than to experience real-life use cases, in […]