Many will doubtless be familiar with London’s Natural History Museum as a fun and educational place to visit, but it’s also an important research institution. Alongside its role as a tourist attraction, it also does vital work in the biological sciences field, doing things like species categorisation and climate science research. All of that research involves a huge amount of very precise data, and managing it all is no easy task. In this week’s episode, we speak to Alison Davies, CIO of the Nat...
May 08, 2020•34 min
Skills and training are a crucial element of running any business, but it’s especially critical when it comes to IT. It’s a running battle to just keep up with what’s needed to operate a company’s current tools, let alone developing proficiencies that will allow you to start expanding into new areas. In this week’s episode, we talk to Brad Mallard, CTO of Fujitsu Global, to find out how one of the world’s largest technology services providers trains and educates its staff. We discuss the e-learn...
May 01, 2020•29 min
AI is all around us. It’s in everything from cars, to our kitchens, to the applications that power global commerce. Over the past several years, AI development has proceeded at a staggering pace, as companies race to make their machine learning algorithms more and more capable. But all of this development throws up some tough ethical questions: how do you ensure AI is being trained without implicit bias? How can it be used to augment, rather than replicate, human workers? And how, fundamentally,...
Apr 24, 2020•34 min
The cloud is eating enterprise IT, and while on-premise applications are going to be around for a long time to come, the importance of being able to successfully take advantage of cloud technologies should not be understated. However, it’s one thing to simply port an existing application to the cloud, but developing software to be run in cloud environments is a different matter altogether. In this week’s episode, Adam and guest host Keumars Afifi-Sabet talk to Red Hat senior solutions architect ...
Apr 17, 2020•27 min
It’s no secret that containers have been taking the software development world by storm in recent years, with companies including VMware, Red Hat and more talking up their benefits for developing cloud applications quickly and at scale. But why exactly is there so much buzz around them? What are they good for? And how difficult is it for companies to establish a container competency? In this week’s episode, we talk to Canonical’s vice-president of worldwide field engineering Nicholas Dimotakis t...
Apr 10, 2020•35 min
For many businesses and independent IT professionals, IR35 was set to dominate this year; the expanded tax legislation was going to crack down on the use of limited companies by contractors in order to exploit tax loopholes, while simultaneously forcing organisations to pay the national insurance contributions of many of its temporary freelancers. The ongoing coronavirus crisis has now kicked those plans into touch, with the enforcement of the new legislation pushed back until next year - but wh...
Apr 03, 2020•35 min
With a global pandemic currently playing out and curfews, quarantine and restrictions in place almost everywhere, it’s easy to forget that other big news stories are playing out too. This week, Adam and Jane are joined by IT Pro’s US editor, Justin Cupler, to discuss what will still be one of the most important events of the year: the 2020 US presidential election. While Donald Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the country’s tech sector, the two Democratic candidates – Bernie Sanders ...
Mar 27, 2020•27 min
Getting the opportunity to reshape a company’s tech platform from the ground up is an exciting prospect, but it’s also one that brings with it no small amount of challenge. There are many aspects to consider, including infrastructure choices, scalability, maintenance and more, but pull it off and you can revolutionise an organisation’s operational capacity. That’s exactly the task that Marc Pell was faced with when he started at insurance company TempCover six and a half years ago. Fast-forward ...
Mar 20, 2020•23 min
Digital transformation has become a top priority for companies, but many organisations – particularly larger ones – are finding it’s easier said than done. For big, established businesses breaking down the silos that have developed within their company often proves difficult, while smaller organisations struggle to establish processes that work in a smooth and effective way for the future of the business. This is the problem that Solis Digital aims to solve. Co-founded by former professional foo...
Mar 13, 2020•33 min
The coronavirus outbreak has been all over the news in recent weeks, with health warnings, office shutdowns and skyrocketing sales of antibacterials creating an air of borderline panic. But aside from general health concerns, does the tech industry in particular have anything to fear from the COVID-19 crisis? In this week’s episode, we look at the potential impact the virus could have – both positive and negative – on logistics and supply chain management, remote working, events and more. We als...
Mar 06, 2020•24 min
Cloud computing is often touted as one of the most efficient ways to run an IT operation within businesses – especially those on the small and medium end of the scale. But it doesn’t come without its own pitfalls, and finding the right platform and partners to help you manage your cloud journey can be more difficult than it first seems. In this week’s episode of The IT Pro Podcast, Jane and Adam are joined by Alex Hilton, chief executive of the Cloud Industry Forum, to talk about how SMBs can na...
Feb 28, 2020•25 min
We’ve spoken a lot about workplace transformation over the last few years, whether it’s ‘the office of the future’, new collaboration technologies and SaaS tools enabling different ways of working, or new ultraportable devices enabling more mobility at work. But with so much technology allowing us to work productively from anywhere, do we even need offices at all any more? In this episode, we look at the pros and cons of physical workspaces, examining the technology that helps us circumvent them...
Feb 21, 2020•28 min
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that there’s still a substantial gulf within most organisations between security and the rest of the business, but discussing the problem with other cyber security practitioners is, in many respects, preaching to the choir. In this episode of the IT Pro Podcast, we speak to Kevin Fielder, CISO at Just Eat, about how infosec professionals can break out of the security bubble and start spreading this message to other departments. Check out http://bit.ly/ITPP...
Feb 14, 2020•30 min
The issue of Brexit has been looming over the UK for more than three years - but now that it's finally a reality, how can businesses prepare themselves for the changes that lie ahead? We talk to former CIO, experienced IT industry veteran and Gartner VP analyst Stewart Buchanan to find out how much certainty organisations currently have, as well as the best way they can insulate themselves from potential disruption and secure their future productivity. For links to everything we've talked about ...
Feb 07, 2020•31 min
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Puppet’s field CTO Nigel Kersten to discuss the current state of open source adoption, including the lack of high-level knowledge sharing, the relationship between open source and SaaS, and why businesses should get better at giving back to the open source community. Visit http://bit.ly/ITPP-Open for links to everything mentioned in this episode.
Jan 31, 2020•34 min
Software development is changing, and companies are adopting newer and more agile methods, using DevOps practises to build cloud-native applications in a faster and more effective manner. In this week’s IT Pro Podcast, we’re joined by Jon Topper, founder and CEO of The Scale Factory, to learn more about how enterprises can make their cloud deployments a success and implement DevOps methodologies to supercharge their development lifecycles. To find out more about everything we've mentioned in thi...
Jan 24, 2020•30 min
This week marks the end of an era, as we say goodbye to one of the most beloved operating systems of all time: Windows 7. Microsoft has ceased mainstream support for the OS after more than a decade, despite its enduring popularity. In this episode, we’re looking back at Windows 7’s legacy, including its history and what made it so indispensable for businesses. We also tackle the issue of what organisations who haven’t upgraded yet need to do now that it’s being officially retired. Head over to h...
Jan 17, 2020•27 min
While some of the problems facing public sector IT are unique, many are universal. From mitigating the tech skills gap and dealing with legacy kit, to allocating budget and choosing a cloud strategy there are many lessons to learn. In this week's episode of the IT Pro Podcast, Jane and Adam are joined by Adrian Keward, chief technologist, public sector at Red Hat to discuss the challenges facing public sector today, and what solutions open source may offer. Visit http://bit.ly/ITPP-Public for li...
Jan 10, 2020•27 min
In this week’s IT Pro Podcast, we’re discussing what this year’s defining trends and themes are likely to be and predicting the key issues that technology professionals will need to be aware of, including Brexit, AI and the shifting vendor landscape. What’s going to be driving the conversation over the next 12 months - and how can IT managers best prepare for it? Links to everything we've talked about in this week's show can be found at http://bit.ly/ITPP-2020 ....
Jan 03, 2020•31 min
As 2019 draws to a close, it's time to look back and reflect on some of the biggest stories and most important trends the past 12 months. This year has been an eventful one for the UK tech industry, which has weathered everything from continuing political uncertainty to a rash of high-profile GDPR fines, as well as some nasty ransomware infections. In this special bonus episode, we'll be looking at all this and more. Head to http://bit.ly/ITPP-2019 to find out more about everything we've talked ...
Dec 20, 2019•24 min
Collaboration is one of the key tenets of modern business, but it’s a term that covers a multitude of sins. In this morass, what room is there for existing technology? Does email, the workhorse of business communication, still play a role? For links to everything we've spoken about in this week's episode, visit http://bit.ly/ITPP-email . In the latest episode of the IT Pro Podcast, Adam and Jane are joined by Slack head of customer success Chris Mills to discuss the state of collaboration in the...
Dec 13, 2019•24 min
Data is an essential and growing part of modern business. But what does it take to build a truly data-informed, data-driven and data-enabled business? In this week's episode of the IT Pro Podcast, we talk to Solarwinds Head Geek Thomas LaRock to find out what data businesses should be looking for, how they can get started with analysing it and how to identify some of the common pitfalls. To find out more about everything we've mentioned in this week's show, head to http://bit.ly/ITPP-data ....
Dec 06, 2019•30 min
More and more companies are choosing to move to multi-cloud architectures, rather than relying on a single provider. In this episode, Adam and Jane are joined by staff writer Bobby Hellard look at the growing multi-cloud trend, including what makes a solid multi-cloud architecture, why it’s growing so quickly and the benefits it can have for businesses, as well as looking ahead to AWS’ annual conference and what role (if any) multi-cloud is likely to play in its plans. For links to everything we...
Nov 29, 2019•22 min
Following the announcement of Labour's ambitious free broadband pledge, IT Pro looks at the details and feasibility of the plan, featuring our resident public sector specialist Keumars Afifi-Sabet. Head to http://bit.ly/ITPP-labour for links to all the resources mentioned in this episode. We also discuss the report into TSB's IT meltdown and the ongoing sparring match between Xerox and HP Inc. NB: This week's episode was recorded prior to Xerox's threat of a share buyout....
Nov 22, 2019•27 min
In the latest episode of the IT Pro Podcast, Adam and Jane are joined by CW Jobs director Dominic Harvey to discuss how organisations can improve diversity and plug their skills gaps by upskilling existing employees from other areas of the business. All the links to everything we've spoken about in this week's episode can be found at http://bit.ly/ITPP-upskilling .
Nov 15, 2019•28 min
Microsoft still rules the roost when it comes to desktop operating systems, but gone are the days of yearly version updates; the new model is one of constant iteration and (supposed) improvement. In this episode, co-hosts Adam and Jane sit down with PC Pro associate editor Darien Graham-Smith to discuss the ins and outs of Windows 10, including how it relates to its predecessors, the pros and cons of upgrading, and why you need a solid rollout strategy. If you want to learn more about the subjec...
Nov 08, 2019•29 min
Co-hosts Adam and Jane are joined by veteran security journalist and host of the Smashing Security podcast Graham Cluley and ZeroDayLabs’ head of cyber security strategy Stu Peck to discuss why firms keep making the same security mistakes. Visit http://bit.ly/ITPP-security to find links to everything we've talked about in this week's episode.
Nov 01, 2019•30 min
A new show for technology professionals and business decisionmakers, the IT Pro Podcast is hosted by IT Pro reviews and community editor Adam Shepherd and features editor Jane McCallion. They'll be discussing all the latest and most interesting stories from the world of enterprise IT, as well as diving deep into the most important issues facing tech practitioners. Subscribe now, or visit www.itpro.co.uk /podcasts for more information.
Oct 16, 2019•1 min
