Thinking(s)
We think (perhaps too much) about Organisations, the Functions they perform, the Information needed to execute those functions, and the Technologies used to implement them. We capture some of our thoughts in writing to share them, please choose a particular category from the menu above.
The Data Goldmine
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- Created on 20 July 2014
- Written by Steve Burrows
Years ago I worked in a company that had a small CRM system called Goldmine. It did, quite literally, live up to its name. We were so successful that we outgrew it and eventually had to upgrade, we spent c. £500,000 on our next CRM system and got the money back in three months as increased profits. Sounds incredible, but the reality is that most companies don’t sweat their data assets effectively; it’s expensive, hard work, and there are inevitably troublesome techies involved to whom we need to explain the business side in words of one syllable. Which is a pity really, because gathering and analysing customer data is, even though CRM has been around for over 20 years, a real game changer - but don’t take my word for it:
They’ll Put The UK In Your Pocket
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- Created on 02 June 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
Recently I wrote about an island software house that has built a sustainable business by serving specific local market needs, but ultimately one has to accept that the Isle of Man is a small place and to grow successfully most ICT businesses need to serve off-island markets.
Outsourcing IT, It’s Not Easy
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- Created on 17 May 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
In a previous article I wrote about outsourcing software development, in this one I’ll cover some aspects of outsourcing your IT.
Are You On Their Payroll?
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- Created on 05 May 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
If I asked you to name a software supplier used by six hundred employers on the island you’d probably reply “Microsoft”. If I asked you for another you would probably struggle. Oracle? Their software is largely used by much bigger companies than those on the IoM. Canonical? Probably not. Sage? Hmmm, maybe. DPN? Who?
e-Commerce 4 U ?
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- Created on 22 April 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
The Isle of Man economy is in the back of the Postman’s van. Yes, seriously, we are shopping more and more online for books, clothes, gadgets, toys, even frozen foods, the catalogue of retail goods arriving on the island from the UK by post or courier is constantly growing.
So What’s IT For?
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- Created on 07 April 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
In the last article I suggested that a big part of the IT Manager’s job is to ensure people are able to work with their IT. Now I want to cover how that IT should help them in their jobs.
Pay Attention To The Wetware
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- Created on 23 March 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
The biggest influence on IT success is people; not the people in the IT department, but the users, a.k.a “victims”, of our IT. The single most important measure of whether the IT we deliver is successful is how well people use it. Network speed and stability, server uptime, security etc. pale into insignificance when considered against how well and productively our people are working in their jobs.
Mama, there's a thing on the Internet
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- Created on 10 March 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
The “Internet of Things” (IoT) has become a fashionable IT buzzphrase over the past three years, although the idea has been around for much longer, so what’s it all about?
Open Source
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- Created on 24 February 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
Have you considered using “Open Source” software as part of your organisation’s IT systems? Chances are that if you’re an executive the answer is No. I meet many executives, both business and IT leaders, who dismiss the use of Open Source without much consideration for a variety of reasons. Common amongst these reasons are: they don’t trust the product because it is “free” and you get what you pay for, no company is accountable for warranting that the product is fit for purpose or free of bugs or malware, nobody is identifiably responsible for providing support if the product goes wrong, and there is nobody to enter into a contract with who can be sued to mitigate the risk of losses consequent to product failure.
IT's A Matter Of Trust
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- Created on 09 February 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
The Isle of Man Government has launched an online survey to inform its Digital Strategy - basically a survey about what we think of Government’s current online services, what other services they might provide online, and how they handle the data we provide through online services. Ours is not the the only Government hoping to increase their provision of services through digital channels, many others are treading the same path including our neighbour to the East which has a “Digital By Default” programme both to make services available to the public via the web, and to make the web the preferred means of accessing those services.
Windows 10, Lemon or Banker?
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- Created on 27 January 2015
- Written by Steve Burrows
Microsoft has a poor track record with PC operating systems. Windows 95 was good, Windows 98 was very iffy until fixed in Windows 98 SE (second edition). Windows ME (Millenium Edition) was a disaster. Windows XP was very good, but Windows Vista was an absolute lemon. Windows 7 has been good, but the design changes introduced in Windows 8 were a serious miscalculation and the take-up of Windows 8 & 8.1 has been very poor.
Thinking(s)