Posts by Bob McCallister

In 1983, much of the world was introduced to the idea of computer hacking via the film War Games. I clearly recall being enthralled with the tale of high school kid David Lightman (played by a very young Matthew Broderick), who almost starts a nuclear war with his computer hacking skills. At the time, the story felt like science fiction – there’s no way that could actually happen. But with a world now connected by…  MORE

If you haven’t met your daily requirement of learning exactly what a new acronym means, here’s one for you: OTT, which stands for Over-the-top media services. Wikipedia provides a clear definition: “An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.” All which is a complicated way…  MORE

By now, we’re all familiar with how the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted business as usual. Closed offices, remote workers, distribution cycles out of whack, massive lay-offs, and an unclear future. In short, we’ve seen a break in business continuity. That term – business continuity – is rarely brought up, but it’s a fitting linguistic lens through which to view the state of industry. Business continuity means maintaining critical business functions during any crisis, be it…  MORE

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tragic. We’ve lost many lives, and we all face the unknown every time we leave the house. From that perspective, the growth of specific technologies should be one of our last concerns. But the Law Of Unintended Consequences often bring a silver lining. In this case, the forces of living with COVID-19 has accelerated the development and commercialization of many emerging technologies. And thankfully, these technologies will not only keep…  MORE

Unless you’ve been living deep in the Amazon jungle, you know how the world is now more connected than at any time in history. Technical advances, data sharing, and the massive digital transformation of corporations has sped up communication and created seamless connections between millions of people. But as much as we reap the advantages of this new order, we also have to contend with the negative ramifications on cyber security. Because wherever there’s sensitive…  MORE

Cloud computing has become a common data storage method for organizations of all sizes, around the globe. But despite its popularity, the cloud computing concept, for some, still creates uncertainty and fear. One major concern is around security; specifically, that by using the public cloud, data could be essentially mixed in with the data of other individuals and businesses that share the same cloud. This is why we’ve seen growing interest in, and adoption of,…  MORE

Every business unit thinks they should own every decision related to their function. There’s a lot of truth to that opinion. Marketing, sales, accounting – they’re all experts in their specific field. But sometimes decisions have to be made in context of larger goals. You have to bring in other perspectives. This is often the case with IT decisions. Sometimes, the IT department shouldn’t make every choice. Here’s why: Set realistic expectations You can’t determine…  MORE

In just a few years, digital transformation has shifted from a visionary idea to a real-world imperative. Today, any organization that takes itself seriously is either in the implementation phase, or has a digital implementation on the upcoming agenda. The next two to three years will be a critical for leaders shifting from planning to actual implementation. For the most part, executives understand the priority of digital technology – it’s no longer a tactic but the…  MORE