July 2023

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for Your Technology Environment

As technology advances, businesses prioritize their tech infrastructure. Tech execs must justify costs as organizations aim to streamline processes and boost efficiency. However, assessing investment prices can be challenging. Besides hardware and software expenses, other factors come into play. That’s where TCO comes in. But what goes into calculating TCO?

Hardware and Software Costs – The most obvious cost to consider when purchasing technology components is determining the required hardware and software for implementation. The costs of both hardware and software will impact the total cost of ownership (TCO). Additionally, factoring in the maintenance costs of hardware and software is crucial for ensuring reliability and security.
Personnel – Another crucial TCO factor is personnel. You require staff to implement, integrate, maintain, and troubleshoot the technologies your organization adopts. Consider not only their salaries but also benefits, insurance, bonuses, and overtime as part of the TCO calculation.
Training and Education – Your employees need proper education and knowledge of technology implementation to effectively use the system. The cost of training and educational resources should be considered in the overall total cost of ownership (TCO). While some vendors provide training, the cost may be prohibitive. Alternatively, internal education can be time-consuming and costly.
Data Today Equals TCO Tomorrow – The data collected today significantly impacts future TCO. Expenses for data backup, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance must be included in TCO calculations. These factors ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of your data.
Equipment Upgrades and Replacements – Technology always needs updates and replacements. Network infrastructure, servers, storage, and other hardware or software should be factored into your TCO. The cost of replacing outdated upgrades may exceed implementing new technology. Keep track of when upgrades are needed to calculate TCO accurately.

Estimating TCO requires precise budget planning. Technology executives must consider all items, factoring in technology complexity. Understanding TCO is crucial to avoid excessive costs. By following the guidelines in this blog, you can accurately determine TCO and make informed decisions.

Cyber Security in the Cloud

Cloud computing has revolutionized business operations, posing challenges for tech execs. With its flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, cloud technology is favored by companies of all sizes. However, as organizations transition to the cloud, cybersecurity becomes a top concern. Security issues in the cloud differ greatly from those in traditional IT environments.

Shared Responsibility: One of the key differences between security in the cloud and traditional IT environments is the shared responsibility between the cloud provider and the customer. While the cloud provider ensures the security of the infrastructure and the underlying software, customers are responsible for securing their own data, applications, and operating systems. Therefore, organizations need to develop a comprehensive security strategy that encompasses every aspect of their cloud operations.

Threat Vectors: As organizations rely more on cloud services, cybercriminals are also adapting their attack methods. Cloud environments, by design, can be accessed from anywhere in the world, which increases the potential threat landscape. Threat vectors can include everything from compromised credentials, data breaches, and insider threats, to hacks of an organization’s cloud vendors.

Compliance: When it comes to data security, regulatory compliance is a necessity. The cloud has created new challenges for organizations in complying with various regulations. Organizations need to ensure that their cloud environment complies with industry-specific regulations such as HIPAA or GDPR. Non-compliance not only carries financial penalties but can also harm the reputation of the organization.

Continuous Monitoring: Proactive threat detection and response is critical in securing a cloud environment. Continuous monitoring of the cloud environment is needed to identify and respond to suspicious activities. This requires a combination of tools and expertise to identify threats and protect against them.

Cloud-Specific Security Solutions: Finally, the specific security solutions that work in traditional IT environments may not effectively protect the cloud. Organizations need to choose cloud-specific security solutions that can protect against threats unique to the cloud environment. These solutions should include firewalls, encryption, multi-factor authentication, and cloud access security brokers (CASB).

The cloud has transformed cybersecurity, requiring new solutions to safeguard organizational data. Regardless of the type of cloud (public, private, or hybrid), organizations must formulate a holistic strategy. This involves selecting appropriate security solutions, implementing strong policies, monitoring compliance, and assembling a dedicated team. In an ever-evolving digital landscape, securing the cloud is a challenge that demands proactive action.

How to Hire the Best Tech Talent in the Industry

In today’s digital era, hiring tech talent is a priority for CIOs, CTOs, and other tech execs. However, finding and retaining the right candidates is not an easy task. It requires a well-planned recruitment strategy and a thorough understanding of the current market scenario.

We’re going to discuss the steps you can take to hire the best tech talent in the industry. From identifying your hiring needs to creating a company culture that fosters growth, we’ll cover all the aspects of the hiring process. So, whether you’re looking to hire top developers, designers, or tech marketers, this blog will guide you through the process.

Identify your hiring needs: The first step towards hiring the right tech talent is to clearly identify your company’s needs. Determine the skills and knowledge required for the position and assess whether your current team has the necessary expertise. Understanding the job description and the expectations of the role will help you to attract the right candidates.
Utilize different recruitment channels: Once you have a clear idea of the skills needed for the job, it’s time to look for candidates. There are several recruitment channels to choose from, such as LinkedIn, job portals, professional networks, and referrals. A combination of different channels will increase the chances of finding the right candidate.
Use data-driven hiring: Data-driven hiring is a process that helps to identify candidates who are most likely to succeed in a particular role. This approach involves analyzing data from past hiring decisions, assessing candidates’ technical skills, and conducting behavioral and situational interviews. Data-driven hiring ensures that you’re not just hiring candidates who have the right skills but also those who share your company values and vision.
Create a positive candidate experience: A positive candidate experience is crucial to attracting and retaining top talent. From the initial application to the final interview, candidates should feel valued and respected. Provide clear communication throughout the hiring process, and make sure candidates are informed of their status. Remember, a negative candidate experience can damage your brand and reputation.
Foster a culture of growth and development: The best tech talent is constantly seeking to learn, grow, and develop their skills. To attract and retain such candidates, it’s important to foster a company culture that encourages growth. This can be achieved through various initiatives such as training programs, mentorship, and opportunities for career advancement.

Hiring the best tech talent requires a comprehensive strategy that covers all the aspects of the hiring process. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can attract and retain top talent who share your company values and vision. Remember, hiring is not just about finding a candidate with the right skills, but also creating a positive candidate experience and fostering a culture of growth and development. With these steps, you’ll be well on your way to hiring the best tech talent in the industry.

Keep the Data Center or Move to the Cloud?

Data centers have long been crucial for storing data and running applications. But as cloud computing gains popularity, businesses must decide whether to stick with data centers or migrate to the cloud. This choice is especially vital for tech execs balancing cost, security, and scalability. In this blog post, we’ll explore the pros and cons of data centers vs. cloud computing to help you make the right decision for your company.

Cost – When it comes to cost, data centers and cloud computing can vary widely. Data centers require a significant upfront investment in hardware, software, and maintenance, while cloud providers offer a pay-as-you-go model that can be more cost-effective for smaller businesses. However, as your company grows and your cloud usage increases, you may find that the costs of cloud computing can quickly escalate. Additionally, many cloud providers charge additional fees for add-on services, storage, and data transfer, which can make it difficult to predict your long-term costs. Before making a decision, do a cost analysis of both options, and factor in your company’s growth plans.
Security – Security is a major concern for any company that stores sensitive data. Data center security can be more easily controlled with in-house staff and equipment, while cloud providers have a team of dedicated security professionals monitoring their infrastructure. However, cloud providers are also a more attractive target for cybercriminals and can be vulnerable to data breaches. When choosing a cloud provider, be sure to research their security measures, certifications and compliance standards. It’s also important to note that cloud providers may not be able to guarantee the same level of security as an in-house data center.
Scalability – One of the key benefits of cloud computing is its scalability. It allows companies to easily scale up or down their infrastructure as their needs change. This flexibility can be particularly beneficial for small businesses that are rapidly growing or seasonal. Data centers, on the other hand, are more limited in their scalability, and require significant upfront planning and investment to allow for growth. That being said, if your company is experiencing steady growth or has a fixed workload, a data center may be a more cost-effective solution.
Reliability – Data centers have a reputation for being reliable and consistent. Companies have complete control over the hardware and software, which allows them to maintain uptime and stability. Cloud computing, on the other hand, is dependent on the provider’s infrastructure and internet connectivity. This can lead to downtime, service interruptions, and fluctuations in performance. However, many cloud providers have invested heavily in improving their reliability with advanced technology like load balancing and redundant servers.
Maintenance and Support – Data centers require regular maintenance and upkeep, which can be costly and time-consuming for companies. Cloud providers handle the maintenance, upgrades, and support for their infrastructure, which can save companies time and money. However, it’s important to choose a provider with a reliable support team and solid track record of timely issue resolution.

Deciding between keeping your data center or moving to the cloud boils down to your company’s needs. Data centers offer reliability, control, and security, but can be costly and inflexible. Cloud computing provides scalability, cost savings, and easy maintenance, but carries security risks and extra fees. Consider the pros and cons, align with your goals, budget, and growth plans, and consult with a technology expert if needed.

When you retire – Life after for a Tech Exec

Are you a tech exec getting to the age where you are thinking about retiring but don’t know what to do afterwards? With 20-30-40 and even close to 50 years of experience it can be tough to just let go and not stay in IT after retirement.

If you want to stay in the business but not commit to the hours that have made you a top technology executive, there are a number of things that you can consider.

Gig Work: Senior leaders with valuable experience are needed for companies who want to advance quickly but not invest in a permanent executive. Use LinkedIn as a way to connect with company leaders looking for experience. You might also want to look at networks like Upwork, where you can network with people looking for senior leaders for temporary assignments.
Technical Advisory: Again, use LinkedIn to connect with people looking for hourly consulting needs. You can typically work with individuals over Zoom to provide them with your expertise based on their specific needs.
Blogging: Like I’m doing, provide your expertise on the fly with a blog site. you can generate extra revenue by having advertising on your site. The more popular the site becomes the more you will generate. This is a great way to stay occupied and not have a major work commitment.

However you stay connected with IT you also need to remember to stay up to date with technology. So, invest in yourself by getting premium services like LinkedIn Learning where you can take courses whenever you feel you need to update your skills in a specific area.

Click here for a post on retirement.