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Career as a Coder

Considering a career as a software programmer? AI technology that “codes” and low-code/no-code platforms have empowered non-programmers to create applications. AI takes no-code to a whole new level, doing all the work. Tech Execs are excited about the possibilities.

The notion of coding as a career is evolving. However, the ability to build and deploy technology remains crucial. Working closely with end-users, gathering requirements, and applying that knowledge to various aspects such as data, processing, infrastructure, security, vendor products, and support is more important than ever.

Tech execs can shift from managing programmers to overseeing AI technology that streamlines application development. AI becomes a set of tools to enhance accuracy. While pure coders may not be required, their expertise is valuable in helping business end-users apply technology to their needs.

For tech exec, AI offers cost savings and boosts efficiency. As AI technology advances, it will gradually automate manual tasks, requiring technology professionals to adapt and upskill in other areas to support a complex tech environment.

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Legacy Data

One of the key drivers pushing tech execs to modernize their legacy systems is the need for a higher level of agility to meet the demanding pace of business. A valuable asset locked up in legacy systems is data.

Companies have decades of information that is available to be unlocked so that they can realize the benefits of this knowledge. True, a good portion of it could be aged, corrupted, or duplicate. So, cleaning this information in order to gain the true value is a key first step to leveraging this power for smarter and more focused business decisions.

The migration from legacy to the cloud allows organizations to leverage cloud service providers’ (CSP) out of the box ability to handle big data processing, real-time analytics, and machine learning. These capabilities allow for the extraction of insights from the data.

When moving data to the cloud, you also need to think about the structure for the target data, depending on the use cases. Data currently in structured format may be okay to dump into an unstructured data lake for analytics, as an example. But the format of the data in your legacy environment may or may not be in the same format in the cloud. It’s going to depend on the business need. So, there will be a lot of thinking required for how you are going to use this information.

CSP’s offer a wide variety of services and partner tools to help migrate your data, whether files, databases, machine images, block volumes, or even tape backups. Key to the success of data migration is understanding what to move, where to move it, how to use it, and to have people who can provide the knowledge for how to apply the data to make business decisions.

Legacy Mainframe Environment

Today, tech execs are concerned about the mainframe computer application code. Many companies have had mainframe computers since the 70s and 80s. Large companies, particularly in insurance and finance, built applications during that time that still run on mainframes now. These applications consist of mostly COBOL code, with millions of lines.

SIDE NOTE: COBOL is the oldest still used programming language, developed in 1959. The only other language even close in age is C, which was developed in the early 70’s.

Today’s mainframe computers have powerful processors and seamlessly run COBOL applications alongside Docker containers. Tech executives face challenges with complex COBOL, PL/1, and Assembler code, as well as managing decades of data in diverse environments like DB2, MySQL, and Oracle. We’ll discuss data in a future post.

Mainframe applications have long been vital for enterprise business processing. They were game-changers, and still handle key workloads effectively. However, the drive to convert or move these applications has been slow. Today, tech execs face fierce competition in aggressive markets. Outdated systems hinder companies from keeping up with innovative rivals. Cloud computing enables competitors to invest in new systems without hardware burdens. Consequently, older companies face disadvantages and must modernize their legacy application environment. The three reasons for this transformation are:

Agility: Companies need IT systems that can be updated for functional processing requirements in a timelier manner. Shorter development cycles are a must for organizations to keep pace.
Cost: The mainframe is the costliest computer available. In many organizations, it’s also difficult and time consuming to maintain. The complexity of the code and data environments makes keeping the systems up and running difficult. Modern cloud technologies offer a significant reduction in cost of ownership.
Risk: Knowledge of legacy environments is fading away as programmers who developed this code many years ago retire. Skills in COBOL, PL/1, CICS, etc. are becoming scarce, making managing the applications and responding to major incidences more challenging.

To remain competitive, organizations must tackle legacy mainframe systems. The transformation should uncover the current state and map out an ideal future state. Develop a value proposition with a total cost of ownership analysis for transitioning to the cloud. When it comes to maintaining the mainframe and harnessing the power of the cloud, it’s worth considering strategies from industry leaders like IBM. Take into account the costs of migration and retooling, but also weigh them against the benefits of ownership. Furthermore, take the time to explore the numerous advantages that cloud computing has to offer.

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Skill Up

Technology is shaping the business landscape in a profound way. It is crucial for employees to acknowledge and adapt to this reality to avoid being left behind. Tech execs, in particular, should ensure that they are well-informed and continuously enhance their technological expertise to stay ahead of the curve.

That means learn about the technology that’s changing your work. ChatGBT is just the latest example of a technology that can be leveraged to replace people. But it’s not the only game changer out there.

As a technology executive, your responsibility is to ensure that your organization is ready for these shifts.

Have a plan. Ensure that you understand the impacts that technology is having on the workforce and the business in general. Make sure that the technology team and the business leaders are in alignment so that you can build a strategy to train your people.

Cloud is a big deal.

The cloud has a significant influence on how people conduct business. It transforms the approach to IT services, enabling businesses to play an active role in decision-making. By leveraging the cloud’s capabilities, businesses can achieve seamless enablement and enhanced agility, which is the ultimate goal of investing in a flexible and globally deployable infrastructure. By relying on vendors for infrastructure management, businesses can explore new opportunities for their IT departments. This is where the training plan plays a crucial role.

IT is shifting from infrastructure support to business enablement. The IT team needs to develop Agile skills, work with vendors, have the ability to recognize and implement new technology quickly, and overall participate in the shift to a more business-centric environment.

What’s the cloud?

To become a successful tech exec, or any kind of executive, it is imperative to gain knowledge about the technology that influences your company’s business. This understanding will empower you to make informed decisions and effectively drive your organization towards sustainable growth and success.

Searching “cloud” on Google reveals not just info about sky clouds, but also the fascinating world of technology clouds. The frontrunners include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft (Azure), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Although other players exist, let’s focus on this renowned trio for now.

First let’s understand what cloud means.

The term “cloud” may seem mystical, but it’s just a collection of technologies – servers, data storage devices, and more – owned by a provider. By leveraging the cloud, you can easily deploy your software without worrying about underlying systems. Think of it as a distributed data center you can access online, with options for direct connections.

Why is the cloud popular? Well, here are some reasons:

You don’t need to own or manage the hardware.
You don’t need to own or manage the operating systems or virtual environments.
You don’t need to worry about how much added capacity you need.
You can deploy and have your app go global immediately.
You can centralize your operations all in one place with one provider (although many companies go to a hybrid cloud environment – more than one provider).
You can reclassify your capital expenses as operational.

I could keep elaborating, but you’ve got the gist that this is a favorable aspect.

By not owning a datacenter and avoiding the need for a large team to manage systems, a company can save a substantial amount of money.

Improper planning can lead to unnecessary expenses, where one ends up paying for excessive services and capacity. However, careful consideration and strategizing for a migration to the cloud can alleviate this issue. It is crucial to recognize the significance of this planning process in order to ensure optimal utilization and cost-efficiency.

Anyway… this is a good high-level introduction. We’ll talk about cloud and other technology areas in future posts.