Author name: Jan O'Mahoney​

Quadratek People

[Video] Changing Role of the CIO

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There’s been much debate recently concerning the changing role of the CIO within business. Much of this is due to how much technology itself has changed in recent years, with mobile, social and business intelligence becoming increasingly important.

This means that the CIO has been living in uncertain times for a while, when it comes to how their job is defined. It’s no longer all about the IT for the CIO, but about innovation and maintaining an agile environment.

IDC predict Redefinition

This, IDC predict, means that the “adoption of 3rd Platform IT technologies will redefine 90% of IT roles.” The technologies referred to by the analysts are those mentioned above, as well as innovation and customer relationships.

It also means that CIOs will have to alter skill sets to incorporate a strategy that encompasses increasing a business’s digital presence. Public social networks can be difficult to manage, but are increasingly important to the online presence of a company, especially one that’s consumer facing.

In the video below, NetApp’s senior vice president and CIO, Cynthia Stoddard discusses the changing role and what CIOs can do to help address it.

IT Support

Windows 9: Is your Business Ready for Another Migration?

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The Windows OS hasn’t been doing so well of late. Windows 8 and 8.1 were both prone to errors and now it seems that Microsoft will be releasing a newer version of its famous OS. Windows 9, codenamed Threshold, which is scheduled for release in April 2015.

That’s if you believe the rumours of course, but if it’s true the OS will arrive just 18 months after the launch of Windows 8.1. Many businesses are still struggling with the news that Microsoft intends to drop support for XP in April and those organisations are scrambling to transition to Windows 7. Some businesses will have only just migrated its systems to Windows 8/8.1.

With the possibility that Windows 9 will be released next year, it seems that the current trend for migration and upgrades for users of the Microsoft OS will continue. This is bad news for IT departments as OS migrations are one of the most costly, stressful, time-intensive and manpower heavy projects possible. It appears that software has a shorter lifespan these days, but what does that mean for businesses?

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Why Upgrade from XP?

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With the support cut-off deadline looming, we look at the case for upgrading from XP to a later version of Windows.

Windows XP has been a well used, and in many cases, well-loved operating system. However with the recent news that Microsoft is withdrawing support on April the 8th it seems like another nail in the coffin for a system that’s nearly a decade old. That’s a long time when you consider the rapid speed that technology evolves at. Window XP is a near-relic and it’s probably about time you updated your computer software.

Many users will likely feel that an upgrade is unnecessary, as they are still content using Windows XP. However with technology upgrading and support for XP falling away it is likely that loyalty to the OS will not benefit users in the future.

You don’t even have to upgrade to the often-problematic Windows 8. You only need to upgrade as far as Windows 7. So for those users who do not want to relinquish Windows XP here are the reasons why you should.

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Beginner’s Guide to Migrating from Windows XP to 8.1

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You may have held out and still not upgraded from your Windows XP OS and if that’s the case, time is running out, as Microsoft is pulling support for the OS on April 08 2014. Microsoft has released several patches to fix many of the common Windows 8/8.1 bugs and the tech company has also given Windows 8 users a free upgrade. This is limited though and if you are still using an earlier version of the OS, then the steps to upgrade are slightly more difficult.

Let’s have a look at the options and really get to grips with how to upgrade from the XP era to Windows 8.1.

Some of the general benefits to upgrading to Windows 8.1 are:

  • Access to the Windows Store
  • Tiled start screen
  • Microsoft account

The newest OS also offers enhancements in personalisation, search, Store apps, and cloud connectivity. This is on top of the usual tools and programs that you would expect Windows to contain.

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