Joe Stangarone – Page 55 – mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

7 key Business Intelligence trends of the near future

By Joe Stangarone / Business Intelligence

IBM estimates that “90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone.” While I can’t imagine how they came up with that number, the point is clear: We’re now creating more data than ever before.

At the same time, we’re seeing a fundamental shift in technology itself. In just a few short years, smartphones and tablets have become mainstream. We’ve seen consumer technology and software catch, and surpass traditional business technology. We’ve become an always-connected, mobile society that requires instant answers.

At the intersection of these technology shifts and data output lies some fascinating changes in the world of BI. Like what? I’ve compiled what I believe to be some of the biggest BI trends of the near future, and listed them below: …

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Here’s a 15-point reporting software checklist

By Joe Stangarone / web reporting

If you’ve ever searched for a reporting solution, you quickly learned one thing: There are a ton of options. How do you know which is right for your company? Or, taking a step back…what makes for good reporting software?

The answer to that question largely lies in your company’s needs. However, I do believe that all “enterprise-class” reporting solutions must have certain essential features. Today, I’d like to lay those features out in a simple, 15-point reporting software checklist.

Now, I won’t get into the high-level aspects of reporting software, like open architecture and broad database support. Chances are, you already understand the importance of avoiding proprietary solutions that tie you to a single platform/database.

I also won’t get into vague features, like ease-of-use (everyone says that). Rather, let’s focus on very specific aspects of good reporting software–something I like to call “Yes/No” aspects. These are specific features that a reporting solution either has, or doesn’t have. You can ask the vendor, “Do you have_____?”, and they have to answer “Yes” or “No.” Simple as that.

Ready? Here’s a short checklist of must-have features to look for in a reporting solution. For your convenience, I’ve broken the features up into 3 different sections: …

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Weekly recap: 10 strategic CIO issues for 2013, $100,000 mobile apps, and more…

By Joe Stangarone

Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on strategic CIO priorities for 2013, the shocking cost of mobile app development, and more. I hope you find them useful:

25% of enterprises spend over $100,000 to build a mobile app
I knew the native mobile app approach was expensive, but…wow! The really scary part about this story: What happens if a new mobile platform emerges or their platform of choice disappears in the next few years? Seems like a big investment for such a volatile market. It’s one reason I push the mobile web app approach. It leaves you with cross-platform mobile apps that work on any device, both now and in the future. Also, they’re far cheaper. …

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6 tips for building applications that last

By Joe Stangarone / Application Development, Web Applications, Web Development

Let me make a wild assumption: You probably don’t want to replace your business applications every few years. You’d like to build applications that last. You want to build applications that grow with your company and adapt to changing technology.

The big problem: Technology is evolving faster than ever, which makes business application development even more challenging. If built incorrectly, a modern application today might be outdated in just a few short years. Obviously, businesses can’t afford to replace their applications every few years.

How can you build applications that remain relevant for years to come? How can you build applications that scale with your company and adapt to changing tech trends?

To help you answer those questions, I’ve compiled a short list of tips that will help you build applications that last. Now, I’m keeping this relatively high-level. We could write pages and pages on how to implement each point below. Rather than get into all of the details, here are the key aspects to consider when building applications for the future. …

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Weekly recap: How mobility can change the economics of IT, free BI guide, and more…

By Joe Stangarone

Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on how mobility will change the economics of IT, a free BI guide that will help you cut through the confusion surrounding the topic, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Confused about BI? Get this Feature Guide
Here’s a nice write-up about…us! Okay, so the article isn’t technically about us–it’s about our recently released Business Intelligence Guide. The free BI guide helps you cut through the confusion surrounding the topic, and pick the right option for your business. …

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A CIO’s guide to alienating business users

By Joe Stangarone / CIO Challenges

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, major record labels essentially owned the music industry. They controlled the production and distribution of music, leaving limited options for consumers. If you wanted music, you bought a tape or a CD.

Then, digital music emerged and threatened the record label’s business model. Users could bypass the record label altogether, and instead download music online. The record labels didn’t like this one bit.

How did the record labels respond? They feverishly fought to maintain their business model. They went after those who downloaded music online, suing them for outrageous sums of money.

Meanwhile, other companies (like Apple) swooped in and gave these consumers what they actually wanted: A cheap, legal way to download music. While the record labels were busy fighting to maintain an outdated business model, other companies profited off of their customers.

I give this example because I see parallels with the current shift happening within IT departments. In the past, IT departments controlled technology within an organization. End users had no choice but to go through the IT department for their tech needs.

Then, mobile devices exploded onto the scene. Cloud-based software emerged. Now, users have options. Users are increasingly bypassing IT, and instead using their own devices and third party cloud applications for business purposes.

As a result, CIOs and IT departments are slowly losing control of the technology within their company.

How can CIOs address this growing trend? Some try to fight it. They enforce strict rules within their organizations. They attempt to maintain the former IT model.
…

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What to look for in a development platform

By Joe Stangarone / Development Tools

Driven in large part by the rise of mobile devices and the increased use of consumer-focused software, more and more companies are turning towards web application development platforms. Development platforms help these companies address a few growing problems, such as:

1. Device/platform fragmentation: Companies must now develop applications for multiple platforms, like PCs, tablets, and smartphones. Development platforms simplify this process, and let these companies develop cross-platforms applications using their current staff and skills.

2. Align IT with the business: With the rise of cloud-based software, end users can now bypass IT altogether if the IT department isn’t meeting their needs. A development platform addresses this issue: It gives end users the tools they need to create their own applications and reports, and lets the IT department control the data and user access.

3. Bridge the skills gap: Technology is evolving faster than ever, and companies are struggling to keep up. They need their current skills to maintain their current software, but also need modern skills to build modern solutions. A development platform lets these companies build modern solutions without constantly bringing in new skills.

If your company is looking around for a development tool or platform, we’ve put together something that might help. It’s a quick checklist that outlines 7 essential elements of a good development platform. I hope you find it useful.

Weekly recap: 6 warning signs your technology is headed south, mobilizing desktop software, and more…

By Joe Stangarone

Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on warning signs your technology is headed south, how to mobilize your desktop software, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Taking the road less traveled to mobilize desktop software
Sooner or later, most companies will come to the same realization: We need mobile versions of our applications. When that day comes, how will you approach the project? While many companies choose to outsource the job, the article above outlines another approach: Teach your current developers how to create mobile apps. If that isn’t an option, or sounds too difficult, here’s another approach to try.
…

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Confused by Business Intelligence? Read this.

By Joe Stangarone / Business Intelligence

Are you confused by all of the Business Intelligence options and terminology? If so, you’re not alone.

In fact, this confusion is actually hurting the BI industry as a whole.

According to the research firm, Gartner, the Business Intelligence (BI) software market slowed slightly in 2012. One of the reasons for this slowdown: Confusion surrounding BI technology terms.

The fact is, despite having more options than ever before, businesses face a growing problem: With an ever-increasing number of BI vendors touting their own solutions and terminology, choosing a BI solution is now a confusing process.

If you’re dealing with this issue, I’d like to help. We’ve put together a free BI guide entitled, “Essential features of a good BI solution.” The free guide helps companies cut through the BI confusion and understand which features and capabilities they must target in a BI solution. I hope you find it useful.

Weekly recap: 7 reasons why IT won’t disappear, closing the IT talent gap, and more…

By Joe Stangarone

Every week, I share the most interesting and useful tech articles that I’ve found over the past week. This week’s top articles focus on reasons why IT departments won’t disappear, how to close the IT talent gap, and more. I hope you find them useful:

When it doesn’t make sense to go to the cloud
We constantly see articles touting the advantages of the cloud (usually from cloud vendors). But, is the cloud the best option for everyone? No. Some companies are better off keeping their data and applications in house, while others are better off moving all or parts of it to the cloud. The important thing: You must prepare your company for any scenario. How? Build cloud-ready applications that run anywhere. …

Weekly recap: 7 reasons why IT won’t disappear, closing the IT talent gap, and more…Read More »

Author name: Joe Stangarone