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 things to consider before investing in BI, endangered IT species, and more. I hope you find them useful:

Beyond the smartphone: Emerging platforms developers should target
Smartphone and tablet apps may get all the press these days, but they are just the beginning of the “app age”. Apps are slowly spreading to other devices, like cars, clothes, and appliances to name a few.

9 most endangered species in the IT workforce
Thanks to the rise of the cloud and mobile, IT departments are (or soon will be) experiencing major changes. Jobs and skills that were once considered “safe” are on the brink of extinction. The question for all IT professionals: How are you adapting your skills to keep up with these changes?

What should companies consider before investing in a BI solution?
Why are so many BI implementations unsuccessful? Maybe it’s poor planning. Maybe it’s the wrong tools. In any case, this article should help. It lists some great things to consider for any company thinking about BI.

10 highly valued soft skills for IT pros
While tech skills are obviously important for IT professionals, one must not overlook soft skills. This article lists some of the most important soft skills that companies look for in today’s IT professionals.