mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

Join us in exploring the world of modern development, evolving technologies, and the art of future-proof software

Month: August 2013

Weekly recap: 6 technologies you should learn this year, the ROI of BI, and more…

By

EducationEvery 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 the ROI of BI, technology you should learn, and more. I hope you find them useful:

More mobile, more apps: Is your business ready?
This article asks an important question: Is your business ready for mobile? It’s becoming more and more important for businesses to invest in a long-term mobile strategy. Not sure where to start? Here’s a short white paper that outlines some key considerations for businesses approaching mobile apps.
…

Weekly recap: 6 technologies you should learn this year, the ROI of BI, and more…Read More »

Modernization with limited resources

By

ProductivityModernization. It sounds like such a daunting task. Just the thought of converting old systems into new, modern systems is enough to make IT executives cringe in fear.

Bimba Manufacturing knew that modernization was a big job, and that their IT staff didnâ??t have the time or the capabilities to take on a big modernization project. In fact, they even looked into ways to put a “bandaid” on their old solution until more time and resources became available. Then, they discovered m-Power. …

Modernization with limited resourcesRead More »

7 things experienced web developers wish they knew earlier

By / ,

EducationWe just passed our 30th anniversary of software development earlier this year. As I reflect back over that time, it’s largely positive…but there are things I know now that I wish I knew starting out. After all, the more time you spend in any profession, the more you learn (hopefully).

That got me thinking: I’m sure everyone is like that. I’m sure everyone could name one or two specific pieces of advice that they wish they knew earlier. Wouldn’t that advice be useful to those just starting out? I think so.

Problem
photo credit: andy.brandon50 via photopin cc

Today, I’d like to explore that topic from a web application development angle. What do experienced web app developers know now that they wish they knew starting out? If developers could go back in time, what advice would they give to younger versions of themselves?

We posed those questions to some experienced web app developers, and they provided some excellent advice–which can help web application developers of any skill level. I’ve outlined their advice below, along with a few of my thoughts under each point. Here are 7 things that experienced developers wish they knew earlier:
…

7 things experienced web developers wish they knew earlierRead More »

15 must-have features of a good reporting solution

By /

EducationA few weeks back, we examined the question, “How can you buy business software that you won’t regret later?” While that article is loaded with great advice for software purchasing, the points are all very general.

What if you need a specific type of software, like reporting, Business Intelligence, or a development platform? While the points in that article still apply, how do you know what essential features to look for in each type of software?

Today, let’s answer that question from the reporting side of things. What features must you look for in an enterprise reporting solution? While your needs will (of course) vary depending on your company, all enterprise-class reporting solutions must include certain essential features. Buy software missing any of these features, and you’ll soon regret that purchase.

What are these features?

We’ve put together a handy little reporting checklist that lists and explains which features you must look for in any reporting solution. You can find it here: mrc’s 15-point reporting checklist.

Weekly recap: 10 hottest IT jobs, applications are money, and more…

By

EducationEvery 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 the hottest IT jobs, how to bridge the Business/IT communication gap, and more. I hope you find them useful:

IT Cause And Effect: Applications Are Money
While CIOs get inundated with experts telling them which trends to watch and which priorities deserve their attention, it really all boils down to one area: Application development. How quickly can your development team create business solutions? Fix that issue, and many other problems will instantly fix themselves.
…

Weekly recap: 10 hottest IT jobs, applications are money, and more…Read More »

7 things every IT leader should know about mobile

By / ,

EducationCan you believe that smartphones (as we know them today) have only been in existence for slightly over 6 years? Yet, despite their relatively short existence, user adoption in the U.S. has already surpassed 50%. That sort of growth is absolutely incredible.

The mobile trend isn’t confined to the consumer world either. Over the past couple of years, we’ve really seen mobile usage and mobile apps gain traction in the enterprise. This will only increase in the coming years.

The explosive growth of mobile puts CIOs and IT leaders in a tricky spot, as they’re forced to adapt to this major trend on the fly. They’re stuck figuring out how their companies can best capitalize on the advantages of mobile while avoiding the drawbacks.

So, what must IT leaders understand about mobile? Today, I’d like to help answer that question. I’ve compiled a list of things every IT leader should understand about mobile, which you can find below:
…

7 things every IT leader should know about mobileRead More »

m-Power: The modern CIO’s trump card

By /

ProductivityThe modern Chief Information Officer (CIO) faces a daunting task. Gone are the days of simply supporting the business. Gone are the days of hard-to-use technology that’s controlled solely by the IT department.

These days, the expectations placed on the IT department are at an all time-high. CEOs and business executives now demand more business value from the IT department. Tech-savvy end users now bring personal devices and consumer applications into the workplace. All the while, technology continually evolves at a quickening pace.

These days, the modern CIO faces a growing list of challenges. For instance–while their challenges vary by company–most modern-day CIOs must: …

m-Power: The modern CIO’s trump cardRead More »

5 major IT/Business alignment stumbling blocks

By /

EducationBusiness and IT leaders have talked about the need for IT/business alignment for well over a decade. They all want the benefits that successful alignment brings, like improved business efficiency, reduced costs, increased agility, etc… Who wouldn’t want that?

Yet, despite understanding the importance of IT/business alignment…it’s still an issue in many companies.

Why?

What stumbling blocks stand in the way? Why–after all of these years–do companies still struggle to align their IT departments with the business? And perhaps more importantly: How can companies remove these stumbling blocks?

I’d like to help. I posed the questions above to a few experts in the industry, with the hope of identifying some of the biggest issues standing in the way of IT/business alignment. You’ll find the advice listed below, along with ways to avoid each stumbling block. So, without further ado, here are 5 of the most common IT/Business alignment stumbling blocks:
…

5 major IT/Business alignment stumbling blocksRead More »

4 common myths of web application development platforms

By / ,

EducationToday, let’s address a current trend that’s been building steam over the past few years: The increased use of web application development platforms.

Why are web applications development platforms becoming more popular? Because they address many of the growing issues surrounding CIOs and IT leaders these days. For instance, development platforms help CIOs and IT leaders…

  • Automate the development of mobile web applications that work across all devices and platforms.
  • Give end users the self-service options they require while giving IT full control over the data and user access.
  • Bring the most up-to-date and cutting edge development skills to their current staff.

However, while all of those advantages sound great, there’s a problem that make some businesses shy away: Many developers and IT leaders hold a misguided view of web application development platforms. Some confuse them with code generators. Others think of them as IDEs. Worse yet, others make assumptions about development platforms based on their own bad experiences with past code generators or IDEs. For example, many (falsely) believe one or all of these development platform myths:
…

4 common myths of web application development platformsRead More »

6 must-have skills of modern web application developers

By / ,

EducationIn the past, application development had more of a specialized focus. Programmers focused on a single language (like COBOL, RPG, C++, etc.), and built applications with that language.

Now, that’s changing. The web doesn’t allow for a single focus. Rather, a modern web application developer is something of a “jack-of-all-trades.” They must understand the development aspects, but also understand web app security vulnerabilities, how it integrates with other services, and more. To further complicate things, they must even understand how their applications function on tablets and smartphones.

In other words, web application development is quickly becoming more complex. It requires an ever-increasing, and ever-evolving skill-set.

What skills must modern web application developers now possess? I’ve solicited input from a few experts in the area, and compiled their advice (as well as some of my own) below. Here are 6 of the most important skills that web application developers must now have:
…

6 must-have skills of modern web application developersRead More »