mrc's Cup of Joe Blog

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

Author name: Joe Stangarone

Joe Stangarone is a 40+ year veteran of the IT industry and president of mrc—the software company behind the award winning development platform, m-Power. Joe shares his leadership and technology insights through the Cup of Joe Blog, focusing primarily on ways businesses can save time, money, and increase productivity using technology.

5 major IT/Business alignment stumbling blocks

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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:
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4 common myths of web application development platforms

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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:
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6 must-have skills of modern web application developers

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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:
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Is enterprise software slowing down your IT department?

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Save TimeEvery year, CIO.com honors the top 100 CIOs who drive innovation and business value within their companies. The theme among this year’s winners: Speed. CIOs that use IT to improve overall business speed.

I believe this is the future of IT departments. IT can no longer afford to make the business wait for solutions. If the business views IT as an impediment to progress, they’ll find another way. Rather, the modern-day IT department must make the entire business operate more efficiently.

Now, I realize that many CIOs and IT professionals recognize this fact…but feel it’s out of reach. Why? While the reasons vary, the most common reason is this: Their company is locked to outdated enterprise software. Adding new features to their enterprise software is anything but fast. Delivering new solutions that work with their enterprise applications is anything but easy.

How can IT departments in these companies drive innovation and speed up the company when they’re locked to outdated enterprise software?

Here’s one solution: Build web applications over the outdated enterprise software. It’s not about adding another piece of software to the mix, it’s about integrating open standards and new features with the technology the business already uses. It’s about making your existing software better.

Weekly recap: 10 signs your IT department has tunnel vision, mobilizing enterprise apps, and more…

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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 IT tunnel vision, mobilizing enterprise applications, and more. I hope you find them useful:

CIOs say mobilizing enterprise apps is not that easy
What’s keeping you from mobilizing your enterprise applications? Is it the cost? Is it too difficult? Do you not know where to start? If so, here’s some good news: Mobilizing your enterprise apps isn’t difficult. This page explains a simple way to quickly create mobile web app versions of your existing enterprise applications.
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Weekly recap: 10 signs your IT department has tunnel vision, mobilizing enterprise apps, and more…Read More »

How to buy business software you won’t regret later

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Save MoneyIt’s a sinking feeling. You realize that you’ve lost countless hours. Thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of dollars are simply gone. Everyone blames you.

Business software purchasing mistakes are expensive (and embarrassing) lessons. Especially if you’re the one making the decision. For you, it’s more than a software purchase. You stake your pride and reputation to that purchase. If the software doesn’t meet expectations, it’s on you.

What makes a software purchase go south? The reasons vary. Maybe the software didn’t live up to the hype. Maybe it became prohibitively expensive over time. Maybe it couldn’t meet your company’s future needs. I could go on. Whatever the reason, it’s always an expensive, embarrassing lesson.

The question: How can you avoid these mistakes?

If you’re in charge of software purchasing, I’d like to help. While every business and situation is different, there are a few areas every business must consider before purchasing business software. To help you identify those areas, I’ve solicited input from experts on the subject and compiled their advice below. Here are 10 tips that will help you purchase software that you won’t later regret.
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Mobile apps aren’t the future

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Education
With 52% of the market, Android currently rules the mobile OS world. But, can you predict what the mobile OS landscape will look like in just two short years?

Before assuming that iOS and Android will still lead the pack, consider these facts:

  • Canonical (creators of the Ubuntu OS) is working on creating a super-phone that will function as both a smartphone and a PC. So far, they have over $6 million from contributors backing the project.
  • Mozilla (creators of the Firefox browser) has created their own mobile OS. In fact, a smartphone running the brand new Firefox OS was recently released in Spain.
  • Samsung and Intel have partnered to back the development of an open-source mobile OS, called “Tizen”. They recently put together a $4 million system to attract app developers.
  • A group of ex-Nokia employees joined forces and started a company named “Jolla”. They’re working on creating the “Sailfish OS”, a reincarnation of the Meego OS.

That’s right. Shortly, the mobile OS landscape will have some new, well-backed players.

What does this mean for business? Mobile (native) apps aren’t the future. At least not for the business world.

The web is the future.

Think about it: The mobile platform landscape is becoming even more fragmented. Do you want to spend time and money building mobile apps for a platform that may or may not be popular in a few years? What if another platform emerges? Do you build new apps for that platform?

Or, do you build applications for the web?

A mobile web app works on all platforms, both now and in the future. There’s no need to worry what OS changes the future holds. I don’t know about you, but I like to limit risk in my business decisions. Mobile web apps let me do just that. I can reach all mobile devices with little or no risk.

If you’d like to learn more about why native mobile apps aren’t the future, we put together a white paper that explains everything in more detail. You can download it right here: Native mobile apps: The wrong choice for business?

7 key Business Intelligence trends of the near future

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EducationIBM 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

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EducationIf 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: …

Here’s a 15-point reporting software checklistRead More »

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

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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 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. …

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