In this episode, John and Johna share the findings from the recent [Next] conference that most inspired them: How to project-manage an 18-year effort to put a drone on Titan, why AI algorithms need to consider the factor of time, how to train robots, and why effective storytelling is an essential tool in a technology... Read more »

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good… it’s a challenge that architects and strategists often face. They may design a “perfect” architecture or strategy, only to see it overwhelmed by the realities of implementation. John Burke and Johna Johnson discuss the questions to ask to ensure that devotion to the perfect doesn’t... Read more »

Cisco CIO Fletcher Previn visits Heavy Strategy to talk about how to create a technology culture, what it’s like being “customer zero”, and other challenges and tribulations of running IT from inside one of the world’s largest tech companies. Episode Guest: Fletcher Previn, SVP & Chief Information Officer, Cisco Fletcher Previn has over two decades... Read more »

Network veteran Russ White joins the Heavy Strategy team for a rousing discussion on why protocols fail, how much complexity is too much, why “premature optimization is the root of all evil” (Donald Knuth) and why architects should always remember to think about state. Episode Guest: Russ White, Senior Architect, Akamai Technologies For the last... Read more »

The low-code/no-code movement means business users who aren’t programmers can create software. This capability might make these citizen coders more efficient and productive, but could also pose risks due to a lack of formal training in software development and security. Is citizen coding a boon or bane to business? Johna Johnson and John Burke discuss... Read more »

AI seems to be changing everything, including your IT infrastructure. Do you have a strategic plan for your AI infrastructure? Today we discuss the merits and challenges of cloud computing, on-premises solutions, hybrid models, and edge computing along with the importance of low latency for real-time AI applications and the potential of edge computing in... Read more »

To borrow a phrase first used in a military context, no tech strategy survives its first contact with real users. Today’s Heavy Strategy explores common mistakes executives make when developing and executing a technology plan. They include poor communication, making assumptions, not understanding a system’s architecture or dependencies, and more. Co-hosts Johna and Jerry draw... Read more »

When choosing vendors, what strategy should you employ: big rock, best-in-breed, or ecosystem? The big rock approach consolidates vendor relationships around a few strategic partners. Best-in-breed focuses on selecting top solutions from various vendors. The ecosystem model combines elements of both. Today’s conversation explores all three models and also highlights the importance of integration, the... Read more »

Should enterprises ditch Microsoft because of security concerns? Microsoft’s numerous vulnerabilities and questionable responses make it a significant risk for continued use. At the same time, Microsoft’s strong integration and utility in enterprise environments make it attractive for continued use. Johna Till Johnson and John Burke debate. They also weigh considerations including the challenges of... Read more »

The evolving role of IT in business is the topic of lively discussion between co-hosts Johna Johnson and John Burke.  Johna argues that IT should align with business goals, acting as an executive assistant, while John believes IT should take a proactive leadership role, driving innovation and framing business problems. They explore the challenges IT... Read more »

This is Greg’s last Heavy Strategy episode before he heads off to retirement. He gives us his final pieces of career and life advice, opinions on private equity, and a Cookie Monster quote. We also briefly introduce John Burke, the new Heavy Strategy co-host. Farewell, Greg. Thank you for all the great debates. Episode Transcript... Read more »

Asking questions is a critical skill whether you’re an outside consultant or on an internal IT team. In today’s episode, Greg and Johna review what kind of questions to ask and how to ask them. They discuss the ‘Five Whys,’ identifying points of invariance, discovering unknown unknowns, and watching out for landmines. They also cover... Read more »

To be an effective technologist in a corporation, your efforts need to be aligned with the business strategy of your organization. In today’s episode, Johna and Greg show you how to do this, even if your organization has no written business strategy. They explain how to “read the tea leaves” to tell if your organization... Read more »

Firing the wrong person, mistakenly rebooting core switches in a massive network, not passing the CCIE exam– today we talk all about failure. For this conversation, we’re joined by fellow Packet Pushers Kyler Middleton and Ned Bellavance, hosts of the Day Two Cloud podcast. We swap stories, discuss response and prevention, and talk about accountability,... Read more »

Don’t call it remote work. Today Johna and Greg dive into distributed work– the future where there is no office vs. remote, there are just asynchronistic workers and their computer screens. Leaders have to move beyond “management by walking around” or “onboarding by shadowing.” They need to carefully select their ecosystem of tools (and tools... Read more »

Why are some executives still insisting on Return to Office policies? Does it improve culture and productivity like they swear? Or is it more about the devaluing of a massive asset on their books: Commercial real estate. If the value of commercial real estate drops, companies have less to leverage for loans and– perhaps more... Read more »

Right now we’re in the first generation of edge architecture. We won’t even really know how to define it until we’re past it. Greg and Johna discuss the operational milieu in which the edge is forming: Vast numbers of IoT devices, increased remote computing capabilities, questions around cloud operational costs and efficiency, and vendors jostling... Read more »

Welcome to a crossover episode with the Day Two Cloud podcast! AI has been around forever; AI is emergent. AI is just data analytics; AI hallucinates. AI doesn’t have many business use cases; AI is already being used by your employees. Today, Greg and Johna from the Heavy Strategy podcast join Day Two Cloud to... Read more »

In today’s episode Greg and Johna spar over how, when, and why to regulate AI. Does early regulation lead to bad regulation? Does late regulation lead to a situation beyond democratic control? Comparing nascent regulation efforts in the EU, UK, and US, they analyze socio-legal principles like privacy and distributed liability. Most importantly, Johna drives... Read more »

What does having a tech strategy actually do for an organization? In today’s episode, Greg and Johna highlight how a good tech strategy benefits a company: creates a foundation of first principles, reduces bias in vendor decisions, better allocates human resources, kills bad ideas, sunsets projects, and makes meetings a little more enjoyable and harmonious.... Read more »

Exactly who should be on your technology strategy team? From inside your organization, who should represent the areas that come into play: Business, development, operations, etc? And what about outsiders–what kind of external consultant do you want for your strategy team? Do you even need one? Johna and Greg cover it all in today’s episode.... Read more »

It’s rare for strategists, executives, and technologists to all get on the same page in order to create, execute, and adjust an organization’s tech strategy, much less do it well. But it is possible. Johna and Greg discuss their experiences of seeing through some consultants’ smoke and mirrors, honestly evaluating an organization’s capability to implement... Read more »

AI and automation are hot topics in telco, but not all projects are created equal in terms of the bottom-line value. We dive into how to calculate total value, and discuss why the area of assurance looks set to generate the most value. We provide key questions to ask when considering what AIOps to add... Read more »

Welcome, trailblazers and visionaries! Today, I’m thrilled to unpack a treasure trove of wisdom that zooms into the exhilarating realm of strategy architecture and the craft of sculpting strategy roadmaps on a shoestring budget. The Thrill of Resourcefulness In this episode, my esteemed co-host Johna and I dove headfirst into a challenge that plagues countless... Read more »

Hosts Greg Ferro and Johna Till Johnson reflect on the technological advancements of 2023 and discuss the trends for 2024. In this wide-ranging conversation, they chat about the rise of AI, tech consolidation, and the impact of automation on infrastructure. They also explore the geopolitical impact on supply chains, the move away from Chinese manufacturing,... Read more »

Johna and Greg discuss service-oriented networking and the challenges of defining and delivering network services. They explore the negative impact of siloed organizational structures on service delivery and the importance of continuous adaptation in infrastructure management. They debate the perception of services by users, using metaphors like sidewalks and electricity, and the importance of defining... Read more »

The difference between training and education is signficant and technology industry often conflates these terms. They are vastly different ways to providing learning and we dive into why we need more education and less training. The post HS061 What is IT Training or Education appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The difference between training and education is signficant and technology industry often conflates these terms. They are vastly different ways to providing learning and we dive into why we need more education and less training.

Powering data centres is big deal in current decade. Massive increases in consumption and scaling of off-prem clouds has exceeded the capacity of civilian power grids while cloud operators are reluctant to sign thirty year supply agreements so that more power plants can be built. Enter power micro-generation where large DCs needs too small power supply. The post HS060 Power Micro-Generation for Data Center appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Powering data centres is big deal in current decade. Massive increases in consumption and scaling of off-prem clouds has exceeded the capacity of civilian power grids while cloud operators are reluctant to sign thirty year supply agreements so that more power plants can be built. Enter power micro-generation where too large DCs needs too small... Read more »

Our conversation begins with an exploration of the concept of cognitive load in relation to platforms. David, despite being an IT professional and not a psychiatrist, brought an intriguing perspective to the table. He emphasized how platforms, such as VMware, Kubernetes, and Cloud Foundry, are designed to remove effort from users, making it easier for... Read more »

As the host of this podcast, I had the pleasure of engaging in a fascinating discussion with our special guest, David Stengel, an IT professional with a unique perspective on the cognitive load of platforms in organizations. The Concept of Cognitive Load in Platforms Our conversation began with an exploration of the concept of cognitive load in relation to platforms. David, despite being an IT professional and not a psychiatrist, brought an intriguing perspective to the table. He emphasized how platforms, such as VMware, Kubernetes, and Cloud Foundry, are designed to remove effort from users, making it easier for them to build and accomplish tasks. However, he pointed out that while everyone is focused on making the developer experience easy, they often overlook the impact of cognitive load on the entire organization. This cognitive load, or mental workload, encompasses the challenges of getting tasks done. The Purpose of Platforms in IT We then shifted our discussion to the purpose of platforms in IT, which is to reduce the cognitive burden and allow humans to focus on the business problem rather than the underlying technology. As platforms become more complex, it becomes impossible for developers to be conscious of every technical detail. The goal is to abstract away the complexity and allow developers to focus on their tasks. I added that while it's important to learn the basics, when working, developers should not actively think about them unless it's necessary. We concluded this part of our discussion by emphasizing the importance of finding platforms that are appropriate for the organization's capabilities and needs. Managing Complexity in Platforms Our conversation then moved to the concept of managing complexity in platforms. We highlighted that building a platform does not eliminate complexity, but rather manages it for a specific consumption of services. We drew parallels between the simplification of hardware infrastructure with the introduction of VMware for virtualization and the restricted choices in microservices with containers and immutable infrastructure. We also touched on the shift in responsibility from IT groups to developers in terms of managing platforms. We discussed how the level of support and access to abstractions can vary depending on the organization. We mentioned the cognitive load involved in load balancing and how the cost of elastic load balancing in AWS has become a significant expense for customers. Practical Implications of Understanding Cognitive Load We explored the practical implications of understanding cognitive load in platforms. We suggested evaluating the effectiveness of the platform and its usability by considering the activities and mental workload required for different tasks. We emphasized the importance of treating platforms as businesses with customers and gathering feedback to improve the user experience. We concluded our conversation with a mention of the potential role of AI in analyzing and optimizing cognitive load. We discussed the possibility of automating data collection and analysis to identify areas where time and effort are being spent and make informed decisions about platform usage and optimization. Cognitive Load and Its Impact on Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Our conversation revolved around the concept of cognitive load and its impact on problem-solving and decision-making. We discussed how technology has evolved over the years, making it easier to analyze data and observe behaviors to optimize processes. However, we emphasized the importance of considering the subjective experience of individuals in the organization and understanding their feelings towards their work. The Balance Between Experience and Innovation We shifted to the balance between experience and innovation, with David mentioning the danger of engineers sticking to outdated solutions. We also discussed the importance of distributing cognitive load within a team and the concept of psychological capital, which includes personal efficacy and belief in one's ability to get things done. Wrapping Up As we wrapped up our discussion, we thanked David Stengel for contributing to the conversation about cognitive load and IT architecture. We encouraged listeners to provide feedback and suggest topics they would like to hear more about. We also invited listeners to join the community at packetpushers.net to engage in discussions with other professionals. We concluded the episode with a reminder to check out the other technology content available on the Packet Pushers network and to sign up for the community at community.thenetworkcollective.com. We expressed our gratitude for the listeners' support and announced that the next episode will be released in a couple of weeks. In conclusion, our conversation with David Stengel provided valuable insights into the cognitive load of platforms in organizations. It highlighted the importance of understanding and managing this cognitive load to improve the effectiveness and usability of platforms. It also emphasized the need for organizations to consider the subjective experience of individuals and the balance between experience and innovation in managing cognitive load. The post HS059 Cognitive Load and Platforms appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Today we debate its technoloyg is reaching a stable phase. Greg argues that we are in a period of stability, citing resistance to change and a slowdown in advancements. Johna believes that the rise of quantum computing and AI will lead to significant disruptions. They also discuss the future of AI and quantum computing, with Johna predicting a transformative impact by 2026, while Greg suggests a slower adoption due to existing heavy investments in technology. The post HS058 Are We Pausing the Technology Cycle appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Today we debate its technoloyg is reaching a stable phase. Greg argues that we are in a period of stability, citing resistance to change and a slowdown in advancements. Johna believes that the rise of quantum computing and AI will lead to significant disruptions. They also discuss the future of AI and quantum computing, with Johna predicting a transformative impact by 2026, while Greg suggests a slower adoption due to existing heavy investments in technology.

In this podcast episode, Johna and I discuss the concept of technical debt. We provide different definitions of technical debt, with me focusing on the inability to switch solutions easily and Johna emphasizing the trade-off between immediate speed and long-term efficiency. We give examples of technical debt, such as outdated systems and insecure infrastructure, and […] The post HS057 Technical Debt appeared first on Packet Pushers.

In this podcast episode, Johna and I discuss the concept of technical debt. We provide different definitions of technical debt, with me focusing on the inability to switch solutions easily and Johna emphasizing the trade-off between immediate speed and long-term efficiency. We give examples of technical debt, such as outdated systems and insecure infrastructure, and... Read more »

Taking your feedback and followup and discussing the questions you bring us. Zero Trust Defintions, Out of Band in Zero Trust, Johna and/or Greg is/are insufferable and re-evaluating the Tech Job Debacle with hindsight. The post Heavy Strategy 56: FU to the Followup appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Taking your feedback and followup and discussing the questions you bring us. Zero Trust Defintions, Out of Band in Zero Trust, Johna and/or Greg is/are insufferable and re-evaluating the Tech Job Debacle with hindsight.

A special guest today, Keith Townsend joins Johna Greg to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing compared to on-premises infrastructure. We start by clarifying the definition of cloud and emphasizing the significance of software-defined infrastructure and automation in on-premises data centers. Keith shares his perspective on hybrid infrastructure and making the case for a combination of on-premises and off-premises resources as the future of enterprise IT. The post HS055 Cloud Is Not The Only Future ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

A special guest today, Keith Townsend joins Johna Greg to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing compared to on-premises infrastructure. We start by clarifying the definition of cloud and emphasizing the significance of software-defined infrastructure and automation in on-premises data centers. Keith shares his perspective on hybrid infrastructure and making the case for a combination of on-premises and off-premises resources as the future of enterprise IT.

Are you interested in learning more about aligning technology choices with organizational goals? Our podcast has got you covered! Listen now to explore the importance of technology alignment with business objectives. The post HS054 Matching IT and Corporate Culture appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Are you interested in learning more about aligning technology choices with organizational goals? Our podcast has got you covered! Listen now to explore the importance of technology alignment with business objectives.

The use of physical infrastructure has changed substantially in the last three years. Data centres are scaling down, offices and branches are being re-considered. One view is that offices are ‘playgrounds’ where white collar workers gather to chat, socialise, drink free coffee and have face-to-face for one or two days a week. An opposing view is that its legacy way of working but it will take time for people to adapt to remote work.  The post HS053 IT Facilities in 2023 appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The use of physical infrastructure has changed substantially in the last three years. Data centres are scaling down, offices and branches are being re-considered. One view is that offices are ‘playgrounds’ where white collar workers gather to chat, socialise, drink free coffee and have face-to-face for one or two days a week. An opposing view is that its legacy way of working but it will take time for people to adapt to remote work. 

As technology becomes more critical and vital to companies business leaders are beginning to question the reliability and liability. Insurers now require audits and demand complienace with set practices before issuing a policy. Corporate boards are realising that so-called tech professionals have zero training or professional requirement, consultants have even less and the analysts are […] The post HS052 Professional Liability and Qualified Design appeared first on Packet Pushers.

As technology becomes more critical and vital to companies business leaders are beginning to question the reliability and liability. Insurers now require audits and demand complienace with set practices before issuing a policy. Corporate boards are realising that so-called tech professionals have zero training or professional requirement, consultants have even less and the analysts are... Read more »

Oft-asked question that doesn't have a right answer. We discuss non-convential answers that career coaches or self-help twaddle won't give you. The post HS051 Things I Wish I’d Known Back When appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Oft-asked question that doesn't have a right answer. We discuss non-convential answers that career coaches or self-help twaddle won't give you.

Google, Microsoft, Twitter, META/FB and a few others laid off an estimated 200,000 tech and tech-adjacent folks in recent weeks. Other companies like Fedex and Amazon have made layoffs, many impacting the IT teams. What does that mean for the tech industry? Between AI and our corporate overlords are we all lucky to be employed, and should we go back to working 80 hour in-office weeks?  The post HS050 The Tech Job Debacle appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Google, Microsoft, Twitter, META/FB and a few others laid off an estimated 200,000 tech and tech-adjacent folks in recent weeks. Other companies like Fedex and Amazon have made layoffs, many impacting the IT teams. What does that mean for the tech industry? Between AI and our corporate overlords are we all lucky to be employed, and should we go back to working 80 hour in-office weeks? 

IT organisations tend towards two strategic approaches - enduring, permanent and susatined. Or short term, consumable and fungible IT. The post HS049 Evanescent vs Enduring IT appeared first on Packet Pushers.

IT organisations tend towards two strategic approaches - enduring, permanent and susatined. Or short term, consumable and fungible IT.

Many business executives are incompetent scumbags and yet they managed to get the job and get paid serious money. What can technology engineers learn from these fools so that they get the same results aka more money and less work. The post HS048 Using Personal Product Branding To Be Better Paid Technology Engineer appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Many business executives are incompetent scumbags and yet they managed to get the job and get paid serious money. What can technology engineers learn from these fools so that they get the same results aka more money and less work.

What are these roles and how do they fit into a strategy ? Who solves problems, designs solutions, and tests to make sure that’s workable ? How do we create/train people for these roles ? What about professional liability ? The post HS047: Architect/Engineers/Operations, Career Progression and Liability appeared first on Packet Pushers.

What are these roles and how do they fit into a strategy ? Who solves problems, designs solutions, and tests to make sure that’s workable ? How do we create/train people for these roles ? What about professional liability ?

The new geopolitical reality means that China is part of IT Strategy. The supply chain is changing, joint ventures are limited and more. The post HS046 What Do We Do About China ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The new geopolitical reality means that China is part of IT Strategy. The supply chain is changing, joint ventures are limited and more.

AIOps is been a buzzword but public generative AI and LLMs like ChatGPT mean there is a lot more awareness and demand. In todays sponsored show we are talking to Vitria about VIA AI Ops and how you can add it to your IT strategy. The post HS045 Seize Opportunities for Modern IT Operations with VIA (Sponsored) appeared first on Packet Pushers.

AIOps is been a buzzword but public generative AI and LLMs like ChatGPT mean there is a lot more awareness and demand. In todays sponsored show we are talking to Vitria about VIA AI Ops and how you can add it to your IT strategy.

So much wasted marketing on Digital Transformation. Was it all bollocks or was there something real underneath the bombast and hype ? The post HS044 Is Digital Transformation Bollocks ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

So much wasted marketing on Digital Transformation. Was it all bollocks or was there something real underneath the bombast and hype ?

Differences between project (disruption, replacement), service (smooth, continuous) and product (updates, changes) mean that process and people have very different approach to technology management and operations. The post Heavy Strategy 43 Is The IT Team In The Service, Project or Product Business appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Differences between project (disruption, replacement), service (smooth, continuous) and product (updates, changes) mean that process and people have very different approach to technology management and operations.

Short answer is yes. Long answer is long. CHatGPT is useful for demonstrating potential and getting more funding for AI. In terms of potential for real work, well, its not good enough. The post HS0042 Is ChatGPT Coming For Your Job appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Short answer is yes. Long answer is long. CHatGPT is useful for demonstrating potential and getting more funding for AI. In terms of potential for real work, well, its not good enough.

We talk a lot about automation and orchestration and how they can change your network strategy and smooth network workflows. But not everybody wants to sit around writing code and building test labs. Greg and Johna talk with Josh Stephens and Chanoch Marmorstein from sponsor BackBox about its network automation software, how it fits into a network operations strategy, and how BackBox focuses on the network engineer. The post HS041 Intelligent Network Automation With BackBox – Sponsored appeared first on Packet Pushers.

We talk a lot about automation and orchestration and how they can change your network strategy and smooth network workflows. But not everybody wants to sit around writing code and building test labs. Greg and Johna talk with Josh Stephens and Chanoch Marmorstein from sponsor BackBox about its network automation software, how it fits into a network operations strategy, and how BackBox focuses on the network engineer.

It might be curmudgeon day. Johna and Greg ask what are mistakes that we have seen in technology strategies. The post HS040 Top Mistakes Technology Strategists Make appeared first on Packet Pushers.

It might be curmudgeon day. Johna and Greg ask what are mistakes that we have seen in technology strategies.

After setting questions and perspectives on What is Enterprise Architecture, the natural sequence is How to Maintain and Operate an Architecture team. The post HS039 Operating an Enterprise Architecture Function appeared first on Packet Pushers.

After setting questions and perspectives on What is Enterprise Architecture, the natural sequence is How to Maintain and Operate an Architecture team.

Some companies use formal Enterprise Architecture (EA) to maintan a consistent IT strategy. Its not often successful so we discuss possible ways to practically maintain the EA function. The post HS038 What is Enterprise Architecture And How To Plan For It appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Some companies use formal Enterprise Architecture (EA) to maintan a consistent IT strategy. Its not often successful so we discuss possible ways to practically maintain the EA function.

Are there angles on future metaverse that make sensee ? Johna and Greg dive into their perspectives on what is a metaverse and converge on the face that its a form of collaboration. Potentially it could be immersive with VR googles but more likely it’s about engaging data from external domains into the collaboration experience. The post Heavy Strategy 037 – Metaversing The Office is More Than One Thing appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Are there angles on future metaverse that make sensee ? Johna and Greg dive into their perspectives on what is a metaverse and converge on the face that its a form of collaboration. Potentially it could be immersive with VR googles but more likely it’s about engaging data from external domains into the collaboration experience.

You can't make a profit from Cybersecurity, its a cost. How do we work with business to see IT risk management on the same level as accounting and human resources ? Johna and Greg discuss various options on market, process and methods that could help you work on your cyber situation. The post HS036 Cyberstupid – Can We Stop Doing Dumb IT Security appeared first on Packet Pushers.

You can't make a profit from Cybersecurity, its a cost. How do we work with business to see IT risk management on the same level as accounting and human resources ? Johna and Greg discuss various options on market, process and methods that could help you work on your cyber situation.

Whats the deal with Quiet Quitting ? Johna & Greg get into a heated debate about the nature of work. Johna wants people to ‘do your job’, Greg wants ‘pay me more to do more’. How much can a companies expect from their employees as hustle culture is being rejected by more people. The post HS035 Quiet Quitting Hustle Culture appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Whats the deal with Quiet Quitting ? Johna & Greg get into a heated debate about the nature of work. Johna wants people to ‘do your job’, Greg wants ‘pay me more to do more’. How much can a companies expect from their employees as hustle culture is being rejected by more people.

Should LEO space networks be part of your network ? Are there common questions about using and designing for them ? What should be expecting from your telco ? The post HS033 Getting real about LEO Space Networking appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Should LEO space networks be part of your network ? Are there common questions about using and designing for them ? What should be expecting from your telco ?

Graphiant Stateless Cloud WAN addresses the limitations of SDWAN - better scalability, more flexibility and service guarantees. Their stateless network core is multi-tenant, predictable and scalable. Customers get the benefit of SDWAN with less of the problems. We unpack the details in this episiode with Khalid Raza, Founder and CEO of Graphiant and ask questions to understand how it would fit your strategy. The post HS034 Introducing Graphiant Stateless Cloud WAN – Sponsored appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Graphiant Stateless Cloud WAN addresses the limitations of SDWAN - better scalability, more flexibility and service guarantees. Their stateless network core is multi-tenant, predictable and scalable. Customers get the benefit of SDWAN with less of the problems. We unpack the details in this episiode with Khalid Raza, Founder and CEO of Graphiant and ask questions to understand how it would fit your strategy.

Is there a role for career mentors and coaches in modern IT ? We discuss the topic and establish some points. IT Careers are high value and high effort but unlike other professions (such as law or medicine) there are no gatekeepers to working. This leads to training and ‘life coaches’ that are unregulated and often unprofessional. The post HS032 Mentors and Leadership appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Is there a role for career mentors and coaches in modern IT ? We discuss the topic and establish some points. IT Careers are high value and high effort but unlike other professions (such as law or medicine) there are no gatekeepers to working. This leads to training and ‘life coaches’ that are unregulated and often unprofessional.

We discuss how Kolide tools engage the user to improve end-point security. Monitoring devices and then contacting the user to gather more information and provide contextual questions is a novel approach. The post HS031 Kolide and Honest Security appeared first on Packet Pushers.

We discuss how Kolide tools engage the user to improve end-point security. Monitoring devices and then contacting the user to gather more information and provide contextual questions is a novel approach.

Both sides of the low code/no code debate. We outline two sides of the debate, discuss four topics in favour of low code and then cover four negatives. Avoidance of toil coding, avoid skill shortage and viable testing are good things. Lockin, shadow IT and ownership are problematic. Its a solid debate on the topic. The post HS030 Can Low Code Fit Your IT Strategy appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Both sides of the low code/no code debate. We outline two sides of the debate, discuss four topics in favour of low code and then cover four negatives. Avoidance of toil coding, avoid skill shortage and viable testing are good things. Lockin, shadow IT and ownership are problematic. Its a solid debate on the topic.

The pro and con's of having preferred supplier for IT technology ? You can save time and effort, simplify purchasing and move quicker but are you getting the best solution and support. We discuss different perspectives on going down the path and point out the subscription pricing moves towards vendor lockin. The post HS029 Do You Want A Strategic Vendor ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The pro and con's of having preferred supplier for IT technology ? You can save time and effort, simplify purchasing and move quicker but are you getting the best solution and support. We discuss different perspectives on going down the path and point out the subscription pricing moves towards vendor lockin.

We discuss different aspects of selecting technology to buy. Topics include business case, planning, selection, evaluation and review - as you might expect - but we find that there isn't one right answer. The post HS 028 – Do’s and Don’ts of Selecting Technology Provider appeared first on Packet Pushers.

We discuss different aspects of selecting technology to buy. Topics include business case, planning, selection, evaluation and review - as you might expect - but we find that there isn't one right answer.

Cold takes on the Broadcom/VMware acquisition. We consider Broadcom's stated goal to increase VMW profit margin from 35% to 65% and what this will mean to customer experience. The post HS027 Broadcom and VMware – What’s Gonna Happen? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Cold takes on the Broadcom/VMware acquisition. We consider Broadcom's stated goal to increase VMW profit margin from 35% to 65% and what this will mean to customer experience.

What are the right questions for developing and maintaining a technology strategy for your company ? The post HS 026 So You Want to Develop A Technology Strategy ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

What are the right questions for developing and maintaining a technology strategy for your company ?

Does planning for cybersecurity failure include the concept of 'crime scene' ? Can you provide evidence to an external investigation sufficient to get justice or simply prove to insurance investigator that you met the policy requirements ? Should you be lobbying governments ? How does this drive your cyber spending - defense, microsegmentation, detection or evidence collection ? The post HS025 Did You Know Your IT is a Crime Scene ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Does planning for cybersecurity failure include the concept of 'crime scene' ? Can you provide evidence to an external investigation sufficient to get justice or simply prove to insurance investigator that you met the policy requirements ? Should you be lobbying governments ? How does this drive your cyber spending - defense, microsegmentation, detection or evidence collection ?

Shadow IT does not always lead to bad outcom The post HS 024 – Is Shadow IT a Good Thing appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Shadow IT does not always lead to bad outcom

What about changing the work we do ? Perhaps with orchestration / automation and even AI ? So many questions, not many answers. The post HS 023 Horrors and Hurdles of Hybrid Work appeared first on Packet Pushers.

What about changing the work we do ? Perhaps with orchestration / automation and even AI ? So many questions, not many answers.

Contracts are caveat emptor but the client often knows little about the what they are buying and why. The post HS022 Top Mistakes Customers Make Dealing With Vendors appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Contracts are caveat emptor but the client often knows little about the what they are buying and why.

We start debating the nature of technical debt. What is it, how is it created before moving into solutions. Then we take an unexpected turn into operational debt, why its more important and how software defined has delivered solutions here. Also, we dunk on digital transformation. The post HS020 Are Operational and Technical Debt Complementary appeared first on Packet Pushers.

We start debating the nature of technical debt. What is it, how is it created before moving into solutions. Then we take an unexpected turn into operational debt, why its more important and how software defined has delivered solutions here. Also, we dunk on digital transformation.

Headlines about ‘great resignation’ tend to ignore that people are moving jobs not quitting work. We believe many people are making  choices about what work they want in their lives. We discuss four reasons:  1) toxic workplaces 2) lifestyle and remote work 3) downstepping and 4) early retirement. We note that recruiters are toxic arms […] The post HS021 The Great Realisation Not Great Resignation appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Headlines about ‘great resignation’ tend to ignore that people are moving jobs not quitting work. We believe many people are making  choices about what work they want in their lives. We discuss four reasons:  1) toxic workplaces 2) lifestyle and remote work 3) downstepping and 4) early retirement. We note that recruiters are toxic arms... Read more »

What makes a technology strategy ? Where do you start ? Are you business or solution centric ? Being a leader means risk and funding, being a follower is simpler and faster. What questions should you be asking when establishing an IT strategy ? Heavy Strategy is where the questions are more important than the […] The post HS019 Questions on Corporate Technology Strategy appeared first on Packet Pushers.

What makes a technology strategy ? Where do you start ? Are you business or solution centric ? Being a leader means risk and funding, being a follower is simpler and faster. What questions should you be asking when establishing an IT strategy ? Heavy Strategy is where the questions are more important than the... Read more »

Johna believes that API management is part of IT operations. Greg doesn't understand the question and so we set off in search of answers. The post HS018 API Management is a Configuration Problem appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Johna believes that API management is part of IT operations. Greg doesn't understand the question and so we set off in search of answers.

The internet has become part of society now and this means that governments will want to put controls on it. Are our standards bodies fit for purpose ? The post HS017 The Role of Standards in a Conflicted World appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The internet has become part of society now and this means that governments will want to put controls on it. Are our standards bodies fit for purpose ?

Discussing what might drives team structure in Enterprise IT. The post HS016 Team Structure for Technology Teams appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Discussing what might drives team structure in Enterprise IT.

With so much money allocated to marketing teams, why do customers find it disagreeable and unpleasant to be a victim of their activities ?  The post HS015: Targeting in IT Marketing – Who and When appeared first on Packet Pushers.

With so much money allocated to marketing teams, why do customers find it disagreeable and unpleasant to be a victim of their activities ? 

Do you need new hardware to cloud enable your infrastructure ? Should you strategise products on new hardware/greenfield basis or enable your existing brownfield infrastructure ? In this episode we discuss value of enabling existing infrastructure Beware of the vendor goldfield that Greenfield represents Whether supply chain impacts your decisions ? The value of federated […] The post HS014 Software Defined Infrastructure – New Build or Not ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Do you need new hardware to cloud enable your infrastructure ? Should you strategise products on new hardware/greenfield basis or enable your existing brownfield infrastructure ? In this episode we discuss value of enabling existing infrastructure Beware of the vendor goldfield that Greenfield represents Whether supply chain impacts your decisions ? The value of federated... Read more »

SaaS is popular as a 'not my problem' solution and easy-on-pocket entrè. So lets examine adversarial question "What does the customer lose?". Johna and Greg discuss many issues on both in the search for critical analysis on SaaS and the longer term impacts. The post HS013 SaaS Solutions – What Does the Customer Lose ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

SaaS is popular as a 'not my problem' solution and easy-on-pocket entrè. So lets examine adversarial question "What does the customer lose?". Johna and Greg discuss many issues on both in the search for critical analysis on SaaS and the longer term impacts.

A rarely covered topic in technology is professional development. Other careers have extensive programs to ensure practitioners develop and maintain a wide range of skills but this principle is rare in IT.   The post Heavy Strategy 012: Professional Development in Infrastructure Technology appeared first on Packet Pushers.

A rarely covered topic in technology is professional development. Other careers have extensive programs to ensure practitioners develop and maintain a wide range of skills but this principle is rare in IT.  

We discuss what we know so far about supply chain disruption, what impacts to your projects. We also consider resellers/distributors survival and what plans can companies make. The post HS011 Can We Survive IT Supply Chain Disruption appeared first on Packet Pushers.

We discuss what we know so far about supply chain disruption, what impacts to your projects. We also consider resellers/distributors survival and what plans can companies make.

When it comes to allocating budget for cybersecurity there are many approaches to breaking it down into line items. We discuss various ideas and possibilities that might offer some insight for your own situation. The post HS010 Budgeting for Cybersecurity appeared first on Packet Pushers.

When it comes to allocating budget for cybersecurity there are many approaches to breaking it down into line items. We discuss various ideas and possibilities that might offer some insight for your own situation.

How do you measure IT Security ? Specifically, how do you decide to allocate budget and justify the underlying reasoning. Most companies allocate a percentage of IT Budget, but Johna argues differently. The post HS 009 The Metrics of IT Security appeared first on Packet Pushers.

How do you measure IT Security ? Specifically, how do you decide to allocate budget and justify the underlying reasoning. Most companies allocate a percentage of IT Budget, but Johna argues differently.

What five issues would be top of mind for IT architects ? Security, Backup.Recovery, Cloud, Skills Development and Distributed/Hybrid Work. Listen in on why and how these issues are our choices. If you have feedback or want us to followup then head over to our Follow Up page and send us your anonymous (or not) feedback. The post Heavy Strategy 008: Five Core Issues for IT Architects in 2021 appeared first on Packet Pushers.

What five issues would be top of mind for IT architects ? Security, Backup.Recovery, Cloud, Skills Development and Distributed/Hybrid Work. Listen in on why and how these issues are our choices. If you have feedback or want us to followup then head over to our Follow Up page and send us your anonymous (or not) feedback.

Returning to the office is a key issue as companies learn that being "in person" is the new remote working The post HS007: Distributed Work and Return To Office Strategies appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Returning to the office is a key issue as companies learn that being "in person" is the new remote working

Some call it subscription but we call it renting your hyper-converged solution. Whats the business and technology strategy of consumption based HCI ? The post Heavy Strategy 006 – Renting your Hyperconverged Stack, Wrong or Right appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Some call it subscription but we call it renting your hyper-converged solution. Whats the business and technology strategy of consumption based HCI ?

The question: Is open source is viable for Enterprise IT ? The discussion resulted in describing the mechanics of onboarding new products as infection repsonse. Did the metaphor work ? The post Heavy Strategy 005 – Infection Handling Open Source In Enterprise IT appeared first on Packet Pushers.

The question: Is open source is viable for Enterprise IT ? The discussion resulted in describing the mechanics of onboarding new products as infection repsonse. Did the metaphor work ?

Kubernetes is operational not transformational. The post Heavy Strategy 004 – Is Kubernetes A Thing appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Kubernetes is operational not transformational.

Are DPU's something that you want ? What use cases can be addressed ? What makes them more than a SmartNIC ? How do you consume DPU's in your infrastructure ?  The post Heavy Strategy 003 – The Impact of DPUs, SmartNICs on IT Infrastructure Decision Making appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Are DPU's something that you want ? What use cases can be addressed ? What makes them more than a SmartNIC ? How do you consume DPU's in your infrastructure ? 

A topic that’s been popular from my blog is Microsoft is VMware’s biggest threat. The core of the conversation around it seems be about the stack. Does it make sense to outsource private and public cloud engineering to a provider such as Microsoft. An adjacent conversation is does VMware matter when you zoom out of […] The post Heavy Strategy 002 – Is Microsoft VMware’s Biggest Threat ? appeared first on Packet Pushers.

A topic that’s been popular from my blog is Microsoft is VMware’s biggest threat. The core of the conversation around it seems be about the stack. Does it make sense to outsource private and public cloud engineering to a provider such as Microsoft. An adjacent conversation is does VMware matter when you zoom out of... Read more »

Greg brings the topic of Hype in 5G Marketing and attempts to explain why some hype is legit but humans should care less. Keith puts the brakes on and provides context, breakdown and reality. The post HS001 – Detecting Hype in 5G Marketing appeared first on Packet Pushers.

Greg brings the topic of Hype in 5G Marketing and attempts to explain why some hype is legit but humans should care less. Keith puts the brakes on and provides context, breakdown and reality.

The preamble episode. What is Heavy Strategy ? The post The Preamble appeared first on Packet Pushers.