Top 6 blogs and podcasts for CIOs – part I
In today’s digital age, technology is the key differentiator for any organisation. Companies spend a lot of money trying to stay up to date with current trends in the tech world. The person responsible for leading the information technology strategy within a company is often the Chief Information Officer (CIO).
CIOs are senior business executives who have massive responsibility for implementing the IT structure within an organisation. Scope of their work includes, among others, conducting thorough research on the latest technologies, addressing the risks associated with digitalisation and creating strategies that would leverage technology to improve business results.
CIOs also have to keep in mind that there needs to be synchronisation between the technology department and other verticals of the business.
Another C-level position that is affected by technology trends is that of the CTO (Chief Technology Officer). In some businesses, the lines between the roles blur but the key difference between CIO and CTO is that the latter is concerned with using technology to improve the company’s product offerings to the external buyer, whereas the former is associated with internal day to day IT operations. In other words, CIO’s job is largely internal, while CTO’s role is more external.
To achieve success as CIO or CTO, you must grasp and quickly respond to a number of challenges that appear in the tech sector. To help you do that, we present a list of blogs & podcasts that are essential reads for every CIO and CTO. Many of these blogs have IT leaders as their frequent collaborators.
1. CIO WaterCooler
The CIO WaterCooler is a free, open and supportive social network for CIOs and leading technologists from around the world. They come together, share their news and views and discuss the challenges facing the industry.
CIO WaterCooler features a rich collection of inspiring articles, blogs and ideas from IT leaders, analysts and service providers, who impart knowledge on various aspects of technology, share their views and highlight the upcoming challenges that companies are facing or are likely to face. Discussions on best practices and ethical business are also conducted.
Incorporating thought-provoking articles and ideas make the site a must-read for executives.
2. StartNearshoring
StartNearshoring is the go-to portal for insights about nearshore IT outsourcing created by experts from Future Processing. It’s an educational platform aimed at CIOs, CTOs and upper management who are looking for practical knowledge in the area of nearshore IT outsourcing.
The platform provides readers with guidance on how to solve some typical IT challenges. Numerous expert articles, e-books, infographics and videos published on the portal touch upon a lot of subjects related to IT project management, software development, governance, requirements engineering, to name just a few.
Apart from the above, there are also useful downloadable tools helping to evaluate potential IT suppliers, such as RFI template or fully customisable RFI scoring matrix.
3. Salesforce’s IT blog
It makes sense for a cloud-based software company to design blogs for industry professionals. Salesforce takes this notion one step further. Their blogs feature, among others, Q&A session with leaders in the tech domain, many of whom are highly renowned CIOs themselves, offering insights on how the technology will change our future and impact the way we conduct business.
You’ll also find there great content relating agility in business to commerce and, to add a personal touch, Salesforce offers a sneak peek into the lives of IT leaders and their inspirations.
4. Spark from CBC Radio
A different entry from the rest on the list is the podcast from CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) entitled Spark.
Spark is an ongoing conversation about our rapidly changing world. The host, Nora Young, explores how technology, innovation and design affect our lives.
To promote audience participation, listeners are encouraged to engage in conversations on Spark Blog and to become “Spark Contributors”, who can also send messages or questions for guests during live podcasts.
Elements like these have made the show a huge success since its launch in September 2007.
5. The Doppler Report
Cloud technology is broadly embraced across industries and will only continue to gain momentum. Domain knowledge in this field could be a step towards attaining success.
Published by Cloud Technology Partners (CTP), a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, The Doppler is a one-stop shop for all information relating to cloud and its applications. It is one of the industry’s most trusted source of independent cloud computing news, best practices and expert advice. CIO professionals looking for cloud computing knowledge will find the blog extremely useful.
Leveraging their expertise in cloud, CTP also shares best practices to be followed on a wide range of cloud topics. Subjects covered include Machine Learning, Cloud economics, Cloud strategy, data integration & digital innovation, to name just a few.
6. WB-40
The podcasts provide knowledge on how technology is changing the way we work. The breadth and depth of technological issues covered in these podcasts have made them a success and each CIO will surely find something useful there.
Matt Ballantine and Chris Weston host the podcasts on a weekly basis. Matt is a researcher and technology writer, providing strategic advice to technology leaders. He is a veteran in the fields of global media and digital business. While his co-host, Chris, mentors organisations to improve their business by utilizing innovative IT technologies. He was ranked #30 on the list of top 100 IT leaders by CIO magazine in 2016.
As leaders in the technology domain of any organisation, CIOs must keep themselves updated on trends emerging on the tech market. Blogs and podcasts are a perfect way to do that. Convenient and easy to consume, they allow acquiring multi-dimensional knowledge on topics which are in the area of your interest.
If you found our list useful, check the first part of the article and expand it with your own suggestions of blogs and podcasts worth following!
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An educational portal aimed at CIOs, CTOs and upper management interested in technology who are looking for practical knowledge in the area of software nearshoring.
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