Author: Ubiq

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Time to Onboard New Partners for your Organization?

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Congratulations! You have signed on a new technology partner. Now, it’s time to acclimate them to your business and company culture.
CIO/CTOs not only lead technology for an organization. They also set the tone in building relationships with technology vendors and clients. What may be set for a short-term project, all parties would hope to turn it into a long-lasting partnership.
A key factor in positive partnerships is communication. The way we interact and engage with our partners can in itself be an indication of success. When signing on a new partner, both parties should want mutual success. However, to do that, we have to make them a part as much a part of your business as our colleagues.
On-boarding new partners begins before the contract is signed. From early introductions and demonstrations, we’re bringing people into our company culture. For example, requesting a wireless presentation with a potential vendor exposes them to your technology and communication style. Within the structure of the wireless presentation, you show how willing you are to share information and exchange ideas. It sets the team for collaborative work opportunities.
How do you develop an onboarding strategy for your new partners? Here are a few ways:

  • Relationship Management. As an IT leader, your time may be limited. Your partner may assign an account manager to you to oversee activities and address issues. At the same time, you should assign a relationship manager to them. The relationship manager will act as the central point of contact with the partner’s account manager. This could be a project manager, an analyst or a subject matter expert who can speak on your behalf and filter any questions or concerns for your team.
  • The length of a project shouldn’t determine the importance of a partnership. Give your new partner an opportunity to see your team in action. Consider hosting a project kick-off meeting or preliminary brainstorming session. Your new partner can begin to understand how individuals contribute to discussions and tasks, and vice versa. Then, you can together to identify those contributors are best fits for the project to work successfully
  • Productivity: Transparency is often a concern in projects that involve third parties. Productivity tools can promote communication through information sharing. From interactive spreadsheets to knowledge databases, teams can review projects together in real-time from any location. Wireless presentations can become work sessions with partners sharing updates across a secured network. You and your partner can make decisions together to promote engagement and optimize performance of your team members
  • Support: Partnerships thrive on positive collaboration. Both parties need to support each other throughout their relationship. From bug tracking to quality assurance testing, partners need to communicate with each other to resolve issues. How each side offers support will be indicative how successful the partnership will be.
  • Unified Communication System. How you communicate with your partner is just as important as the tools you use. Phone calls, emails, instant messaging and video conferencing offer a number of means to stay connected. However, bringing them together into a system and connecting your partner makes access easier. Certainly, security is a concern, but by setting parameters to make your partner more than a guest in your workflow can promote efficiencies in how information is exchanged and store.

Communication is a measure of success for any relationship. When bringing a new partner into your business, you are working towards the same goal. Therefore, both sides should be open to learning and sharing with each other. It brings two cultures together and could create a new long-lasting one.

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Is your IT Team more of a Generalists vs. Specialists?

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In baseball, every team player has a specialty by position in the field. First base, pitcher, short stop, etc.; each one has mastered a role and its related skillset to help their team win. Sometimes, there is a player who can successfully play multiple positions and can fill in gaps when necessary. While we’re talking sports, the same can be applied to the IT world.
When building your IT “Dream Team,” who wouldn’t want a team of specialists, all masters in a specific area from unified communications to wireless presentation. However, our resource availability may dictate whom we can bring on board. Your team may be a team of 1 or 100. Having a team of generalists versus core specialists may prove to be better depending on your business needs.
How can you ensure you have the right balance of skillsets to serve your colleagues while maintaining a secure work environment? Having “jacks of all trades” can be great, but there’s always the ending to that saying…”master of none.” On the other hand, having just a team of specialists can be an obstacle. For example, if your security specialist is unavailable, a project or call for support could be delayed.
Whether you’re building your IT team from scratch or reorganizing the structure, what are some things you can do as an IT leader?

  • Create Your Ideal Team. You have a vision on how you see your IT team structured and working in your organization. Put that vision to paper (or whiteboard) with roles and responsibilities mapped. It’s the framework for how you want your team to operate. This is where you can start to work towards filling gaps, assigning roles, seeking new talent, etc.
  • Manage Your Resources. Now it’s time to be realistic. As leaders, we have to understand that our dream may not come to fruition right now. It becomes a matter of what resources we have available to us: time, people and budget.
  • Time: Where are you on your IT roadmap? The projects that have concrete deadlines may require you to shift your team’s responsibilities. You may need to have more specialists on certain projects with generalists covering other team responsibilities
  • People: The number of employees you have now may increase or decrease depending on business needs and budgets. A small team may require more generalists than specialists to support the organization. Outsourcing your IT may be an option to keep specialists in-house or vice versa
  • Budget: Your working budget may include what you can afford to spend on projects, technology and people. The amount of money available to support your vision is critical. If the funds are available, then you will need to find ways to scale
  • Look at IT & Business Trends. New technology for your business may require a specialist versus a generalist to develop and implement. Examine whom your peers are hiring. Industry publications can give you some insights on how teams are structured to meet the changes in business styles and communication.
  • Promote Professional Development. New technology is also an opportunity for learning. Your generalists can become specialists with your support. You can grow your team from within the organization. Connect with your employees to ee how they want to grow with you. If resources allow, you can guide them on a learning track that can benefit you both 
  • Be Aligned. Your organization’s goals and objectives will give you direction on how your IT team will function. Hiring the right people is a part of that. Will your current team meet the challenges ahead? Do you need to bring on or develop specialties? Discuss with other leaders in your organization on how they see IT working for them. That way, you and your team can work with together towards the same goals

We want to be the champions of technology at work. IT generalists can cover the gamut of new technology, maintenance and support calls. IT specialists can set our organization apart with the tools to differentiate our business world. Nevertheless, having the right people has to fit in with our current structure, resources and goals.

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IT & Growth Hacking for Technology Startups

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What is growth hacking? For technology startups, it’s using marketing creativity, analytics and social media to build awareness, gain investments and to…well…GROW! Even at a tech startup, your IT team should be present to support the strategy and tactics to expand your company’s reach.
CB Insights reported that approximately 90% of startups fail within the first 3 years. The reasons range from the lack of market need to poor marketing. While it may not eliminate the failure potential, growth hacking can better position a new company to gauge market responses and connect with a targeted audience.
How does IT play a factor here? Growth hacking involves technology. As a new business, startups need IT to create a technical infrastructure that supports growth at a rapid pace. For example:

  • Projects will need productivity tools to connect people to information.
  • Communication tools like wireless presentations will need to support multiple device types across a secure, encrypted network.
  • Remote access to being teams together to a central location or hub
  • Site and application monitoring to ensure optimal performance
  • Flexible technology platforms from open source to development to cloud computing

Growth hacking relies on creativity. Therefore, IT becomes a partner with marketing to find feasible means to support and promote new marketing concepts and activities. From user experience to site speed, IT becomes a “nerve center” to deliver content through various channels. Third party and proprietary tools can be developed and programmed to gather data, exchange ideas and measure effectiveness. Marketing then uses those tools to optimize their efforts.
Growth hacking is that opportunity for partnership. It also is an opportunity to put your operations on display for new business and investments. Marketing and IT collaborating will set your brand’s reputation within the industry. That reputation will translate to your performance level and business growth.
For startups, the first years are critical. It’s not a time to “divide and conquer.” You It’s often “all hands on deck.” Therefore, collaboration and clear communication are necessary for success. For example:

  • A wireless presentation can be monitored by IT to ensure all is working and secure with little disruption to marketing
  • Productivity tools help IT and marketing stay on course with deadlines, rollouts and communication plans for any new products or services
  • Collaboration tools help marketing teams share information, while IT provides the platform and security

As a new business, IT and marketing play significant roles in setting it up for success. It’s that partnership that will move their business forward and create a market demand. Growth hacking allows both teams to make their mark in how the business is received and accepted within their industry.
How has your IT team worked to support a growth hacking strategy? Share with us!

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The Top 3 Strategic Questions That CIOs are Being Asked

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Recently, there has been some buzz around CIOs and their transforming role and influence in business strategy formation. While some companies are still lagging behind, others are benefitting by utilizing the knowledge and expertise of their CIOs. According to a survey by McKinsey and Company, overall performance increases when organizations involve IT leaders in business strategy.
IT leaders are accustomed to answering questions about technology. However, the evolving role is now often expected to answer new, more strategic questions. What are some of the most common strategic questions that organizations are asking their CIOs?
 
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How can technology help engage our employees?

One of the biggest problems facing company executive teams today is engaging employees. The latest Gallup poll stated that globally, only 13 percent of employees are engaged. Another survey found that an alarming 88 percent are not passionate about their work.
Many organizations have initiated employee engagement strategies and have enlisted CIOs to help. They are asking questions about how wireless presentation software, mobile devices, collaboration tools, smartwatches, and other technology can be used to increase engagement.

How can we improve our business performance?

The era of big data and analytics has allowed companies to more easily track information about their business processes and worker productivity. Technology is often used to collect this data, so some leaders are asking CIOs to help interpret it.
Also, as a result, companies are implementing tech-driven programs to help increase efficiency and optimize revenue. They want to know what types of software and devices are going to be the most cost-effective, agile, and successful.

How can we learn more about our customers━and our competition?

Companies are looking at CIOs to take a more active role in the customer experience. They are increasingly using data and technology to learn more about their customers and their competitors.
The most influential and effective CIOs will be at the forefront of these efforts. In some organizations, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and the CIO are partnering together to make more informed, data-based decisions about customer outreach and retention.
Lastly, the role of IT is becoming more prominent as the boundaries between the digital and brick-and-mortar business are breaking down. The knowledge and consultation of IT leaders is essential for many organizations that are launching or revamping their digital strategy.
As the importance of technology in business continues to grow, more companies are asking IT leaders tough strategic questions. CIOs that take an active role in strategic decision-making could help business and IT performance. Organizations that involve the CIO in these decisions are more likely to reap the benefits, while those that do not could fall behind their competition.

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5 Top Tech and IT Conferences for CIOs

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Conferences give IT leaders the chance to expand their knowledge, learn about the newest tools and trends, converse with like-minded peers, network, and develop innovative ideas and solutions to bring back to their organization.
There is no shortage of conferences to choose from either. For tech professionals, there is a conference for almost every niche, from application development to healthcare IT security. Some conferences are designed for IT leadership and address the issues and hot topics that CIOs are most concerned about. In this blog, we’ve compiled some of the best conferences for CIOs and other tech leaders.

Techweek

Techweek hosts many conferences in various locations throughout the year. Each event has a tech-based focus and has featured speakers from companies like Reddit, BuzzFeed, and Uber.
If there is a conference in your location, it is definitely worth attending. It gives CIOs the opportunity to network and make local business connections.
Plus, you can attend the expo portion and check out the newest tech products like collaboration tools, 3D printers, and wireless presentation software for free. If you’re lucky enough to receive an invitation to their private summit, you will be exclusively surrounded by C-suite executives that care about technology’s role in business.

Gartner CIO Leadership Forum

The Gartner CIO Leadership Forum is happening from February 21-23, in Phoenix Arizona. Being hosted by one of the top thought leaders and technology organizations in the world, you can imagine that the agenda will be filled with valuable events. The organization uses its annual CIO survey to identify the most pressing issues for leaders today, and then builds its agenda around those.

TechCrunch

Even though, TechCrunch Disrupt is over for this year but if you are a CIO at a startup company, TechCrunch Disrupt is one of the hottest events to attend. The conferences are held in different cities around the world, each highlighting innovative tech ideas and talent with pitch competitions and guest speakers. Well-known business leaders like Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer and Gemini bitcoin exchange founders, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss have spoken at past events.

ITExpo

The latest ITExpo took place in Anaheim, California in early October. Guests and speakers from some of the top tech companies in the world presented on topics affecting tech leadership teams. The annual event has dozens of seminars and workshops on numerous tech trends like content marketing, Skype for Business, and more for CIOs and tech professionals.

Oracle Open World

At the Oracle OpenWorld Conference, attendees can custom-build their experience by picking and choosing sessions ranging from a number of IT topics like cloud, big data, or mobile. They can also narrow their session choices by their company’s industry. Of course, the event focuses on Oracle products. However, if your organization is using their products, it is the perfect opportunity to learn more about them. Plus, there are other exhibitors and attendees from companies around the world, making it the prime place to network with IT leaders.
The best IT conferences help inspire CIOs to think of innovative solutions for their organization. By listening to successful leaders and interacting with others in the field, they can return to their companies rejuvenated and ready to turn those ideas into meaningful actions. What tech conferences will you be attending this year?
 

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4 Tips for Employee IT Security Training

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With the number of cyber attacks, data breaches, and other threats increasing each year, IT security is a top concern for organizations. Many company executives and CIOs are spearheading initiatives dedicated to protecting their information. Some are strengthening their IT security measures by upgrading software, hardware, and infrastructure. However, organizations often fail to address one of the biggest and often underestimated threats–their employees.
One study by CompTIA cited employees as a top concern, with 52 percent of breaches stemming from human error. Preventing human error requires creating effective security awareness and training efforts. In a 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey, 42 percent of respondents said employee security education and training helped to deter potential attacks, saving companies thousands in financial losses.
Unfortunately, crafting these initiatives is also a challenge for leaders everywhere. How can organizations improve their employee IT security training? Here are some tips:
 
Motivate them
The problem with some workers, is that they still do not realize that they play a very important role in the security of the company. For example, if they lose their smartphone or laptop that they use for work purposes, chances are, they aren’t thinking about protecting the company data on it. In order to make training more effective, leaders can motivate employees by praising them for smart security practices.
 
Break it down
A once-a-year seminar on IT security is not sufficient or effective. This model is unsuccessful, because it is nearly impossible to cover all the ins-and-outs of cybersecurity to your employees in one session. Even if you did, it’s likely that employees would only digest less than 10 percent of the information. Especially, if you start to discuss more technical concepts. Captivating their attention and engaging employees will likely grow more difficult the longer one training session becomes.
A more effective method is to have IT security training sessions multiple times a year. Even reminding employees about the importance of security and sending quick tips throughout the year will help to keep the information from going stale.
 
Make it easy
Make sure employees know the process to follow when problems arise by showing and engaging them. In order for training to be effective, organizations need to go beyond simply handing employees an IT security policy or handbook. The reality is that most likely no one will read it.
Organizations can use collaboration tools, gamification, and other technology to help engage them. Highlight the most important and most common threats and train on how to prevent those from happening. Organizations should provide supplemental information about security, but it should not be the only source of awareness.
 
Use secure presentation software.
Lastly, when presenting about sensitive data and company policies, use secure presentation software. If your training session is located out-of-office, you can use wireless presentation software instead of relying on equipment in a meeting room or other space. Utilizing it can decrease setup time and the risk of revealing sensitive information through faulty devices.
Employee IT security awareness and training may seem like an unnecessary or lackluster initiative. However, it is one of the most crucial elements to prevent costly security threats from happening. Improving the effectiveness of training with these tips will help engage employees and protect company data.

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5 Best Podcasts for Tech Professionals

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Podcasts are a popular way to pass the time, especially in the tech community. Techies can turn on a podcast and learn about the latest trends and tools like smart watches or wireless presentation software. Plus, they can listen to expert perspectives on how those tools are changing the IT and business landscape—all while making their daily commute or performing other tasks.
According to a recent study by Edison Research, at least 39 million people listen to podcasts each month. For tech professionals, there are an abundance of podcasts to choose from. A few, however, stand out from the rest.
This Week In Tech
This Week in Tech, also known as TWiT, is one of the most popular and longest running tech podcasts around. The show is hosted by Leo LaPorte and it brings in some of the top thought leaders in the IT world. Each week, special guests join LaPorte and share their perspectives on the biggest technology news and events.
Many IT professionals tune-in to this weekly show or know about it, so if there is one podcast on this list that you can’t miss out on, this is it. Also, if you want to learn even more you can check out TWiT TV to access a wide array of tech-related shows.
Daily Tech News Show
Technology is advancing rapidly. Every other day it seems like there is a new device, collaboration tool, software upgrade, or other digital phenomenon that is emerging. IT leaders are often expected to answer questions about what these new gadgets are and what they mean for the digital landscape.
For the IT professionals that are continuously asked, “What is this new tech…” from colleagues, you might want to check out the Daily Tech News Show. The show is similar to TWiT, but it covers technology on a daily basis, so you can keep up-to-date on the latest news.
TED Radio Hour
Today, CIOs and other IT leaders are not just the the go-to-executives for advice about technology. Many organizations are looking to them for advice about strategy and innovation as well—asking them questions that they wouldn’t have been expected to answer a few years ago.
TED Radio Hour by NPR is a great way for tech professionals to stay well-rounded. Similar to TED Talks, these weekly podcasts focus on innovative and exciting new products, projects, and other developments. The podcast usually has a specific theme each week and experts from around the world delve into the topic further, giving listeners some “food for thought.”
The Cloudcast
One of the lesser-known podcasts on this list, Cloudcast is a weekly podcast that is truly meant for tech professionals. Although it’s a little more technical than the other programs, it provides some interesting perspectives on emerging technologies that the non-expert may find valuable.
The show specifically discusses how certain technologies are changing business. Special guests from tech companies offer their opinions and advice on using emerging tools to complete IT initiatives.
 
Speaking In Tech
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Featuring hosts from some of the top brands in the world like Dell and Hitachi, Speaking in Tech is a lighthearted weekly podcast. During the podcast, the show’s hosts and big-name special guests answer tough, thought-provoking questions about new technologies.
This podcast is one of the best for IT professionals because it isn’t afraid to tackle questions like “How is the Internet of Things affecting us?” and “Has Tim Cook gone dongle crazy?” It may have a bit of a philosophical touch to it, but the show still manages to address real-life problems facing professionals and organizations today.
IT professionals are consistently asked for advice on the latest tech gadget or trend. Listening to podcasts is one of the best ways to learn about emerging industry trends. What are some of your favourite tech podcasts?
ADDITIONAL READING
Conference Room Technology: 5 Investments You Should Make
7 Must-Have Video Inputs For Your Conference Table Connectivity Box
Top 10 Conference Room Projectors of 2017

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How to Increase Productivity by Managing Personal Use of Technology

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Business thrives in environments when employees are engaged in the vision and mission of their company. While technology has delivered productivity tools to keep them on task, we have to be realistic in how employees are really spending their time. How can IT manage the influx of personal use on company technology?
The American Time Study in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Labor examined employee activity by hour, in and out of the workplace. The study found that the average employee spent 8.7 hours a day at the office with 80% being spent between the hours of 8am and 5pm. that’s over one-third of the day spent at work.
Personal use of technology at work can be a drain on resources, performance and motivation. Salary.com’s Time at Work Study in 2014 that employees are using company time and equipment for personal activities:

  • 89% of employees waste at least 30 minutes a day
  • 53% believed that time “wasted” promotes greater productivity
  • 27% of employers block non work-related websites

IT and department managers may be monitoring activities on company devices and application, but the number is decreasing. In addition, we have to explore the impact of personal devices, Shadow IT (cloud-based applications not implemented by IT) and remote activities with employees and partners.
Leaders are seeking opportunities to boost motivation and performance with flexibility, breaking down barriers. They’re also seeking to implement productivity tools, like Slack, Asana and Trello, to support team members and keep them on task. They are testing new communication methods from wireless presentations to enterprise social media. However, for IT, this could create chaos If not properly managed.
Here are 4 ways IT can work to rein in personal use at work:

  • Optimize your BYOD policy. Can bringing your own device help to reduce personal usage? Yes! By allowing employees to work on device with which they are comfortable can bolster work output. The policy also has to note compatibility and accessibility by device type and security parameters. By ensuring your BYOD policy is flexible with changing technology, it promote acceptance by employees
  • Strength enterprise security. Whether it’s BYOD or company-owned equipment, security is a concern for everyone with whom you work. Your business should ensure it’s ahead of the game when it comes to leading technology standards and best practices to protect your data, people and business. Security needs to be inclusive of your remote employees, third-party partners and external activities, as the way we work changes from the inside out
  • Conduct productivity reviews. Here’s an opportunity to work cross-functionally. By partnering with Human Resources and other departments, you can see the role of technology across your company. If technology is not being used as it should, you may uncover opportunities to have it work for your employees to grow your business
  • Bring people together. IT can work to bring people together. For example, unified communication systems help to contain access and flow, while being open to new ways we share information. If personal use is found to be a way to break up the monotony of work, maybe we can use unified communication tools to bring people together to get excited about work together

Personal use of technology will never go away, we cannot control what individuals do. However, by setting the parameters and being transparent with colleagues, IT has the ability to constructively limit personal use and increase productivity. Partnering with other teams can change how technology works and how employees perform, for the better of your company.

Intern at Ubiq – Are you up for it?

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As a young company,Ubiq, is making smart use of the cheaper, proximate labour available through the intern programs of the University of Waterloo (UW). I can consider myself among the few to be fortunate enough to have worked there. As of now, the six person company tends to take on one intern every four months. If you are lucky enough to join the team, you will gain vast experience through autonomy and necessity.
The breadth of software systems required by their vision of the modern meeting room demands that a small team be spread very thinly. Jayanth Kottapalli, the more technically inclined of the two founders, will stretch himself across and manage all of the offerings of the company while delegating the majority of development to dedicated employees. For example, Ubiq’s flagship product is a meeting room tool that allows for you, the presenter, to rapidly and wirelessly connect and stream your device monitor to the meeting room projector. This involves both native applications, one per supported operating system, and the application on the Ubiq device that allows for this connection and streaming. Simultaneously, their biggest selling point to IT departments is that through their Dashboard – a Web Application – you can easily and quickly configure and monitor your devices. The result is that, as an intern, their requirements of you can be comprehensive. It is a challenge that you must be ready for.
However, their expectations are not that you be competent upon arrival, although they would probably prefer competency some related field. I submit the example of my original employment. I was employee number one. This may seem confusing, however, as a nascent company, before the original founder Sumit Pasupalak brought on Jay as his co-founder, he had already begun taking advantage of UW’s Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (BETs) program. They, BETs, provide heavily subsidized employment for first year engineering students. I was once, one of these students. It was here, having had little to no training or experience in software development, that I was tasked with building the original iOS application for streaming presentations to the Ubiq device. Their investment in their employees, in particular their interns, is incredible.
Their only expectation is that you come to work with an open mind ready to learn and to commit yourself to the given project. They require you to learn fast and to apply this learning as rapidly. As a start-up, iteration and improvement must be constant. So, you, as a learner, must provide your time. This is the real cost, but if you believe that your work experiences should be about more than making money and having more free time than during the school semester, this is the place for you. I, inexperienced as I am or was, cannot believe that the tradeoff be more fair. With this, if you think yourself ready, I implore you to apply – you will not regret it.