Technology Knowledge

Technology permeats everything we do - both on a personal and professional level.  I draw on my line-of-business and consulting origins plus various IT disciplines such as business architecture, business analysis, and enterprise architecture to offer practical advice and help bridge the gap between "the business" and IT.  

The ubiquity of broadband Internet access has allowed a new breed of tech-savvy, client-centric business consultant to emerge.  I characterize myself as fitting such a mold as one who can interpret business problems and, when appropriate, select combinations of readily available on-line services to support the solutions proposed.  The growing options offered by Web 2.0, SaaS (software-as-a-service), Cloud Computing platforms (1, 2), the Mobile Internet, and web-services integration allow business users to gain control in reacting to changes and client/business partner requests.  No longer must the internal IT department be burdened to undertake a lengthy and expensive project to scope and build a solution - which may prove to be ever-changing to adapt to business dynamics.

This move towards leveraging web-based services to store/consume information, automate processes, and facilitate collaboration represents a new way of working.  While offering unprecedented benefits, conducting business in this new on-line world requires someone who understands and weighs the various technological, financial, legal, and cultural considerations that must be addressed.

I have knowledge, and in some cases direct hands-on experience, of a number of Web 2.0 and SaaS services (see a non-exhaustive sampling below).  Having a cursery knowledge of some of the offerings available is useful in understanding what type of functionality exists today.  Once a business problem is identified and the need for information technology is being considered a deeper analysis would reveal the suitability of available offerings and how a collection of SaaS services would work together.