Posts by Bob McCallister

In software development circles, there’s an issue that everyone acknowledges, but is never (or rarely) actually discussed. It’s how products often get into customer hands with bad code. A new report shows that over 80% of applications come into the world with insecure code. By no means is there anything malicious behind this lack of quality control. Developers typically face arbitrary deadlines set by the sales and marketing departments. They want the product completed fast…  MORE

Ever since the dawn of the industrial revolution, the office became the standard location for where most people did their jobs. At some point, some employees were able to work at home. Today, post-pandemic, we now have the hybrid workplace, which means splitting your time between remote work and office work. And while hybrid work is becoming common for many industries and company departments, it’s a special challenge for IT departments. That’s because IT leaders…  MORE

Companies already know the value of the cloud. With its scalability and flexibility, as well as its cost reduction and collaborative capabilities, cloud computing provides organizations of all sizes with many benefits. Yet many CIOs and CFOs still wonder how they can see real financial value. That’s a justifiable question, as leaders have experienced how the cloud delivers many intangible benefits. For example, they’ve seen cloud being the ultimate catalyst for innovation, which in turn…  MORE

CIOs across the globe already know the value of implementing hybrid cloud environments. The migration of applications to both public and private clouds provides a previously unheard-of amount of business agility. Yet all that has a digital glitter is certainly not technical gold. The shift to the cloud brings challenges: Financial models aren’t always as accurate as they appear to be; shoddy oversight can render cloud software to actually be more expensive than on-premise operations;…  MORE

Remember when you first experienced wireless Internet? If you’re like me, there was a certain feeling of, well, magic. No wires, no chords, yet with your laptop you could read the news while catching up on email – at your desk, on the couch, at the café. Anywhere, really. It was all so liberating. Except for the inconsistent connectivity. Fast forward to 2021 and those nagging wireless issues seem so far in the past. Yet…  MORE

In 1983, much of the world was introduced to the idea of computer hacking via the film War Games. I clearly recall being enthralled with the tale of high school kid David Lightman (played by a very young Matthew Broderick), who almost starts a nuclear war with his computer hacking skills. At the time, the story felt like science fiction – there’s no way that could actually happen. But with a world now connected by…  MORE

If you haven’t met your daily requirement of learning exactly what a new acronym means, here’s one for you: OTT, which stands for Over-the-top media services. Wikipedia provides a clear definition: “An over-the-top (OTT) media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.” All which is a complicated way…  MORE

By now, we’re all familiar with how the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted business as usual. Closed offices, remote workers, distribution cycles out of whack, massive lay-offs, and an unclear future. In short, we’ve seen a break in business continuity. That term – business continuity – is rarely brought up, but it’s a fitting linguistic lens through which to view the state of industry. Business continuity means maintaining critical business functions during any crisis, be it…  MORE