Four Things I Want You to Consider as an IT Professional

This evening, I ran across a reference to an article entitled, “Four Things I Want You to Remember Me By”, where author Clif Reichard lays out the professional traits he wants to be remembered for as he prepares to retire. In the article, Clif explains why he lives by the mantra “ethics, customers, profit. Don't forget that,” and other self-imposed rules that governed his life and career.

After reading this short piece, I began to compare the experience shared by Clif with what I see as the current state of the Information Technology industry. I have my views and opinions, as we all do, but instead of writing about what I see, I would instead like to hear from you. I submit for your consideration four questions:

1. Using Clif’s mantra, where do you think Information Technology stands today as an industry in terms of ethics, customer relations, and profit focus? Do you see your employers and peers prioritizing their service and delivery focus in this manner?

2. What is your opinion on the state of Internet security and data security in general? Are we ill-prepared, with a growing threat looming on the horizon, or is it for the most part marketing hype to sell security-focused solutions?

3. We’ve seen technology shift over the years from centralized computing, to decentralized systems, back to centralized computing as a cost savings and security measure, and now moving to cloud-based solutions. Where do you believe the best solution lies?

4. Where do you see our industry heading in the next 3, 5, or 10 years? What predictions can you share about today’s technology, where it will go, and how it will impact our daily lives?

Take a minute or two and jot down your responses to what I’ve asked you to consider. Post a comment, drop me a note here at DaileyMuse.com, or in some way share your opinion with the rest of us in the Information Technology field. I’m sure we all have some interesting opinions to share.