Author Archives: DeveloperTiatra

IDG Contributor Network: How product development drives competitive advantage in the digital age

[This article was co-written with Brandon Metzger.] As the digital revolution dissolves industry boundaries, legacy companies are increasingly facing competition from non-traditional competitors. Look no further than the $800 billion trucking industry, where incumbent freight operators are spending millions to stave off disruption from startups using the latest technology and business model innovations to steal…

In-house engineering culture drives digital transformation at Emirates NBD

Digital transformation is one of those things everyone is interested in. It seems most have a good handle on the why but often not the how. I recently spoke with Miguel Rio Tinto, Group CIO of Emirates NBD, one of the oldest and biggest financial firms in the Middle East, on how they approach digital…

What is an HRIS? A key tool for all your human resources needs

What is an HRIS? A human resources information system (HRIS) is standalone or SaaS-based software designed to aid HR departments in managing people, policies and procedures. HRIS solutions feature data entry, data tracking, data analysis, and information-related capabilities to address a wide range of human resources department needs, including applicant tracking, onboarding, payroll, performance management…

The top 10 IT outsourcing service providers of the year

The top four outsourcers on Everest Group’s annual ranking of the top IT service providers has remained unchanged this  year, with Accenture taking the top stop for the third year in a row. However, the real headliner may be the outsourcing market itself, which grew nearly 9 percent over the previous year in constant currency…

7 data analytics certifications that will pay off

Data and big data analytics are the lifeblood of any successful business. Getting the technology right can be challenging but building the right team with the right skills to undertake big data initiatives can be even harder. Not surprisingly, that challenge is reflected in the rising demand for big data skills and certifications.  If you’re…

Do you know what your cloud use really costs?

In these days of cloud services and BYOD, you can’t always tell what you’re spending on IT by looking at purchasing agreements. You can start by asking your finance team, but if you’re a large company you don’t want to be digging through spreadsheets and invoices to find out what you spent on iPads last…

IDG Contributor Network: Process innovation

In “Zone to Win,” Geoffrey Moore suggests that businesses should be focused upon innovations that can do one or more of the following things: Drive a 10x improvement in a performance metric of great importance to the target market Represents a business opportunity that has material size, a minimum of 10% of total enterprise sales…

Cross-functional teams: A new strategy for business success

Executives at CarMax moved to cross-functional teams when it embarked on its transformation strategy four years ago, believing such teams could deliver better results more quickly than the siloed approach the used-car retailer had been taking. To ensure success, CIO Shamim Mohammad says he and his colleagues established how these new teams needed to work:…

Asurion reskills around cloud and DevOps for digital push

What is the cure for a creaky datacenter and glacial software development? Reskilling staff as practitioners of cloud software and DevOps. That has been the winning formula for Asurion CIO Daniel Curling, who has spent the past five years steering the provider of device protection services for retailers, wireless carriers and cable TV providers, through…

Running with data: Under Armour creates immersive, digital customer experience

Under Armour started out as a wholesale apparel provider and is transforming itself into a digital business that uses data to help customers achieve their fitness goals. Paul Fipps, chief digital officer, and T.J. Graven, senior vice president of Global IT, walk us through the cultural, technical, and business model changes that made their transformation…