Podcast

Explain IT: Season 2, Episode 13 - IT Misconceptions

Common Misconceptions in the World of Enterprise IT

0:00:00 / 43:05

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Episode summary Key takeways

In the last episode of series 2 we look at common IT misconceptions. Our panel of experts offer their opinions on a range of topics including the place of ethics in IT, the intelligence of hardware vs software, whether Windows 10 will solve all your problems, edge computing and 5G, how much we should be spending on security and whether the cloud is always better. Host Michael Bird is joined by Softcat’s chief technologists to wrap up the season in this bumper episode.

We need to think about the impact of our technology on society. With the rise of AI, machine learning and data collection, there’s an ethical overview that we need to have, to consider whether the actions we take are harmful or beneficial.
The general computer is becoming less relevant as hardware developers create custom chips and computers are built for specific tasks at an accessible price point. Software acts as the creative side to connect people and processes.
Windows 10 is a springboard to digital transformation; it’s resilient, secure and compatible with applications. But it’s not just about technology, it’s important to look at how to make it easier for people to be brilliant at their jobs without technology getting in the way.
At the moment, edge computing and 5G are technologies that haven’t been fully realised. There’s plenty of hype around them, but we’re not seeing general coverage yet – only specialist use cases. It’s difficult to judge their potential success yet.
It’s important to define what you are trying to secure against before spending money on security. Investing in qualified people will make you more secure than investing in tools.
The classic IT model doesn’t work with cloud, moving to cloud computing requires a transformation. It’s important to understand what you want from your cloud so you can then understand the true cost of it
Throughout all these questions, the overriding conclusion is that we will always need people to make decisions, get the best out of technology and push it forward.