The Hitchhiker's Guide Podcast

In this episode of Hitchhiker's Guide to IT presented by Device42, host Michelle Dawn Mooney explores the crucial role of leadership in the IT industry. As organizations increasingly rely on technology, the need for effective IT leadership has become paramount. Michelle is joined by Don Welch, Vice President for IT and Global University CIO at NYU Information Technology, who shares his insights and experiences in the field.

Setting the stage for the discussion, Michelle emphasizes the timeliness of the topic and the need for IT leaders to prioritize leadership skills. A notable stat reveals that organizations with strong IT leadership are 2.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors.

The core question addressed in this episode is: How can IT leaders effectively inspire and empower their teams to achieve business goals?

Cybersecurity has many facets, and not everyone is familiar with the ins and outs of it. What’s more, it may surprise people to learn that much of cybersecurity does not directly involve technology. As tech advances, new ways to address cybersecurity needs with the help of vendor management emerges. How do these advancements come together and help the world of cybersecurity?

On this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney talks with Thomas Johnson, National Leader of Cybersecurity at BDO Digital, about vendors and cybersecurity. Johnson admits, “I’m accused of talking about cybersecurity that has nothing to do with technology”, which includes his college teaching job, where he teaches non-technical things like “making sure that people don’t click on links”. But he says non-technical aspects are important in the cyber community.

Mooney and Johnson also talk about:

1. How you should not put everything in cybersecurity on the vendors

2. Staying responsible as a consumer and IT provider

3. Understanding and learning to work with the cloud

On the topic of vendor management, Johnson said, “I think it’s a super critical component, especially when organizations are looking at migrating workloads to The Cloud or using a service provider to be able to provide services, IT services, to the organization.” Johnson also warns not to rely solely on the vendors and promotes a responsible way of using vendors. He knows it can be tempting to leave everything up to vendors, but just like not clicking on links, being responsible is a non-technical component to cybersecurity that is just as vital to the job.

Thomas Johnson has worked in the technology field for over three decades, going from Information Technology Manager at MB Financial, to VP/Managing Director at Aqueity, to most recently being the National Leader in Cybersecurity at BDO Digital.

Cybersecurity has many facets, and not everyone is familiar with the ins and outs of it.

What’s more, it may surprise people to learn that much of cybersecurity does not directly involve technology. As tech advances, new ways to address cybersecurity needs with the help of vendor management emerges. How do these advancements come together and help the world of cybersecurity?

On this episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, host Michelle Dawn Mooney talks with ThomasJohnson, National Leader of Cybersecurity at BDO Digital, about vendors and cybersecurity. Johnson admits, “I’m accused of talking about cybersecurity that has nothing to do withtechnology”, which includes his college teaching job, where he teaches non-technical things like “making sure that people don’t click on links”. But he says non-technical aspects are important in the cyber community.

If you’re a Jira 100-200 service level user, look no further! Migrating your ITSM operation from on-premise to the cloud can be a daunting task. But with the right knowledge, it shouldn’t be. So, how exactly should you go about migrating to a cloud ITSMplatform and what are some red flags to look out for throughout the process?

Your go-to source for all things IT, The Hitchhikers Guide to IT, a podcast by Device42, is back with a new episode. In the latest, host Daniel J. Litwin chats with Clayton Chancey, Enterprise Solutions Architect at Cprime, about his thoughts on migrating atraditional IT Service Management (ITSM) from on-premise to the cloud.

The two explain:

1) The misconceptions and mysteries in the transition of tools to the cloud

2) How to manage your ITSM transition

3) What red flags to watch out for during the move

“...A lot of times what’s overlooked is the need to obtain buy-in from your various stakeholders. So, we may get all the technical requirements that we would need to do a lift and shift type move but how we really got buy-in from the folks who are going to be using this new platform [is] that they’re excited...,” said Chancey.

Chancey started his journey in IT nearly a decade ago, as a computer support technician, before moving on as a Systems Administrator - Jira for Harbor Freight Tools and a Jira/IT Systems Administrator for SpaceX. He has been with Cprime for over three years. Chancey holds multiple Atlassian certifications as a Jira Service Project Manager and a Jira Administrator for Cloud.

As the world becomes more aware of the impact of climate change, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in the products consumers choose to purchase. It's no longer enough to simply provide a product or service that meets the needs of the present. Companies must also consider the impact of their actions on future generations and the planet as a whole. The tech industry, in particular, has a significant role to play in promoting sustainability.

In the latest episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to IT, a podcast by Device42, host Michelle Dawn Mooney discusses sustainability opportunities and challenges for 2023 with Todd Weatherby, an Independent Advisor and former VP with AWS. Weatherby shares his insights on how companies can address the needs of the present without compromising the future, how enterprises can make better use of the sustainability model for the cloud, and how to connect sustainability and cost.

Weatherby's experience as a former VP with AWS and other industry leaders makes him avaluable resource for companies looking to improve their sustainability practices. As an Independent Advisor to Information Technology companies, Weatherby helps softwarecompanies scale up their customer success and customer service capabilities. He is a graduate of Grove City College with a BS in Computer Science and has over 30 years of experience in the industry.

The Hitchhikers Guide to IT is a podcast that explores the intersection of technology and business, providing valuable insights and actionable advice for IT professionals. This latest episode offers valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their sustainability practices.

IT and sustainability aren’t often two words seen together, but they should be. As the world heats up, it’s not only becoming more important for buyers to see environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives in the products they’re purchasing, but it’s also great for the planet. Where should you start?

On the latest episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to IT, a podcast by Device42, host Michelle Dawn Mooney discusses sustainability opportunities and challenges for 2023 with Independent Advisor and former VP at AWS, Todd Weatherby.

The two chat about:

• How to address the needs of the present without compromising for the future.

• The sustainability model for the cloud and how enterprises can make better use of it.

• How to connect sustainability and cost.

Weatherby reflected, “Some are saying, ‘Well, I can’t get to that sustainability thing right now because I have to focus on cost.’ Well, I think there’s a cool opportunity to combine the two and to think about how, when you’re more efficient with your usage of resources, you can also reduce your cost and the production of your product…”

Todd Weatherby is an Independent Advisor to Information Technology companies, helping software companies scale up their customer success and customer service capabilities. Weatherby holds over 30 years of experience with industry leaders, including as a VP with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for 11 years, a variety of leadership roles in Microsoft Consulting Services for 16 years, and various roles in Oracle Consulting Services at Oracle for eight years. He is a graduate of Grove City College, where he earned his BS in Computer Science.

The conversation delves into some common misconceptions and mysteries surrounding the transition of tools to the cloud, as well as providing guidance on how to manage the transition successfully. Additionally, the hosts outline the red flags to look out for throughout the process. Chancey emphasizes the importance of obtaining buy-in from various stakeholders to ensure a successful transition, citing the need to get everyone excited about the new platform. He draws on his decade-long experience in IT, including working as a Systems Administrator - Jira for Harbor Freight Tools and a Jira/IT Systems Administrator for SpaceX. Chancey has been with Cprime for over three years and holds multiple Atlassian certifications as a Jira Service Project Manager and a Jira Administrator for Cloud.

If you’re a Jira 100-200 service level user and are contemplating migrating your ITSM operationfrom on-premise to the cloud, this episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to IT is a must-listen.

Device42 hosts the podcast, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT, featuring Pete Sacco of PTS Data Center Solutions on best practices in IT and data center management.

There used to be a time when all of a company's data centers were within the same building, always in a room chock full of different devices with heat emanating from within. It was usually very expensive and complex, and often included a host of complications and safety hazards. With the advent of technology, a lot of those issues have been eliminated. Companies now partner with facility managers with deep knowledge and access to resources to help set up and manage different types of data centers. These range from enterprise, managed services, edge, colocation, hyperscale, and cloud data centers—the latter being the main topic of discussion in today's podcast.

What does the current state of IT operations and data center management look like today based on a cloud-first mentality?

Device42 opened up the discussion on today's episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT. Host Michelle Dawn Mooney was joined by Pete Sacco, the CEO and Founder of PTS Data Center Solutions, to talk about the state and future of IT and data center management best practices.

• Critical components for effective IT operations and data management programs

• How strong the linkage is between the organizational structure of an IT operation and data center management and the actual business that it supports

• Sustainability for IT teams

There used to be a time when all of a company's data centers were within the same building, always in a room chock full of different devices with heat emanating from within. It was usually very expensive and complex, and often included a host of complications and safety hazards. With the advent of technology, a lot of those issues have been eliminated. Companies now partner with facility managers with deep knowledge and access to resources to help set up and manage different types of data centers. These range from enterprise, managed services, edge, colocation, hyperscale, and cloud data centers—the latter being the main topic of discussion in today's podcast.

What does the current state of IT operations and data center management look like today based on a cloud-first mentality?

Device42 opened up the discussion on today's episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to IT. Host Michelle Dawn Mooney was joined by Pete Sacco, the CEO and Founder of PTS Data Center Solutions, to talk about the state and future of IT and data center management best practices.

• Critical components for effective IT operations and data management programs

• How strong the linkage is between the organizational structure of an IT operation and data center management and the actual business that it supports

• Sustainability for IT teams