We've all been guilty of taking the odd shortcut to get things done a bit faster at work, but while these time-saving tactics can sometimes introduce risk into organisations, they're also a fundamental part of human nature. With this in mind, organisations must define an acceptable level of risk for their operations, and use the right tools to ensure that the corners staff are cutting aren't in potentially problematic areas.

In this IT Pro Podcast Special Edition, brought to you in association with Iron Mountain, we're joined by Phil Shepley, the company's vice president and general manager of Northern Europe, to discuss the most common workplace risks, how they affect businesses, and how organisations can use technology to better manage their risk profile.

CES is one of the highlights of the tech calendar, kicking off every year with a cavalcade of new products, interesting announcements and innovative startups all vying to get noticed. While the spectre of COVID continued to loom over this year’s proceedings, there was still a veritable buffet of things to see at the show.

This week, we’re joined by PC Pro editor in chief and co-host of the PC Pro Podcast Tim Danton, who was on the ground in Las Vegas for CES 2022. We discuss some of the most interesting tech from the show floor, as well as some of the more significant announcements, and what they say about the future of innovation.

Check out https://bit.ly/ITPP-CES22 for more information on everything we've spoken about in this episode.

Over the last five years, AMD has clawed its way up from being an also-ran in the processor market to a genuine competitor for the crown, making a convincing bid to unseat longtime frontrunner Intel from the top spot. But with both manufacturers in the process of launching new architecture generations, who’s coming out on top?

This week, we’re joined by Laptop Mag editor in chief and co-host of the Noise Cancelling podcast Sherri L Smith to discuss the latest announcements from Intel and AMD, as well as the state of the laptop market and what it all means for the future of hardware innovation.

For more information on everything we've talked about this week, go to https://bit.ly/ITPP-vs.

The holidays are almost over, and many of our listeners will doubtless be preparing to return to work next week. It’s been an interesting year, to say the least, but as we bid farewell to 2021, the time has come to turn our gaze forward to look at what the next 12 months have in store.

In our last episode of 2021, we’re joined by staff writers Connor Jones, Bobby Hellard and Sabina Weston to share our predictions for the biggest trends of 2022, and the potential impact that they could have on the world of tech and IT, including vaccine passports, the fall of Meta, and the rise of the four-day week.

To read more about all of the stories we've spoken about this week, head over to https://bit.ly/ITPP-2022.

2020 was one of the most eventful years in recent memory, but while 2021 was a bit less chaotic than its predecessor, it was no less eventful in the world of tech and IT. There has been a slew of major announcements, product updates and policy shifts over the last twelve months, and as things start to wrap up for the holidays, we’re looking back at the most significant changes.

Joining us this week are staff writers Bobby Hellard and Connor Jones, who’ll be sharing their picks for the most important stories and trends of 2021, and discussing the impact they’ve had for businesses over the year.

As technological innovations go, 5G is possibly one of the most widely-hyped examples of the last decade. Promising to enable everything from smart cities to rural broadband, it’s been hailed as a generational leap forward for connectivity. But what role does cloud have to play in this utopian future?

In this week’s episode of the IT Pro Podcast, we talk to Eric van Vliet. Dell's EMEA head of telecom market development, to find out how cloud platforms are supporting the development and rollout of 5G infrastructure, and how 5G can accelerate the creation of new cloud services.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/ITPP-5Gcloud.

Container technology has gone from a niche, experimental application and infrastructure tool to a cornerstone of modern IT transformation - but its explosion in popularity has resulted in a corresponding demand for skilled professionals to manage these deployments. Kubernetes certifications are particularly sought after, and holding one is almost a licence to print money for IT professionals.

With the market for Kubernetes skills hotter than ever before, we’re joined this week by OpenUK CEO Amanda Brock to discuss why it’s become so popular, what this says about IT transformation in the UK, and how organisations can make sure they don’t fall into the Kubernetes skills gap.

Head through to https://bit.ly/ITPP-certs to find out more about all of the issues we've spoken about in this week's episode.

Public sector organisations have a reputation for being somewhat behind the times when it comes to IT transformation, frequently hampered by tight budgets and Byzantine bureaucratic procurement procedures. However, while this reputation isn’t entirely unwarranted, the reasons behind it aren’t as straightforward as they might appear. 

In this week’s episode, we’re looking at why public sector technology tends to lag behind the cutting edge, as well as what steps might be taken to give public sector technologists more room to innovate, and we’re joined by HPE’s senior vice president and UK MD, Marc Waters.

Head over to https://bit.ly/ITPP-gov to find out more about all of the topics we've spoken about in this week's episode.

Burnout is a major problem within the IT industry. Technology professionals are frequently overworked and under-resourced, and the buildup of unmanaged workplace stress can have severe consequences for both the mental and physical health of workers. While some stress is unavoidable - particularly in fast-paced industries like IT - there are ways that managers and employers can help their staff avoid burning themselves out.

This week, we’re joined by Karen Worstell, senior cyber security strategist at VMware and former CISO for Microsoft and AT&T, to discuss her own experiences of dealing with burnout, as well as how to spot the warning signs of an impending crisis and how to address the problem.

Find out more about all the topics covered in this episode by heading over to https://bit.ly/ITPP-burnout.

The growth of major tech companies over the last decade has been seemingly unstoppable, but as organisations like Facebook, Microsoft and Google work their way ever deeper into our lives, the US government has set its sights on curtailing the worst of their perceived excesses. A number of bills have been introduced by both parties to try and limit their power in areas like data portability, market consolidation and self-regulation.

But why are lawmakers so up in arms about the conduct of tech companies? What behaviour has prompted this? And do these bills have any real chance of slowing tech companies growth, or will they die on the floor of the house? In this week’s episode, Zach Marzouk and Justin Cupler return to discuss the US’ current slate of anti-monopoly legislation, and what it could mean for the country’s business climate.

Head to https://bit.ly/itpp-monopoly to find out more about all the topics covered in this episode.