Welcome to The Systematic Summary, Systematic’s new weekly roundup of the news, books, and interviews that will make you a more informed business technology professional. Every week, I’ll be compiling the best media for IT and BT leaders to consume in one, easy-to-digest list. Let’s get started.
Catch up on this week’s news:
As the conversation about cloud applications and cybersecurity continues to take center stage, startups like end-to-end cloud security company Lacework are securing impressive funding.
It’s no secret that the demand for cloud security services has boomed in the last year, putting Lacework in an ideal position to capitalize on companies’ increased concern over data security. While the need for such services was not ubiquitous when Bay Area–based Lacework was founded in 2015, the last year of companies migrating onto the cloud has solidified the demand for the kind of end-to-end protection Lacework provides. After their most recent round of funding, Lacework is valuing north of $1 billion.
The Biden administration hid a message to IT professionals in the White House website’s updated source code.
The occupants of the White House aren’t the only thing that changed following Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden. The official White House website was also refreshed to reflect the new administration’s policies, press releases, and staff…and their desire to find the best IT professionals in the nation. Hidden in the source code for the website is a call to html-obsessed website goers: “If you’re reading this, we need your help building back better,” accompanied by a link to the U.S. Department of Digital Services hiring page.
We’re witnessing a “quiet but powerful revolution” as companies across all sectors start truly embracing automation.
If you’re wondering how much time and money automation can actually save you, staggering statistics suggest the answer is a lot. It’s estimated that the American healthcare industry, for example, could save $150 billion a year from simply automating paperwork-related tasks. And who is at the center of the automation revolution? Robots, of course.
Tech professionals are fleeing San Francisco in search of a better quality of life now that they aren’t tied to company headquarters.
After a year since the first reported case of COVID-19 in America, it has become clear that some of the adjustments made to protect employees’ health will stick around even as workers are cleared to return to the office. Tech reporter Nellie Bowles dives into the great San Francisco exodus and breaks down a few of the reasons tech workers are relocating to places like Savannah, Georgia or even Puerto Rico.
Hiring and investing in IT and BT interns will strengthen your current and future team.
Katie Malone, associate editor at CIO Dive, recommends building an internship program that fills the skill gaps you currently have at your organization. Since IT is a rapidly evolving field, there will always be areas where a fresh perspective and eagerness to learn can result in greater efficiency and performance. While training interns to fill these gaps will take an initial lift from a manager, this practice will result in well-trained professionals who will then become long-term assets to the IT industry. As more IT and BT teams educate and invest in students and recent graduates, hiring pipelines and candidates across the industry will strengthen.
Find some weekend reading:
Voices from the Valley: Tech Workers from the Valley Talk about What They Do—And How They Do It
Ben Tarnoff, Moira Weigel (2020)
Moira Weigel and Ben Tarnoff, co founders of tri-yearly tech publication Logic, tell the untold story of Silicon Valley in this compilation of anonymous interviews with professionals from every level of the tech organizations that have come to define that region.
The Cybersecurity Playbook: How Every Leader and Employee Can Contribute to a Culture of Security
Allison Cera (2019)
Cybersecurity expert Allison Cera digs into the everyday steps your whole team can take to protect your company from cyberattacks in this practical guide to cultivating a culture that keeps security top of mind.
Learn from the experts:
Ben Eubanks, HR industry analyst and author of Artificial Intelligence for HR: Use AI to Support and Develop a Successful Workforce speaks with Rob Parsons, head of content at Paychex about leveraging HR technology in your business.
Cisco CIO Jacqueline Guichelaar talks to Fast Company about scheduling meetings at a global company, her morning routine, and her strategy for keeping up with the news.
Feedback for The Systematic Summary: If there is something you’d like to see in next week’s roundup, email me at [email protected] with the subject line “The Systematic Summary.”
