The ITPro Podcast

As business leaders reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to what the next might hold, a number of trends and technologies stand out. While AI is dead set to continue its large role in 2024, the impact of high-performance computing (HPC), the spread of new 5G technologies, and the pernicious role that increasingly sophisticated fraud tech will play is also worth exploring. For this new ye...

So much has happened this year, not least in the areas of AI and social media, but at the same time some events have been some notable omissions. While generative AI has taken the world by storm, there is still much to prove about its business use cases and how it should be regulated. Security and hardware are also in a similar place to previous years, with the same threats and designs coming to t...

Machine learning (ML) has been a field of research for more than 50 years, and as a subset of artificial intelligence has also been the focus of great innovation in that time. Many businesses use machine learning throughout their stack and some will have relied upon ML frameworks without realizing it. With the rise in popularity of newer forms of AI developments such as generative AI, however, som...

The promise of algorithms and AI has always been simple at its core. Workers can automate manual and laborious tasks, to free up their time for more complex or meaningful activities. This comes under scrutiny in some fields more than others. For example, the use of algorithmic processing in HR and hiring has had some very public horror stories in the past few years. While one could theoretically u...

It’s been a whirlwind month, and not in the way that one might have predicted. Opening with the UK’s AI Safety Summit and ending with the anniversary of ChatGPT, November was already set to be a big month for the field of AI, particularly when it came to global legislation. As the month progressed, it turned out that November had even more planned, in the form of a huge upheaval at OpenAI. In this...

It’s now been four years since the ITPro Podcast’s first episode and so much has changed in that time. Across almost every sector, we're working in different ways, in different places, and through the use of different hardware and software. Remote work and AI have unsettled our idea of the office and the working day, while promises such as the metaverse have flared and burned. In this special 200t...

Not so long ago, the public cloud boom was in full swing and businesses were moving workloads in numbers thanks to its reputation for low costs and scalability. Today, many businesses have reassessed the size or scope of their public cloud investment. While the benefits of the public cloud remain clear, multi-cloud and hybrid cloud have their attractive qualities with some organizations choosing t...

Generative AI has powerful applications as a source for knowledge acquisition, as it can be used quickly and coherently to produce text outputs on almost any subject. Many generative AI models are also capable of producing efficient code in the programming language of a user’s choice or assessing the viability of pre-written code. The wide availability of these models is something with which acade...

Getting data in order can have a huge effect on whether businesses can harness the power of AI. Where your data is stored, in what form, as well as where and how it is processed, really can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful implementations of the technology. At NetApp Insight, these challenges were placed front and center, with a strong focus on the concerns of customers rega...

Automation and localization can both lighten the load for businesses in different ways. Without proper localization, a company may find one of its subsidiaries in breach of a regional tax code or data competency requirement. Without automation, businesses can languish with manual tasks and find themselves unable to expand and achieve the kind of worldwide growth for which they are aiming. The onse...

AI is not a new technology, but recent advancements have put it in the spotlight. Among all the tangible benefits the technology can bring, it’s also surrounded by a substantial amount of hype. The tech sector is no stranger to hype, with virtual reality and the blockchain also having been subject to strong hype cycles. In 2022, someone may have earnestly told you the metaverse was the next big tr...

Cyber security has grown from a preoccupation of the IT department alone to something that can also keep CFOs, CEOs and others in the boardroom up at night. There was once a time when a computer virus might have been seen as an annoyance or inconvenience that was contained to at most a handful of computers. Now, however, most companies – and would-be attackers – realize a successful ransomware cam...

The role of chief information security officer is among the most important in any firm. CISOs shoulder a heavy burden, with responsibility for protecting their company’s data, infrastructure, and associated assets. As the tech stack has grown, so too has the pressure on those in the role. CISOs have to shepherd technologies including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and edge computing. G...

While the tech sector has suffered globally from a skills gap in recent years, the UK landscape in particular has come to be defined by roles unfilled, churn, and middling productivity. The Office for National Statistics found that in 2021, the UK generated £46.92 per hour worked, versus £58.88 per hour worked in the United States. Across 2022, output across the UK remained flat. Brain drain is al...

Google is one of the most recognizable names in tech, most famous for its search tech and later reinventing itself as an AI firm. As the company turns 25, it’s a moment to look at its origin, list some of its most infamous product cancellations, and consider its lasting legacy. In this episode, Jane and Rory are joined by Bobby Hellard, ITPro's Reviews Editor, to discuss all things Google. For mor...

The EU Digital Services Act (DSA) aims to enforce a safer digital space, protecting users’ rights and establishing a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness. It’s hoped the legislation will help reduce trade in illegal goods and content online and curb algorithm-driven content. In practical terms, it will have wide-reaching impacts on the biggest names in tech, as wel...

Through digital transformation, organizations can slash time spent on manual processes and work more efficiently to address pressing issues. In healthcare, speeding processes up can improve and even save lives. Across the UK, NHS trusts are identifying a number of ways in which the 7.7 million-person waiting list can be tackled, and digital transformation has a clear role to play. Leeds Teaching H...

Anyone who works in IT will have stories of technical debt – those times you have to tape software together to get it released by the deadline, or a cheap solution staves off a more costly overhaul of old systems. No matter how far you push it down the line, though, everyone has to pay up eventually. Ignoring technical debt only compounds the eventual problem of addressing it and IT teams around t...

Many businesses in the tech sector are currently facing economic headwinds, with rising costs and enduring skill shortages stymying growth plans. In response, some companies – including a number of notable large firms – have announced sweeping staff cuts. This is one way to cut costs, but it can end up placing an undue burden on the remaining staff. Small businesses in particular may struggle to r...

A cyber incident can be catastrophic for any company, and all firms would be well-advised to adopt a watertight security approach to security practices. Despite this, the UK government’s Cyber security breaches survey 2023 found that UK cyber hygiene has declined since 2021, with the use of password policies falling from 79% to 70% and network firewalls from 75% to 67% across the period. There is...

Businesses with an online presence have to deal with the constant threat of cyber attacks, and ransomware stands out as one of the most disruptive threats a company can face. The malware costs an average of $4 million to remedy, and while it can be detected or tackled with the right tools and backups, neither are silver bullets. Cyber criminals want to get at sensitive data, and they’re ramping up...

Since the start of the DevOps movement, teams are the most collaborative they’ve ever been. Bringing development and operations teams together and automating code commit work has a number of advantages when it comes to growing your business. Practices such as continuous integration, development, and deployment of software have enabled teams to move at pace and scale, but this is as much a cultural...

As the economy has become increasingly dependent on data, companies have sought to make more profit from mining user actions such as through loyalty schemes or social media interactions. But individual rights also have to be respected, and businesses have to follow strict data protection procedures. Privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) are one method for companies to securely search through data...

The open source community is a hub of innovation and there is no doubt that open-source software helps to prop up stacks everywhere, from the smallest firms through to the largest names in the tech industry. However, concerns have been raised in recent years over the security of open-source supply chains. Notable incidents such as Log4Shell have acted as a reminder to businesses and governments al...

5G continues to roll out across the UK at pace, delivering high-speed data access for businesses and consumers alike. But while 5G alone is a step forward for connectivity, and has helped to boost data availability for businesses across the country, firms can also deploy it in more tailored approaches to help meet specific business needs. Companies with large campuses, or those that are looking to...