10 Tech Skills That Are Heading the Way of the Dinosaur.

One interesting facet of the IT industry is the need to learn new skills on a continual basis. New technologies are released all the time, and new operating systems seem to roll off the factory floor every 18 months or so. What this means for us IT professionals is that we must continuously update our skills or end up becoming redundant. What are out-dated skills? Some skills have been in continuous use for over 50 years (COBOL programmers) and will still be in demand for the short term, but their days are numbered. Other skills are hard to think of as just a pure IT skill (typing) - but does have a dramatic impact overall (texting or IM)

1. Software Installation and Support

"How can this be?" you say? Simple! The Cloud. Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) are rapidly growing in use. It makes sense for many firms to adopt these services - reduced cost and technical support. No longer must a small company spend the money on high-end servers and consultants - they can "rent" the same service from a provider. From a technical perspective, this means that many level-1 support staff will need to expand their skill set. The companies providing SaaS are happy as they have a guaranteed revenue stream as consumers and businesses no longer purchase their software once - rather we "rent" the usage of the software packages.

2. Email

"What?" you say. Email being an outdated skill set - perish the thought! While not becoming passé immediately, the number of people using email is declining according to TechCrunch. The number of people using email in several age groups has declined. What does this mean for the business environment? Other communication modalities are on the rise such as texting/IM and web conferencing. The average business person might not see an impact as of yet, but the adoption and use of email by younger workers is slowing (use of IM and social media outlets are on the rise, especially the social media outlets).

3. Telephony

PBX systems are becoming somewhat akin to mainframes - people have been predicting their demise for sometime, but they still persist. The underlying principles of telephony haven't changed (good old Erlang will be around for some time), it is how they are implemented that has changed. Many businesses are interested in a comprehensive communications package - one that does more than just provide a phone on a desktop. Microsoft's Lync Server is changing how we look at presence, voice, IM, and conferencing. The days of having a physical phone and the techs to support that physical phone are numbered. The PSTN (public switched telephone network or, as some refer to it POTS - plain old telephone service) networks will gradually be replaced. A growing number of individuals and households are getting rid of land lines and are instead using their cell phones.

4. IPv4 Subnetting

On 3 February, 2011, the last top-level block of public Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses was assigned. Now it is onwards to IPv6. Well, not quite that fast, but soon. This also means that the art of subnetting IPv4 addresses will soon be a skill of the past as we move to IPv6. For all of us who have spent hours understanding the significance of /22 (how many subnets and hosts per subnet and what the subnet mask derived for this notation), I am sorry to say this will be a skill set that will go away in the not so distant future (of course they said that about Morse code, but we still use that as well).

5. Typing (or the rise of IM speech)

This may seem like a strange IT skill that is on the decline but think of the rise of "text or IM Speech". First it was the decline of the hand-written letter due to the rise of email, now it is the decline of proper typing in-lieu of texting/IM. A new generation of IT users are coming into the workforce who do not use email as much as the previous generation and who are also using texting as their means of communication vs. typical emails.

6. Non-TCP/IP Networks

When one thinks of the internet and communication protocols, you most likely think of TCP/IP as the default protocol. This is true now, and was true when the "Internet" was still under the control of DARPA and was mainly used between government installations and institutions of higher education. But, there was a time in the mid-1980s to the mid 1990s that another protocol was used heavily: IPX/SPX. Novell's NetWare was mainly responsible for the rise and acceptance of IPX/SPX during this period. IPX/SPX was originally derived from Xerox Network Systems' IDP and SPP protocol. With the release of NetWare 5.x, IPX/SPX fell from use as TCP/IP became the favored protocol used.

7. Hardware

There was a time, not so long ago, where we performed our own component-level repair. That is repairing or replacing components on the computer components (think ROM chips). When is the last time you used that chip replacement tool that used to come with all computer tool kits? Now we simply get a new card, or in the case of tablets and other such systems, we send it in. Along these same lines, how about printer maintenance? In many cases, it is cheaper to buy a low-end ink-jet type printer and sell it once the cartridge is empty than it is to buy a replacement ink-jet cartridge. Impact printers anyone? They are used in some areas extensively (think airline passenger lists), but have pretty much disappeared in most office and home scenarios.

8. HTML - Web Developer

Why the differentiation? The HTML developer is writing the code that will run the website. As opposed to a web designer who typically uses a graphics program to create the website layout and then uses a second program to make the design for viewing on the web. So which one is on the decline? That would be the Web Developer. This is due primarily to the rise of web design programs. The skills of the web developer will be in less demand, but does not mean their imminent demise in 2011.

9. Older Server Operating Systems and Server-based applications

Here is another older skill set that must be clearly defined. If you have been in the IT field for more than 5 years or so, you have probably migrated to a new server technology. This is applicable for server technology such as operating system (Windows 200 or even NT4) or to the applications that are running on the servers such as email systems, database programs, or even networking technologies. We have all run across somebody who refuses to learn a new server operating system (given my druthers, I would gladly take Windows Server 2008 R2 over NT4 or Windows 2000). You cannot continue to market yourself as an NT4.0 guru and expect to remain employed for much longer. There just aren't that many systems remaining in use.

10. COBOL

COBOL was been around for over 50 years; in fact, it is one of the oldest programming languages. The demise of COBOL has been proclaimed for 20 years and yet it still remains. There was a resurgence of use and interest in COBOL just prior to Y2K, but has been dwindling since then. There are few places to learn COBOL but there is still a need to support the business applications that were written and need to be supported by COBOL programmers - for now. As new applications are written in other languages, the programs that were written in COBOL and the people who support these older apps will find themselves needing a new skill set.

iPad 2 and Summer iPad 3, Apple to break its product cycle just to pile pressure on its competitors !

NCS comments on iPads. 

John Gruber normally knows his stuff so when one of the most prominent Apple commentators around says that the iPad 3 might come in Summer 2011, months after the iPad 2, the world stops and listens.

First iPad 2 in March?

Two lines in a Japanese blog caled Macotakara mentioning a small event in March have been enough to start a rumour about the potential launch of the iPad 2 then.

The blog, which has in the past posted some pretty accurate information about Apple, says that the latter "seems to open a small event to introduce next generation of iPad."

The online publication has even published the picture of what seems to be the display bezel of an iPad 2. However, we're still hoping that the iPad 2 will be launched at the same time as the iOS 4.3, something that is set to happen over the next two weeks because of the launch of "The Daily" iPad newspaper.

Earlier reports have said that the iPad 2 will appear as early as this Sunday, 24 hours before the start of the Mobile World Congress and almost at the same time as Sony Ericsson presents the Xperia Play, LG its 3D tablets and smartphone and Samsung, its Galaxy S2 handset.

The guy behind Daring Fireball wrote that the HP Touchpad "might bump up against the release of the iPad 3" if the release date of the tablet slips "until late summer".

He adds that their distant shipping date comes with the added disadvantage that the tablet does not carry any details on pricing. Ouch. However, whether it makes sense for Apple to break its product cycle just to pile pressure on its competitors remains to be seen. The iPad 2 will probably go on sale in Spring which will leave a four months window before the iPad 3 supposedly go on sale.

The next generation iPad is expected to be completely different from the current model with a thinner design, a new operating system, a more powerful processor, more RAM, a different baseband processor and a supercharged graphics processing unit.

There were also persistent rumours about the iPad 2 sporting a retina display with a screen resolution of 2048x1536 pixels, four time that of the current iPad display.

So do we buy now or wait? I'm not sure so check back and I"ll keep you posted.

Desi Ramsey

The History of Social Media [INFOGRAPHIC]

From the first e-mail to the domination of Facebook, social media has come a long way, baby.

Here’s a visually organized look at the past 30 years or so of social media history, from Usenet to AIM to Friendster and beyond. This particular infographic comes with some fun facts; for example, did you know that the first version of MySpace was coded in just 10 days?

Whether this is a walk down memory lane or entirely new information for you, we hope you’ll enjoy this infographic, which was created by OnlineSchools.org. You can also check out our infographics on Facebook facts, online dating and our general obsession with social media.

5 Ways That Gmail’s New Priority Inbox Will Affect You!

Google announced on Monday that it will be rolling out a new feature to all Gmail and Google Apps users’ inboxes called Priority Inbox. Although by name this sounds very different from Hotmail’s new interface, at a basic level it appears to be a similar idea: Give the inbox owner a better view into the email they want the most.
 
Gmail’s filters will look at the email you read or reply to most often and prioritize that as your most important email, and display at the top of the inbox. Gone are the days of inboxes being sorted by date. Instead, Gmail users have a view showing them what Gmail’s filters think is most important to them. Users will have the ability to fine-tune things by telling the filters if messages are a higher or lower priority than where they were originally put.
 
What does this mean to you as a sender? Here are five ways.
 
First, it’s important to note that this covers more than just @gmail.com addresses. Google Apps hosts all sorts of personal- and enterprise-level domains, so the impact to your particular email list is hard to judge.
 
Second, this just reinforces the need for marketers to stay relevant to their subscribers. With Gmail’s filters, if a subscriber has been opening your messages, then it’s more likely that your future messages will show up on the top of the inbox. Better yet, if your subscribers are interacting with your messages — by replying or clicking — then they are telling the Gmail filters that your messages are important to them. On a similar note, this is not the time to over-message your subscribers, as that will more likely end up with several messages going unread and bumping you to the bottom.

Third, it’s important to make sure you encourage your subscribers to add you to their address book. Knowing you’re a priority sender puts you higher in the inbox.
 
Fourth, if you aren’t already talking with your customers through social media, then give it a try. Social media is a great way to get your customers engaged with you and your brand. This will carry over to them wanting to read your emails as well.
 
Fifth, take a deep breath and relax. If you’ve been marketinging effectively all along, then you are probably all set. If, on the other hand, you have low open and click-through rates, then it may be time to reconsider your strategy to say relevant to your customers and keep them engaged. It’s never too late to start.

Tech news on Chips, Apples, and Social Voodoo!

1. Google is now definitely going to be getting into the social network game. CEO Eric Schmidt said so, publicly, by noting a "social layer" will go into its search systems, mapping offerings and YouTube. So actually this Google expansionist effort isn't about pies, it's more about a cream-filled layer cake ... and now the Internets are wondering what on Earth the actual outcome will be. Hopefully it'll be more successful, and less care-free about user privacy, than the failed Buzz network.

2. Verizon, keen to retain as much power over the smartphone market--in other words, taking its carrier control-freak urges into the next generation of mobile devices--is now reported to have an app store for Android devices on the way. The V Cast store will support only Android 2.2 units at first, possibly expanding to earlier Android OS's, and submissions from developers are already being requested by Verizon. The confusing aspect of this should be immediately obvious: Google has its own app store, and Android is an open standard. So is Verizon in competition with Google, supplementing it, or merely desperately hoping it can kill the openness of Android with its red-painted OCD-powered urge to own your phones?

3. Watch for the reports about Intel's new chipsets and app store today. The chip maker revealed them at its Intel Developer Forum--the chips are the CE4200 (formerly Groveland) and the E600 (codenamed TunnelCreek) and the AppUp center is now out of beta testing and in the public domain. Intel's application store is aimed at supporting netbook users, with both free and paid apps for all the usual uses. Its Atom chips are going into smart TVs and embedded systems in cars and so on. So basically Intel is making good on its promise to shove Atoms into as many devices as possible. Is it running scared ahead of the tide of ARM innovations and AMD's new low-power silicon?

4. Mad scientist alert: One of the U.K.'s most prominent boffins, Baroness Susan Greenfield,has just pronounced the Internet, computer games, and social networking as potential evils in society. Her beef is that while some "good things" had emerged from these techs, they may have unforeseen effects on society, and her data is sourced in (this is the mad bit) "anecdotal evidence from talking to parents" among other things. Seems like her concerns echo the best British traditions, like complaints back in Britain's 17th Century past when folks worried about this newfangled "window glass" and how it may affect health.

5. Apple's iPad may have spawned a host of upcoming competitors and clones, but the halo effect on the tablet PC market is only just beginning to kick in, it seems--Now there're rumors about HTC's entry with, interestingly, mention of Android 3 aboard. It's predicted to benefit from HTC's strong ties with Google and U.S. cell networks, and its smartphone making expertise. But HTC has overlooked one thing: Its tablet is due Q1 2011, around about the time Apple will reveal the iPad 2.0

Transformational Disaster Recovery In A Hybrid Universe

Virtualisation and Cloud Computing have been touted for the last few years as the panacea for the IT industry and, in a time of economic uncertainty, both have the ability to help companies get the most out of their existing server and storage infrastructure. With both technologies at the forefront of the IT debate once again, what effect are they having on the backup and recovery arena?


Click here to read the article fro eWeek

Cloud-Based Services are Altering the Communications Space

Over the last few years, a growing number of enterprises and SMB’s have begun implementing VoIP-based phone systems and cloud computing services to consolidate and better manage their communication needs. Companies that take advantage of technological advances in the voice space no longer need to install expensive, space-eating servers.

In an effort to gain a better understanding of voice telephone services and where they are heading, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News- Alert)recently sat down with Darren Schreiber, CEO of 2600hz, a provider of open-source telephony software that powers companies’ monitoring and maintenance tool sets, GUI and cloud-based telephony switches.

Schreiber also provided his thoughts on net neutrality (which he is in great favor of), wireless networking and mobile video conferencing, among other hot trends in the industry. He also spoke to Tehrani about his company’s upcoming role at ITEXPO West 2010, which will kick off on October 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For more information on Schreiber’s views on the future of all matters relating to IT, check out the full interview below.

What is the most significant trend in communications today? Why?

Voice telephone service is becoming a service provided over data networks. The entire voice infrastructure is being upgraded or dismantled and replaced by data services, and voice is becoming a service provided on top of these data networks. The transition is over halfway down at the carrier level, but is only just beginning at the enterprise, consumer and small business level. The ability to move voice over data also implies the ability to move voice over new mediums such as cable, WiFi (News - Alert) and cellular data networks, opening up new opportunities for integration.

What is the one product or service the market is most in need of?

A simplified end-to-end solution that fits SMB.

How is your company leveraging the growth of social media to enhance your own business?

The costs involved in marketing have shifted dramatically and caused an integration of marketing and support services. Customers complain or promote services actively over the same channels that typical marketing activities occur on. This is difficult for most “older” style businesses to handle and the exposure of flaws scares some businesses.

Nearly every phone manufacturer is now incorporating support for wideband codecs.  Will we finally see widespread HD voice deployments in 2011?

Already here. We deploy HD in all our installs.

What are your thoughts on the viability of mobile video chat or conferencing?

Mobile video chat is interesting. We would say that it is more of a “cool” feature then a useful application. Yet in a very short time that will be changing. As far as conferencing, the big companies are realizing they no longer charge an arm and a leg when all the small players can do it for pennies on the dollar.

Which wireless operating system (Android (News - Alert), iOS4, Microsoft, etc.) will see the greatest success over the next three years?  Why?

Android. Google has spent a lot of money to tell the world that everyone is free to use the Android. Because of this, people are not just looking at putting it on mobile phones, but are also looking to incorporate it on business phones.

Some have suggested wireless networking will soon replace wired networks in the enterprise.  Do you agree? Why or why not?

Wireless is making leaps and bounds in technology. Yet at this time the wired connection is still more secure and can handle a larger amount of bandwidth. With many companies going to video conferencing and video phones for communications, there will be desk phones for some time to come.

What impact has the growth of cloud-based services had on your business?

A huge impact. Our business model is to allow companies be their own VoIP providers. This is done by having their PBX (News - Alert) based in the cloud so we can spin up servers based on their cliental. No longer do they have to install expensive servers on site just to make a phone call. Cloud vendors can use our software to move around and negotiate better deals with data centers to reduce costs, as well as seamlessly failover. It's game-changing.

If you had the opportunity to decide the Net neutrality (News -Alert) debate, how would you rule?

Absolutely in favor of net neutrality. It is important that the success of the Internet, which was based on free access for all, include high-speed access and not favor one type of data or technology over another.

You are exhibiting at ITEXPO West 2010.  What is the most exciting thing attendees will see at your booth?

We will be showcasing two very promising cloud-based technologies that will bring the barrier to entry for deploying VoIP to zero – literally – for both small businesses and carriers alike.

What is the one technology development that will have the greatest impact in 2011?

4G Wireless Networks and the wide-scale acceptance/deployment of wireless broadband data networks.