The Hitchhiker's Guide Podcast

The Future of Artificial Intelligence: What is AI with Elzar Simon Pt. 1

Join host Michelle Dawn Mooney in this enlightening episode of "Hitchhiker's Guide to IT" as she welcomes Elzar Simon, author of "AI Hacked" and Senior IT Director at NYU. Together, they explore the vast realm of artificial intelligence (AI).In this first part, Elzar demystifies AI, highlighting its language processing prowess, where AI can converse and generate content, bridging the gap between machines and humans. He showcases AI's incredible face recognition capabilities and its impact on self-driving vehicles, manufacturing robots, and even medical applications.The episode captures the transformative power of AI, offering insights into its potential across diverse industries. Stay tuned for part two, where Michelle and Elzar delve deeper into the challenges and implications of AI. Subscribe to the "Hitchhiker's Guide to IT" on Device42.com for part two and expand your knowledge of this groundbreaking technology.

How Imperial College London is Tackling Sustainability with Steven Prescott-Jones

The Future of Artificial Intelligence: What is AI with Elzar Simon Pt. 2

Join host Michelle Dawn Mooney in this enlightening two-part episode of the Hitchhiker's Guide to IT podcast, presented by Device42. In this insightful exploration, we journey through the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and its profound impact on our modern world. Special guest Elzar Simon, renowned author of "AI Hacked" and "AI Hacked 2," offers expert insights into the multifaceted dimensions of AI.In Part Two of this special episode, Michelle and Elzar delve into the captivating realm of AI's potential benefits and its attendant challenges. Uncover the fascinating applications of AI in our daily lives, from smart home devices to innovative household robots. Discover how AI can transform professional landscapes, aiding with tasks like resume writing, generating business ideas, and even nurturing artistic endeavors.Yet, this conversation doesn't shy away from confronting the concerns AI presents. Delve into the critical topic of job displacement due to automation, as millions of jobs face potential upheaval across industries. As AI continues its rapid progress, the episode invites listeners to ponder the future of work and the imperative of preparing for an AI-infused world.Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking journey as we navigate the complex terrain of artificial intelligence, exploring its promises and pitfalls that shape our lives today and tomorrow. Tune in to "Navigating AI: Promises and Pitfalls," where knowledge meets curiosity in the ever-evolving landscape of modern technology.

Standardizing Process for a Robust IT Asset Management Program with Ian Silver

Why you need a Technology Management Office with Andrew Pratt

In this episode of the Hitchhiker's Guide to IT podcast, the host Michelle Dawn Mooney discusses technology business management (TBM) with guest Andrew Pratt, the technology business manager for Teladoc Health. TBM focuses on providing cost transparency in IT and ensuring that IT spending aligns with organizational goals. The TBM office acts as an interface between IT and other departments such as finance, accounting, and procurement, translating best practices and financial information to IT leadership.Pratt emphasizes the importance of understanding an organization's maturity and challenges when implementing TBM. He suggests starting with the low-hanging fruit and addressing pain points identified by executive leadership. By implementing processes and gathering data, the TBM office can provide insights to IT leadership on improving operations, maximizing ROI, and aligning IT with the organization's profitability goals.Pratt advises on benchmarking IT spend against revenue, assessing the number of software applications and their impact on revenue, and monitoring cloud spend compared to industry standards. These benchmarks help drive objectives and measure the success of TBM implementation or upgrades.Overall, TBM is crucial for organizations to gain cost transparency, improve financial responsibility, and ensure IT efforts are aligned with organizational goals. By integrating TBM processes and focusing on profitability, organizations can achieve operational excellence in IT management.

Cybersecurity with Thomas Johnson Pt. 2

Leadership in IT with Don Welch

Vendor Management and Cybersecurity with Thomas Johnson

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 vendors2. Staying responsible as a consumer and IT provider3. Understanding and learning to work with the cloudOn 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.

Sustainability in IT with Todd Weatherby

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.

Moving from an On-Premise ITSM to a cloud ITSM platform with Clayton Chancey

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 cloud2) How to manage your ITSM transition3) 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.