February
Theme: Low code
The use of low code for the building of applications has grown rapidly in recent years. Gartner’s analysts predict that by 2024, 65% of applications in organisations will be low code applications. The analysts predict that various low code platforms will be used for this purpose. Sixty-six per cent of large organisations will use at least four platforms.
AG Connect looks at the future of low code in this issue. What are the limits of low code application development and where are the opportunities? How do you prevent a low code application from becoming an island in the existing IT landscape?
March
Theme: Security
Digital attacks are no longer carried out by pimply kids only. Hacking has become a serious service-oriented dark economy. It remains a never-ending race for security for organisations and it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect the entire company. This requires a policy of accepting certain risks that must be acted upon. In this issue, AG Connect discusses that never-ending race for security and how organisations can best protect themselves against it. We also discuss how to turn security into a business consideration rather than a cost item.
April
Theme: Data analytics
Organisations are setting up more and more initiatives in which data plays an important role. Whereas, in recent years, gathering data and carrying out analyses has been the main focus of the programme, the following challenges have now arisen. For example, how do you look for the causes when you have mapped out the problems in the business processes through analyses? Or how do you optimise the processes on the basis of the data collected? And how do you make sure you get good information from the enormous mountain of data? And now that you are starting to make forecasts: how are you going to deal with the known unknowns and perhaps more importantly the unkown unknowns (a corona crisis or the burning down of a production facility)? AG Connect addresses this in this dossier.
May
Theme: Architecture
Low code applications or cloud services can quickly turn an IT infrastructure into an IT mess. Sticking to an IT architecture can prevent this. In this dossier, AG Connect discusses how new developments interfere with the IT architecture. How do you deal with old or earlier architecture? Is it a millstone or a useful foundation? And if you decide to work with a cloud provider, will you then be bound by their architectural design? What are the pitfalls of greenfields?
June/July
Theme: IT labour market
Despite the corona crisis, the tightness of the IT labour market remains as high as ever. In this issue, AG Connect presents the results of the Salary Survey. This survey is being carried out together with Berenschot for the 22nd time. We ask IT professionals about salaries, working conditions and other factors that determine job satisfaction. In the accompanying dossier, we share insights on how a team can best be managed remotely, how an organisation can collaborate with educational institutions, and how an organisation can best recruit in this tight market.
August
Theme: Service management
Organisations need to be agile, as the corona crisis has shown once again. This places demands on service management. How did this department experience the corona crisis? Did they get a knock or a boost? What was the impact? Where the service management organisation used to have complete control, this is no longer possible due to such factors as the cloud, shadow IT, teleworking, IT integration and the dependence on partners. In this dossier, we look at how to set up an agile service management organisation.
September
Theme: Testing
Because applications must be brought onto the market quickly, the testing process is sometimes neglected. In this dossier, we discuss how an organisation can continue to test quickly, but also properly. How does one set up a good testing process when, for example, working agile or with low code services? Who should actually do the testing? When is it profitable to set up a separate department for it? And how can new technology help with a good testing strategy?
October
Theme: Sourcing
During the corona crisis, every organisation more or less had to deal with several challenges that also play a role in sourcing, even though they did not work with external suppliers. The company’s IT staff also had to be managed remotely. What can the corona crisis teach us about management? What is the state of the outsourcing market in 2021?
November
Theme: Cloud
Although flexibility is a reason for many organisations to move to the cloud, there is also the danger of lock-in. How do you deal with this as an organisation? How do you ensure that as a company you do not become a plaything of the superpowers? Is it wise, for example, to opt for a lock-in, as long as you do it with your eyes open?
December
Theme: IT trends
In this last issue of 2021, we look ahead to the coming year and beyond. What technology does the IT manager need to know to do his job properly? What is the state of the IT market? In this issue, we interview scientists, CIOs and other people who made an impact in 2021.