Stephen Foskett provides an in-depth analysis of the presentations and technological showcases at Tech Field Day during his December 18 appearance on Techstrong Gang. He focuses on the innovative uses of artificial intelligence in enterprise technologies, which were highlighted during the event. For additional insights and coverage on Tech Field Day, watch Stephen Foskett’s regular appearances on Techstrong Gang.
SOUTHWORKS: Reducing Slippage and Increase Scope Control
Guy Currier recently provided an insightful analysis on SOUTHWORKS at AppDev Field Day 2, focusing on their efficient strategies to minimize project slippage and enhance scope control. His coverage highlights the innovative approaches deployed by SOUTHWORKS to manage and deliver complex app development projects effectively. For further details on this topic, explore Guy Currier’s additional reports from AppDev Field Day 2 at The Futurum Group.
Southworks – AppDev Field Day – KubeCon @cncf 2024
During AppDev Field Day 2 at KubeCon 2024, Jon Myer explored SOUTHWORKS’ innovative approach to application development, which they term “development on demand.” Unlike conventional system integrators, SOUTHWORKS offers scoped projects with a flat-fee pricing structure, emphasizing knowledge transfer to minimize customer dependencies for future modifications. Their approach, likened to a “SWAT team” for software tasks, such as app development and migrations, was well received by delegates. Attendees particularly valued how SOUTHWORKS harnesses sophisticated cloud functionalities and facilitates cloud-to-cloud mobility, effectively addressing prevalent challenges in the industry. Their strategy of offering scalable engineering resources was noted for its potential to significantly enhance organizational efficiency and flexibility in software development efforts.
Heroku – AppDev Field Day – KubeCon @cncf 2024
During the AppDev Field Day 2 at KubeCon and CloudNativeCon, Jon Myer discussed with delegates Heroku’s status as a pioneering platform-as-a-service (PaaS) provider, highlighting its emphasis on simplifying developer experiences by abstracting the complexities of infrastructure management. The delegates reviewed Heroku’s approach which favors usability over the deeply technical, infrastructure-focused style typical of cloud-native development. They acknowledged Heroku’s aim to ease enterprise operations and their move towards embracing open-source with initiatives like the open-sourcing of the 12-Factor App Manifesto. However, concerns were raised about the lack of transparency in its infrastructure. Despite some finding Heroku’s detailed presentations overwhelming, the overall commitment to addressing challenges and setting clear future paths was well-received, underscoring Heroku’s ongoing effort to bridge the gap between developers and operations, specifically targeting enterprise-level applications.
Codiac – AppDev Field Day – KubeCon @cncf 2024
In this video, Jon Myer asks the AppDev Field Day 2 delegates for their reaction to Codiac’s presentation. Delegates found the session intriguing and appreciated Codiac’s focus on bridging the gap between software development life cycle (SDLC) and infrastructure management, particularly through a GUI and drag-and-drop interface. This approach simplifies processes for infrastructure teams unfamiliar with pipelines and unit testing, addressing challenges like technical debt, migrations, and workload transitions across environments. Delegates highlighted Codiac’s potential to reduce friction between developers and platform engineers by streamlining collaboration and deployment workflows. Overall, they were excited about Codiac’s innovative approach and eager to see more.
AI Doesn’t Make App Dev Any Better
Generative AI is transforming many industries where people create content. Software development is no different; AI agents are in almost every development platform. But is AI improving application development and software quality? This episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast looks at some of the issues revolving around AI and App Dev with Alastair Cooke, Guy Currier, Jack Poller, and Stephen Foskett. The ultimate objective of a software development team is to deliver an application that fulfills a business need and helps the organization be more successful. An AI that can recommend basic code snippets doesn’t move that needle far. More sophistication is needed to get value from AI in the development process. The objective should be to have AI handle the repetitive tasks and allow humans to focus on innovative tasks where generative AI is less capable. AI agents must handle building tests and reviewing code for security and correctness to enable developers to concentrate on building better applications that help organizations.
Edge Computing is a Melting Pot of Technology
Edge computing is one of the areas where we see startup vendors offering innovative solutions, enabling applications to operate where the business operates rather than where the IT team sit. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast focuses on the melting pot of edge computing and features Guy Currier, John Osmon, Ivan McPhee, and host Alastair Cooke, all of whom attended the recent Edge Field Day in September. To accommodate the unique nature of the diverse and unusual locations where businesses operate, many different technologies are brought together to form the melting pot of edge computing. Containers and AI applications are coming from the massive public cloud data centres to a range of embedded computers on factory floors, industrial sites, and farm equipment. ARM CPUs, sensors, and low-power hardware accelerators are coming from mobile phones to power applications in new locations. Enterprise organizations must still control and manage data and applications across these locations and platforms. Security must be built into the edge from the beginning; edge computing often happens in an unsecured location and often with no human oversight. This melting pot of technology and innovation makes edge computing an innovative part of IT.
App Modernization, a Measured Exercise or a No-Brainer?
Sulagna Saha reports on the delegate roundtable on the topic of app modernization lead by Paul Nashawaty at AppDev Field Day ADFD1 last month. Is modernization a judicious strategic move or an obvious necessity? Her article unpacks the complexities and risks associated with updating legacy applications, alongside the potential benefits of agility, scalability, and improved user experiences. Through this discourse, Sulagna aims to enlighten IT decision-makers on the careful deliberation required when contemplating the modernization of their application landscape.
Why Ethernet for AI? For That Matter, Why InfiniBand for AI?
Guy Currier explores why Ethernet and InfiniBand are significant considerations in the AI infrastructure landscape. He examines the role these networking technologies play in optimizing data transfer processes crucial for AI workloads’ performance. Currier’s article provides a comprehensive understanding of how choosing the right networking fabric can make a substantial difference in the efficiency and success of AI deployments. Read more in this LinkedIn Pulse article inspired by Juniper Networks presentation at Cloud Field Day.
Have (Highly Performant) AI Your Way
Guy Currier dives into the nuances of achieving high performance in AI deployments, stressing the importance of customizable solutions that cater to specific organizational needs. His commentary addresses the balancing act between off-the-shelf convenience and tailored AI systems that maximize efficiency and align with unique business objectives. Currier’s insights suggest that while there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to AI, the power to optimize lies in the ability to adapt and tweak systems for peak performance. Read more in this LinkedIn Pulse article inspired by Google Cloud’s presentation at Cloud Field Day 20.
Cloud Native is Just a Marketing Term
Software developers used to use the term cloud native to describe applications that are designed for the cloud, but today it seems to be more of a term for containerized applications. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, recorded ahead of Cloud Field Day 20, includes Guy Currier, Jack Poller, Ziv Levy, and Stephen Foskett discussing the true meaning of cloud native today.
Catchpoint Works to Catch Your App’s Sticking Point
Guy Currier presents an overview of how Catchpoint’s performance monitoring tools are adept at pinpointing issues within applications that may hinder user experience. Catchpoint’s approach focuses on identifying and resolving the “sticking points” that can affect application smoothness and efficiency. His article illuminates how deploying such sophisticated monitoring solutions can be crucial for organizations to maintain optimal application performance and ensure customer satisfaction. Learn more about Catchpoint’s AppDev Field Day presentation in this LinkedIn Pulse article!
Cloud Run for K8s: GKE, Not GKE
In this AppDev Field Day LinkedIn Pulse article, Guy Currier examines the versatility of Cloud Run for Kubernetes, discussing its implementation both within Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and outside of it. His article emphasizes Cloud Run’s ability to provide a cohesive and streamlined serverless experience for containerized applications, regardless of the underlying infrastructure. Currier’s piece sheds light on the expanding serverless options for developers seeking to leverage Kubernetes, and Cloud Run’s role in blurring the lines between fully managed and self-managed environments.
Guy Currier
CTO at Visible Impact | Guy studies technologies and products to reveal and articulate their value for the benefit of organizations and communities.
