News - Ballard Chalmers

Enterprise architecture is fastest growing tech skill in demand says Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey

25/05/2017

The Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey is the world’s largest survey of IT leadership. Initial results of the 2017 report have just been released with one of the key findings that enterprise architecture is the fastest growing tech skill in demand.

“The proportion of organizations surveyed that have enterprise-wide digital strategies increased 52 percent in just two years…To help deliver these complex digital strategies, organizations also report a huge demand for Enterprise Architects – the fastest growing technology skill this year, up 26 percent compared to 2016,” says the Harvey Nash/KPMG website.

While the fastest growing demand for a technology skill this year was enterprise architecture, big data/analytics remained the most in-demand skill at 42%, up 8% on last year.

Further, 64% of respondents say the political, business and economic environment is becoming more unpredictable with the top answer for managing it to create a more nimble technology platform (52%).

For more details, to request a copy of the report head over to the Harvey Nash/KPMG website (the full report will be released later in the summer).

^{Source: Harvey Nash/KPMG}

SQL Server Data Tools in your DevOps pipeline

24/05/2017

In the most recent Channel 9 webisode, Dmitry Lyalin (Product Manger Visual Studio, Microsoft) is joined by Eric Kang (Program Manager for SQL Server Data Tools, Microsoft) who is back on the show to talk about how Visual Studio 2017, SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) and SQL Server 2016/SQL Database (on Azure) can be used in both migration and state based database development approaches. They also demonstrate how to make SQL development integrated into a Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment with Visual Studio Team Services as part of a DevOps pipeline: SQL Server Data Tools in your DevOps pipeline.

This episode is part two of a series on SSDT, so if you missed it be sure to check out the previous introductory episode SQL Server Data Tools for Visual Studio.

^{Source: Microsoft Channel 9}

The top reasons to run SQL Server on Azure VM

22/05/2017

Check out the top reasons to run #SQLServer on #Azure #VM. Watch:https://t.co/pKw72SKWJH pic.twitter.com/P1rZlP6b8o

— Microsoft SQL Server (@SQLServer) May 19, 2017

^{Source: Twitter/@SQLServer}

BizTalk Server 2013R2 Cumulative Update 6 now available

18/05/2017

The 6th Cumulative updates BizTalk Server 2013R2 were announced last week. In case you missed it, the cumulative update package for BizTalk Server 2013 R2 contains hotfixes for the BizTalk Server 2013 R2 issues that were resolved after the release of BizTalk Server 2013 R2.

Get all the details here on the MSDN BizTalk Blog.

^{Source: MSDN BizTalk Blog}

Personalised, fast data delivers business outcomes your CEO cares about

18/05/2017

Data without context is just noise. For enterprise architecture pros, “today’s data vision is to make data relevant, timely, and impactful to reach the CEO’s mandate for the digital business,” says Microsoft.

In this Forrester Research report, you’ll learn how companies are building data strategies and get advice such as how to achieve c-suite objectives by personalising data for users; Use customer journey maps to put a data vision in motion; Employ agile practices to make the business-to-data connection.

^{Source: Microsoft.com}