Articles – PCIS Ltd.

Forbes. We need augmented intelligence, not AI

July 12, 2019

Like many technology entrepreneurs, I’m well aware of the buzz around Artificial Intelligence (AI). There’s a lot of investment going into any company that can boast an AI-powered app. But there’s a big problem with letting the computers do all the thinking for us. There are some very important kinds of decisions that humans should still be making. From my commentary in Forbes, Forget About Artificial Intelligence — We Need Augmented Intelligence: The same type of smart people who are…

It’s hard for enterprises to adopt emerging tech. Here’s a way to do it

June 23, 2019

Thought Leadership

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There are some truly amazing emerging technologies out there. AI and chatbots. Blockchain. Cryptocurrencies. Augmented reality, virtual reality… we’re all in a new kind of reality. Enterprise companies don’t want to leave these technologies in the hands of the startups that will disrupt them. But is is a huge challenge even for experienced CIOs to get a handle on how to bring these technologies in-house, integrate them with legacy systems and beat the competition. Why startups have the edge with…

We want to build our economy around innovation? Then we have to do something about China

June 4, 2019

Thought Leadership

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With all the controversy of the Green New Deal in the USA, I feel like Canadians (and especially the David Suzuki Foundation) are owed an apology. That, or at least an acknowledgement: Democrats in the US pretty much stole our big idea for the future of our country! What was that idea — or should I say, belief? Very simple: give up our sinful pasts as producers of dirty energy and minerals and find redemption at last through the holy spirit of technological innovation.…

Some big thoughts on big data

December 29, 2016

Thought Leadership

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Is it just me, or are we making some big mistakes in how we talk about big data? This crossed my mind (yet again) as I read Straight Talk About Big Data. The article starts with a suggestion for the CEO to get 5 questions answered from the executive team: Do we have a value-driven analytics strategy? Do we have the right ‘domain data’ to support our strategy? Where are we in our journey? Are we modelling the change personally?…

Digging for gold in your company’s data

October 22, 2015

Thought Leadership

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You’ve probably heard about ‘Big Data’ and ‘Predictive Analytics.’ These are the big buzz words floating around today. These terms sound very technical, futuristic even… and expensive. Perhaps you were informed that you need to start a project that incorporates these concepts, but you have no idea why or how you would embark on such a mission. Let me give you an example of why you should do just that. Most likely your company has customers. Hopefully the information about…

School district IT departments need help

The state of technology in Canadian school districts

September 7, 2015

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In May, PCIS conducted a market survey to gather insight on the state of technology at school districts across Canada. IT Managers and Directors from over 300 school districts were invited to complete a survey. The results revealed some common issues that resonated throughout the country while some highlighted challenges unique to their particular district. Because education is regulated and governed at the provincial level, it was not surprising to learn that districts that operated within the same province shared…

Technology trends in K-12 Schools. The biggest IT challenges

September 6, 2015

Thought Leadership

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Technology continues to play a significant role in evolving the learning environment. A catalyst in driving change in teaching methods, it has given educators the ability to positively impact student learning outcomes. But with all the benefits that technology brings, challenges arise for IT administrators who must continually find ways to proactively implement solutions and resolve potential issues that advanced technology and innovation presents to them. The top technology trends in the K-12 school segment that create challenges for IT…

Top 5 reasons why school district IT strategy plans fail

August 11, 2015

Thought Leadership

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So you think you have a good IT strategy for your school district. Well, do these problems remind you of… you? Let’s say you’re in year two of a five year plan. However, budget cuts hamper your ability to complete the rest of the plan. To make matters worse, declining enrolment is expected for the next few years. Budgets will shrink. That means fewer resources to execute your plan. You throw your hands in the air. You wonder why you…

The Pros and Cons of BYOD Program in Schools

August 11, 2015

Thought Leadership

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According to the National Consumers League, on average, children are 12 when they receive their first mobile device. With this early introduction into the daily routine, it’s no wonder they grow addicted to it and become dependent on their device. Not all parents are on the same page but with 56% of children in the US owning a cellphone, it’s inevitable that these devices make their way into schools. Whereas a few years ago, schools had strict policies against kids…

What do real estate and dating have in common?

November 26, 2014

Thought Leadership

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As mentioned in the previous post, last week I attended the Data Leadership Summit – http://www.datasummit.ca in Vancouver. It brought together a diverse audience to see speakers from different industries with different perspectives and experiences. In my opinion, there were two presentations which were particularly compelling. One was from real estate brokerage Redfin, the other from the online dating service Plentyoffish. I found it interesting that both shared many common themes. For instance, the level of exaggeration when one describing…