General
Government Publish their IT strategy
The Government have just published their IT strategy on the cabinet office website. This describes the strategy for UK Information and Communication Technology over the next 10 years.
According to the strategy, this will ensure that the IT infrastructure used by government departments will go through a process of standardisation and simplification based on the premise of a common infrastructure designed to enable local delivery suited to local needs. Hopefully this will help to remove duplicate infrastructure solutions across different areas of Government services.
However, not all comment is overwhelmingly supportive; Andrea DiMaio from Gartner, argues that the underlying message is that cheaper is stronger than smarter or greener. It sounds like the Treasury is the principle driver pushing through the cost savings that every government department is required to achieve.
To read more about this click on the links below:
Do something differently – take Risks
Are you a woman who is in a male dominated industry and hesitate to take risks for fear of rejection?
We know that Women are under represented in Technology, that is a fact, both in the UK and worldwide. Many of the women who are employed in IT are clustered in the lower skilled and lower paid areas of the industry, rather than the more professional and technical positions.
Do you hide your intelligence to remain safe or unnoticed in relationships, at work, in life? Many women play at less than 100%. They feel if they reveal all their greatness, their talents and their intelligence that somehow they will not be safe or will set themselves up for rejection. It may feel easier to hold back than take a risk.
If you want to do something different, RISK4Results will help you manage that fear and take the risks necessary to have maximum results in your career, relationships and life. To learn more about this interesting program visit Pink Biker Chic Risk for Results
IAP Spring Conference 2009
Details have been released by The Institution of Analysts and Programmers of the 2009 IAP Spring Conference. This year’s meeting will be based at the Museum in Docklands, close to Canary Wharf. Occupying a converted warehouse, its mix of galleries and function rooms will provide a comfortable and interesting venue for the IAP.
The event is open to members and non-members, and for details of the programme and list of speakers see IAP News. If you are interested in joining The Institution of Analysts and Programmers see the page How To Join
British woman sails to world record
TechCo Training would like to congratulate a British sailor, 36-year-old Dee Caffari, who has become the first woman to sail solo and non-stop both ways around the world. She claimed the unique record today when she completed the Vendée Globe yacht race in her on her 60ft boat, Aviva.
She crossed the line off Les Sables d’Olonne, France, at 1.13pm to take sixth place in the race and complete a feat achieved by only four men – circumnavigating the globe with and against the prevailing currents and winds
The navigation station was the hub of all the activity below deck and where Dee used her electronic weather and sail charts to make all her tactical decisions. Dee used the computers at the navigation station to send pictures, diaries and video footage back to her support team watching her progress.
Try a freestyle training camp this summer
After you have finished that urgent project and posted the last minute customer changes live up to the website, you might like to think about where you will spend your holiday this summer. Of course you could queue at the airport with all the other beach wanabes clutching swimsuits and sun factor. Alternatively you might like to head off to the eternal snows of Europe’s glaciers to learn the gentle at of freestyle skiing.
While most of us spend our summers working on our tans, Jenny Jones, who won gold in the Winter X Games, a freesports version of the Olympics spends hers working on her freestyle skills at training camps on Europe’s glaciers or down in the southern hemisphere during their winter.
In this snowboarding article from Guardian Travel, Jenny picks out the best summer camps for women who want to stay on the slopes all year and improve their skills. If you are a complete beginner you can find training in the basic rules of riding kickers, rails and halfpipes. Or for the more adventrous there are Freeriding, Backcountry or custom courses which cater for Skiers and Snowboarders
For more information check out the Website of the Skiing and Snowboarding specialists McNab Snowsports . They offer Freestyle Performance clinics with 6 days of Freestyle coaching from top British Freestyle riders and Coaches.
You may still need the swimsuits and sun factor as, according to snowboarding champion Jenny from Bristol, the afternoons are all volleyball, bungee jumping, football or just the pub, and no one takes themselves too seriously.
Facebook pay up in case settlement
According to the Guardian, Facebook have paid up to $65m – $20m cash and a 1.25m shares – to end a lawsuit in which Mark Zuckerberg, now its chief executive, was accused of stealing the idea for the social networking site from a company called ConnectU.
The case, brought against Zuckerberg by three former classmates, Divya Narendra and the brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, had threatened to derail Facebook.
For more on this story click here to read the Guardian article
TechCo Supports a new Site to Fight Leprosy
There is a new site available on the Internet to help in the fight against Leprosy. TechCo Systems are assisting with this venture as a way to put somthing back into the community. This new leprosy elimination campaign was launched to coincide with World Leprosy Day on 25th January 2009. To see this new site, visit End Leprosy Now.