Everyone speaks of the Internet. Reminiscently referred to as the ‘World Wide Web’ or ‘the Cloud’ as some folks like to call it, the concept of collaboration and depending on others’ strengths comes to mind. The concept of ‘work what you’re good at’, ‘outsource what you can get done cheaper, or better elsewhere’; it’s all about globalization and bringing everything into play together. We all know this. We engage in this effort on a daily basis. While our reliance on technology increases and we put everything we know online, here’s the problem: where can you find the right resources to make all this happen?

We are perpetually told how there is a lot of talent in this country that is being underutilized. And while that may be the case there is talent that is young, skilled and plentiful, we still have a long way to go as far as IT is concerned. This talent does manage to master a specific software or be great at network engineering (and “master” may be an overstatement based on my personal experience!) but that does not, an IT engineer make. Some folks, for instance, believe that server management is solely what IT is all about while others may think the world of programming, and while no single individual can have all these traits, mastering one of them should at least be the goal.

Unfortunately, we are a country where overstating one’s achievements and taking the easy route out is being considered the norm. The only thing this ensures is lack of professional growth. Assuming you know everything you need to know in order to hoodwink the person sitting in front of you, can only go far. I think we have reached that “far”!

This is me being really blunt and curt. I know we have smart young professionals but they do not come with the attitude of “learning”.  Young brash graduates enter the professional environment expecting high salaries as if their time spent in college or university was a favor to the company with whom they are interviewing. The bravado, my friends, only goes so far. Know what you are talking about and give the person across the desk from you the respect to not make stuff up. You may ‘think’ you know all there is to know but the only one you are fooling at that point is yourself. The interviewer can, usually, see through this.

Speaking From Experience
I have met young graduates who claim they want to work in networking but cannot tell me what the Internet is. They cannot differentiate between a network and the Internet after claiming they have participated in ‘networking courses’ for a year. (The answer is IN the question. With talent such as this, I am afraid. Very afraid. And this has happened on more than one or two occasions!) I am afraid if this is the kind of person I am supposed to accept into a company and then appear ‘grateful’ that they  showed up for the interview (please do not get me started on body language) and accept the job, then we, I fear, are doomed. The folks who do “know” the stuff, I find are often the unassuming ones happy to work and not deal with impressing folks.

The reason I am ranting as regards our potential work force is that it appears that the time to take companies online is finally here. I know the world has been online for some time and Pakistan claims to be the same, but we have yet to see integrated, comprehensive websites for most companies around. Having a static webpage giving addresses and a listing of services is no longer the way of the world. Most conferences you attend could convince you that there is a lot of serious work being conducted here and I too get fooled but once out in the sunshine, I realize that there are only a handful of organizations with whom you can deal electronically. Somewhere along the line you are brought down to the “phone call” or the “paper trail”. The Internet revolution happened and happened again. Web 2.0 is not just a slogan. Things actually work in an integrated and comprehensively come together, seamlessly from websites, without my having to deal with a human being… not here – not yet.

The point here is, that simply claiming that we are technology savvy and saying we are bringing the nation to the next level is not enough. Computerization does not only mean you fill out forms on paper and then have some data entry fellow input the data onto a computer later – which is the case in most government offices. Despite the large armies of people at the work, even then this information is not available across the network at location B (you can forget about location X!)

Where is the network? Where is the collaboration? Again, just saying it does not make it so. Coming out of many meetings, you may be fooled into believing that the Internet is about to take off and take off again but I’m afraid that is great rhetoric. Website maintenance is often a joke. Flashing items of news that are 3 years old is not ‘maintenance’. Displaying old information or making promises online that are not deliverable, is not right.

In order to get people online and for Pakistan to be part of the next stage (the current stage!) in technology requires a shift in mindset. Having a “young fellow” come in and type for you does not make your organization ‘tech savvy’. If you cannot hire the folks needed, as is obvious, then hand over the onus of running your software, your website, your technology needs to someone who can. Deal with the cloud rather than the incompetency.

Is There Technology In Savvy?
Also, do come over to the technology side! It is not dark! If anything, it will bring transparency to your dealings and limit the inefficiencies we see all around us on a daily basis.

Issuing cheques for refunds or vendor payments should not take weeks. How hard is it to write a cheque? If we are going to make the simplest task into a monumental effort, please let’s call it a day and give up. Tell the world we are not going to be partaking in efficient and transparent methods and that we wish to continue to live in the back waters of society.

Through my rant, I would like to emphasize the following:

Do use technology to your advantage. Use it to reduce  costs and inefficiencies;
Do not keep touting laurels when they  are obviously showing up as such;
Groom the young students to actually  know’ what they need to, to enter and  contribute to strengthening the work force;
Do encourage the young students to see  how ‘just saying something does not make it so’;
We have a long ways to go before we can qualify as technology savvy, thus some  professional training at college level may help;

Do respond to emails. It is the polite and professional way to behave; and
nTime is limited and respecting it is important

This now brings me to the point that I had originally wanted to make!

Collaborating with others and using each other’s strengths, is a way forward. By and large, companies will see that employing technology reduces their production costs and waste. They are better able to see their chain management and having a “dashboard” view of each stage of their business allows them to better streamline processes and reduce inefficiencies. Why then, do we see people shying away from implementing new software? It is the fear of the unknown or that which a legacy system cannot understand? The older generation in the work force will stand fast to the notion that they got along fine without the computer for most of their career and as such they still can. Errr not quite!

Understandably it’s a challenge to get used to a new way of working it isn’t an impossible calling. Also, sabotaging the change, which usually means someone in the hierarchy, is afraid of being made redundant if the technology were to be implemented, actually makes it difficult to actually achieve the purpose. This is just the kind of backward thinking that has pushed us this far south. Not knowing what you are doing makes you useless – a computer can’t really achieve that for you! Most of the technical devices we have on hand are referred to as ‘dumb’ devices and with good reason. Since only one of you is meant to be an intelligent being, they still need to be told what to do. Using them does not make you useless; these make you more efficient. You still are the one in charge. Hold onto that power!

That is why the correct use of these devices is so important. When you achieve that, you end up with a system that works and actually helps your business. If you cannot or do not want to hire an IT team, (since there does appear to be a dearth despite everyone and their brother is an IT professional),  hire the services of a consultant or better yet simply outsource your  IT issues. Have the folks who ‘know’ what they’re talking about, take care of your needs. The entire concept of ‘managed services’ is especially targeted towards small to medium-sized companies, where the IT budget is usually very restricted and often, not the main focus of the business. Just because you don’t have the requisite budget, doesn’t mean you can’t have a sound, efficient network running in your organization, regardless of how small it is. No. Size doesn’t matter. IQ, however, does.

Allow the professionals whose day job it is, to offload your IT aches and pains – those who appreciate and respect the time and effort a consultant invests. They are not repeating the same things (GIGO), you already know and have tried.

Save the trees! Limit your use of paper and allow your various departments to run on platforms up in the cloud, if creating a server farm is beyond your budget. There are several such consultants and managed services providers working here in Pakistan now. Use their services if you cannot run the tech. Show yourself. Cloud computing is not a pipe dream of a far off and distant future. It’s happening everywhere and it’s happening now.

It’s no longer a question of whether or not you want to be a part of the future. The more appropriate question is to ask when you’d like to come on board.

About the Author:
Saba is network security security specialist based out of Pakistan. She can be reached at saba.jamaluddin@gmail.com and online at www.cloud3solutions.com

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