Technology Careers

2016 will be a year to forget for Samsung and its phone products.

The Galaxy 7 Note was a disaster as its battery blow ups became somewhat legendary, and not in a good way.  The phone was even banned by the airlines.  It was a manufacturing and a public relations nightmare.

Samsung is hoping its new phone, the Galaxy S8, will cure past evils and move the brand into the good graces of the Android World.

Newly released, first looks indicate the phone has what it takes to put Samsung at or near the top of the smartphone heap.

The phone is a handsome devil.  It boasts a tall and narrow shape.  The physical home button has been removed with a practically “bezel-less” design.  It looks classy and can easily fit into the palm of your hand.  Even iPhone fans will appreciate the aesthetics of the new device.

The phone comes in two sizes.  The S8 measures 5.8 inches and the S8 Plus comes in at 6.2 inches.  Images are distinct, bright and extremely colorful.  Photo quality is excellent.

Samsung is also counting on its new Bixby digital assistant to create some positive vibes.  It is meant to compete with Apple’s Siri, Google’s assistant and Amazon’s Alexa.

You can access Bixby by pressing a button on the side of the phone instead of shouting at the device.  It will detail your appointments, the weather and other supported apps.

Samsung has also empowered Bixby to search by vision.  This will take a click through the phone’s camera app.  It can provide you with an exact item you are looking for or other search options.

Security is solid with an iris scanner and a fingerprint sensor.  However, many will find the fingerprint sensor a bit awkward.  It has been positioned on the back of the phone hear the rear camera.  It is hard to reach and will cause you to smudge across the rear lens.

Another issue is the aspect ratio for videos.  The 18.5:9 screen means many videos and apps won’t fit.  Black bars are visible on the sides.

Still good things abound such as a headphone jack at the bottom and a MicroSD slot.  There’s even a USB Type C plug-in and the iP68 waterproofing.

Inside, the hardware is leading edge with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM.  It will breeze through any game on the Play Store.

All types of apps are included with the phone.  Some 40 in all including Skype and the Microsoft Office Suite.

The 12 megapixel camera is first rate.  Samsung has improved the image processing. The front facing camera has been upgraded to an 8MP with a faster aperture.  Even low light photos are better.  The camera quality is within spitting distance of the Google Pixel.

Many of the camera filters seemed to me modeled after those on Snapchat.  You can add glasses, moustaches and more.

Tests indicate the phone will take about 80 minutes to recharge.  Samsung learned its lesson the hard way and the battery now goes through a heavy checklist before installation.  It is perhaps the safest on the market.  Still it could be faster but will provide quicker wireless charging than an iPhone.

Overall the phone is extremely high quality and demands a high quality price.  The S8 will set you back $750 and S8 Plus $850.  Each phone though has 64 GB of native storage, up from 32 in the 57.  Samsung also throws in AKG headphones valued at $100.

Colors include article silver, midnight black and orchid grey.

Beauty comes at a price and the new Samsung Galaxy 8 certainly has both.

For recent college graduates, entering the workforce can be scary, but for those who were smart enough to go to school for IT, the prospect of starting a career in IT right away isn’t so bad.

IT has consistently been a field where the number of jobs outweigh the number of qualified applicants, leaving IT graduates with a lot of hope. Overall, the job market for recent college graduates has been improving every year since the recession, and entry level IT jobs are as plentiful as ever.

Typical jobs for IT graduates include positions like software engineer, system analyst, technical support staffer, consultant & more. With endless possibilities – from entering a blossoming tech field right here in St. Louis to taking your talents to Silicon Valley or Seattle, there are several things to consider when starting a career in IT.

Find Your Passion

Don’t apply to every single job just because it’s applicable to an extent. You’ve read the textbooks, but do you know the roles and responsibilities of every person in the IT department? If you’re good at coding, you probably don’t want to man the help desk. If you’re a problem solver who doesn’t like coding, consider the help desk. List out the types of projects you would like to work on and know your own abilities and limitations. Focus in on the entry level IT jobs that you would truly enjoy & pave your own path.

Contracting May be a Good Idea

If you have no idea where you want to be in 5 years, it’s perfectly fine to go about starting a career in IT through contracting. Local IT recruiters are always looking to fill jobs for IT graduates, and a trial run may be beneficial in building your resume and finding your true passion. If the temp job is mutually a good fit for you and the employer you may get a full-time job out of it. If it’s not your cup of tea you now have some real-world experience and probably learned more about exactly what you’re looking for next.

Gain Certifications to Qualify You for Your Next Position

The best jobs for IT graduates go to those who have gone above and beyond their call of duty. Having a degree and having real world experience are very different things. However, it’s possible to add lines to your resume outside of the classroom or office. Launch your IT career with in-demand certifications like becoming a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) CompTIA A+ Technician, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Microsoft Certified Software Engineer (MCSE) or getting your Network+ Certification. The cost of these certifications varies, with the most expensive being the CISSP at $600, but that’s a small price to pay for starting an IT career fresh out of college.

Network, Network, Network

Now that you’re an IT professional, we encourage you to network with other like-minded professionals. While a degree and strong resume will certainly help your job prospects, face-to-face communication with prospective employers and co-workers can do nothing but help. Also, don’t be afraid to contribute to online discussions about industry topics on LinkedIn.

Starting a Career in IT? Learn About Opportunities at ThrottleNet

As a full-service managed IT provider, ThrottleNet is always looking for qualified applicants to join our team. Submit your resume online & learn more about positions as a Remote Support Technician, Network Engineer, Web App Developer or Sales Representative at ThrottleNet.

With the IT industry evolving at a break-neck pace, it’s easy for even the most seasoned IT professionals to fall behind industry growth.

Automation has taken over the routine and repetitive tasks that have a focal point for many workdays, and now more than ever it’s crucial for IT pros to be on top of their game.

Hardware purchasing, racking, stacking and configuring routers are all at risk of becoming obsolete, thanks to innovation in virtualization and cloud computing.

So, what’s an IT person to do in order to keep up with the evolution of IT?

Understand Everything About the Cloud

The cloud is perhaps the most visible component of the evolution of IT. Just about everyone is migrating to the cloud. If you’re in charge of spearheading this effort, you should understand exactly what that entails. To succeed in today’s business environment, IT pros should be adept at setting up, integrating and securing cloud deployments. This may be a good opportunity to take advantage of skill development incentives through your HR department if available, such as reimbursement on certification courses.

Stay Up-to-Date on Cybersecurity Threats & How to Combat Them

Cybersecurity is the number one concern that most business owners have today in regard to information technology. Businesses are looking to take advantage of any methods they can take to secure their data before they are targeted by an attack. Being able to understand and identify where your business is susceptible and implementing new technology to combat that will help everyone go to sleep a little easier. Along with the evolution of IT, cyber threats also continue to evolve, making it an area you’ll want to put a huge focus on.

Be Able to Interpret Big Data

The information your business has collected over time is an invaluable resource, but previously time has prevented you from making use of big data. Big data is a term for sets of data that are so large and complex that traditional data processing software can’t deal with adequately. For retailers, government agencies, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and many other industries, big data poses incredible possibilities. Take the time to develop a system to interpret this data so it can be put to use for your brand.

Embrace Machine Learning & the Internet of Things

You have a great idea for a new business app and are ready to start hiring an app developer. While you generally have an idea of how you want your app to look and function, you don’t possess the skills needed to turn concept into reality. Hiring an app developer is the next step in the process after conceptualization, but how do you find app developers that align with your specific goals?

Every app is different and development truly never ends – as great apps often need constant updating to stay relevant in a hyper-competitive marketplace.

Hiring an app developer isn’t as simple as calling the company with the first result on Google – you have to partner with an app developer who gets you. Someone who is on the same page with your business, your goals and your vision to create an app that is a digital extension of your company and your values.

Have a Budget in Mind

There are all kinds of mobile apps varying in complexity. Some mobile apps can be developed in a day while others may take a year. Know what you are willing to pay for the features you want and shop around if you don’t like the answers you get from one company. Be as detailed as possible while explaining your needs to a potential app vendor to get an accurate quote. You don’t want to provide too little information because that can yield an inaccurate quote.

Understand Developer Testing Methods

If you are developing an app for both iOS and Android, those of course, are two different apps. You want both versions to function similarly and, most importantly, work flawlessly. At the same time, you want to be sure your application works seamlessly on a variety of supported devices. It would be a shame if the developer tested your app on a fourth generation iPod and come to find out the app doesn’t work with iOS 10. Make sure your vendor tests on multiple devices and multiple operating systems and rest easy on the go-live date.

Check Their References

When hiring an app developer—or anyone for that matter—it’s important to know their background and past experiences. If you are building an eCommerce app, chances are you don’t want a company that only builds games to build your app (and vice versa). Find out what apps they have developed and if any are similar to your concept. Do you like what you see? Feel free to call references of past clients understanding that this is a big undertaking for your business.

Find Out Who Will Own the App

Under any agreement which involves a third party it’s important to know who truly owns the end result. Because the app is being designed for your company, you should own the application at the end of the day, not the developer. At the end of your contract, you should be able to take your app and turn updates over to an in-house developer or look elsewhere for ongoing maintenance. Any profits generated from your app should be yours as well. After all, it is YOUR app. Hiring an app developer with contract language stating anything but this should be turned aside.

Know Where the Company is Located

You may want to have a local company handle your app development project if personal contact is important to you. Visit their office in person and get to know the team. It’s easy to be fooled about organizational structure on the phone. Make sure app development is handled in-house and you’re not paying a middle-man in charge of an overseas developer. You can find that yourself cheaper if you really wanted to go that route.

Get Regular Status Updates on Your App

Throughout the process, you want to hire an app developer who will be with you every step of the way from consulting through testing, launch and ongoing maintenance agreements.

Make sure you’re working with a team of app developers who can get a second eye on your project to eliminate mistakes.

Hiring an App Developer in St. Louis? Give ThrottleNet a Try

We know it’s tough to find cross platform app developers who will listen and accomplish your deliverable within budget. ThrottleNet is a trusted app developer in the St. Louis area specializing in iOS, Android and even iOT and streaming media. Have an idea for the next great business app? Contact us today to talk it through and learn more about our services.

The digital landscape evolves quickly, and is showing no signs of slowing down. With more hardware and software options out there, companies are less reluctant to say goodbye to older systems and implementing new technology for their businesses.

As the demand for this new technology rises, so does the demand for an IT department that makes the new systems work as effectively and efficiently as possible. In order to do that, IT pros need more than just the hard skills—they need the soft skills, too.

Soft skills are a person’s abilities to empathize and communicate effectively with others. In other words: “people skills.” We’ve put together a short list of the most important IT soft skills that professionals should have, or try to develop in the workplace. These are skills which employers are looking for when hiring the right IT candidate.

Communication

Communication skills of some the best IT soft skills to have. The IT guy needs to communicate effectively with people, not just with the technology. We’ve reached a point today where IT pros are not only implementing and fixing tech systems, but teaching the systems to employees as well. Being able to convey the technology in non-technical terms, written and verbal, is crucial to a business’s success.

Additionally, IT pros are more and more becoming the point of contact for vendors and clients, and the communication between the two are often through email. Being able to express ideas in written form without the help of hand gestures and voice inflection makes business-to-client relationships professional and clear.

Patience

When the IT pro trains coworkers on a new system or software, the employees are going to learn at a slower pace, or maybe just not get it at all. Hiring managers are looking for someone who’s patient and understands that the end-user is almost never going to be as fast the IT guy.

Also, since IT pros need to interact more externally, he or she should understand vendors and clients have their own priorities, so communication can sometimes move slower than it would with another coworker just down the hall.

Confidence

Employers are looking for someone who exudes confidence, especially in those younger IT pros who aren’t as experienced as some of the other more seasoned applicants.

Confidence means being politely assertive about what he or she believes is right for the greater good of the company and its network solutions. It doesn’t mean disregarding all other ideas, but rather contributing to the pool of ideas with conviction and passion.

Teaching

Most employees at a company don’t have the same technical skills as the IT pro; they were hired for the other things they’re good at. However, they all interact with the technology and network systems every day. In order for employees to excel at their job, they need the least amount of barriers standing in the way. Proper training is key to knocking those down.

A good teacher takes the time to be flexible and patient with those he or she is training. Employees in different departments have different skill sets and the IT pro should be able to teach to those with varying levels of skills and experience.

Organization

IT professionals understand their work occurs under many projects with different deadlines and various levels of priority. Employers want someone on their IT team who can organize their day-to-day tasks to accomplish tasks on time. Organized employees look weeks, months and even years ahead to lay out an organized roadmap for future projects and goals.

Does your IT department have these crucial soft skills? Having trouble finding someone who does? At ThrottleNet, we push our team to develop these IT soft skills every day—it’s how we acquire customers looking to lose the goat, or at least not hire another one. If your IT department needs a hand, we’re here to help.  Contact us today to learn more about our Managed Network, Computer Networking or Custom Software Application services.

There are plenty of IT workplace issues that can cause stress for professionals every day.

Juggling multiple projects at once, creating short-term solutions to fix pop-up issues, training employees who just don’t get it and feeling let down when those same employees fail to follow the rules.

Those are all IT Workplace issues that can make a professional question why they went into IT in the first place – and if they are truly making an impact on their organizations.

A survey released by Kensington in the UK detailed some of the common barriers and frustrations IT professionals deal with on a daily basis – leading many to believe their work is underappreciated.

An IT Pro Has Many Roles

Firefighter, Fortune Teller, Diplomat, Bad Guy, Teacher and Accountant. Those are all different jobs. In fact, there’s not one company on the planet that employs all six of those under the same roof – but in fact, an IT guy has the power to be all six.

While an IT guy certainly covers all of these bases in a given week, the survey asked respondents to identify with one of those six roles. In the United States, it broke down like this:

• 42% firefighter
• 29% diplomat
• 14% teacher
• 7% fortune teller
• 3% bad guy
• 1% Accountant
• 4% other

The United States had by far the most firefighters amongst the three countries surveyed – including professionals from the United Kingdom and Australia. The fact that most IT pros in the US relate to this role above all else is a telling sign that these employees are feeling underappreciated, as they are constantly having to drop projects they are passionate about to deal with something else.

Factors that Lead IT Guys to Feel Underappreciated

It’s not just one thing that makes an IT guy feel undervalued by their organization.

36% of survey respondents said they were upset that IT was viewed as a cost rather than a benefit. At the same time, 28% were fed up with employees disregarding the rules and policies they worked hard to put into place.

Along with a lack of time, resources, insufficient budgets and limited time to truly educate end users on processes, many IT pros feel left out to dry by mounted IT workplace Issues.

27% of an IT guys average workday is consumed troubleshooting, with another 18% tied up in meetings, while 12% of the workday in the United States is dedicated to security. At the end of the day, Creative/Design tasks make up just 8% of an IT guys work day.

How to Eliminate IT Workplace Issues

The Kensington study concludes by stating employers should place more emphasis on IT employee wellness, productivity and strategy in order to help key employees feel more valued in the workplace.

If an IT guy is allocated the time and resources to promote their potential to the business, it will have a positive effect on ROI at the end of the day.

A managed partner for IT support can also allow IT professionals the power to dedicate more of themselves to the business and less towards the day-to-day tasks that “must get done.”

ThrottleNet provides a wide range of Managed Network support services to small businesses throughout St. Louis. Unleash the full potential of your IT department by leaning on us as a value-added partner. Contact ThrottleNet today to learn more!