Ask a Distinguished Technologist
Organizational Transformation, Cloud Journeys and Career Pathing
As a leader in the technology space, you know that cloud technology is a must-have for any modern IT infrastructure. But let’s be real — building an optimal cloud strategy that supports agility, scalability and cost control is no easy feat. And now, with AI on the rise, organizations must step up their game with data-driven decision-making.
That’s where Insight’s Distinguished Technologists come in.
These tech gurus have tackled some of the most complex IT projects out there, and they’re ready to help you navigate the challenges of cloud adoption and AI infrastructure. Whether you’re working to optimize your IT environment for scalability, keep costs in check, or stay ahead of the curve with the latest innovations, our team of experts has the knowledge and experience to help you succeed. So grab a cup of coffee, kick back, and let’s talk shop with Michael, Carm and Juan on the latest in digital transformation.
At Insight, a Distinguished Technologist is an industry-recognized IT professional who’s earned the highest levels of thought leadership, mentorship and industry influence. Distinguished Technologists are highly tenured, well-respected and sought-after veterans of the industry. Their perspectives on key trends and evolving technologies give business leaders new ways to approach digital transformation.
Organizations embarking on their cloud journey often find themselves at a crossroads, facing a variety of challenges that can stall progress. These can range from initial migration to ongoing maintenance, with each phase presenting a varying degree of complexity.
However, with a robust methodology and management framework, you can easily navigate the often-turbulent waters of cloud adoption. One of the primary challenges is the migration process itself. It’s not merely a technical shift but a transformation that affects every layer of an organization. From governance and compliance to infrastructure automation, each step requires meticulous planning and execution. At Insight, we leverage a cloud adoption framework that’s designed to walk clients through every bit of the lifecycle of their journey to the cloud, ensuring a smooth transition that maximizes ROI on cloud investments.
Michael NardoneCloud Solutions Director and Distinguished Technologist, Insight
Michael is obsessed with helping clients achieve business outcomes and deliver real value through modern cloud platforms and accelerated software principles. In his 20 years of experience, he has held various roles across deep technical administration, engineering, architecture and strategy.
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As organizations move to the cloud, there are a few essential variables that must be considered, including cost, security, upskilling and the general complexity associated with adopting new cloud technologies.
As organizations move to the cloud, there are a few essential variables that must be considered, including cost, security, upskilling and the general complexity associated with adopting new cloud technologies. It’s helpful to approach these concerns head-on. This is why we equip clients with the tools and knowledge they need to maintain a cost-effective and secure cloud profile. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s helpful to collaborate with a dedicated, public Cloud Service Provider (CSP) like Azure.
The flexibility and scalability of CSPs offer immense benefits, but they also require organizations to align their business operations with the platform’s capabilities. As an example, Insight helps clients leverage Azure’s offerings to achieve the desired depth and scale. This ensures that the planned cloud services are brought closer to the point of business, whether it’s in healthcare, financial services or manufacturing.
In addition to obstacles of scope, the end of life for legacy systems like SQL Server presents another layer of complexity, prompting organizations to modernize their data management protocols. For clients, this means partnering with a Solutions Integrator like Insight to evaluate the risk and criticality of assets. We typically guide them through options, such as moving to Platform as a Service (PaaS) services in Azure, using Azure Arc for hybrid management or migrating Virtual Machines (VMs) into Azure to extend support.
Throughout the journey, a top-down and bottom-up approach helps clients handle legacy technology and migrate to purpose-built cloud solutions. This methodology ensures that clients make informed decisions that align with their industry-specific needs, taking into account cost, security, workload criticality, business continuity and risk appetite.
Overall, the complexities associated with migrating and managing cloud services are multifaceted, but with a strategic framework and adoption methodology, organizations can overcome these challenges. And at Insight, our commitment to guiding clients through their cloud journey ensures not only a successful transition to the cloud, but also the realization of the full potential that cloud services offer.
Developing AI infrastructure is a complex process that requires careful consideration of various factors, with data being a critical element that technology leaders cannot afford to overlook. To achieve a robust infrastructure, organizations must undergo a strategically thoughtful transformation in both mindset and culture that prioritizes data-driven decision-making.
From a long-term perspective, investing in the development of AI infrastructure can yield significant benefits, but the process requires a willingness to adapt and embrace change when starting. In part, leaders must avoid creating bespoke systems that may quickly become outdated. They must think beyond historical data assets and consider the timeliness and relevance of these key inputs to prevent technical debt and ensure the data remains valid and valuable over time.
Carmen (Carm) TaglientiChief Data Officer and Distinguished Technologist, Insight
Carm brings more than 25 years of experience to the table with deep expertise in cloud computing, data science, data analytics, cybersecurity and organizational innovation. He is also skilled at building and driving Centers of Excellence, which he’s done for IBM Cloud and AWS Cloud.
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Additionally, building the infrastructure from ground zero can be particularly overwhelming, but organizations can leverage existing products that incorporate AI services, such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS), to ease into a more comprehensive development program.
Regardless of whether the system is built from scratch or supported by existing assets, the introduction of effective management protocols is crucial to help govern the accumulation of aging or useless data and to address unauthorized (or “shadow”) IT solutions.
Overall, developing AI infrastructure is not just about technological innovation. It’s also about transforming organizational culture and adopting a mindset that aligns with data-driven decision-making. By embracing this shift, leaders can build a more successful AI architecture for their organizations and stay ahead of the curve.
Developing AI infrastructure is not just about technological innovation. It’s also about transforming organizational culture and adopting a mindset that aligns with data-driven decision-making.
Insight’s Distinguished Technologists program is a pioneering initiative that celebrates and nurtures the exceptional technical talent within our organization. It offers a unique career path for teammates who prefer to focus on advancing their technical expertise rather than pursuing formal leadership roles.
These talented IT professionals are given the opportunity to accelerate their professional journeys based on thought leadership, technical proficiency and contributions to the technology industry. They have access to training, mentoring and high-profile projects, and they are recognized and rewarded for their outstanding performance. Insight also offers ongoing support to help them achieve their long-term career goals.
Juan OrlandiniChief Technology Officer, Insight North America and Distinguished Technologist
The most senior of our Distinguished Technologists with more than 30 years as a technologist, Juan has demonstrated expertise in everything from networking and IT strategy to server architecture and much more. As CTO, he’s seen this market evolve and transform, leading every step of the way as a client-obsessed thought leader and dedicated mentor.
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From the perspective of person-job fit, this program is crucial because not all technical experts aspire to be people managers. Instead, they focus on senior-level roles in their respective fields or functional areas. This is the career path equivalent to the people management role without having HR responsibility for a team. We do expect them to be leaders, but not people managers.
This enables them to progress in their occupations based on their proven experience and understanding of modern technologies and applications, rather than on their ability to manage teams. As an added bonus, by providing equal and parallel paths for all teammates to grow in their positions, Insight can attract and retain top talent while delivering the best possible solutions and services to our clients.
In essence, the Distinguished Technologist program embodies and actualizes Insight’s commitment to unleashing the power of people and technology at scale. It recognizes and supports our technical and subject-matter experts, who have emerged as industry thought leaders and have made remarkable transformational contributions, both internally and externally. It is a game-changer in the industry, providing an innovative career trajectory for IT experts who want to continue doing what they do best: leading through technological innovation.
Jeff BozicPrincipal Architect and Distinguished Technologist, Insight
Joseph (Joe) FlynnModern Workplace Director and Distinguished Technologist, Insight
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