Ict Pulse Podcast

Business continuity and technology resilience have become critical to organisations as countries worldwide try to navigate through COVID-19. In the Caribbean region, we also have to contend with the prospect of hurricanes and tropical storms, which also point back to ICT resilience and disaster planning and management. Dr. Stephen Louis, of BusinessTech Research, Inc., discusses: business continuity and technology resilience; how well Caribbean organisations fared during the COVID-19-related lockdowns; some of the biggest misconceptions people have about business continuity and technology resilience; and key technology-related tips for organisations moving forward. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

Although we know the value of being intentional in our thoughts, words and actions, how many of us truly practise it? Serial entrepreneur, innovation advocate and Founder of the PWR Agency, Ife Badejo, shares with us her entrepreneurial journey to date, and tells us why it is important to be intentional in business.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

In this our June 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, data analyst, Andrew Olton, and freelance journalist and blogger, Mylène Colmar,  we discuss: the role of data and analytics in revenue recovery post-COVID-19, and the challenge of digital evolution experienced by Caribbean media.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

The gig economy is a growing segment of the workforce, and thanks to COVID-19, it is likely to become even more crucial. In an online panel discussion with Therese Turner-Jones, of the Inter-American Development Bank; Melissa Sassi, of IBM; Nadeen Matthews-Blair, of the National Commercial Bank Jamaica ; and Juleen Gentles, of the University of Technology, to commemorate International Girls in ICT Day 2020, the panel shares tips and advice on how to thrive in the gig economy, and how to keep more female talent in the tech workforce. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

Although Caribbean governments have been engaging in e-government initiatives for at least a decade, most of them would have received a failing grade due to their ability to engage their clients and to facilitate transactions efficiently and effectively when work from home (WFH) arrangements that had been instituted to reduce the rate of infection of COVID-19. Eamonn Sheehy is the Director, Public Sector, of Cloud Carib, and in light of the pandemic and the 2020 hurricane season, he shares his thoughts and opinions on what Caribbean governments ought to do to improve their systems and to avoid the marked deterioration in their processes and services, which would augur well, not only as we navigate our way out of this pandemic, but also achieve longer term improvements in government service delivery.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

In this our May 2020 Community Chat, and with two members of the Caribbean tech community, Akua Walters of Hacker Hostel, and Kerrie-Ann Vassall-Richards, of Business Growth Rocket, we discuss: the importance of being a regional entrepreneur in the context of COVID-19; and getting online learning right. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!  

Montserrat is a Caribbean country many people really don’t think about. However, it has been quietly plodding away developing its telecoms and ICT environment; and according to our guest, Dr. the Honourable Samuel Joseph, the Deputy Premier and is the Minister for Communications, Works, Energy and Labour in Montserrat, the country will soon become a leading nation in the Caribbean region. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!  

In the face of COVID-19, digital transformation is being held up as to key to organisations’ survival; but, many are still unclear about what it is and have best to achieve it. Digital transformation specialist, Matthew Cowen, shares first-hand insights and recommendations that businesses and organisations was immediately adopt, in order to successfully embark upon, and more importantly complete, their digital transformation process. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

Brenda Cuthbert is the Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Employers' Federation. She shares her views and observations of the future of work, today’s workplace, how it is changing due to ICT, and the extent to which the Jamaican employer is ready for the workplace of the future Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

In this Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Alice Bain and Naphtale Nunes, the panel discusses: the deficiencies of our broadband Infrastructure and other technology related issues in the region; and thereafter, to what extent should Caribbean businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, continue to embrace or promote working from home post COVID-19? Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

Although off the shelf, generic digital products can help a business solve a problem, frequently, they can only help to a point. In this conversation with Joshua Kissoon, we discuss eBusiness, the suite of business solutions that his firm, Techlify, has created. We also discuss Joshua’s entrepreneurial journey to date, how Techlify has evolved over the years, and what might be in store for the company in the coming years. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!  

Also known as the Spice Isle and world famous tourist destination, Grenada has one of the most well developed telecoms and ICT sectors in the Caribbean region, and more so the Eastern Caribbean.  In this the latest instalment of our Know Your Neighbours series, ISP and Network Infrastructure professional, Brent McIntosh, sheds some light on: the telecoms and ICT space is like in Grenada; how the country is leveraging telecoms and ICT; and some of emerging ICT-related trends and opportunities there. Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

For the 100th episode of the ICT Pulse Podcast, the tables are turned on the host, Michele Marius! Michele is interviewed by Nerissa Golden, of Goldenmedia, on her journey to create ICT Pulse , and eventually, the Podcast, along with some of her observations of the Caribbean ICT/tech space over the past decade, and her experiences in leading the Podcast to this milestone.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

It is only a matter of time before an organisation experiences some kind of cyber incident. In this conversation with IT and cyber security expert, Niel Harper, we discuss, among other things, how the threat landscape is changing, what should be included in a good Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan, whether cyber insurance is a good idea, and what is the top cybersecurity concern businesses face today.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

In this Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Allison James and Amit Uttamchandani, the panel discusses ICT and COVID-19 (the coronavirus): some of the challenges that are being experienced, ways it can be better leveraged, and emerging opportunities. We also discuss: Whether there would (or should) be a difference between how a business approaches what might be perceived as short-term interventions, such as having its employees telework, as opposed to if those measures are to remain in effect for several months? What might be some of the ICT infrastructure-related  challenges and considerations, in order to support remote working? Although considerable attention has been given to e-learning and equipping classrooms with computers/laptops/tablets, why does it appear that remote learning is still a challenge in some countries? Many of the terminal exams that shape the trajectory of people's lives, such as Grade 6/Common Entrance, O-levels, A-levels, should be occurring in May and J

Blockchain technology has much wider application than just Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. In this conversation with Trevor Forrest, of 876 Solutions, we continue a conversation we began in October 2019, on how blockchain technology can help Caribbean countries reduce corruption and increase global competitiveness, by now examining how Caribbean countries can leverage blockchain technology, and whether micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can also do the same.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!  

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Dr Wayne Wesley, discusses the role of the organisation as we embark upon the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and with regard to the future work. He also explains why although syllabi and testing modalities need to be carefully considered, teaching and the overall curricula must also be re-examined, in order to ensure that current and future students are optimally prepared for the evolving workplace.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

This is the first update of 2020 in our longstanding Expert Insight on cyber/IT threats and security series, with Sean Slattery, the Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Caribbean Solutions Lab. Sean updates is on: the changes occurring in the threat landscape the security of the cloud, and emerging threats  security concerns and recommendations for smart devices, the smart home and the Internet of Things (IoT) the usefulness of Multi-Factor Authentication; and the growing demand worldwide for cybersecurity professionals. He also shares tips on how to keep our personal devices safer, critical recommendations for organisations; along with giving us a sneak peak of security solutions that will soon be available for the consumer market.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!  

In this Community Chat, and with members of the Caribbean tech community, Eric Nurse, from Grenada, and Claire Craig, from Trinidad and Tobago, the panel discusses: the need for a digital ID that can be used seamlessly across the Caribbean region; and the importance of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) to the Caribbean region.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!

Although a full member of the Caribbean Community, the rest of English-speaking Caribbean knows relatively little about Belize, generally, and from an ICT perspective. In this the latest instalment of our Know Your Neighbours series, Kimano Barrow, of the Public Utilities Commission, discusses, among other things: the telecoms and ICT space is like in Belize; how the country is leveraging telecoms and ICT; and some of ICT-related trends and opportunities that might be evident there.   Show notes and links to some of the things mentioned during the episode can be found at www.ict-pulse.com/category/podcast/ Do subscribe and leave us a review!