IT Demystified - The Book
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Author: Director Magazine, Institute of Directors
"Most directors would probably admit that IT is a mystery to them. Yet business leaders are what this book calls “IT influencers”, needing the right technology to drive cost out of the business and compete in new or existing markets.
McCormack’s book succeeds in making the IT framework of business understandable to the most hopeless technophobe. Based on a seminar run by his consulting firm, it takes the reader painlessly from the basic building blocks of the PC, through the systems that drive a company, to anticipating tomorrow’s hot developments.
Along the way it explains all that tiresome trade jargon with a nice leavening of humour. At nearly £30, this sturdy paperback may seem expensive, but it will repay its cost many times over in producing informed IT decisions." -
Author: Andrew Baxter, Editor - Financial Times IT Review
"Even those of us who spend our working lives writing about IT can get confused by the jargon to which the industry seems addicted. Ade McCormack uses humour and sharp observation to steer the reader through the alphabet soup of acronyms and buzzwords, enabling them to gain a real understanding of what IT means in the 21st-century enterprise." -
Author: Philip Wright, Corporate Services Director, Standard Life Healthcare
"Think about it. As a non technical exec you will work to understand finance, enthuse about how we are all in sales and push the importance of customer care and good people. But how much effort do you take to understand what may be your biggest cost and often your biggest constraint ie IT. Don't struggle, learn about it and start by reading this book."
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Author: Mittu Sridhara, Vice President of IT, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, Avis Europe
"This is a fantastic introduction for anybody trying to get a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of technology and its application within a business. First rate as an introduction to decision makers that do not have a technology background but I suspect equally valuable to all technology professionals. It is well-written, easy-to-grasp, with an ample sprinkling of humour that makes it an easy read. Now when was the last time you were able to say that about a book on technology?" -
Author: Phil Garvey, Chairman, IT in the Boardroom, Intellect
"IT Demystified has been long awaited. It relates in simple language what all professionals should know about technology. From the very first page it explains jargon and technology in a way that any executive can understand. A must for every senior executive.”
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Author: Ann Swain, CEO, Association of Professional Staffing Companies
"'IT Demystified' by Ade McCormack is the must have technology thesaurus for any of us attempting survival in today's commercial world. Excellent as an executive toy for reference purposes, but also a surprisingly good commuting read due to its concise and often witty prose."
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Author: Adrian Bagg, Former CIO, Amersham plc
"The book is a good all round summary of the basics of IT in the early 21st century, described in plan English. It serves as an accessible handbook for those with little IT knowledge so they can avoid being bamboozled by those in IT who have lost the ability to speak in simple, business terms.”
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Author: Satty Kenth, HR Manager - UK, Ireland, Benelux & Germany, Electrolux IT Solutions
“A wonderful tool for HR Professionals working in this field. We can now speak the same language with our internal customers!” -
Author: Terry Watts, COO, e-Skills UK
"In IT Demystified Ade has gone a long way, in his engaging style, to dispel the myths and complexities that can make IT so daunting. It is an essential read for every manager; for those of us who have a suspicion that use of technology will help our business but don't know where to start, and for those of us who are in the industry and think we know or should know, but don't feel able to ask!"
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Author: Andy Louca, Quality, Marketing & Operations Manager, McGregor Boyall and Associates
“Highly informative, yet lightly drizzled with humour to make even the most complex IT theories capable of being conceptualised. Palatable to any technophobe I've ever encountered.”
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Author: David Robbins, Chairman, Legal IT Innovators Group
“ When I was asked to review it Demystified — The it Handbook for Business Professionals a couple of weeks ago, I thought it would be quite a challenge to trawl through 250 pages of it jargon and dry wisdom. Instead, I found I was taken on a well-structured and technically accurate journey across the whole it industry — and even given a few glimpses of the future.
Will it suit the lawyer or senior manager who wants to quickly gain a broad understanding of it? Definitely. Will they find Ade McCormack’s bizarre sense of humour rather flippant? Probably.
Having said that, the book is extremely accessible — its large font and clearly defined purpose, target audience and structure make it an easy read.
Ade’s approach is to give the reader a "mile wide, inch deep" grounding in it and the it department so they can act as an "it influencer" in their firm.
He covers just about every key word and area that any self-respecting it professional will have had to explain to an inquisitive user at some stage in their career. This is all done using simple language and with clear reasoning as to how this might impact on the business. The book is in five sections:
- The fundamental framework;
- Application development;
- Architectures;
- The it department;
- New technologies.
While this may at first glance appear a bit dry, Ade’s unique style provides a solid factual basis with just enough wit and irreverence to keep the non-it reader interested. anding of it? Definitely. Will they find Ade McCormack’s bizarre sense of humour rather flippant? Probably.
The book covers the origins of the tensions that can exist between the it department and the business, as well as highlighting a number of threats to the very existence of a dedicated in-house it resource. it explains operating systems (including Microsoft and Linux), a wide range of applications and the whole gamut of development — all in a few short chapters. We also get plenty of pointers as to where it is heading and how it might change business — or more importantly, how business should change it.
Undoubtedly, web delivery, cost reduction and increased customer choice will be key factors. The question the business leader must answer is whether it is an uncontrollable cost or an essential solution. The debate over delivery via mobiles and PDAs rang a bell, especially as this article was written and submitted entirely using my O2 XDA IIs.
Given that the book’s main purpose is to engage and inform the potential ‘it influencer’, it does a thorough job. it provides a very useful message for key business leaders — if you feel threatened by it or believe it is not important to understand it, you cannot expect to be in business, let alone in profit, for much longer. “
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