As our friends and clients know, it’s been an eventful year in the world of Calgary oil and gas IT. We’re lucky to work in an exciting industry where things are always changing and you never know what will happen next. And so, as we stare down the barrel of another calendar year, what better way to do it than by thinking back to just a few of the highlights of 2011, along with some of the lessons we learned along the way?
Here are some of the things that jumped out to us at DCM Ventures in the past 12 months:
Oil and gas startups continue to need help with their technology. We knew that would be the case when we started our company, but it’s been amazing to see how many inquiries we get – both from oil and gas startups here in Canada, and those with operations around the world. If you’re looking for the right team to help you get your technology moving quickly and affordably, we are here for you!
IT continues to favor those who are smart in their strategic planning. Here’s a dirty little secret in the world of technology: It’s not always about having the most expensive server or the fanciest piece of software. Like most industries, we have used some unsteadiness in the economy to find creative ways to help people save money while gaining the ability to do more. When you have good IT help, it’s not always about the size of your budget, but the focus of your organization.
We saw how web design and app development could change an organization’s culture and profitability overnight. One of our clients – an educational organization – implemented a new web strategy, some mobile apps, and other changes that virtually transformed the way they worked overnight. Few things are as gratifying as seeing a client take one of our plans and run with it.
David rescued a little bit of technology, and a client’s profits, by running into a burning building! It’s not every day that an IT consultant gets to double as a superhero, but when the opportunity arises… DCM is there! If you haven’t read about our biggest adventure in 2011, go back a few spots in this blog and check it out.
These were all fun and exciting developments, but the biggest IT trend of 2011 – and one that will definitely continue into 2012 – was the rise of cloud computing.
Companies big and small, from Microsoft on down, are moving their software, operations, and file storage into remote servers on “the cloud.” If you don’t already know why this probably makes sense for your business, then let us give you a quick recap: The cloud is safer, more cost-effective than traditional hardware and software platforms, and can be updated by you, your team, or outside vendors in real time.
In other words, cloud computing allows you to do a whole lot more with a whole lot less, including software updates, backups, and real-time collaboration.
From the large-scale introduction of Microsoft 365 to the cloud-based development of SharePoint and other applications, 2011 will very likely go down as the “tipping point” when it comes to cloud applications. From our point of view, it doesn’t look like there’s any going back, and that’s a great thing. If you aren’t already in the cloud, talk to us today to figure out whether it might not be a great way to save your company a lot of time, money, and stress in 2012.
As much fun as this year has been, we look forward to serving all of you even more in the coming months. From everyone here at DCM to all of our clients, friends, and readers: Happy holidays!
We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to working with every one of you in 2012.
