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Weekly Newsletter - 20th November 2024

Plus, Lou Franco shares practical strategies to reframe tech debt as a productivity booster for your team

Author

Sophie Bruxner-Randall
November 20, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Discover how AI is transforming industries, from journalism to smart wearables, and reshaping digital workspaces. Dive into advancements in user engagement, productivity, and open-source innovation, plus the latest experiential tech events. Explore the future of technology-driven solutions today.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn. 🔗

Executive Briefing ✏️

Technology Domain by Venture Beat

Alibaba Cloud's Qwen2.5-Coder, an open-source AI coding assistant, rivals GPT-4o in performance, supporting 92 programming languages. Its release, under the Apache 2.0 license, could reduce development costs and accelerate AI adoption globally, challenging existing business models and highlighting Chinese innovation despite U.S. semiconductor restrictions.

Thought Leader Hub 📣

Andrei Lebed on LinkedIn: It’s wild how much can change in 20 months 🛸 Like what?

▶ I save 2-4 hours a week on wrap-ups, briefs, and reports.
▶ Create anything—emails, docs, presentations, images, videos, even podcases—with just one prompt.
▶ AI notetakers mean less back-and-forth, less typing, and more meaningful discussions for my team—leading to stronger relationships.
▶ Tasks that took weeks now take minutes: document verification, data sorting, call analysis, complex info querying, and more...
▶ In our brokerage and partnerships, AI is driving real impact and results from streamlined processes.

Tech Debt by The Pragmatic Engineer

Managing tech debt is a delicate balance between driving innovation and maintaining operational efficiency. In a compelling feature on The Pragmatic Engineer, Lou Franco, a veteran in software development, outlines strategies for reframing tech debt as a tool for productivity rather than a liability.

"The cost of tech debt is borne daily by your team, and you risk damaging motivation and raising attrition by ignoring it."

Key takeaways include linking debt reduction to immediate business value, leveraging small, incremental improvements to unlock speed, and avoiding the pitfalls of unnecessary rewrites. Franco’s approach champions aligning technical priorities with organizational goals—turning tech debt into a catalyst for growth.

DORA Report by Engineering Enablement

The 2024 DORA Report reveals vital trends shaping engineering performance in a world increasingly influenced by AI and platform engineering. This year’s key takeaways include:

  • AI’s Dual Impact: While AI tools boost individual productivity, they can inadvertently harm software delivery performance due to larger, riskier batch sizes.

  • Platform Engineering Benefits: Internal platforms enhance individual and team productivity but may slow throughput—yet still drive better overall performance.

  • The Role of Leadership: Transformational leadership and developer independence are critical to reducing burnout and improving satisfaction and performance.

“High performance is a horizon to chase, a never-ending story—not something that is ever finished”

Tech Pulse 📊

Red Hat is acquiring AI optimization startup Neural Magic

Technology Sector by Tech Crunch

Red Hat is acquiring Neural Magic, a startup enhancing AI model performance on standard processors. This acquisition supports Red Hat's AI strategy, integrating Neural Magic's vLLM project to optimise AI deployment across cloud environments. The move aligns with Red Hat's goal to lead in open-source and AI innovation.

The Washington Post has an AI newsboy to answer all your questions

Technology News by Techradar

The Washington Post has launched "Ask The Post AI," a chatbot designed to answer questions using content from 2016 onwards. It ensures accuracy by only responding when relevant articles are available. This tool aims to enhance user engagement and streamline information access, reflecting a growing trend in AI-driven journalism.

Why 2025 Will Be the Year of the AI Smart Glasses

Technology Trends Analysis by Tech Radar

AI smart glasses are set to revolutionise 2025, with major companies like Meta and Baidu leading advancements. These glasses integrate AI for practical use, offering features like real-time translation and task management. Augmented reality enhances their potential, positioning them as the future of wearable technology.

The CTO’s Agenda 🗓️

Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit 2024

Date: 9-11 December 2024
Location: Grapevine, TX

The Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit 2024 in Grapevine, TX, is a pivotal event for IAM leaders. It offers insights into integrating emerging technologies, enhancing threat detection, and improving customer experience. Attendees can network, learn from experts, and explore advanced IAM strategies and solutions.

A publication from Contentive’s Technology Media Division