Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 19

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Brian McKenna, Caroline Donnelly and Clare McDonald tackle three more of the Conservative Party candidates who are up for the role as party leader and prime minister, talk about women in UK tech, discuss the skills and culture of the datacentre industry, and find out about autonomous boats.

• Brian, Caroline and Clare each look at a different Conservative Party candidate to discuss who out of the possible candidates for the next prime minister have the tech know-how to run a digitally led country. Caroline shares details on tech-savvy Matt Hancock, whose not only has his own app, but also worked at his family’s tech firm for a short time. Clare sings praises for Penny Mordaunt, first female defence secretary for the UK and former equalities minister. Brian talks about Dominic Raab’s stance on Brexit.
• Clare tells the team about Computer Weekly’s list of the Most Influential Women in UK Tech, the nominations for which are now open. As well as discussing the importance of the list, the trio discusses the reason behind the supplementary Rising Stars and Hall of Fame accolades.
• Caroline talks about her interview with Rackspace’s chief technology officer, Lee James, including topics such as the importance of culture in an organisation when it comes to digital change – if the culture isn’t right, it’s harder to introduce digital. The team also talks about why it’s important to bring your whole self to work.
• Talking about her time in Monaco at the Datacloud Europe Congress, Caroline explains why the datacentre industry needs to change, and quickly. The team hears of organisations using veterans to fill the datacentre skills gap.
• Brian talks about Steven Mathieson’s recent article about autonomous ships in Norway, their uses and an idea for a children’s book in which boats have personalities and talk to each other.