Tech@Work: “Linux Provides a Stable Foundation for All IT Workloads and Deployments”

Adrian Pickering, the Regional General Manager for MENA at Red Hat, speaks about how tech is shaping the infrastructure of tomorrow
Which products and solutions do you offer for today’s workplace?
As the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source solutions, Red Hat offers a comprehensive suite of products and services that support today’s workplace, empower organizations to redefine their IT boundaries, and ensure teams can build, deploy, and scale applications. It is important to note that companies from every vertical required these capabilities like never before during the pandemic, with sustainable remote working operations dependent on services that could support processes and practices. Fortunately, Red Hat propositions can meet every requirement, and we have seen several deliver invaluable results for clients in recent times alone.
Among these are Red Hat Enterprise Linux, which is an open-source operating system. Linux provides a stable foundation for all IT workloads and deployments, backed by an architecture that is reliable and performance-driven. At the same time, cloud-native development solutions including DevOps are in high demand, delivering new capabilities for businesses through software applications on any public, private, or hybrid cloud. Red Hat Modernization solutions also support application and infrastructure migration, while Red Hat Middleware helps organizations innovate faster, Red Hat Ansible Automation is the platform driving automation, and Red Hat Smart Management enables clients to securely manage environments supported by Linux.
How do you think technology today helps businesses grow?
Remote working was mentioned previously, and this is once again relevant because technology has enabled businesses to operate virtually and continue growing despite extraordinary circumstances. Backed by new technological capabilities, companies have delivered on their client commitments, allowing them to expand their customer bases and market presence.
From a Red Hat standpoint, solutions provided to clients help them become more efficient, predictive, and agile in today’s competitive landscape, playing a significant role in organizational growth and development. For example, Red Hat operations revolve around an enduring belief that a distributed and iterative infrastructure can deliver agility to one’s infrastructure. Containerized microservices, hybrid cloud, and application programming interfaces (APIs) are aligned with agile and DevOps practices, which represents a winning technological formula for clients that drives business growth.
How is tech shaping the infrastructure of tomorrow?
Without question, technology is shaping the infrastructure of tomorrow in various ways. Firstly, technology is playing an essential role in modernizing infrastructure at the organizational and national levels. Red Hat supports companies, for instance, with their cloud migration aspirations via leading tech solutions, while national infrastructures are being strengthened through projects based on new and emerging technologies, such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). In addition to broadband deployments and emerging technologies, electric vehicle infrastructure and smart grid technology are also making notable contributions, creating new jobs, advancing economies, and improving competitiveness.
How, according to you, are women powering the tech industry?
Diversity and inclusion advancements are coming to fruition like never before, and efforts in this direction on the part of entire industries are yielding invaluable outcomes. After all, diverse workforces from a gender standpoint are better for businesses, especially in terms of technology. Women today are powering the tech industry in different ways, which is not surprising considering their extensive capabilities and qualifications. Engineering, coding, and cybersecurity are three of many tech-based fields where women excel, realizing their professional potential while making organizational and industry-specific contributions. In the years ahead, even more women will pursue careers in the tech industry following the success that others are enjoying in the present, which will provide extra inspiration and motivation.
How is your company investing in the workforce of tomorrow?
Investing in tomorrow’s workforce is a long-standing Red Hat tradition. For years, up-and-coming talent has been welcomed under the Red Hat umbrella, with the tools and platforms provided that facilitate personal and career development progression. However, such action has never been important than is it today. Unprecedented digital transformation acceleration has led to a significant digital skills gap, and more talent is required to fill roles that hinge on digital competencies, qualifications, and expertise. This is why Red Hat is proud to work with Academia – to bridge the skill gap, nurture talent, equip up-and-coming generations with the knowledge and skillsets they need to realize their full potential and unlock innovation potential with an open-source mindset.
Red Hat continues to develop talent through programs such as the Red Hat Academic Alliance, Graduate and Intern initiatives, and the development of Red Hat technical e-learning courses. The Red Hat Academy is already making tremendous progress in this direction by transforming academic institutions into centers for enterprise-ready talent and outfitting them with training and certification. Each course offering is designed to enhance the skills required to embrace the challenges that come with any positional and professional environment, and the Red Hat Academy provides several benefits so students can realize their academic and career potential.
How do you think tech will shape the 2021 landscape?
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2021, tech will continue driving the business evolution with the increased usage of several key solutions. Firstly, hybrid cloud adoption will continue transpiring rapidly. Hybrid cloud offers businesses agility, and quickly adapting to environments or circumstances is necessary for every digital business. Secondly, edge computing will continue growing in importance, which is also essential because it creates new and improved ways for enterprises to maximize operational efficiency, automate processes, and bolster performance. In addition, the tech landscape will also be shaped by remote learning, virtual reality (VR), and AI.