CIO —

Technology at the Margins 

By Sailesh Chutani, Jessica Rothenberg Aalami and Akhtar Badshah

Book It might seem like the last thing that billions of people living on less than $2 a day need is a smartphone, but actually, it could hugely improve their standard of living, argue the authors. Offering inexpensive information and communications technology of all kinds to poor people is a win-win—it can help them get access to medical care and start their own businesses, for example, while the companies that make the products earn a profit from an essentially untapped market. Wiley, $39.95

Business in the Cloud

By Michael Hugos and Derek Hulitzky 

Book The authors of this book have studied IT inside and out: Hugos is a former CIO and author of the “Doing Business in Real Time” blog on CIO.com, and Hulitzky, a VP for CIO’s parent company, IDG Enterprise, helps put together events like SaaScon. The pair argues that it’s impossible to know where the economy is headed or what demand will arise next, so the most important thing companies can do to prepare for the future is become adaptable. Cloud computing, and the agility it provides, is a critical part of meeting that goal. The book covers the economics, technology, security and reliability of the cloud, and the changes to business models and the CIO role that technology as a service will bring. Wiley, $45

Around the Corner

By Casey Coleman

Blog Coleman, CIO of the General Services Administration, the agency that handles office space and transportation for federal employees, posts updates only about once a month, but they’re worth waiting for. She has a valuable perspective as both the tech leader of an enormous operation and as a government insider who offers a peek into the effects of federal policy. http://innovation.gsa.gov/

Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy

By Robert D. Atkinson and Merrilea Mayo, for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Research Worried about where the next generation of technology workers will come from? You’re not alone. This extensively researched report examines the current science, technology, engineering and math education system and proposes some implementable solutions. One of the authors’ conclusions is that schools, from kindergarten through college, should focus more on giving a small percentage of interested, talented students an in-depth education in the most in-demand skills rather than trying to teach all kids a little bit about STEM topics. www.itif.org/publications/refueling-us-innovation-economy-fresh-approaches-stem-education

Closing America’s Job Gap

By Mary Walshok, Tapan Munroe and Henry DeVries

Book While you’re waiting for today’s kids to work their way up to VP of IT, you can check out this book. It includes a section on the value of employee development and the best ways to go about it. W Business Books, $19.95