Putting Technical ‘Building Blocks’ Together

Discover’s Rao Pathangi (MSIT ‘09) Discusses the Impact and Implementation of Cloud Computing with MSIT Students

Rao Pathangi (MSIT ‘09) has spent the past four years as a Senior Solutions Architect for Discover Financial Services. Earlier this quarter, Pathangi returned to Northwestern Engineering  to share some of his knowledge and experience with students and faculty in the Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program.

Pathangi’s presentation was on the implementation and impact of cloud-based applications.

During his talk, Pathangi focused on the evolution of cloud computing and what is driving its adoption by so many businesses. He also addressed the architectures behind cloud computing, privacy concerns and the potential impact on an organization.

Pathangi also went into great detail about the agile and DevOps philosophies of product development, something MSIT Capstone course Instructor Alan Graves appreciated.

“Agile and DevOps sound like very different ideas,” Graves said. “Compounding the confusion, both concepts seem to defy definition, as they have their own jargon and slogans. Rao explained the relationships behind both concepts and how they are related.”

Graves was impressed with how Pathangi presented real-world examples of how cloud computing is impacting — and will continue to impact — businesses and industries around the globe.

“Concepts such as mobile, cloud, big data and machine learning are disrupting enterprises, not just individually but in concert,” Graves said. “Enterprises must now focus on many moving parts and the holistic view. The resultant period has caused major transformations and no roadmap exists.”

The fact that so much about the technology industry is changing can be overwhelming. Fortunately, as Graves pointed out, students in MSIT are learning how to manage and lead this technical revolution.

“Current students are entering a world where the rules are changing,” Graves said. “More decisions are arising not from the strategists or huge corporations, but rather from individuals who, armed with a cellphone and a great idea, can change the world.

“All the building blocks are here. Putting them together is the challenge.”

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