As 2021 draws to a close, we hope for a brighter new year for all of our members. None of us had thought that Covid-19 would have lasted so long or affected society or our industry so deeply.
But IT professionals are resilient, and the ICS has continued to support, collaborate with and speak on behalf of our members during 2021. IT professionals have had a positive impact on society’s reaction to and dealing with the pandemic. Their rapid and agile response, in both industry and public sector IT services, has expedited digital transformation, sometimes as a quick fix to address an immediate problem, but often with sustainable innovations that will benefit the profession and the services it provides in the long term. Customers moving online, remote working and cloud migration are among the drivers of innovation, and the response has required fresh thinking, upskilling, and sharing of experiences and learning.
Never has the support of a professional body been more important. The ICS has faced up to problems like curtailment of networking, face-to-face training and conferences, but has worked to keep in touch with members and offered online alternatives to keep the society energised. The society has worked with members to discuss trending topics, publish papers and to share the results of our members’ research. Shortly we will launch a new member communication and sharing platform, MemberCloud, to support professional debate, competence development opportunities and the new thinking of ICS members.
We look forward to a bright 2022, continuing to serve the IT professionals of Ireland, and we, the Council and staff of the Irish Computer Society send you all our best wishes for a happy holiday, and a safe and healthy New Year.