Blockchain, the distributed ledger supporting bitcoin, is finding its way into an increasing number of domains. Here's an intro to this exciting new technology along with tips on getting started in a blockchain development career.

Along with other technology trends like Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality, blockchain has become a buzzword in Silicon Valley and beyond. Blockchain is the distributed ledger that powers bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Now it’s proving its potential in other fields including the Internet of Things, supply chains, finance and entertainment

Tech giants such as IBM and Microsoft are starting to invest in blockchain and plan to incorporate its features and innovations into their businesses. Experts believe that blockchain will be a defining factor in the future of the Internet and online business.

Consequently, knowledge of blockchain use cases and development can help your business in the long run, and your career as a technology expert and software developer. Here's what you need to know about getting started with blockchain development.

Senior Technical Writer and Software Trainer, Keith Johnson, explores the key requirements of becoming a technical writer, and the steps you can take now to practice and achieve them.

Technical writing is a great field. As a Technical Writer, you will be making contributions to companies, schools, and organizations in profound ways that most people cannot comprehend. It is this truth and experience that has motivated me throughout my twenty-five year career in technical writing.

What is the best way to prepare for or enter the technical writing field? Whether you choose to approach technical writing through a formal education, such as a college degree program with a technical writing or related major, or through a non-traditional path like technology books, online courses, internships, entrepreneurship, and/or self-publishing, here are the “tech writing cement blocks” you can use to establish your career foundation to both becoming a technical writer and enduring its daily challenges as you go into the office armed with your pen, notepad, and laptop.

It's hard to deny the fact that "big data" is a ubiquitous buzzword today, and every now and again someone suggests that it's just a passing fad. The fact of the matter is that, while this trend may be experiencing some hype now and will likely eventually plateau (in the distant future), it's going to be a major player from here on in no matter how you slice it. This is because the insight brought forth from analyses of vast quantities of relevant data eliminates assumption and guesswork from the business decision-making process. In large businesses especially, this directly equates to mitigated risk, colossal savings and accelerated growth.

Data from the staffing industry indicates that people aren't just talking about big data; medium and large businesses are spending a great deal on — and exhibiting a lot of interest in — the scouting and hiring of data scientists and developers in the big data space.

The demand speaks for itself: for every one developer looking for a job in big data there are 3.6 job postings available in the United States. Additionally, as of 2014, developers who work with big data languages are the highest paid in the space. R, the statistical analysis programming language tops the list with an average salary over $115,000. Other languages and frameworks designed for dealing with large data sets, such as NOSQL, Apache Hadoop and MapReduce, boast six-figure salaries as well.

Even small businesses reap benefits from big data: although they don't often have the need to substantiate hiring in-house big data developers, they gain an advantage through externally managed analytical dashboards that help them visualize data and spot trends that can influence smarter businesses decisions.

The bottom line is that big data isn't simply an over-hyped term in the tech space and business world. The infatuation with big data is supported with fiscal interest in this new field because of the marked difference it's already making for SMBs and enterprises, and the vast potential it has to impact the way do business going forward. Take a look this infographic to see some of these trends visualized:

Cloud computing is often talked about as a technology that will make IT departments obsolete as companies seek to outsource computing needs. This analysis misses the complexity of what's actually happening in IT departments.

The actuality is that cloud technologies are running in conjunction with on-site systems, and many companies are choosing to operate and maintain their own servers - even if they have a few Cloud applications up and running. This adds a layer of complexity to effectively managing the IT needs of an organization. Rather than eliminating the role of in-house IT professionals, the cloud is merely changing the skill set and job functions of the IT department.

In my experience, here are the top 5 skills IT professionals will need to learn to work in cloud computing: