Celebrating International Women’s Day 

In honour of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting IDC’s “Women in Tech”, who for many years, have been playing an active role in shaping the technology research business. In this series we will be sharing views from our best and brightest IDC women on issues such as gender gap and diversity in tech world. 

Archana Venkatraman
Research Manager, IDC EMEA

1. Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?

I look after our European storage research and I am also part of our multicloud, DevOps and Open Source research teams. No two days are great in that one day I will be having a deep-dive tech section at labs with engineers and another day I will be at an industry event talking to end users or vendors. Then there is report writing, data forecasting, presentation, webcasts or consulting work – it is really dynamic!

2. Why – and how – you got into the tech industry?

I was a technology journalist prior to becoming an analyst and the technology industry always fascinated me in that it is really the heart of business operations and touches all our lives. I really wanted to delve deeper into technology and realized that becoming a technology analyst will help me do that because the conversations are a lot richer and deeper with the vendor communities. I consider myself lucky as these are interesting times to be in the technology world where it is determining customer experiences and dictating the success of brands. The rate of innovation is also astounding.

3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC?

A lot is to do with the consumerised tech – I like to watch tech programs, read on artificial intelligence, deep learning, IoT and blockchain. I also love cooking and I run a website for Indian community in the UK.

4. What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?

I am lucky enough to not see any difference in being a ‘woman’ in the industry – I feel like an insider as this industry is very welcoming, encouraging and cohesive. The best part is actually being part of the industry that is undergoing massive transformation and it gives me the opportunity to interact with a new generation of developers as well as seasoned engineers and IT professionals and both these groups bring rich insights! Another big highlight is that I also work with some of the best women in the industry at IDC and also have had the opportunity to meet some amazingly inspiring women in tech world.

5.What advice would you give to a woman considering a career in the tech industry?

Follow your dreams and passion because the tech world is only going to get fascinating and there is opportunity for everyone. If you enjoy dynamism and like to be challenged, this industry is great as there is never a dull day. It is also a great way to inspire more women in STEM and break stereotypes 😊  and most importantly bring new perspectives into the tech industry which will benefit us all.

Carla Arend
Program Director, IDC EMEA

1. Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like?

I head up our cloud research practice for Western Europe, and there is no such thing as a “typical” day 😉 I devise the research agenda for the European cloud practice and write market overview reports and end-user best practice reports. I am also a keynote speaker on the topic of European cloud trends. In addition, I work on consulting projects for our customers, which range from market assessments and competitive assessments to go-to-market support in the form of webinars, infographics and whitepapers. Social media now plays a bigger role in my job, so doing videos, blogs and social media updates has become an integral part of what I do.

2.  Why – and how – you got into the tech industry?

I have always been interested in science subjects and wanted to be an engineer, but then decided to study at the business school. I chose “management of technology” for my master’s degree to maintain a proximity to technology. While studying, I got a part-time job at IDC and have been in the IT industry ever since. Enjoying every minute, because the technological development is very fast paced. But what I find most interesting is how you can solve problems with technology and how organisations are adopting new technology. There is usually a considerable time lag between me learning about new technologies and their mainstream adoption in the market.

3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC?

I enjoy being outside in nature, hiking, running, sailing, skiing, swimming. I also like yoga and meditation and love knitting and crocheting.

4. What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?

It is easier to get noticed as a woman in technology, because there are relatively few women who are thought leaders in IT. So you can really make an impression with a strong message. Inside IDC, many of my colleagues are women, which makes for a balanced work environment, but at conferences, most delegates are still men. It also means that the queue at the restrooms is relatively short 😉

Maggie Slowik
Research Analyst, IDC EMEA

1.Can you share a little bit about what it is that you do and what a typical day for you is like? 

I work for a team called Manufacturing Insights. We work with the manufacturing vendor and end user community on topics such as IoT, robotics, cloud, artificial intelligence, and many more. A typical day for me? No two days are the same, because I work on many different projects at the same time. It’s a very dynamic role with lots of client-facing activities.

2. Why – and how – you got into the tech industry? 

I officially got into the tech industry just over a year ago, when I joined IDC. Having worked with technology clients in previous jobs, I developed an appetite to become part of an industry that is not only changing incredibly fast, but literally in the process of shaking up the world.

3. What do you enjoy outside of your work at IDC? 

Even though I have lived in London for years now, I still love playing tourist, visiting galleries, and exploring yet another amazing restaurant. But I equally enjoy escaping London to go skiing, visiting friends in other countries, or hiking England’s beautiful countryside.

4. Do you notice a lack of women in technology compared to other workplaces? If so, why do you think that’s the case?

Not at IDC, we have a good balance, but if you look at the industry as a whole, then I would say yes. The other day I accepted to do a keynote at a technology event, and the organizing committee told me how pleased they were to be able to add ‘diversity’ to the speaker portfolio. That tells you something. But with that said, you see a lot of inspirational women making it into leadership positions at tech companies, such as Oracle CEO Safra Catz, IBM’s Ginni Rometty or HPE’s Meg Whitman,  just to name a few. I also think that we are in the middle of a shift, which will empower women to enter into roles that were previously stereotyped as male dominated. Digital transformation is not only changing the way we work, but also creating a plethora of new jobs, many of which don’t even exist yet.

5. What do you like most about working for IDC?

IDC works with some impressive technology companies, and it’s a privilege developing relationship with their teams across the world. As an analyst, you not only get access to a lot of information, but you are literally at the forefront of technology trends in the making. And perhaps the most exciting thing is that you get to help your clients solve their problems. Your opinion is valued.

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This blog is part of the IDC “Women in Tech” series. You can read the other series here. You can also follow and join the conversation on social media using – #IDCIWD18