BET Software is instrumental at Data Saturdays Durban

Sean Cremer, software architect at BET Software

Software architect at BET Software, Sean Cremer, inspired with a talk titled, “Technology Masquerading as Architecture”. He delved into the ever-growing problem of adding new technology to ecosystems to solve existing design failings, and how this often spirals out of control in areas most developers seldom consider or even think about.

After a successful day, he reflected on the significance of this data technology-focused training event.

Community is important for Data Saturdays. Why was this gathering beneficial?

Data Saturdays is a collective effort of dedicated professionals sharing their years of expertise. Intended to enrich the knowledge of attendees while fostering a community of collaboration between data enthusiasts, it provides insights and knowledge into areas where skills are often lacking in the industry.

Why was your topic “Technology Masquerading as Architecture” imperative?

“Technology Masquerading as Architecture” in laymen terms refers to using more and more technologies to solve problems in an organisation when simple changes to the existing technology stack would solve the problem. Most developers, to save time, just keep adding different technologies to the ecosystem. Mostly unaware that there are hidden costs to doing that; which in the greater scheme of things is not a good return on investment. The spiraling costs and system complexity need to be held in check. The purpose of the presentation was to highlight the potential pitfalls and how to prevent it from being a problem in your organisation.

In such a rapidly changing industry, did the event offer any forecasts into interesting trends, data analysis techniques to look out for in the tech space?

AI is making serious gains in our industry. Different tools specific to aiding companies operate more efficiently are becoming mainstream. Essentially, it is going to change the way we do everything in IT in the next decade.

What is your one key takeaway tech lesson from the event?

AI is no longer science fiction and something in the future. It is here already and can’t be ignored. We need to start learning how to leverage the new technologies to our advantage.