Putting Tech into Action

将技术付诸行动

Can big companies thrive on the frontier of change too?That's seldom what they do best.Inertia takes hold when companies get larger and older.It's easier to extend time-tested successes instead fo mustering the courage required for fresh starts in unfamiliar markets.Even so,there are exceptions.If you want to work on the frontier while savoring the security,perks,and resources of a big company,take a close look at enterprises determinded to have it both ways:business-service firms with a high-tech twist.

大公司在变革的前沿是否也能茁壮生长？这并非它们的强项。公司越大、历史越悠久，受惯性影响就越大。比起鼓起在陌生市场全新开始所需要的勇气，拓展已通过时间检验的成果要轻松得多。即使如此，也还是会有例外。如果你希望工作在前沿的同时，也能享受到大公司的安全感、资源和福利，好好研究下那些决定将两者兼顾的企业：用高科技手段装备的商业服务公司。

This cohort consists of companies such as IBM,Hewlett-Packard Enterprises,Deloitte,PricewaterhouseCoopers,Accenture,Ernst and Young,and KPMG.Some started out as computer makers;others began as accounting firms.Either way,all now specialize in helping corporate clents install new technologies that make everything run better.Go to work for one of these companies,and you'll spend three months in Atlanta,do another stint in Houston,and perhaps even get some rotation in London,Beijing,or Buenos Aires.You'll get good at scoping out problems,drawing up solutions,and working around the clock to make everything fit into place.

这类公司的名册里包括IBM,惠普，普华永道、埃森哲（Accenture），安永（Ernst and Young），以及毕马威（KPMG）。它们当中有些是从电脑制造商起步，另一些则以会计师事务所为开端。 不管过去怎样，现在它们都致力于帮助企业客户安装新技术，使客户的所有环节都运行得更好。入职以上公司中的任何一家，都意味着你可能会在亚特兰大呆上三个月，再去休斯顿过一阵子，也许甚至会交换到伦敦、北京、布宜诺斯艾利斯。你会变得擅长解决问题，制定解决方案，昼夜不停地工作，使每件事都落实到位。   

Does that sound like a good match for your liberal arts education?Everything clicks when you realize the secret to keeping these gaint implementation squads on the road,year after year.The only way to sustain such a business is to champion whatever new technology needs to be adopted in a hurry.Buzzwords keep changing.Software as a service gives way to Mobile first gives way to Machine Learning and so on.Top executives at these companies can't predict what they will be installing five years from now.They know they need adaptable,resilient minds that can get up-to-date on the next breakthrough technology,again and again—as many times as it takes.

以上我说的这些，听上去是否与你所受的文科教育相匹配？一旦掌握了使这些庞大的执行组织年复一年正常运转的秘诀，对你来说就会万事俱备。维持这类企业的唯一办法，是无论采用新技术需要些什么，都要在第一时间给予响应。市面上的流行语总在变化，“软件即服务”让位给“移动优先”，“移动优先”又被“机器学习”所取代，诸如此类，无休无止。这些公司的高管们并不能预测，五年之后他们会为客户安装什么技术，但他们知道公司需要的，是能掌握下一个最新突破性技术的头脑，这种头脑适应力强、有弹性，而且不管产生多少新技术，他们都能够举一反三。