Privacy-conscious users are being encouraged to instead enable Global Privacy Control (GPC), a feature that tells sites your data may not be shared or resold to third parties.
Windowsreport notes that Do Not Track remains in place for the time being in other browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. So users who want to continue using the feature, might want to switch browsers.
Apple has released iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, which means local language access to Apple Intelligence is now available to iPhone, Mac, and iPad users in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand. (They’ve had to set their language to US English to use these features until now; users will need to update their software first, as it rolls out.)
It’s a critical release that puts direct, local language access to Apple Intelligence into the hands of tens of millions of new users. The release also introduces several additional tools to the Apple Intelligence arsenal, including new Writing Tools and integrated access to ChatGPT for some tasks. Though you aren’t obliged to use ChatGPT.
Back in the UK
The UK introduction is particularly interesting, coinciding as it does with a visit there by Apple CEO Tim Cook. During his visit, he discussed Apple’s ever-growing investments in the UK and confirmed company engineers are deeply involved in building components of those AI features, from silicon development to the company’s important work on Private Cloud Compute. It seems appropriate given his appearance in the UK to introduce Apple Intelligence at around the same time. Though I suspect if Steve Jobs had made the same journey, Apple might have run a “Meet Apple Intelligence” event to generate some media attention.
Improved Siri, with better natural language understanding and the capacity to handle more complex queries.
Better contextual awareness for better results.
Visual Intelligence — point your camera at your surroundings to learn more about them.
Imaging tools, including custom AI-generated emoji and automated image creation.
Apple promises additional capabilities “soon.” These will include on-screen contextual awareness, AI support across third-party apps, Priority Notifications to help you stay on top of the most important tasks/messages, and more.
As it seeks to convince its customers to place their trust in its artificial intelligence, Apple remains firmly focused on privacy. It continues to repeat the message that because many of its tools work on the device, using them brings all the convenience of generative AI (genAI), but not at the cost of data leak or privacy erosion. The company also wants people to understand those tasks it cannot handle are outsourced to third-party tools that may be less private and secure, though their use is optional.
Why does privacy matter?
So, why does Apple’s privacy message matter? Surely the convenience of AI outweighs any impact on privacy.
In fact, it’s quite the reverse. Stop to consider the extent to which your iPhone already accumulates a plethora of deeply personal data reflecting your life, health, habits, and occupations; put that through a filter of non-private AI and you might get some sense of why privacy and trust will become even more important in the months and years ahead.
Take health, for example — if Apple really does plan to introduce AI-driven health data biometric systems in future satellite-connected Apple Watch devices, you really, really won’t want that information shared with anyone but your healthcare advisor and (possibly, but not always) your closest family members.
You certainly won’t want that data shared with even the fluffiest of Big Tech companies; and you won’t want every ad you see online to be dedicated to flogging you kit connected with your condition — or weird Facebook followers appearing to bombard you with fake facts and potentially life-threatening snake oil “treatments.”
That, and a warrant-free evolution of privatized surveillance and hacker-tempting data banks, is, of course, one of the potential futures for AI implementation in the world right now. With that in mind, Apple’s underlying message around privacy and security matters a great deal.
About you
All the same, for today at least, those concerns seem a little further down the line. After all, it is not yet the case that other people will be able to find out everything the online world knows about you by simply pointing their phone in your direction (though don’t be too surprised if that eventually becomes a law enforcement tool). But you can now do this for your local surroundings using Visual Intelligence on your iPhone.
Web browsers are essential for everything from business productivity to social media and online shopping. Whether you use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, or something even more exotic, there’s a good chance your web browser is your most used Windows program.
While operating-system-level Windows PC productivity tricks are certainly helpful, tab management tricks for your browser might be even more useful for day-to-day productivity. They’re a must-know for anyone who uses a browser, whether at work or at home — in other words, just about everyone!
Unless otherwise specified, the tricks here should all work in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, and others — on either Windows 11 or Windows 10.
If you’d like to always keep a tab open, right-click it on your tab bar and select “Pin.” The tab will shrink to a small button — just the website icon — at the left side of your tab bar. Your browser will also automatically reopen any pinned tabs the next time you launch it.
You can pin multiple tabs and use drag and drop to reorder them. Plus, they work with the standard Windows browser Ctrl key shortcuts: Press Ctrl+1 to switch to the pinned tab on the left, Ctrl+2 to switch to the second-from-the-left pinned tab, and so on.
It’s a great way to ensure especially important tabs — perhaps your email inbox or social media feeds — are always loaded and just a click away.
Pinned tabs appear in a compact form in your browser’s tab bar.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #2: Search your tabs
It’s easy to forget, but modern web browsers actually let you search through all the tabs you have open at any given moment. In Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers such as Edge and Brave, just press Ctrl+Shift+A. Then, you can search the tabs you have open across your browsing windows.
You can also click the button at the left side of your tab bar to open this interface. (In Firefox, click the button at the left side of your browser’s tab bar to open the Recent browsing interface, where you can search open tabs.)
Chrome’s Search Tabs button is a convenient way to hunt down open tabs.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #3: Turn a tab into an app
For many people, the best tip may be going beyond the simple browser tab and turning websites you frequently use into their own application windows. This is an ideal option if you use something like Gmail for your email and want continuous access to it in a single click from your taskbar.
First, open the page you want to turn into an app in your browser. Then:
In Chrome, click menu > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app
In Edge, click menu > Apps > Install this site as an app
Unfortunately, this option isn’t available in Firefox — and it isn’t available out of the box for many sites in Brave, either. Where it’s supported, though, the web page will get its own unique window with its own taskbar icon and shortcut, freeing it from the confines of a typical browser tab.
Turning regular browser tabs into apps may be the best way to integrate Google’s web apps with Windows.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #4: Save across sessions
If you use lots of browser tabs, you’ll usually lose them whenever your browser closes — but you don’t have to let that happen. With a quick bit of planning, you can tell your browser to remember its open tabs across sessions. To do so:
In Chrome, click menu > Settings. Choose “On startup” at the left side of the page, and then select “Continue where you left off.”
In Edge, click menu > Settings. Choose “Start, home, and new tabs” at the left side of the page, and then select “Open tabs from previous session” under “When Edge starts.”
In Firefox, click menu > Settings. Choose “General” on the left, and then activate “Open previous windows and tabs” under Startup.
In Brave, click menu > Settings. Choose “Get started” on the left, and then select “Continue where you left off” under On startup.
If you have a single browser window open and close it, your open tabs in that window will appear the next time you open your browser. If you have multiple windows with open tabs, be sure to choose the “Exit” option from your browser’s menu rather than closing windows one by one. That will ensure your browser remembers all its open tabs and opens all of them when you start back again.
If you don’t want to lose tabs, tell your browser to remember them.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #5: Go for grouping
You can also create “tab groups” to better organize your browsing. Your groups will be saved to your bookmarks bar so you can come back to them later, and they’ll sync across your devices. This feature is most powerful in Chrome, but Edge and Brave have many of the same features. (Unfortunately, while Firefox had a similar feature in the past, it’s since been removed.)
Tab Groups may be the most interesting browser feature many people haven’t used yet.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #6: Bookmark windows as folders
While tab groups are great, I’m also a fan of the old-fashioned way of saving groups of tabs for later as a bookmark folder. To do this, right-click an empty spot in your browser’s tab bar and select “Bookmark All Tabs” or press Ctrl+Shift+D. (In Firefox, you’ll have to select all tabs from the right-click menu and then right-click a second time to bookmark them.)
Consider placing the bookmark folder somewhere easy to access, like your browser’s bookmarks bar. You can then come back later and find them right there. Right-click the folder and select “Open all” to easily reopen them. When you’re done, you can delete the folder.
There’s no substitute for a good old-fashioned bookmarks folder when it comes to saving tabs for later.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
Windows tab trick #7: Reopen a closed tab
Want to get a tab back? Just right-click an empty spot on your browser’s tab bar and select “Reopen closed tab” or “Reopen closed window” — whatever you closed last.
For a more transformative tab experience, try using a browser that places your tabs in a vertical sidebar rather than the typical tab bar across the top of the window. Many PC power users swear by this — especially on wide-screen displays.
Google Chrome doesn’t have this built-in, but you can install a browser extension such as the Vertical Tabs in Side Panel extension.
Microsoft Edge has this built-in! Just right-click an empty spot in the tab bar and select “Turn on vertical tabs.”
Mozilla Firefox doesn’t have this built in, either, although there are signs Mozilla might be experimenting with it. The Tree Style Tab extension is an excellent option for Firefox users.
Brave has this feature already built in, too. Click menu > Settings, select “Appearance” in the left pane, scroll down to Tabs, and activate “Use vertical tabs.”
Of course, the Arc browser always has vertical tabs — that’s part of its whole different way of working with tabs that some people are big fans of.
Like Microsoft Edge, Brave has a built-in vertical tab option.
Chris Hoffman, IDG
And there we are: an excellent round-up of tab-related upgrades for your PC web browser of choice.
This is just the start of all the excellent Windows PC and web browser tricks for you to discover! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter to get three new things to try every Friday and free in-depth Windows Field Guides as a special welcome bonus.
Entry-level workers increasingly fear job loss or significant changes to their careers due to automation made possible by generative AI (genAI). Nearly one-in-four “early career” employees (24%) believe their job could be replaced by automation, according to survey results from professional services firm Deloitte.
Early-career workers (those with five years or less on the job) are more likely than their senior colleagues to voice concerns about AI’s impact on learning opportunities, workload, and job security. The increasingly unsettled view of the workplace as AI tools advance echoes similar sentiments from other recent surveys.
The Deloitte results highlight younger workers’ growing anxiety around AI replacing jobs — and the actions they’re taking to improve their own job security. Deloitte’s survey of 1,874 full- and part-time workers from the US, Canada, India, and Australia — roughly two-thirds of whom are early career workers — found that 34% are pursuing a professional qualification or certification courses, 32% are starting their own businesses or becoming self-employed, and 28% are even adding part-time contractor or gig work to supplement their income.
Deloitte
The tech market is already showing signs of a decline in entry-level roles, as organizations increasingly require more years of experience, even for junior positions. In fields such as cybersecurity, where AI is rapidly advancing, entry-level analyst roles often demand at least four years of experience, according to Deloitte.
Workers’ fears are not misplaced. The rapid advance of AI could lead to significant job displacement: Goldman Sachs, for example, predicts that AI could displace 300 million full-time jobs globally, affecting up to two-thirds of jobs in Europe and the US. Similarly, McKinsey Global Institute estimates that 12 million people might actually need to change professions by 2030. And a study published by the European Student Think Tank found that AI and machine learning automation, particularly in roles traditionally filled by young workers, such as data entry, could reduce job availability.
The Think Tank also found that the arrival of AI technologies could be creating a skills mismatch, as automation increases demand for non-routine analytical and interpersonal skills. Without proper training in AI-related fields, young workers might struggle to adapt, leading to unemployment and exacerbating labor market inequalities.
Despite job security fears, Deloitte found many workers remain hopeful that genAI tools can take over more mundane, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more interesting and creative roles. Even as the technology promises to disrupt past patterns, 79% of younger employees are excited about AI’s potential, compared to 66% of older workers. Similarly, more early-career workers (78%) view AI skills as essential, even in non-tech fields. Just 62% of older workers felt that way.
Deloitte
Additionally, 75% of early-career employees believe AI will create new job opportunities in their field (compared to 58% of tenured workers), and 77% think AI will help them advance their careers (versus 56% for older employees).
“It’s difficult to generalize, but most studies show employees vacillating between fear and excitement,” said Arthur O’Connor, academic director of the City University of New York’s School (CUNY) of Professional Studies. O’Connor, who wrote a book on AI in the workplace titled “Organizing for Generative AI and the Productivity Revolution,” disagreed with Deloitte’s findings that concern about genAI is slanted toward younger workers.
“The exposure seems to be a function of what type of job you have, not how long you’ve been doing it,” O’Connor said. “But there is evidence to suggest that jobs that are most threatened may be senior-level, as research studies show…that genAI offers disproportionate benefits [to] junior-level employees over senior-level employees.”
Anyone in knowledge work — creating, summarizing, or visualizing content such as writing, coding, analyzing, or illustrating — should explore and learn to use the many genAI tools and platforms available, O’Connor argued. “With the evolution of intelligent agents, these tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with very powerful analytic and integrative capabilities.”
An uneven playing field
One study on software development found that less experienced coders using Microsoft’s Copilot improved the most, completing tasks 56% faster than the control group, O’Connor said. Similarly, a study on customer service showed that AI-assisted agents increased productivity by 14%, with the greatest benefits going to novices and low-skilled workers.
The job market, often referred to as being in a “white-collar recession,” could already be reflecting that shift. A 2023 LinkedIn study showed significant declines in hiring for high-paying roles since 2018: IT jobs (down 27%), quality assurance (off 32%), product management (a drop of 23%), program/project management (down 25%), and engineering (down 26%).
There is a skills transformation occurring right now, but how fast or pervasive it will be remains to be seen, according to Peter Miscovich, global future of work leader at Jones Lang LaSalle IP (JLL), a commercial real estate and investment management services firm. “Clearly 70% of the workforce will need to be upskilled in terms of genAI and AI. Whether you’re an entry level, mid-level or senior employee, we’re seeing a lot of focus on upskilling,” Miscovich said.
Early career workers are more concerned than tenured colleagues about AI’s impact on learning opportunities, workload, and job security. By 2027, genAI will likely be well on its journey of being orchestrated across workplace processes and embedded into workflows. As that’s happening now, enterprises are also grappling with re-evaluating existing processes, such as data mining and analytics as well as employee upskilling.
At the enterprise level, Miscovich said, from 50% to 75% of enterprises are already piloting genAI tools.
Fear of job disruption from automation and reduced learning opportunities may be fueling a third anxiety: early-career workers face fewer chances to build skills but are expected to perform at higher levels due to AI advances. Among surveyed workers, 77% of early-career and 67% of tenured workers believe AI raises expectations for entry-level roles, including handling more complex and strategic tasks, according to Deloitte.
The prevailing career advice seems to be, ‘Gen AI may not replace you, but others using it will,'” O’Connor said.
Getting workers up to speed on genAI
Many workers, regardless of experience, find current AI tools challenging to use effectively. While genAI tools can reduce time spent on some tasks, workers still need to verify accuracy and quality, which remains a significant concern. Other issues flagged by survey respondents include ethical and privacy challenges, reduced collaboration, and a perceived loss of personal connection in the workplace.
One issue for companies is getting new employees involved in inclusive training and encouraging them to be mentored and sponsored by mid-level and senior level manager, according to Miscovich.
Organizational training models, where skills-focused outcomes intentionally engage younger workers through microlearning and immersive spatial computing, are increasingly crucial for onboarding and training, helping workers feel supported, included, and developed, Miscovich said.
“This is a key challenge for many organizations, especially in the wake of workforce shifts during and after the pandemic. The Great Resignation has highlighted the need for greater guidance across teams, not just in adopting generative AI,” he said. “From a personal experience, it’s vital to invest in intentional, one-on-one time with younger team members to keep them engaged and continuously learning. Programs must also evolve to keep pace with rapidly advancing technologies.”
As AI automation infiltrates workflows, basic tasks like reporting and data analysis might limit early career workers’ opportunities to build skills gradually. Without these experiences, they risk advancing to complex tasks without a supportive learning environment, leading to skill gaps, according to Deloitte.
A major obstacle to organizational adoption is that data science expertise is not sufficiently diffused — for both senior managers and among rank-and-file workers, O’Connor said. “Such expertise tends to be concentrated in IT departments, most of which still operate as secret guilds with their own mysterious language and practices that are organizationally and functionally isolated from core business units.
“The most direct way would be to teach employees how to leverage the tremendous potential, as well as manage the considerable risks, of applying current AI tools in their everyday workflows. But this is a lot easier said than done, as most organizations aren’t currently staffed or structured to do this,” he said.
The European Student Think Tank recommends companies develop inclusive education and training programs to help employees adapt to rapid AI use. In particular, the organization recommends:
• Regular training that emphasizes promoting STEM education to boost employability in AI-related areas — especially for low-income youth who often lack access to such opportunities to ensure programs are accessible and inclusive. • Employee involvement in decisions about AI implementation so workers better understand which tasks can be effectively automated. AI-related decisions should be made inclusively and transparently to align with employees’ insights and needs. • Investments in AI research and development to foster innovation that enhances job automation without overshadowing human contributions. Research should prioritize streamlining tasks and integrating workers’ insights to empower young employees. • Better collaboration among governments, the private sector, and academia to address AI-related employment challenges through public-private partnerships.
For employees hoping to keep up with the evolution of AI and its affects on their careers, O’Connor said pointed to an abundance of free content and opportunities to learn about AI. The challenge lies in using those resources effectively.
“Teaching and empowering employees to move past the experimental stage to embed these technologies into core business processes requires multi-disciplinary roles, functions and organizational structures most businesses don’t currently have,” O’Connor said. “As a data scientist who studies organizational behavior, I believe the coming Productivity Revolution calls for new types of roles and functions, in which data expertise is not a distinct organizational unit but an interconnected discipline spanning almost every aspect of a business.”
As we look ahead to a whole new year of green-tinted Googley goodness, I’m feeling both guardedly excited — and curiously like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day.
Google’s got some pretty weighty pivots in the works for the Android arena right now. It’s mostly good-seeming stuff, on the surface, and cause for cautious optimism. But some of it is also cause for a familiar-feeling sense of déjà vu — a sensation those of us who have watched Google closely for a while now are all too accustomed to experiencing.
Here, specifically, are seven key themes to keep an eye on as we make our way into 2025 and think through what Google might have in store for us in the land of Android — and some important accompanying questions to consider.
This is absolutely a possibility we’ve heard before — more times that I can even count at this point. But for the first time now, it actually feels like something that could make sense and potentially be a positive for us as users, if Google manages to get it right.
The current rumor suggests Google wants to “unify its operating system efforts” by “fully migrating ChromeOS over to Android” and, in some way, having future Chromebooks ship with Android.
It’s an intriguing notion that could, in theory, bring us the best of both worlds — but you’d better believe there are more questions than answers around this one right now.
For instance:
When exactly would this happen? The latest rumors describe it as a “multi-year” project, but Google has yet to say a single peep — so we really don’t know if we’ll hear anything official about it in 2025 or not until much later.
How would current Chromebooks be affected? Some devices out there are already promised ongoing operating system updates through as late as 2034 right now. Would they continue to receive ChromeOS all that time, or would there be some sort of switch over to Android even for existing systems?
Would Chromebooks even be called Chromebooks if they’re actually running Android?
How would any sort of switch over to Android affect ChromeOS-specific advantages around security, update frequency, and software consistency?
Clearly, there’s a ton still unknown here, and Google has yet to confirm or deny the possibility in any way. (Believe me, I’ve asked!) But whether anything officially happens in 2025 on this front or not, it’s absolutely gonna be a story and a subject worth watching.
Google Android 2025 theme #2: The hardware evolution
Google’s self-made hardware focus has long been a roller coaster of uncertainty.
It’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. So in 2025, we’ve got tons of pressing questions to chew over:
After all of that, will we ever see another Pixel Tablet? It’s possible Google’s still developing what would have been the third-generation version for release sometime next year or perhaps the year after.
Assuming the alleged Pixel Laptop pans out and actually gets released, meanwhile, will that device be a straightforward Android computer, without any hints of ChromeOS?
And if so, will it be a convertible or detachable device that effectively doubles as a tablet — or will it just be a traditional clamshell-style laptop?
When will we actually see the thing?
And will it be a lasting new line for Google or another one-off in the company’s notoriously short-attention-span pattern?
So much to chew over and watch for in this area as well.
Google Android 2025 theme #3: Updates, updates, updates
As part of a plan to get operating system updates out earlier in the year, Google’s shifting its Android release schedule to include a major Android version update in the second quarter and then a smaller Android version update in Q4 — starting in 2025.
This, too, brings a bit of déjà vu. In the platform’s earlier days, updates landed multiple times a year; it was only with 2015’s Android 6 release that Google got onto the annual cadence and laid the groundwork for the pattern we’ve grown accustomed to observing today — with just a single new major Android version coming out toward the end of each year.
The problem with that end-of-year timing is that lots of Android device-makers also like to launch their new flagship phone models around that same time, ahead of the holiday season — and so it becomes a scramble or sometimes even an impossibility for them to ship the latest and greatest Android version out of the box on those shiny new phones.
By pushing out Android 16 in the spring, companies will have much more time to get it onto their new goodies. But we’ve still got plenty of unanswered questions:
Google describes the Q2 release as being the “major” new Android release of the year, with the Q4 follow-up being “minor” in comparison — with “feature updates, optimizations, and bug fixes.” But Google already increasingly does quarterly feature drops with similar sorts of enhancements alongside the monthly security patches, too. So what exactly will the Q4 Android update include that sets it apart from those other ongoing updates?
Will the Q4 Android release have a whole new Android version number — like Android 17 — or will it take us back to the days of 0.1-style updates? (Or something else entirely?)
Most device-makers outside of Google already struggle to keep up with once-a-year Android updates. How will they fare with two rollouts in the equation? Will we see some manufacturers opt to skip over the Q4 release and focus only on the Q2 version? Or will our various high-tech tortoises finally step up to the plate and start exerting some actual effort around this stuff?
And speaking of Android 16…
Google Android 2025 theme #4: Gemini’s mind-numbing march
It’s still too soon to say what, exactly, might end up being the most significant elements in Android 16, but it seems clear that Google’s next-gen Gemini assistant will play a key role in the software — in an extremely déjà-vu-inducing way.
That, notably, is almost exactly what Google promised us with its “new Google Assistant” back in 2019, around the launch of the Pixel 4 phone, but never quite managed to deliver.
2025 seems to be a bit of a repeat performance, at least in terms of the promise. Time will tell if this go-round ultimately ends up delivering or if we continue to feel like we’re taking baby steps back toward where we were already.
Circle to Search is without a doubt Now on Tap reincarnated. And while the déjà vu element of it is amusing, it’s also nice to have that once-fantastic idea back in the forefront again.
This time — so far, at least — Google seems gung-go about pushing Circle to Search forward and bringing more and more power into its terrain. Already, we’ve seen updates adding in an integrated screenshot option and QR code scanner, and all signs suggest the development will only continue charging forward while Circle to Search itself becomes more broadly available in the months ahead.
Bring it on, I say!
Google Android 2025 theme #6: Do Not Disturb redux
Another apparent priority for Google in 2025 is expanding Android’s Do Not Disturb system in a way that’ll introduce multiple customizable priority “modes” instead of just a single on/off switch.
In terms of pure function, this seems like a smart step forward — though it’s hard not to question if the complexity it introduces will create more confusion than benefit for many Android-owning animals.
And all such worries aside, it’s impossible to see what Google’s got goin’ with this new approach and not think back to the era of Android 5, when Do Not Disturb was similarly transformed into a multipronged “priority mode” system that ended up being a convoluted mess that was soon after abandoned.
With any luck, that’s a lesson Google will remember as it ventures into those waters once more.
Google Android 2025 theme #7: Bubbles floating back to the surface
Bubbles, in short, were meant to be a way to keep certain app functions readily available on your screen via a collapsible circle known as — yup — bubbles. You could tap on a bubble to expand it but then keep it out of the way (though still easily accessible) most of the time.
Bubbles ended up being relevant only for a small handful of messaging apps, where it’s generally more annoying than anything. But at the beginning, the system was supposed to have been so much more.
In its original vision for Bubbles, Google presented the system as a “new way for users to multitask and re-engage” with apps. And that was just the start:
Bubbles help users prioritize information and take action deep within another app, while maintaining their current context. They also let users carry an app’s functionality around with them as they move between activities on their device.
Bubbles are great for messaging because they let users keep important conversations within easy reach. They also provide a convenient view over ongoing tasks and updates, like phone calls or arrival times. They can provide quick access to portable UI like notes or translations and can be visual reminders of tasks, too.
So, yeah: Messaging was a small part of the picture, but Bubbles was supposed to be so much more than that. It was meant to represent a new way of getting stuff done on your phone — something that seemed, as I put it at the time, like it could be “a mobile multitasking breakthrough.”
Now, five years later, we may finally see that original vision play out. Under-development code reveals fresh progress on Android’s Bubbles system that’d let you put any app into a bubble and keep it available on demand, exactly as we’d seen teased several years ago. This could open the door to some seriously interesting new ways of multitasking and pulling up elements like notes, emails, documents, and even web pages while viewing something else at the same time — without having to resort to a much more rigid split-screen interface, which isn’t always optimal (especially on a smaller-screened device).
We don’t yet know exactly what form this could take or even if it’ll necessarily show up in Android 16, but seeing it come back to the forefront after all these years is a very welcome surprise and something well worth watching throughout 2025.
Stay tuned
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in analyzing Google all these years, it’s that you never fully know what the company might be thinking — and there’s always room for the element of surprise.
While many of the themes above may indeed be new twists on familiar concepts (as is the comically “new” capability of adding widgets onto your Android tablet’s home screen — hello, 2012!), so much has changed with Android over the past 16 years that certain things will inevitably be different with their implementation now.
And beyond those seven key themes, we’ll almost certainly see other Android-connected advancements and pivots as the year progresses.
As always, our adventure in this arena is only just beginning. And I, for one, can’t wait to experience all the twists and turns with you — every step of the way.
Why wait for 2025? Grant yourself all sorts of new superpowers this second with my free Android Notification Power-Pack — six smart enhancements for any Android device in front of you.
In the study by Aidan Toner-Rodgers, an unspecified laboratory in the US with 1,018 researchers used an unspecified custom machine-learning tool. The work teams that were randomly assigned to use the AI tool then discovered 44% more materials and created 39% more patent applications than those that did not use the tool.
At the same time, the technology had different effects on how productivity was distributed. The bottom third of researchers saw little benefit, while output doubled for top researchers.
AI automated 57% of the “idea generation” tasks and reassigned scientists to the new task of evaluating model-produced material candidates. Top-performing researchers then used their expertise to prioritize promising AI proposals, while other researchers wound up wasting significant resources testing false positives.
The survey also showed that progress has a price: 82% of researchers reported decreased satisfaction with their work due to decreased creativity and underutilization of their skills. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed by other researchers.
Mac developers have a lot to think about as we close in on 2025, the eighth Mac developer survey from Setapp suggests. Should they sell software outside of the App Store? Is it time to diversify to other platforms? When will it be time to build software for visionOS? And what about artificial intelligence (AI)?
Should they sell software outside of the App Store?
Apple is being forced to open up to competition to the App Store, including support for third-party app portals. As these stores appear, it seems inevitable that some developers might consider selling software at those new outlets, including Setapp’s own mobile app store. The data suggests that as many as a third of developers are ready to use third-party stores for iOS apps.
It’s a little different for Mac applications — just 20% of those are sold exclusively via the Mac App Store, with 37% sold outside of that structure and 44% sold through both outlets. The implication here is that iOS app sales might end up in a similar stance, with the vast majority of apps made available via the App Store, rather than outside of it.
The most popular channel for Mac app sales outside of Apple’s store is, of course, via the developer’s own website — though when it comes to making those sales, the challenges remain much the same as before: app discovery, marking, and user acquisition. I’ll be interested to see how third-party app stores rise to the challenge of helping developers with those challenges in future.
There’s an interesting side insight here.
Despite years of complaining about Apple’s 30% fee on apps sold through its own store (really, it is around 15% for the vast majority), it strongly appears developers believe it is worth sharing revenue with app retail services. That, once again, means the only real question behind of the App Store liberation remains the same: How much is fair to charge? That amount differs, but people seem pretty certain that revenue sharing is good for business, and a good chunk of them plan to stick with the App Store.
Is it time to diversify to other platforms?
If Mac developers are a barometer, then it looks as if the majority of Apple’s developers are willing to build cross-platform solutions to bring in new business, though most prefer to remain in Apple’s ecosystem. Three-quarters (75%) of developers build for other operating systems, mainly for iOS (59%), iPad OS (37%), and Windows (23%). Just 11% build for Android — slightly lower than those building apps for Apple Watch.
The trend is that diversification is taking place mostly within Apple’s own ecosystem, with some Windows development. What isn’t happening fast so far is visionOS, which hasn’t yet become a large enough platform for mass market app developers. It’s a professional tool.
When will it be time to build software for visionOS?
Twenty percent of Mac developers plan to develop for visionOS in 2024 or are already in the process. Low market share and high device price remains a concern and is possibly why almost half (45%) of developers haven’t decided whether to build for the platform yet. Thirty-five percent of developers say they will not build for the platform this year, though 8% are building visionOS apps already.
What’s interesting is that while it confirms relatively low interest in developing apps for Apple’s newest hardware at this time, it shows interest sufficiently high that almost one in 10 Mac developers are already building for the platform.
This bodes very well as Apple improves the hardware and reduces cost, as it means there will already be a decent number of apps available by the time it inches toward being more mass market. While there are many developers who won’t use their resources to build right now, things can and will change as the situation evolves.
What about AI?
Apple’s spatial reality party was to some extent dented by the near-simultaneous revolution of generative AI. If Apple had expected visionOS to grab the oxygen from the room, it only had limited success. Sure, the rest of the industry went into stasis as it awaited news of VisionPro, but AI grabbed headlines everywhere and developers are far from blind to that. Nor, as Apple Intelligence proves, was Apple.
This is probably why more than 41% of Mac app developers are about to begin using AI models in their apps, with another 19% thinking about it. What they are using AI for is interesting. As you’d expect, personalization and automation are big trends, but real-time translation, automated IoT deployments, and productivity tools in various stripes seem to be shades of what’s coming as apps get updated in the coming months. AI/ML development is by far the trend developers think will have the biggest impact on their apps in the year to come, with personalization and privacy rules also in the picture.
There’s a lot more that should be of interest in the Setapp survey this year. But what seems to be crystal clear is that the intelligence in devices will be harnessed in rapidly more sophisticated ways in the months and years ahead — at what point will AI predict your needs to the extent that App Stores will be redundant? And as apps continue to evolve into becoming cloud-based services, will operating systems mean as much anymore?
Adobe Express is now embedded into Box’s content management application as the default tool for editing images.
Express is Adobe’s freemium design app that’s aimed at helping non-designers produce a range of content, such as social media campaign assets, logos or flyers. As of today, a streamlined “modular” version of the app is available natively in Box, allowing users to edit an image file without switching screens.
When a Box user selects a visual file, they are given an option to open it in an embedded version of Express that offers a range of image editing tools, such as resizing or cropping, adjustments to contrast and brightness, and more. Edited images are then saved in the original file location, Adobe said, and won’t be moved to Adobe’s servers.
No account login is needed for the basic editing tools, though access to some of Adobe’s Firefly generative AI features — such as “remove object” — will require a sign-in.
“Every Box user can now create and edit visual content directly in Box with Adobe Express as the default image editor,” said Aubrey Cattell, Adobe vice president for developer platform and partner ecosystem. “They don’t need to leave the Box environment and move across applications — they can make those edits directly in place and save them back to the Box infrastructure.”
There’s no additional fee to use Express in Box, though access to “premium” features in Adobe’s app will require a paid subscription.
It’s the first “on by-default” app in Box, according to Cattell. “Express is stepping into the shoes of the native image editor for Box; we’re powering that experience,” he said. “That doesn’t require an IT admin to take any action, it doesn’t require a user to take any action — it’s just there.”
The integration is the first part of a “multi-pronged integration plan,” according to Cattell, with Box also set to add more features from Express in the first half of 2025. That includes the ability to edit video files from inside Box using Express and generate new images using Adobe’s Firefly model.
The Box integration is the latest stage in a recent push by Adobe to widen access to its streamlined design tool. In addition to embedding Express into its own apps, such as GenStudio, the company has added integrations with third-party apps such as whiteboard app Miro and collaboration tool Slack. The tools vary in sophistication, with Slack’s Express integration focused on simple image generation as opposed to the fuller functionality available in Box.
“The feedback that we’ve gotten in our research and in talking to customers is a lot of them want their creative solutions to work where they already are doing their work,” said Cattell.
Part of the value proposition for Box is that it serves as a private and secure environment for enterprise customers to store and access files, “so why not enable them to make the changes to the billions of images that they have on the server right there, without having to leave that environment?” he said.
“We can extend Adobe’s reach, but also meet our customers where they’re already working by making that technology part of those other applications. And so that’s really the strategy: it’s both addressing a customer need, but also expanding our reach.”
What makes a company a great place to work for IT professionals? Top salaries and benefits certainly help, but those are just table stakes. Tech workers are looking for challenging projects, growth opportunities, and continuous learning in a supportive workplace.
For the 31st year, Computerworld publisher Foundry surveyed large, midsize, and small organizations to find the top IT employers. Read our special report to see which companies made our list and what makes them such desirable places to work. To read the Best Places to Work in IT 2025 report in PDF format, download it below.
Profiles of three Best Places companies: Total Quality Logistics, OCLC, and Tokio Marine North America Services
The Best Places to Work in IT 2025: Rankings by company size
Metholodology: How we chose the best places to work
Building a collaborative IT culture
The ongoing quest for technical talent in an uncertain economic environment has caused many organizations to turn their attention inward, taking steps to keep their existing IT workforce engaged and invested in the overall business charter. The goal: build a collaborative IT culture defined by continuous learning, meaningful work, and positive contributions to the business.
Companies participating in Computerworld’s 31st annual “Best Places to Work in IT” survey show a strong commitment to in-house IT talent, even as they cast a wider net for IT candidates to build a more diverse workforce that fosters creativity and innovation. A heightened emphasis on training is designed to enrich technical skills — especially in artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, and the cloud — as well as soft skill sets that align with broader business objectives.
“We are steadfast in our technology investments and continue to modernize our skill sets, technologies, and processes at the same speed as ever — or even faster,” says Deepa Soni, chief information and operations officer at The Hartford, ranked No. 2 overall and No. 4 in the career development/training category among large companies in this year’s survey. “We think about three things to make IT the best destination for internal and external folks: Leveraging cutting-edge technology and solutions, creating business impact, and building a culture that fosters creativity while being inclusive and diverse.”
Precision hiring addresses critical skills gaps
Our survey found that the relentless pace of new hiring over the past two years remains robust. Among the surveyed companies, 79% have increased the total number of IT employees over the last three years, on average by 36%. This is down from a high of 86% in the 2024 survey but surpasses the 72% of companies reporting three-year IT workforce gains in 2023.
But although IT hiring is picking up steam again after a brief lull, survey respondents indicated that another cooling-off period may lie ahead. Just half of this year’s respondents plan to increase the number of IT hires over the next fiscal year, down significantly from the previous two years (71% and 72%, respectively). Nearly half of the organizations (46%) expect the size of their IT workforce to remain the same, with larger firms more likely to face hiring slowdowns. Conversely, 70% of smaller companies plan to add IT talent, with an average increase of 10%.
Top 10: IT Growth
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
Graphic Packaging International
Power Home Remodeling
MetroStar
2
Dayforce, Inc.
CHG Healthcare
Railinc Corp.
3
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Sophos Ltd.
IT Convergence, Inc.
4
University of Notre Dame
Enova
Connexus Credit Union
5
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Genesis HealthCare System
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
6
UKG
OCLC, Inc.
Nerdio
7
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Plante Moran, PLLC
Miles IT Company
8
Health Care Service Corporation
Five9
Nitel
9
Norton Healthcare
Kinaxis Inc.
Dataprise LLC
10
RSM US LLP
American Fidelity
Abarca Health
VyStar Credit Union, ranked third overall among midsize company respondents, is being very intentional about its IT hiring strategy while it moves to fill key openings. The plan is to slowly augment its 271-person IT staff with several critical positions, including a high-level AI thought leader and champion, several data architects, and engineers versed in software development life cycle skills such as DevOps automation.
“We are focused on how to make the best use of AI for our organization and are on a relentless journey to automate and streamline processes,” says Lisa Cochran, CIO of VyStar. “We are a heavily regulated organization, so we must have consistent ways of documenting changes. If we can capture and create artifacts without a human, then developers can spend less time on documentation.”
Like VyStar, many other companies are mapping the smaller number of external hires to highly coveted emerging skills categories — many of which are in short supply in the general marketplace. Among this year’s respondents, most new open IT-related positions fall into critical skills groups such as AI/machine learning (86%), data science/analytics (78%), cloud/multicloud (76%), and IT/cybersecurity (67%). In each of these competency areas, companies have dialed up hiring over last year’s, most significantly in the AI/machine learning (ML) area, which saw a 12-point year-over-year hike.
To address the need for more traditional IT skills, companies are relying more heavily on contract workers. In this year’s survey, the number of temporary or contract workers increased 10% on average across all respondents, compared with an average 7% decrease in contract workers hired over the prior 12 months.
Career development opportunities on the rise
While casting an eye toward external talent, organizations continue to promote from within to hold onto existing talent. This year’s survey found that 13% of IT employees across all companies advanced to new positions in the last fiscal year, much as in the last two years (15% in the 2024 survey and 14% in 2023). Similarly, salary bumps remain in line with last year’s findings, with 90% of IT employees the beneficiaries of a raise. Salary cuts or wage freezes don’t appear to be on the table — the vast majority (96%) of this year’s respondents said no such plans were in the works, now or in the foreseeable future.
This year’s survey indicates that IT professionals have plenty of opportunities to take advantage of internal programs to boost their career. Respondent companies are upleveling training programs with new curriculum that burnishes both technical and business skills, going deeper on high-demand technologies such as AI and cloud engineering while also providing education on soft skills such as change management and communications, to accommodate the increasing influence of digital technologies across the business.
Top 10: Career Development
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
MITRE
Sophos Ltd.
Tokio Marine North America Services
2
Total Quality Logistics
Power Home Remodeling
Axon Active Vietnam Co., Ltd.
3
SUNY Upstate Medical University
CME Group
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
4
The Hartford
National Information Solutions Cooperative
Railinc Corp.
5
The Kroger Company
FINRA
Miles IT Company
6
University of Notre Dame
CHG Healthcare
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
7
Navy Federal Credit Union
Worthington Steel
Prezzee Pty Ltd
8
Holman
CareSource
Avaap
9
Oshkosh Corporation
VyStar Credit Union
Dataprise LLC
10
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Kinaxis Inc.
Consumers Credit Union
As part of the emphasis on internal employee development, companies are putting structures in place to help IT professionals actively chart a career course. New mentorship, apprenticeship, and job rotation programs deliver exposure to emerging technology domains as well as full immersion in the business. Defined learning paths and formalized skills assessments help IT workers be more intentional about identifying and addressing critical skills gaps when mapping out their next career move.
These efforts continue to move the needle on internal mobility: Approximately 35% of IT vacancies are now being filled through company insiders, equal to last year’s percentage and down slightly from the 38% reported in the 2023 survey.
At Amerisure Mutual Insurance, which ranked fourth overall among small companies and sixth for career development and training, communities of practice meet monthly or quarterly, providing cross-functional IT groups and business professionals with demonstrations, tutorials, and training to build expertise in areas such as agile, DevOps, and product architecture. In addition, all IT staffers now participate in a proprietary skills assessment that spells out current skills and targets key areas for improvement.
“Development plans can be too broad and not actionable,” notes Amjed Al-Zoubi, Amerisure’s CIO. “This isn’t a checklist but, rather, a very clear conversation and development plan highlighting the skills they need to grow into specific jobs.”
Amerisure also bolsters internal IT development practices by increasing the emphasis on business outcomes. Historically, Amerisure assigned people to projects from a central IT talent pool, reassigning them when work was complete. Today, IT teams are aligned with eight different business groups.
“There were inefficiencies in our old process, and IT was limited in their ability to learn the business,” Al-Zoubi explains. “Now the IT underwriting team is aligned with the business underwriting team, and they work together to solve underwriting problems. We bring our best, and they bring their best, and it results in higher-performing teams.”
Training courses offered by survey respondents run the gamut and are available to all IT employees, regardless of where they work. Technical training, technical certifications, and management training are the most prevalent forms of instruction, but there is also a heavy emphasis on professional career development, building business and soft skills, and even health and wellness.
The Hartford is continuing to uplevel its skills development programs to stay abreast of the latest technology trends and leadership skills. For example, the firm has doubled training hours available for cloud, agile development, data science, and cybersecurity. The company’s HartCode Academy Bootcamp provides an avenue for non-IT people to learn software engineering and business data analysis skills, and there are numerous executive-level programs devoted to cultivating leadership skills.
“We are helping IT leaders get really comfortable with change and how they lead teams,” Soni says. “We are training folks to be the CIOs of the future.”
Top 10: Benefits & Compensation
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
Genentech
OCLC, Inc.
Dataprise LLC
2
Zimmer Biomet
CME Group
Avaap
3
Oshkosh Corporation
CHG Healthcare
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
4
Qualcomm
A+E Television Networks
Data Intensity
5
Motorola Solutions, Inc
Kinaxis Inc.
Nitel
6
UKG
Credit Acceptance
Consumers Credit Union
7
RSM US LLP
Sophos Ltd.
Tokio Marine North America Services
8
PPG
Plante Moran, PLLC
IT Convergence, Inc.
9
GSK plc
Guardant Health
Nerdio
10
International Paper
Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings, Inc.
Nationale Nederlanden Vida
Given the emphasis on continuous learning, training budgets remain flush, with 39% of this year’s respondents increasing their training budget from the previous year and 59% reporting no change to their allocations. The number of companies increasing their training budget has fallen over the past two years, down from 62% in 2023 and 49% last year.
Most companies don’t set caps on training: 77% give employees the latitude to participate in as many programs as they desire. Those that do restrict employees limit them to seven days, on average, of in-person or remote training annually.
To spark engagement, companies are courting employees with a variety of tactics, including hosting employee appreciation events (98%), doling out bonuses or other high-value items to reward high performers (92%), and building clear career paths with attainable milestones (88%). Free career development services are also offered by 82% of the respondents. Mentoring programs remain a consistent and widely prevalent vehicle for upskilling existing IT workers, offered by 76% of the responding companies, which is similar to last year.
DEI remains a priority, with mixed results
Companies continue to dedicate time and money to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, confident that greater workforce diversity is an important element of company culture as well as a factor in upleveling innovation and diversity of thought. Overall DEI efforts have made an impact, but they’ve been slower to reshape the makeup of the traditional IT workforce, particularly when it comes to women, who made up 27% of the IT workforce among respondents this year, down slightly from 29% in 2024 and 28% in 2023.
On the other hand, minority hires are on the rise. Among this year’s respondents, the number of people in IT identifying as part of a minority group jumped to 36%, compared to 33% in the 2024 survey. Minority groups accounted for 29% of the IT managers and 37% of the nonmanagers.
The percentage of companies with a formal DEI strategy fell this year to 88%, down six points from 2024. Large firms were more likely to have a formal strategy, at 94%. Companies were also less likely to have a dedicated role in place to promote DEI (54% this year, compared to 62% in 2024), although most respondents (92%) maintain either a person or a team in place to champion DEI policies and awareness.
The Hartford has been steadfast in its commitment to diversity, to the point where DEI is infused into company culture instead of serving as a stand-alone program, says Soni. “DEI is baked into the fabric of how we do business quite uniquely,” she says. “We view it as a business necessity — we have to represent the society that we live in in the workplaces we have.”
To encourage greater understanding of DEI and its potential impacts, organizations such as The Hartford are serving up a smorgasbord of DEI training, including curriculum focused on preventing discrimination and harassment (96%) and creating an inclusive workspace (92%).
Much of the DEI activity is consistent with last year’s survey, with one notable exception: providing targeted internships for women and minorities, at 50% this year, compared to 60% in the 2024 survey.
Top 10: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
OCLC, Inc.
Tokio Marine North America Services
2
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
CareSource
MetroStar
3
Cedars Sinai
ChenMed
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
4
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
FINRA
Avaap
5
San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company
CHG Healthcare
Dataprise LLC
6
The Hartford
Credit Acceptance
Nitel
7
USAA
Plante Moran, PLLC
IT Convergence, Inc.
8
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
VyStar Credit Union
Prezzee Pty Ltd
9
Baptist Health System – Jacksonville
Enova
Consumers Credit Union
10
GSK plc
Sophos Ltd.
Nationale Nederlanden Vida
The most popular steps for promoting DEI include celebration of employee differences (96%), recruitment strategies aimed at attracting diverse employees (94%), and diversity and inclusion training (93%). Creating corporate enterprise resource groups (ERGs) based on common goals, interests, and identity affiliations is another way organizations are fostering and empowering like-minded communities. Respondents are forming ERGs to support women, people of color, and LGBTQ populations as well as those aimed at niche areas such as caregivers, veterans, and even video gamers.
One of The Hartford’s unique DEI efforts is its reverse mentoring program, where an employee with a diverse background is paired with a senior executive to help that person learn what it’s like to work in the firm as a diverse hire. “It’s about putting our executives in their shoes,” Soni says. The program, which started as an experiment, has been well received by executives as well as mentees, she says.
Organizations are shoring up DEI efforts in part through leader accountability. Among the respondents, 33% evaluate IT leaders based on their progress on meeting specific DEI goals, up slightly from last year, 31%. At the same time, DEI progress and outcomes are having an impact on IT leader compensation: 22% this year, compared to 19% in 2024.
OCLC, ranked second overall for midsize companies and first in the DEI category, has deployed many of these initiatives and is enjoying success in cultivating a more diverse IT workforce. The company, a nonprofit organization providing technology and services to the library community, has expanded recruiting efforts into diverse talent pools, including technology boot camps aimed at underrepresented communities, while forging partnerships with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Another lever for change: creating new job classes that remove the requirement for a four-year technical degree in tandem with instituting a local outreach coding program.
“This produces staff with some level of familiarity with development, but not a degree,” says Bart Murphy, chief technology and information officer of OCLC. “We do a checkpoint every month to ensure the staffer is progressing and getting what they need to move up into an engineering role here or another organization. It’s helped build a diverse pipeline.”
The DEI efforts are having an impact. OCLC has shown steady increases in BIPOC and female representation for the last 15 years. Currently the IT department boasts 29.5% female representation, better than the industry average, Murphy says.
Hybrid work settles in
Well past the height of the pandemic, hybrid work models continue to be the norm, including in IT departments. Much like last year, most respondents (92%) to this year’s survey have established a formal policy on flexible work, although there is no one-size-fits-all model. The breakdown of employee work patterns has remained consistent with last year’s: On average, 13% of IT employees are reporting to the office on a daily basis; 31% are fully remote; and 56% work in some sort of hybrid model, splitting time in and out of the office.
Top 10: Remote / Hybrid Work
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
Navy Federal Credit Union
Sophos Ltd.
Miles IT Company
2
Avanade
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
MetroStar
3
Avery Dennison
Credit Acceptance
Tokio Marine North America Services
4
Oshkosh Corporation
FINRA
Data Intensity
5
Cedars Sinai
National Information Solutions Cooperative
Dataprise LLC
6
Holman
VyStar Credit Union
Connexus Credit Union
7
University of Notre Dame
OCLC, Inc.
IT Convergence, Inc.
8
RSM US LLP
Plante Moran, PLLC
Abarca Health
9
Fannie Mae
EtonHouse International Education Group
Nerdio
10
Genentech
CHG Healthcare
Nationale Nederlanden Vida
Most companies (71%) give employees a moderate level of autonomy to choose where they work, but often the arrangement needs to be approved by the company or meet certain parameters. That’s a notable change from last year, when 62% enjoyed moderate levels of autonomy and 35% could choose where they wanted to work on any given day. Midsize companies are more likely to leave the decision of where to work to employees, at 34%.
Companies now have well-established policies to ensure hybrid work success, including provisioning a full slate of technology equipment, formalizing use of collaboration platforms, and training employees and managers on tools and communications best practices.
VyStar’s flexible work program lets employees choose the days they work in-office or remotely. Individuals select eight days a month to be in the office, and managers and leaders choose 12 days. All employees can work remotely in July, a perk the company touts as creating better flexibility and work/life balance.
“Remote July was created for people who want their kids to visit with grandparents or to see another country,” Cochran says, adding that once a request is made, the IT department provisions the proper secure technology to support the arrangements. “It’s a great benefit, and we get a lot of positive feedback.”
Meaningful work drives overall satisfaction
Whether they’re recruiting new talent or developing the skills of their in-house teams, the leaders in this year’s “Best Places to Work in IT” study offer a variety of benefits to promote satisfaction and loyalty among the IT workforce. Programs range from comprehensive wellness plans and spot bonuses to financial wellness coaching and even pet insurance.
Top 10: Retention & Engagement
LARGE COMPANIES
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
SMALL COMPANIES
1
Total Quality Logistics
National Information Solutions Cooperative
Avaap
2
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
VyStar Credit Union
Dataprise LLC
3
Banner Health
CHG Healthcare
Tokio Marine North America Services
4
Oshkosh Corporation
Cambia Health Solutions
IT Convergence, Inc.
5
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Worthington Steel
Nationale Nederlanden Vida
6
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Guardant Health
Axon Active Vietnam Co., Ltd.
7
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Plante Moran, PLLC
Consumers Credit Union
8
GSK plc
Noridian Healthcare Solutions
Abarca Health
9
AdventHealth
Genesis HealthCare System
Nerdio
10
Probe Group
Power Home Remodeling
Nitel
Perhaps the most consequential factor influencing how IT professionals feel about their job is carving out opportunities for meaningful work and continuous professional development. At Tokio Marine North America Services, ranked second overall among small companies and first in both career development/training and DEI, this mindset translates into a culture that emphasizes leading-edge technologies in the context of driving business goals while providing individual advancement opportunities along the way.
“Flexible work arrangements and fair compensation make it easier to get people in the door,” says Bob Pick, the company’s executive vice president and CIO. “To keep them here, we train the daylights out of everyone and ensure diagonal and horizontal career mobility. We retain great institutional knowledge, and people get a new career path. It’s a win-win.”— Beth Stackpole
See the top workplaces for tech pros at large, midsize, and small organizations.
Large organization rankings
5,000 or more employees
1
Cedars Sinai
2
The Hartford
3
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
4
GSK plc
5
Genentech
6
Oshkosh Corporation
7
RSM US LLP
8
UKG
9
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
10
University of Notre Dame
11
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
12
Johns Hopkins Medicine
13
USAA
14
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
15
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
16
CDW
17
International Paper
18
PPG
19
ADM
20
Unum Group
21
Baptist Health System – Jacksonville
22
DHL
23
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
24
Navy Federal Credit Union
25
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
26
Health Care Service Corporation
27
Discover Financial Services
28
San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company
29
Mattel, Inc
30
Avanade
31
Informatica Inc.
32
Motorola Solutions, Inc.
33
AdventHealth
34
Atrium Health
35
SUNY Upstate Medical University
36
Norton Healthcare
37
MITRE
38
Aflac, Incorporated
39
Holman
40
Graphic Packaging International
41
Zimmer Biomet
42
Dayforce, Inc.
43
Avery Dennison
44
Corewell Health
45
Qualcomm
46
Tractor Supply Company
47
FedEx Corporation
48
Avnet Inc.
49
Liberty Mutual Insurance
50
The Kroger Company
51
Zebra Technologies Corporation
52
Fannie Mae
53
Total Quality Logistics
54
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)
55
Applied Materials, Inc.
56
Banner Health
57
Portland State University
58
CVS Health
59
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information and Technology
60
Casey’s General Stores, Inc
61
Amedisys
62
Probe Group
63
Keck Medicine of USC
Midsize organization rankings
1,001–4,999 employees
1
CHG Healthcare
2
OCLC, Inc.
3
VyStar Credit Union
4
Plante Moran, PLLC
5
Sophos Ltd.
6
Power Home Remodeling
7
CareSource
8
Credit Acceptance
9
FINRA
10
Enova
11
Kinaxis Inc.
12
Cambia Health Solutions
13
Five9
14
Tokyo Electron U.S. Holdings, Inc.
15
Guardant Health
16
A+E Television Networks
17
CME Group
18
Worthington Steel
19
ChenMed
20
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
21
American Fidelity
22
National Information Solutions Cooperative
23
KnowBe4
24
Genesis HealthCare System
25
Noridian Healthcare Solutions
26
Miami University
27
SunOpta Inc
28
EtonHouse International Education Group
29
Altia
Small organization rankings
1,000 or fewer employees
1
Dataprise LLC
2
Tokio Marine North America Services
3
IT Convergence, Inc.
4
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
5
MetroStar
6
Avaap
7
Consumers Credit Union
8
Nitel
9
Axon Active Vietnam Co., Ltd.
10
Nerdio
11
Prezzee Pty Ltd
12
Nationale Nederlanden Vida
13
Railinc Corp.
14
Connexus Credit Union
15
Abarca Health
16
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
17
Miles IT Company
18
Data Intensity
19
Keesler Federal Credit Union
20
atmira
How we chose the best places to work
Computerworld publisher Foundry conducted its 31st annual survey to identify the best places for IT professionals to work. In April 2024, Computerworld started accepting nominations from organizations that had a minimum of 100 total employees and five IT employees.
Participants were asked to provide contact information for a person at their organization who is familiar with or has access to employment statistics and financial data as well as benefits policies and programs for the IT department and the entire organization.
Beginning in mid-April 2024, contacts at the nominated organizations received a 58-question company survey across six categories:
DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) practices
IT turnover, promotions, and growth
IT retention and engagement programs
Remote/hybrid working
Benefits and perks (such as eldercare and childcare, flextime, and reimbursement for college tuition)
Training and career development opportunities
In addition to receiving scores based on answers to closed-ended questions, the survey entries (including numerous open-ended responses) were reviewed and evaluated by a panel of industry experts.
The nomination and company surveys were conducted online. Responses to the company survey were collected and tabulated by a third-party research vendor. The research was closed in July 2024.
Top 10 lists
Our top 10 lists show the best of the best — the organizations that excel in each of the six categories covered. To determine each list, we considered the following factors:
DEI: DEI strategies and practices, the existence of dedicated role(s) promoting workplace diversity and inclusion, inclusion of women and minority groups within the IT workforce and IT management, leadership accountability for DEI, DEI training opportunities
Employee retention and engagement: Frequency of employee satisfaction surveys, promotions, salary increases, actions taken to boost employee morale
Remote/hybrid work: Employee autonomy over work location, percentage of remote and hybrid employees, policies regarding flexible work, actions taken to support flexible work, actions taken to ensure employee safety and well-being
Benefits: The range of benefits and perks offered, including sabbaticals, eldercare and childcare, paid time off, and (within the U.S.) family leave and healthcare benefits
IT career development and training: Mentoring programs, training budget, promotions within IT, accessibility of training to remote employees, unique training programs
IT growth: Changes in IT head count over the past three years, IT turnover and anticipated growth, new skills companies are planning to hire this year, outsourcing plans, the company’s revenue growth over the past three years
For scoring the responses from the company surveys, results were weighted against averages and benchmarks calculated within each company size group.
The survey process was managed by Jen Garofalo, research director in Foundry’s Global Services group, working with independent firm Research Results, Inc.
About our judges
Amy Bennett is Editor-in-Chief for Foundry’s five enterprise brands. She is a veteran editor with more than 20 years of experience in B2B tech publishing and considers herself lucky to have had a front-row seat to IT’s business strategy evolution.
Rob O’Regan is founder and principal of 822 Media, a technology marketing consultancy. He is a veteran journalist and content marketer with a passion for great storytelling.
Valerie Potter is managing editor, features, at Computerworld. She has worked in technology journalism for more than 20 years.
Anne Taylor is director of content strategy at Foundry. She has served as a news reporter, editor, and freelance writer covering the tech industry for 20+ years.
Read more about the Best Places to Work in IT 2025:
Don’t talk about industry slowdowns to Total Quality Logistics (TQL), which has made its largest-ever technology investments over the past three years to bring greater agility and resilience to the business. The moves, designed to overhaul a proprietary system that serves as the company’s operational backbone, demands the best technical team in the business — an asset TQL continues to nurture with a multipronged strategy designed to shore up employee engagement.
The global third-party logistics provider and freight brokerage firm assembled its winning team through a combination of outside hires and investing in its existing IT workforce. A recruitment effort aimed at early-career candidates has attracted a pipeline of Gen Z workers, now constituting 20% of the IT workforce. New hires are acclimated to critical technical skills through mentoring, coaching, and training programs in keeping with TQL’s learning and growth mindset, says Ryan Kean, CIO of the firm.
“We want to make TQL a talent destination, bringing the best people in and making sure great associates never leave,” says Kean. “We do that through three consistent factors: career growth and learning, the opportunity to do meaningful work, and having a great culture.” TQL earned the top spot among large companies for retention and employee engagement and ranked No. 2 in career development/training in Computerworld’s “Best Places to Work in IT 2025” survey.
To help employees realize their potential, TQL hosts a business and technology learning event every six weeks. TechTrek Live connects IT team members to business leaders and outside partners, who chair educational sessions exploring the latest technologies and trends. “Of the 450 people within the technology organization, up to 380 will join TechTrek Live,” Kean says. “We are 100% focused on creating experiences to realize our growth mindset.”
CIO Ryan Kean wants to make TQL a “talent destination” by leveraging three consistent factors: career growth and learning, the opportunity to do meaningful work, and having a great culture.
Total Quality Logistics
To further focus on self-development, every Wednesday — designated as a Focus Day — has no scheduled meetings, so IT employees can lock in on self-development time or uninterrupted work. On those days, employees can participate in workshops, whiteboarding sessions, and other self-development activities in the spirit of continuous learning.
A culture built on transparency and innovation
TQL regularly sponsors an IT hackathon to encourage innovation and demonstrate that IT’s ideas are valued. Each hackathon is a 48-hour event in which eight-member teams rapidly iterate on software solutions keyed to customer needs. A cross-functional panel of executives chooses a winning proof-of-concept entry, which may be added to the software production schedule, and the winners get a congratulatory lunch with the CEO.
Workplace flexibility is another way TQL caters to employees. The firm maintains a hybrid environment, giving employees the option to work remotely 40 hours a month. TQL has also opened up new IT hubs in Tampa, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, creating potential avenues for employee relocation.
With competition for IT talent still fierce, TQL is committed to cultivating an environment where people want to come to work. There are a variety of perks to promote in-office well-being, including healthy food options in the cafeterias, free dinners for employees working off-hours, onsite gyms, and 20-minute chair massages. The IT department celebrates various cultures with potluck gatherings for Diwali and Cinco De Mayo, among other celebrations.
Any effort aimed at employee engagement should encompass elements of work/life balance. TQL hosts 200 employee and family events each year, and a recent $35 million headquarters expansion added a golf simulator and pickleball and basketball courts to the mix of perks served up to employees. “We want to make this a fun place to work,” Kean says. “We work hard, but people genuinely like to be here.”
Read more about the Best Places to Work in IT 2025:
