Joël Van Hoolandt — Fractional CTO | Magma Consulting

Some companies dream of a quiet, orderly march toward their IPO. Anthropic, it seems, prefers the scenic route. The firm filed confidential IPO paperwork with the SEC on 1 June 2026, reportedly putting it on track to be the first AI company to test public markets at a valuation flirting with the trillion-dollar mark. A fine moment to project calm competence — which is, of course, precisely when the universe tends to schedule its plot twists. On 9 June, Anthropic launched Fable 5 and Mythos 5; three days later, both models were offline everywhere in the world.  The cause was not a glamorous corporate scandal but something more bureaucratically dramatic: the U.S. Commerce Department invoked national security export controls to bar the company from distributing the models to any foreign national — a category that, awkwardly, included Anthropic's own non-citizen employees. The directive landed at 5:21 p.m. Eastern on a Friday, because regulators apparently share my fondness for ruining...

  In our line of work, standing still is the quickest way to fall behind. The technology landscape reinvents itself roughly every eighteen months, and clients quite reasonably expect their consultants to have read the memo — ideally before they did. That is why we have invested, once again, in a fresh round of training and certifications across cloud, AI, and modern infrastructure. Think of it as keeping our toolbox sharp, our methods current, and our coffee consumption heroically high. Certifications, of course, are not trophies to be admired on a shelf (though we will admit they look rather nice on LinkedIn). Their real value lies in what they enable: faster diagnostics, sounder architecture decisions, and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing the difference between a passing trend and a foundation worth building on. Each badge represents hours of study, a few late evenings, and the occasional muttered conversation with a documentation page that refused to cooperate. Wha...

As we approach an imminent go-live, a familiar tension sets in. This final phase concentrates weeks and months of work into a single moment, where every detail suddenly feels critical. In Belgian public sector projects, this pressure is not only technical. It is deeply human. A production release means introducing a new tool or process into the daily reality of public servants, with real impact on service continuity and user confidence. The stress of the final stretch is not a weakness; it is a sign of commitment. Re-running business scenarios, addressing edge cases, and questioning assumptions are all part of delivering something reliable and sustainable. One lesson consistently stands out: successful go-lives are not done for users, but with them . Involving users until the very end, with transparency and a high level of detail, transforms uncertainty into shared ownership. Explaining choices, constraints, and known limitations builds trust and avoids the “black box” effect. Transp...

  As I reflect on 2025, I am struck by the momentum and depth of change that  characterised  my consulting experience with a Belgian public service  organisation . Three major initiatives stood out, each building on the  other  to form a comprehensive  modernisation  journey.   Addressing Technical Debt: Foundations for the Future   The year began with a continued drive to refurbish the information system, focusing on resolving technical debt. In IT, technical debt refers to the accumulated consequences of shortcuts and outdated solutions from earlier development cycles. Left unchecked, it can slow innovation and increase the risk of system failure. Throughout the year, we made targeted improvements: refactoring legacy code, replacing aging components, and introducing best practices in system design. This foundational work was essential in preparing the ground for more ambitious changes ahead.   Architectural  Modernisation : A...

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In recent years, the digital transformation of public services has become a key driver of innovation and efficiency. As someone passionate about modernizing every organizations, I have been privileged to lead a digital transformation initiative within a Belgian public service . This experience not only enhanced our service delivery but also showcased the immense potential of leveraging technology to serve citizens better.   A particular highlight of this journey was being recognized at the Belgian AI 2025 Microsoft Hackathon for our innovative approach to digital change. Winning this award was both an honor and a testament to the hard work of the entire team, who embraced new ways of thinking and working to achieve meaningful results.   One of the most significant trends shaping the future of digital transformation is the rise of low-code and no-code platforms . These solutions empower professionals who may not have a traditional IT background to create applications, a...

Since my last update, I’ve been immersed in a major transformation initiative within a large public service organisation. While I can’t disclose the name of the client, I can share that the scale and ambition of the project are truly inspiring. The organisation is undergoing a significant digital shift, and after careful evaluation, the Microsoft technical stack has been selected as the foundation for this journey. This choice brings a robust, scalable, and secure ecosystem to the table—one that aligns well with the needs of modern public service delivery. I’m part of a dedicated project team working toward a clear and ambitious goal: delivering a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) by the end of this calendar year. This MVP isn’t just a technical milestone—it’s a strategic one. It will serve as the first tangible step in demonstrating how digital tools can enhance service delivery, improve user experience, and streamline internal operations. The work so far has been intense and rewarding....

Taking advantage of the summer months to make progress with certain clients ( ironically , July and August are often the times when we advance most quickly , while focusing on some challenging or particularly complex deliverables ), I continually find myself surprised by the lack of information and the difficulty in obtaining concrete , established , indisputable data. In other words , there is a need to base decisions on clear and precise data, akin to a scientific approach .     In daily management— beyond just financial aspects—IT departments must rely on clear , precise , and concise reporting to facilitate progress in digital transformation or technical debt management. Modernizing an information system and simplifying an architecture requires reliable reports that detail which version of a specific technical component is being used , what benefits simplification brings to a particular process, and how risks can...