FEATURE : STATE OF THE CIO
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Neil Barton , CTO at WhereScape
Paul Parker
that can manage an organisation ’ s entire IT resilience operation – cloud mobility , backup and disaster recovery – from a single viewpoint .
“ With IT acting as the driving force for business transformation , the modern CIO needs to be at the forefront of creating a converged technology strategy that enables , protects and supports the business roadmap – and combined IT resilience is key to this .”
The value of data and new CIO concerns
In essence , the role of the CIO has vastly transformed over the years to take on a more consultative and strategic approach . However , with data and information arguably as valuable as any other currency , it brings with it security concerns . Garry McCracken , VP of Technology Partnerships at WinMagic , thinks this is a problem for the
CIO : “ Data ‘ in use ’ is the next big problem for CIOs to solve over the coming years . Data is more in motion now than ever before – travelling around on the Internet , eventually coming to rest on laptops , phones , servers or in the cloud . Protecting data as it travels around – as well as protecting it at rest – is becoming increasingly complex .
With many applications moving to the cloud , data is often processed on other people ’ s computers or servers . From the military and national security to everyday use in social media , encryption is now an everyday feature of our digital lives .
“ Encryption has gone from the original Advanced Encryption Standard ( AES ) – which couldn ’ t keep up with the changing complexities of encryption and data needs – to FDE ( Full Disk Encryption ), which now protects the majority of data ‘ at rest ’. But the story is far from over .”
Gary Watson , CTO and Founder at Nexsan , said : “ Data is the lifeblood of many organisations and being able to store , access and protect it is vital to success . We have moved beyond floppy discs and USB drives to more integrated , secure and flexible storage systems .
“ As the market adapts and changes so do the regulations , thus creating new challenges for privacy and secure data requirements . As a result , we have seen the market adapt as there is a demand for new storage solutions . In the past 50 years we innovated and developed to create a life that is driven by data and its value . Having the ability to support and underpin this is fundamentally essential in today ’ s datadriven age .”
The role of the CIO has undoubtedly shifted to take on a wider range of responsibilities , driven by innovation .
WITH TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT SHOWING NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN , CIOS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE MARKET , MAKE INFORMED STRATEGIC DECISIONS AND LOOK AT HOW BEST TO DRIVE BUSINESS VALUE .
With technology advancement showing no sign of slowing down , CIOs need to understand the market , make informed strategic decisions and look at how best to drive business value .
Additionally , as technology becomes more fundamental in day-to-day operations , we are seeing the CIO become a more integral part of the business , not just in terms of IT but also when it comes to boardroom decisions . However , where the CIO will be in the next 30 years is still up for debate . •
50 INTELLIGENTCIO www . intelligentcio . com