Changes to enterprise infrastructure seem to be accelerating. A popular topic revolves around revolves around 'shadow IT' and the practice of departmental digression when it comes to finding solutions to their own technical problems by working directly with service providers that don't come through the IT approval process. Ben Haines, CIO at Box works with many of these companies and has some advice for CIOs with regard to working with and adopting external services that are part of the changing IT infrastructure.
What skills do you need in IT?
"Companies adopting cloud based technologies are finding it very challenging to adapt to the new way of working and coming to the realization that they need an entirely different skill set in IT. Server and System administration roles are being replaced with Analysts, Project Managers and Solutions Architects who are in deep collaboration with the business and executing at a pace not normally seen in traditional IT to get things done."
Security vs Productivity
"You may not have all your information behind the firewall anymore. If you don't authorize productivity applications your users may do it regardless. How can you be proactive and partner with your users and come up with acceptable standards and solutions that you all agree upon? How are you reviewing suitability of your vendors? Embrace Shadow IT, take the high road and see it as a symptom of a deficiency and work towards fixing it."
Finance
"CIOs need to start thinking about how to change the conversation with the CFO from a 3yr CapEx discussion to moving things to OpEx. Another key area for consideration is how to work through current depreciating assets and maximize the existing expense, while adopting new technology and addressing the "next" upgrade cycle and maintenance contract"
Scott Koegler is the community manager for Enterprising CIO. He practiced IT as a CIO for 15 years. He also has more than 20 years experience as a technology journalist covering topics ranging from software and services through business strategy. He has written white papers and directed and published video interviews.
