Chuck's Blog

Digital Literacy For Business Leaders

It's happened more times than I care to count. 

I'm meeting with relatively senior business leader, not an IT person.  We're talking about what's going on in their world. 

I ask an open-ended question around, say, social or mobile or cloud, or maybe big data analytics, and I don't get the response I was expecting.

It's obvious I've committed some sort of faux pas.  There's a stiffening, a deer-in-the-headlights sort of look, followed by a quick referral to "someone in IT who's working on it". 

An awkward pause usually follows.

I bet if I asked a more familiar question around competition, or business strategy, or budgets or people or globalization -- I'd probably get a knowledgeable and engaged response.

I used to think it was my fault for bringing up the topic.  Not anymore.

From CIO To Chief Digital Officer

In the new digital information economy, who leads the transformation from the previous business model to the new one?

In an interesting bit of serendipity, two powerful ideas have connected that give light to a fascinating new career pathway for the progressive CIO.

One world view comes from Russell Reynolds Associates, the industry benchmark in executive leadership talent. 

The other world view comes from Dr. Peter Weill, the Chairman and Chief Research Scientist at the Center for Information Research (CISR) at MIT's Sloan School of Management.

I think they're basically talking about the same thing, only from very different perspectives.

And, before long, I think we'll see many more compelling report-to-the-CEO-directly roles where a progressive CIO background might qualify you to be the best and first choice as the new CDO -- the Chief Digital Officer.

Big Data Hits The Big Time in Davos

If you're a rock musician, you know you've "made it" when you get inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you're a societal mega-trend, you know you've hit the big time when you've become the main show at the World Economic Forum being held in Davos.  

I suppose this is just another indication that big data analytics -- and its breathtaking transformative potential -- has officially hit the major leagues.  

Big data is now officially "big".

The profound societal implications of big data analytics has now overflowed the neat category of the  tech world, and is quickly spilling into pointed discussions around such weighty  topics as global health care, economic development, education, governance, agriculture, privacy, national security and more.

One useful observation is that information is becoming the "new currency".  We're seeing the early days of how aggregated information is becoming the new source of innovation and improvement, power and wealth.

And what better place to discuss this new "information economy" than at the World Economic Forum?

2011 IDC Digital Universe Study: Big Data Is Here, Now What?

This morning, the results from IDC's annual Digital Universe study (sponsored by EMC) published their key findings on just how much information we're all creating and using. 

And every year, the study is a powerful springboard for discussion across the industry. 

I like it because it makes people think.

This year, though, it's more than just big numbers to contemplate.  The study went farther, and made some interesting observations on the nature of the information being created, how enterprises will be involved, and impacts to IT organizations.

If nothing else, the findings here make a powerful case to IT organizations large and small that simply doing what you've been doing in the past probably won't keep up for long.  The findings make a powerful case for forcing a change in the way IT -- and the business at large -- handles its most precious asset: information.

And, unlike previous years, there's a definite note of optimism that -- yes -- this all might be an opportunity in disguise.

Understanding Advanced Persistent Threats

Next week is the big and uber-cool RSA security conference.  In preparation, I was chatting with Brian Fitzgerald and Nirav Mehta to get a quick synopsis of what they had planned for the show.

Half-jokingly, I asked "what's the big new threat that no one is prepared for?".  A lot of the conversation at the RSA Conference is inevitably along those lines, as you'd expect.

In a millisecond, Brian shot back: "APT -- advanced persistent threats".  

I had no idea what he was talking about.

He started to explain the basics.  I was fascinated, and asked him to send along some more info.

Maybe you'll be fascinated as well -- or at least, maybe a bit concerned?

Should Information Be On The Balance Sheet?

This painfully viral meme comes to you courtesy of none other than James Governor of RedMonk Consulting, perhaps better known as @monkchips.

He infected me badly at the recent EMC megalaunch event in London.  The words escaped his lips, and I had to go think about it -- a lot.

And maybe you should, to.

Investing In Risk Management As A Core Competency

One view of an IT function is breathtakingly simple: give people the capabilities they need to run the organization effectively.

Whether that capability is order processing, collaboration, business intelligence, logistics management, et. al. -- the primary job of IT is to deliver thsoe information-based service in an efficient, effective and flexible fashion.

Is getting better at understanding and managing different forms of risk important for people across the business?  

It's hard to argue otherwise.  One could make the strong case that the more risk-based information you can intelligently expose to leaders and managers, the better their decisions regarding risks will be.

And -- in a nutshell -- this is the rationale behind EMC's eGRC strategy announcement today.

Making Our History Accessible To All

This month marks the 50th anniversay of President John F. Kennedy's inauguration.  It also marks the unveiling of the nation's largest online digitized presidential archive.

EMC, along with AT&T, Raytheon and Iron Mountain, have partnered to create a searchable online archive, available to all at www.jfklibrary.org.  

One of EMC's roles was to provide the core scan, protect and storage capabilities at the heart of any digital archive.

It's safe to say that the internet has changed how we think about information access.  

I think this announcement is only the tip of the iceberg as we apply new technologies to preserving our cultural heritage, and making it vastly more accessible to all.

But, as you'll see in a moment, it won't be an easy job.

Of WikiLeaks and Information Ownership

I happened to kick off a rather spirited discussion yesterday, when I tweeted that there were strong parallels between WikiLeaks and Pirate Bay -- both decided to widely distribute stolen information, and both are now in trouble for it.  

From my point of view, I couldn't see much of a difference.  I quickly found out that there were many alternative views on this topic, which -- for me -- makes it even *more* interesting!

The Coming Revolution In Business Analytics

Sometimes, so many pieces seem to line up, I feel obligated to make a call and declare "big changes are coming".

Such is the case with a topic I've come to call business analytics.  Other people might call it decision support, data warehousing, data marts, or perhaps something else.

At its highest level, it's using analytic results to make better business decisions. 

And I think it's a topic that many of us will be drawn into at one level or another -- if we're not already.