CXO AdvisorAdvise Innovate Change

Terry Whiteterryw@cxo-advisor.co.za

Trends that threaten the IT Department

Good IT trends are good for everyone… Yes?

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at “no cost” It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

Or are they?

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at no cost It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

When was the last time you received a Christmas Card?

This ‘good’ trend threatened industries

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at no cost It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

WHAT IF YOU ARE A POST OFFICE?

Good trends threaten the unwary

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at no cost It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

E-mail has wiped out at least1/3 of post office revenues

Survivors are in a different business now

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at no cost It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

E-mail has forced Post Offices to radically change their business models:

Their major business is now order fulfilment

But they still do the old stuff as well

In the early 1990’s e-mail was a great tool It allowed ‘instant’ communication It allowed ‘free’ mail to be distributed It allowed mass mailing at no cost It removed a whole layer of workers (Remember the

typing pool?) It allowed cross boundary communications – direct• E-mail your CEO, the cleaners, your competitors, and

clients

Oh yes, they also deliver letters

Current IT trends threaten IT Departments

Here are some trends that threaten the way IT works in organisations: Cloud services BYOD Mobility Connectivity IT Consumerization Big data Security and identity

Current IT trends threaten IT Departments

Here are some trends that threaten the way IT works in organisations: Cloud services BYOD Mobility Connectivity IT Consumerization Big data Security and identity

But executives and employees love themThey’re “good trends”

Cloud Services threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: Services delivered almost instantly On demand – I want it, I get it Good enough now – can start work immediately Useable wherever needed – just need the internet Pay per use – can fit my budget Continuously evolving- new cool things every week

What threatens IT Departments Executives will expect IT to deliver in the same way

BYOD threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: Employees can bring personally owned mobile devices

(laptops, tablets, and smart phones) to their workplace, and use those devices to access privileged company information and applications.

What threatens IT Departments BYOE: Employees will expect to bring everything about their

outside the office work patterns to the office, and will expect to be supported, or they’ll go elsewhere

There must be fewer standards, fewer off-limits sites, marginal security

Mobility threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: The ability to use computing capability without a pre-defined

location and/or connection to a network to publish and/or subscribe to information

What threatens IT Departments Workers will work where they are, at any time and will

expect access to organisational systems Workers will expect all enterprise systems to be available in

mobile formats Workers will expect extreme ease of use: “I can do whatever

I want or need … now”

Connectivity threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: The ability to connect to anyone anywhere – friends,

competitors, peers, all over the world The ability to compare experiences with anyone The ability to find information about anything and anyone

What threatens IT Departments Executives and employees talk to everyone – they compare

experiences, ‘like’ other technologies, and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their own organisation

Executives expect the same freedoms within their own organisations

Could there be an ‘Arab Spring’ in your organisation: (Hint – you’re the bad guy)

IT Consumerization threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: New information technology emerges first in the consumer

market and then spread into business and government organizations

What threatens IT Departments Executives stop looking to the IT department for solutions They find them and expect IT to integrate and support them

Big data threatens IT Departments

What organisations see and like: Growing data volumes, faster analysis leading to fact-based

decision making, real-time optimization, rapid response to customer demands

What threatens IT Departments Change from inside-out thinking: Here’s our products /

services – let’s sell them To outside-in thinking: Here’s what people want, need, and

are doing – what must we do to satisfy them? Radically fast development of products and services IT’s mechanistic approach to delivery cannot meet business

demands

Security and identity threats to IT Departments

What organisations see and like: Multiple devices, multiple ID’s, multiple sources of data,

working outside the firewall is the norm

What threatens IT Departments You cannot control it all You can control only what you must (usually about 5% of

data) No firewalls: Build a Fort Know just for the 5% that you must

control Context sensitive security: Who are you, where are you, what

device, what time is it, what should you be able to do• Security of one

In summary

What organisations see and like: Most computing is happening outside the IT department

What threatens IT Departments Most computing is happening outside the IT department

What do these trends mean for IT Departments?

Cloud services: A radically different expectation of how IT delivers to the business (if at all) – or I’ll get it elsewhereBYOD: I’ll work my way, in spite of the IT DepartmentMobility: IT Departments don’t own or control users anymore – they will work where, when, and how they wantConnectivity: Everyone, and everything is connected. Except in your organisation? (And who’s fault is that?)IT Consumerization: If you’re not seen as innovators and enablers, you’re just back-room gofersBig data: IT must be radically agile to develop within days if not hoursSecurity and identity: You can’t control it. Control only what you must.

Sigh…

So here’s what the threatened say: “They” must conform to our standards… We’ll see about that!... But it’s my job to… They can’t…

Sigh…

So here’s what the threatened say: “They” must conform to our standards… We’ll see about that!... But it’s my job to… They can’t…

Don’t stand too close to them… They won’t be around long

Hmmm…

Here’s what the leaders of IT say: What is our new role in delivering business results

and providing leadership? How can we deliver at the speed of business? How do we manage technology (as against provide

it)?

Hmmm…

Here’s what the leaders of IT say: What is our new role in delivering business results

and providing leadership? How can we deliver at the speed of business? How do we manage technology (as against provide

it)?

Stand behind them – they may prevail if they’re prepared to be radically differentThey won’t even be the IT Department anymore They’ll be ACT: Applied, Competitive, Technologies

DO IT TO YOURSELF BEFORE SOMEONE DOES IT TO YOU

Terry Whiteterryw@cxo-advisor.co.za