What makes a CIO truly great?

Whenever one talks about high-performance or leadership there is a tendency to break out a list. For example, Major League Baseball scouts are in constant search for rare “5 tool” players who can hit for power, hit for average, field, throw, and run. Is there such a list for high-performance CIOs? If so, how long might…

Financial services firms turn to automated, data-driven processes for new products and services

Between the host of regulations introduced in the wake of the 2009 subprime mortgage crisis, the emergence of thousands of fintech startups, and shifting consumer preferences for digital payments banking, financial services companies have had plenty of change to contend with over the past decade. Transitioning to automated, data-driven processes is the best way for…

IBM to buy Apptio for $4.6B to help companies optimize IT spend

IBM is acquiring software provider Apptio for $4.6 billion to help enterprises optimize their IT expenditure, particularly cloud costs, as they try to navigate uncertain macroeconomic conditions. Apptio specializes in what has been called technology business management (TBM), or more recently, financial operations (also known as finops) software, designed to allow diverse teams in a business…

From CIO to CEO: IT leaders rise to the top

Ross Meyercord never set out to make the leap from technology leader to CEO, but a set of intentional and opportunistic career choices delivered the breadth of business experience and leadership skills required to land the job. Meyercord parlayed an engineering degree into a two-decade consulting track at Accenture, where a focus on large-scale transformation…

Hate being more productive? Ignore AI agents

By Bryan Kirschner, Vice President, Strategy at DataStax Bill Gates has seen (or, for that matter, caused) some profound advances in technology, so I don’t take a contrarian position lightly, but I think the way he describes his epiphany about the importance of AI is only half right. After being “awed” by OpenAI’s GPT model…

Scaling AI? First—get your data storage right

I’ve always rooted for the underdog. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of winning against all odds. Or it’s just mad respect for the struggle, passion, and tenacity that underdogs often exhibit in the face of significant obstacles. Like the real-life story of Billy Beane in the movie Moneyball. As the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Beane used data and analytics…

What keeps IT leaders up at night?

IT leaders are under enormous pressure to modernize their IT organizations to keep pace with innovation and their competition. Determining the right mix of technologies and methodologies to support an entire organization can be overwhelming – and can keep IT leaders up at night. To gain a better understanding of what IT leaders are focused…

Realizing the promise of low-code/no-code

Businesses that adopt a low-code/no-code-enabled platform find they’re freed from heavily depending on dedicated IT when non-technical users can more easily pursue application development. But low-code/no-code’s value far exceeds this key benefit. In today’s world, as technology changes at lightning speed, a low-code/no-code platform provides the critical foundation enterprises need to quickly adapt to modern…

Volkswagen drives the automotive industry cloud forward

Industry clouds are increasingly becoming go-to solutions for IT leaders seeking services tailored to their verticals. For most enterprises, this involves deploying existing industry-specific offerings from SaaS providers or hypervisors. For the innovative few, co-creating custom industry solutions in conjunction with cloud providers can not only fulfill an internal need but also provide the opportunity…

Piyush Chowhan, CIO, Panda Retail: Leadership positions demand tough decisions

With more than two decades of experience working in global consumer and retail companies, Piyush Chowhan is passionate for transforming businesses by leveraging technology. Currently the CIO of Saudi Arabia-based Panda Retail Company, he’s focused on building innovative digital strategies to maximize today’s opportunities and prepare the organization for future disruptions. In a free-wheeling discussion…