"Keep information real time or near real time. It facilitates communication and project evaluation"

Swaminathan. R
Head IT
Nippo Batteries Co. Ltd.

Swaminathan has 19+ years of total progressive experience in developing, implementing and supporting various software applications for the Manufacturing and Retail Industries.

Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations

With more flexible architectures and cost structures, cloud computing is changing the way enterprise approach IT and communications. Modular applications enable you to pay for only those applications needed for one’s specific business need or for a specific period of time. Cloud is much more about business needs and business models, enabling businesses to focus on their core business, and massively outsource IT. Adopting enterprise mobility is another big challenge.

Solutions that I look forward from the technology providers for the enterprise:

Optimizing customer experiences, exploiting analytics, transforming big data to big opportunities, accelerating all facets of enterprise execution, mainstreaming social capabilities, and enabling cocreation of value with customers.

The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or not up to the mark, and which if existed, would've made job easier

First on the list is availability of a system to run the business. This is a combination of network, server, applications, and everything in between. Downtime causes nightmares. Second on the list is that of critical projects meeting the expectations such as budget, time and quality. Proper intervention and manage expectations when projects go awry.

Technology trends impacting enterprise business environment

In today’s flexible and fast-moving business environment, employees are never in one place for very long. Workers can be just about anywhere: at the office, between appointments, on business travel or working from home. In many business settings, it has become more important to reach a specific person and not that person’s location. Personal devices can be used in conjunction with enterprise security credentials– securing enterprise information and supporting ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) policies.

Big Data and Storage Management:

Businesses large and small are finding it increasingly complex to store, protect, and manage all their information. Most use disparate tools to manage each function. They also have to constantly configure provision and upgrade their servers and storage devices, with technological advances pressurizing them to undergo time-intensive and disruptive migrations. The latest evolution of processing technologies has led to sensational reports of organizations that extract highly useful business insights from big data at low costs.

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO

The confluence of major forces for change- including cloud migration, outsourcing, ubiquitous computing and IT- enabled corporate strategyhas led to the reflection and created uncertainty about the next step in the evolving IT leader role. CIOs need to recognize that radical changes are beginning to permeate their industries and their companies. The way people communicate, learn, work, play, organize, govern and conduct commerce are being impacted by ubiquitous computing.

Lessons learned and advice for fellow CIOs

Today I think it’s clear that no company [can succeed] without defining a role for IT and how IT can operate within that role to business strategy. Only IT can bring business transformation.

My advice for CIOs:

• Think about IT in terms of the business goals it can achieve
• Pinpoint the IT decisions that will have a long-term impact on total cost of ownership of technology- decisions such as IT sourcing, partnerships and key systems acquisitions.
• Keep information real time or near real time. It facilitates communication and project evaluation.
• Simplify IT and transform your spending: Kick the 80/ 20 budget habit.
• Upgrade “Cloud Strategy” to “Business Transformation Enabled by the Cloud.”