HOW A CIO CAN USE MOBILE AS A KEY TO SUCCESS
Steve Durbin, managing director of Information Security Forum, makes a relevant point—”Ten years ago, these guys (CIOs) were worrying about things like the mainframe computer,” he said. “They didn’t have people like you and me—users who would suddenly decide they’re going to use their iPhone or tablet to access information.” Since having a clear-cut IT strategy is crucial to creating an advantage over the competition, a CIO is invaluable to the company they are a part of. A CIO can make the difference between a business’ success and its failure. Due to technological changes, the duties of the CIO have changed over the last decade. Part of the reason for the increased importance of a CIO is that the power has shifted away from IT and into the hands of the end users. Mobile, the culture of bringing your own laptop to work, and cloud-based computing have created new challenges for IT departments, and will only continue to do so. Thus, in order for a CIO to become a successful one, mobile technology needs to be addressed in a practical and relevant way. So how can mobile become key to the success of a CIO? The Mobile Age It’s clear that the mobile mindshift has its roots in a consumer-based environment—mobility migration is a very real phenomenon. Consumers, over the past decade, have grown used to constantly using their smartphones. This has changed the way they think, look for information, communicate with others, and conduct transactions. Thus, there is a pressing need for a CIO to keep up with the mobile mindshift. In today’s time, also known as the ‘age of the customer’, innovative mobile solutions are the basis for everything. In CIO terms, this includes catering to clients, empowering employees, and optimizing both partner and supplier relationships. What A (Good) CIO Should Do We’ve established that mobile is an essential part of a CIO’s business technology agenda. A CIO should aim to enhance customer experience and employee productivity, and create new revenue channels.