How Is The Cloud Changing The Role Of CIOs?
Cloud and the CIOs
Some Argue That It Is Possible To Outsource The Role Of The CIO.
Are we witnessing the disappearance of the CIO? Are technology leaders at risk of becoming irrelevant in the cloud age? Some say that it is possible to outsource that function with the cloud, and they say that it is possible to have that level of corporate responsibility outside of our company. If we followed that logic, today’s CIOs could soon see themselves as mere buyers and managers rather than builders of strategic technology infrastructure. Is the future for CIOs simply acquiring all of the cloud technology and then quitting their job?
Is This A Possible Future?
Not really. What is true is that the era of the cloud, of social technologies and mobiles, will change how technology leaders will have to act. These leaders need to introduce new technology and software in the company and develop specific skills so as not to delegate their responsibilities. Now more than ever, CIOs must get busy raising new ideas and insights that help businesses thrive.
CIOs Must Be More Strategic.
Nowadays, CIOs must be more agile and efficient in bringing value to the company. They must be more suitable intermediaries in managing available cloud services and add value by introducing a new assortment of resources and services in the company.
Beyond what affects internal infrastructure, technological change also forces how businesses offer their products to customers. There is a very narrow margin between innovation in business and technological innovation, turning new products into good opportunities to provide traditional services differently. CIOs need to be more strategically involved in product development while at the same time protecting the current business unit. They will never be successful if they get ahead of technology as they did in the past.
In addition, the strategic component is more critical than ever in the role and relevance that technology specialists obtain. This will lead to checking how only companies will improve with CIOs who think strategically. CIOs must have autonomy in management to address all lines of business. And do not forget that these strategic skills are critical when addressing the entire migration to projects in the cloud.
The Cloud Does Not Replace In-House Work.
An apparent myth of the cloud indicates that businesses can simplify and buy only what they need to depend less on development. Many companies are surprised to see that cloud and mobile technologies can complicate tasks, especially in large companies. This is because it is critically important to involve the cloud provider throughout the process to help resolve any issues. On the other hand, supporting new cloud, mobile or social technologies has imposed more minimum requirements and expectations that must be met. The results must meet some of these parameters:
- Be faster
- Have more flexibility
- Respond more efficiently
- Meet higher security requirements
- Reaching new expectations in usability
- Have a universal access social interface for all mobiles
Your company can commission any CIO to find a replacement for planning resources systems in the cloud. But this is not the solution. The cloud era pushes companies to recognize the importance of software as a service (SaaS) support that can be configured according to the company’s own needs instead of adapting its processes to standardized environments.
Therefore, business leaders have to understand that cloud options are not a simple replacement of the infrastructure that has been used so far but are opportunities to improve and expand. Businesses need more experience developing with a greater variety of applications. The company’s developers must shape solutions that cover resources in the office and the cloud, taking advantage of the best technological opportunities without losing the advantage of being a more competitive business.
In most sectors, companies think information is more secure locally. These businesses must shape customized solutions that manage to integrate cloud resources and local resources that guarantee four factors:
- Reduced price
- Availability
- Trust
- Security
The Future Of The CIO Thanks To The Cloud
CIOs must be prepared to answer a series of questions about strategy:
How can we take advantage of big data to better understand our customers and market?
How can we take advantage of the low-cost resources of the cloud without compromising the security and confidentiality of our most sensitive customers and their product information?
How can we configure our business processes and still be scalable, reliable, and quickly deployable?
The cloud is not simple and does not take charge of everything in companies. No business or processes can come to fruition if you think that all the CIO has to manage the IaaS environment provided by a vendor. Embracing all the cloud opportunities with a cloud provider helps reduce operational costs and facilitate internal business insight to be competitive in today’s business.
In addition, the IT team is the one that has the responsibility of keeping abreast of the world’s technological news regardless of what is necessary for the company. In this way, it will be possible to determine the technology required for all business departments to do their work more efficiently.
Also Read: This Is How The Future Cyberattacks Will Be: They Will Have More Sophisticated Malware.