CIO OPINION
In an age when every Edge data centre and IT closet should be considered missioncritical , CIOs are in the spotlight .
Kevin Brown , SVP , EcoStruxure Solutions , Secure Power Division , Schneider Electric
The three IT questions CIOs should be able to answer . . . but probably can ’ t
Kevin Brown , SVP , EcoStruxure Solutions , Secure Power Division , Schneider Electric , discusses how new disruptive technologies , hybrid and distributed IT architectures and the need for actionable data insights surrounding cybersecurity , energy efficiency and sustainability , is changing the role of the CIO – forcing them to adapt and utilise both new skillsets and tech to future-proof their businesses ( and jobs ).
The shift to the cloud brought many benefits and it has also added complexity to IT operations . For CIOs tasked with managing what has evolved into a sprawling hybrid IT architecture ( whether at the Edge , in distributed sites and / or in the cloud in a centralised data centre ), it ’ s hard to recall a more challenging time .
In an age when every Edge data centre and IT closet should be considered mission-critical , CIOs are in the spotlight . We are dependent on IT and every application is dependent on not just the data centre , but also on all the connection points . Most CIOs have resiliency of the systems at the top of their agendas and it ’ s fair to say that cybersecurity is a strong second .
However , we also believe there is an emerging agenda item for CIOs : sustainability .
Resiliency , security and sustainability – a trifecta of responsibilities that could be keeping them up at night .
For the forward-looking CIO , it may be time to evaluate your infrastructure portfolio to ensure you have the capacity and availability to support these new requirements . And it is not just about IT but also about the physical infrastructure : the power and cooling equipment supporting the IT .
To borrow a saying from
Jack Welch , it might be time to ‘ Change before you have to ’.
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