Leadership and strategic planning
Effective leadership and strategic planning skills are the keys to success for any CIO. As more CIOs are expected to speak the language of the business and contribute to the success of the organization, leadership and strategic planning skills are essential. Find information and advice on effective leadership and strategic planning for CIOs, including news, tips and other resources, in this topic section.
Top Stories
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Tip
14 Mar 2024
Practical strategies for shadow IT management
Employees might believe that they need tools beyond the organization's scope. Learn how CIOs and their teams can properly manage shadow IT to avoid unnecessary risk. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jul 2023
Replacing vs. maintaining legacy systems
Understanding issues such as which systems hinder organizational performance can help IT leaders decide which legacy systems to replace and which to maintain. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Oct 2020
Data literacy skills key to cost savings, revenue growth
As organizations develop data-driven cultures, they need to implement programs to teach employees how to work with and make decisions based on high-quality data. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
15 Oct 2020
8 ways CIOs can help companies emerge strong after COVID-19
We continue to navigate the choppy waters created by the COVID-19 pandemic, but here are eight ways companies can enable digital transformation and overcome an uncertain economy. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Oct 2020
6 tips for CIOs managing technical debt
Managing technical debt can be a challenge, but stepping back and positioning each project in the bigger picture can help minimize it going forward. Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2020
New LeanIX EA module can ease linking IT to business goals
LeanIX's new Business Transformation Management module tries to simplify planning through its 'GitHub for IT architecture' approach and Apple Time Machine-like visualization tool. Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2020
Ardoq architecture tool adds new Scenarios planning module
The new Scenarios module in Ardoq's enterprise architecture tool enables customers to model and analyze potential future states in a collaborative way. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
05 Oct 2020
During digital transformation, CIOs are the secret weapon
Organizations need to look toward CIOs again as they move forward with digital transformation. CIOs can help navigate the uncertainty of how the pandemic affects their business. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Sep 2020
Enterprise architect job still requires IT in critical role
Jeanne Ross offers advice to existing and aspiring enterprise architects and discusses the latest trends as she reflects on 26 years of researching enterprise architecture at MIT. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Sep 2020
Holy Grail still elusive in enterprise architecture strategy
MIT's Jeanne Ross discusses why enterprise architecture projects succeed and fail and what companies can do to better align technology with strategic business goals. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Sep 2020
MSP roles and responsibilities are undergoing rapid change -- here's why
It's a new era for managed service providers and CIOs. MSPs increasingly act as strategic partners, helping IT teams fulfill the outsized role technology plays in business success. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Sep 2020
Enterprise architecture strategy experts offer pandemic tips
Enterprise architecture experts offer up advice and tips for organizations coping with budget constraints and staffing pressures in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Sep 2020
Top 5 executive soft skills CIOs need to lead today
To help navigate through a crisis like the pandemic, IT executives are drawing on their leadership and interpersonal skills as much as -- if not more than -- their technical ones. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
02 Sep 2020
The return-to-work challenge: Ensuring employees remain safe
Simone Fenton-Jarvis offers some advice on how companies looking to reopen their offices safely could do so, allowing employees to actually be safe and feel it too. Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2020
Gender bias in tech an issue at conferences
Tech conferences may seem like welcoming environments, but a study from IT services vendor Ensono reveals their structure can make women feel like outsiders. Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Aug 2020
Rooting out racism in AI systems -- there's no time to lose
A confluence of events has made this the right time for enterprises to examine how racism gets embedded in AI systems. Is your leadership up to the challenge? Continue Reading
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Guest Post
28 Aug 2020
Why you should consider the transformative power of Agile
Saggezza speaks with Mastercard and WillScot to offer a look at the Agile methodology for software development and how teams may benefit from using it in 2020. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 Aug 2020
Everything CIOs need to know about IT business continuity plans
Carrying out a BC plan has become vital to organizations, especially as they deal with the effects of the pandemic. Here, we discuss what the plan entails and the role the CIO plays. Continue Reading
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Guest Post
18 Aug 2020
The framework for your digital transformation during COVID-19
Companies need to remain agile during the pandemic, especially when it comes to your digital transformation journey. Alisia Genzler offers a strategy for moving forward. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Jul 2020
Why ISO 56000 Innovation Management matters to CIOs
CIOs looking to further drive innovation in the workplace can turn to ISO 56000 standards, which include the fundamentals, structure and support to sustain the right innovative culture. Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jul 2020
The rise of 'modern applications': Why you need them
Flexible, scalable, user-friendly and predominantly cloud-based, modern applications are built for change. Read about the features of modern apps and why your company needs them. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jul 2020
Post COVID-19 strategies for CIOs on leading through crisis
To see their companies through the current crisis, CIOs should consider these five strategies focused around IT budgets, innovation, cybersecurity, trusted data and employee wellness. Continue Reading
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Feature
30 Jun 2020
How companies can manage HR risk during global expansion
Companies must consider how to handle global hiring as they navigate the changing worldwide landscape as the result of the pandemic. Ben Wright explains several methods available. Continue Reading
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Infographic
24 Jun 2020
How CIOs can achieve cloud cost savings in 3 steps
With this three-pronged cloud savings framework, organizations can alleviate the enterprise IT cost pressures they're experiencing as a result of the pandemic in as little as 30 days. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jun 2020
3 CIOs talk driving IT strategy during COVID-19 pandemic
At the 2020 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Leadership Award presentation, the finalists discussed their role in helping manage their companies through a crisis and prepare them for recovery. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Jun 2020
COVID-19 speeds up future-of-work plans for companies
Forrester Research analysts look at how companies must contend with four "shocks" for their future-of-work plans to have any measure of success. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Jun 2020
Why is innovative leadership essential in the workplace?
Mark McClain, co-founder and CEO of SailPoint, discusses how he became an innovative leader in business today and how it helped create a collaborative environment in the workplace. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jun 2020
SailPoint CEO drives leadership values in the workplace
Sometimes, it's not just about the technology. In his book, Mark McClain dives into the importance of generating a people-centered culture where values are core to organizational success. Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jun 2020
Involve your security team in the decision-making process
It's time for businesses to include security teams in project planning -- even when it's not cybersecurity related -- because their experience provides diverse insights that might otherwise be missed. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 May 2020
How companies can ensure success working from home
Analyst Andrew Hewitt explains how companies have adjusted to remote work, what they need to be effective now and what to consider before reopening the office. Continue Reading
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Feature
15 May 2020
Creating agile conversations in digital transformation initiatives
Douglas Squirrel and Jeffrey Fredrick, authors of the book 'Agile Conversations,' dive into the significance of improved conversations while undergoing digital transformations. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 May 2020
Overcoming the challenges of managing your team remotely
With a vast majority of office employees forced to work remotely from home due to the global pandemic, managers face a new set of worker productivity issues to solve. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 May 2020
Implementing a business continuity plan in times of crisis
Forrester Research analysts discuss what we initially knew about the COVID-19 pandemic, how it's transforming business and how to devise a business continuity plan. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 May 2020
Former White House CIO talks cybersecurity risk mitigation
Cybersecurity expert Theresa Payton provides critical insight on current cybersecurity threats CIOs should be looking out for and how to prepare for them during and after the pandemic. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2020
Survive the 'tech-clash' by rethinking 5 technology trends
A recent Accenture survey showed that organizations should consider a human-centric approach when looking to adopt the latest technology trends, including AI, smart products, 5G and more. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Apr 2020
The inevitable future of blockchain in the enterprise
The future of blockchain in the enterprise is still unwritten, but if your organization hasn't started mapping a plan, it's already behind. Here's how to get your bearings. Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Apr 2020
Red Hat CIO talks data literacy and digital transformation
Mike Kelly dives into his role as CIO and the data literacy program he co-founded at Red Hat, as well as provides insight for CIOs facing pressure in the digital transformation era. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Apr 2020
Why data in digital transformation is crucial to your business
Fidelma Russo, CTO at Iron Mountain, addresses data needs associated with digital transformation and how using that data will help your business make informed decisions. Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Mar 2020
Former Cisco CEO offers C-suite leadership tips in time of crisis
COVID-19 is forcing enterprises to make tough decisions. There is no one-size-fits-all roadmap, but those who've survived earlier crises have advice for today's leaders. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
How RPA and digital transformation work together
Enterprises that think RPA is a good endpoint for digital transformation efforts are in for a rude shock. While automation is a good start, it can leave deeper issues unresolved. Continue Reading
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Tip
13 Mar 2020
How to negotiate a good software subscription agreement
A big mistake IT execs make in negotiating software subscription deals is overbuying. Here are seven steps from ClearEdge Partners' Rachel Annello that will lead to a better deal. Continue Reading
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Tip
09 Mar 2020
Here's why a customer feedback program is essential to a business
With C-suite executives investing in a customer feedback program, they will be able to implement strategies to capitalize on positive ratings and resolve negative comments. Continue Reading
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News
04 Mar 2020
List of tech conferences canceled, postponed due to coronavirus
IT events across the globe are being canceled, rescheduled or streamed in response to concerns about the possible spread of COVID-19 in public spaces and large groups. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Feb 2020
How to overcome the limitations of AI
AI may not become the super-intelligent tool people envisioned, at least not in the near term. But that doesn't mean enterprises can't use AI in some valuable ways. Continue Reading
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Definition
12 Feb 2020
chief product officer (CPO)
A chief product officer (CPO) is a C-level executive who is responsible for the strategy and execution of all product-related activities within an organization. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Feb 2020
Cisco CISO says today's enterprise must take chances
Cisco CISO Steve Martino talks about taking chances, threats, how the security leader's role is changing and what really works when it comes to keeping the company secure. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2020
The rise of RPA bots and the role of C-level decision makers
According to new research, there will be 3 million RPA bots running in the enterprise in 2020. As RPA bots proliferate, C-level decision makers must take steps to ensure their RPA programs deliver tactical and strategic benefits. Check out this expert guidance. Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2019
IT workforce skews younger, says analysis of US data
The IT workforce is getting younger, according to government IT workforce data. The reasons for this are subject to a debate that includes everything from age bias to a heavy reliance on foreign workers. Continue Reading
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Feature
20 Nov 2019
Town of Falmouth pursues automation innovation to save costs
One Massachusetts town's embrace of automation, virtualization and other technology innovation provides an example for other entities and IT leaders to follow. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2019
Mark Schwartz dives into risk management in War and Peace and IT
Get an inside look into Mark Schwartz's new book, War and Peace and IT, with a chapter excerpt on risk and opportunity, as well as a Q&A with the author. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Nov 2019
How quantum computing and machine learning boost each other
If you haven't started thinking about how quantum computing will impact your enterprise, you should. It's coming on rapidly and will have major effects, particularly on AI. Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Oct 2019
How to become a CIO thought leader
Experts discuss how CIOs and IT leaders can utilize successful thought leadership to distinguish and promote either their companies or themselves. Continue Reading
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Tip
11 Oct 2019
Achieving business value from cognitive collaboration
CIOs can take advantage of AI to improve employee and customer collaboration with cognitive capabilities that are now available from vendors such as Microsoft, Google and Facebook. Continue Reading
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Tip
07 Oct 2019
CIO as technology evangelist: Build your case for transformation
Technology change is hard -- and, these days, it's constant. Here's how one CIO learned to become a technology evangelist and got the time, money and buy-in for IT transformation. Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Oct 2019
Championing IT operational excellence: The strategic CIO's first day
CIOs may be tempted to roll out their strategic initiatives to C-suite peers on day one, but savvy CIOs know IT operational excellence is step No. 1. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Sep 2019
Squads, pods, cells? Making sense of Agile teams
Workers are now organized in new types of groups as a result of the movement known as Agile at scale. However, to succeed, the changes have to be more than in name only. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Sep 2019
Home Depot CIO promotes in-house tech boot camp
For companies having trouble finding qualified IT professionals to hire, the solution may be closer than you think. Just ask Home Depot, which now trains IT employees in-house. Continue Reading
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Quiz
17 Sep 2019
Put your composable infrastructure knowledge to the test
Are you up to speed on composable disaggregated infrastructure and technology? Take our quiz to find out if you know how composability works and how it can benefit you. Continue Reading
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Guide
11 Sep 2019
CIO role in digital transformation
The shift to a digital economy is dramatically changing the role of the CIO, from trusted IT operator to business strategist. Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Sep 2019
Book excerpt: Communication structures of an organization
The following is an excerpt from 'Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow,' by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais, as well as a Q&A with the authors. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Aug 2019
To predict customer buying behavior, stop, look, listen, analyze
Determining customer wants and needs to devise personalization strategies based on that data takes advanced technologies and the old-fashioned direct approach. Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Aug 2019
Customer personalization relies on tools, tactics, metrics
Measuring the success of personalized engagements across multiple channels and making adjustments can help improve CX, differentiate offerings and increase sales. Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Aug 2019
For board of directors, cybersecurity literacy is essential
For boards of directors to meet their business goals, CISOs need a seat at the table. Through her initiative BoardSuited, Joyce Brocaglia aims to pave the way. Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jul 2019
Words to go: Composable disaggregated infrastructure glossary
Dig into these terms to get a sense of composable infrastructure and what its disaggregated server capabilities can bring to your IT environment and application workloads. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Jul 2019
Facebook's Libra project -- why enterprises should prepare
Facebook's foray into cryptocurrency is setting off alarm bells in government and finance circles. The question is how could the Libra project help the enterprise? Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jul 2019
Amid pivot to the cloud, a change management plan builds support
A comprehensive change management plan was critical to the success of SoulCycle's big shift to the cloud. Read how IT coached employees to change the way they worked. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Jul 2019
CIO's breadth, depth, business savvy on display at Trace3 Evolve
Technology leaders from NetApp, First American and Experian were among those honored at the Trace3 Evolve event. Their outsized role in driving business value was on full display. Continue Reading
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Answer
01 Jul 2019
The case for CIOs taking charge of Agile at scale
Agile at scale is becoming a best practice for leading companies. Will the CIO be the CEO's proxy for driving scaled agility? Not without lobbying for the job. Continue Reading
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Answer
01 Jul 2019
4 essential elements of Agile at scale
Dave West, the CEO and product owner at Scrum.org, explains what is meant by the term 'Agile at scale,' how it can be applied in IT and the CIO's role in this new movement. Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jun 2019
AI's carbon footprint will be an issue for enterprises
AI is touted as the tech that will help us combat global warming, but training AI models requires a shocking amount of energy. What are the implications for enterprise AI strategies? Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2019
What do the Google, Salesforce analytics deals mean for CIOs?
Google and Salesforce's recent multibillion-dollar BI deals have put analytics in the spotlight. What's the import for CIOs -- aside from the fact that data rules? Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jun 2019
CIOs need a strategy for AR and VR use cases -- now
CIOs need to start thinking about AR and VR and other immersive technologies as the new enterprise UI. Continue Reading
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Guide
07 Jun 2019
Multipronged digital customer experience strategy enriches CX
The digital experience is an everyday facet of life. Learn how businesses are using tools and technologies to engage consumers and devise and manage effective CX strategies. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 May 2019
Why is diversity in tech becoming a CIO issue?
CIOs need to take radical steps to increase the number of women and minorities in tech. Deloitte's Anjali Shaikh explains. Continue Reading
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Answer
31 May 2019
How can CIOs improve their IT mentorship programs?
According to Deloitte's Anjali Shaikh, CIOs are no better than their C-suite peers at mentoring. An IT talent shortage demands CIOs do better. Here's how. Continue Reading
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Tip
28 May 2019
The C-suite case for hiring a chief customer officer: 5 elements
Delivering world-class digital customer experiences has become job No. 1 for companies. Nemertes' Robin Gareiss makes the case for putting a chief customer officer in charge. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 May 2019
Andrew Ng's AI playbook for the enterprise: 6 must-dos
AI legend and online education pioneer Andrew Ng has developed an AI playbook for businesses. Here are six must-dos. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 May 2019
CIOs need to rethink how they're managing outsourcing transitions
The old rules for managing outsourcing transitions no longer apply. Here are three nontraditional approaches to help ensure maximum benefit when switching outsourcing providers. Continue Reading
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Infographic
08 May 2019
Enterprise adoption of hyper-converged storage gains traction
Hyper-convergence may be on the upswing, but concerns about vendor lock-in, integration and the independent scaling of resources, including storage, limit its appeal for some. Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Apr 2019
vision statement
A vision statement is an organization's declaration of its mid-term and long-term goals, stating what they want to become in the future. Vision statements act as a goal for a company to strive toward. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2019
Transformational leadership style inspires 'moonshot goals'
Entrepreneur extraordinaire Keith Krach talks about the network effect, turning competitors into partners and paying it forward in this third and final part of our Q&A. Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Apr 2019
How to build a startup: 7 tips from Keith Krach
Entrepreneur Keith Krach recounts how he started Ariba, sharing a treasure trove of tips in part two of this three-part Q&A. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Apr 2019
Keith Krach: The making of a technology leader
Keith Krach, of DocuSign fame, talks about his long career as a technology leader. Part one covers the early years, from his first jobs at GM to making his mark in Silicon Valley. Continue Reading
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News
24 Apr 2019
Pointers on becoming a transformational CIO, pitfalls to avoid
A panel of CIO experts explore the role of the transformational CIO. Understanding organizational change and being plugged in are big factors. Continue Reading
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Tip
16 Apr 2019
Problems with blockchain and how they're being solved
Do you know about the blockchain trilemma? David Petersson looks at some of the problems with blockchain and how cutting-edge companies are tackling them. Continue Reading
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Definition
16 Apr 2019
market concentration
Market concentration is the distribution of a given market among the participating companies. Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2019
Scalable learning vs. scalable efficiency in the automation age
The right way to treat employees in the automation age is not by deploying scalable efficiency, but by offering scalable learning. The first requirement: enlightened leaders. Continue Reading
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Tip
12 Mar 2019
5 reasons CIO career paths go south -- and how to protect yourself
Safeguard your CIO career path. Agiloft CEO Colin Earl details the top five reasons CIOs get the ax -- and how to avoid them. Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2019
Accenture predicts post-digital age where trust is the differentiator
The latest Accenture Technology Vision report calls out 'DARQ' technologies as the new must-have for CIOs and underscores the importance of building digital trust. Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Feb 2019
21st-century CIO job description puts CIOs in vortex of emerging tech
The ban against pursuing tech for tech's sake -- it's been lifted. CIOs need to dive into emerging tech to extract its business potential. Welcome to the new CIO job description. Continue Reading
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Feature
25 Jan 2019
Barclays Bank takes a crack at IBM's quantum computer
Quantum computing may one day explain the universe. Today, the biggest challenge for an early adopter is making the problem sufficiently simple to run on a quantum computer. Continue Reading
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Feature
23 Jan 2019
CIOs share their 2019 tech resolutions
We asked five CIOs to share their tech resolutions for the new year. Ambition is sky high. Projects include RPA, AI that can handle sensitive data, scaling the business and more. Continue Reading
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Tip
21 Jan 2019
Free IT mission statement examples for CIOs
These free IT mission statement examples and how-tos can help CIOs and their IT departments identify and refine their organizational goals. Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2019
5 IT trends shaping 2019 CIO strategies
Tech executives sound off on the IT trends they see shaping CIO strategies in 2019. AI and cloud loom large, but the test for CIOs is not just technical. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2019
CIO role: Should a CIO manipulate information?
IT experts react to yesterday's report in the Wall Street Journal that a CIO used his private company to manipulate online polling data. What's that say about the CIO role? Continue Reading
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Feature
10 Jan 2019
Ret. Gen. Stan McChrystal on what's wrong with modern leadership
Retired four-star Gen. Stan McChrystal talks about how modern leadership needs to change and what leadership means in the age of AI. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2019
Digital user experience a big CIO goal in 2019
In 2019, CIOs should expect to play a major role in delivering a top-notch digital user experience -- for customers, employees and for the sake of the company brand. Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2019
Top drivers of digital transformation projects have inward focus
Our IT Priorities Survey shows that close to 70% of companies are pursuing digital transformation. Learn what metrics they're targeting and how they're spending 2019 IT budgets. Continue Reading
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Answer
21 Dec 2018
IT vs. business: Who owns the machine learning capability?
You can't have machine learning without help from IT, but the discipline is bigger than IT. Practitioners weigh in on who owns the machine learning capability. Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2018
2018 tech events: The year in photos
Did you hit the road in 2018 to learn about IT trends? We did. This photo roundup takes a look back at some of the notable moments from SearchCIO's tech event coverage. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
How to get more women leaders in tech: It's not just a numbers game
Women leaders in tech are still few and far between. The industry knows it's a problem, but fixing gender inequality in the top ranks won't be easy, according to a recent panel. Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2018
How to ask questions the way great business leaders do: CFO Summit
Great business leaders are willing to endure all sorts of pain when they ask questions, says Hal Gregersen, who spoke at the MIT CFO Summit. That's how they solve problems. Continue Reading