Originally published at the IBM Center for Applied Insights blog.
Susanne Hupfer, IBM Center for Applied Insights, January 28, 2013
Our director, Steve Rogers, recently interviewed Paul Brunet, IBM Vice President of ISVs, Start-ups, and Academic Programs, about his perspective on the 2012 Tech Trends study. Whether you’re an IT or business decision maker, an academic, or an IT practitioner, you may discover valuable insights and recommendations in their broad-ranging conversation.
IT and business leaders:
Why are CEOs regarding technology and skills as top concerns — now outranking even market and economic forces? Why is it crucial to leverage emerging technologies for competitive advantage?
Paul discusses four technology areas — mobile, cloud, social business, and business analytics — and contrasts adoption and skill levels in mature and growth markets. He covers challenges to adoption — such as security, skill gaps, and integration — and explains why security is a business imperative. IT and business decision-makers may also be eager to learn more about the elite “pacesetter” group identified by the study, who are unlocking competitive advantage by being more market-driven, experimental, and analytical.
Academics:
How can academia better monitor the needs of the enterprise and teach relevant skills their students will need upon graduation?
Paul also examines how using sandboxes and collaborative spaces can encourage experimentation, skills development, and collaboration across universities and practitioner areas.
Practitioners:
Where should you be expanding your skills? What traits are IT leaders looking for today?
Paul and Steve talk about the importance of integrating business along with IT skills.
You can check out the full podcast here. (24:16, 22.2 MB)
