In the rush towards digital transformation, even the heroic CIO needs someone they can turn to, says Derek Britton. Who is in your corner to help you solve your digital dilemma?
Today’s technology landscape – a bleak dystopian vista?
Digital transformation has been at the top of virtually every organisation’s list of objectives for several years – typically a broad program of major operational and technology work to underpin significant organizational change.
But as today’s CIO surveys their domain, and the range of internal and environmental challenges they face, the picture looks far from clear, with a landscape strewn with unsolved issues, complexity, and confusion. Tackling the burning fires of today only delay the operational crises, as future seismic change requirements emerge from the post-pandemic gloom.
Such difficulty and uncertainty mirror many darker portrayals of technological advances in literature. I could quote my favourite examples from authors such as Aldous Huxley or Ray Bradbury, while market appetite for the genre has been boosted by the recent film release of the sci-fi classic, Dune. For some generations now, fiction has explored how technology of the future could shape, positively or otherwise, human experience.
Life imitating art?
The challenges facing IT leaders are, however, anything but imaginary. In my recent TechBeacon article The Hero’s Dilemma – Today’s Digital CIO, I referred to today’s CIO as “a new breed of sci-fi hero.” And if you look at the challenges they face, you’ll see why. The operational realities of today, revitalizing efficiency in the face of increasing pressure, higher traffic, geographically dispersed staff, buckled supply chains, and a near-constant threat of cyberattack. The recent log4j vulnerability headlines brought the entire IT security profession to a juddering halt, diverting resources to manage and resolve the exposure emergency.
The ongoing risks to IT security serve as an unpleasant reminder of the significant risks facing many organizations. And it is not as if the last couple of years have been easy – few will argue that the recent past has been a uniquely difficult period. Significant changes to customer behaviour, staff locations, supply chains, technology strategies, and market trends have introduced tremendously diverse, time-critical requirements on the IT organization. Many consider the last two years to be the most dramatic chapter yet in the digital transformation era.
Yet transform they must – From 2021 through 2024, IDC predicts $7.8 T of direct digital transformation (DX) investments across services, hardware, and software; growing at a 16.4% – as many seek to undergo transformational change, to survive and thrive in their disrupted digital markets.
A helping hand for our hero
Most CIO’s are well aware that the journey to a brighter future never truly ends, and important milestones will mark the progress of their odyssey. Similarly, most great stories blend a journey to an unknown future with a nod to the heritage of past success. Tackling critical issues today with the same forward momentum to reach tomorrow’s objective remains a pragmatic truth. So, what’s the hack for our hero? Or, indeed, who? Where is the metaphorical sidekick, that helps save the day to put the hero back on top?
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Enterprises need to be in it for now and for the future. In helping organisations balance the existing operational landscape and emerging technological and innovative requirements of the near future, Micro Focus helps IT leaders solve their “digital dilemma” and maintain their transformational trajectory. Learn how our Run and Transform approach can help you.
