Are APAC CIOs Facing a Glass Ceiling?

While technology has provided CIOs with plenty of opportunities to make their mark on their respective businesses, relatively few have moved on to become a CEO. According to a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), sponsored by Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), it may take more than technical expertise to convince senior management that today’s successful CIO will be a good choice for tomorrow’s CEO.

The report, entitled 'The Future for CIOs: Which Way Is UP?', surveyed 1,000 senior executives from 13 countries across Asia Pacific, including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and 6 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The findings reveal that the modern CIO has a strategic role that goes beyond just managing the IT function in nearly 9 out of 10 (89 per cent) organisations. In addition, the majority of respondents (84 per cent) agree that the CIO should be involved in all business-critical decisions at an early stage.

CIOs have won the respect of the business, but reaching the next level will be difficult

“This research shows that CIOs are well-respected by the business, particularly during the past year, when they helped firms cut costs by being more efficient. Looking forward, CIOs need to take the next step and contribute to business growth by developing new products or services and generating revenue,” said Neville Vincent, senior vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific, HDS. “66 per cent of respondents believe that the CIO should be a potential candidate for succeeding the CEO – so there are already noticeable cracks in the glass ceiling.”

CIOs and other IT executives seem to be aware of the areas where they will be required to deliver. However, they may underestimate the skills and experience needed to achieve this. According to CEOs, the top 3 areas where CIOs should develop their skills are: a greater understanding of the business (41 per cent), the ability to think strategically (26 per cent), and an awareness of broader industry developments (23 per cent). However, none of these feature at the top of the CIOs’ own development goals: demonstrating business case for IT investment (28 per cent), technical skills to integrate new technologies (24 per cent) and knowledge of emerging technologies (23 per cent). Maybe less surprisingly, executives in non-IT functions are more open (17 per cent) to a CIO having a non-IT background than counterparts in the IT function (9 per cent). So this blind focus on technology skills may be misplaced.

James Chambers, senior editor of The Economist Intelligence Unit, said:

“CIOs have earned the right to be considered a candidate for CEO, alongside their C-level counterparts, but it will take more to secure the top job. Ambitious candidates will need to take the initiative to develop their own knowledge and spend time in other parts of the business as they explore ways of creating a competitive edge for their organisations.” 

As per the survey undertaken by the Indian respondents, 80 per cent believe that a CIO could become tomorrow’s CEO and 93 per cent say that the CIO should have final decision-making authority on all IT expenditure. Indian organisations invest in IT mainly to improve customer satisfaction and organisational agility.

Innovation is a key driver of revenue growth, and it is the CIO’s role to drive it

Innovation has been a major driver of revenue growth is almost 3 in 5 companies surveyed. This relationship is expected to continue on an upward trend.

Over 4 of 5 executives across all functions (85 per cent) agree that the CIO should drive innovation across the business, even though IT is considered a driver of innovation at less than a third (28 per cent) of firms. Thus, technology may have thrust the CIO into the spotlight, but his or her career is not tied to IT.

“IT is a major driver of innovation at Indian companies and 76 per cent agree that innovation leads to current revenue growth,” said Vivekanand Venugopal, Vice President and General Manager, Hitachi Data Systems. “57 per cent of the respondents said that in 2015, the investment in IT will increase and the areas with the largest investment increase will be cloud computing and IT infrastructure. As business innovation continues to increase in importance, CIO’s will continue to act as a vital catalyst for innovation.”

“A healthy number of respondents (59 per cent) agree that innovation has been a major driver of revenues. However, there are obstacles, including a lack of IT budget and/or resources (18 per cent), a low standard of existing IT infrastructure (14 per cent), followed by a lack of skills and available talent (12 per cent),” explained Vincent.

Steps to stepping up to the CEO position

Until recently, it was believed that the rapidly changing IT environment would make the CIO irrelevant, or at least reduce his or her responsibilities to technology governance and information security. This survey shows that, in Asia Pacific at least, it is not the case.

To succeed, CIOs need an accurate idea of how existing IT assets can increase their organisation’s revenue, and not just focus on making better business cases for yet more technology. As the report suggests, CIOs can further drive revenue generation and business growth by following these 5 steps:

1. Take ownership of information: CEOs are looking to better data management and analytics to drive sales growth. Providing greater insights should be an easy win for CIOs, placing them at the centre of strategic discussions.

2. Better align IT with business needs: CIOs should be looking beyond their department, focussing on discovering new ways of harnessing technology to increase their organisation’s competitive offering.

3. Deliver return on IT investment: A CIO’s future prospects are likely to be determined by money made more than money saved. The vast majority of executives now expect CIOs to generate revenue – particularly among CIOs themselves.

4. Demonstrate leadership: Ambitious CIOs need to acquire additional knowledge and experience beyond their traditional IT skillset. This requires taking the initiative, such as immersing themselves in other parts of the business.

5. Drive the innovation instead of just contributing to it: Technology can facilitate or obstruct innovation, but it is no cure for all problems. CIOs need to invest in understanding the business and working closely with C-level colleagues to drive innovation and be involved in business-critical decisions at an early stage.

“Ultimately, for a CIO to follow in a CEO’s footsteps, they will need to take ownership of information, better align with business needs and focus on driving innovation forward. This is where we can help – our solutions and services help CIOs to increase an organisation’s competitive offering and generate revenue,” concluded Vincent.

Softline Group Appoints Atul Ahuja as Head of Operations India

Softline Group, a USD 1 billion Global IT services and Solutions Company based in Russia, announced that it has appointed Atul Ahuja as Managing Director of its operations in India. Atul was formerly with Citrix, as Director Desktop and Apps, Microsoft Alliance, India Subcontinent.

An extremely successful business professional, Atul comes with more than 20 years of rich work experience in organizations as Citrix, Tata InfoTech and Microsoft.  At Microsoft, where he worked for 10 years, he rose through the ranks from being a Regional Sales leader to Director Sales – BFSI (ATU Manager for BFSI vertical). Atul spent his last 4 years at Citrix India and managed the country business for Desktop and Application virtualization, working closely with internal and external stakeholders (Microsoft, Cisco, DaaS partners) and led the business successfully competing with large global companies in the Indian Sub-Continent.

“We are extremely excited to have a brilliant business leader like Atul who understands the complexity of our business model at scale,” said Igor Petlyakov, VP - International Business, Softline. According to Igor, India offers a huge market with enormous potential with a set of very dynamic buyer audiences. “We at Softline utilize our global experience to serve clients across the world. We can bring in a very distinctive, personal service experience for our Indian clients”, he added.

Successful businesses not only respond to their current customer or organizational needs, but often anticipate future trends and develop an idea, product or service that allows them to meet this future demand rapidly and effectively. Softline takes this approach seriously and therefore services, investments and Venture Capital unit focuses on innovation as the central theme.

“Mr. Ahuja’s proven track record as an innovation agent in the Indian Market made him a natural candidate to lead the Indian Subsidiary. Both Atul and Softline are all about finding innovative ways to help our customers grow their businesses by leveraging IT Solutions. We are positive that Atul will enable Softline to make a difference in the community, with our customers, and in the Indian Market”, said Sergio Klarreich, CTO – Softline International.

Reinventing Retention the Next Big Thing!

Until now retention strategies were based on instinct rather than any research or guiding principle. But, today, when the entire work culture has witnessed a paradigm shift, organisations are forced to think differently. Increasingly, organisations are acknowledging this change and thinking of innovative ways to retain employees.

Of the 54 per cent organisations who have tried creative ways to retain talent, 32 per cent said their retention rates improved by up to 10 per cent. About 60 per cent believe that application of innovative retention techniques will increase in times ahead, revealed the TimesJobs.com study. 

One size does not fit all 

While inventive retention methods are gaining acceptance across most organisations, employers need to understand that it will not appeal to every employee. According to the TimesJobs.com study, such techniques have high recognition with Gen Y (44%) and baby boomers have least acceptability for such initiatives, with only 19 per cent giving it a thumbs-up. Consequently, organisations need to tailor their retention strategies to suit different sections of employees. 

No tech intervention 

For over 70 per cent of the surveyed organisations such initiatives do not have any technology intervention. They have a more human-touch and are designed to connect with the employee on a more personal level, where their needs are presumed as that of the organisation’s. Interestingly, these low-tech hi-touch strategies seem to engage the IT staff more effectively, said 71 per cent of the organisations in the TimesJobs.com study.

Struggling to succeed 

“Employee turnover is costly; it leads to instability, inefficiency, ineffectiveness and a negative impact on the bottom line.” explains Vivek Madhukar, COO, TimesJobs.com, “Most organisations see attrition as a significant challenge citing budget constraints and lack of support as hurdles. However, as revealed by our latest study, an increasing number of employers are finding effective yet efficient ways, to hold the interest of their employees.” 

Next-Gen, Cloud-based Collaboration App for Team Based Collaboration

Today at Collaboration Summit 2014, Cisco introduced Project Squared, a business collaboration app that combines chat, audio, video, multi-party meetings and content sharing in a single experience that supports the demanding collaboration needs of modern teams.  

Project Squared is Cisco’s answer to the challenges many workers face on a daily basis: Stay connected across devices, time zones, and project teams. Quickly get up to speed on projects already in progress. Share thoughts and ideas with people both inside and outside the company without violating company security requirements.

Project Squared is built upon the Cisco Collaboration Cloud, a new, next-generation platform aligned with Cisco’s Intercloud strategy, to enable these best-in-class collaboration experiences.  In building the Cisco Collaboration Cloud platform, Cisco leveraged the learnings and technologies from its market-leading web conferencing, video telepresence, unified communications, and voice products. 

Project Squared: Gives teams a place to work together, virtually. Project Squared ties the physical conference room to the virtual world unlike anyone in the industry. Teams can download Project Squared, start a room on any topic, and invite others inside or outside the organization to join simply by entering their name or e-mail address. Once in the room, team members can securely share messages, post files, and start voice and video calls. Files are rendered in the cloud and viewable immediately alongside messages – with no download required. 

Powers an agile work style. Project Squared is accessible from nearly any device, with an intuitive design that reduces any learning curve.  Project Squared also works on web browsers, so users can log in from any computer – no VPN or plugins required.   Project Squared leverages mobile notifications so team members are always reachable and users stay connected to important content and messages from anywhere.

Integrates with your other business tools. Project Squared integrates with important business tools such as calendars, Active Directory, WebEx and Box, so teams can be more effective using the tools they already depend on.

Provides security your IT department will love. While Project Squared has consumer-like ease of use, it delivers enterprise IT security through the Cisco Collaboration Cloud platform, which provides end-to-end content encryption. Plus, IT teams can manage Project Squared by asking employees to use their corporate single sign on (SSO) credentials and IT-approved passwords.

Keeps evolving as needs evolve. We’re calling it ‘Project’ Squared for a reason: this is a fast-moving project, and we want your input. You can help shape the future Project Squared experience by giving us your thoughts as you use it. It’s easy to provide your feedback from right inside the app.

Symphony of Cloud Solutions Help AMEA Companies Master Art of Connecting

BT, one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services, today announced new cloud services aimed at supporting the expansion plans of its customers in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (AMEA) and helping them orchestrate the most recent technology to deliver great business outcomes.

Backed by its global network infrastructure and leveraging its position as a leading provider of unified communications & collaboration services, BT launches the following new cloud services in the AMEA region:

* BT One Cloud Cisco: a reliable, resilient global platform that features full Unified Communications capabilities, including high-definition (HD) voice, multiparty HD video to improve the impact of virtual meetings, Instant Messaging (IM) and presence, and mobile clients delivered by Cisco Jabber. Global coverage and resilience are ensured through BT’s data centres in the Americas, the UK and Asia Pacific. Those data centres are paired one to another in geographically remote cities to bring additional resilience to services in case of major incidents.

* BT One Cloud Lync: A fully-managed private cloud service with enterprise telephony and video with the standard feature set of presence, IM and conferencing in a single, unified platform.

Both services are available to customers on a pay per user basis.

BT is also launching its Cloud Connect program across AMEA. Customers across the region will now be able to connect directly through BT’s network to various other software-as-a-service providers and to more than 200 third- party data centres around the world. By building acceleration and security features into the network we are now increasing application performance, reducing bandwidth costs and improving security for our customers in the AMEA region. The Cloud Connect program also provides direct connections to BT’s own cloud services, including collaboration and unified communications, IT services and contact management. This reduces costs and speeds up delivery.

BT is also announcing today the availability of BT for Life Sciences R&D in AMEA. BT for Life Science R&D is the first cloud service designed to enable collaboration within the life sciences industry for increased R&D productivity. It is specifically designed to allow organisations active in the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and associated sectors to comply with stringent security, regulatory and compliance requirements while accessing the very high computational demands of R&D and adopting the latest in cloud computing, collaboration, and unified communications. The solution is based on the BT Cloud Compute platform and delivered through BT data centres. It has already been deployed with Genome Institute of Singapore and is being rolled out in Japan. 

Kevin Taylor, President, BT Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, said: “We are proud to see our customers leverage the investments we have made in the AMEA region in the last few years. These have included improved network infrastructure, an enhanced product portfolio, strengthened field services, customer showcases and the establishment of service centres in the region. In the first half of this financial year, we have grown our revenue across the region by more than ten per cent and have doubled the value of our new orders compared with the same period last year. We are committed to continue building a healthier business and are continuing to invest in innovative solutions that customers will deploy and combine to deliver stunning business outcomes. In the last few months, those efforts have resulted in extensions of relationships with existing customers such as Deutsche Post DHL, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, as well as significant new contracts with well-known brands such as Genome Institute of Singapore, JABIL, Singapore Airlines, Williams Lea and WorleyParsons.“ 

New Convertibles from ASUS Transformer Series Unveied

ASUS has announced their all new additions to the Transformer Series – ASUS Transformer Flip Book – a 15.6” innovative laptop with 360-degree rotating touchscreen that flips in an instant for use as a powerful laptop, a responsive tablet, or anything in between; ASUS Transformer T200 – a 2-in-1 ultraportable laptop with 11.6” Tablet; and ASUS Transformer Pad TF103 – a tablet with style, ensuring productivity on the go.

“We are ecstatic about introducing the all new additions to the much celebrated Transformer Series to India. India has been one of the key markets for the entire transformer series. In it our constant endeavour to effectively amalgamate our users’ needs with incredible experiences and deliver in the form of revolutionary hybrids, notebooks and tablets. Bringing these avant-garde devices is our step ahead in assisting the Indian masses to discover and have access to the unconceivable yet highly user friendly devices,” affirmed Peter Chang, Regional Head - South Asia & Country Manager – System Business Group - ASUS India.

ASUS Transformer Flip Book TP550LD

ASUS Transformer Book Flip is a stylish, innovative and affordable 15.6” Windows 8.1 laptop, which features a bright and clear up to Full 1366 x 768 touchscreen with a remarkable hinge design that enables the screen to be set at any angle between zero and 360 degrees. Flip is incredibly versatile, and can be used as a powerful laptop, a responsive tablet, or anything in between. Flip is powered by Intel® Core™ i3 & i5 processors with NVIDIA® GeForce® NV 820M discrete graphics for seamless multitasking and outstanding performance, whether for productivity, entertainment or playing the latest games.

Flip’s touchscreen is incredibly accurate and responsive thanks to its high-precision 6mm-diameter actuators, which are more than twice as sensitive as the 9mm industry standard. Exclusive ASUS Splendid technology gives rich, deep and vibrant colors to ensure a visually stunning experience for any kind of content.

Flip’s incredible design is complemented by superior performance. It uses powerful, energy-efficient for superior multitasking and effortless productivity, while NVIDIA GeForce NV 820M discrete graphics with 2GB of video memory give Flip more than enough graphics power for smooth video playback or playing the latest games.

Instant On technology means that Flip only takes two seconds to resume from sleep, and users don’t need to worry about losing data when in sleep mode for up to 14 days — when the Lithium-polymer battery’s charge drops below 5%, files and data are automatically backed up.

Exclusive ASUS SonicMaster audio gives Flip the best audio experience in its class. Flip has a perfect multimedia partner, with every song, movie or game sounding better thanks to its carefully balanced and dynamic audio.


ASUS Transformer Book T200

ASUS Transformer Book T200 is the beautiful ultraportable that’s also an 11.6-inch Windows tablet. Detach the tablet to work and play anywhere, and dock to enjoy the full-size keyboard, advanced connectivity, and easy-upgrade storage. Style, power and convenience — Transformer Book T200 gives you it all! With up to 10.4 hours of battery life that lasts all day long, you’re free to work or play from dawn to dusk. And ASUS Instant On technology ensures that Transformer Book T200 is always responsive and ready for action! Users will experience outstanding performance from the latest Intel® Z3775 Bay Trail processor. Transformer Book T200 also delivers exceptional graphics performance — with Intel HD graphics that are up to 30% faster than ever before!

Transformer Book T200 is equipped with USB 3.0 connectivity for data transfers that never leave you waiting. And makes you enjoy speeds that are up to 10X faster than USB 2.0!

With a 16:9 ratio, 1366 x 768-pixel HD resolution and in-plane switching (IPS) technology, you’ll enjoy bright, vivid images from literally any angle — that’s 178 degrees of viewing clarity! The stunning metallic finish adds a touch of sophistication. But Transformer Book T200’s premium design is more than skin deep – the keys offer a full 1.9mm for a superior typing experience!

With a built-in 5MP rear and 2MP front cameras Transformer Book T200 is brilliant for keeping in touch via social media, as well as staying on top of coursework! Transformer Book T200 has built-in Miracast® technology that sends your favorite stuff straight to the big screen — wirelessly. Show photos that everyone can see, stream movies in Full HD or even use the tablet as a games controller!

ASUS Transformer Pad TF103

The New ASUS Transformer Pad is a 10.1-inch mobile entertainment tablet with a vivid 1280 x 800 IPS display, the latest high-performance Intel Atom dual core processorand a lightweight optional keyboard dock with USB 2.0. ASUS Transformer Pad’s powerful Intel quad-core processor can easily handle multiple tasks and deliver an immersive gaming experience up to 9.5 hours of web surfing and video playback.

The ASUS Transformer Pad is powered by Intel Atom Z2560 processor (up to 1.6GHz, dual-core) that delivers impressive performance and battery life to keep you entertained throughout the day. The device features ASUS ZenUI which improves on your smart device experience, giving you a brand new user interface that features over 1000 upgrades and enhancements over the standard Android operating system.

ASUS SonicMaster enhances audio and the carefully-engineered dual speakers’ direct sound towards you - the listener - so you experience impeccable sound whether enjoying videos or listening to music! Miracast lets you stream multimedia content from your Transformer Pad to a TV or external display. The new ASUS Transformer Pad gives you stable and faster internet connections thanks to WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n.

It combines a beautiful trendy cover with a vivid 1280 x 800 display, to create a device you’ll want to show off. Its display uses in-plane-switching (IPS) technology to deliver 170-degree viewing angles with accurate color reproduction, no matter how you view at the screen.

ASUS Splendid video technology optimises images by enhancing color, brightness, contrast and sharpness so that everything you view looks just great. The redesigned ASUS Transformer Pad now weighs 550g and its new design also features a 9.9mm thin for you to carry around easily. The ASUS Transformer Pad has been designed with an exceptionally-responsive, 10-point multi-touch display for an outstanding gaming experience. It comes with 8GB of onboard storage that can be supplemented with up to a 64GB MicroSD card.

ASUS Transformer Pad has a 2-megapixel rear-facing camera that lets you take astounding images; as well as a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera for clear video chats.

Each ASUS Transformer Series product includes ASUS WebStorage, giving users free access to the most complete platform for online living. With ASUS cloud services, convenience and intuitive is the main priority, offering users easy storage, sharing, and syncing of everything from business presentations to photo albums and favorite multimedia content.

New Intel Sensing Platform Enables Mobile-based Healthcare Application

Intel India showcased its computing prowess and leadership at CeBIT India 2014. On the occasion, it unveiled the Intel Sensing Platform, a unique solution combining hardware, mobile applications, analytics and cloud-based technology that enables mobile-based affordable and personal healthcare management application for masses. Designed to meet the unique consumer needs in India and other emerging markets, this platform can be used by the technology eco-system to create applications for different consumer segments. 

This three-day event had Intel® displaying its latest technology capabilities through its walk -through demo booths on Mobility, Data Center, Internet of Things (IoT) and innovation. Intel India has been actively fueling innovation in India through its strong research & development presence here coupled with its partnerships with the vibrant tech eco-system including government and academia.

At CeBIT 2014 delivering a key note address on Building Tomorrow’s Technologies, the president of Intel India illustrated the significance of technology and computing in catalyzing a truly digital world while enriching the lives of people and transforming businesses. Intel is focused on innovating and harnessing the power of technology to create paradigm shifts in the way people, businesses and government agencies connect and interact, with its goal of delivering amazing computing experiences across a host of smart and connected devices.

Speaking on the occasion Kumud Srinivasan, President Intel India emphasized on how Intel India’s focus on local and frugal innovations led to the creation of the Intel Sensing Platform and said “Intel Sensing Platform is a key innovation for bringing about critical change through enabling an affordable technology solution that can impact masses positively.” She further added“Technology today has become more immersive, perceptive and social; driving richer user experiences and productivity. At Intel, our endeavour is to use technology to improve the quality of life of people across the world.

Echoing the government’s Digital India focus on digital infrastructure, e-governance, utilities, digital literacy and digital empowerment for citizens, Intel India also discussed the growth of the technology landscape in India, focus on innovation & entrepreneurship. The discussion highlighted how technology usage in India is fast catching up and leap-frogging in emerging areas, marked by acceleration in IP creation, digital literacy, emphasis on serving local needs, rising  mobile penetration and social entrepreneurship.