“Today’s Technology Issues: What Keeps You Up at Night?,” Itec’s third
annual CIO Roundtable, attempted to address the topics weighing most heavily on
the minds of area computer information officers, CIOs. Session participants took
turns voicing concerns, comparing experiences and suggesting potential solutions
to one another. The session had responses to questions posed on the conference’s
registration surveys as a framework for the discussion.
Recruiting and retaining high tech talent and Internet-enabled businesses were the group’s most common concerns, followed by networking, IT organization and security. A large part of the discussion was devoted to the ways in which technology interacts with business and how to make it work most effectively:
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“Seventy to seventy-five percent of projects fail because people are not understanding the technology it takes to make it work. It’s a tool – find out what people’s needs are.”
Another participant suggested that the people, the process and the technology should be in synch:
“Look at processes. It’s amazing when I see what’s out there. Did anybody find out how the business should be run?”
Others expressed concern about the cost of investing in technology:
“Flexibility is a good thing. Those of us in the non-profit sector have to work within certain constraints. A profit-making business might be able to waste a couple thousand dollars.”
“Flexibility is not just about technology,” said another CIO. “It’s about people. Many organizations – when an organization changes, you morph into something else.”
The challenges of attracting and retaining high tech workers was another topic that inspired a lengthy discussion:
“You can’t present them with old technology and expect them to sign up with your company. They’ll look at you as a dead-end street.”
“Selling” high tech jobs on the quality of life surfaced again and again:
“You can pay a person up to a certain point. You must satisfy interests.”
“Knowledge workers look at their job as part of their lifestyle,” said Rick Kovar of the Rhode Island Technology Council.
A representative from Shazam, a Providence Web design firm, said the company pushes Rhode Island’s quality of life to prospective employees.
“They want to be creative, whether they’re programmers or designers. We don’t do 9 to 5. It’s a culture – they don’t want a suit and tie.”
Another called it “all about marketing.”
There may be an untapped pool of IT workers already in the state:
“There is an oversupply of IT workers. The problem is they’re older – nobody wants to hire them.”
The event’s moderator was pleased with the outcome of the session.
“I was delighted,” said Stephen Andrade, chairman of Web development and Internet studies at the school of technology at Johnson & Wales University. “I thought it was a superb session. The level of disclosure was extraordinary.”
Andrade said that interest has grown in the roundtable over the past three years: the group has grown from 20 to 40 to this year’s 140.
“The thing that struck me most is the expansion of that group – how large it’s gotten in such a short period of time,” he said.
The roundtable was attended by 140 of the region’s computer information officers from hospitals, colleges and universities, telecommunications companies and retailers, among others.
To Andrade’s delight, the morning’s conversations didn’t end at the door.
“People at that level like to talk to each other,” he said. “They left talking, too. To me, that was part of the success.”
“Today’s Technology Issues” was presented by the Rhode Island Technology Council and sponsored by Andera.
