Conference Notebook

Google's John Solomon redefines the cloud worker for CIOs at MITCIO

Who is a cloud worker? According to Google's John Solomon, CIOs are shortchanging their companies by not enabling virtually every worker today to use the cloud to do their jobs. Continue Reading

Expect graph database use cases for the enterprise to take off

Digital giants use graph databases: Traditional businesses not so much. Learn what graph tools do and why graph database use cases should be on every CIO's radar. Continue Reading

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

How to achieve digital transformation -- with CIO as linchpin

Companies achieve digital transformation along two dimensions -- through operational efficiency and offering a great customer experience. Getting there can be an uphill battle. Continue Reading

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

Succeed at implementing RPA: Top tips from execs at IBM Think

Implementing RPA requires planning and coordination between multiple parts of the business to be effective. Execs at IBM Think share tips on how to craft a winning RPA strategy. Continue Reading

AI bots: How GE is adapting traditional management to AI

To get a handle on its AI strategy, GE is making AI more human: It's creating AI bots and assigning them to managers. Challenges abound. Continue Reading

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

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

Enterprise AI adoption on fire, but foundation lacking for sustainable AI

McKinsey surveyed thousands of executives on their AI projects to find out what was working and what wasn't. Here's the lowdown. Continue Reading

How augmented intelligence can enhance jobs

Augmented intelligence -- AI used to enhance human skills -- makes workplaces more productive, diverse, inclusive and authentic. That's one future conjured at an MIT forum on AI. Continue Reading

Gartner Symposium 2018: 6 emerging trends in security

At Gartner Symposium 2018, analyst Peter Firstbrook highlighted the emerging trends in security that cybersecurity pros -- and their employers -- need to prep for in the next year. Continue Reading

'Radical candor' management style resonates at Harvard tech event

How to be a better boss: At Tech Conference 24, leadership guru Kim Scott shared how a stern critique from Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg led to the concept of 'radical candor.' Continue Reading

Implementing RPA at John Hancock ushers in new wave of IT innovation

What's the best approach for implementing RPA? John Hancock discovered that a time-honored practice for the automation of business processes didn't make sense when it came to RPA. Continue Reading

Gartner Symposium 2018: Enterprise cloud strategy mistakes to avoid

At the recent Gartner Symposium 2018, cloud guru Daryl Plummer highlighted the need for developing a strong cloud strategy -- and the mistakes to avoid when drafting one. Continue Reading

Cybersecurity culture: Arrow in CIOs' quiver to fight cyberthreats

Who should own your cybersecurity culture? How can we protect rampant IoT devices? MIT Sloan researchers clued CIOs into their latest research at Tuesday's SIM Boston Summit. Continue Reading

ISSA International Conference 2018: Implement DoD-level security

The ISSA International 2018 Conference offers solutions for complicated privacy risks, and consultant Jeffrey Man counsels execs to take the DoD's approach to security maintenance. Continue Reading

Finding internal data science talent: The right stuff

Fierce competition for data science talent means that CIOs need to look internally for the requisite skills. On the list: curiosity, domain expertise, emotional intelligence. Continue Reading

How Uber AI Labs used filters to fix a ConvNets deficiency

Can ConvNets learn new tricks? Uber AI Labs research scientist unpacks how her team identified and fixed a major deficiency in its convolutional neural networks. Continue Reading

Global Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018: The value of context

Speakers at the Global Artificial Intelligence Conference 2018 confronted issues that arise when ignoring context and reality when developing and implementing AI. Continue Reading

6 best practices for IT pros when building a chatbot

There's a lot to consider when building a chatbot. Beerud Sheth, co-founder and CEO of Gupshup, broke down six best practices for IT pros at the Global AI Conference in Boston. Continue Reading

Power of AI, limitations of AI in focus at Global AI conference

What's the difference between human and artificial intelligence? At the Global AI conference in Boston, opening day featured tech experts parsing the power of AI and the limitations of AI. Continue Reading

Blockchain solutions -- and disruption -- pondered at EmTech 2018

The gathering at EmTech 2018 explored whether blockchain solutions could give the world a new model of trust. What seemed certain: Blockchain disruption is happening now. Continue Reading

Machine intelligence could benefit from child's play

Advances in AI have spurred high interest in the technology, but the road to making machines intelligent remains a long one, said MIT's Josh Tenenbaum at the EmTech conference. Continue Reading

Transforming IT infrastructure and operations to drive digital business

In an environment where speed disrupts everything, organizations must transform their I&O. Gartner's Gregory Murray explained how at the Gartner Catalyst conference. Continue Reading

The message from Gartner Catalyst 2018? Just do it

IT can no longer let organizational dysfunction get in the way of digital progress. At Gartner Catalyst 2018, IT pros were urged not to wait to be told what to do. Continue Reading

Approaches for embedding human ethics in AI systems

Instilling ethics in AI systems is a low priority for CIOs aiming to harness the power of machine intelligence. That's a mistake, warned Darin Stewart at the Gartner Catalyst event. Continue Reading

Gartner Catalyst 2018: A future without data centers?

Cloud computing advancements have led some organizations to consider eliminating their data centers. Here are strategies to determine which applications are cloud-ready. Continue Reading

Bank opts for AI-infused data storage platform over cloud

A storage vendor that bills itself as a software company is baking AI management into its all-flash arrays. Read why IT execs like Dan King sees the innovation as a game changer. Continue Reading

Cybersecurity and physical security: Key for 'smart' venues

With sustainability being a huge driver of modern business development, protecting consumers' cyber- and physical security is an essential element when designing smart cities and venues. Continue Reading

The nine roles you need on your data science research team

Data science research has become an essential element of modern companies' success in the digital economy. Here's how to build a data science team to get the most bang for your buck. Continue Reading

How to know if, when and how to pursue blockchain projects

Forrester Research analyst Martha Bennett gives CIOs a cogent framework for thinking about distributed ledger technology and potential blockchain projects for the enterprise. Continue Reading

Building a data science pipeline: Benefits, cautions

A data science development pipeline is critical for digital business. But the sequence of the pipeline must be monitored closely to ensure the output reflects the business goal. Continue Reading

Three capabilities all leaders of innovation possess

Harvard's Linda Hill tells IT execs at LiveWorx that in order to be leaders of innovation they need to champion three things. One of them is 'creative abrasion.' Continue Reading

Enterprise digital strategy: Design use cases that create business value

Tech capabilities are certainly important, but expert panelists at LiveWorx 2018 explained why overall business needs can't be ignored when crafting enterprise digital strategy. Continue Reading

CIO position: Evolve conference shows many ways to manage IT

The recent Evolve Technology Conference's Outlier Award program revealed varied takes on IT management philosophy and approaches to the CIO position. Continue Reading

Quality, meaningful future work hinges on human-machine 'complementarity'

What AI and machine learning mean for the future of work prompts vigorous debate and gloomy headlines -- but MIT researchers see brighter, more collaborative prospects. Continue Reading

In search of digital business models: Six questions

Old-school companies must find ways to generate digital revenue. Researchers at MIT Sloan laid out six questions that will help companies refine their digital business models. Continue Reading

Edge computing helps IT execs in managing large data sets

Four IT practitioners at the 2018 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium said edge computing, real-time analysis and Lambda architecture help them in managing large data sets. Continue Reading

Enterprise cybersecurity strategy: What a CIO needs to know

Digital transformation is leaving businesses exposed to more cyberattacks. At the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, panelists explain how much cybersecurity expertise is expected of CIOs. Continue Reading

Recruiting talent for digital cultures: Tips from McKinsey, Korn Ferry

The C-suite's penchant for hiring in its own image prevents companies from creating a digital culture. Another barrier: assuming HR can find the right people. Continue Reading

Building an intelligent enterprise: Four experts offer hard-won advice

At the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium, four IT executives shared lessons they've learned from building an intelligent enterprise and paid homage to the tech that helped them do it. Continue Reading

MIT CIO: What is digital culture, why it's needed and how to get it

Creating a digital culture is essential in the age of information, but companies must not lose sight of their core values in the process. Two tech execs show how they're doing it. Continue Reading

Rue La La CTO: Don't let data poisoning impair business health

If not treated properly, data can corrupt agendas, spur endless arguments and narrow thinking, the e-commerce company's Anthony Accardi says. Continue Reading

Build a culture of innovation on PaaS platforms

Tech execs from Deutsche Bank and Experian at the Red Hat Summit in San Francisco shared their thoughts on reaping the benefits of PaaS platforms by addressing the risks head-on. Continue Reading

Force multipliers in cybersecurity: Augmenting your security workforce

During his RSA conference keynote, IBM Security's van Zadelhoff highlighted cybersecurity's top three force multipliers and explained best practices to deploy them. Continue Reading

IT pros name users, GDPR as biggest cloud computing security threats

The cloud is growing faster than companies can prepare for cloud computing security threats, a quartet of tech leaders say at a Boston forum. But managing risk is within reach. Continue Reading

Artificial intelligence for social good: Big tech spins a new narrative

AI for social good is a thing. SAS touts research on tracking cheetah populations, Microsoft showcases work on precision farming at the Artificial Intelligence Conference. Continue Reading

Cloud Foundry deployments boost customer experience, communication

IT pros from Comcast, American Airlines and Zipcar sound off on benefits of the software development platform at April's Cloud Foundry Summit in Boston. Continue Reading

Security awareness programs that work against human nature will fail

Security awareness programs should take into account that humans are basically 'lazy, social, creatures of habit,' said KnowBe4's Perry Carpenter at the CIO Boston Summit. Here are three tips. Continue Reading

Top 2018 cybersecurity trends to watch out for

A glance at IT news shows cybersecurity trends remain on companies' radar. At the CIO Boston Summit, Cybereason's Jessica Stanford discussed steps to defend against risk. Continue Reading

Gartner on blockchain: Questions to ask and lots of caveats

It's immature, misunderstood, untested in the enterprise, risk-laden -- and needs to be on the CIO agenda. Gartner's Nick Heudecker frames the blockchain questions you should be asking. Continue Reading

Workplace 'mindfulness' as coping mechanism for AI disruption

Two tech titans investing in the AI tools that automate jobs are also sinking money into workplace mindfulness programs aimed at helping employees become better at being human. Continue Reading

Onus is on CIOs to address limitations of artificial intelligence

Recognizing the limitations of artificial intelligence is step No. 1 for CIOs aiming to reap its benefits, according to AI luminaries at the recent EmTech Digital conference. Continue Reading

Airbnb incorporates tech to help build digital trust in data economy

Automated bots have made it difficult to determine whether someone online is real, but Airbnb is turning to tech to help build digital trust among its customers. Continue Reading

Conversational AI: Start by enlisting the big vendors

It's time to develop a conversational AI strategy, according to Gartner analyst Svetlana Sicular. Her advice: Stay focused on the business case and lean on the AI platform vendors. Continue Reading

How to build end-user data literacy skills, step by step

Top-notch hospital systems are filled with smart, knowledgeable people eager to use data. But first, they must improve their data literacy, as this case study shows. Continue Reading

Machine learning algorithms: New tool for fighting cyberthreats?

As hackers use increasingly sophisticated tech to tap into corporate data, machine learning platforms can help companies fight fire with fire by detecting cyberthreats early on. Continue Reading

Daniel Pink: How the science of timing can boost productivity

At the recent Gartner Data and Analytics Summit, best-selling author Daniel Pink urged digital leaders to follow the science of timing -- and spread the word. Continue Reading

Gartner issues four-part prescription for data and analytics leaders

Fake facts, discrimination, complexity and illiteracy are four challenges CIOs and data experts must overcome to reap the value of data analytics. Also, forget about bimodal IT. Continue Reading

Two data scientists offer advice on breaking down siloed data

Data scientists offer insight into why the age-old problem of siloed data persists and some concrete advice to CIOs on how to break down the walls. Continue Reading

Data and analytics strategy: Lessons learned from spy agencies

Analyst Jim Hare of Gartner offers five ways to turn your company's data and analytics strategy into a competitive advantage by studying what our spy agencies do. Continue Reading

IBM's cloud strategy homes in on developers

To boost its profile in IaaS, IBM's cloud strategy has shifted focus from CIOs to developers. Whether the multipronged appeal to developers will pan out remains an open question. Continue Reading

DLP implementation: Partner with the business for success

Data loss prevention strategies help prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. For a DLP strategy to be successful, however, business-wide buy-in is required. Continue Reading

CISO responsibilities: Building a mission-based cybersecurity program

'Vanquish the enemy you can see ... then prepare for the next engagement.' Brooks Brothers' Phillip Miller gives fellow CISOs new ways to think about a cybersecurity program. Continue Reading

'Patient journey' propels hospital's digital transformation

The chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital explains how digital technologies are changing the 'patient journey' for the better. Continue Reading

The brain-computer interface comes of age?

Two entrepreneurs on the forefront of emerging tech describe their progress on developing a brain-computer interface for commercial use. Continue Reading

How to win in the AI era? For now, it's all about the data

Deep learning pioneer Andrew Ng explains why data, not algorithms, gives companies a first-mover advantage in the current AI era. Plus: the four traits of an AI company. Continue Reading

2017 Gartner Symposium: A SearchCIO photo roundup

In this photo roundup, we chronicle the SearchCIO team's experience at the 2017 Gartner Symposium and highlight some key sessions and themes from the event. Continue Reading

CTO Gerri Martin-Flickinger talks innovation at Starbucks

Innovation at Starbucks is served up in many forms. EVP and CTO Gerri Martin-Flickinger breaks down the coffee giant's latest technology investments. Continue Reading

Automat powers conversational marketing bot for L'Oreal

The new L'Oreal chatbot helps customers find the perfect gift -- and requires an enterprise-grade marketing stack to do so. Continue Reading

Drone industry finds ally, watchdog in the FAA

As the use of drones continues to expand, regulators are trying to make sure rules governing the burgeoning drone industry ensure safety, but don't hinder innovation. Continue Reading

Many contours, many questions in developing a cloud strategy

IT professionals at the Gartner Catalyst conference seek to flesh out the technical and management details that make up their organizations' cloud plans. Continue Reading

Why your KPI methodology should use 'right brain' words

What's in a name? The power to make your KPIs actionable, according to BI consultant Mico Yuk, who has devised a KPI methodology she calls WHW. Continue Reading

A CIO vision of 'indiscriminate computing'

In the future, IT infrastructure will be so seamless, the business won't even know it's there. That's the CIO vision of David Giambruno. Continue Reading

Forging your digital path: Don't discount the power of slogans

Two award-winning CIOs talk about how they helped forge a digital path for their companies and, in the process, became partners to the business. Continue Reading

Workplace changes called for to place more women in IT jobs

CIOs and other executives discuss cracking the gender-diversity problem in IT at the recent MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. Continue Reading

Failure is a critical component for blockchain development

Validity, consensus and immutability are the core components of blockchain, and all three have failed. Cornell's Emin Gun Sirer explains why that's not such a bad thing. Continue Reading

Tech jobs for all, robots and fighting fake news at IBM InterConnect 2017

Alongside pitches for state-of-the-art technologies at the tech company's Las Vegas show was a call for young women in technology and distinguishing the funny from the phony. Continue Reading

Multicloud management is all about the integration

Do several cloud applications, platform as a service and a data center make a company multicloud? Not necessarily, says consultant Judith Hurwitz. Continue Reading

Driving digital transformation: Strategies from a CIO-turned-digital guru

Isaac Sacolick explains how two practices -- aligning agile development with IT operations, and improving data quality -- can help CIOs in driving digital transformation. Continue Reading

IBM, Salesforce call for new skills to run AI technologies

People need to be trained to compete in a future world of artificial intelligence, say tech chiefs Ginni Rometty and Marc Benioff. Continue Reading

Solving for human-robot communication deficits in autonomous driving

Self-driving cars are already doing amazing things, but gesturing to other drivers isn't one of them. That's a problem that needs to be solved, according to experts at the MIT Disruption Timeline Conference. Continue Reading

Data-driven decision-making, American Express style

Michael Vapenik, the enterprise data governance officer at American Express, expounds on what it means to be a data-driven organization. Continue Reading

Clear goals, patience required for successful IT automation strategy

More companies are investing in automation to streamline processes. But for an IT automation strategy to be successful, it's important to start with clear, well defined goals. Continue Reading

CIA chief of data science program: 'Goal is to find the truth'

The head of the CIA's data science program told corporate data chiefs that it's important to give decision-makers the information they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Continue Reading

How to use artificial intelligence for business benefit

AI expert Josh Sutton lays out the three main ways that companies can use artificial intelligence systems for business advantage. Continue Reading

Teaching leadership to Millennials? First, get used to them

Teaching leadership skills is critical in a changing world, MIT's John Van Maanen says, but coaching Millennials comes with unique challenges. Continue Reading

Digital Business Summit: How to ride the digital wave

At the recent Digital Business Summit in Chicago, ISG Insights' Bill McNee offered pointers for organizations embracing digital initiatives and said it's OK sometimes to be second. Continue Reading

Artificial intelligence implementation: Getting past barriers

Suhit Gupta, CIO for asset management company Carlyle Group, maps out the impediments to artificial intelligence implementation -- as well as ways to convince the C-suite to invest. Continue Reading

IT leadership tenets: How to become a relationship-driven CIO

Executive coach Michelle Lederman schooled the audience at SIMposium 2016 on the three leadership tenets of the relationship-driven executive. Continue Reading

Gartner redefines the bimodal IT organization

In the bimodal IT model, Mode 1 protects the cash cows while Mode 2 funds the projects that respond to external threats or opportunities, says Gartner researcher George Spafford. Continue Reading

SIMposium 2016: Pfizer CIO on IT leadership trait needed to get ahead

Pfizer CIO Jeffrey Keisling schooled up-and-coming IT leaders at SIMposium 2016 on the career benefits of looking for trouble. Continue Reading

CIOs, your chief execs want help on digital business innovation

Here's an important dispatch from Symposium/ITxpo: Digital business innovation is at the heart of the CEO psyche; CIOs need to help. Continue Reading

New Balance steps back from the cloud buzz

An IT exec at a recent tech leader conference says cloud isn't always best for his company's ever-growing volumes of data -- stirring a different sort of cloud buzz. Continue Reading

Encrypting data in the cloud is no guarantee, analyst says

Organizations look to encryption as a foolproof way of securing cloud information. But making the data unreadable to unauthorized users doesn't protect data from everything. Continue Reading

Macro trends HP is tracking: Urbanization, globalization, demographics

HP Inc. CTO Shane Wall weighs in on three big macro trends that are shaping the company's long-horizon strategy. Continue Reading

Training, technology needed to fight cyberattacks today, panel says

Cyberattacks today are a genuine threat -- and organizations need to take action, according to a quartet of cybersecurity experts. Continue Reading

Best of VMworld 2016 US Award winners

TechTarget's Best of VMworld Awards recognize the most outstanding products at VMware's annual user conference. Here are the VMworld 2016 winners. Continue Reading

Latest Gartner ranking: Who's winning the cloud wars

AWS, Azure and Google score big in the latest Gartner ranking. But don't just go by good grades when choosing an IaaS cloud platform. Continue Reading