Gold Magazine April - May 2013, Issue 25 | Page 65

The phone
has become
as much
a morning
ritual as the
toothbrush

Maria-José Sobrini

Maria-José Sobrini manages the Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) of Cisco in the
Mediterranean territory. Cisco›s IBSG works
with many of the world’s leading companies
and organisations to help them become
more competitive through effective business
processes and intelligent ICT deployment. In recent years she has focused
on international projects around urban
development and growth, government
transformational initiatives and financial
institutions innovation programmes. She
collaborates with a number of universities
and business schools as a frequent speaker
on courses and in seminars. Maria-Jose is a
qualified engineer, having graduated from
the Politécnica University of Madrid, and
before joining Cisco she worked for Ernst
& Young and for Coopers & Lybrand.
Last year she was a keynote speaker at
the eGovernment Conference organised
within the context of the Cyprus
Presidency of the Council of the
European Union.

Gold: How exactly is the enterprise migration to the cloud progressing?
M.J.S.: In 2010, the Cisco Internet Business
Solutions Group sought answers in a wideranging survey. At the time, the path to the
cloud was just beginning for many enterprises.
Today, with cloud evolution accelerating into
an increasingly essential process, we decided to
capture the current state of cloud migration. In
short, a majority of executives are embracing
cloud and feel that it helps them meet some of
their biggest challenges. As in our 2010 survey,
fears persist – with privacy and technology concerns foremost among them – but today they
are seen as inhibitors to cloud adoption, not
deal-breakers. Key drivers include cost savings
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