Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 10 | Page 43

////////////////////////// “ THERE ARE MANY FUNCTIONS WITHIN A BUSINESS WHOSE VALUE CAN FALL UNDER THE RADAR AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE OF THE IT PROFESSIONAL. quick to complain about IT in the workplace, IT pros have never had more asked of them. The business can be demanding, asking for everything from uninhibited access to the latest data and apps, through to seamless transitions to the cloud or the adoption of AI. And at the same time, it goes without saying that IT should ensure compliance with GDPR and protect against hacking or ransomware attacks. “Delivering on all this is a tall order, especially as IT budgets have been kept flat in recent years. As consumers of IT, we can all be careless and open a dodgy attachment, create redundant data copies and use unsanctioned cloud services. The same is true at a business level – more data is being created than ever, yet cloud and SaaS use means that data is disparate and more difficult to control or use effectively.” Neil Barton, CTO at WhereScape, added: “IT is critical to an organisation's ability to compete in our fast-paced, tech-centred world. Every day, IT professionals face the daunting task of ensuring IT infrastructure is primed and ready to deliver crucial and timely business insight. As companies require more frequent updates to their data infrastructure to match business needs and capitalise on emerging technologies, the role and organisational impact of the IT professional continues to expand. INTELLIGENTCIO 43