Intelligent CIO North America Issue 26 | Page 40

FEATURE : CIO STRATEGIES
Kevin Brown , SVP , EcoStruxure Solutions , Secure Power Division , Schneider Electric , discusses how new disruptive technologies , hybrid and distributed IT architectures and the need for actionable data insights surrounding cybersecurity , energy efficiency and sustainability , is changing the role of the CIO – forcing them to adapt and utilize both new skillsets and tech to futureproof their businesses and jobs .

The shift to the cloud brought many benefits and it has also added complexity to IT operations . For CIOs tasked with managing what has evolved into a sprawling hybrid IT architecture ( whether at the Edge , in distributed sites and / or in the cloud in a centralized data center ), it ’ s hard to recall a more challenging time .

In an age when every Edge data center and IT closet should be considered mission-critical , CIOs are in the spotlight . We are dependent on IT and every application is dependent on not just the data center , but also on all the connection points .
Most CIOs have resiliency of the systems at the top of their agendas and it ’ s fair to say that cybersecurity is a strong second . However , we also believe there is an emerging agenda item for CIOs : sustainability .
Resiliency , security and sustainability – a trifecta of responsibilities that could be keeping them up at night .
For the forward-looking CIO , it may be time to evaluate your infrastructure portfolio to ensure you have the capacity and availability to support these new requirements . And it is not just about IT but also about the physical infrastructure : the power and cooling equipment supporting the IT .

The three IT questions CIOs should be able to answer . . . but probably can ’ t

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