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Want to see what NCTA has planned this week?

We distribute our Weekly Update, which lists our upcoming events and partner events, to our membership each Monday.  As with all email campaigns, they can get caught in spam filters or just become part of the email noise that we all get throughout the week.

But, if you are visiting our blog and would like to read about our upcoming programming, visit http://goo.gl/bfaLos and you can view the Weekly Update as a web page.

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Charter Communications interviews NCTA CEO

Charter Communications, already a provider in various regions of North Carolina and in the midst of a proposed merger with Time Warner Cable, came to the State Capital recently to interview NCTA CEO Brooks Raiford about the state of technology in North Carolina.

Click here to view complete interview - https://youtu.be/v50kBd2y9eA

#NCSTIR #technology #tech trends #north carolina #ncta

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Jim Whitehurst discussed new book at NCTA Thought Leaders event

Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst presented to a full house this morning at NCTA's Thought Leaders sold out event. Jim discussed highlights from his new book, “The Open Organization:  Igniting Passion & Performance.” Prior to the event, a VIP room provided an opportunity for those members who were eligible to network with Jim and other tech sector representatives. Following the presentation, Jim signed books for those who attended.

#nctawhitehurst @openorgbook

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Aug. 27 CIO Peer2Peer Meeting Recap

The topic for the Q3 meeting of the CIO Peer2Peer Network was, "Moving Towards or Away from the Cloud."  The discussion was led by Dave Bullamore, Sr. Manager-Infrastructure Services – UNC Health Care (view meeting discussion slide deck). Thank you to our meeting sponsors, Cisco, EMC and CCCi.

What do you do with the cloud?  To this group of IT leaders, it was not a question of, “what does cloud mean?” but more, “what does the cloud mean to you?” The peer group spent a good bit of time discussing definitions of cloud and aaS offerings and how they vary quite a bit. But, but all seemed to agree that orchestration and automation were key elements to focus on.

Going further down the rabbit hole, the group discussed why they are using the cloud. Many discussed that there are more commoditized applications (email, Office365, CRM, etc.) work very nicely. Others talked about using it for the Disaster Recovery strategy or utilizing Amazon Web Services to quickly stand up a test environment for application development.

After covering the what and why, the group shifted to how. They discussed how to manage cloud apps that request resources from their network, which lead to an IT governance conversation. The consensus fell on interoperability, meaning that it doesn’t matter where the server is, as long as it has the computing power and delivers the applications needed.

As with many of these meetings, the conversation went beyond the one hour that is allotted. But, some questions were left outstanding. Some of those included:

Do you have the time to focus on monitoring or will you rely on the service provider? How do you manage the vendor? How valuable is the specialization? How do you manage an exit strategy with your cloud provider?

It was a great discussion and engagement. The next meeting of the CIO Peer2Peer Network will be on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The meeting sponsorships are still available (view sponsor menu). To learn more about the CIO Peer2Peer Network, visit the network page.

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What's worth reading this week!

Earlier in the week – StateScoop, a news website that features the latest leaders and innovators, news and events in state and local government technology, interviewed our CEO, Brooks Raiford.  David Stegon talked with Brooks about two major trends that are driving the state’s tech sector, cyber security and mobility.  As you can imagine, cyber security is very prevalent in Washington, DC.  We, at NCTA feel it is vital to NC as well.  Our first meeting of the Cyber Security Network is later this month and will explore this very topic.

As we just sent out a notice that our Triangle Emerging Tech + Trends breakfast is rescheduled for April 1, I received Peak 10’s (an ET+T Series Sponsor) Weekly Peak.  It was very timely and seemed like it was the first time I received it, so I thought it is only fitting to reference it in this blog.

The topic of the ET+T panel discussion will be, “Protecting Your Data in the Cloud”.  The title of this article…”Cloud Security Begins with Asking the Right Questions.”  It is a good read and a great tee up for the event’s discussion.  And if the article was particularly relevant, you should visit the ET+T event page and register today!

And finally, as I was focusing on panel recommendations for State of Technology, I ran across this article in iMedia CONNECTION.  “3 Wearables Marketers Must Follow” was the title, which fits very nicely into the theme of State of Technology (Preparing Your Business for the Mobile Revolution).  It talks about the obvious targets, like Google Glass and smart watches.  But, also an interesting bit on the biometric devices (pedometers on steroids).

All interesting reads – enjoy.

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The Triangle is the 1st Leg of the 2014 NC Tech Tour

Building on the momentum of last year’s NC Tech Tour, the NCTA team hit the Triangle, visiting with Bronto, EMC, Ipreo and Netsertive. There was a lot of activity on Twitter, so you can check out #NCTechTour for updates and photos as they happened. Thanks to headliner sponsor, Cherry Bekaert, for their support of the tour. Here is a quick recap of the day’s activities.

‏@RaleighWake tweeted at 10am <Excited to join!> RT@NCTA All tours for the #Triangle #NCTechTour this Thurs are full! Ride along virtually as we tweet our way through NC...

9am – Bronto Tour Bronto Software provides a cloud-based marketing platform for retailers to drive revenue through their email, mobile and social campaigns.  They have racked up an impressive array of business awards as well, including Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Fastest Growing Companies (2009-2013) and Triangle Business Journal’s Best Place to Work (2010-2012).

@NCTA tweeted at 9:30am Did you know @Bronto was the first tenant at the tobacco campus

11am – Ipreo Tour Ipreo is a global leader in providing market intelligence, data, and technology solutions to all participants in the global capital markets, including sell-side banks, publicly traded companies, and buy-side institutions.  They came to North Carolina for the talent, but not just IT talent.  They have a broad range of skill sets (business, liberal arts and technology) desired and the access to the universities was particularly appealing.  Downtown Raleigh was the right location as well, providing high energy and convenient location to places to live, eat and play.

@NCTA tweeted at 11:50am Want to know what @IpreoIR tech does?  Here's their infographic billboard. #NCTechTour @CherryBekaert 

2pm – EMC Tour EMC is a global leader in enabling businesses and service providers to transform their operations and deliver information technology as a service (ITaaS).  They have been a long time member and served in various leadership positions over that past years.

@NCTA tweeted at 2:30pm Some green facts about @EMCcorp #NCTechTour @cherrybekaert

3:30pm – Netsertive Tour Netsertive, an award-winning technology company based in RTP, enables businesses and brands to take the lead in driving local sales opportunities by unleashing the full potential of local digital marketing and channel marketing technology.

@AJKeefer tweeted at 4pm Visiting the power of the cow @Netsertive and the @NetsertiveCow with @NCTA #techtour

@ScottDuda tweeted at 3:40pm Too early to start heading to @carolinalehouse for @NCTA #Techworking event to end Day 1 of #NCTechTour ?

And it wasn’t.  100+ from the tech community met at the Carolina Ale House in Brier Creek for Techworking.  NCTA’s version of afterhours networking, Techworking is a great way to connect with the local tech community and have fun doing it.

@BeckaSipes tweeted at 6:15pm Thanks for another great event @NCTA! Great turnout!

For more information on the next NC Tech Tour stop, visit www.NCTechTour.com.

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TechVoice Interviews NCTA CEO

TechVoice recently spoke with Brooks Raiford, president and CEO of the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) and one of the recipients of the 2014 TechVoice Champion Awards. NCTA leverages events to advance its policy agenda, as well as links member companies with public sector contracts, fostering growth and opportunity for the North Carolina IT sector.

What are some of the initiatives you’ve implemented that have advanced NCTA’s policy agenda the most?

Back in 2008, when I started in my current role at NCTA, we launched a series of Congressional briefings. Several times a year in different regions of North Carolina, we invite members of Congress to a location within their district to talk with our member companies on relevant policy issues. Our members really have a chance to meet and hear from their representatives. The Congressional briefings have proved to be very popular. They display our Congressional activity to wider array of our audience, and they allow us to have a say in the conversation. We can set the tone for the types of questions or issues covered as well as the format of how we can engage with our Congressional members. These Congressional briefings have morphed into our new North Carolina TechVoice chapter. Our member offerings are now enhanced because of the added expertise and relationships with the CompTIA team. They know the chairpersons of relevant committees. They already know many members in Congress, as well as key staff members across the country. The TechVoice participation has improved the quality of our Congressional briefing activities.

Parallel to these events are the continued TechVoice Fly-Ins in February. Without having to organize it ourselves, a staff member and I meet with members of Congress and officials from across the country in a condensed space and time. This allows us to engage a little more deeply on some of the issues that are broadly of interest to the IT industry, not just specific to our state. We really get the best of both worlds.

For a number of years, we have also hosted a Tech Day at the Legislature, which focuses on North Carolina policy. We release our annual public policy agenda at a press conference with key legislators, have member companies exhibit in the interior courtyards of the legislative building, and take our volunteer leadership — like our board chairman and public policy chairman — to meet with the speaker of the house, the president of the Senate and other key committee members. This has given many members a unique exposure to the political process, and it’s also a more effective advocacy approach than relying on staff and lobbyists for representation.

For Tech Day, we let the House and Senate members know who will be there representing the tech sector and invite everyone to a breakfast in the legislative cafeteria. We usually get a very strong turnout; more than half of the legislature typically attends. We tell them about our sector [and] our growth [and] emphasize the importance of IT to the state. Then we fan out and our members visit their legislators and stroll the building. We also hold a press conference with key legislators and committee chairs to unveil our legislative ideas. We’re actually the envy of a lot of the other lobbyists and associations because very rarely does an industry group have the kind of broad appeal that we do. Everybody wants to be associated with technology! Others always marvel that we have legislators who literally find out we’re having a press conference and then line up for a chance to say a few words about how strongly they support the tech sector — even ones we haven’t formally invited.

NCTA is not viewed as partisan at all. We have very strong relationships with both parties and in the governor’s office. It’s a great position to be in, which our members appreciate. As a result, we are able to get our voice heard during the course of the year to express a concern or to encourage action in certain ways. Tech Day just helps consolidate that visibility and gives our members a chance to be with us.

Which NCTA policy successes have fostered growth and opportunity for the SMB IT sector?

The North Carolina legislature this past year attempted to reform the state tax system, including elimination of almost all tax credits. We fought to save the R&D tax credit, which had an $80 million budget impact. We were successful despite both the House and Senate eliminating it in their initial budget drafts — and it is highly unusual to get something back when it’s absent from both chambers’ proposals.

In a previous session, we successfully fought a proposal to begin applying state sales tax to the purchase of software by businesses, and we were able to strike from the proposed budget a provision that would have mandated that the state of North Carolina claim partial ownership of intellectual property when vendors provided IT solutions to state agencies.

Success in lobbying is often what you keep from happening versus what you make happen. That’s true for us. There are occasions when we have an initiative we promote and try to get legislation to pass, but often times we work hard to educate legislators or legislative staff about why a certain action or activity might do more harm than good. We spend a lot of time playing defense in that way. Fortunately, most of the time no one is trying to do harm to our industry; it’s just maybe a bill or some detail within legislation that might do our sector harm.

We pick up on that and ask for either an amendment or removal of a certain provision. We’re usually pretty successful. We keep an eagle eye on the legislation details to ensure we don’t let unintended consequences pass through.

You’ve linked members with public sector contracts. How do you foster these?

We offer a government vendor network, which meets regularly during the year. We invite various leaders including the executive branch, legislators and staff, as well as various state agency CIOs, to meet with our members who do business with the state. These officials share their priorities regarding procurement and deployment of IT within their agencies, and the vendor community shares their ideas and concerns. This ongoing dialogue has led to a collaborative approach to policy and procedure development.

A lot of our lobbyists and members are plugged in and can get meetings anytime they want, but they say going to a meeting under the association’s umbrella is a lot more relaxed, open and frank than when they go in wearing their own vendor hat.

More recently, we launched an RFP portal so that both companies and governments can post RFPs that are viewable by our members. This is a great way for our members to become aware of opportunities that may not otherwise be on their radar. For a company that doesn’t do state procurement very often, it’s just easier for them to go to our site, find something and then pursue it.

How does participating in TechVoice as an alliance partner help your organization be successful?

TechVoice enhances the quality of our advocacy efforts in several ways. We’ve merged our Congressional briefings into the TechVoice model, and have incorporated experts and expertise from CompTIA. We also benefit from the network that TechVoice provides with other state and regional technology associations, which share their activities and priorities with each other on a regular basis. It’s very helpful to know who might be dealing with similar issues, opportunities and challenges and be able to glean insights from them. It’s also very helpful to get federal policy updates and action opportunities directly from TechVoice and CompTIA. We know we can trust the quality and credibility of information that we get.

We have Capwiz — an online tool that allows messages to be sent to key legislators at the state and national levels — but we haven’t used it as much as some other states. Enter a ZIP code and the program comes back with all the information about who the area legislators are and how to contact those legislators. We have Capwiz integrated into our website, but it’s not something we have promoted as widely as we could. I think that’s one thing we’d like to do a better job of in the future.

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NC Tech Tour: Triangle

Epic Games (Website) Epic creates world-class video games and game development technology. Epic’s headquarters are located in Cary, with approximately 200 employees (300 total employees). They license their Unreal Engine technology to studios all over the world. It has been used for hundreds of successful PC, console and mobile games, including our Gears of War, Infinity Blade and Unreal franchises, as well as the BioShock, Borderlands, Mortal Kombat and Unreal Tournament series of games.

What separates Epic Games from the competition is their sense of pride and motto that “Everything we do is Epic.” An example of this is their company perks, like a one-story slide, rock climbing wall, fully stocked kitchen, catered meals, gym, yoga room, and company grill. Marc and Ryan were like a kid in a candy store posing with a life size version of Marcus from Gears of War, posing with the weapons in the motion capture room and riding down the 1-story slide to the break room.

WebAssign (Website | Follow on Twitter) WebAssign, the company’s flagship product, is a flexible and fully customizable online instructional system that puts powerful course management tools in the hands of teachers enabling them to deploy assignments and instantly assess individual student performance. They are located on NC State’s Centennial Campus, with 180 of their 189 employees located there.

The most obvious and beneficial aspect of their North Carolina location is the historical connection to NC State University and close proximity to the excellent higher education choices that NC offers. Working in an academically infused environment has created a culture for their employees, where continuous learning, enthusiasm for innovation, and synergy with customers are the norm.

Bandwidth (Website | Follow on Twitter) Bandwidth is a communications technology company that’s transforming the way people communicate, challenging the standards of old telecom. Their mission is to unlock remarkable value from IP networks, question the status quo, and help people interact with technology and one another, oftentimes in ways they never dreamed possible. Bandwidth is based in Raleigh, with approximately 290 employees. They also have offices in Denver, San Francisco, Seattle and New York, totaling 359 employees.

When asked about their culture, Bandwidth told NCTA, “We love a fast pace, a new path and shaking up the status quo. We love what we do, but we're more than just workers. We're mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, and friends. We fearlessly live, recklessly dream, and always put integrity first. We do things to encourage our employees to live a full, balanced life, including offering 90 minutes at lunch to work out; paying 100% of insurance benefits; and events to encourage innovation, like hack-a-thons.”

Brooks Bell (Website | Follow on Twitter) Brooks Bell helps companies, using enterprise-level testing platforms such as Adobe®Test&Target™, Monetate and Optimizely, to expand their internal testing capabilities and scale their optimization practices. Their testing strategy results in a data-driven company culture, more clarity about customer needs, and a better user experience.

Techworking at Natty Greene's The Tech Tour concluded with our largest Techworking event. Nearly 100 turned out for some great food, microbrews and other adult beverages. Thank you to Carolina Advanced Digital for sponsoring the event.

View all of our photos and updates on Twitter and Instagram. Recaps of each regional visit can be found on the NCTA Blog.

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NC Tech Tour: Wilmington

1st Stop – Castle Branch (Company Profile) The first stop of the day was at Castle Branch, which offers employment screening, background checks and drug testing solutions to help businesses and institutions make safe and informed hiring decisions. This is a great example of a company that is taking a necessary business operation and building a business by integrating technology to the process.

NCTA sat down with Castle Branch’s leadership team including: Joe Finley (President), Derric Becker (VP, Strategic Relations), Kelli Davis (CIO), Elizabeth Bloch (Business Development Manager) and Audrey Speicher (Business Development). Positive growth is in Castle Branch future, as they are finishing up construction on a new building right next to their current one. They experience seasonal growth and have great relationships with UNC-W to bring in interns. Kelli said their interns do real work! They have hired 2 interns full-time this year and hope to add one more. In addition, they hire a good number of contractors for their busy season and anticipate keeping 20% of them afterwards.

Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UNC-W (Website) Next the team stopped at the University of Wilmington for a partner’s roundtable and lunch. Through events, opportunities, research, education and building relationships, the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) has built a large community of entrepreneurs and a mentor program where experienced entrepreneurs can mentor nascent ones as they build and expand their businesses. Among the companies housed here are Next Glass and CloudWyze, both of which are NCTA 21 Awards Finalists.

Nearly 40 area leaders attended the partners luncheon to discuss the workforce landscape in Wilmington. The common challenge that was discussed is attracting experienced IT talent to the area. Quality of life is definitely one benefit, with the beach access and great weather. So, the hope is to continue to raise the awareness of opportunities in this area.

Corning Cable (Website | Follow on Twitter) As the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics, Corning invents, makes, and sells keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications, and life sciences. The team enjoyed a tour of the manufacturing plant, where they saw the entire life cycle of fiber optics.

OpinionLab (Website | Follow on Twitter) The final stop on the Wilmington leg of the NC Tech Tour was at OpinionLab, the global leader in omnichannel Voice of Customer (VoC) feedback solutions. They have an impressive client list that includes half of the Fortune 50 organizations such as Walmart, Bank of America, and Ford Motor Company, just to name a few.

We asked Rand Nickerson, OpionionLab’s Founder & CEO, to comment on his view of the state and tech sector. “North Carolina is known for two things: its emerging tech industry, which we are proud to play a leading role in, and its killer beaches, which our employees have been known to frequent after work hours. Our company takes on the spirit and character of North Carolina. We're relaxed, while fully professional, and casual, while being fully results-oriented.”

NCTA is very excited to integrate OpinionLab’s voice of customer SW to its website. So, look for the [+] on our website soon.

Techworking at Front Street Brewery A great turnout of 40+ showed up at the Front Street Brewery for NCTA’s version of after-hours networking, or Techworking. Attendees enjoyed great conversations and connections, and a few cool beverages.

View all of our photos and updates on Twitter and Instagram. Recaps of each regional visit can be found on the NCTA Blog.

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NC Tech Tour: Charlotte

Packard Place Packard Place is the hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in Charlotte. Their mission is to develop fast-growth businesses and the professional community to drive them. Packard Place allows startups and innovative organizations to be housed in one physical location in the heart of Uptown.

Co-founder, Dan Roselli, gave a tour of the facilities, where the NCTA team met with a number of emerging companies. You can follow Packard Place on Twitter, Facebook or their website (www.PackardPlace.us).

Deal Cloud DealCloud helps investment bankers centralize and streamline their workflow. Buyers and investors leverage their SaaS product to source high-quality, actionable deals. A pioneer in M&A software, DealCloud provides an end-to-end platform for sophisticated and confidential execution.

The team met with Founder & COO, Rob Cummings, who is very excited about the company’s projected growth (expected to double in size in the upcoming year). DealCloud is a finalist for the Emerging Company category at the NCTA 21 Awards.

Pinstripe Pinstripe helps businesses make more money through a wide range of business, technology, and marketing services. They bring together disparate systems and business domains to enable new revenue opportunities and reduce operating costs.

In addition to his success with Pinstripe, Dan Colby (President & CEO) announced that he is co-founding a new company (Canopy Software Solutions) an announcement is expected shortly.

Tresata Will Roberts is part of the new generation of Data Scientists that started Tresata, a predictive analytics company that is revolutionizing how data delivers insights to help companies (like Harris Teeter) get, grow and keep customers. And they are hiring!

DC74 DC74, a privately held, Charlotte-based company, owns and operates two data centers in North Carolina. Their mission is to provide reliable, secure, and flexible infrastructure to any business or enterprise of any size, they are proud to provide data center services to Packard Place.

The NCTA team met with Ken Bryson, Director of Sales & Marketing, and Christina White, Sales & Marketing Manager, pictured above.

Cardinal Solutions The NCTA team stopped by Cardinal Solution's future home on the 5th floor of Packard Place, which has a great view of the new Charlotte Knights ballpark.

The NC Tech Tour continues to the Triad.  You can get real-time updates on the NCTA team's activities on Twitter and Instagram.  We will also be recapping the day on the NCTA Blog.  So, check back soon.

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NC Tech Tour: Western NC

Stop #1 – CommScope The first stop in Hickory took NCTA to CommScope’s brand new visitor facility, where they were welcomed by Burk Wyatt, SVP & General Counsel and NCTA Board Member; Mark Olson, EVP & CFO; and Joe Depa, Communications Manager. Scott Millar, President of Catawba County Economic Development Corp. and Mark Fleming, District Director for Rep. Patrick McHenry’s Office were in attendance as well.

The visitor center featured a scaled version of a macrocell tower and CommScope’s Patent Wall.  The team viewed a documentary on how CommScope technology powers the world’s largest in stadium video board, fan safety management, and the ultimate technological experience for fans at Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

When asked why they are a member of NCTA, the CommScope team replied, “Being a member allows us to band together with other technology companies in North Carolina in achieving the same goal together—to provide and design best-in-class technology that will better the lives of everyone.” You can join CommScope’s social media network on Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Instagram.

  Stop #2 – Google Later that morning, the NCTA team landed in Lenoir to visit Google, which took advantage of regional resources, like affordable power, to build one of the most state-of-the-art data centers in North Carolina. Enoch Moeller, IT Site Leader for Google and NCTA Board Member, led a tour of the facility.  Ryan was blown away by the sci-fi theme of the office and awesome cafeteria, complete with free sodas and a game room that had foosball, Xbox and Wii systems.

Enoch shared Google’s constant pursuit of operational efficiency. Whether it is power supply for servers, cooling systems or waste disposal, everything is built to get the highest yield with the lowest environmental impact – take a virtual tour of the data center. Google’s commitment to the region is to bring jobs to Lenoir and hire from the local workforce. They fill the talent pipeline through relationships with local community colleges.

  Stop #3 – Moog Music The last member tour of the day was with Moog Music. The team was greeted by Michael Adams, President & CEO, and Emmy Parker, Senior Brand and Marketing Manager. Kipper Schauer and Kamran Valanejad, from Moogfest, were also there. Moog Music designs and manufactures electronic musical instruments. They are headquartered in Asheville with approximately 50 employees. Click here to see Moog in action or visit the Moog factory.

The day ended with a Techworking event at Highland Brewing Company.  Thank you to ERC Broadband for sponsoring this networking event.

The team is in Charlotte bright and early tomorrow. Be sure to follow all of their activity through Twitter (#NCTechTour) and Instagram. Visit www.NCTechTour.com for complete information on the tour.

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Collaboration Tools Can Help Accelerate Innovation

Discussion began with how the workforce is changing to a work anywhere, anytime mentality.  The millennial generation is redefining interaction and communication through texting, social media, sharing, and video communication.  And it is very common to see them using their personal tools and online experiences to achieve collaboration without every meeting in person.

But there are also some challenged to this technology that has slowed the adoption rate.  One is the question as to whether true collaboration is occurring with video conferencing.  The ability to connect one-to-one or one-to-many is now easy.  But, the platform still tends to be a presenter style format.  For example, if multiple parties are working on a sales presentation, individuals can view and make suggestions.  But, it is difficult to have both parties annotate, track changes, or make comment on the changes made.  This is especially true when you are dealing with external parties.  Dwayne McNeil from Carolinas HealthCare System said the key is what you do with the tools, not just the technology itself.

Another potential challenge for adopting the collaboration tools is getting non-technical people comfortable with the technology (especially video).  One also has to consider appropriate use of collaboration tools, as North Carolina CIO Chris Estes pointed out the recent example of the AOL CEO firing an employee on a conference call, and the resulting PR fallout.  We live in an “always-on” world and need to be careful about communications.

The fact of the matter is that there are many scenarios where online collaboration is necessary.  The network talked about various ways that they approach connecting off-shore development teams, global infrastructure teams, remote support teams, and distributed project teams.  So, the issue of culture was raised.  Collaboration can be stifled when working with a culture that is used to being told what to do.

Another topic raised was the effectiveness of collaboration tools in building relationships between people in disparate locations.  While there is some evidence that relationships can be built from scratch over collaboration tools, the majority of the group felt that building in-person relationships first was more effective.  As Peter Jones from MetLife stated “Good collaboration is based on relationships.” 

This reinforces the importance of face-to-face interactions, both in the workplace and external networking opportunities.  Online collaboration tends to be most effective when there is a foundational relationship between the two parties to begin with.  This is a great plug for the events portfolio that NCTA offers to provide a forum for business leaders to connect.

Thank you to our meeting sponsors CTS, CCCi and Cisco.  If you are an IT leader whose primary responsibilities are for the internal infrastructure or applications for your company and you would ike like to join the CIO Peer2Peer Network, please visit the CIO Peer2Peer Network Page or contact Marc Montoro.

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Big Data: In Spite of the Hype, it’s Real

Panelist Steve Page, Technology Area Manager of Wells Fargo, built a team and invested in a centralized big data platform to share knowledge across the bank. The platform helps the bank manage risk better, and allows them to take better care of customers. “There are things you can do that are impossible with a relational database” said Steve.

Steve was joined by Greg Blair, Data Warehouse Architecture Manager at Cisco; Todd Wilkes, VP of Enterprise Solution Development, at Premier Inc.; and moderator Kurt Lueck, Managing Director of BI and Analytics, at Pactera. The panel held an engaging discussion on how big data was critical to their organizations, and how it differs from traditional BI solutions. At Premier, Todd said that the new buzzword is “fast data”. They want to influence and/or change patient care before they leave the hospital so they have better outcomes.

The panel discussed some of their current big data initiatives. Greg said that at Cisco they get lots of great ideas from the business groups, from managing intellectual property, to managing server traffic, to monitoring social data to see what people are saying about Cisco. “The business knows how valuable the data is” said Greg, and they come to IT with both the idea and the budget. Steve relayed that one of Wells Fargo’s best use cases has been a project to obtain a 360 degree view of the customer.

Data visualization tools are emerging to drive better utilization of big data. “Enable the curious and creative” was the term Greg said they used at Cisco. Some users have taken advantage of the R Project for Statistical Computing toolset for reporting and graphics. Big data tools are requiring new ways to validate data, and they provide a lower cost way to obtain initial data collection. The panelists said that big data tools like Hadoop can be used to do initial filtering and analysis, followed by using a traditional relationship database on a data subset. “Sometimes you say ‘you can do that in Oracle’” said Steve, so projects need flexibility in their business requirements and follow more of an iterative approach. “You don’t want this to be a black box, and you don’t throw out traditional needs.”

The audience participated with several questions from the floor, and Kurt kept the panel moving on a fast pace throughout the session. While the benefits of big data tools are becoming clearer with each new project, many implementations are exploratory in nature. “We may discover opportunities as we go along” said the panel. “We need to explore what’s possible.”

Thank you to the Charlotte Chamber for hosting the event, to WorkSmart as our Title Sponsor, and to Pactera for moderating the session. The next Emerging Tech + Trends meeting will be on November 13, where Series Sponsor, Vaco, will lead a discussion on security and its role in compliance.

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June 6 CIO Peer2Peer Meeting Recap

Sourcing has been driven by the bottom line.  Companies have shifted from an outsourcing model, brought everything back in-house, only to start shifting some commodity IT services back out.  Phone and email were those mentioned that companies were more apt to outsource, in order to reallocate resources to more business critical operations, like R&D.  The question that was raised on this point was, “Who owns the data?”

This change in sourcing strategy has led to a shift in the skill set of the IT worker.  As fewer hours were spent on the tactical side of IT, more focus could be spent on the business.  This reminded me of an earlier discussion about how the CIO role has been shifting from a Chief Information Officer to a Chief Integration Officer.  Executive teams are looking to their CIO to be able to integrate, or bridge, all of the solutions that are either delivered by the internal IT team or by the solutions providers.  Then, the challenge is applying technology to business operations that, in turn, create a competitive advantage.

The discussion concluded with a look at mobility’s impact on the workforce.  First, how companies are addressing BYOD and how it is more affordable to provide a stipend to the employee and let them choose the device.  This model means IT is not responsible for support.  In addition, tablets are starting to overtake laptop usage.  This is driving the need for a MDM (Mobile Device Management) strategy to ensure proper access is provided, which data is protected.

Thank you to Peyman Zand, Director of IT Strategy for Rex/UNC Healthcare for moderating the discussion, and to those attending.  Also, thank you to CCCi and MATRIX Resources for sponsoring this meeting.  And thank you Cisco for providing their Telepresence facilities to host the meeting.

CIO Peer2Peer is a peer group platform that NCTA hosts to provide a forum for CIOs (and equivalents) to have an open dialogue with their peers.  If you manage internal IT operations for your organization and are looking for an opportunity to have a discussion with those that face similar issues, contact Marc Montoro to learn more.

[marcmontoro]

State of Technology Recap: Opening Keynote

Craig’s presentation, titled “Smarter Commerce: Your Customer in Context”, began by discussing memorable events in his personal life that left him with positive feelings about certain brands.  “Everyone has memories of being treated well as a customer or when you may not have been treated well…these memories tend to stick in your mind,” stated Hayman.  The goal, according to Hayman, is to create more of the positive experiences and this all starts with “human connection”.  He went on to state that this gets much more difficult when companies are reaching out to a broader audience. 

In order to create what he termed as “chief executive customers,” a company’s message has to be personal, seamless, and relevant.  The message also needs to reach your audience at exactly the right time.  While admitting that he did not have a magic recipe, he felt that IBM had the right view, which is to connect everyone in your company whether they are selling partners, trading partners, distribution partners or your market agencies, in order to make it work. 

He also had the following tips:

Market to your audience as though it is a personal relationship

Sell something to your customer wherever they are.

Know what customers want before they do.

Take everything you are doing and center it on the customer.

When all of these work in harmony, you create memorable moment with your customer.  A negative situation results when one is out of sync.

IBM calls this journey, Smarter Commerce.  What’s the payoff for their customers?  For every $1 spent, $12 is generated.

[marcmontoro]

The Tech Sector Shows its Strength at the General Assembly

NCTA members came out in full force for Tech Day at the Legislature on February 27.  The goal of this day was to highlight the vital role the tech sector plays in North Carolina’s economy, emphasize how technology can help gain efficiencies in government operations, and make note of any legislative priorities in the session related to IT policy, including procurement and deployment within State Government.

Job Creation – the right mix of tax and regulatory policies, along with infrastructure investment will encourage both entrepreneurs and established businesses to grow

Education – support policies that encourage STEM education and careers, including the use of technology in the classroom and in workforce training.

Government Efficiency – technology can play a significant role in helping government operate more efficiently

NCTA believes that attention to these priorities will enable North Carolina to more strongly emerge from the economic downturn and be well-positioned for growth. 

The day began with a Legislative Breakfast with nearly 150 NCTA members and lawmakers.  The day then moved to the press room, where NCTA reviewed its 2013 Legislative Agenda, along with supportive remarks by Rep. Jason Saine (97th District), Rep. Joe Tolson (23rd District), Sen. Andrew Brock (34th District), and Sen. Jeff Tarte (41st District), who all spoke on the importance of technology in job creation, education excellence, and government efficiency.

Tech Day concluded with 25 member companies exhibiting in three of the four quadrants of the General Assembly building, demonstrating the breadth of our sector.  Exhibitors include:  Accenture, Advanced Internet Technologies, Alphanumeric Systems, AT&T, Avaya, CGI, Cisco, Citrix, Extreme Networks, HP, IBM, ImageSoft, INRFOOD, Integral Solutions Group, Lenovo, LexisNexis, Lobbyguard, Mac Source Communications, Microsoft, Motorola Solutions, NC FIRST, Red Hat, SciQuest, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon.

The Government Affairs Network is open to NCTA members only, and keeps them updated on relevant legislative initiatives and serves as a collective voice for North Carolina’s tech sector to local, state and federal government.  For more information, visit the Tech Day at the Legislature Page or the Government Affairs Network Page.

[marcmontoro]

NCTA Announces 2013 Board Members at Outlook for IT

The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), the primary voice of the technology industry in North Carolina, held elections for seats on its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee at the Association’s Annual Meeting and Outlook for IT held on February 2 in Charlotte.  This luncheon event was attended by a sell-out crowd of over 400, and featured presentations from Michael Smith, Research VP at Gartner; Mike Manos, CTO of AOL Services; and Tom Becker, VP-Recruiting of Experis.

Allen West, President & CEO of Railinc, was named NCTA Chairman of the Board.  West joined Railinc in 1999 and was named CEO and president in 2006.  Under his leadership, Railinc has been recognized as an information technology leader and as a “best place to work.”  Railinc won the Industry Driven Technology Company award at the 2009 NCTA 21 Awards and has been a finalist in the past two years for the Industry Driven Technology Company and the Customer Service Company awards.  West has 25 years of experience in information ology and business management with leading companies in the transportation sector, including Sea-Land Service Inc., Tenneco Inc.; and Norfolk Southern Corp.

In addition to West, the following new and returning Board Members were elected:  Harvey Braswell, President, Alphanumeric Systems; Ken Chinchar, Regional Vice President, tw telecom; Ted Claypoole, Attorney, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Herb Crenshaw, Executive Director, Government Affairs, AT&T; Chris Crespi, Enterprise Sales Manager, NC & SC, Microsoft; Yi Deng, Dean, UNC – Charlotte, College of Computing & Informatics; Chris Hare, CEO,  nTete; Jeff Hoffman, CFO, Bandwidth; Enoch Moeller, Operations Manager, Google; Brad Phillips, RVP-Government Relations, Time Warner Cable;  Buffie Rodri, Managing Director, Accenture; Carolyn Saacke, Managing Director, NYSE Euronext; Sandy Sands, Member, Nexsen Pruet; Ron Unger, President & CEO, WorkSmart; and Mark Wright, CIO, Inmar.