Intelligent CIO Middle East Issue 97 | Page 32

EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

AS THE PACE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PICKS UP , WHAT ARE THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE THAT CIOS MUST MASTER AND WHAT ARE LIKELY TO BE THEIR PRINCIPAL CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD ?

Top executives from Barracuda Networks , ManageEngine , Epicor , Omnix International , Qualys , Veritas Technologies , SolarWinds , recommend the technologies and tools regional CIOs must master and key challenges to circumvent .
SIROUI MUSHEGIAN , CIO BARRACUDA NETWORKS

Cybersecurity should lead the list , being able to understand the breadth and depth of the technologies available for threat detection , endpoint protection , encryption and more .

It is important to have command of cloud computing platforms , for risk mitigation , scalability , and high redundancy and to consume modern , increasingly cloud-native solutions .
A command of data , reporting and analytics solutions is essential to help the enterprise make data driven business decisions . Other key platforms include remote computing technologies to support a distributed workforce , and automation , workflow solutions that can serve to simplify manual , disconnected processes .
Cyberthreats are a top pain point , but they also present an opportunity for CIOs to ensure brand and data protection are considered at every twist and turn . Digital transformation is another challenge – where are you on your digital roadmap and where do you want that road to go ?
Vendor risk management is complex and making sure vendors meet required standards is a major challenge . What do you do about budget constraints ? Technology moves at the speed of light , and skills gaps are a constant pain point .
A laboratory environment , where we can push boundaries , explore , learn , and run Proofs of Concept . Regardless of your approach , datadriven decision making is a must – combining the results of your POCs with employee behaviour and opportunities for operational efficiency to underpin and right-size the innovation you want to introduce .
It is important to have command of cloud computing platforms , for risk mitigation , scalability , and high redundancy and to consume modern , increasingly cloudnative solutions .
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