Bob Laliberte Part 2 - Brocade Tech Day - theCUBE
Channel: SiliconANGLE theCUBE
Date: 13/09/2012

Businesses today face a multitude of challenges, some of which I discussed in my last InFocus post.  Businesses must be more competitive in existing and new markets; must be more innovative in their products and services by using new sources of information; and must be more efficient, reducing costs and using their employees more strategically.

Numerous businesses have weathered the storms and capitalized on the opportunities that these challenges have presented. In some cases, the rapid change in market conditions propels transformations. In the case of Netflix, for example, the growth of high speed internet and the resultant customer expectations of consuming movies on demand, created a business crisis. Netflix leveraged the cloud to quickly create a streaming service that was both reliable and enhanced customer satisfaction through social features. This quick adaptation allowed them to compete better in a changing marketplace.

Another example of a company being innovative using new sources of information is Sanofi.  The pharmaceutical company adapted its model to leverage cloud technologies and IT services, streamlining drug development, clinical trials, data collection, analytics, etc. resulting in faster product timelines. Similarly, the federal government is using the cloud to be more efficient and lower the cost of delivering services through its portal www.usa.gov

The question is: How and where do you begin?

A fundamental business transformation is required. Businesses must acquire new capabilities to both withstand competition in existing markets and contend in new markets with new products, services, and demands for higher levels of customer satisfaction. Technology is a key enabler; however, it is not about technology alone. For example, if a business can release products or enable features more quickly, or if sales can close deals faster by conducting product demos on demand, it will provide the business with valuable competitive differentiation.   If organizations can onboard an employee in say 7 days, rather than the average 30 days it takes today, organizations can have a more productive workforce more quickly.