Archive for March, 2011

Volvo: Managing Efficiency in Business Cycles

Magnus Carlander, a speaker at the marcus evans European CIO Summit 2011, cites the challenges facing Chief Information Officers as the world economy rebounds. Interview with: Magnus Carlander, Volvo Group CIO, President and CEO of Volvo IT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Today’s Chief Information Officers (CIOs) need to be more commercially aware than ever. A mix of both technical and business skills are needed as organisations look towards expansion whilst retaining the cost structures established during the downturn, according to Magnus Carlander, Volvo Group CIO, President and CEO of Volvo IT. A speaker at the marcus evans European CIO Summit 2011 in Cannes, France, 11 – 13 April, Carlander says CIOs need to prioritise to meet strategic Information Technology (IT) objectives in this new economic reality.

What are the key issues facing CIOs in Europe at the moment?

Magnus Carlander: Volvo has experienced the worst ever recession but we are rapidly recovering. The huge challenge now is to meet the increasing demands whilst still protecting the good behaviour and cost structures established during the recession. In one way it can be easier when operating in a recessionary environment, as there is just one thing to focus on – how to get out. However, as Volvo works to meet the increased demand it is experiencing, a strong focus must be placed on keeping costs under control. That is a tricky balance. It is a difficult management role to both decrease costs and increase growth simultaneously. 

How are CIOs adapting their strategies to today’s economic landscape?

Magnus Carlander: This is very dependent upon the type of organisation. For Volvo, we will be more centralised and take a much firmer grip from a group perspective than had been the case before. Yet at the same time we are in a very competitive situation and need to allow different markets to develop in their own rights. It is a dual situation.

Has Volvo invested in a virtualisation strategy?

Magnus Carlander: We are looking to reach a much higher degree of virtualisation than what we currently have. For server operations in the open environment we are still not where we should be. When it comes to the client environment we have just started but I see a lot of potential there in the coming years.

How can unified communications contribute to maintaining efficient cost structures?

Magnus Carlander: In response to the recession, unified communications have played a large role in bringing down the amount of travel by 60 per cent. Support in driving virtual meetings is now crucial. High-definition video conferencing technology is being used throughout the organisation, which is an extremely good alternative to costly travel. By implementing unified communications it will help us to limit unnecessary travel and maintain cost structures in the upturn.

What are your challenges as a CIO at the moment?

Magnus Carlander: As businesses have seen a dramatic upswing, this puts a lot of constraints on all parts of the organisation and the IT community. They have to react very quickly to the new reality. The big challenge for Volvo is to continue to drive growth in Asia and as a consequence more common global solutions are needed. Increased efficiency from both a business process and IT perspective in terms of portfolio costs is also a priority. At Volvo, we have spent far too much on the client environment in relation to our core applications and infrastructure cost. This is an area where the spending needs to be brought down without compromising any of our services. Mobile technology is going to continue to be a challenge and a risk in terms of cost and ensuring efficiency.

Contact:
Maeve McGovern
Group News and Features Writer
marcus evans
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the European CIO Summit 2011

This unique forum will take place at Majestic Barrière, Cannes, France, 11 – 13 April 2011. Offering much more than any conference, seminar or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The summit includes presentations on implementing smart cost reduction methods, improving IT capabilities and cloud computing.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.europeanciosummit.com 

marcus evans group – IT sector portal

Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

GlaxoSmithKline: Cloud Power Charging the IT Revolution

Cannes, France, March 15, 2011 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The ubiquitous challenge to do more with less has Chief Information Officers (CIOs) looking at an entirely new plan that is predicated on what is possible, instead of what is traditional. How to integrate this new reality into the strategic plan is a real call to action for CIOs, according to Daniel Lebeau, VP of Management & IS, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals. A speaker at the marcus evans European CIO Summit 2011 in Cannes, France, 11 – 13 April, Lebeau foresees that the CIO of the future will orchestrate a series of services provided by cloud computing.

What are the important issues facing CIOs in Europe at the moment?

Daniel Lebeau: In the 20 years that I have worked in Information Technology (IT), I have never seen a revolution like what we are experiencing today. There is a significant change happening because the Internet has become increasingly productive and both Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 are the everyday tools of people. In the past IT never really delivered because it was high in cost. We are now seeing an opportunity where it will deliver more than ever in the past, despite cost pressures. The new way of delivering software is a completely new model. There are fantastic opportunities, but many of them are not yet fully valued or developed. How to integrate them into the strategic plan is a challenge for CIOs today. 

How has the introduction of SAP added value to your organisation?

Daniel Lebeau: SAP has offered value in four areas – compliance, growth and globalisation, productivity and customer satisfaction. When processes are standardised it helps compliance as better control and authority can be demonstrated. For a pharma company in particular compliance is very important.

In GSK Biologicals, we double our revenue every three to four years, so to achieve that growth and globalisation, we need a strong platform with a high level of scalability. To increase customer satisfaction, we need to match demand to supply and therefore good planning processes are crucial. We must plan correctly from forecast to scheduling and we benchmark our IT costs every year. As a result of decommissioning 100 systems and building a single integrated instance, IT costs were 29 percent below that of our peers.

How do you see cloud computing evolving for IT services?

Daniel Lebeau: In five years time, the IT landscape will have been completely changed by cloud computing. In GSK Biologicals, we have moved all the mail, calendar and Internet functions to Microsoft’s cloud computing solution, relieving us of a lot of activities.

I see the CIO of 2020 as a type of delegate who will manage a series of information systems provided by the cloud externally. The difficulty is that this is an emerging type of technology and therefore I would advise CIOs to avail of cloud computing in areas where there is competition, such as with mail where there is competition between Google and Microsoft, and for customer relationship management, between Sales Force and Microsoft.

How important do you feel Web 2.0 is for the future of organisations?

Daniel Lebeau: It is extremely important all round, but it is most relevant to organisations that are directly in touch with their consumers. A B2B organisation is less affected by Web 2.0 than a customer-focused company. For an extremely regulated industry, such as the pharmaceuticals one, we should progress very carefully in these areas.

Contact:
Maeve McGovern
Group News and Features Writer, marcus evans
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the European CIO Summit 2011

This unique forum will take place at Majestic Barrière, Cannes, France, 11 – 13 April 2011. Offering much more than any conference, seminar or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The summit includes presentations on implementing smart cost reduction methods, improving IT capabilities and cloud computing.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – IT sector portal

Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Network Hardware Resale:
Why Buying Pre-Owned IT Equipment Could Make More Sense

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

There are tremendous opportunities for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to be more creative in their procurement and maintenance strategies, and to shift money spent on maintaining Information Technology (IT) to new strategies, says Mike Sheldon, Chief Executive Officer, Network Hardware Resale. From a solution provider company attending the marcus evans CIO Summit 2011, in Dallas, Texas, April 11-13, Sheldon highlights the reasons why purchasing pre-owned IT equipment can be the best option for many organizations, especially those returning to growth mode.

How can CIOs minimize operating costs?

Mike Sheldon: CIOs can be more creative with IT maintenance costs. The old paradigm of having one supplier, buying everything new and then having the manufacturer maintaining and upgrading hardware is very costly. Depending on the product, the secondary market can make more sense for some organizations. CIOs can save at least 50 per cent without decreasing the effectiveness of their operations.

The IT universe offers many opportunities for gaining efficiencies and increasing productivity, but new technologies are evolving so rapidly that an incorrect or bad implementation can actually destroy their value. Technologies must be well understood before they are put into operation, therefore it is critical to utilize experts in the field.

If companies are working with multiple vendors but still purchasing products of the same manufacturer, they are not leveraging competition the way they could. The single vendor strategy is completely outmoded. Instead, put these vendors in competition with a true alternative, either a secondary market participant or another manufacturer, in order to get savings of 50 to 90 per cent. This practice can also be deployed with maintenance, especially of legacy devices, which can result in annual savings of 50 to 90 per cent.
 
Many CIOs would be concerned with the quality and reliability of pre-owned and refurbished equipment. What are your thoughts?

Mike Sheldon: Cost is the number one reason CIOs look at the refurbished market, and quality is their number one fear. As with all markets, the secondary market has bad as well as top-tier, quality providers. The failure rate of the products NHR sells is actually lower than some new, out-of-the-box equipment, as we eliminate manufacturing defects through stringent testing.

Besides cost savings, are there other benefits to using such equipment?

Mike Sheldon: Another benefit is the availability of previous generation equipment. Many vendors evolve product lines rapidly, and while some advancements are real, there is not always an advantage to switching to newer models. If what you are using is working fine, looking to the secondary market to buy more after the manufacturer has discontinued its production is a real benefit. Everyone in the organization is already familiar with this equipment so it requires no additional training to operate.

Standardization is a common strategy for CIOs, who usually want to have similar infrastructure at all of their sites. Many organizations paused growth and expansion plans during the economic crisis, but as they recover now, CIOs are facing the dilemma of whether they should buy new equipment although current equipment is working fine or violate their principle of standardization and add complexity to the IT function. The secondary market allows CIOs to upgrade equipment on their terms and not when the manufacturer dictates, transferring power back into their own hands.

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the CIO Summit 2011

This unique forum will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Texas, April 11-13, 2011. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on virtualization, social networking and IT-business alignment.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – IT sector portal

Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

About Network Hardware Resale

Network Hardware Resale (NHR) is the leading provider of pre-owned and new networking solutions from Cisco, Juniper and Foundry. The company also offers value-added network management, maintenance and technical support services. Founded in 1986, the company supports a growing base of global customers from its Santa Barbara, Calif. headquarters and locations in Dallas, New York, Amsterdam, London and Singapore.
www.networkhardware.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com