Technology trends of the future

Team EC / Mumbai

The CIO is no longer the backroom person processing reports and handing out bulky reports to management. The role of the CIO has changed rapidly over the years and today any extra knowledge about the competition and the market is the key to not only growth but also survival. No wonder the CIO is now labelled the nerve centre of the entire organisation, similar to the function of the brain in a human being or of the processor in a PC.

We at Express Computer and Network Magazine, arguably the country’s best in understanding both business and technology issues that a CIO faces, recognise not only the ever-growing stature of the CIO but also the growth pangs in adjusting to the New Economy where technology changes rapidly.

‘Technology Senate 2003’ is an event that will not only provide a glimpse of the future world of technology but also tackle day-to-day CIO issues head-on. Be it implementing a new enterprise-wide IT solution or a storage consolidation issue or simply choosing a new technology—this event is one place where you would learn to do things differently.

Unlike other technology events that are designed like ‘products’ and CIOs end up spending lots of money for tit-bits of information—Technology Senate 2003 is designed to be similar to a customised solution where every single CIO benefits, whatever be his/her field or sector. You can be sure of coming up with gigabytes of useful data, and not kilobytes as in other technology seminars.

From the experiences, suggestions and feedback from thousands of CIOs, Technology Senate 2003 has been divided into four distinct tracks:

• Enterprise Storage and data management.
• IT leadership and management.
• Enterprise continuity and disaster recovery.
• Enterprise infrastructure management.

Each track has been further divided into four sessions that will map the profile of every CIO and suit his/her information needs :

• Technology session: Everything you wanted to know about emerging technologies, standards and the way current technologies will shape up. This is a session where experts will share future insights that can go a long way in not just protecting but also enhancing your IT investments.
• Management session: Is business far from technology? Not at all if you look at the profiles of CIOs—a majority of them come from business backgrounds. This session will help in highlighting issues related to technology, implementation, integration problems and optimising them—according to different industry verticals.
• Best practices: How often have you wished for a best practices book through which you could learn from other CIOs experiences and identify and solve technology problems. Be prepared to keep your notebook, pen or handheld ready—there will be surely be a lot to write and preserve.
• Panel discussion : This is an open forum where different technology issues will be discussed and debated. Be prepared to list out your problems and get solutions from experts.

Technology Senate 2003 will also give CIOs access to information that can be put to use immediately. You can get comments from analysts on how you can make your organisation ready and well-oiled to change according to the ever changing rules of the New Economy.

As a famous proverb goes, ‘An ounce of example is worth a ton of advice’. We understand the importance of real examples and have included case studies to help users understand the impact different technologies can make in real-life scenarios.

Awards

Innovation is the key to success in any sphere and we are honouring Indian companies who have thought of innovative ways to drive growth through the use of technology. We recognise the significance of innovation and have scheduled the ‘Seagate Intelligent Enterprise Award’ to honour companies who have driven growth through innovation. The award process is designed and validated by Ernst & Young, while the information is collected and validated by IMRB.

Security is becoming an important thrust area for CIOs. To recognise the initiatives taken by CIOs in the area of information security, we are instituting the ‘SecureSynergy Security Strategist 2003 Award’. The award is meant to honour individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of information security.

In conclusion, this will be one event that will change the way events are traditionally organised and thought of. If your organisation needs an edge, make sure your CIO is present in Technology Senate 2003.

Compiled by Srikanth R P, Chitra Padmanabhan and Stanley Glancy

CIO speak
	S R Balasubramanian, vice president, IT, HDFC Bank I am not only looking at meeting different CTOs of the banking industry but also other verticals like manufacturing to find out the technology challenges they are facing. I am also interested in the ‘Best Practices’ session and will see if some of them can be incorporated in our organisation as well. We have just completed storage consolidation in our organisation. And now we are looking at server consolidation as we have certain applications within the organisation that are present in different servers and need to be consolidated. I am looking for ways to gather specific knowledge in this area and am keen to meet various vendors offering the same.
	Anil Garg, vice president, Set Max Technology Senate is a marvellous concept and something that has never been done in India. The event promises an opportunity to meet the best minds in the IT sector and also to discuss and hear new ideas. One more important thing is that by screening the list of CIOs you are ensuring the right mix of people, which is different from other events. Even if 20 percent of the ideas and concepts discussed in the agenda get covered, the event would be a huge success. Rajiv Rejda, head IT, Kodak Technology Senate is a good concept and will see a convergence of knowledge from different sectors.
	C Kajwadkar, vice president, NSE IT The event is an excellent concept. I am looking forward to the technology sessions where future technologies and their impact would be discussed. I also am looking forward to a lot of interaction with CIOs from different sectors.