News Release
| Forrester's IT Forum: Business Technology (BT) Will Be Driven By CEO-CIO Partnership |
LAS VEGAS, May 28, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --Many future chief executive officers (CEOs) will come from the ranks of 21st century business-minded chief information officers, Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns told more than 1,100 attendees at Forrester's IT Forum, Forrester's flagship IT event spanning 12 roles across IT and technology marketing professionals. Burns was among the senior business leaders -- including CIOs from JetBlue, Nike, Sony, and Starbucks -- that demonstrated how technology can transform the business. "For too long, the emphasis in information technology has been on the technology -- the latest and the greatest -- with all too little attention on the information our businesses need to run more efficiently and effectively," Burns said. "Forrester has taken the notion one huge step forward -- putting the emphasis not on information but on business." George F. Colony, Forrester's chairman and CEO, told the audience that the CEO is essential to the success of business technology (BT). For BT to succeed, according to Colony, the CEO must provide a clear high-level direction for the company, be a catalyst for bringing the business and technology together, and keep business and technology focused on strategic initiatives that drive the business forward. For their part, it is essential that CIOs be proactive, bring best practices and develop a point of view on priorities. One of the trends driving BT is the rise in the number of employees self-provisioning technologies, particularly social technologies, pervasive video, mobile, and cloud computing. In a keynote panel session, Forrester vice president, principal analyst and co-author Ted Schadler previewed Forrester's forthcoming book, Empowered, and addressed how professionals can leverage consumer technologies for business advantage. The panel included leaders from Best Buy, Stanley Black & Decker, and Sun Life Financial, all of whom are profiled in the book, which will be published by Harvard Business Press on September 14, 2010. Keynote speakers at the event included:
More than 75 Forrester analysts led more than 90 tracks sessions in 10 role-focused tracks. Attendees also had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with Forrester analysts, network with peers, and attend one of three pre-conference Workshops: Creating Your SharePoint Strategy,Justifying Technology Investments, or The Marketing Of IT. The Event also served as a backdrop for meetings of the Forrester Leadership Boards, Forrester's exclusive community of leading executives worldwide. The Leadership Boards' meetings that preceded IT Forum included the: Analyst Relations Council, Application Development & Delivery Council, CIO Group, Enterprise Architecture Council, Information & Knowledge Management Council, Infrastructure & Operations Council, Security & Risk Council, Sourcing & Vendor Management Council, and Technology Product Management & Marketing Council. IT Forum had more than 15 sponsors -- including platinum sponsor Microsoft and gold sponsors Lombardi, an IBM company, Microgen and SAP -- that participated in a Solutions Showcase. About Forrester Research Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) is an independent research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. Forrester works with professionals in 19 key roles at major companies providing proprietary research, consumer insight, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more than 26 years, Forrester has been making IT, marketing, and technology industry leaders successful every day. For more information, visit www.forrester.com. © 2010, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Forrester is a trademark of Forrester Research, Inc. SOURCE: Forrester Research, Inc. Forrester Research, Inc. |