Sadin on Digital episodes explore the fast-changing and high-stakes world of digital business. Wayne Sadin focuses in particular on what CXOs and boards must do to lead their companies successfully into the Digital Age. In today’s episode, Wayne and Bob use Wayne’s list of chief information officer (CIO) priorities for 2024 as a springboard to tackle topics such as the problem of Excel, multi-cloud strategies, and the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI).
Episode 47 | 2024 CIO Wisdom
The Big Themes:
- Multi-cloud strategies: Wayne advises against traditional server purchases, except for edge computing. He advocates for a multi-cloud approach, which aligns with the diverse landscape of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. He encourages CIOs to optimize cloud choices for different workloads. In the multi-cloud environment, vendors should be scrutinized based on security, data protection, and governance standards.
- AI and cybersecurity: There’s a perpetual arms race in cybersecurity. Wayne believes that AI, particularly large language models, introduces a significant shift, enabling adversaries to deploy smarter attack vectors. He urges increases in cybersecurity budgets, predicting that by 2024 or 2025, defensive AI implementations could tip the balance in favor of defenders.
- Tactical vs. strategic CIO: Wayne introduces the “four Ps” methodology (prioritize, patch, polish, perfect) as a framework for CIOs to manage daily challenges while envisioning future improvements. There’s a need for CIOs to balance tactical problem-solving with strategic vision. A successful CIO must navigate both aspects: be able to effectively address immediate issues as well as articulate a compelling vision for the future to stakeholders.
The Big Quote: “And so the message to CIOs is, if you’re buying servers, other than for edge computing, you’re investing poorly in 2024. I’m that blunt about it. My goal is never to buy another server in my life unless it’s an edge application.”
Stream the audio version of this episode:
Want more of the CIO and CTO perspective?
Connect with Wayne on LinkedIn or through his Analyst page.
