Technology Has Created New Task for Information Officers, Says IDC West Africa

The evolution of new technologies in today’s digital age has created new and challenging task for chief information officers (CIOs) across various sectors of the global economy, leaving them with the option to learn new technology skills that will help them manage their organisations profitably.

This was the assertion of the Country Manager, International Data Corporation (IDC) West Africa, Mr. Bola Adisa.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos recently, Adisa said the new task before CIOs, engendered by current technology trend, is the ability to have requisite knowledge of entire business management, through big data analysis, coupled with its initial task of systems administration.

According to him, the CIO must have basic skills in data analysis and management, in addition to systems management skills, which they are known for, in order to fit squarely into today’s technology business.

It is against this backdrop that IDC West Africa is organising its West African CIO Summit in Lagos next week, where over 150 technology leaders from across the globe are expected to attend.

The summit, which is billed to hold from May 13–14 at the Oriental Hotel, has its theme: ‘Where IT Meets Business’.

It seeks to drive home the importance of closely aligning Information Technology (IT) and business functions at a time when organisations across the region are faced with the challenge of implementing emerging products and services while simultaneously trying to improve operational efficiency.

“The event will attract more than 150 CIOs, technology decision makers, and government advisors from across the region,” IDC West Africa said.

According to Adisa, “The annual CIO Summit continues to grow from strength to strength and plays an important role in shaping and reflecting opinion across the region’s continuously evolving Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.”

He said: “IDC recognises that the ability to rapidly correlate IT project spending with critical business priorities is essential, with CIOs increasingly required to demonstrate the business value of their projects and embrace the strategic benefits their businesses are striving to achieve.

It is on this premise that the West Africa CIO Summit 2015 will explore the need for IT plans to encompass strong business metrics alongside the existing IT-related metrics that typically examine application delivery in isolation.”

IDC also announce the introduction of five unique, informative workshops based around its IT Executive Programes. Designed to help today’s time-constrained IT executives make more effective technology decisions, these sessions will serve up timely discussions on mitigating technology risks, maximising the effectiveness of IT investments, identifying and capitalizing on new IT opportunities, and implementing cutting-edge tech solutions that are tightly aligned with overall business objectives.