Technology Revolution: The Future of Now

Wow! You've got an amazing idea for the game-changing new product of the century. But no money to bring it to market. What to do? Start by begging for seed money from your FFF circle (family, friends and fools). If that fails, cast your hopes heavenward for an angel investor with start-up capital. Or, if you're dreaming big, find a venture capitalist with millions to invest in your potentially high-growth idea. Sound simple? Not so much. Your road ahead is paved with decision trees and gotcha traps. "Picking the right investor is one of the most crucial decisions for an entrepreneur. If you thought getting married is a commitment, try raising money," cautions SAP Ventures' Gaurav Tewari. Sand Hill's MR Rangaswami, a long-time angel, offers an election year analogy. "CEOs of startups and politicians have one thing in common – they are perennially raising money!" Pour a cup and join us for food for thought on the Sweet and Sour of Investing: Do's and don'ts of making the deal.

Pop quiz: Business intelligence aka "BI". (A) Alphabet soup? (B) Oxymoron? (C) Secret weapon that instantly makes your company smarter? Answer: C, but it's not that simple, says analyst Josh Greenbaum. "Business users don't understand data, and data geeks don't understand business. BI software has traditionally been among the top forms of shelfware in the enterprise. Most data warehouses are sanitary landfills." Asuret's Michael Krigsman adds, "Without a sense of focus and direction, BI and analytics become yet another source of useful data and clutter. In the end, vendors and users must work together to find ways of using data efficiently and in the service of concrete business purposes." And BI expert Jason Rose says, "Technology is an enabler. Having a strategy sets your roadmap for success. Executive sponsorship and partnering with the business…yeah yeah, we've all heard that before, but it's still critical and true!" Pour a cup and join us for How Smart Is BI Without A Strategy?

The mobile world isn't coming; it's already here. It's a fact of business your company has to deal with, and a serious game you'd better play to win. That means getting the right information in the right format to the right people at the right time and place. According to communications researcher Maribel Lopez, "Businesses face a dynamic landscape where both customer and employee demands are changing…There are three market shifts that are driving this change – Mobile, Social and Cloud." Communications strategist Bob Evans expands on this. "Here's a lovely contraction-y acronym-y thing: MoCoSoLo. That's Mobile, Collaboration, Social, and Localization. Forget the dumb term but think hard about understanding all of the implications that those forces will bring to bear on mobile behavior, mobile expectations, mobile experiences, and mobile commerce." Pour a cup and get the real scoop from our panel of experts on Mobility Goes to the Mall, the Hotel, the Airport...

"Demanding, vocal, impatient, and always right." If this describes your customers, are you tempted to just give up and find new ones? Don't do it, cautions Becky Carroll, author of The Hidden Power of Your Customers. "The popularity of social media and ubiquitous mobile phones have created the perfect storm for customer service - and companies need to get it right or suffer the very public consequences." How to win this challenge? According to Forrester's Megan Burns, "Enjoyable experiences are the first step to creating emotional connections with customers." And for Vision 33's Carl B. Lewis, it comes down to one key factor: "Like it or not, good business is still personal." For a reality check on how to keep 'em coming back for more, tune in as these experts are joined by Teradata's Alan Chow, Freshbooks' Saul Colt, and Virtual Graffiti's Hillel Sackstein for case studies from the customer's perspective. Pour a cup and join us for Love Thy Customer: What have you done for them lately?

Utilities. We only think about them when we flip a switch and the power doesn't come on – right? But utilities are businesses that must play to win in a competitive global arena with infrastructure, government, supply, economic and customer challenges. Ovum's Stuart Ravens warns, "Business and technology pressures are combining to create a virtuous – or vicious – cycle disrupting the utility business model. Utilities are struggling." Can they survive? The Smart Grid Library's Christine Hertzog helps utilities succeed in the Smart Grid ecosystem. Roque Marinho at COBB EMC is a fan. "The Smart Grid is the next frontier for all utilities. They have to do it now or later." But James McClelland, SAP Utilities and Energy Industry, notes, "The Smart Grid movement is real, but will only achieve its goals if utilities improve their relationship with end customers to properly market and reward energy efficiency." Join us for Game-Changing Innovation: Can Smart Grid Keep the Lights On for Utilities?

"Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best." This classic children's nursery rhyme should be a grown-up mantra for every company today. Either do it better - operate more efficiently and continually innovate to meet market demands - or succumb to rising costs and proactive competitors. But how? SAP's Peter Russo advises, "Many standard processes can be covered quickly, efficiently and at a much lower cost thanks to pre-configuration and new implementation techniques and tools. Not only does this bring a rapid ROI, but it frees up resources for where solution differentiation will have a stronger impact." T-Systems' Dr. Uwe Heckert sees an ICT service industry trend toward "simplification, standardization and flexibility," but adds, "Quality improvements and implementation speed increases in existing landscapes are still an issue." Pour a cup of Joe, Earl or OJ and join us for food for thought on Game-Changing Innovation: One Bit at a Time.

Tech leaders with a traditional "CIO" title face increasing pressure to change with the times. Why? According to Asuret's Michael Krigsman, "In the old days of corporate technology, experts guarded big computer centers and served as the high priests of technology. Few others were allowed inside their precious realm. Today, so-called 'consumerization of IT' means every department and function in a business has the potential to be its own IT department." Vala Afshar at Enterasys adds, "Consumers are driving the accelerated adoption of social, mobile and cloud technologies. Service delivery organizations must adapt quickly: culture, people, process and technology." What's going on here? Is this just a fashionable trend or a long-term impact on your company? Will provider-customer co-innovation continue? Can customer service be the key differentiator between you and your competition? Pour a cup of Joe, Earl or OJ and join us for food for thought on the 21st Century CIO Makeover: The Reveal.

"Show me the money", the iconic phrase from the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, still resonates in business and pop culture more than 15 years later. But before a company can see the money, they need to demand, "Show me the information." That's no easy task because growing your business requires getting the right information, in the right format, to the right people at the right time. Adding to your challenges, the total volume of digital data is expected to double every 18 months. According to Howard Dresner's recent Mobile Business Intelligence Market Study, we are "in the midst of a profound shift toward Mobile BI (and mobile computing). This paradigm shift will affect everyone and have as much impact as the Internet did, over time." However, this "proverbial 'moving target' of hardware and software standards presents difficulties to both customers and suppliers alike." Pour a cup of Joe, Earl or OJ and join the experts as they explore what happens when Business Intelligence Goes on the Road.

Valentine's Day: Love it if you receive "the perfect gift". Hate it if you don't know what gift to give or where to find it. If you're the latter, it's not all your fault, says Adrian Drury at Ovum: "You may not know what to buy your loved one, but your retailer does." As a game-changer holiday, Feb. 14 poses a double-edge relationship sword for retailers. Fail to help a consumer express their love, and that consumer will not love your brand. Why is this so difficult? Because of a sea change of customer buying behavior, says SAP's Jon Wurfl. Consider 37% of PriceGrabber® Valentine's Day Shopping Survey respondents who shop online or via mobile phone or tablet. And gender, age, generational and ethnic preferences of each customer, plus brand reputation word-of-mouth on social media. If you aspire to author Becky Carroll's gold standard - the Customers Rock company - pour a cup of Joe, Earl or OJ and join us for a Valentine's Day Post-Mortem: Are you a retailer we love to love?

What's in a name? Plenty, for today's 'CIO'. Given this tech leader's dynamically evolving role, their "I" stripe could be earned for bravery as an astute Integrator, game-changing Innovator, Infrastructure guru, Intelligence master – or some of each. But perhaps the title itself needs a makeover: 'CCEO' for Chief Customer Experience Officer. Alphabet soup aside, who is best suited for this transformed and transformative function? What comes to mind are Superman / Superwoman traits, like a bold, progressive, fearless IT leader who meets tough challenges head-on. A strategic thinker whose vision enables company-wide business agility to scale to new heights. And a positive-interaction advocate who deftly tears down traditional barriers between the IT department and business units. Listen as four experts discuss the evolving roles, goals and soul of today's technology leaders. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl or OJ and join us for food for thought on 21st Century Tech Leaders: What's In A Name?