Interop 2014: Mobile is here, cloud is next, SDN is coming

Grazed from NetworkWorld. Author: Brandon Butler.

Interop, one of the premier shows for networking each year, kicked off its general session on Wednesday proclaiming that a new era of IT is upon the world, led by a mobile revolution and supported by cloud computing. And more change is on the way as software-defined networking quickly matures into a platform for enterprises to seriously consider. Keynote panelists from Cisco, HP, Dell Citrix and Deloitte all spoke about the changes that are shaping the IT industry today and how practitioners can get their hands around these mega-trends.

Mobile: It’s here

Larry Quinlan, the global CIO of $32 billion international consulting firm Deloitte, spoke about how in this new era, IT leaders need to inspire their workforce to embrace these changes. It’s about creating a culture of passion for technology, he says. This can be done in a number of ways, but he said the key is to ensure that IT shops are not seen as enablers and inhibitors to technology…

The biggest way Quinlan did this was to embrace a mobile workforce. “People really care about mobile,” he says. One mistake Quinlan said he made was dictating the technology that employees could use. While the firm could get a great deal on a certain cell phone plan or networking speed, it didn’t lead to adoption. Instead, the programs were much more successful when his IT shop offered employees choice. Deloitte rolled out a store with more than 150 IT-approved apps that employees can use. Employees can choose from a list of approved laptops, cell phones and levels of connectivity. “The concept of choice got people talking,” he says, and engaging with the IT department. The key though, he said, is realizing the importance of having a mobile workforce, and having an IT shop that enables that…

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