What is it like being the CIO of a large corporation that specializes in delivering solutions for other CIOs? NetApp's CIO Cynthia Stoddard sat down with The Cube hosts to talk about it at VMworld 2013. Wearing a VMware baseball jersey with AT&T Park in the background, Stoddard revealed some of the inner workings of NetApp's IT operations and how the company has adapted to the changes in the storage market.
Stoddard stressed that in order to survive the myriad of changes, an organization has to be willing to embrace the trend, be cognizant of how to keep the system running, and inspire those involved to take on the challenges of new tech and be able to experiment. If they cannot, they will end up with something that will not scale and will not be agile.
When asked what the winning formula was for someone in IT, Stoddard suggested they should focus on adding value to the business. They need to understand what the business challenges are and be able to look at the tech portfolio and pull out from it just what the business needs. Part of that winning mindset is to embrace the unknown and do not be afraid to look to the future and see what it can do for the organization.
She also recommended that companies wishing to push the envelope of innovation incubate those new ideas in playground or sandbox-like environments where the developers are free to experiment, but they should also allow others to peek in and try new things as well. NetApp's own internal cloud was born in this type of environment.
For NetApp, the way they handle people, process, and technology has been evolving. They have moved beyond thinking in terms of a silo and instead work as one team. The team must be able to sit in the seat of the end user and look at issues from their perspective. It is more about service than it is about technology.
Cynthia Stoddard, NetApp, at NetApp MVP Event at VMworld 2013 with John Furrier and Dave Vellante
#thecube
#vmworld
Forgot Password
Almost there!
We just sent you a verification email. Please verify your account to gain access to
NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013. If you don’t think you received an email check your
spam folder.
In order to sign in, enter the email address you used to registered for the event. Once completed, you will receive an email with a verification link. Open this link to automatically sign into the site.
Register For NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013
Please fill out the information below. You will recieve an email with a verification link confirming your registration. Click the link to automatically sign into the site.
You’re almost there!
We just sent you a verification email. Please click the verification button in the email. Once your email address is verified, you will have full access to all event content for NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013.
I want my badge and interests to be visible to all attendees.
Checking this box will display your presense on the attendees list, view your profile and allow other attendees to contact you via 1-1 chat. Read the Privacy Policy. At any time, you can choose to disable this preference.
Select your Interests!
add
Upload your photo
Uploading..
OR
Connect via Twitter
Connect via Linkedin
EDIT PASSWORD
Share
Forgot Password
Almost there!
We just sent you a verification email. Please verify your account to gain access to
NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013. If you don’t think you received an email check your
spam folder.
In order to sign in, enter the email address you used to registered for the event. Once completed, you will receive an email with a verification link. Open this link to automatically sign into the site.
Sign in to gain access to NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013
Please sign in with LinkedIn to continue to NetAPP MVP Event | VMworld 2013. Signing in with LinkedIn ensures a professional environment.
Are you sure you want to remove access rights for this user?
Details
Manage Access
email address
Community Invitation
Cynthia Stoddard, NetApp | NetApp MVP Event at VMworld 2013
What is it like being the CIO of a large corporation that specializes in delivering solutions for other CIOs? NetApp's CIO Cynthia Stoddard sat down with The Cube hosts to talk about it at VMworld 2013. Wearing a VMware baseball jersey with AT&T Park in the background, Stoddard revealed some of the inner workings of NetApp's IT operations and how the company has adapted to the changes in the storage market.
Stoddard stressed that in order to survive the myriad of changes, an organization has to be willing to embrace the trend, be cognizant of how to keep the system running, and inspire those involved to take on the challenges of new tech and be able to experiment. If they cannot, they will end up with something that will not scale and will not be agile.
When asked what the winning formula was for someone in IT, Stoddard suggested they should focus on adding value to the business. They need to understand what the business challenges are and be able to look at the tech portfolio and pull out from it just what the business needs. Part of that winning mindset is to embrace the unknown and do not be afraid to look to the future and see what it can do for the organization.
She also recommended that companies wishing to push the envelope of innovation incubate those new ideas in playground or sandbox-like environments where the developers are free to experiment, but they should also allow others to peek in and try new things as well. NetApp's own internal cloud was born in this type of environment.
For NetApp, the way they handle people, process, and technology has been evolving. They have moved beyond thinking in terms of a silo and instead work as one team. The team must be able to sit in the seat of the end user and look at issues from their perspective. It is more about service than it is about technology.
Cynthia Stoddard, NetApp, at NetApp MVP Event at VMworld 2013 with John Furrier and Dave Vellante
#thecube
#vmworld
