5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
5 Biggest CIO
Communications
Problems, Solved
Why there’s no reason to be
nervous about upgrading
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Introduction
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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Technology is
the Backbone of
Competition
As a tech leader, you recognize that disruption is a
fact of life. According to Gartner, enterprise IT has
entered an era of digitalization where disruptive
new products are providing a continuous stream
of growth, innovation, and differentiation. IT
overhauls in business productivity—moving to
the cloud, supporting a remote workforce, and
preserving valuable legacy data while maintaining
security and control—are necessary for your
business to remain competitive. These changes
require communications solutions that can
keep pace with the accelerating demands of the
connected world.
“To succeed in a digital world,
enterprises...must focus on the future
by starting from a digital perspective
and working backward.”
—
Gartner, 2015
94% of the CIO role
should include leading
tech transformation or
tech-driven innovation
and strategy, according to
a 2014 survey of CIOs by
Harvard Business Review.
Introduction
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
3
Fortify Team
Communication,
Enable Productivity
Today, people connect in deeper and more
personal ways than ever before—collaborating
inside and outside their organizations, co-creating
in real time, and breaking physical barriers.
Technology plays a huge role in facilitating these
connections, but IT infrastructure isn’t always
scaled to meet business needs.
Modern business happens from virtually anywhere;
teams rely on hyperconnectivity and the ability to
work seamlessly from a multitude of locations, on
a multitude of devices. This era of digitalization
demands that employees are equipped with tools
that enable collaboration and productivity—
anytime, anywhere, and on any platform.
This e-book explores 5 key problems
that CIOs face, and that often inhibit IT
business leaders from implementing
modern communications solutions.
When these blockers are removed,
implementation becomes an obvious
choice—enabling businesses to find
and maintain their competitive edge.
Contents
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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PROBLEM 1
Change Disrupts Business as Usual . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
PROBLEM 2
It Costs Time and Money to
Implement New Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
PROBLEM 3
Incompatibility Can Wreak Havoc . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
PROBLEM 4
The Risks Seem High While
the Benefits are Unclear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
PROBLEM 5
I Need a Solution That Addresses
My Team’s Unique Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Problem 1
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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Change Disrupts
Business as Usual
You likely approach changes and upgrades to
technology with a healthy amount of skepticism,
and for good reason: change requires enormous
effort. It can take several months of planning
to develop a sound IT strategy that follows the
broader vision for your business as a whole.
A solution that disrupts existing workflows or
calls for extra upfront effort from stakeholders
might require a significant financial investment.
Additionally, there are new user interfaces to
socialize, new capabilities to teach, and new
metrics to track and act on. Sometimes, all that
effort is made without a clear improvement to
your workflow or your bottom line, leaving you
wondering if the disruption was worth it.
As moving to the cloud, customer engagement,
enterprise social networks, and business analytics
change the broader technology landscape,
planned upgrades need to be worthwhile.
45% of IT budget allocation
supports change and
growth, according to a
2014 Deloitte CIO survey.
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Problem 1
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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SOLUTION
Invest in Solutions Built
for Teams and Networks
Office 365’s new collaboration solutions plug into your existing
technologies and add new connectivity options that give teams a
centralized platform for communication.
With significant improvements to an already robust suite of
solutions, Office 365 E5’s extensively improved features and
additions will take your organization to the next level.
IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS AND PRODUCTIVIT Y
• Schedule and join meetings directly from Outlook
• Connect face-to-face with internal and external stakeholders
from virtually anywhere, anytime
• Co-author and collaborate on documents in real-time
during meetings
• Manage communications with Cloud PBX
• Keep teams connected with Office 365 Planner, with shared
conversations, notebooks, content, plans, and more
COMPLETE CONTROL OF MEETINGS
• Reach thousands with Skype Meeting Broadcast, live or
on-demand
• Schedule meetings ahead of time or join a meeting in progress
• Invite attendees to join from their PC, Mac, or mobile device
• Empower attendees to interact live with add-ins from Bing
Pulse and Yammer
“Skype for Business
is the culmination of
our journey to cloudbased communication
services and
transforming the
workplace. We have
been early adopters
all along, but thanks
to the flexibility that’s
built into Microsoft
technologies, we can
undertake the journey
at our own pace.”
—
Andre Garcia
AVP, Global Infrastructure Services,
ABM
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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2
It Costs Time and
Money to Implement
New Solutions
54% of American CIOs
believe they are taking
a larger role as digital
leaders, according to the
Gartner survey, “Global
Perspectives on Flipping
to Digital Leadership:
The 2015 CIO Agenda.”
Abrupt changes can temporarily destabilize day-today work at all levels. As inefficient and clunky as legacy
technology can be, many folks are comfortable with it; it’s
familiar and they understand its idiosyncrasies. However,
resistance to valuable change means organizations will slip
behind the competition.
The most effective IT leaders will remain focused on
their businesses’ collaboration needs of tomorrow. They
realize that implementing new solutions is critical to their
employees’ future needs. CIOs want to create a digital
ecosystem where employees feel at ease with technology,
confident in its capabilities, and willing to learn and adopt
new tools to be happy and successful in their roles.
Problem 2
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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SOLUTION
Connect Your Teams With
Technology They’ll Love
Skype for Business brings new voice and meeting capabilities to the modern
meeting and simplifies collaboration with new tools and features in a format
people know. Give your teams the tools they love in the Office applications
they use every day.
FROM ONE PL ATFORM
ENHANCED FEATURES
Users can connect via instant
message, voice, and video—
so nothing gets lost.
Built-in collaboration tools, like
one-click screen sharing and
real-time note taking, keep
everyone in sync.
Meeting participants can
share their online presence
with others—so everyone
knows who’s who.
Bing Pulse tracks sentiments
and polls in real time,
aggregating feedback and
expediting decision-making.
Hosts can conduct virtual
meetings with up to 10,000
participants—so large groups
can communicate.
Yammer offers attendee dialogue
during broadcast, adding another
collaboration channel.
HD video gallery and clear
audio ensures everyone is
seen and heard.
“Working together to make
product and business decisions
faster is a key to success for The
Kraft Heinz Company.
We see PSTN Conferencing and
Cloud PBX through Skype for
Business as a great opportunity
to help employees connect
quickly wherever they are.”
Leandro Balbinot
CIO, North America
The Kraft Heinz Company
Problem 3
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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10
Incompatibility Can
Wreak Havoc
There are a myriad of variables that need
to be assessed prior to shifting or changing
your solutions platform; chief among them
is compatibility. Legacy systems need to be
recognized and made readable; hardware
and software solutions must work together
harmoniously; and multiple apps need to
complement each other. There needs to be
clear practices in place to ensure recordkeeping and process continuity.
Without consideration prior to
implementation, compatibility issues can
short-circuit collaboration. Why solve
one headache with a solution that could
potentially lead to a few more?
Problem 3
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
SOLUTION
Skype for Business Makes
Harmonious Collaboration a Reality
Skype for Business is one platform for calling, conferencing, video, and sharing. It’s as robust
as you want it to be—with options to configure your plan to work in tandem with solutions
you might already be using.
MODERN VOICE WITH CLOUD PBX OFFERS
ONLINE AND HYBRID SOLUTIONS
• Make, receive, and transfer business calls in the office, at
home, or on the road using phone, PC, and mobile
• PSTN capability using Microsoft calling service or
on-premises PSTN connectivity
• End-user calling features and Tenant Admin controls
for manageability
• Worldwide availability in E5 suite, or as an add-on
(in certain geographies)
THE ADDED BENEFIT OF CUSTOMIZATION
With a range of out-of-the-box capabilities, Office 365 can
be customized to meet your needs and transform your
business. With Office 365, you can:
• Empower people to get line-of-business (LoB) data on
any device.
• Create familiar, contextual experiences inside Office on
any device and platform.
• Develop APIs and add-ins that extend the functionalities
of Office.
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5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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35% of CIOs feel cost
control and expense
management are top
day-to-day responsibilities,
according to Harvard
Business Review.
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The Risks Seem
High While the
Benefits are Unclear
Facing an opportunity to make a change in
your technology infrastructure, you might
wonder, “what should I expect?” or “how will
this solution help me scale my business?”
Time, money, and energy are at stake.
Without a complete understanding of how
enhanced communication solutions will
provide value to your business, pulling the
trigger is a murky proposition. Knowledge is
key, but without it, CIOs are left floundering.
Problem 4
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
SOLUTION
Implement a Modern, Comprehensive
Collaboration Platform
Microsoft Office 365 integrates existing systems with brand new technologies,
mitigating risks to the way your business currently operates. Expand your collaboration
capabilities and allow teams to work more effectively than ever.
GREAT FOR TEAMS
Allow colleagues to connect and collaborate using the
device of their choice—desktop, device, or landline—by
leveraging Cloud PBX.
GREAT FOR YOU
Ease the headaches of multiple contracts, relationships,
price systems, and paperwork. Skype for Business is
flexible enough to enable you to consolidate all your
communication solutions if that works best for your
business needs.
GREAT FOR BUSINESS
Less time spent managing your systems, troubleshooting
problems, and putting out fires means more opportunities
for you to drive innovation. Move to the cloud and free
yourself to contribute to broader business goals.
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“We made the decision which
was a giant leap for Henkel.
We want to have a modern
workplace. And at the end, it
was very successful. Just do it.
Make it happen.”
Markus Petrak
Corporate Director
Henkel
Problem 5
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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I Need a Solution
That Addresses My
Team’s Unique Needs
No matter what you’re told before purchase,
there’s no guarantee that a new communication
solution will satisfy every need. You might have
doubts about how intuitive the interface will be
for your teams, or how robust a solution might
be, amongst others.
Skepticism is natural, particularly when IT
investment allocations are so critical to business
success. Experience is the ultimate educator,
and all technology solutions need to be tested
against the nuances of your particular business.
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Problem 5
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
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SOLUTION
Try E5 Before You Buy
Experience the new capabilities of Office 365 first-hand with a
free 30-day trial. Deploy the trial with your teams and explore
the new software’s advantages by testing it against your trickiest
communications challenges—work with it the way you normally
would. You’ll find that Office 365 helps you stay ahead of the
competition, build effective teams, and empower their productivity.
EXPERIENCE OFFICE 365 FEATURES SUCH AS:
• Cloud PBX
Modern voice capabilities
• Customer Lockbox
Customer-controlled data access
• Microsoft Power BI
Business analytics and visualization
• Advanced Threat Protection
Secure attachments and URLs
• Advanced eDiscovery
Compliance capabilities
“My challenge is to
ensure that creativity
and inspiration
continue to flourish
at ABB without any
technological barriers.
How do we meet this
challenge for a global
company with people
working in roughly 100
countries? We connect
people to enable
collaboration, and for
that we use Microsoft
Office 365.”
—
Andy Tidd
Group CIO, ABB
5 Biggest CIO Communications Problems, Solved
5 CIO Communications
Problems: Solved
Office 365 helps you realize new business value,
faster. New features and functionality help to improve
communication, collaboration and keep productivity
at the center of your modern workplace.
With Office 365, Microsoft delivers the most
comprehensive and secure cloud communication ever.
Start your free trial today by visiting
http://office.com/e5-trial
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