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Internet of Things puts new pressure on IT

By Tracy Burrows, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 20 Feb 2014
Marco Comastri, CA Technologies president and GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Marco Comastri, CA Technologies president and GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Mobility, the Internet of Things, and the API economy are putting new pressure on IT, delegates heard at the opening of the CA IT Management Symposium Africa, in Midrand, this morning.

CA's symposium, attracting over 1 000 delegates this year, is focused on delivering 'IT with Impact', as enterprises increasingly depend on their IT systems to gain a competitive advantage.

Shridhar Mittal, GM of the CA Application Delivery Business Unit, noted: "There is major transformation happening. Companies that move fast and adapt to the change will be the winners in this revolution."

Mittal highlighted the rapid growth in the number of mobile users and connected devices. "Now, there are around 3.3 devices per knowledge worker. Each of them is loaded with numerous apps. In the Internet of Things era, humans, animals and a multitude of new devices will also be connected. Managing this connectivity and ensuring stability and security will put pressure on the IT department," he noted.

However, he said, CA research had found that only 62% of companies have a formal mobile strategy. "That is scary," said Mittal. "The number of devices and applications accessing backend systems is growing exponentially, but just one bad app can land you on the front page of the newspapers - and not in a good way."

In the race to embrace IT and deliver innovation, DevOps is delivering spectacular results to early adopters, said Mittal. "You can't keep innovations waiting for a year anymore.

"Companies adopting an effective DevOps strategy are dramatically reducing their time to market, improving quality and lowering costs."

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Gary Lawrence, MD of CA Southern Africa, said while DevOps, mobility and security were key topics on the CIO agenda now, IT management had to be approached in a comprehensive manner to keep up with change. "We see it as a supply chain of IT - all elements are important and the whole platform needs to be effective. Those who do it well will win market share."

Marco Comastri, CA Technologies president and GM for Europe, Middle East and Africa, added: "It has to be seen in its entirety. This is why CA delivers the breadth of solutions that it does. DevOps may be the most fashionable topic, and security is certainly crucial as the Internet of Things creates massive exposure, but all delivering IT with a focus on security, quality and continuity encompasses all elements of IT management."

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