| | February 20148CIOReviewThe largest companies in the world are creating a competitive advantage by driving intelligence and decision making to the edge. Key initiatives such as enterprise mobility, data analytics, cloud services, and global collaboration are required to meet these strategies. This increases both the complexity and the demand on the network in terms of elasticity, availability and security. Heterogeneous devices will crowd the network as the Internet of Things becomes a core part of these strategies. In order to keep up with this dynamic and complex environment, networks require an agility that simply has not been possible with the vast array of network devices requiring separate physical control. Software defined networking is a hot trend to address these requirements The Extension of the Internet of ThingsFounded in 2001, BlueCat Networks, Inc. develops and provides network appliances for government, military, financial services, retail, enterprise, and manufacturing sectors. Based in Atlanta, GA the company has received a funding of $27.8 million from Bridgescale Partners, TD Capital and Trident CapitalMichael Harris, CEO, BlueCat Networksby separating and centralizing control.The Internet of Things (IoT) will definitely have a huge impact on the industry in the next few years. With billions more connected devices, organizations will no longer be able to address their networks as "plumbing." In reality, IoT is simply an extension of where we are today with mobility, the biggest difference being in two areas: the numbers and further heterogeneity of the `things' and the value of the data being transported through the network.Attracting, engaging and retaining top talent world-wide is a key competitive advantage and one of the biggest challenges for any CEO. In order to continue as a market leader we serve, we must be able to hire skilled networking professionals ahead of the growth curve. Hiring the right cultural fit is a difficult task and takes patience, proper evaluation and careful analysis to ensure that the new hire is aligned with organizational objectives, and making a poor choice is a costly proposition. There are a lot of talented people in our industry and we need to continually focus on marketing ourselves as an employer of choice who offers an exceptional opportunity to work on leading-edge technologies while providing professional growth opportunities within a dynamic corporate culture. CEO SpotlightMichael HarrisMichael HarrisWith billions more connected devices, organizations will no longer be able to address their networks as "plumbing"
< Page 7 | Page 9 >