| | January 20168CIOReviewThe Changing Role of CIO in Digital EraJonathan Pettus, CIO, NASA's Marshall Space Flight CenterIt was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness." Charles Dickens opened his famous novel describing The Tale of Two Cities but he might have just as well been describing the state of the CIO in 2015. Indeed, it is perhaps the most exciting and rewarding era to lead enterprise IT and, at the same time, the most challenging. The speed of digital innovation, the pervasiveness of technology in peo-ple's lives outside of work, and the increased complexity and risks associated with information security are key factors that create both the opportunities and the challenges. These factors are certainly influencing the evolution of IT service delivery and the role of the CIO at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. For example-the typical end-user is an engineer or scientist who is well-versed in the use of technology to solve problems and enhance productivity. In addition, those same employees now live in a world where computing devices are crucial to daily functions like navigating traffic on the drive into work, staying informed, accessing entertainment and purchasing goods and services. This has created a workplace where employees have strong preferences about end user device choices, can solve many support problems on their own, and enjoy freedom of choice when it comes to software and apps that work for them. Particularly when it comes to smart phones, a significant seg-ment of users prefer to use their personal device to access email, perform basic business functions and collaborate with co-workers and partners. So the traditional, proven, "wise" method of end user device deployment and support that is oriented around a major desk-top operating system upgrade project every five to seven years is be-ing transformed to frequent OS upgrades to devices that are directly distributed by the vendor and initiated by the user. IT traditionalists might view this as "foolish" but the reality of this different approach is undeniable with Microsoft embracing this model with Windows 10. At Marshall, IT has worked to adapt to this new world by working to define different service approaches and support models for users based on roles and preferences. IT has begun to shift from the com-plete selector and supplier to consultant, broker, and integrator. In this new world, there are still some fundamental, non-negotiables such as authentication and patching. And the degree of user choice and free-dom includes an understanding that not all enterprise solutions have the same level of support or service levels for certain applications. Tools like an agile, open identity management and authentication infrastructure and a mobile device management solution have been implemented to help enable and support this delivery model. Another major shift that is occurring is the role of the CIO and IT organization in delivering and supporting applications. At MSFC, as in many application shops, the role has largely been focused on Jonathan PettusIn My Opinion
< Page 7 | Page 9 >