| | January 20169CIOReviewapplications software development and maintenance. With the rise of SaaS, the app store model, and "citizen development", the internal applications team now includes more integration, application infra-structure management, and business process support. Of course, the shift to mobile is also driving new and more agile development ap-proaches. At the same time however, the applications team has to maintain and support the legacy installed base. This has placed a premium on rationalization of legacy apps and more rigorous ap-plications portfolio management. MSFC has sought to strike a bal-ance with continued high service levels for core backend systems while also having a segment of the apps team leaning forward into mobile app development , container based develop-ment, and SaaS integration. All of this requires the CIO and IT to adapt quickly or be outpaced and seen as slow and ineffective. For exam-ple, MSFC implemented an enterprise so-cial collaboration platform five years ago. While early adoption was slow and uneven, it has evolved to a core communication and collaboration asset for the enterprise. And IT was seen as forward leaning and responsive as opposed to playing "whack-a-mole" with business unit im-plementations and pilots. The data center and computing component of IT has also been party to the disruptive forces of cloud technology. Initially, there issome hesitancy by the infrastructure and op-erations team regarding cloud. But over time and after some initial pilots, the team has learned that the cloud era offers new opportunities for systems administrators and engi-neers. MSFC has evolved its computing services to provide both internal cloud services and brokering and management of external cloud in Amazon's GovCloud. There is a dizzying array of features, tools, configuration, and architecture choices in Amazon alone. So new roles such as cloud architect, cloud security lead, and cloud integration lead have emerged. Cloud adoption, both internal and external has also raised the importance IT finance and economics. Expertise in supporting customers in the enterprise regarding cost estimation and cloud chargeback models is a crucial part of IT be-coming a broker of these services. A discussion of the changing role of the CIO can't be complete without addressing security. The pace of technology change, the proliferation of user choice and reliance on cloud services has in-creased the complexity of assessing and managing security risks. Old security models that rely solely on network perimeter protec-tion are not longer reliable. NASA and MSFC are focusing more effort on securing information beyond the endpoint and at the ap-plication and data level. Also, improving incident detection and response including how to communicate and collaborate quickly with the business when an incident occurs is crucial. The CIO/CISO relationship has become one of the most important in the organization. They must collectively work to insure that the busi-ness understands and participates in risk trades and assessments and that the internal IT organization is collaborating effectively to improve security. Finally, while the demands that come from the speed of change and the expectations of users whose frame of reference is based on their experience as consumers, the CIO has more opportunity to influence, enable, and even shape the business than ever before. There is no component of the enter-prise where digitization cannot have an impact. And the CIO has a unique view of the cross-cutting process and integration points of the entire business. This cre-ates the opportunity for the CIO and IT to emerge, in this new era, as more than an order taker and service provider. But to do this requires skills that go far beyond the technical expertise most associate with the function. The journey to strategic CIO requires skill and initiative in relation-ship building, communication, and learning the core aspects of each area of the business. Ulti-mately, the CIO who can dial up the right blend of emerging technology and then lead the change necessary for enterprise adoption can have a dramatic impact on the success of the business. So Dickens was right. CIOs who don't recognize and react to the significance of the current transitions will experience the worst of times. But for those who recognize, adapt and thrive in this environment, this can be the best of times. Those CIOs can play a more strategic and fulfilling role than ever before. Cloud adoption, both internal and external has also raised the importance IT finance and economics
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