Enterprise Panel: Is There a New Model?Enterprise Panel: Is There a New Model?

The discussion kept coming back to the changing role that communications specialists have as their end users adopt more diverse technologies and their needs constantly evolve.

We started out the morning sessions with a panel of end users, which is always a treat and was even more so this year. Our five panelists were:

* Reginald Brinson, Associate VP/CIO, Clark Atlanta University
* Beth Hilbing, Director, Client Computing and Communications Service, Northrop Grumman
* Suzanne-Lee Haskell, SVP, Technology & Planning, Pearson
* Beth Boucher, Executive Director, Worldwide Technology, Pfizer
* Doug Saunders, Director, Information Technology, Republic Services

The discussion really kept coming back to the changing role that communications specialists have as their end users adopt more diverse technologies and constantly evolve in terms of what they need their communications systems to do. "User experience" has to be the focus, all the panelists agreed. This can be challenging when the experience that users want may be the "flavor of the week," be it the latest tablet, smartphone or other device.

"These devices are coming fast and furious into the enterprise," Suzanne-Lee Haskell said. "We're trying to get in front of the conversation instead of being the Enforcer." Indeed, the role of the communications/IT shop is evolving from one of provisioning equipment to enabling services for the end users, or as Suzanne consistently referred to them, "colleagues." It was a telling word choice and one that reflects the changing attitudes that communications specialists need to adopt.

My co-moderator on the session, Fred Knight, asked why it’s so important to get in front of the changes—why not just let them do what they want, and what if they take an attitude that they don’t care what IT wants? Beth Hilbing responded that at a company like Northrop Grumman, which does a lot of Defense Department work, "Security is key. We have a constant struggle with the lack of consistency across the technology."

On the subject of interoperability, Suzanne-Lee Haskell came out strongly for the idea that large enterprises should step back from the Enforcer role here as well: "I’ve been sitting there saying [to vendors]: Why is this my problem to solve?" She said Pearson stages “Hothouse” exercises in which it invites key vendors in and presents them with an interoperability challenge—the vendors are put in a room together and told to solve it among themselves.

A couple of other key points:

* Reginald Brinson noted that his staff is understanding that no one has the narrow focus that they might have once believed they had. For example, he pointed out that, "My telecom manager is now realizing that Exchange is a big part of their world."

* Beth Boucher said that enabling self-service tools for internal help desk functionality is actually quite popular with end users:"They don't want to call; they're happy to solve it themselves."