The technology evangelist
TH E AC C IDEN T A L
CIO
LrvrucsroNE
The technologyevangelist GAME-CHANG NO L OIGE S ING T E CH WH O C A N ADVOCATE H A V I N GS OME ON E O P P O RT U N I T I E S A ND O B S T A CL ES PRE S E NT S Y OU R OR GA N IS A T ION WITHIN uild a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door... or so they say. When it comesto new technology however, just building that better mousetrap may not be enough. That's where the technology evangelist can make all the difference to your business. ev angelis t is T he techn olo gy typically categorised by the persistent advocacy and promotion ofa particular product or technology with a view to its broad adoption, either across a whole industry or within an organisation. They can play a key part in the development and commercialisation of any new, disruptive and emerging technology, and can be influential in the ultimate success of the technology vendor, be it a start-up or established organisation launching a new technology offering. That's all well and good when it comes to evangelising a new technology that will be used by others. However, when your organisation is a potential user of this new or emerging technology, the consequences that a persuasive, single-minded technology evangelist may have on your organisation should be considered.
FRIENDOR FOE? ev angelis t H aving a te ch no logy employed within your business may play an important part in scrutinising the technology that may not have ot herwise be en co ns ider ed. Af t er all, if this technology can help your red uce c os t , dr iv e organisa tion innovation or underpin efficiency, it could in fact be a game changer. 68 cro JULY/AUcusizo rs
The technology evangelist has the potential to act as the turbocharger for initiatives and projects that meet a real business need, not to mention their influence in challenging the status quo. In the right context, and assuming the technology evangelist has a deep and c om pr e h e n s i v e u n d e r s t a n d i n g of not ohly the potential value for the technology but also its technical and systemic risks, they could bethe CIO's greatest ally. However, there are potential risks in adopting the employee evangelist's technology choice, should the proposed path to adoption bypass cost, governance and risk oversight processes. A perfect solution but the wrong application and unex pec t ed a d v e r s e c o n s e q u e n c e s down the track can result long after they have moved on. That's a position you do not want to be in. Moreover, for non-technical senior executives, being able to distinguish the true technology evangelist from an opinionated acolyte of a particular vendor's offering maybe a real challenge. The perfect storm could occur wher e t he s i n g l e - m i n d e d e v a n g e l i s t 's enthusiasm for their specific solution gains a groundswell of support by line-of-business executives rvithout the appropriate vendor management due
diligence and rigour being applied to the solution. This can fan the flames of shadow IT, which, if not managed appropriately could set the seeds of future cost and elevated risk.
VISIBILITY If you are fortunate enough to har-e a technology evangelist within your organisation who has an intimate understanding o f y o u r b u si n e ss. I T e c o s y s t e m a n d th e existing engagement skills to bring together enterprise IT, key stakeholders and customers, they would be a real asset. On the other hand, the technology evangelist who acts as a lone wolf, and who does not operate with the full sanction, visibility and support from all keyexecutive stakeholders, IT included. should be considered as a potential risk, Ask yourself a question: As a CIO. are you able to identify the technology evangelist in your midst? And arguably more importantly, are you able to guide and harness their potential to maximise the value of their solution(s) with known risk? m
CIO
LrvrucsroNE
The technologyevangelist GAME-CHANG NO L OIGE S ING T E CH WH O C A N ADVOCATE H A V I N GS OME ON E O P P O RT U N I T I E S A ND O B S T A CL ES PRE S E NT S Y OU R OR GA N IS A T ION WITHIN uild a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door... or so they say. When it comesto new technology however, just building that better mousetrap may not be enough. That's where the technology evangelist can make all the difference to your business. ev angelis t is T he techn olo gy typically categorised by the persistent advocacy and promotion ofa particular product or technology with a view to its broad adoption, either across a whole industry or within an organisation. They can play a key part in the development and commercialisation of any new, disruptive and emerging technology, and can be influential in the ultimate success of the technology vendor, be it a start-up or established organisation launching a new technology offering. That's all well and good when it comes to evangelising a new technology that will be used by others. However, when your organisation is a potential user of this new or emerging technology, the consequences that a persuasive, single-minded technology evangelist may have on your organisation should be considered.
FRIENDOR FOE? ev angelis t H aving a te ch no logy employed within your business may play an important part in scrutinising the technology that may not have ot herwise be en co ns ider ed. Af t er all, if this technology can help your red uce c os t , dr iv e organisa tion innovation or underpin efficiency, it could in fact be a game changer. 68 cro JULY/AUcusizo rs
The technology evangelist has the potential to act as the turbocharger for initiatives and projects that meet a real business need, not to mention their influence in challenging the status quo. In the right context, and assuming the technology evangelist has a deep and c om pr e h e n s i v e u n d e r s t a n d i n g of not ohly the potential value for the technology but also its technical and systemic risks, they could bethe CIO's greatest ally. However, there are potential risks in adopting the employee evangelist's technology choice, should the proposed path to adoption bypass cost, governance and risk oversight processes. A perfect solution but the wrong application and unex pec t ed a d v e r s e c o n s e q u e n c e s down the track can result long after they have moved on. That's a position you do not want to be in. Moreover, for non-technical senior executives, being able to distinguish the true technology evangelist from an opinionated acolyte of a particular vendor's offering maybe a real challenge. The perfect storm could occur wher e t he s i n g l e - m i n d e d e v a n g e l i s t 's enthusiasm for their specific solution gains a groundswell of support by line-of-business executives rvithout the appropriate vendor management due
diligence and rigour being applied to the solution. This can fan the flames of shadow IT, which, if not managed appropriately could set the seeds of future cost and elevated risk.
VISIBILITY If you are fortunate enough to har-e a technology evangelist within your organisation who has an intimate understanding o f y o u r b u si n e ss. I T e c o s y s t e m a n d th e existing engagement skills to bring together enterprise IT, key stakeholders and customers, they would be a real asset. On the other hand, the technology evangelist who acts as a lone wolf, and who does not operate with the full sanction, visibility and support from all keyexecutive stakeholders, IT included. should be considered as a potential risk, Ask yourself a question: As a CIO. are you able to identify the technology evangelist in your midst? And arguably more importantly, are you able to guide and harness their potential to maximise the value of their solution(s) with known risk? m
