Most chief information officers have one main worry on their minds: security, according to Adobe’s 2019 CIO Perspectives Survey.
Of the 200 CIOs polled, 82% cite security as
their top priority. Next are movement to the cloud (68%) and modernization of platforms (66%).
Sadly, only 15% give high marks to their firms for digital maturity. And only 25% feel
their work is differentiated from that of competitors.
Perhaps they should worry more about data speed. Only 15% feel their firms can leverage real-time data, although 75% say they
expect to increase their use of real-time data next year.
Meanwhile, 20% of the firms represented use AI to streamline processes. But the biggest benefit cited, among 55%, is improvement of
the customer experience: in this, AI beats voice, chatbots and IoT.
Managing the customer experience is a priority for most CIOs, but a mere one in 10 say it’s their primary
function: usually, it is managed by the CMO or COO, Adobe says.
Here’s some advice for CIOs:
“Be ready to get out — and stay out — of your comfort zone,”
states Adobe CIO Cynthia Stoddard, according to a post by Adobe.
Stoddard adds: “Things will continue to change quickly. And remember, you can't fix everything in one day or even one
year.”