Jeff Orr's Analyst Perspectives

I am happy to announce that I have taken on a new role at Ventana Research to lead the firm’s overall research and advisory for the CIO and technology leader practice. The area focuses on digital modernization and the transformation necessary for IT teams to be successful across an organization. The market coverage spans Cloud Computing, Digital Security, Generative AI and the technologies driving Intelligent Automation.

Our Digital Technology and Digital Business areas of expertise address a broad range of applications and technology, and the time is right for Ventana Research to extend market coverage in these areas to support Office of CIO and technology leaders in assessing and evaluating vendors and products. I will use my career experiences in developing industry-first technology, investing in and deploying enterprise tech strategies, and analyzing emerging technology markets to help organizations improve the efficiency and performance of business and IT operations.

Most recently, I led Ventana Research’s Products organization and market research efforts. Market research programs generate analysis and facts about buyer habits and organizational trends, which are incorporated into comprehensive educational insights for the Ventana Research community of more than 100,000 professionals. My background is well suited to this role, including technology strategy development and implementation for a Fortune 100 enterprise, a decade of experience as an industry analyst and two decades of experience in product development and marketing. It is likely that you’re reading this perspective using graphics and networking technology that I had a hand in bringing to market.

Technology leaders must overcome the risks associated with outdated systems and practices. When identifying approaches to modernizing the organization, technology, processes and even the culture of the organization must be considered. More options are available than resources to even scratch the surface of an organization’s potential. Optimizing continuous digital transformation efforts requires prioritizing resources and technology to provide outcomes desired by business leaders.

These challenges for the Office of the CIO are compounded by the institutional knowledge held by key individuals or within a line of business. This breaks the organization’s business continuity when workers leave or business strategy evolves. Yet the mandate of the CIO remains: overcome challenges and align digital initiatives to business goals.

The benefits of digital modernization will vary by the maturity of an organization, but they have their roots in these pillars:

• Enhanced operational efficiency and productivity.
• Improved customer experience and engagement.
• Agility and flexibility to adapt to evolving market demands.
• Empowering data-driven decision-making.
• Cost optimization and resource allocation.

As important as making timely technology decisions for the organization, IT leaders must effectively communicate with non-technical stakeholders across the organization as well as the board of directors. By collaborating with peers, leaders can facilitate innovative approaches to business growth and achieve desired outcomes.

Ventana Research is adept at navigating these decisions with a structured and methodological approach that balances the desire to rapidly transform business processes and technology infrastructure with the need to maintain consistent and reliable service levels across applications used by workers and customers.

As my colleague Robert Kugel says, “Research is in our name.” Market research is the foundational component of our 20-year history that informs our product and service portfolio. This framework consists of Benchmark Research, Dynamic Insights and Value Index products. The facts and analyses derived from research provide market evidence for the Ventana On-Demand advisory service, market assessments, workshops and education products.

Ventana Research remains committed to objective, quantitative research as well as the experience and expertise of leadership and subject matter experts — particularly Mark Smith, CEO and chief research officer, and David Menninger, senior vice president of research responsible for technology research. I look forward to working more closely with them and the rest of the analyst team.

Digital technology will enable the digital modernization of organizations as well as the software vendor landscape. As the adage goes, the only constant is change. I look forward to sharing insights with Ventana Research clients and our community about the opportunities to successfully navigate change in their organization.

Regards,

Jeff Orr