Register for IBM Think and access on-demand sessions and replays here: https://ibm.biz/BdffCB Joe Cropper is a senior technical staff member at IBM, supporting Power Systems and Hybrid Multicloud Solutions. https://youtu.be/dy835X-P_ZM https://soundcloud.com/asktheceopodcast/asktheceo135withjoecropper/s-OqWqyj1n1o2 https://bit.ly/33qialM Contact Joe: Twitter: @jwcroppe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-cropper/ Contact Avrohom: Web: https://asktheceo.biz Facebook: AvrohomGottheil Twitter: @avrohomg Instagram: @avrohomg INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: [00:41] As a result of businesses’ digital transformation efforts we now have more data than we know what to do with! To put things into perspective, Forbes stated in an article that 90% of the world’s data has been created in the past 2 years. However, that’s only part of the problem. According to a recent study from Forrester, 71% of businesses are gathering data faster than they can use it, and 66% of businesses say they constantly need more data than their current capabilities provide. And a major challenge that’s keeping people from fully utilizing their data is data silos, which are very common in today’s modern business world, especially in the case of mergers and acquisitions. The challenge here is that businesses that can leverage all of their data, place themselves at a major advantage over their competition. So, if you’re not leveraging all your data, your competition is. Joe, what are you hearing from customers in this space? [01:45] Data is the crown jewel of organizations. [02:35] The common thread is who can use the data most effectively. [03:13] Let’s focus on security. During the past year, there have been numerous data breaches as well as an increase in ransomware attacks that have been shutting down schools, government offices, and even, unfortunately, hospitals! The increase in cyber-attacks has forced many businesses to prioritize their investment in data resiliency solutions. How is IBM helping their clients minimize disruptions and loss due to cyberattacks? [03:42] CyberSecurity is a topic that’s front and center in the boardrooms. [03:50] There is no room to compromise when it comes to Enterprise Security. [05:44] Since we’re discussing resiliency, let’s discuss resiliency from a business continuity perspective. During the pandemic, businesses had to literally transform their IT Infrastructure overnight to enable people to access their workloads remotely. How is IBM making a difference for businesses requiring high availability and resiliency for their mission-critical infrastructure? [06:38] IBM’s systems and platforms are running the world’s financial institutions, government agencies, healthcare organizations, and everything in between. [08:42] Where can people go to learn more about the conversations businesses are having regarding IT Infrastructure Solutions? Joe: Please visit: ibm.biz/BdffCB. On that webpage, you can register for the Think2021 event, or access the sessions on-demand after the event. [09:34] How do people connect with you? Joe: People can contact me via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-cropper/. I’m always happy to connect with people and answer any questions. [09:51] Do you have any parting words of wisdom to share with the audience? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dy835X-P_ZM