To be successful, companies need to be “Built To Change” by putting software at the center of everything they do, according to CA Technologies CEO Mike Gregoire in his keynote address that kicked off CA World ’16.
Against a backdrop of constant economic disruption, creating a business model that is built to last is “out of step with the new digital reality” said Gregoire. He explained that the idea of sustainable competitive advantage has given way to the more contemporary concept of business agility, meaning the ability to automatically sense, react and adapt quickly to shifting market dynamics.
Built To Change companies understand that current structures and ecosystems are vulnerable to better ideas. From how they manage talent, to how they avoid being tied to fixed assets, to how they take risks, Built To Change companies focus on business agility, which in turn enables them to drive rapid, continuous improvement in customer experience.
Software as the critical enabler
Software is the critical enabler and differentiating factor in a company’s ability to succeed, according to Gregoire. “Software is now the core component of a business’ DNA,” he said. “It is the essential customer-facing engine for sensing and responding to new needs, threats, and opportunities. Regardless of your industry sector or end product, every brand will be represented, communicated and judged through technology.”
Gregoire explained that we are in the middle of a massive global business revolution, where conventional leadership, human resources, and financial management principles are being challenged. “All of this requires a new mindset – and agility across your business – in how you use technology and how you build software,” said Gregoire. “We must optimize for responsiveness to capitalize on new opportunities, make room for innovation, and deliver unique value to our customers.”
CA software solutions optimize business agility
CA announced a series of new solutions at CA World across its Agile, DevOps, Security and Mainframe portfolios, which are aligned to how modern companies plan, develop and deliver their own software solutions. “Think of these as core capabilities you will need to move your organization into the future,” Gregoire said.
Some of these introductions include:
- A new identity-as-a-service solution, to address identity and access management (IAM) needs for both on-premises and cloud-based applications.
- New DevOps capabilities with intelligent analytics and integrations for cloud services and virtual networks.
- Predictive analytics capabilities with machine learning for the mainframe.
- Enhancements to the company’s SaaS solution purpose-built to scale agile practices.
Following the keynote, Gregoire was joined by astronaut Captain Scott Kelly, aerospace legend Burt Rutan, and rocket scientist Natalie Panek for a fascinating discussion about some of the biggest leaps in technology ever conceived.