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a16z Podcast | Mapping the Information Economy -- Where’s the Cloud Going Next?
11 segments available
a16z Board Partner Steven Sinofsky and Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie discuss findings from a study of the information economy that has been built on cloud and mobile. The findings were based on workflow data collected anonymously from a subset of 25 million users, 225,000 businesses, and five industries (you can see the report here: blog.box.com/2014/06/mapping-th…f-five-industries/). It all amounts to big shifts in enterprise IT. But what are the implications of these findings for everyone’s business ... beyond Silicon Valley and the software industry? And finally -- shared in a live brainstorm at the end -- what’s the future of the cloud?
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Introduction to the Information Economy
Steven Sinofsky introduces Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box, as they delve into the modern productivity landscape and the transformation of IT. They highlight the significance of Box's white paper, 'Mapping the Information Economy,' which explores the impact of cloud and mobile technologies across various industries.
"good morning everybody this is Steven Sinofsky and we're here with another edition of the a16 podcast this time joining me this is gonna be a first for us and we're hoping to have a lot of fun here is..."
Data Insights from Box's Study
Aaron Levie discusses the extensive data collected from 25 million users and 225,000 businesses, revealing how enterprises utilize Box's platform. He emphasizes the importance of understanding industry-specific workflows and collaboration methods in the modern information economy.
"you just know you can see there was no eye rolling no it's actually you know I looked at it and you know what you guys did was so cool because you you first of course everything was anonymous and priv..."
Diverse Industry Workflows
Levie explains the varying workflows across industries, contrasting the top-down approach in financial services with the collaborative nature of media and entertainment. He shares surprising findings about mobility in construction compared to tech, highlighting the need for tailored solutions in enterprise IT.
"is done in a modern way yeah so that's the the numbers that you just decided are the sort of scale of our platform and what we did was we zoomed into a few different industries and started to talk to ..."
Reimagining the Workforce
The conversation shifts to how enterprises are rethinking their workforce and the tools needed for future business outcomes. Levie stresses that the software tools required today differ significantly from those used five or ten years ago, reflecting the evolving nature of work.
"and I think what it what we also found was a lot of enterprises are still going through this process of reimagining what their workforce is going to look like in the future and what are the what are t..."
The Shift from Industrial to Information Age
Sinofsky and Levie discuss the transition from an industrial economy to an information-driven one, where the focus has shifted from scale and efficiency to leveraging technology for competitive advantage. They explore how this shift impacts IT roles and the importance of adapting to new technologies.
"just their their resistance or seeking out a change it's just that they have different priorities like you know if you were running a car company 25 years ago like IT was not like the most important t..."
The New Role of IT in Business
Levie elaborates on the changing role of IT, moving from infrastructure management to focusing on information as a strategic asset. He discusses how IT departments must adapt to new cloud-based solutions and prioritize user experience to enhance productivity and collaboration.
"scale mattered more than anything that meant you know economies of scale mattered more than anything that meant that you had to centralize as many resources as possible to get efficiency from those re..."
Strategic Information Management
The discussion highlights the need for IT to think strategically about information management. Levie emphasizes the importance of enabling employees to collaborate effectively and securely, ensuring that corporate assets are not lost to ad hoc tools outside the company's control.
"lost like you know your investment so that's the the big shift and the implications are massive on the IT side and they're driving a whole new wave of I think you know software as a service companies ..."
Future of IT Roles
Sinofsky and Levie explore the future of IT roles in a cloud-centric world. They discuss how IT professionals will need to focus on integrating various platforms and leveraging APIs to create unique applications that drive competitive advantage and enhance business processes.
"value-added sort of way yeah the the kind of two things to pull from that so the first on the first part of what you're saying that we were just at a major kind of top ten pharma in life sciences comp..."
The Fragility of Legacy Systems
Levie reflects on the challenges posed by legacy systems in the Industrial Age, where companies often resorted to inefficient solutions. He discusses how modern platforms like Box can provide flexible, horizontal solutions that adapt to diverse business needs and enhance collaboration.
"the new role of IT is to think about well I have all of this information that is in the form of intellectual property and assets that I can now go you know produce you know n number of new use cases a..."
Creating Value from Information
The conversation shifts to the importance of creating value from information in the modern economy. Levie emphasizes that with easier access to data, businesses must focus on how to leverage that information to drive innovation and improve outcomes.
"sort of like jenga's of software and then people would would just go and use file sharers yeah and use email attachments or things like that and one of the things that I think is is really interesting..."
Exciting Opportunities Ahead
Sinofsky and Levie conclude by discussing the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for traditional industries as they embrace digital transformation. They highlight the potential for innovation and the importance of CIOs recognizing the need for change to stay competitive in the evolving landscape.
"and I think what's so interesting is is that if we just took a step back like most evolutions of information technology ends up taking this sort of path like for a long time IT was all about infrastru..."