The CIOs from a decade ago had vastly different responsibilities than today’s CIOs. Once upon a time, CIOs were primarily tasked with keeping mainframes running and updates installed. They focused on day-to-day operations like troubleshooting issues and planning for modest IT upgrades. Fast-forward to today, and the role of the modern CIO is very different. Now, they’re in the boardroom helping leaders from other areas of business reach goals with technology solutions. And, more importantly, they’re part of those charged strategy discussions that move companies forward, talking about the business instead of only talking about IT. Why? The answer is enterprise mobility.

Enterprise mobility has revolutionized business as usual for companies large and small. Employees are now bringing their own devices, communicating with colleagues across a variety of different cloud platforms and device types. Apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Cisco Spark, for instance, have changed how entire companies approach collaboration, and a large part of their appeal is their emphasis on empowering people to work efficiently by harnessing the power of mobility.

Of course, challenges accompany the enterprise mobility boom. CIOs must forge a path through the digital noise. Thanks to the evolving world of mobility and cloud technology, though, the path isn’t well marked. Moreover, it doesn’t look the same for every company. Though evident, these challenges are far from insurmountable, and opportunities—such as those presented by a strong focus on IT-as-a-Service (ITaaS)—are growing.

We’ve already said 2016 was the year of enterprise mobility—so far, that is. The CIO’s role revolves around the changing tides of tech, that’s always been clear—what will the balance of 2017 hold? The rise of enterprise mobility is changing the parameters of what technology touches within a business, giving CIOs a seat at the table for big-picture discussions around topics like marketing and strategy instead of just troubleshooting and managing the IT infrastructure. Clearly, the role of the CIO is in flux, and there’s a lot to cover. I wrote about this in greater detail over on our sister site, V3 Broadsuite.

Read: Enterprise Mobility and the Evolving Role of the CIO  

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