The successful start-up offering advice for CIOs

The success of technology companies are primarily concerned with the care of their hot and not for internal use of IT. But companies like Groupon, Box.net, SlideShare Zendesk and the IOC are the lessons we have achieved with limited resources, a tabula rasa for the infrastructure and the finger on the pulse of the latest tools and services.

Groupon integrated business strategy

the phenomenon of online coupon Groupon founded in 2008, believes that the foundation of his success as IT managers and works closely with executives often. Trying to offer a highly collaborative environment, are integrated from a technical point of view, business development, said Ivan Moscoso, director of engineering Groupon. I've never been very strong differences between our departments. We tried everything works fine. long face with the heads of departments such as sales, customer service and editorial team to develop tools and services that really support the efforts and business objectives, says Moscoso.

To achieve this objective, the highly selective in recruiting IT professionals Groupon. He is looking for candidates who have good knowledge on a technical level, but also able to meet the needs of the economy and society to communicate with non-IT colleagues. In close collaboration between business and technology means that the rights of people working in technical and choose very open mixed, multidisciplinary teams, Moscoso said.

Zendesk: management application for development

Zendesk, help desk software to support internet and makes stops hackathons procedure for developers to stimulate innovative ideas and important projects, which will be soon. The company has a short meeting every day for application developers. These last 15 to 20 minutes and is an opportunity for the team, what is new and will discuss issues to be resolved. But for true cooperation hackathons, where developers are working in project management, which can be completed within 24 hours, said Zack Urlocker, Zendesk Chief Operating Officer. Not necessarily mean that all the time, but sometimes it is a good way for many small projects, you've done all at once and give people a sense of accomplishment, he said.

Box.Net: Going to the cloud for infrastructure investments in order to maintain lean

The use of cloud applications and services based on infrastructure is still very popular and widely-technology start-ups, allowing him to speak to keep costs low purchase and maintenance, while he was on the development of its products, the sole purpose of business. Box.net, providers of hosting services for applications, content management, collaboration and exchange of files, until recently, only one person exclusively on IT issues - support for 150 employees - through the use liberal applications, and smart-cloud services and infrastructure.

I am what I never thought that we do not have a cloud infrastructure. repetitive maintenance tasks, I worked, said lead Jeff Sutton, Box.net is there, and until recently the company that employs him. The company has taken on a second computer professional. For example, Sutton, in the amount of development work, and indoor environment in VMware. There are a lot more bandwidth. I have more time to focus on new technologies, he said. Aaron Levie, CEO and cofounder of Box.net, said, looking at cloud computing applications, for everyone, especially the design of IT needs. , We want to free up resources for higher-order questions in all technologies, said Levie.

It also allowed employees Box.net grow very quickly, sometimes doubling every year, without restriction, fear of their IT infrastructure to reduce or staples. , One of the obstacles for the organization grows, is that the challenges of infrastructure. We are trying to get the most from this kind of limits, not just go for growth, said Levie. How Box.net, Zendesk also uses a wide range of applications and cloud services, the company has 70 employees, which is not even focused exclusively on IT person. ; The reason I do this because of the technological choices we made, because of the cloud, Urlocker said. : We have most of our companies operate from the cloud hosting the program.

In addition to using its software, the clouds also Zendesk Box.net, Google, Salesforce.com, Amazon Web Services, Rackspace, and regret, Skype and more, the majority of voice communications. Asked about the concerns of many CIOs and IT managers still feel the cloud applications and services, Urlocker said cloud provider of security, reliability and improved performance. What's really matured in recent years. This is the Wild West, he said. CIOs may conclude that the reliability and security that go beyond the commercial cloud providers are often what they get from their department, he said.

Urlocker should start small and slow. , Companies and some steps in this direction and try some of these projects, he said. ; If software organizations that do not work for the curve of a cloud, he added.

SlideShare Software as a work in progress

SlideShare, a site for sending and sharing presentations on the art business, continuing to improve their software and push several times a day is a permanent and comprehensive analysis of user behavior to perfection. SlideShare CTO and co-founder Jonathan Bolt Elle must refer to the constant repetition in software development based on a thorough analysis of user behavior. , If you cut into pieces of work will be much less intimidating, he said.

This approach is less risky than the traditional philosophy of spending six months or more for major IT projects and is full of beautiful day Big Bang, he says. ; Not as Big Bang. We always want to make small changes, and that the best way to reduce the sense of risk, he said. SlideShare is the place where the settings are dozens of web applications based on once a day. , The combination of high-performance measure with the possibility of slight changes to the site can move very quickly, he said.

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