Using Cloud Computing Software as a Service

Michelle McKenna-Doyle, CIO, NFL Network

Cloud Computing to Various Industry Verticals

Cloud computing offers a variety of services to companies in our industry. From software as a service in the cloud to infrastructure in the cloud, the ability to react quickly to market conditions and to meet the increasing demand for storage and computing horsepower is a big part of moving to the cloud. We have embraced it across several software as a service, storage, and spike increases in computing hardware needs.

Connecting Internet of Things to the Stadiums

Everything can be connected in our stadiums – so the need for connectivity and proper bandwidth to handle this connectivity is of paramount importance to us. Our fans are also looking to engage with our content in a variety of ways. The internet of things will produce massive amounts of data that will need to be captured, stored, analyzed, and so staying on top of the strategic use of all this data will be key for us all.

Knowing the Right Customer

You begin the same way all businesses who are customer focused are – know your customer. For us, being fan first in our products and knowing what they want, when they want it and how they want it is essential – and it all goes back to a strong game which creates incredible content, and then us making sure we are on the right platforms.

You begin the same way all businesses who are customer focused are – know your customer

Moving to the Cloud

We continue to move to the cloud where possible. Make sure infrastructure if flexible, yet safe. This takes knowing the environment and how it is used, segmenting it appropriately, and then protecting what is most important.

Increasing Collaboration through New Technology

My role as CIO has always been as a strategic partner to the growth of the business. This phenomenon was new for many of my peers, but I came to the role of CIO after many years as a strategic planner, finance executive, and direct marketing specialist, so I knew how to plug into what is critical for the business. Over the past two years, there has been increased collaboration across the organization to continue to evolve our game through new technology and systems – such as working with our sponsorship team and football operations group to get Microsoft Surface tablets integrated into the game and working with officiating to implement a centralized consult system for instant replay. Ensuring our environment is safe and secure has become increasingly important for all businesses, and ours is no different.

Assess and Manage Risks

Be a courageous change agent. Organizations need to have CIOs who understand how to assess and manage risk and are engaged in the right dialogues to help push the organization forward. You deserve a seat at the table, make sure you get it. The CIO role is one of the most interesting and challenging jobs in the C suite. No other place do all the operations, data, and processes of an organization come together as they do in an organization’s technology. This gives the CIO a very unique opportunity and challenge. Embrace it and make sure you understand how all the parts fit together to drive the business.

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