Graham Jones, Chair, Ashwin Kini, Chair-elect, GITCA – on "24 Hours in the Cloud" and the IFIP World CIO Forum 2011

This week, Stephen Ibaraki has an exclusive interview with Graham Jones and Ashwin Kini.

Graham Jones, P.Eng, MCSD, Microsoft MVP (2006 - 2008), Global Chair and founding Vice-Chair of the Global IT Community Association (GITCA).
Graham Jones is one of the founding Directors of the Global IT Community Association, the world's largest international not-for-profit independent organization devoted to the development and growth of the IT community. A professional engineer for over 35 years, originally in the UK and now in Canada, Mr. Jones has had a very varied career in the process industries and latterly in the ICT industry.

Graham graduated in Chemical Engineering in the UK over 40 years ago with a 1st Class Honours degree. Over those 40 years he has had a very varied career including process plant design, operation and management; Project, Engineering and IT Management; software and web development and teaching Windows Desktop and Office. Taking a pioneering approach to the use of computers in his engineering work he often solved problems that others had been unable to resolve using more traditional methods. For the past 10+ years he has worked in the IT industry. Helping others has always been a constant, whether professionally or via volunteer work. This includes providing free IT services to non-profit organizations such as the Surrey Food Bank, acting as a mentor for S.U.C.C.E.S.S. which helps new immigrants to find work in IT in Canada, and acting as President of VANTUG for the past 10 years during which time the user group has grown from 200 to over 1200 members.

He is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in British Columbia, Canada, has passed the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, and achieved the Microsoft MCSD (pre .NET) designation. He is a guest contributor on the Microsoft Canada IT Managers blog and IT Pro blog.

Ashwin U. Kini is an IT Professional from Mumbai, passionate about Networking technologies and works as Sr. Technical Consultant CNC on JD Edwards / PeopleSoft ERP with Systime. He holds a Masters degree in Computer Applications, Bachelors degree in Computer Applications, and a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

Awarded as:

• "The Best IT Professional Community Contributor" in India for year 2010 by Microsoft India.
• 2008 Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) in Windows Server Customer Experience: Networking.

Active member of IT Professionals communities and volunteers as:

• Served as Founding Regional Chairman APAC (Asia-Pacific) for GITCA
• Managing committee member at Computer Society of India (CSI) in Mumbai
• President of Mumbai IT Professionals User Group (MumbaiITPro) in Mumbai
• Microsoft User Group Support Services steering committee

Leadership and Team building are the areas of his highest interest. His IT expertise is in the areas of Windows Networking and freelances as "Subject Matter Expert" (SME) for Windows client, server, and virtualization solutions. In his leisure time, he enjoys listening to music, watching sports and has an interest in photography. Ashwin blogs at http://www.ashwinkini.com/blog

[Ed. Note: Quotes below are abstracts taken from the podcast interview].

To listen to the interview, click on this MP3 file link

The latest blog on the interview can be found in the IT Managers Connection (IMC) forum where you can provide your comments in an interactive dialogue.
http://blogs.technet.com/b/cdnitmanagers/

DISCUSSION:

Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic
:00:35:		Graham, can you introduce yourself, overview GITCA and what you had set out to accomplish as 2009-2011 Chair of GITCA? "....I think of myself as a solutions oriented professional with over 40 years experience gained in both the UK and Canada....GITCA is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers dedicated to the growth and development of the ICT community on a global basis....Some of the GITCA member organizations are amongst the largest, well-established, highly-respected and influential world organizations...."
:02:14:		Ashwin, can you introduce yourself and what goals you wish to accomplish as the Chair-elect of GITCA? "....While the industry has taught me much on technology and being in the live atmosphere, communities have helped me experiment with my leadership skills and utilize my creativity....We've had several interesting and very successful activities implemented in India which we plan to bring to communities across the globe....We will soon have more details online and we also seek feedback from the User Group leaders....We need cooperation from everyone...."
:04:06:		Graham and Ashwin, you both are on the organizing committee for GITCA's "24 Hours in the Cloud" event. Ashwin, can you overview this event from the viewpoint as organizers? :04:18: Ashwin:  "....This virtual event which will take place on June, 2011 represents GITCA's first major project using the resources of the community for the benefit of the community....We have had a very encouraging response to our request for speakers and we are hoping to present more than the minimum 24 to cover the 24 hours of the event...." :05:24: Graham:  "....I see this as part of the next phase of the development of GITCA which is to begin to bring broader value to our members and the ICT community as a whole...."
:05:59:		Graham, who is keynoting the first session and what is his background? "....We are very pleased and privileged to have Doug Terry, Principal Researcher in the Microsoft Research Silicon Valley Lab as our keynote speaker...."
:07:10:		Graham and Ashwin, can you overview the other sessions being presented? :07:17: Graham:  "....The final list of 24 or more sessions with a more complete description including presenter and timing will be available by no later than April 10th on the GITCA and the "24 Hours in the Cloud" websites....Sample of session topics and variety....What's new in SharePoint 2010 Online?....Data in the Clouds – Myths and Truths....Introduction to Office 365....Private Cloud Security, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly....Building your "private cloud"....AppFabric Overview....Trust in the Cloud...." :10:52: Ashwin:  "....The topics mentioned give you an idea of some of the unique sessions....More involvement and suggestions from the user groups, speakers and anyone interested in Cloud computing is appreciated....Participation is the key...."
:11:48:		Graham, why should computing professionals and leaders attend this virtual conference? What makes "24 Hours in the Cloud" an uniquely compelling experience? :11:58: Graham:  "....Many people are either unaware of what can be achieved today or in the near future, or are nervous about such things as security and privacy....GITCA was pondering how it could show some of its value via its community connections and it was felt that the emergence of Cloud computing was a great opportunity to help advise and engage with the community as a whole....There will be plenty for all interests – developer, IT pro and SQL enthusiast...." :13:11: Ashwin:  "....This is learning for all and there is much to learn in this technology. Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn - what is the technology behind that drives them and what can one learn and do?...."
:14:21:		Can you profile the IFIP World CIO Forum or WCF? [Editor's note: For more information go to: www.worldcioforum.com] Graham:  "....The first World CIO Forum (IFIP WCF 2011), supported by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and organized by the Chinese Institute of Electronics (CIE), will be held November 1 - 4, 2011 in Shenzhen, China....IT is increasingly becoming the crucial stimulus for economic growth, innovation, transformation, crisis mitigation and management. The CIO is a key decision maker and thus plays an important role in enabling the value of IT...."
:15:35:		In your view, why should CIOs, senior executives, government and industry leaders participate in the World CIO Forum? Graham:  "....The World CIO Forum is a unique opportunity for senior people to meet and engage in sharing, form alliances and formulate strategy whereby IT will have a positive effect upon the world for the ultimate benefit of all...."
:16:20:		Why is GITCA supporting the IFIP WCF? Graham:  "....You only gain influence by finding a way to work with the major influencers...."
:16:51:		What are your tips, lessons, and best resources for those wanting a career in computing? :17:26: Graham:  "....Microsoft Canada TechNet blogs....IT Managers blog....Employers seek people with a range of technical skills, business skills and good interpersonal skills....Find something that you enjoy and will continue to enjoy...." :18:28: Ashwin:  "....Have passion in the technology you choose....TechNet and MSDN....Get involved with your local community....Attend virtual events and webinars such as "24 Hours in the Clouds"...."
:19:37:		In all that you do, what are the biggest challenges, and their solutions? :19:45: Graham:  "....People are always the biggest challenge...." :20:19: Ashwin:  "....active involvement....consistency...."
:20:48:		Provide your predictions of future IT trends and their implications/opportunities? :20:54: Graham:  "....hardware development as an enabler....distinction between mobile devices and the PC blurring....continued growth of social networking or backlash....Cloud computing gaining foothold in IT armory...." :22:44: Ashwin:  "....Technology will keep growing – how good are we with our basics?....Cloud computing – we are on a phase of transition from our computers to cloud...."
:23:37:		Graham and Ashwin each share a story (something surprising, unexpected, amazing, or humorous) from their leadership of GITCA.
:25:43:		If you were doing this interview, what questions would you ask and then what would be your answers? :25:59: Graham:  "....What three things have you learned that you live your life by?...." :27:19: Ashwin:  "....How do we build innovation?....How do we identify to take the right steps at the right time?....How can I be of help to GITCA?...."