Panel : Innovation and Outlook of the Cloud

This panel session will discuss core themes relating to advances and innovations in Cloud technology, and where the Cloud is headed in 2015 and beyond.

Topics to be covered include:
- Market segmentation and key trends/directional qualities of each of these segments;
- New emerging areas of cloud that are nascent;
- cloud services and the key areas/segments to watch;
- Status quo and future directions of PaaS and Cloud Services Brokerage Enablers. Are there any “big” players getting into this market?;
Future trends to engage in now to gain competitive advantage;
- When can the industry guarantee zero down time

Speakers:

Dr. Donald F. Ferguson is vice president and chief technology officer for Dell’s Software Group. Dell named Don a Senior Fellow in January 2013, and Don is currently one of only two Dell Senior Fellows. Don also chairs the Pan-Dell CTO Forum. Don is the only person to have been an IBM Fellow, Microsoft Technical Fellow and Dell Senior Fellow.
Don leads the architecture, implementation design, technical strategy and innovation for Dell Software Group products and solutions. Don also works with colleagues across Dell to help ensure integration and innovation for software solutions spanning all of Dell’s businesses. Some of Don’s recent solution focus at Dell has been on hybrid cloud management, BYOD/mobility management and security, end-to-end next generation connected security.
Prior to joining Dell, Don was executive vice president and chief technology officer for CA Technologies. Don definedthe technical strategy and product architecture. This included strategic technology acquisitions (e.g. 3Tera, iTKO, Hyperformix), technical guidance for innovative organic development (e.g. CA Service Operations Insight, Server Automation for Cloud) and product integration and solutions (e.g. Catalyst/Unified Service Model, Integrated Demand Management, CA Open Space).
Prior to joining CA in 2008, Don was a Microsoft Technical Fellow working in the Office of the CTO and in Server and Tools Business. He worked on various projects exploring the future of enterprise software, with a special emphasis on Web services and Internet application platforms.
Don began his career at IBM, where he worked for twenty years. In 2001 Don became an IBM Fellow, IBM's highest technical honor. IBM has approximately 80 IBM Fellows in the 150,000 person engineering team. Don served as chief architect for the IBM Software Group, where he focused on design issues and initiatives spanning the DB2, WebSphere, Tivoli, Lotus and Rational product families. During this time, Ferguson also worked on a number of SOA, web service and web application initiatives, specifications and standards. Don also held the title of chief architect for the WebSphere product family from its inception until becoming IBM Software Group chief architect. Don is often credited as “The Father of WebSphere.”
Don earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Columbia University. He has contributed to approximately 30 technical journal and conference publications, and has more than a dozen patents.
The Columbia Engineering Alumni Association of Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University named Don a 2013 recipient of The Egleston Medal. The award is an annual recognition of one or two alumni for “distinguished achievement in engineering or applied science.”

Shailesh Rao is Global Director of the cloud business unit at Google. He joined Google after 17 years of experience in the enterprise software and cloud computing business, including roles in product management, sales, strategy and product marketing. In his most recent role before joining Google, he was an SVP at SAP where he was held several senior roles within SAP's cloud business. He also held leadership roles at Siebel Systems and other Silicon Valley startups.

Shailesh is a graduate of the National Institute of Technology in Kurukshetra, India, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also has a master’s degree in computer science from the Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and an MBA in general management from Harvard Business School.

Omid Razavi, Ph.D.
Global VP, Customer Success and Growth, SAP. Omid Razavi leads customer success and growth at SAP with over $1.5B cloud revenue and 35 million users across 30+ cloud applications. Omid is passionate about designing, developing and delivering customer success services and leading global teams to bring new capabilities to the market, as well as, increase technology consumption, user adoption and business outcome for customers, and ultimately impact business growth.

Omid has worked in the Silicon Valley for over 20 years, and he is currently advisor to several early-stage cloud and venture firms. Prior to SAP (formerly SuccessFactors), he was at Saba, Clever Sense (acquired by Google), Kxen (acquired by SAP), Cordys (acquired by OpenText), Savvion (acquired by Progress Software) and Vitria Technology. He holds B.S.E and M.S.E from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, all in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences.

David Linthicum, Research Analyst, Gigaom Research

David (Dave) S. Linthicum is an internationally recognized industry expert and thought leader, and the author and coauthor of 13 books on computing, including the best-selling “Enterprise Application Integration” (Addison Wesley). Dave keynotes at many leading technology conferences on cloud computing, SOA, Enterprise Application Integration, and enterprise architecture, and has appeared on a number of TV and radio shows as a computing expert. Dave’s latest book is “Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise, a Step-by-Step Approach.”Dave is an internationally recognized industry expert and thought leader, and the author and coauthor of 13 books on computing, including the best-selling “Enterprise Application Integration” (Addison Wesley). Dave keynotes at many leading technology conferences on cloud computing, SOA, Enterprise Application Integration, and enterprise architecture, and has appeared on a number of TV and radio shows as a computing expert. Dave’s latest book is “Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise, a Step-by-Step Approach.”