Blog of Chinh Tran

We're evaluating Microsoft Surface Pro, so some if it is learning the device and some of it is learning Windows 8. It's different, but I'm getting the hang of it.What's your next career step? I'd like to continue to expand operational opportunities beyond IT into something like a chief operating officer role.What do you do in your spare time? I like doing anything outside: I ski, I golf, I like fishing.Is there something that not many people know about you? I once wrote an article for Ducks Unlimited magazine. They bought it, but I don't know if they published it. This was when everything was done by mail. What is the biggest IT initiative you're working on right now? "Conventus," which means "coming together" in Latin. We had acquired a company almost two years ago, and at the time we made the acquisition we did some limited integration. But now what we're focused on is harmonizing business processes and bringing both together on...

Computerworld — IT innovation -- once a nice-to-have -- is now considered a necessity for gaining competitive edge. With globalization, changing customer behavior, the spread of consumer technologies and cloud capabilities lowering the barrier of entry to new competitors, organizations are increasingly looking to technology-induced innovations to distinguish themselves in the market. But we're not talking about one-off great ideas, says Chip Gliedman, an analyst at Forrester Research. "Companies need to instill processes, governance and incentives to support a continuously sustained innovation program," he says. Otherwise, it's all too easy to revert to day-to-day operational concerns and avoid the risk of failure that is a faithful companion to creative pursuits. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to jump-starting an innovation program. Some organizations, like CapitalOne and MasterCard, create "digital labs" to foster new ideas and bring them to frui...