One of the brightest minds in today’s IT world is Dr. Joseph Reger, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with various Fujitsu entities since 2002. As of August 1, 2014 he was appointed as CTO for Fujitsu’s Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA) region. I had the pleasure of listening to Dr. Reger for the first time four years ago and ever since I always make sure to get a front seat to attend his keynotes. This year the opportunity to listen to his brilliant thoughts filled with unique insights and humour happened during the Fujitsu Forum 2014 in Munich, Germany.
On Day 0, during the press conference, Dr. Joseph Reger spoke about the Internet of Things and Digital Transformation and distinguished between ‘Digital Business vs. Digitalized Business‘. For instance, Starbucks offers an analog product (coffee) with a number of digitalized services developed around the analog product which include wifi, online meetings, big data analysis, products will become services.
Dr. Reger’s contribution in developing Fujitsu’s Cloud Computing Strategy is instrumental and in currently he is focusing on the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 topics. Industry 4.0 is a term coined in Germany but it has rapidly spread in other nations to be defined as such ‘Industry 4.0 is part of the entire Digital Transformation value chain using IoT technology (not industry automation)’ In German, the term ‘Industrie 4.0’ refers to the fourth industrial revolution, a new wave of technological changes that will decentralize production control and trigger a paradigm shift in manufacturing. The first industrial revolution was the mechanization of production using water and steam power, it was followed by the second industrial revolution which introduced mass production with the help of electric power, followed by the digital revolution, the use of electronics and IT to further automate production.
According to the Communications Networks, Content and Technology European Commission Directorate General, “the Internet of Things (IoT) is a dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual “things’ have identities, physical attributes and virtual personalities and use intelligent interfaces and are seamlessly integrated into the information network.”
What’s on the CTO’s mind?
The CTO’s mind is filled with unique industry insights and on another session titled ‘What’s on the CTO’s mind?’ Dr. Reger shared his insights briefly on the ‘fragmented cloud space’ in Europe, how to build communications through insecure networks by ‘selected apps’ and focused extensively on two topics digital transformation (as during the press conference) and 3D printing that is another trend that is here to stay. Dr. Reger defined 3D printing as ‘data definition of everything’ and presented his own 3D printed version by a Germany-based company called Youlittle. Isn’t Dr. Reger’s Youlittle version cute?
“IT has just arrived on our skin”
IT and computers are coming onto you, ever closer than before. Dr. Reger took us on a historic overview of the evolution of computers from the mainfraime computers to your PCs to smartphones to smartwatches on your skin. With the help of IT onto your skin and the use of Big Data that is monitored constantly in real time “you will no longer have to call your doctor; your doctor will call you!”
Dr. Reger has a unique way of simplifying and crystallizing information, which only a wise man can do able to understand it at its core in order to explain it to others. He gives the analogy of once you used to have a huge computer in your country, then a smaller computer in your building, then in your flat, in your room, on your desk, on your bed, in your pocket and on your skin.
It is always a pleasure to listen to Dr. Reger! I have to admit I have a geek crush on him. Intelligence is sexy, indeed!
Tweetable moment of Dr. Reger’s speech
“Fail fast, try many times”
“Things do not innovate. People do.”
“IT has just arrived on our skin.”
“You will no longer have to call your doctor; your doctor will call you!”
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