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CIO Forum: Quotes of the day
Don't forget these pearls of wisdom...

By silicon.com

Published: Wednesday 29 September 2004

Maybe you made it to our big conference on Monday. Maybe you couldn't. Either way, what follows are some of the most memorable statements of the day, from a variety of our panellists. Whether on CIO leadership or prospects, offshoring, innovation or other subjects, these will give you a reminder/flavour of the proceedings…

"Mañana, mañana, mañana."
The decision-making process within too many company IT departments, as seen by René Carayol, ex-CIO, broadcaster and silicon.com columnist.

"Innovation is about learning. If I don’t keep learning I will die. Or kill myself."
DrKW CIO JP Rangaswami on the need for UK businesses to keep challenging themselves.

"Innovation equals experimentation, a willingness to take risks."
Menzies Distribution IT director Frank Coyle gives a definition of the i word.

"I'm not overwhelmed with British vendors."
BA CIO Paul Coby explains that he's open to local suppliers but doesn't always hear from them.

"The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is the greatest thing to happen to India since Y2K."
Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, author of Outsourcing to India.

"Our data doesn't move outside the company - whether it's Bangalore or Baltimore"
Kevin Lloyd, Barclays CTO, keeps customers' data nailed down, even when it's offshore.

"The US does more great stuff but also does more totally stupid stuff. The net gains are the same."
CNET Networks editor-at-large Esther Dyson on the difference between the US and UK.

"There's a realisation that it is easier to teach a business person about technology than teach a technologist about business."
René Carayol laments the numbers making it from the IT department into roles such as CIO.

"There's a danger we spend so much time talking about how wonderful we are, there's a backlash from the line managers"
Kenneth Coleman, CEO ITM Software, rues the modesty of CIOs.

"They're not looking for me to innovative [with technology], they're looking for me to deploy technology innovatively."
Claire Hamon, CIO at the Crown Prosecution Service, on how the CPS views her role.

"If I can sit at home in bed and send email via Wi-Fi but can’t do it at work then I start to ask questions."
Autonomy founder and CEO Mike Lynch gives an insight into what he gets up to in his boudoir.

"Progress is measured by the number of shopping trolleys in the lift."
Chris Rawson, CIO, Lloyds of London, looks longingly towards a paperless office.

"What we have seen over the last 10 years is boardrooms who have completely lost faith in IT."
Another warning from Carayol.

And finally…
"Polar bears must have the best PR companies - ruthless killers yet everybody still likes them."
Mike Lynch betrays his concerns about the PR industry.