Recently, Present had the pleasure of providing our customers and partners in Montreal and Toronto with a rare opportunity to hear from Jim Carroll, a recognized thought leader and authority on important business and IT trends -- who also happens to be a Canadian.

Speaking to an audience of senior IT and business executives, the focus of Carroll’s talk was to examine: What world class innovators do that others don't. Here are a few highlights:

Carroll challenged us to think differently. “World class innovators recognize big trends that are emerging quickly,” he said. “They embrace new ideas and ways of doing things.”

He made a point that IT people are in an ideal situation to innovate and create game changers for the business using IT.

World class innovators don’t wait for the ideal economic situation either. They are relentless with innovation and accept that business is ruled by uncertainty. For emphasis, Carroll asked attendees when they expect to see a global economic recovery. Nearly half responded that it could be as far away as two years. This prediction, he asserts, is typical of where Canadians sit, and that in the U.S. many fear we’ll have to wait even longer. But, Carroll argues, the time for innovation is now, and that many breakthrough performers have emerged from deep recessions because of the choices they made in the midst of them.

Carroll also spoke about the importance of viewing innovation as more than simply product design and that true innovators consider process too. We should be asking ourselves how we can innovate to run the business better, grow the business better, even transform the business. He also emphasized how world class innovators constantly think of opportunities to create revenue.

Carroll also discussed how world class innovators change the business model and how the new generation does not use cash, how mobile searches have now exceeded computer searches, and how plastic payment will be all mobile by 2020.

Carroll wrapped up with the idea that world class innovators ride “generational acceleration”. As an example of this kind of acceleration, he cited that 60% of this generation on their first day of work is already thinking of their next job/employer!

The bottom line, Carroll says, is that some see a trend and see it as a threat, but innovators see the same trend as an opportunity. Our challenge is to embrace the relentless pace of change in our world today -- and seize the opportunities that come with it. And clearly, more than ever before, how well we harness IT as an innovation enabler will impact how well we succeed.

Present then went on to present IBM’s Pureflex technology, an innovation in IT that can fundamentally change the experience and economics of IT in your organisation.

PureSystems technology integrates systems-level, domain and industry expertise in an elastic, cloud-ready infrastructure to dynamically support the ever-changing demands of business. It’s an immediate leap in IT productivity and competitive advantage for your business.

For information about how we can help your business become more innovative and profitable, please visit Present’s IT Innovation page.

To see Jim Carroll in action, click on the following video link