Simon Wardley

Researcher, Leading Edge Forum (CSC)

Situation Normal, Everything Must Change
30 minutes, 14mb, recorded 2010-07-23
Simon Wardley

Simon Wardley, based in the UK, is a researcher for the Leading Edge Forum; his focus is on the intersection of IT strategy and new technologies. Simon is a regular presenter at conferences worldwide.

Wardley talks about the risks of cloud computing such as its disruptive and transitional qualities, governance, and outsourcing risks. On the other hand, the benefits of cloud computing are the usual benefits of commoditization: efficiency and agility which enable companies to focus on core strengths. Wardley also talks about the difference between the Six Sigma and AGILE project management systems; Six Sigma handling linear systems better and AGILE handling deviation and change better.

Creative destruction describes the erosion of value via commoditization which forces innovation and creativity. Joseph S. Peter coined this phrase and Wardley asserts that capitalism is kept dynamic by the constant creation of new stuff, although this new stuff must destroy the value of the old stuff. Industry players will experience pressure to adopt cloud services as their competitors do. Cloud will spur innovation within the IT industry, therefore they should not expect it to save money. Wardley makes important points regarding the potential for monolithic systems to be disrupted via open-source strategies in a marketplace.


Simon Wardley, based in the UK,  is a Researcher for the Leading Edge Forum and his focus is on the intersection of IT strategy and new technologies.

Simon is a seasoned executive who has spent the last 15 years defining future IT strategies for companies in the FMCG, Retail and IT industries.  From Canon’s early leadership in the cloud computing space in 2005 to Ubuntu’s recent dominance as the #1 Cloud operating system.

As a geneticist with a love of mathematics and a fascination in economics, Simon has always found himself dealing with complex systems, whether it’s in behavioural patterns, environmental risks of chemical pollution, developing novel computer systems or managing companies.  He is a passionate advocate and researcher in the fields of open source, commoditization, innovation, organizational structure and cybernetics.

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