For those of you that don’t know Mike, he’s a Distinguished Engineer who has had an illustrious 30 year career at IBM. Mike just announced his retirement from IBM. I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Moran one time. Since that brief encounter just a handful of months ago, I have learned much from Mike indirectly. I try to keep up with his external blog (Biznology) and even follow him on Twitter. (Not quite stalking him but close.) He is full of sage advice and practical tips. He is knowledgeable yet humble. He is techy turned marketer. He is a mentor to me without even knowing it.
Thank you Mike for making me feel confident that its ok to be interested in what a business can get from technology without having to know how all the technology works. Focusing on the business value that is derived from practical, common-sense application of technology rather than simply valuing the technology itself is a critical (but sometimes rare) insight to have. Although you are leaving IBM, I will continue to gain insights and knowledge from your external activities. Best of luck.