Eric Klinker Of Resilio Inc On The Most Important IT Management Trends of 2023

An Interview With Rachel Kline

Continued investments in cloud collaboration and communication tools to support remote employees.

Information Technology, the backbone of modern business, is ever-evolving. Each year brings forth new paradigms, methodologies, and innovations, shaping the landscape of IT management. As we navigate through 2023, it’s crucial to grasp the trends that are steering the industry, from emergent technologies to shifts in managerial perspectives. These trends not only shape the way IT departments function but also determine the competitive edge for businesses across sectors. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Klinker.

Eric is the co-founder and CEO of Resilio Inc. and brings over two decades of proven leadership experience in networking and technology companies. Before Resilio, he served as President and CEO of BitTorrent where he was responsible for an ecosystem of software, devices, and protocols that moved between 20% and 40% of the world’s Internet traffic daily. As CEO, he successfully led BitTorrent through the financial crisis of 2008, built a profitable business, and grew the user base to more than 170 million monthly users worldwide. He was also responsible for an expanding product portfolio that today includes distributed messaging, file sync and share as well as various live streaming applications.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your personal backstory with us?

I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, where I cultivated an appreciation for the value of hard work and resilience in the face of things you don’t control (the weather, mostly). Since then, I’ve found these character pillars are essential for success in IT, but especially for technology startups looking to break new ground among established players.

None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I was incredibly fortunate in my first job out of school. I worked for two amazing engineers who mentored me early in my career and set my future accomplishments on a solid technical foundation. Without their mentorship or friendship, nothing would have been possible. Not surprisingly, they went on to have stellar careers and have held senior leadership positions including the CISO for the DoD and a major media conglomerate.

Can you share with us three strengths, skills, or characteristics that helped you to reach this place in your career? How can others actively build these areas within themselves?

Two of them I’ve already mentioned. Nothing good in life is possible without hard work. And the inevitable setbacks along the way require a significant degree of grit or resilience to pivot into success. To these I would add imagination. The ability to see something not yet realized, either in yourself or in the market is a powerful north star that puts the prior two-character traits to the best possible use.

As for building these traits, you don’t need to toil away on a farm. Start small by imagining a goal and then work to achieve it. Along the way you’ll establish healthy habits for building all three.

Which skills are you still trying to grow now?

Empowering the next generation of leaders. I’m excited by what Resilio veterans will go on to achieve. From what I’ve seen so far, you will be amazed at their accomplishments. A truly great and inspiring team!

Let’s talk about IT management trends. What are the key IT management trends that have emerged or gained prominence in 2023, and why are they significant for businesses and organizations?

In the world of technology, innovation is constant and in the world of business, dynamics are ever evolving. In 2023, these two dynamics forced companies to focus efforts on understanding how to use the latest innovations in generative AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity to support business operations.

Cloud computing’s ability to scale resources, enhance collaboration, and achieve cost cost-efficiency has made cloud adoption a cornerstone for businesses in the past decade. The flexibility and accessibility of cloud platforms help organizations streamline operations, boost productivity, and respond quickly to changing market dynamics. But as products and services around the cloud computing ecosystem evolve and data proliferation continues at exponential rates, IT teams are taking a closer look at ROI to ensure they have the right strategy in place to support the massive data ingress and egress.

Cybersecurity has become an even more critical focus in 2023. With the rise of remote work and an increasing number of connected devices, organizations are prioritizing robust cybersecurity measures. From advanced threat detection systems to employee training programs, IT leaders are investing in comprehensive cybersecurity strategies to safeguard sensitive data and maintain the trust of customers, partners and investors.

Lastly, generative AI is no longer a distant promise but a practical and transformative tool for businesses. Generative AI applications, ranging from machine learning algorithms to natural language processing, began revolutionizing decision-making processes in tools for consumers and businesses. IT teams had to prepare to evaluate products from solution providers to ensure compatibility and compliance as an increasing number of products became publicly available.

How has the ongoing evolution of cloud computing impacted IT management strategies in 2023, and what best practices should IT leaders adopt to harness its potential?

The evolution of cloud computing has had a significant impact on IT management strategies, changing how organizations approach infrastructure, operations, and digital transformation. However, the economics of cloud computing are changing, and companies are beginning to scrutinize the cost of data management and storage. This has led to the rise of hybrid IT where companies retain owning infrastructure and running applications on-premises while also outsourcing some to public cloud providers.

One of the best practices IT leaders should be mindful of, includes keeping an open mind to new, modern platforms that can help unify storage systems for core data centers, public and private clouds, and edge networks to reduce costs. This enables IT to gain control of globally distributed assets, automate data management, and accelerate transfer performance. For example, modern approaches using innovative peer-to-peer (P2P) technology can sync hundreds of servers and millions of files to multiple locations without latency.

With the increasing importance of cybersecurity, what innovative approaches or technologies are being employed in IT management to enhance data protection and mitigate cyber threats in 2023?

Battling cybercrime is a constant game of cat and mouse with no end in sight. This is because new threats appear as quickly as technology innovates. Today, companies of all sizes face threats in the form of ransomware, social engineering, state-sponsored attacks, and data breaches, among others. As a result, IT leaders are employing new approaches to mitigate attacks and protect their organizations from falling victim. This includes:

• Zero Trust Security Models

The Zero Trust security model has gained wider acceptance and adoption in 2023 among IT teams. Rather than relying on perimeter-based defenses, this model assumes no trust, requiring identity verification from individuals trying to access resources inside a company network. With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, a Zero Trust approach enhances overall security by putting greater focus on authentication and authorization anytime someone attempts to access any part of the corporate network.

• AI-Powered Threat Detection

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a pivotal role in bolstering cybersecurity measures. Advanced AI algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies, enabling rapid detection of potential threats. AI-driven threat response systems can automate the mitigation process, responding to incidents in real-time and minimizing the impact of cyberattacks.

• Ransomware Prevention Strategies

With the rise in ransomware attacks, organizations are adopting innovative strategies to harden systems and networks. This includes regular data backups, secure offline storage, and the use of deception technologies to mislead and confuse attackers. Additionally, organizations are updating their disaster recovery tools and processes to include innovations such as peer-to-peer solutions to improve Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO).

As remote and hybrid work arrangements continue to be prevalent, how are IT management practices adapting to support a distributed workforce in 2023, and what challenges do they face in this context?

Covid forced remote work at-scale onto companies across industries in 2020 and since then, there are no signs the workplace will return to pre-pandemic form. IT teams have adapted to this distributed workforce model by embracing cloud collaboration tools (Teams, Slack, Zoom), enhancing cybersecurity strategies for secure remote access (VPNs, identity management/multifactor authentication, cyber threat intelligence), and implementing modern tools that enable a more flexible hybrid IT environment (storage unification for the core, cloud and edge using P2P technology).

Given this new normal, IT leaders are challenged with staying on top of the latest cybersecurity threats targeting corporate and home networks to ensure data confidentiality and integrity; maintaining network stability for cloud collaboration and communication tools that are now critical to remote employees; and thinking beyond traditional tools and exploring new, more modern platforms that can better support hybrid IT.

What are the 5 Most Important IT Management Trends of 2023?

In my opinion, the 5 most important IT management trends of 2023 are:

1. Continued investments in cloud collaboration and communication tools to support remote employees.

2. Momentum in hybrid IT due to cloud economics and the proliferation of data.

3. Increased investments in cybersecurity solutions to support secure remote access for remote employees.

4. Renewed focus on strategies to mitigate ransomware attacks.

5. Evaluation and governance of new AI-powered solutions requested by employees.

Are there any underrated skills or qualities that you encourage others not to overlook?

• Hire introverts. (who tend to think well ahead of anything they might say)

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I think there is a lot of opportunity to leverage technology for good. Imagine a world where open-source solutions are used to share knowledge and resources to tackle global challenges like climate change, poverty, access to capital, and access to information that empowers everyone to start a business from main street to rural agriculture.

In addition, imagine a world with inexpensive sensors that relay data on edge networks or satellite internet service that help small farmers in developing countries better rotate crops to produce higher yields and understand how weather patterns affect harvesting, and monitor market prices and demand.

Despite these innovations, the true magic in bringing good to the greatest number of people is through a collaborative effort that unites individuals, communities, and access to cheap capital around shared goals.

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.