About

Competitive Business Innovations is a blog focused on the impact of emerging technology trends on the future of business.

Every business has 2 main concerns: grow revenue and control costs; and this blog focuses on how emerging technologies like Cloud Computing and Software as a Service (SaaS) can help small and medium business like yours lower their capital expenditures and operational costs while deriving greater business efficiencies.

Ray DePena worked at IBM for over 12 years in various senior global roles in managed hosting, co-location, and services sales, global marketing programs (Business Innovation, and IT Optimization), marketing management, partner management, and global business development.

As Sr. Global Business Development Manager for an IBM Strategic Business Unit focused on emerging technologies he was asked to develop a worldwide ecosystem of Linux software partners in the IPTV segment.  He and his virtual matrix-ed team developed and grew revenue pipeline from a zero base to over $100M+  in 36 months, with over 140 business clients, while limiting opportunities for the company’s biggest competitors.  He accomplished this by developing alliances with ISV channel partners in the Telecom industry to gain sponsorship for IBM System x,and BladeCenter systems based on Intel, AMD, and IBM semiconductor technology.

He was also a global program manager helping transform the company’s Systems and Technology Group marketing from a product and technology centered focus to a more efficient and effective, solutions oriented, market based, client focus, and led the Business Innovation program across 19 industries driving to a multi-billion business unit revenue pipeline target resulting in 132% revenue increase.

His background includes software development, computer networking, systems engineering, and IT project management. He holds an MBA in Information Systems, Marketing, and International Business from New York University’s Stern School of Business, and a BBA in Computer Systems from the City University of New York at Baruch College.

In 2010, he was a Top 50 Bloggers on Cloud Computing by SYS-CON’s Ulitzer.

In 2009, he was Named one of the World’s 30 Most Influential Cloud Computing Bloggers by SYS-CON’s Ulitzer.

He is Founder and Editor of Amazon.com, Salesforce.com, Apple, and Innovation Journals, and currently serves as Principal Advisor to various Small and Medium Businesses, early-mid stage startups, entrepreneurs, and a regional college district on a National Science Foundation Initiative on Computational Thinking.

Born and raised in New York City, Mr. DePena now lives in northern California. He can be followed on Twitter at:@RayDePena