Anne Carrigy. Image: Logitech
Logitech’s Anne Carrigy discusses the effects of hybrid and remote working on the IT landscape.
Anne Carrigy is the chief information officer at Logitech, a company that manufactures software and computer accessories.
With more than 30 years of experience in the consumer tech industry, Carrigy held leadership positions in supply chain before venturing into IT. In her current role as CIO, Carrigy leads a team of 350 people across more than 10 countries.
She says that the new “work from anywhere era” requires a “rethinking in IT”, with the company now focusing its attention on its employees’ own digital experience at work.
“At the same time, we are also ‘customer zero’. This means we test our own products before they are launched to ensure the solutions Logitech develops meet the needs of large enterprises and their employees.”
What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing in the current IT landscape?
Like all companies, we are also navigating the AI landscape, striving to understand where it can bring value and to help employees adapt to this unprecedented pace of technological change. We are also witnessing a significant shift in the modern era that is changing how we work and live, blending our physical and digital worlds into a new hybrid reality that is reshaping technology, collaboration and human connection.
In my opinion, we need to see technology not as a challenge to overcome but rather as a big ally. In this new hybrid world, technology builds the bridge to make connections equitable and enable a valuable exchange amongst all participants. The need for multiple workspaces, video collaboration and solutions to boost productivity and creativity is likely to continue to grow. This spans beyond the meeting room to the actual desk, which is, in many cases, not a fixed desk anymore. People work from different spaces within the office, at home or on the go.
What are your thoughts on digital transformation in a broad sense within your industry?
Digital transformation in the world around us is our opportunity for innovation and at Logitech we see ourselves as the bridge between people and the digital world. Digital transformation has, as an example, brought people the flexibility to break away from the limitations of a fixed desk in a fixed location. There are more opportunities as we look towards artificial intelligence and spatial computing. We have a role to play in helping people access and use AI systems like ChatGPT, for example, with our new Logi AI Prompt Builder.
We can also help people navigate the 3D world of spatial computing. We recently launched our first Mixed Reality stylus, MX Ink, for the Meta Quest platform (and it is worth noting that a big part of that team is based here in Cork).
How can sustainability be addressed from an IT perspective?
From an IT perspective, our goal is to build a sustainable IT ecosystem through responsible innovation and foster a culture of sustainability by raising awareness and empowering employees to take action. Our aim is to implement initiatives to reduce carbon emissions associated with IT operations, to reduce energy consumption by optimising our data centre infrastructure and resource utilisation, including computing resources, storage capacity and network bandwidth, all to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
How can we address the security challenges currently facing your industry?
As technology is included in every aspect of our lives, cyberspace is real and so are the risks that come with it. In a world where people connect from anywhere, the importance of security increases. Logitech is resolutely committed to cybersecurity and the protection of all people involved in or with our company. This entails security built into our products and services as well as an obligation to educate.
In addition to implementing technical and organisational measures, processes and frameworks across the company, our employees regularly receive training and communications on key risks and best practices to follow. It is a shared responsibility to make connecting to the digital world more secure.
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