An Interview with Jack Gold

Jack Gold

Key Topics:Mobile, Wireless, 5G, WiFi, Security, Cloud, AI, ML, IoT, Enterprise TCO/ROI, client computing, enterprise apps, workspace.

Location:Northborough, MA USA

Bio:

Jack Gold has more than 45 years of experience in the computer and electronics industries working at both large firms and startups, has been an industry analyst for more than 25 years, and is the founder and principal analyst at J.Gold Associates, LLC.

He is an internationally recognized analyst that presents at conferences, is often quoted and originates research covering the many aspects of enterprise and consumer computing and emerging technologies.

Jack has recently featured in Onalytica's Who's Who in Cloud report.

How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?

My background is in electrical engineering (BSEE) to which I’ve added an MBA. I’ve worked in new product research, advanced manufacturing engineering, semiconductors, and product marketing among other areas. I’ve worked at major companies like Xerox and Digital Equipment, as well as at some software startups.

I transitioned to becoming an industry analyst almost 30 years ago, first working for many years at META Group as a VP of Research, and then working independently starting my own firm. I’ve spent many years in the mobile markets, working with vendors to define product requirements for emerging markets things like Palm Pilots, early BlackBerries, laptops, WiFi connectivity, WLAN, 3G/4G, enterprise mobile apps, etc., as well as with many enterprises to define mobile requirements and deployment strategies for devices, connectivity, and applications. The most value is created by concentrating on the solutions and outcomes rather than just the technology.

While I still extensively cover the mobile and wireless markets, including 5G and the latest WiFi6/7, my coverage areas are much broader, with expertise that includes Semiconductors, Security, Cloud Computing, Endpoint Computing, Modern Workspaces, Digital Transformation, AI/ML, and IoT. As a trusted advisor to both enterprises and vendors, I do a lot of work with determining the ROI and TCO of specific technology implementations (e.g., what’s the true cost of lack of security, how often should technology be upgraded and what’s the productivity/ROI gain) as well as providing product analysis and competitive feedback, and deployment guidance. I have a broad understanding of technology and markets and particularly in the challenges and requirements of enterprises in both mature technologies as well as emerging tech.

What sub-topics are you most passionate about?

I am particularly interested in how new wireless technology like 5G and WiFi 6/7 will affect enterprise workers, particularly as we remain in a remote work scenario for the foreseeable future. And as I continue to focus on Security, and related topics of Privacy, how will emerging technology, including AI/ML, Metaverse, and Quantum Computing either positively or negatively affect this topic (e.g., it’s estimated once we move to Quantum computing at scale in the next 5-10 years, most encryption commonly used today for protecting data and connections will be defeated exposing vast amounts of sensitive information to hacking). And the use of Cloud, especially the need to enable Multi-Cloud/Hybrid-Cloud is something not as well understood by many organizations as it should be (e.g., will I really move everything I run into one cloud instance at AWS/Azure/GCP and get rid of my On-Prem solutions?).

Who influences you within these topics?

We speak with many users of tech which allows us to form opinions of what products are important and which are not as mission-critical. It also provides us with feedback on the quality and usability of those products. And of course, we participate in many vendor analyst briefings which give us insight into the product strategy for were many new market technologies are going and how each vendor sees itself and the market, as well as how it defines its customers’ needs.

With so many competing products and competing messages, it’s often difficult to differentiate. That’s especially true because so many vendors of new products concentrate on the technology features rather than targeting the business solutions they can provide. It is this area we try to work with vendors so that they can provide new solutions to business problems rather than simply sell feature sets. And with LOBs becoming the predominate funding force, it’s imperative that vendors must have not only an IT pitch to their products, but also one that’s attractive to LOB.

We work with brands in many ways, including advisory council membership, a subscription-based advisory service that includes unlimited telephone support and on-site consulting, and on specific projects like whitepapers, webinars, conference presentations, speaking engagements, etc. We try to customize our approach to meet the needs of the companies rather than try to put everyone in the same product basket.

What are your passions outside of work?

I try to spend as much time with my family as possible, and of course, my dog demands my attention, too! I don’t have any musical or artistic skills, but I do like to fix things and work on repairing and updating almost anything around the house, the cars, etc. I’ve been known to spend $25 on parts to repair a throw-away $10 appliance just for the challenge!

What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?

Email.

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