Center Blog
Lunch with Mike LaJoie (CTO, Time Warner Cable)
Posted by Prof M. Eric Johnson on March 30, 2011 | Comment (26)
Today I hosted Mike LaJoie (CTO, Time Warner Cable) for one of our CDS Tech lunches. Mike showed off TWC’s cool new ipad app that lets cable users watch their favorite shows anywhere in their home. Released two weeks ago, the app has been a huge hit with over 300,000 downloads this month and has also created its share of controversy over the wireless delivery. While the app can only be used at home (a legal distribution issue, not a technical one), content owners are crying foul. Looks like the content owners are missing it again, limiting paying customers on the device they can use! What next—will they limit program consumption to the living room? To be continued.
Besides talking about the future of content delivery, Mike gave the students advice about pursuing careers in technical roles. He noted that the key to success was bridging the gap between technology and the business. Too often techies can’t crawl out of their love for the technology itself to see how it can impact the firm and eco system around them. Mike said his career was defined by his ability to understand how new technologies translated into time and money.
Watch CDS Fellow Elissa Kline's interview with Mike.
In the interest of full disclosure, Tuck and Time Warner Cable share a business relationship.
26 comments so far
Totally agree Eric, it was great to hear Mike the other day. I especially liked the comment about the need to translate technology into time and money.
Interestingly, it seems to me that if folks like us interested in both tech and business start thinking hard about how to untangle some of the rights issues that he mentioned (and we saw in the app), that itself would go a long way in unlocking the value in tech innovations, in terms of both money and time
I actually have a background in online analytics, media and advertising, and I’m working for Dish TV this summer - the “enemy” in Mike’s words.
I found the chat to be very informative, engaging and I actually learnt a lot. There’s so much innovation going on in this space, and to see a senior leader at a large corporation so in-tune with the newest developments was really fascinating to see.
It’s interesting that content providers are in a huff regarding an app that will only work within the household, but they have been radio silent against devices such as slingbox which will broadcast your TV stream to any device you want, regardless of location.
Eric, I agree that content owners are again missing it. With Hulu and Netflix now working on their own original content traditional providers have a lot of competition coming, specifically from companies that understand the online distribution model and what customers want (to watch their content on multiple devices!)
Its fantastic how Tuck provides students the opportunity to hear from senior people that are working on the forefront of the issues that are shaping content and technology landscapes.
It was great to see and hear current developments to reshape media and the way it’s distributed. The ipad app looks like a nice starting that makes us more anxious to see the next step. Indeed, the key to future success seems to be how to balance the acts of serving multiple constituencies: content providers, consumers, and advertisers.
Thank CDS for hosting this fascinating event!
I agree with a lot of the comments here that the traditional cable content providers need to figure out how to participate in the new media ecosystem that is evolving. With Netflix entering the original conent arena with their deal to distribute the new David Fincher-Kevin Spacey series, we’re starting to see more of a threat to the “old” way of distributing content. As a “cord cutter,” it was interesting to hear the perspective of a cable executive and see that they’re experimenting with new means of distribution.
Its fantastic how Tuck provides students the opportunity to hear from senior people that are working on the forefront of the issues that are shaping content and technology landscapes.
I found the chat to be very informative, engaging and I actually learnt a lot. There’s so much innovation going on in this space, and to see a senior leader at a large corporation so in-tune with the newest developments was really fascinating to see.
The chat was definitely very informative. Technology and innovation is changing the world.
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world is moving forword to change the technology:-)
Totally agree Eric lot of the comments here that the traditional cable content providers need to figure out how to participate in the new media ecosystem that is evolving.
Hi, very useful post. Thanks.
Really nice share
Sounds Mike LaJoie is a very nice and knowledgeble man, I will find more information about him!
this is very useful. nice article.. i will find more information about that guy! Mike is very nice and smart you can check my blog too www.tvfromyourpcreviews.com
hear from you soon goodluck!
I agree with Eric. Digital Technology move so fast. How we configure and use it properly is important. Thank you for the post.
The center does very well to bring in a guy like Mike to give a talk like this. Hopefully, the students were duly “wowed” by his cutting edge talk of his ipad app.
Competition within the technological or IT world is fast growing alongside for the amount of business put into it.
It is very interesting to hear views from leaders in this industry. I work in social media and believe that most of what Mike say will happen.
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