---
title: "On Innovation Magic: British Telecom to benefit, IBM loses a good one"
date: 2006-09-28T00:27:42Z
modified: 2006-09-28T00:27:42Z
permalink: "https://redmonk.com/jgovernor/on-innovation-magic-british-telecom-to-benefit-ibm-loses-a-good-one/"
type: post
status: publish
excerpt: ""
wpid: 734
categories:
  - Uncategorized
timestamp: 2006-09-28T00:27:42Z
tags:
  - Uncategorized
---

[SandHill.com | Management | Eliminating the Innovation Disconnect](http://www.sandhill.com/opinion/editorial.php?id=101 "SandHill.com | Management | Eliminating the Innovation Disconnect")

Vinnie Mirchandani puts forward a nice framework for thinking about innovation, called MAGIC: Mashups, Alpha Technology, Global Inspiration, Intensity, and Collaboration with the line of business.

BT Global Services is set to to benefit from hiring a guy that definitely understands MAGIC – [JP Rangaswami](http://confusedofcalcutta.com/about-me/), who just left Dresdner Kleinwort to join BT GS as CIO.

At Dresdner Kleinwort he pioneered the use of wikis and other lightweight tools. You can bet he will drive innovative thinking at BT. He is all about empowering people – and people are what make businesses sing. On the other hand, many of BT Global Services’ problems are about execution and process, where what is needed is _process improvement_. So this is definitely one to watch.

Another holder of the MAGIC touch is [Catherine Helzerman](http://www.helzerman.com/joom/). She pretty much singlehandedly reinvented the analyst relations role at IBM Systems and Technology Group – getting me all hot and bothered about microprocessors, helping to launch game blogs, taking the wide view of innovation, doing cool stuff with blogs. Anyhow- she just left for Sun. IBM’s loss will definitely be Sun’s gain – I am not sure if Catherine’s new role yet- but she will be a success in whatever she does. I hope she is in software- it would be fun to be in a meeting with her and [Peder Ulander](http://blogs.sun.com/peder/)– and play a game of who-has-the-coolest-square-rimmed-glasses?

![](http://static.flickr.com/92/254175912_e899dbc566.jpg?v=0)

Pre-post update: I now _do_ know what Catherine is doing: Strategic relations. Looking at how Sun works with analysts and the new influencers. Using social networks in outreach. Bring it on. There are some outstanding people in that team already.

Finally – note that her online property is going with her. Catherine is a brand in its own right, and Sun just _licensed_ it.

disclaimers: Sun and IBM are both clients.