Why IT needs to be real-time (and must not be secretive)

Each week we are asking chief technology officers and other high-profile tech decision-makers three questions.

Answering today is Dr John Bates, chief technology officer of Progress Software, a company that specialises in real-time computing and provides business software infrastructure to more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100 companies.

Progress Software is a US firm based in Bedford, Massachusetts, and employs 1,800 people. It's annual results are imminent, but during its most recent financial year the company made a $46.3m profit on a turnover of $515.5m (拢330.1m).