Sohaib Abbasi, chairman and CEO of Informatica Corp., joined John Furrier and Jeff Frick of theCUBE to talk about Informatica and the opportunities offered by the current cycle of innovation.

The interview started with the question of how data has changed in recent times. Abbasi explained that things have changed from simple transaction data, when customers buy things, to interaction data, where customers engage with a company or product. New data is coming from social media, mobile devices and interaction with customers.

The importance of data

“There are countless examples where data is becoming increasingly strategic and important,” Abbasi said. He related some examples of areas Informatica had served, such as helping companies find the right customers and the right products for those customers. He also mentioned oil companies and how they collect data from their wells and sensor networks.

Things then turned toward the current cycle of innovation and the changes running through the tech sector. Abbasi focused on the importance of Cloud computing and how it allows companies to rent their infrastructure instead of buying. He also touched on the implications of social media and data analytics that can help predict the future instead of just examining the past.

Integration and transformation

“Data integration will continue to be a high growth category, and it’s only limited by our own imagination,” Abbasi said. He continued with the idea that customers are now looking into data to make decisions than ever before. He also pointed out that more data is being collected now than at any point previously.

Finally, Abbasi gave his advice for others trying to manage this change in technology and business. He saw countless opportunities and new areas for innovation.

“There’s never been a more exciting time to be in the technology business,” he said.

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of Informatica World 2015.