The V3 Hot Seat: Moxie Software chief executive Tom Kelly

Tom Kelly is the president and chief executive of Moxie Software. He has been in the IT industry for more than 25 years, working in numerous executive leadership roles.

Kelly was previously the chief executive of Epicor Software, where he also served on its board of directors for eight years.

Prior to this, Kelly held a number of chief executive positions, including for MontaVista Software, Bluestar Solutions and Blaze Software. All three of the firms were acquired under Kelly's leadership.

Moxie Software provides businesses with social software. This week there was news that Microsoft has teamed up with Moxie Software to provide Dynamics CRM customers with more succint collaboration capabilities.

Kelly's Hot Seat follows that of Microsoft chief privacy officer Brendon Lynch and Box chief executive Aaron Levie, as part of V3's weekly look into what makes those in the IT industry tick.

V3: What would be your dream job (apart from your current role, of course)?

I'd be the coach of a football team.

Which mobile phone and tablet do you currently use?

I use an iPhone and iPad. They're both great consumer devices, although definitely lacking some business functionality. I've recently been really impressed with the Nokia Windows 8 phone - it has a great look and slick user interface. The Samsung tablet also looks like it could be a winner.

Which person do you most admire in the IT industry?

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, based upon their impact and staying power.

Which technology has had the biggest impact on your working life?

Mobile technology, including applications, has forever changed how all of us conduct business and lead our personal lives.

What's been the highlight of your career so far?

There hasn't been one "light". There have been many, many highlights with businesses and people.

What was your first job?

I was a paperboy for the Progress Bulletin in Claremont, California.

What's your favourite thing about working in the IT industry?

There are so many exciting technologies that are changing businesses, lives and society. We recently learned how our collaboration solution accelerates the delivery of moving a drug from the factory to the patient's hand. It doesn't get much better than that.

What will be the next big innovation of the coming years?

Generally, I think we're going to see communications platforms converging so that people are more and more using one channel for multiple purposes. We've seen this already with the smartphone, which has become not only our communication tool, but also our personal organiser, our TV, our navigator, our games console, even our medical monitoring equipment, and so much more.

We certainly believe this will be true in the social software arena, and for businesses this means one single platform for communication and collaboration both external to the enterprise with customers and internally with employees. The world is a diverse place with the need for diverse multiple methods to communicate.

What keeps you awake at night?

I sleep pretty well. The things that worry me I focus on when I'm awake. Now if you add the usual worries a dad has about the welfare and happiness of his three kids, that's a difference story.

What was the last book you read and was it any good?

Exiles by Ron Hansen and The Saxon Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. Both very different, both excellent.

Do you prefer e-readers or real books?

E-readers all the way - no pages to turn, fits in a jacket pocket, doubles as a newspaper, is easier to hold and therefore read over lunch... Unless I'm on the beach, then give me the paperback.

Twitter, Facebook or Google+?

All three are very different. Twitter I use for broad communication and listening to sentiment. Facebook is a personal social platform that is available to be mined by businesses, while Google is a core information portal.

f you want to volunteer for V3's Hot Seat, or want to suggest an IT leader you think should take part, please email Rosalie.Marshall@incisivemedia.com for more details.