After more than two decades at Cisco, Travis Jones has returned to Computer Solutions in a newly created role: Chief Innovation Officer. The position reflects a broader shift within the company. As technology evolves faster than ever, Computer Solutions is investing in leadership that helps both the company and its customers stay ahead of what’s next. For Jones, the role centers on one core idea: helping organizations move beyond simply maintaining their technology and start modernizing it strategically.
“We often talk about ‘refreshing’ infrastructure,” Jones says. “But refresh usually just means replacing old equipment with new equipment configured the same way. That doesn’t really move the business forward.”
Instead, he encourages customers to think in terms of modernization.
“Modernization means improving how the network actually supports the business. It’s about resilience, security, scalability and making sure the infrastructure is ready for what comes next.”
What a Chief Innovation Officer Means for Customers
The Chief Innovation Officer role was created to help Computer Solutions bring a broader strategic perspective to its clients. Many organizations have capable IT teams focused on day-to-day operations. What they often lack is the ability to step back and look at the architecture, long-term strategy and industry direction.
That’s where Jones comes in.
“I tend to look at things from the big-picture perspective,” he explains. “Customers might have great engineers who keep the network running, but sometimes they don’t have someone who’s looking at the overall architecture and asking, ‘Is this the best way to design this environment?’”
In practice, that means helping customers:
- Evaluate new technologies and when they make sense to adopt
- Modernize legacy network designs
- Improve security and resiliency
- Plan for growth, acquisitions or new facilities
- Understand what other organizations in their industry are doing
Sometimes the role is advisor. Sometimes it’s architect. Sometimes it’s simply a sounding board.
“If a customer asks what having a Chief Innovation Officer means for them, the answer is perspective,” Jones says. “I’ve worked with organizations across the country. I can help them understand what others are doing and what might work best for their environment.”
The Technologies Reshaping Modern Networks
Jones has spent nearly three decades working in enterprise networking, and he sees several major shifts reshaping how organizations build infrastructure. One of the most important is the move away from traditional network designs toward network fabrics, which simplify architecture and provide much stronger segmentation and security.
“Fabrics simplify a lot of the complexity we’ve accumulated over the last 20 years,” Jones says. “They allow organizations to build networks that are far more flexible and secure than traditional architectures.”
Another major shift is the rise of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), which allows organizations to use the internet as a stable, secure transport platform for business-critical traffic.
“SD-WAN has made the internet a reliable platform for mission-critical data,” he explains. “It’s centralized, easier to manage and much less manual.”
But technology alone doesn’t solve problems. Jones emphasizes that architecture, planning and operational processes are just as important as the hardware itself.
“You can have redundancy in your network,” he says. “But if you haven’t designed it correctly or tested it, you may not actually have resiliency.”
Innovation Starts with Education
Internally, a major part of Jones’ role is helping the Computer Solutions team continue building technical expertise. Throughout his career, he has relied heavily on certifications and hands-on technical experience to deepen his understanding of how networks function.
“From the beginning, my career was all about certifications,” he says. “You learn the fundamentals of how networks actually work.”
That foundation shaped how he approaches business challenges today.
“It’s much easier to recommend a solution when you’ve actually worked with the technology,” he explains.
He now mentors engineers within Computer Solutions, helping them develop the same level of technical depth that clients depend on.
A Practical View of AI
Like most technology leaders today, Jones is watching the rise of artificial intelligence closely. He sees real potential in areas such as analyzing operational data, automating workflows and improving how organizations respond to network events. One example is using AI to help analyze and correlate data from multiple systems to identify issues more quickly.
“At the end of the day, networks generate a huge amount of operational data,” he says. “AI can help correlate that information and identify problems faster.”
At the same time, he cautions organizations to be thoughtful about how they adopt the technology.
“One risk is that people start using AI tools without understanding the fundamentals,” Jones says. “The technology is powerful, but you still need the underlying expertise.”
Looking Ahead
Jones is only six months into the role, but the goal is already clear: help Computer Solutions evolve from a traditional technology provider into a strategic innovation partner for its customers.
“I want customers to see us as more than just someone who sells and installs technology,” he says. “We should be a partner that helps them think about what’s possible.”
Even after nearly three decades in networking, Jones says his passion for the field hasn’t faded.
“I still love the plumbing side of networking,” he says with a laugh.
For him, innovation isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about building networks that are stronger, smarter and ready for whatever comes next. If your organization is evaluating new technologies, planning for growth, or looking for ways to make your network more resilient and secure, Travis Jones and the Computer Solutions team are ready to help. Follow Travis Jones on LinkedIn or contact Computer Solutions to begin discussing your network modernization strategy.
