He helps lead the technology strategy of one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world. And at the same time, Phil Wiser, CTO of Sony Music Entertainment in New York, thinks deeply about the implications of the debate raging over digital-rights management. While Hollywood pushes ahead to influence legislation to restrict information sharing, Wiser says he is concerned about stifling creativity. Property rights need to be secured, Wiser says, but there must be new avenues to distribute creative content. “My goal is to increase and diversify the vision of this music company,” Wiser says. “The music company of the future is not just a record company. The challenge is to figure out how to build on our business.” Wiser was a founder and CTO of Liquid Audio, which offered secure formats for downloading music over the Internet, before coming to Sony in December 2001. Wiser presently has his hands full with daily obligations of running a cost-effective technology infrastructure for his company’s far-flung operations, but he also sees new business models evolving, where customers are given customized access to the music they want, such as through artists’ music catalogues. “The business needs to evolve,” he says. — J.M. Return to InfoWorld’s 25 Most Influential CTOs 2002 Software Development