Stories about: Cutter Consortium

Wrenching changes to how companies can operate globally, combined with massive investments in fiber optics and other technologies, have paved the way for a truly transformational period in IT, said F. Warren McFarlan, a professor at the Harvard Business School.

At 63, John Wade is working harder than he has ever worked in his career or in his 12 years as CIO at Saint Luke's Health System in Kansas City. If it's midnight and he's toiling at his home computer, he's more likely catching up on the latest in electronic patient record technology than booking a retirement cruise.

Relationship managers are crucial liaisons between technology and business, but without proper support, they can end up being distrusted by both.

CIOs are forging better relationships with CFOs, according to the findings of a study from Cutter Consortium. In particular, CIOs and CTOs are learning more about business models and processes and the financial relationship between business and technology.

Before Allstate Insurance formed a capital spending committee with IT governance responsibilities about 18 months ago, the process of prioritizing IT projects typically was decided by "whoever spoke the loudest or whoever had the biggest checkbook," said Chief Technology Officer Cathy Brune.

Like any good marriage, outsourcing partnerships are based on trust, commitment and a strong relationship and today both parties have the experience to really raise the bar and make it work.

Half your IT middle managers may be planning to quit as soon as the economy improves. Recent surveys and anecdotal evidence indicate that many have already checked out psychologically and are just waiting for the chance to move on. If you don't prepare for this exodus, when the money loosens up and IT initiatives begin to flow, you may find that you lack the talent to deliver.

IT's contribution to business is being forgotten as the industry struggles to survive what Gartner calls a "trough of disillusionment".

The need for business managers to show an ROI on all IT investments made within their organisation compels them to work more closely with IT, but the relationship between the two is far from cosy because of politics and infighting.

One-third of 437 business executives surveyed recently by Forrester Research Inc. said they're dissatisfied with the performance of their IT departments. But some IT managers and analysts this week said the results aren't surprising -- and may actually represent an improvement in IT's standing.

In January 2001, three stories by Computerworld US mentioned a chief technology officer, or CTO. In January 2003, 26 stories did. The CTO is clearly becoming more common, but it's a difficult role to pin down. CTOs can be technology gurus, visionaries, infrastructure experts or policy enforcers, and contrary to popular belief, they don't usually work for the CIO.