It's a change that's making more of a soft clatter than a loud crash. Compelled to achieve closer alignment with company needs and business demands, IT has once again entered a time of transformation. Where once IT solely helped support the business, now it must help define the business.
Although tangible change isn't ubiquitous yet, reinvention is happening in force at some of the most influential IT departments in the country. Take Trans World, which runs some 800 music stores worldwide. IT analysts there have been elevated to the project management office, where they now oversee all technology and business projects and all business process changes. At consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, the IT department was first restructured and then merged with human resources, finance, strategic planning and relocation operations in a companywide shared-services organization. IT workers now focus exclusively on high-level, IT-enabled business projects, while routine IT work is sent outside.
The dynamics of IT finance are changing, too. At brokerage firm Insurance House, IT now facilitates the budget dialogue and helps set spending priorities. At Rent-A-Center, new IT initiatives are now designated as capital expenditures, thus giving key IT projects a higher profile.
The well-trodden IT career ladder is being dismantled and rebuilt as well. If you think the path to the top is a straight line, think again. CIOs and IT career experts stress that titles no longer matter much, and following a career path that zigzags from business to IT and back again is a good way for tech staffers to develop business chops.
In the stories below, you'll find more examples of IT reinvented. Have we given you something to think about? In this time of reinvention, fresh thinking is exactly the point.
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Process Trip 04/02/2008 13:07:03
Why Maritz Travel revamped key business processes — and how business and IT came together to make it workWhen Rich Phillips became COO OF Maritz Travel about two and-a-half years ago, he sat down and took a hard look at the big industry picture - +
9 Paths to Higher Performance 10/12/2007 14:09:23
When an organization brings together talented people in a creative, collaborative environment it fosters a culture of high performance, which in turn leads to superior business resultsLike high-achieving individuals, some organizations seem to have the Midas touch. Virtually every initiative they touch earns them gold and even those that fail never seem to cost them much of anything at all - +
Ticked Off at Tick the Box Mentality 04/02/2008 13:01:15
Does your executive search firm know the difference between an MIS manager and a CIO, and if it does, can it explain that difference to its corporate clients?Does your executive search firm know its MIS managers from its elbow? Does it even know the difference between an MIS manager and a CIO, and if it does, can it explain that difference to its corporate clients? - +
Hiring Manager: Emphasize Integrity, Attitude 14/12/2007 11:18:07
William Howell shares his hiring mistakes and his secrets for selecting the best job candidates, finding objective references and using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool.William Howell shares his hiring mistakes and his secrets for selecting the best job candidates, finding objective references and using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool.
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services. Zones provide focussed content from Computerworld and leading technology partners.
Discover how SOA can create smarter outcomes for your business.
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- How SOA is helping leading companies to become more agile
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Computerworld Live Podcast #97: The Future of Enterprise Networking 25/07/2008 09:45:36
This week CW Live chats with Mark Thompson, global sales and marketing manager for HP ProCurve, on the future of the enterprise networking. Mark discusses the trends we can expect to see in the near future and how the right infrastructure can ensure your enterprise network is secure. - +
Computerworld Live Podcast #96: Security at the Edge 11/06/2008 09:22:22
CW Live speaks with Amol Mitra, HP ProCurve Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific and Japan. Today's topic: how enterprises are starting to shift away from simply controlling security via server logins, firewalls and moving to more adaptive security frameworks. - +
Data Management Edition #10: Multi-Petascale Systems 02/05/2008 09:12:33
This week we look at sustainability and the development of multicore technologies to build multi-petascale systems. - +
IT Security Edition #11: How to poison the Storm botnet 01/05/2008 08:51:55
This week CW Live presents a case study on how to poison the notorious Storm botnet . Plus we take a look at Cisco's plans for Ironport. - +
IT Security Edition #10: Cyber-battles fought and won 24/04/2008 11:09:47
Vendors bow to end user pressure to improve product security, and we take a look at the latest concepts shaping the cyber-battlefield of the future.
Vignette Announces 2008 Excellence Awards 2008-11-21 10:50:00+11
PGP and Ponemon Institute Unveil Inaugural Australian Data Breach Study 2008 2008-11-20 17:34:00+11
Symantec Cloud Services Transform Data Centre Operations Through Proactive Management 2008-11-20 12:06:00+11
Verizon Business Offers Tips to Building a Successful Unified Communications and Collaboration Plan 2008-11-20 12:04:00+11
AARNet Brings 4K Digital Cinema to Australia: First 4K HD Video Signal delivered into Australia by AARNet 2008-11-20 12:02:00+11
Email Archiving 101—Customer Case Study
Join Lee Benjamin, a Microsoft Exchange MVP and Ryan Shipkowski, network administrator for Matthews, to discuss the process and ROI of implementing an email archiving solution, with emphasis on a case study from Matthews International.
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