Back into the driver's seat

Society is rapidly entering the information age. Consumers have all kinds of advanced information services at their disposal, services that are inconceivable without IT.
The contrast with IT inside organisations and institutions is strong. Here IT has often been reduced to a support function, with the IT department focusing on IT consolidation and administration. Discussions about innovation and moving the business forward therefore often end up in a deadlock.

Developments like 'bring your own device' and cloud computing can seriously hollow out the position of the IT department and push IT further into the defensive. But they offer opportunities too! Opportunities to free energy for business-IT-innovation, leveraging new technologies and trends in the areas of finance, HR and sales and marketing. IT should seize these opportunities to get back into the driver's seat and play a central role in innovation.

IT should be aware of the need to keep the engines running, but at the same time making sure to have capacity available for innovation and development of innovative applications. IT should speak the language of the business and make sure to be where the action is: the interaction with the external customer!

The IT department should become customer-obsessed and focus more on customer service provisioning. This move is not just about information, but also about technology: think of applications like internet banking, 'clickable' modules for insurance, location-based services, entire businesses-in-a-box...

This is the only way for IT to get back into the driver's eat!

Many inspiring speakers from the business, analysts, visionaries, but also fellow CIOs, IT and information managers will share their visions, opinions and experiences about the role of IT with regard to business innovation. The stage for all this will be the Annual Conference Innovation & Transformation 2012 !

With kindest regards,

Rob Beijleveld
CEO ICT Media
Publisher CIO Magazine & TITM