My latest bi-monthly column for CIO magazine came out in print this week. In it I challenge CIOs to think hard about what made the role successful in the 1970s – then in the 1990s – and how it is transitioning today. Far too many CIOs are locked in on old notions about what made them successful – usually controlling both hardware and software and forcing managers to behave in ways acceptable to IT. But today cloud computing, mobile devices and apps make it possible for many "users" to obviate the IT department entirely – skip the enterprise applications – and find an easy route for their information needs.
I encourage you to click through to the article on CIO.com, or ComputerWorld.com – if you're in IT it should give you something to think about regarding your role. If you are an investor it should give you some new thoughts about what IT companies are worth your money (time to rethink Oracle and SAP, for example.) And if you're a manager it just might embolden you to focus on your needs and fight back on IT solutions that don't work for you.
CIO Mag – http://www.cio.com/article/704934/CIOs_Will_You_Be_Relevant_in_2017_
ComputerWorld – http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226722/CIOs_Will_You_Be_Relevant_in_2017_