 |
|
06.28.07
Where IT Is Going
 By
Dan Morrill
Over the last couple of days, I have been at a security conference in NY City, and it has proven to be very interesting in the end not just to hear about what pain people have, but in general, where major industry leaders think it is going.
This was a forum where the idea of information technology boiled down to simple questions, yet not so simple answers, that the business and information technology groups are looking to answer.
Would I put my own money into the project, in other words, would I buy stock in the company based on where their IT projects are going?
This is a direct line of sight question about the convergence of Business and IT, and how IT is becoming a commodity process within the company to help the company make money. While some skills are commodity skills, IE, can you run a firewall, other skills are less commodity, can your ruby on rails Web 2.0 enterprise application get more customers, hence drive a better customer experience, and make more money for the company?
What is your vendor relationship is it tactical or strategic, and how does that relationship provide value?
An Anti-virus vendor is tactical and provides value through keeping the general group of malware and nuisance ware off the box. Still cannot keep someone from clicking the evil file, but it shows due diligence. A strategic relationship are those that continue to provide value over the longer run and perform core functions that add to business value. When managers are making decisions, have they chosen a one off point solution, or have they chosen something that in the longer run helps the business in general accomplish its mission and goals?
Technology and how is it evaluated?
When determining what technology to purchase for the company, how is the decision made to go with a particular vendor, group, or technology choice. How do those choices influence the rest of the technology choices in the company, and what is the availability of skills to support those technology choices. Are there many C# folks in the area, and if there are can I get a lower wage for those workers because they are common. Alternatively, is my technology special requiring in demand and the technology requires hard to find skills that raise wages, benefits, and the overall cost of the technology.
Where do technology dollars go?
According to one member of the group, 7 of 10 dollars in average IT spend (includes security) goes to Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec, and others. The rest of the entire IT Industry is fighting over what is left. If you make a product in the IT industry right now, you are fighting in a very crowded field, and the market differentiator has to be compelling to be purchased by the average harassed IT manager.
These are the influencing issues within the IT industry as one forum group sees the issues. The idea of compelling value and compliment to the business process is what is coming to the forefront of the industry. That the technology purchased has always needed some business value, that value is being challenged as IT and Business continue their convergence. These are all valid questions that should be asked in terms of how a company spends their IT dollars. It is also a question that vendors should be asking when developing a new IT product, compelling value that fits into established workflows is what will make new products salable.
Comments
About
the Author:
Dan Morrill has been in the information security field for 18 years, both
civilian and military, and is currently working on his Doctor of Management.
Dan shares his insights on the important security issues of today through
his blog, Managing
Intellectual Property & IT Security, and is an active participant in the
ITtoolbox blogging community.
|
|
