Five key themes for IT directors

Five key themes for IT directors

Green computing

Our Green Computing campaign, launched last August, shows that the environment is increasingly important for IT – certainly if you judge by the huge response we have had from readers.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive becomes law this year, forcing firms to consider their recycling policies.

Consumers are looking to suppliers to prove their green credentials. And the new Companies Bill will force businesses to be more transparent about the environmental impact of their supply chain.

Innovation

In the business world, as well as in government – and not just in IT – innovation is the word on decision-makers’ lips.

By innovation, they mean ‘doing things differently’ not ‘inventing new products’. It is about improving processes and services by finding new ways to work, being creative, and seeking out and exploiting new opportunities.

And the only way to do any of this is through technology. Chief information officers (CIOs) who can deliver innovative solutions to their employer’s business problems have a great opportunity to prosper.

Skills

There is still a skills shortage – when has there not been one? But these days it does not simply mean there are not enough people to fill all the jobs.

The challenge for the IT community is to develop their skills to fit a new profile – business aware, good communicators, able to manage business relationships internally and externally, creative, innovative, and at the top level, leadership. Sorry, but commodity technical skills are going overseas.

And note that the sought-after skills include many traditionally associated with women – what a great opportunity to improve the appalling figure of just 16 per cent of IT workers being female.

Outsourcing

Recent research suggests that £7bn of outsourcing contracts are up for renewal this year – and that does not include the growing number of firms contracting out for the first time.

It will soon be almost impossible to find a major organisation that has not outsourced some or all of its IT, and experience of managing external service providers will be essential to IT professionals.

The growth of offshore services is going to continue – but experienced IT decision-makers will look for suppliers to provide the right mix of local and overseas talent.

Consumer IT

Consumers are turning to technology like never before. A new generation of workers expect the IT they use in the office to be as easy-to-use, responsive and intuitive as the technology at home and in their pockets.

And it is the same for customers – their new-found love of technology is going to determine who they choose to buy from. CIOs need to capitalise on the consumerisation of IT in 2007, both to help staff become more productive and to make customers more loyal.