In light of Victoria Axelrod's Influence Points post an interesting March 26 Information Week cover story on The Sinking CIO by Richard Martin. (Article access requires registration.)
Drawing on survey data and interviews including with Chris Anderson, John Seely Brown and Forrester analyst Laurie Orlov, the article paints a picture of declining influence of IT departments reflected in reduced budget increases, and focus on "keeping the lights on".
Quote:
"Many CIOs are now finding that, while their job descriptions haven't changed and the demands on their time and resources have increased, the parameters in which they operate are more confining. IT cost cutting brought on by the dot-com bust and recession of a few years ago has become the norm. Energy and resources that once went to innovative business initiatives now go to disaster preparedness, regulatory compliance, and IT security. Tech budgets tend to be flat or barely climbing, while some of the work once done by IT departments is being outsourced."
Bottom Line:
"That is, the gradual loss of clout--or threat of it--for those business technology executives preoccupied with cost management at the expense of innovation."
~ Jenny Ambrozek
