Research and analysis firm Gartner is warning IT
directors that technical IT departments will shrink by up 30% in
medium and large companies by 2010, as IT professionals leave the
IT ghetto to become more business-focused.
At its Symposium,/IT Expo in Cannes, Gartner stated that the days
of pure technology specialists are numbered as they are replaced by
a new breed of 'versatilist' IT professionals who combine business
and technical aptitude alongside leadership ability and local
knowledge.
Versatilists with broad insight, deep process knowledge and
industry oriented competencies, says Gartner, should help companies
incorporate innovation and multiple perspectives into IT based
processes, products, services and technologies. Demand for these
new skills will radically change the make-up of the professionals
in the IT department. "Some will be bolstered, some will be carved
up, some will be redistributed and some will be displaced,"
suggests Diane Morello, vice-president of research at Gartner. She
told ComputerWeekly.com that there will invariably be a number of
pure-play technologists who will be uncomfortable with a more
business focused role.
Furthermore, Gartner also predicts that the traditional IT
disciplines will splinter into four areas of expertise:
- Technology infrastructure and services, involving
bread-and-butter technology infrastructure and services that will
shift from end-user companies to hardware, software and service
suppliers
- Information design and management, in which business
intelligence, online consumer services and collaboration will grow
in user companies and consultancies
- Process design and management which will take off for
companies, software vendors and outsourcing suppliers
- Relationship and sourcing management as the rise of sourcing
will mean that IT professionals' relationship and sourcing
management will gain traction
Gartner advises IT leaders to develop career opportunities in
each of these domains and to set up incentives to reward
versatility.