IT directors and CIOs need to reassess the role of the IT
departmentas tech-savvy end-user departments
buy their own systems and make use of web collaboration
tools.
Analyst group Gartner said at its Symposium conference last week
in Orlando that since users can now buy what they need via the web,
businesses must re-evaluate the IT function.
Gartner said that the IT department should define what it is
really good at, and for other activities play the role of advisor
and facilitator. It should no longer assume responsibility for
supporting and managing all IT systems that workers use. Instead,
users must take personal responsibility for experimenting with new
software and communities.
Technologies such as
Web 2.0 and software as a service will give business units and
selected users more independence to set their own IT direction,
said Tom Austin, vice-president and fellow at Gartner.
