The traditional IT department will disappear within five
years as core computing services are increasingly delivered via the
internet, according tosoftware as a service (SaaS)firm
Nasstar.
Nasstar CEO Charles Black
says that by 2013 web-based applications in the workplace make IT
departments redundant.
He said money and time are wasted because IT systems are being
managed on-site, but soon the vast majority of office workers will
log on to the
internet to access everything they need.
"IT has become a utility. And in the same way that companies do
not have a chief electricity officer to help people plug in and
power their devices, so the costly overhead of IT management will
be replaced by a simple plug-and-play approach over the
internet."
He said this approach will remove the need to spend money on
computing services simplify installation and software asset
management.
"The IT industry is in the middle of an industrial
transformation, which is ending the need for IT staff who install
and support traditional on-premise desktop computers."
But he said that IT support workers will always have a
place.
"As with any industry where technology transforms the way things
work, there is going to have to be re-deployment of skills. IT
staff should have their skills focused on delivering competitive
advantage for their businesses rather than being retained to
deliver standard computing services that are a utility and can be
delivered over the internet. Companies should be quick to change
the focus of their IT department to be business development
departments that ensure business success."