The phrase --- and the concept of --- "strategic use of I/T" first began to gather serious attention around 1984 (even though it had been practiced in certain of the most forward-thinking organizations for a while prior to that). Over the intervening couple of decades since then the subject has spawned numerous articles, multiple books, and a couple of well-known executive education programs at major business schools. Far more importantly, it has fired up massive global investment in IT products and services --- one widely published 2004 estimate quoted almost $1 trillion a year, not counting telecommunications. It’s safe to say acceptance of the concept has been one of the major driving forces to create the "information economy" of today.
So where is the state of this concept today? The overall condition of the IT industry suggests it’s alive and well. On the other hand, vociferous debates about it in print the past couple of years make clear that it is being questioned in some quarters.
This writer personally weighs in on the "alive and well" side. While it is true that widespread adoption of e-commerce, e-government, customer relationship management, and a host of other front-end applications are making it increasingly challenging for any player to conceive the kind of creative and innovative IT solution that provides the holy grail of "first mover advantage," it’s also true that "challenging" doesn’t mean "impossible," or even "not worth it." The CIOs and IT leaders that I routinely come into contract with in my IBM executive programs by and large enthusiastically agree with me.
I cordially invite all views on all aspects of this important subject
Tom Curtin
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