The new I in IT

Todays IT Managers (ITMs) are being constantly challenged by shifting technology trends, requiring them to be more innovative than ever before. The pressures to innovate continues to mount. A recent study conducted by IBM found that CIOs around the world spend most (55%) of their time on driving innovation and growth, as opposed to the more traditional IT tasks of infrastructure and operations management.

And if the pressure from their bosses is not enough, the slew of new technologies being hurled their way has ITMs on their toes when it comes to innovation. Take, for example, the rise of Internet technologies and cloud computing. I believe that these will play an increasingly bigger role in the enterprise IT environment, given their significant productivity benefits.

Furthermore, the use of open standards and technologies significantly reduces dependence on a provider and lowers switching costs. Thus, instead of being stuck with a non-performing, over-charging service provider, one can switch to a better alternative as and when required.

Also, given the ease of use of these technologies, ITMs dont have to invest too much time in learning how to leverage them. All this means they can put more focus on driving innovation in usage and application of these technologies to deliver greater business impact.

The list of exciting new technologies for enterprise IT applications will continue to grow as long as cost and efficiency improvements remains a key priority for ITMs. For example, mobile technologies will significantly challenge the innovation capabilities of ITMs. There is a growing need to develop applications for the mobile environment to aid decision-making on the move, enabling enterprises to be more nimble and flexible.

Cloud computing is also driving the use of inexpensive and compact mobile devices like smart phones, net books, and tablet PCs by simply using browser technologies. I also see mobile-based query systems gaining popularity soon.

The variety of form and capability of mobile devices poses the first big innovation challenge for ITMs. How and what to make available on what device and to whom will require perpetual problem-solving and testing. Add to that constant pressure to port PC-centric applications to the mobile and you have the perfect platform for our ITMs to innovate.

New technologies like cloud computing and mobile will change ITMs life like never before. The faster they raise their sights to focus on innovating with these technologies, the better it is for their growth and that of their organisations. In fact, it is about time that we start calling them Innovation Technology Managers.

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