Press release
Analysts Discuss the Next Steps IT Must Take to Improve Business Performance during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2008, October 12-16, in Orlando
STAMFORD, Conn., October 13, 2008 -
During the next two years, IT's greatest opportunity to significantly improve overall enterprise operational performance will unfold from resolving the nine most contentious issues, according to Gartner, Inc.
"Growing global economic instability is putting increasing pressure on IT departments to support crucial business goals," said Ken McGee, vice president and Gartner Fellow. "At a time when there is little in the way of additional budget available, CIOs need to know where and when to focus to best assist and improve enterprise performance."
Gartner analysts outlined the most contentious IT issues at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2008, which is taking place here through October 16. The nine issues include:
Issue 1 - Business Expectations for IT have outstripped IT's Internal Capability to Deliver.
In recent years, enterprises have wanted their IT departments to increase their external focus on customers, new products and services, new geographies and business processes. Unfortunately, few CIOs have the staff with the skill sets to adequately meet these externally focused demands and there has been little remaining funding for additional hires. Gartner recommends that CIOs recognize the skills gap, refrain from solely hiring staff with IT backgrounds in the future and focus on identifying and delivering distinctive solutions for the business.
Issue 2 - How to More Rapidly Modernize Infrastructure and Operations and Reduce Costs.
Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) leaders recognize that accelerating modernization is the only way to deal with rapid increases in demand growth and the need to respond more rapidly to the business but must balance this against unrelenting pressure to reduce costs. Gartner recommends emphasizing modernization projects that can be ‘self-funding', that is, pay for themselves, which can often be achieved through I&O consolidation and virtualization.
