Is the IT department going the same way as the Dodo as the CIO function thrives?

It's a bold claim to make that the IT department will no longer exist in five years. But whether you agree with it or not, it does cement the view that the role of the traditional IT department may be going the same way as the Dodo with the rise of the hybrid IT compute model.

This is according to Martin Prendergast, CEO of Concorde Solutions who argues that recent research from the Cloud Industry Forum*, which indicates that hybrid IT is the future of IT estates, means that it will be the CIO who functions as the IT department withers.

Martin Prendergast explains: “As businesses move away from traditional enterprise software brands and platforms and adopt open source, cloud-based apps or mobile technology as alternatives, IT procurement frequently bypasses the IT department,”

“This may add credence to the claims that the IT department is on its way out, but when it comes to adopting technology or implementing changes, businesses must ensure that the principle of remaining in control and keeping a holistic view of their software estate remains the same.”

“Amongst the biggest trends we are seeing is the unstoppable rise of consumer IT, which is consistently outstripping enterprise IT in terms of usability. Business users are using powerful applications deployed by the cloud and they are increasingly expecting all applications to be the same. It is simply not the case for enterprise IT,”

“Married to this is the perception of elastic capability to expand to meet needs and then contract as needed and all on a pay-as-you-go model. Throw into this heady mix the frustrations of lengthy waits due to long development schedules and you have a huge challenge for traditional IT departments. The nightmare scenario for many is already here as business units are able to deal directly with service providers who will deliver fit-for-purpose, pay-as-you-go apps with minimum upfront capex and you can clearly see the argument that the IT department is heading down the same path as the Dodo,” he continued.

There is an argument that there must be a total refocus from the ‘technology of IT’ to the ‘information of IT’, and that the new breed of CIOs need to specifically focus on designing and developing services that understand, exploit and consume the information of the organisation. This is the core evolution of the CIO as it increasingly aligns with the needs and strategic aspirations of the business.

Martin continued: “It’s a big challenge for businesses to manage the number of desktops, devices, and numerous cloud services they have adopted; while at the same time trying to understand how these changes to their software environment will impact on usage, or alter their licensing requirements. It may seem like chaos, but making use of solutions such as Business Intelligence can deliver that much-needed clarity,”

“With the help of Business Intelligence (BI), through tools such as Core Control from Concorde, businesses can uncover the areas where risk and exposure are high, and can further deliver a complete picture of the IT environment to assist confident decision making around IT questions; for example, choosing a software vendor. When it comes to BYOD, enterprises can use BI to their advantage to track how many devices are currently accessing their network and what type of software they are using,” he continued.

This kind of usage audit helps to ensure that as a business, you are being charged the right amount by your vendor. For example, you can check whether you are being charged for the correct amount of software used, rather than the number of devices that are connected to the network.
Martin concluded: “When all’s said and done, predicting the demise of the IT department, in the face of a complex and dynamic technology ecosystem may be somewhat premature. When it comes to maximising value from investments, the IT department still has a vital part to play.”