IBM Global Services

Provides solid guidance for new and existing management structures Information technology (IT) and business, always closely intertwined, are now becoming virtually inseparable. While maintaining their traditional role of increasing organizational efficiency and effectiveness, IT departments are now often required to lead businesses into new industry structures and markets, most recently e-business initiatives. In fact, a recent study conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, called “Assessing the strategic value of information technology; planning perspectives for Sr. Executives,” (February, 1999), indicates that an increasing number of business executives plan to leverage their IT investments and balance their IT goals toward allocating technology investments to programs aimed at reaching new markets or changing industry and market practices, as opposed to using technology simply for efficiency or effectiveness purposes.