In the may 2010 edition of Profit Magazine (an Oracle issued magazine on executive decisions and application implementation) Minda Zetlin (Tech-author, journalist and pro-speaker) writes a very interesting article on the changing insights in IT for corporations, and the CTO role in particular. One of the main focusses is the momentarily change from the servicing IT department, looking into ways of supporting the business, to the innovators, leading business changes using modern technologies.
Technology based corporations use this initiative for quite a while now. Looking at organizations which core business is tech-related, such as software companies or computer vendors, we learn that technology can make a difference and that the innovation in technology is their very reason for survival. But for organizations that simply use IT in order to support their business, this is a more recent change.
The progress of technology is, especially in the last decade, more and more focussed on new possibilities and innovative insight can help organizations deliver faster, more precise and in new ways. ‘You ask, we deliver’ can no longer be the statement for winning corporations.
But these new insights require vision. Simply because the road of technology isn’t paved with clear bricks and especially the creative mind will be needed to combine and create new possibilities for the market and the organization.
In her article, Zetlin states that the main difference between the modern CTO and CIO role is that the CIO has a top-down approach, looking how information technology can help business objectives and the CTO looks the other way around, how can technology push business into new directions, creating new possibilities.
There are some obvious examples of organizations that used this approach to gain more market share and new business. Think about developments like Amazon’s Kindle and various department store’s online shops. Do you know an example on how technology helped non-technology organizations forward? Created new business opportunities with vision and creativity.
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