"According to the authors of The New CIO Leader: Setting the Agenda and Delivering Results, the chief information officer is at a crossroads, buffeted by two conflicting perspectives of IT. The first views IT primarily as a "chief technology mechanic," irrelevant to competitive advantage and far from the executive suite. The second perspective views IT as the heart of every business process, crucial to innovation, and a key driver to enterprise success. If the second perspective is your goal, then a new kind of CIO must lead. This person creates a vision of how IT builds organizational success, creates realistic expectations, goals, and governance procedures, and assembles a team that is less about allocating server space and more about working as a creative and influential team."
Try to imagine this scenario, that General Motors and Ford were given exclusive franchises to build America's interstate highway system, and also all the highways that connect local communities. Now imagine that, based upon a financial crisis, these troubled companies decided to convert all "their" local arteries into toll-roads -- they then use incremental toll fees to severely limit all travel to and from small businesses. Why? This handicapping process reduced the need to invest in building better new roads, or repairing the dilapidated ones. But, wouldn't that short-sighted decision have a detrimental impact on the overall national economy? It's a moot point -- pure fantasy -- you say. The U.S. political leadership would never knowingly risk the nation's social and economic future on the financial viability of a restrictive duopoly. Or, would they? The 21st century Global Networked Economy travels across essential broadband infrastructure. The forced intro...