IT Directors Important Part of Business Strategy, Says Report

IT directors and CIOs are playing a continually increasing part in the strategic direction of UK businesses, according to a new report.

The research, entitled The New IT Crowd, is part of telecommunications company Vodafone’s Perspectives series and surveyed 300 IT directors and 300 non-IT business leaders.

Participants made it clear that technology departments are growing more important each day, as 86% recognised IT as a strategic priority and 88% of respondents claimed it is an important enabler of change.

Besides this, 86% of those polled said tech is now a strategic priority and 88% say their teams in this area are expected to think about the bigger picture.

“Far from being the problem child of old, IT departments are now absolutely critical to the growth and strategic direction of businesses in the UK,” claimed Jonathan Kini, enterprise commercial marketing director at Vodafone.

Still Progress To Be Made

On the other hand, directors and CIOs questioned said they were dealing with an increasingly complex communications estate and some are struggling to keep up with changes, particularly when it comes to security and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

Meanwhile, of the non-IT directors polled, 39% expressed concerns that their IT counterparts need to hone communication skills, while 35% said the departments need to communicate more effectively with others.

“The research points to a new generation of IT professionals who are a powerful, multi-faceted breed, thinking ahead, thinking bigger,” claimed Kini.

“For some, this will be second nature, for others it will take some time to there. Collaborating across functions and with other organisations – whether it is suppliers or customers – sharing knowledge and keeping on top of both business and IT developments will help develop this new mindset,” he added.

© 24N.biz