Information Technology Matters

It has been claimed that "IT doesn't matter," with the implication that IT is now so commoditized that it can no longer be a significant source of competitive advantage. Conversations with senior executives across many Fortune 2000 companies lead me to disagree with this assessment. True, companies are concerned with controlling IT costs. However, I also find a growing recognition that competitiveness depends on a company's ability to innovate. (Steve Jobs says simply: "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.") I argue here that there are important strategic opportunities in improving enterprise IT infrastructure to accelerate innovation.

These words are from an editorial I penned for LinuxWorld, ahead of a talk that I gave there today on the same topic. I think it's an important message, whether addressed to industry (as here) or to scientists, and also a message that speaks to a growing commonality of concerns between the worlds of science and industry.