IT Matters: Today and Tomorrow

Say it ain't so.

Carr's thesis has resurfaced with the publication of a longer version of the story, in book form. Based on the title--Does IT Matter?--you might think Carr has softened his position. He hasn't.

Some business analysts continue to salute Carr for blowing the whistle on the IT establishment as profligate spenders on low-value systems that not only increase the cost of doing business, but also take management's eye off the strategies that really can lead to sustainable competitive advantage. But even if you don't buy that view, realize there's another, equally dark side to the Carr thesis that could lead to unexpected consequences for many organizations.

Like most occupations, the IT profession has its share of mercenaries who toil for no other reason than their paychecks. But within the most effective organizations, you'll find individuals who believe that harnessing technology to manage information really does improve enterprise and society. For those individuals, Carr's argument was a wake-up call, a cutting accusation that their belief in the value of technology may have been misplaced. What was once a passionate pursuit of innovation was now just another job.

While the effect on IT professionals was a little like a left jab to the psyche, the right hook came from executives long frustrated by the high cost and disruptive impact of tech initiatives. Many CIOs found themselves shunned by senior management, and when the economic recession required belt-tightening, the IT budget was viewed as obese. For those who bought the utility-model argument, running your own IT organization made about as much sense as building your own power plant to provide electricity.As devastating as the previous two blows have been, the knockout punch may not come for years. I recently spoke to a successful IT pro, six years out of a professional master's program in information management. When I asked him why he got into the field, he spoke about his early interest in technology, but he also noted the influence of his father, an executive who had advised him that getting into computers was a can't-miss career choice. Today, enrollment in computer science and information management programs is down dramatically, in large part because of a culture that now views an IT degree as a ticket to nowhere.

The Wrong Lessons

It's irresponsible to assert that Carr is dead wrong. The emergence of standards and commoditized technology will enable more efficient modes of information management. And no professional can refute Carr's suggestion that many IT organizations are inefficiently managed and too technology-focused. The truth sometimes hurts.

Unfortunately, these claims often lead to false conclusions by those who fail to understand the evolution of technology. Arguing that sustainable competitive advantage cannot be achieved through IT is as misguided as asserting that the quality of management is irrelevant to organizational success. Not every organization will employ technical innovation as a competitive advantage, but those that fail to employ and manage technology effectively will surely fail.

In 50 years, we'll look back at the role that technology played in the early 21st-century organization and snicker about how naive we were. The transformational power of technology will continue to be felt in new ways, and organizations that leverage information using the tools of technology will continue to enjoy competitive advantages. Let's hope there are some good IT professionals around to get the job done.Dave Molta is Network Computing's senior technology editor. Write to him at [email protected]