What will the IT of the future look like?

• Knowing and understanding all costs
• Benchmarking
• Getting others to like you

Regardless of the type of industry they work in, information technology (IT) managers all share one main concern: in a rapidly transforming environment that includes such challenges as cloud computing, cybersecurity and data analytics, can IT resources meet client demand? One thing is certain: the current culture is more data-centric than ever and, given the ever-increasing demand for innovation, managers know they need to rethink their department’s role and control costs.

Just as Finance Departments are becoming partners within the organization, the role of IT teams is evolving to drive growth. Given their new role, understanding their costs has suddenly become more crucial. How much does their office equipment, IT infrastructure and internally developed applications cost, and who are the major consumers of IT services within the organization? IT must also be able to find out how these costs vary depending on whether it chooses cloud computing, virtual workstations, or other high-tech innovations.

This means IT must develop effective, reliable reporting techniques and be transparent within the organization. They must be able to issue reports to internal customers detailing usage in easily-understood terms. If everyone speaks the same language, it will be a snap to show managers what their past or future decisions have or will cost.

Further reading: “Demystifying Information Technology”