Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management
    • Networking
    • Small Business

    IT Leads Company Boards’ Investment Priorities in 2012

    By
    Nathan Eddy
    -
    July 23, 2012
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Investments in IT shared the top spot for the highest investment priority in 2012, tied with investments in sales, according to the second annual Gartner-Forbes 2012 Board of Directors Survey. Half the board directors surveyed were willing to invest in IT as a means to change the rules of competition as they focus on prioritizing customers, core competencies and competitive advantage.

      Building better ways to drive the business forward through better core competencies, working on sustaining competitive advantage, innovation and a customer-centric approach to business were the top priorities of the 175 board members interviewed for the survey, which took place in March and April 2012. Eighty-six percent of respondents said they believe that IT’s strategic contribution to the business will increase by 2014.

      “Board directors clearly have a top priority to invest in IT and leverage IT for competitive advantage,” Jorge Lopez, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, said in prepared remarks. “These forward-looking and proactive attitudes are being made although more than half the survey respondents replied that they are preparing for a market recession. It underlines the fact that that the investments they plan to make are essential to growth and even survival, and that they are willing to throw the investment gauntlet down now, rather than later.”

      Pursuing greater diversity in the business portfolio, which is thought to drive mergers and acquisitions, was the highest-rising priority for the executives surveyed, and they are increasingly looking to IT to build or extend their competitive advantage, according to the report. Fostering innovation was also among the top priorities of those surveyed, and Gartner said it believes IT-enabled business models will be useful as advances in technology continue to gain ground.

      “The best strategy for the CIO is to select projects that drive the strategic priorities of the firm,” Mark Raskino, vice president and Gartner fellow, explained via a press statement. “Although this seems obvious, in practice, it is challenging to drive consensus on what that exactly means. CIOs need to review project elements with the CEO and key board sponsors, so they can understand that the project is designed to enhance their priorities in a meaningful way.”

      CIOs should continue to examine how to maximize budget allocations through improved efficiencies, so that innovation and core competency investments, among the top priorities outlined in the survey, are maintained, said Lopez. “They should also investigate how IT can change the business model for their industry in a manner that will change the rules of competition,€ he said.

      Nathan Eddy
      A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan was perviously the editor of gaming industry newsletter FierceGameBiz and has written for various consumer and tech publications including Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, CRN, and The Times of London. Currently based in Berlin, he released his first documentary film, The Absent Column, in 2013.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×