2006 was good because, as this Information Age Effective IT Report 2007 reveals, public and private sector IT planners found time to do more than firefighting. For the second year in succession, strategies that are primarily a defensive measure – designed to cut costs rather than grow the business – have been in decline. Instead, organisations have been investing in technologies and strategies that can make business more effective – now, and in the future.
That's why we can confidently predict that the next 12 months will be another fruitful period for IT users. Assuming there is no unexpected economic downturn, this year ought to provide IT planners with the means to continue with the strategic deployment of effective new technologies in a variety of areas, reaping the rewards of last year's efforts, and sowing the seeds of future benefits to come.
The roll out of agile methods and the adoption of web-oriented platforms like AJAX appear set to revolutionise development of new end-user systems, for instance. The ongoing adoption of service oriented architecture tools and methods promises to optimise the value of existing software systems, and enhance IT‘s ability to meet business' demand for new ones.
In the data centre, although operations directors will continue to juggle the complex constraints of power, heat and space, the continuing evolution of autonomic systems and virtual technologies, promises to make back-end systems far more manageable. Meanwhile, in the world at large, the apparently ceaseless arrival of compelling new communications technologies are creating equally endless opportunities to improve IT‘s support of end-users and customers alike.
These are just some of business activities and technologies that IT has made more effective in the last 12 months, and that IT will continue to benefit in the months ahead. Already, in fact, we are looking forward to preparing the Information Age Effective Report 2008. We are confident it will another glowing testimony to IT industry innovation and to the ingenuity of UK IT users.
