Business intelligence technologies are the top priority for more than four out of five CIOs, according to a survey by IBM of over 2,500 CIOs across 78 countries and 19 different industries.

Virtualisation was considered another ‘killer app’, with 76% of CIOs currently planning or undergoing such a project with a view to long-term centralisation of the business.

Security, compliance and risk management were also highlighted, with 71% of surveyed CIOs intending to invest in these areas in the near future.

The role is still split between innovation and operations, however. The survey found that ‘traditional’ IT tasks, such as infrastructure and operations management, take 45% of a CIO’s time, while 55% is allocated to activities that drive innovation and growth.