The role of information technology is changing dramatically in today's business environment. Gone are the days (or at least, they should be) when geeks huddled in the bowels of the company HQ keeping the computers working by doing mysterious stuff nobody else in the building had a clue about. Technology is no longer an obscure end in itself, but a central function of the business aimed at making an enterprise run more productively, efficiently and, ultimately, more profitably.
In an excellent article in this issue of tq, IT industry veteran Peter Thompson puts it like this: “Business-IT alignment means making sure departmental and company objectives are in sync, giving IT a greater say in executive and boardroom discussions, and ultimately elevating IT's status as providing strategic value, not glorified tech support.”
In this issue, we are focusing on tech tools designed to bring about exactly the kind of alignment Thompson is talking about. These productivity tools include voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and Web-based software (also known as collaboration or productivity software), which are explained in detail. However, evidence suggests that these important new drivers of business performance have yet to make great inroads in Canada in the small- and medium-sized business sector (that probably means you). Why? Because, the upfront cost of switching your old phone and data systems over to one converged IP network is not insignificant. Business managers, quite rightly, want to know what return they will see on such an investment.
Well, all we can say is, look no further. Within these pages you'll find case studies that illustrate what IP technology has done for businesses like yours. If you like the idea of performing tasks faster and more cheaply than before while increasing communication between workers, wherever they may be, you'll be intrigued by what you read. But don't just take our word for it — ask your newly-aligned IT guy what he thinks.
