Managing the Proliferating Roles of the CIO

Managing the Proliferating Roles of the CIO

This IDC Perspective is intended to help CIOs understand why the proliferating growth of responsibilities is happening, what those new "hats" are likely to be, and how they can manage them while keeping the eye on the ball of managing the IT organization and function. As digital technologies become embedded throughout modern businesses and ecosystems, technology doesn't just enable the business — it is the business. That has significant implications for the CIO role. The most direct implication is that technology is intertwined with — and impacts the lives of — workers, customers, the general public, and ultimately the business. The less obvious impact is that CIOs are acquiring new responsibilities in response to the proliferating challenges and opportunities that powerful digital technologies afford."The CIO role has evolved over the past few decades but still centers around a foundation of technology management, operational reliability and efficiency, and the security of enterprise systems and data," says Marc Strohlein, adjunct research advisor with IDC's IT Executive Programs (IEP). "The challenge is that several new and emerging roles, or 'hats,' have been added to the CIO 'stack' of responsibilities, yet the traditional ones remain critical."

Please Note: Extended description available upon request.