Heavy investment in cloud, mobility and big data will push global IT spending to $2.7 trillion within the next four years.
These figures from IDC show that IT is getting serious about digital transformation, preparing to invest in advanced technologies rather than maintaining a defensive stance of replacing legacy kit to retain the status quo.
Dubbing these technologies as the “3rd platform”, IDC expects businesses to abandon a predominated localised, self-contained IT infrastructure, and instead harness online and mobile solutions. It is believed this will allow them to focus less on the daily mechanics of running IT and more on developing solutions which deliver measurable business outcomes.
Is it time for Smart IT?
Of course, there’s a big difference between intent and reality. For digital transformation to progress beyond rhetoric, IT leaders need to consider more than technology – regardless of how cutting-edge or progressive that technology might be. Naturally, technology is crucial to digital transformation, but the improvements will only come all the relevant factors are considered. This leads us to Smart IT.
Smart IT isn’t about installing the latest technology for cost savings or simplicity sakes. Smart IT is about harnessing tools and helping the business maximise their usage. Smart IT is about collaborating with departmental heads, strategic managers and senior managers – inside and outside of IT – to develop tools which will help the business meet its objectives (which is why Business Relationship Management is so critical).
Smart IT is, in simple terms, about being smart with technology and IT itself behaving smart. The key phrase is ‘spending wisely’; investing heavily if a return or benefit can be justified to achieve business outcomes, and removing ineffective systems and services.
Any evidence that IT is moving on from its relatively conservative legacy is to be celebrated as it indicates that attitudes have changed. However, if IT is to truly benefit from digital transformation, it needs Smart IT, rather than just newer IT.
