IT directors more important to business strategy than ever before

ENGLAND, UK: While the traditional image of IT departments was one of a cost sink-hole, living a separate existence to the rest of the company, they are now more important than ever to the strategic direction of UK businesses.

That's according to a new report launched by Vodafone UK, entitled ‘The New IT Crowd'. Part of Vodafone's Perspective series, which aims to provide in-depth insights into the UK workplace, the report explores the ever increasing importance of senior IT professionals in today's workplace.

The research, which surveyed 300 IT directors and 300 non-IT business leaders, found that IT is now recognised as a strategic priority (86 percent) at board level, with the IT team now expected to think about the ‘bigger picture' (88 percent). This comes at a time when the IT department is also expected to manage an increasingly complex technology and communications estate, becoming a key driver in business performance.

The rapid pace of technological change is one of the main reasons for the shift in fortunes of the IT department. IT is now seen as a key part of organisational innovation and transformation, rather than just being viewed as a tool for reducing costs and remaining competitive. Nearly nine out of 10 respondents stated that IT is now an important enabler of change and three quarters said that it has changed the nature of the competition they face.

However, despite their newfound importance, many IT directors and CIOs are failing to live up to these expectations in the eyes of the rest of the business. Over one third of non-IT directors think that their IT counterparts need to hone their communication skills (39 percent) and communicate effectively with other functions (35 percent).

Some heads of IT are also struggling to keep pace with this rapid change of responsibility, with two-thirds worrying about remaining up to date with their knowledge of technology (63 percent). With a new generation of digital natives bringing their own devices into the workplace (BYOD), security remains a live issue for many, with 59 percent reporting that they are worried about increased and more complicated security risks.