Big cheeses warm to IT

Chief executives will be more receptive to tactical IT projects next year, according to Gartner

Boardroom coup: CEOs will be more receptive to IT projects in 2010

Chief information officers (CIOs) will draw more water with their chief executives in 2010 as tactical IT projects come back into vogue.

That is according to a Gartner survey of big cheeses at large UK and US firms. It found that 62 per cent of chief executives see IT as having a key role in their post-recession strategy.

Some 43 per cent of respondents said they would boost IT investment, compared with just 13 per cent who will decrease it.

Mark Raskino, research vice president at Gartner, said CIOs should exploit their bosses’ relatively positive attitude towards IT investment during budget negotiations.

“A switch in focus from cost to revenue will reshape business-change priorities and in turn will affect the IT project portfolio,” he said. “CIOs should expect re-prioritisation of some key IT projects during 2010 as the business cycle starts to turn.”

Cost reduction fell from first to fifth place in chief executives’ list of priorities.

Raskino said the findings back up Gartner’s forecast that IT spending will grow 3.3 per cent in 2010.

“With this warm attitude to IT, CIOs should stand their ground if peers attempt to gain investment share at IT’s expense,” he said.