Changing IT

Interesting post about the (need for a) changing IT department/employee on ReadWriteWeb. Some highlights:
A good I.T. person, though, knows how to interpret "user-speak" and present them with the tools they need even if they didn't know how to ask for them in our language. (...)

The I.T. 2.0 guy will need to know not just what software is best for the company, but whether or not it should run behind the firewall, in the cloud, or a combination of both. (...)

The I.T. department, though, will have to adapt their current solutions to fit this new workforce - one that's not always connected to the company network, but surfing unprotected Wi-Fi from their local coffee shop or their own home wireless network. I.T. will need to find ways to push through the security updates and patches their users need, even if they're never remoting in to the company network. I.T. also needs to be more wary of lost and stolen company laptops filled with company data.

I.T. will be dealing with a technologically-smart crowd of young workers who aren't afraid to find their own tools for the job. (...)

I.T. is going to have to know the business - really know the business - and anticipate the needs the company's employees are going to have. Then, the challenge will be to research, locate, and deploy solutions that provide the ease-of-use the employees want, but also the security measures I.T. needs. (...)
I agree this change is needed or already in progress. I'm wondering, though, if this change is needed within IT or should someone outside IT, moving between business and IT, have these skills. What do you think?

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 10, 2008 at 11:27 PM

    Hi Samuel, I think that these skills and awareness are so rare that it does not matter if the person is in IT or between IT and business.
    The main thing is that the person/team exists.
    How do you think we can "train" people to understand this?

    ReplyDelete

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