The role of the IT Department is always evolving, but evolution doesn’t change the core principles and expectations of IT. Regardless of the size of the business, the business side will always want to squeeze as much juice from the berry of IT as possible. The business side of any company will want to use every device with a processor, in whatever flavor it comes in, and stream whatever data they need to give them the competitive edge. The IT Department is responsible for each byte of data and every single device.
None of the above is anything new. Some aspects of our evolution will never change, but due to the rise of third party Managed Service Providers, Cloud Services and the like, IT Departments now compete with one another more than ever before.
The IT Professional is no longer only expected to be an innovator, but is required to be.
Just keeping the business running smoothly is, arguably, easier and cheaper than ever before. No longer are users just happy having consistent continuity, they want speed. Users want to be faster or more efficient than the guy sitting next to them. And no, it does not matter the size of the company. Users want the hottest new phone, the thinnest laptop, the tablet with the most colorful display, and most of all, they want best IT department. So now IT Departments need to compete with other IT Departments throughout the world. John Donne once wrote the poem “No Man Is An Island” and now no IT Professional can be an island. IT Departments, as well as the IT Professional must understand they are part of a greater whole, and actually compete with their comrades across the goal. Keep the competition friendly though, because we all need each other.
So IT will never really change, because at its heart, the IT Department’s business is to help business MAKE business. There are many means to an end though, and there is no “magic bullet” software or rack server or cloud device or protocol that will lead us into the future. Our future is to be the best we have ever been by being the most educated and connected IT Professionals yet. Individuals need to stay educated and IT Departments need to encourage these individuals to continue their educations. Hold classes, get your entire team studying for certifications, have open discussions about current events regarding the outside world as well as internal developments of your business. Learn and discuss everything and anything! Also, make sure your IT Professionals understand the business for which they are providing services. If they understand the business and they are given time and encouragement to learn and become qualified on the latest and greatest IT solutions, their brains will make the connections that will pave the road to the future.
By: Alex Markowitz
