Chief Information Officers (CIOs) need to decide how they will position their IT organisation in relation to emerging digital business technologies, such as the Internet of Things, 3D printing, wearable technology and robotics, according to technology research and advisory firm Gartner.

“The IT organisation is used to owning and supporting back office and infrastructure technologies. Digital business technologies support the front office and operations and may be emerging technologies that are not commonly part of the IT agenda,” said Hung LeHong, vice president and Gartner Fellow. "As a result, some CIOs will take a supportive role in relation to digital technologies, while operations and other business departments take the lead”.

However, some CIOs will take a leadership role, expanding its skill sets and business knowledge and extending the IT organisation's role from one that is IT-centric to one that fully supports a digital business.

“Regardless of the eventual stance, we believe CIOs should have an opinion and should participate in innovating and in testing the business cases for these technologies in the early stages,” said LeHong.

“Many companies are looking to digital business technologies as their next source of competitive advantage. There is too much at stake — in both business value and technology investment — for CIOs to stay in the margins.”

Gartner has identified six emerging areas that will potentially be adopted by digital businesses that CIOs need to consider. These are Internet of Things (IoT), 3D Printing, Human augmentation and wearable technology, Robotics and autonomous machines, Cognitive machines and Cybersecurity.

>rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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