IT Management Slideshow: Gartner-Forbes Board of Directors Study Bodes Well for IT

Rules of Competition

50 percent of respondents said that they want to invest in IT in order to "change the rules of competition."

IT and Sales

In terms of top company investment priorities, IT is tied with investment in sales for 50 percent of respondents.

Recession Looms

Nonetheless, board directors are worried about the future; 50 percent of respondents believe a market recession will be coming soon.

ITs Value

Even if there is a recession, 86 percent of respondents say IT's value to the business will only increase over time.

Integration Plans

One of the key aspects of boards' strategies is a desire to acquire other companies. Therefore, Gartner advises CIOs to "review their plans for integrating acquired company systems."

Top Priority

"Attracting new customers" is the No. 1 business priority for respondents.

Happy Relations

Customer retention/improving customer relationships was cited by respondents as the second-most-important priority.

Priority Advantage

According to Gartner, the results indicates that board members will "look to IT as a source of" deriving an advantage to satisfy a priority.

Infrastructure Review

One last tidbit from the Gartner-Forbes study: CIOs should examine their current IT infrastructure to see how it can fit within company priorities. The ultimate goal, however, will be to "change the business model for their industry" through IT.