How Shadow IT Transformed the Role of CIO

Published: Feb 5, 2015
Updated: May 12, 2021
2 minute read

How Shadow IT Transformed the Role of the CIO

New Direction

New Direction

85% of CIOs and other senior IT decision-makers surveyed said the traditional role of the CIO is changing.

Top Changes That Are Drivers for CIOs

Top Changes That Are Drivers for CIOs

Shifting customer demands: 96%, Greater need for innovation/creativity: 95%, Increasingly complex policies/procedures: 95%, Significant growth of data coming into and distributed throughout organization: 95%, Employees’ need for organization data when outside the office: 92%

Advantageous Developments

Advantageous Developments

69% of CIOs and other senior IT decision-makers surveyed view the changes as an opportunity to pursue greater innovation/creativity, while 62% said it is allowing them to add more business value to their organizations.

Shadow Move

Shadow Move

More than three-quarters of CIOs and other senior IT decision-makers said either the majority or “some” of organization departments are sourcing and commissioning core tech products/services without involving the IT department (shadow IT).

Biggest Concerns About Shadow IT for CIOs

Biggest Concerns About Shadow IT for CIOs

Impact on organization’s data security: 75%, Effect on organization’s IT infrastructure security: 73%, Impact on app performance: 71%, Duplication of efforts/resources throughout departments: 70%

Questionable Relevance

Questionable Relevance

58% of CIOs and other senior IT decision-makers fear that shadow IT may make the role of CIO redundant.

Strategic Focus

Strategic Focus

81% said the CIO “owns” more business-focused Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) than tech ones, compared to two years ago.

Game-Changers

Game-Changers

Two-thirds said that trends within mobility and unified communications provide to them a critical way to deliver real business results, while 64% cite the cloud.

Power Move

Power Move

59% said the overall standing of the CIO within the boardroom has emerged as more central within the last two years.

Evolving Role

Evolving Role

68% said board expectations for CIOs have increased in the last two years, and 64% feel that their board recognizes the need for a creative CIO.

Dennis McCafferty

Dennis McCafferty

Content Writer

Dennis McCafferty, a writer for eWeek, Baseline and CIO Insight, has more than 20 years of experience as a writer. He has covered a variety of technology and business topics for a number of publications, including those of Ziff Davis. Dennis was also an editorial staffer for USA Weekend, the nation’s second-largest magazine, with more than 22 million readers.

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