Friday, February 16, 2007

The Business of IT is the Business. Period.

Wow. Great post by Mark over at the SecurityBuddha. I’ve been saying this for years (well, maybe a couple anyway). One of the biggest hindrances to effectiveness and efficiency in an IT shop is IT itself. I still see kids coming out of school, whether it’s undergrad or grad, that do not have a good grasp on what it means to be in IT. The Business of IT is the Business. Period. All too often I see organizations that can’t get out of their own way because their processes are so ingrained and inflexible. What we really need (borderline heresy from an IT guy) is more technically oriented MBAs. It’s these types that can probably bridge the gap. The days of IT knows Best are long, long over… What is more frustrating - the fact that we still are not getting well-rounded IT grads, or the persistence of self-serving IT organizations? I'm not sure, but maybe it's both. I was in a conversation the other day (which I cannot share), and I swear it was almost like ObiWan was there saying "Those are not the IT services you are looking for..." as he waved his hand towards the technically challenged business folks. I happened to be with my Business partners, and the instant level of frustration scary, and real. I felt bad, and spent the remainder of the day trying to reconnect the dots that had been scattered during that phone call. It is an interesting take that it generally is the IT Security guy/gal that can do that, however, and shouldn't be lost on anyone. The best thing that can happen to us in our profession is that someday, we'll no longer be needed. Think about that one for a bit ;-).


Bill P

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