Editor's Letter: An IT journey
13th Nov 2006, 18:12 GMT
(InfoWorld) - It’s the journey, not the destination. That’s a prime message I took away from last week’s InfoWorld SOA Executive Forum. Indeed, the trope that “SOA is a journey” kept popping up in PowerPoints, panel discussions, even in Q&A sessions. Given that our speakers and panelists create their presentations independently, the appearance of common concepts is noteworthy. In this case, a consensus that a single-minded focus on the endgame — the completion of an SOA initiative — can be counterproductive. SOA is a philosophy, a “best-process approach,” a way of thinking about development as a means for furthering business goals. Very Zen. Of course, the SOA Executive Forum is a hardheaded, results-oriented conference. The participants recognize that although SOA may be a continuous process, there are goals along the way, the most important of which is business transformation. I didn’t take a precise count, but by show’s end, references to “transformation” were neck and neck with “journey.” The takeaway: IT must reimagine itself as a transformational force, immersing itself in business needs and employing technology to remake the organization. Not surprisingly, that same message pervades this year’s InfoWorld 100, our awards honoring the most innovative IT projects of 2006. “The scope and boldness of this crop of projects surpass those of previous years,” says Associate Editor Richard Gincel, who has overseen the InfoWorld 100 since the 2004 edition of the awards. “Many of the IT organizations we highlight have led massive wholesale changes in their companies. The effect is nothing short of transformational.” Yikes, there’s that word again, although it certainly seems accurate in reference to this year’s winners. Take a look and judge for yourself. And enjoy the journey.
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