Andy Rowsell-Jones

Collaborating involves a mutual exchange of value. Whether it

Any discussion of IT value is ultimately meaningless unless it's framed in terms of changes in business performance. Cost always matters for IT, but does not equate to value. IT performance must be connected to business performance to be meaningful to business executives.

IT has one key role in the organization

Collaborating with external enterprises to crack a market or provide a new service promises to generate great value. CIOs have a critical role to play in all newer forms of collaboration and, in many cases, they have the opportunity to take the lead.

Business expectations mean CIOs have to deliver I.T. services for enterprise growth and competitiveness on a global scale. Improving I.T. workforce synergy can help them do this.

High-value, high-risk systems present the CIO with special problems assessing business value and risk together gives advanced warning of looming problems in time to avoid them.

Due to the current global economic turnaround, mergers, acquisitions and divestments are on the increase. Enterprises are using MA&D to drive growth, reduce costs and acquire assets, such as new capabilities and brands. And despite the popular myth that MA&D destroys value, evidence shows that most deals are positive for all stakeholders. Success, it seems, rests on clarity of goals and a well-thought-through approach to integration.

Based on recent Gartner research with CIOs that have board-level business acumen, communicating with the board requires careful preparation. CIOs who successfully interact with the board demonstrate that they are either technology leaders with board-relevant business savvy or true business leaders who just happen to be in charge of IT. They interact well with the board by focusing on four key activities: