Self-promotion could improve IT’s lot

If IT has a lousy reputation at generally negative attitude some fering a helping hand to businesses IT professionals, especially in Systems is a good example. At an your company, the problem business users have about I T. users who often don’t know the small business, spend most of IT World Canada “CIO Canada might just be the people who There’s definitely something best ways to use technology. their time engaged in what is often Frankly Speaking” breakfast are tasked with managing it. in what Rau says. Certainly In Rau’s ideal organization, the described as firefighting mode: just meeting in Toronto earlier this

It’s not that these IT profession- anyone who’s ever been an I T I T professional becomes a teacher keeping things up and running. year, that company’s CIO explained als are failing in their job to keep professional in a large or small in instructing users, an evangelist IT staffs over the past number of how Cisco operates on a business the company’s computing infra- company knows the thankless in demonstrating the positive years have been cut to the bone principle that closely tracks revenue structure at peak performance. nature of the job. value of IT, and a marketer in as businesses have sought to per employee. The bar constantly Nor is it because they’re not tech- “It’s an image and perception promoting the good work done by streamline computing rises and employees nically proficient and adequately problem,” Rau says. The reality is computing professionals. departments. Today’s must continue to skilled. Rather, the problem is that most IT projects are success- Such marketing savvy may in- reality for IT profes- work efficiently and perception and personality. ful and delivered on time, but he volve recruiting an entirely differ- sionals in business is productively in order to That’s an assertion from says too often the IT professionals ent kind of technocrat. Rau says that they must do much maintain and increase Kenneth Rau, a North Carolina who do the work “are not taking more and more IT organizations more with much less. the ratio. specialist in IT strategic plan- full advantage of tooting their within business are embracing Rau admits you Effective use of IT ning, governance, control and own horn.” the idea of a sort of IT customer can’t even think about is critical to achiev-performance measurement. He The solution, Rau suggests, is service representative assigned marketing IT until ing that end, and contends that IT’s image problem that IT professionals need to speak to business units and tasked with your business has its the mandate from in many organizations has serious up and be much more involved in seeking to understand what the technology functioning smoothly the very top of the organiza-business ramifications,. promoting the successful use of IT business customer needs. and reliably. But in many compa- tion is that business units and

Rau recently authored a throughout their large and small “IT needs to say we need nies, IT rarely runs smoothly and employees must show return on discussion document in which companies. Part of that involves different personality types,” Mr. reliably. investment in IT. he says computing technology being more active in terms of of- Rau continues. “Not only tech- In my view, what’s also needed That’s the ticket. The com-and the people whose job it is to nologists to do the research and is to spread the responsibility. bination of marketing by IT manage IT in the workplace don’t The development work, but also sales Shift the onus for IT success professionals and the ultimate re-get their due credit. But Rau also types, architects and planners within business to the business sponsibility of IT’s success placed believes IT professionals could, fundamental who can run different functions user. Task them to get the most on the shoulders of business users and should, do a whole lot more to within IT. I have never met a out of technology investments goes a long way in improving help their own cause. problem with CIO who says we need a selling and measure the improve- both how most companies feel It’s a matter of technology folks _Rau’s _idea _is _simply function or marketing function ments and efficiencies gained. about technology and the people _thinking _more _like _marketers, _[within _IT].” _That’s _what _the _most _savvy _IT _who _manage _it. ₀₅₈₂₉₃^he ^writes. ^They ^need ^to ^trumpet that it may not be ^These ^are ^all ^interesting ^{sugges- companies} ^(typically ^computingtheir accomplishments and tech tions. The fundamental problem companies that sell products and McLean is editor-in-chief of IT successes, which in turn would _practical.with Rau’s idea is simply that it services) are doing these days. World Canada and can be reached _ultimately _help _improve _the _may _not _be _practical. _Network _equipment _maker _Cisco _at _{dmclean@itworldcanada.com}_.

opinion BY BERNARD A. HODSON

Cousin: No, it is something I be very dangerous to get a virus, get from the hard drive or from so be very careful. To get rid of A memorable Yuletide IT a floppy. worms just pour salt on them, it Great grandfather: When is usually effective, or bring in a I was a boy we had some hard few birds. tale from the Hodsons drives such as you say in our Cousin: I also have been hav-horse and cart, particularly in ing a huge number of problems winter going from Green Mount with hackers. to Holcombe Brook (villages in Great grandfather: Why is

My great, great, great, of those modern devices known like one of these newfangled Lancashire). But what is a floppy, that? They cut down trees and great grandfather as a computer. The cousin very televisions. has it something to do with chop it for firewood bundles. If emigrated from Cork, proudly showed off his recent Cousin: The hardware might floppy slippers? they give trouble just fire them. in the South of Ire- acquisition to the great look like that but it Cousin: It is basically like a Cousin: Computers are also land, to Lancashire in the North grandfather. runs with software. hard drive, don’t worry about it. very fast, using nanoseconds and of England. Being Irish, he had The following con- Great grandfather: In running the computer we fetch even picoseconds.

‘the gift’, which is an ability to versation took place, I have never seen programs from the hard drive Great grandfather: You should see the future. Combining it with which goes to show one of these at the with the mouse and hope that be careful if you buy a second-the dourness of the Lancastrians that there is nothing ironmongers (Lan- there are no bugs to worry about. hand piccolo.

(who in general run the UK) has new with modern tech- cashire for hardware Great grandfather: We had led to some very interesting and nology — what goes store), and how can something very effective with Eventually, they returned to the odd characters in the family, around comes around. it run with a woolen bugs, I think it was called ‘flit’, family celebrations. When the old including this writer. We even In order to keep the cardigan (named after but you had better call in the rat gentleman was asked what he had had one who was censured way, dialogue understandable, I have a former UK general)? catcher to get rid of the mice. seen, he remarked, “There was way back in the UK Parliament translated the indecipherable Cousin: No, it needs Java for Cousin: When we run the ap- not much new to be seen, almost for spending a few rupees too Lancashire dialect into what I me to run it. plications we also hope they won’t everything seemed to be from my many on some project in India. hope is reasonable English. Great grandfather: “Now you introduce viruses and worms. younger day and age.” 055785

One Christmas, not long ago, are telling me it needs coffee, it Great grandfather: I remember a great grandfather visited my Cousin: Great grandfather, must cost more to run than a car, reading about something called a Hodson is a theoretical physicist, fifth cousin, twice removed, come and see my new computer. even with petrol (Lancashire for virus at the end of World War I, speaker and writer. He can be who had recently acquired one Great grandfather: It seems gasoline) as high a price as it is. it killed a lot of people. It must reached at bernie@genetix.ca.