Information Technology Spending Reconsidered
October 9, 2009
Enterprise search, content processing, and content transformation are expensive for some organizations. I was quite interested in the ZDNet UK article “Shadow Minister Urges ‘Rethink’ of IT Spending”. Close monitoring of costs is not new. What struck me as novel was this statement in the write up:
He [a UK government official] called for a “fundamental rethink” and called for changes including fewer mega-projects and a rigid insistence on open standards and interoperability.
If this viewpoint gets traction, will the government contracting system itself come under scrutiny? What about certain government contractors whose work has not met with wide user satisfaction in the past or generated significant cost savings?
A shake up in how the UK government does information technology could signal a shift that can trigger significant industry disruptions. Similar efforts have captured headlines but have not resulted in substantive changes in government information technology practices in my opinion. Perhaps this time change will be more significant? The UK’s struggles with information technology are not unlike those experienced by other organizations. In fact, information technology is an increasingly significant challenge for accountants, managers, and users. Each month, information technology throws up higher hurdles. Maybe the hurdles will be knocked over because to continue on the present path seems to exacerbate cost and usability problems. A change may be necessary because funds to maintain the status quo may no longer be available. The financial situation, not the resolve of information technology mangers, may force different approaches. Who benefits?
Stephen Arnold, October 9, 2009
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