Business Services Industry

IDG's InfoWorld Survey Indicates CTOs are Emerging Force In e-Commerce Decisions - Industry Trend or Event

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, May 1, 2000

Dig's InfoWorld recently published survey results that indicate that most often CTOs take the lead on decisions that involve business goals and technology at companies that have both a CIO and CTO, or other senior technology strategist. The survey results are part of an InfoWorld Special News Report that examines the changing roles of CIO and CTOs inside of companies.

"CIO and CTOs are like flip sides of the same coin," says Siobhan Sentinel, InfoWorld Executive Editor/Features. "In this issue of InfoWorld, we examine how successful companies are integrating both."

The InfoWorld Chief Technology officer survey indicates that while CIO and CTO share many of the functions of e-business, CTOs are more often responsible for decisions that combine business and technology. The InfoWorld survey was conducted in March, and included 80 companies that have both a CIO and CTO or someone else who functions as chief technologist.

Among the survey findings:

* CTOs more frequently: Recommend technology decisions (50.7 percent for CTOs, versus 28 percent for CIO); approve strategy (36 percent versus 34.7 percent) and technology decisions (38.7 percent versus 34.7 percent); supervise technology implementation (37.8 percent versus 16 percent).

* CIO more often: Set overall strategy (60 percent for CIO, compared to 44 percent for CTOs); communicate decisions to execs (56 percent compared to 45.3 percent); set business goals (37.3 percent compared to 22.7 percent); negotiate with outsourcers (33.3 percent compared to 17.3 percent).

In addition to the survey results, as part of the Special News Report, InfoWorld interviewed leading CTOs, CIO, executive recruiters and industry analysts on the relationship between CTOs and CIO.

"Internet technology is driving disruptions across executive teams," Peter McAteer, vice president and managing director at Gig Information Group, told InfoWorld. "Companies are experimenting."

Some of the new models companies are trying to implement:

* Positioning CIO as high-level strategists who manage others responsible for operations (which may include a CTO)

* Retaining a CTO who reports to the CEO for strategy, and a CIO who reports to the COO for operations

* Hiring a CTO only, who is responsible for both strategy and operations

In the midst of these managerial changes, executive recruiters report that, for the first time, the number of CTO searches is exceeding the number of CIO searches. Experts and professionals in the field share advice on how current IT executives can make themselves more valuable to their organization.

Advice to IT-focused professionals includes:

* Embrace business as well as technology in the company

* Take more responsibility for Internet related-roles and customer facing systems

The emerging role of CTOs will be more fully discussed at the first-ever CTO Forum to be held May 15-17 in San Francisco. To request an invitation to the Forum, please visit www.infoworld/ctoforum.>