Technology, Strategy, People and Projects

Currently Reading: Does IT Matter?

by Eric D. Brown on January 6, 2008 · View Comments

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

I found this book last weekend at the local Half-Price Books and thought I’d give it a read.

This well known book, and its author Nicholas Carr, has been at the center of a debate in the IT academic world for some time and I figure I should peruse it to see what the hubbub is all about.

Carr started a firestorm with his original 2003 article titled “IT Doesn’t Matter” in Harvard Business Review (see some rebuttal arguments here) and this book (written in 2004) takes the argument further by comparing IT to the railroad, telegraph and other technological innovations in years past.

Carr’s main argument seems to be that IT is a commodity…which I agree with somewhat. Services such as Email and Web hosting are exactly that…a commodity. The problem is that most organizations treat IT as a whole as a commodity instead of viewing it as a way to gain strategic advantage.

Once I finish the book, I’ll post my thoughts.

[tags] IT, Does IT Matter, IT Strategy [/tags]

Written By Eric D. Brown

Eric is a Consultant, Entrepreneur and Doctoral Student focused on helping organizations cross the chasm that exists between Business & IT. Eric writes extensively about technology, strategy, people and projects at http://ericbrown.com. In addition to this blog and his consulting work, Eric is an avid & passionate photographer and writes about photography, shares photographs and reviews products at Photography Minute.

ericbrown

Good points Scot....thanks for stopping by.

I especially like you comment of "when we treat IT as a commodity, our business becomes a commodity as well"....I agree.

Scot Herrick

Even IT management views themselves as a commodity -- hurting their ability to really support businesses.

If you were to look at any new product or service out there, I'd venture to say there is a significant IT component that is included in the delivery or support of the product or service.

When we treat IT as a commodity, our business becomes a commodity as well. A dangerous place to be.

ericbrown

Well if it isn't the old genei himself.

Thanks for the laugh...I'll drop you an email to catch up...and yes...that is a lot of gray. :)

Chris Hladik

First, I consider myself a genei (a crotchety one at that) without experience in many areas of business and technology. Second, there are better things to find at Half-Price Books. Third, wow!.. that's a lot of gray, old man! :)