IT managers told to boost growth

An article by Kevin Allisonin in today's Financial Times quotes Mark McDonald, vice-president of Gartner's executive programmes group, referring to a Gartner survey of 1,400 chief information officers , who says:"IT departments are moving from being providers of technical services to creators of business results." Is this news? More importantly, should this be news? The role of the IT department has, in most organizations, been recognized for years, if not decades, as being to provide leadership, and be responsive to business areas in providing IT capabilities to support the achievement of business goals. This role is not always executed well, nor is it always well recognized, but it is certainly not a new role.