Is the business view of IT changing?

Today, I am going to stray from SSRS again and discuss business.

In my normal batch of morning email, I came across a link to an article
(http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/101607-noncertified-it-pros-better-paid.html) with the headline being: Non-certified IT pros earn more than certified counterparts: survey.

Being a non-certified professional, I was really happy to see that. But after reading it, I realized that the headline was not the only point to the article. It was just the one that would catch people’s eye. For me, the interesting message is that companies are tired of “techies.” They really want business people that can do a technical job.

I have been working with business units for most of my career. My first true technology job offer was: “I can’t get any information out of IT; I want you to work for me, the CFO, and provide me with the reports that I need and can understand.” I understand from the business side how frustrating it is when you ask for a report, and a developer responds with technical jargon about primary keys and cross server queries. The average business person glazes over when they hear the first technical term.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am a technical person. I am a geek. I love the inner workings of almost anything, not just software or gadgets. But first and foremost, I am a business person. I started my first business at age 7, selling lemonade. I made almost $10 in one day! (And I did it without a PC, without a large un-wieldy database application that took 2 years to implement and never worked right, without a tech-head telling me that I shouldn’t even be in business because my network platform was not on the cutting edge.) I have started and run several successful businesses outside of the technology realm, and a couple within. I have been in management, and in the ranks. I have seen a lot from the business side.

So it was refreshing for me to read that more business people want this IT re-alignment. But, I have been hearing this for almost 20 years. Are things really starting to change?

One can hope.


Peace