Reviews for Does IT Matter?: Information Technology and the Corrosion of Competitive Advantage

1. IT doesn't matter, its just about dreaming anyhow

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 2009

   What drew me to this title so many years after the original publication date was the increasing media focus on web 2.0, which made me wonder about any lessons which we should have learned after the so called dot.com bubble.
   
   What I found in this little book is a judicious mix of a number of differing insights from many areas of business and economics which purport to show that the establishment of a novel infrastructure does not necessarily mean that there is an increasing level of productivity arising from it.
   
   I find the argument more than convincing. Indeed, for me it is not the productivity gains which result from the development of the technology, it's introduction or even it's widespread take up which elevates it to the status of infrastructure which even matters. It is the knowledge of how that infrastructure can be utilised which is the crucial element of productivity gains.
   
   What needs to be considered is not the general traffic which uses the infrastructure, after all, if one contempltes this for any period of time, then surely it must be realised that those gains are only there initially. As traffic continues to increase using the new as opposed to the antiquated technology, productivity gains must be subject to diminishing returns up until such a point where congestion becomes a problem.
   
   Productivity can be enhanced through peripheral technological improvements which can stave off congestion and the increased costs associated with it.
   
   Thus it is with web 2.0. Productivity gains associated with the convergence of the existing technologies have essentially already been exploited and the enterprise economy must be looking for further innovation.
   
   What I have learned from this book is that we need to identify and encourage those with new ideas on applicationsand innovations. Currently, when the financial crisis is forcing us all to buckle down and tighten our belts, we must continue to look up and instead of using the command and control structures which are the easiest route to take but the hardest route to the delivery of sustained results, we should also provide a nuturing environment for those in organisations who dare to think the unthinkable and challenge the conventional wisdom.

2. Doubting my Job....

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, April 12th, 2009

   
   After being advised by a colleague to read this book I was sceptical as to what benefit a book that questioned my job would give. However, I was impressed to learn the parallels between innovation within other industries and IT, it also ensured that I question the roll out of latest/newest technology within IT with an open mind rather than presuming newer is better.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend to anyone working within the IT service environment.

3. This is the debate of the decade

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, July 12th, 2004

   I read Carr's original 2003 article in the Harvard Business Review and could see it would stir up the 21st Century debate over IT and competitive advantage. It certainly did that, with just about every IT commentator supporting or deriding his argument that IT is now mature enough to become an accepted part of corporate infrastructure - much like the plumbing or electricity supply to an office. He has a good point about IT as a maturing industry and it is well-argued in this compact book. I don't agree with everything he says, but anyone involved in business today should be aware of the debate surrounding this book.