Imperatives for the Future

As it has been doing for the past several years, the industry continues to grapple with the pervasive influences of mobile devices, worker mobility, self-service, virtualization, new infrastructure migrations, customer-driven apps, financial constraints, workgroup silos, and talent shortages. According to “The C-suite Challenges IT: New Expectations for Business Value,” a recent report written by The Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Dell Services, C-suite executives believe the IT function is poised for a major transformation: 57 percent of the 536 C-suite executives surveyed expect their IT function to change significantly over the next three years, while 12 percent predict a “complete overhaul.”

HDI invited influential members from across all segments of our community to provide a snapshot of key imperatives that will guide 2013 initiatives. This unique collection of essays offers a rare glimpse inside technical service and support organizations, spanning healthcare, higher education, government, technology, retail, and law. From Intel and the Department of Defense to Fenwick & West LLP and L.L.Bean, from Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare and the University of New Mexico to Yum! Brands, this composite captures the state of the industry at a grassroots level and identifies some of the pressing concerns and must-do initiatives for 2013.

Each story is unique, yet they are united by common threads and themes. Enjoy!

Cinda Daly
Director of Business Content, HDI

Note: In the print edition, a graph was omitted from Jeff Rumburg's essay. This mistake has been corrected in all digital editions.