When computing costs dropped like a proverbial stone after 1970, it created a remarkable opportunity for businesses to improve operations and grow. Suddenly, "the guys in the basement" became the IT department, and the data center manager became a very powerful CIO. This new role wielded a large budget and incredible control as companies invested heavily in enterprise applications, immense data repositories and thousands of PCs.
That was then. This is now.
[ Get sage advice on IT careers and management from Bob Lewis in InfoWorld's Advice Line blog and newsletter. | Get expert advice about planning and implementing your BYOD strategy with InfoWorld's 29-page "Mobile and BYOD Deep Dive" PDF special report. ]
Cheap smartphones, tablets and apps mean users are buying their own devices and aren't happy with company-supplied PCs, software or BlackBerrys. Meanwhile, software-as-a-service applications let users bypass enterprise systems for cheap applications they can pay for out of their own budgets -- and prefer to use.
To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.
This story, "CIOs: Will you still be relevant in five years?" was originally published by CIO.