Creating Business Value Through Technology

Virtually all companies, midsize and larger, have an IT department with a staff that manages all the information technology. Initially, the department’s day-to-day activities may not seem to go beyond rebooting the main computer system or upgrading everyone’s software. Though they are still responsible for these tasks, IT personnel have taken on a more significant role in the organization’s success; they have many more responsibilities behind the scenes than most people don’t realize.

IT people are responsible for three major areas: governance, infrastructure and functionality. They implement operational parameters for working units and personnel’s use of IT systems, architecture and network. They manage IT infrastructure, including hardware components, network, cabling, and all other equipment necessary to make an IT system function. They create and maintain operational applications and make sure electronic data is stored and secured, and they assist in software use and data management throughout the enterprise.

Network Responsibilities

IT staff oversees the installation, deployment and maintenance of computer network systems. This may only require a single IT person, or in the case of large enterprises, a team of IT professionals, ranging from Chief Technology Officer or Chief Information Officer to directors, managers, etc. If a company’s network system goes down, the consequences are expensive — not just to the company and its operations, but external operations that require products and services from the company. These entities could be affected and may lose trust in the company’s ability to provide them with their business needs.

“The IT department must build strong professional relationships with external vendors and industry experts to assist in proper maintenance and planning.” Said Ahmed Al Ahmed, Chairman of CIOMajlis and CIO of Nakheel. “This helps the employees in the IT department perform their tasks more efficiently and stay updated on the latest technology critical to the company.”

App Development

The IT department plays a very important role in developing applications that serve its core business requirements. The expertise required to develop applications that can take a business to the top is possible only with an IT department with analysts, designers, security engineers, programmers, database administrators, and other professionals. They are operational experts, and hence, are valuable to departments outside IT.

“IT people spend lot of time and efforts to implement the right software applications” Said Yousuf Al Shaiba, Digital Transformation and AI Advisor to the Chairman of Ajman Municipality & Planning Department. “The right solution drive business efficiency, productivity, and innovation, and allow organizations to stay ahead of their competitors.”

Collaboration Tools

IT people shined during COVID-19 as many organizations were caught unprepared with regard to remote communication and collaboration support. These solutions maximized safety efforts and ensured business continuity. Now that we are past the initial scramble to maintain operations, we rely on the IT department to help companies change to survive, regain profitability, and maintain customer satisfaction.

Iman Alomrani, Deputy CTO at Expo 2020 Dubai and CIOMajlis Board Member, said: “Effective collaboration underpins every successful organization, supported by a strong and resilient IT infrastructure. In the face of unprecedented challenges over the past year, the swift deployment of various collaborative technologies at Expo 2020 ensured continuous day-to-day operations and a fully connected workforce – critically important as we continued our preparations to welcome the world from 1 October 2021.”

Upskilling

Keeping up with the pace of emerging technologies is a challenge for IT departments of all shapes and sizes. IT people spend great deal of time to expand their skillsets in order to create a significant competitive advantage in our increasingly technology-driven world.

“The world is witnessing a change with new innovations being developed, a new generation of employees entering the workforce, and new methods of working.” Said Ahmed Al Zarouni, Vice President IT at Investment Corporation of Dubai. “The only way to stay relevant is to upskill oneself and keep abreast of current trends.”

“With the escalation of technology in every aspect, the demand for skilled IT people has skyrocketed. Technology has permeated so much into everyday life that the only people who know what IT people do are the IT people themselves.” Said Abdulqader Ali, CEO of Smartworld.

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