CIOs: Forget IT-business alignment; it's all about fusion

In the past, when reducing internal costs was IT's primary purpose, "the optimal CIO job was invisible," said , CIO and vice president of engineering at But now, Merrill added, "the distinction between technology and business is antediluvian -- it's gone. The good thing is it gives us more power [within companies]. The bad thing is that if we screw up, we take our companies with us."

But Gius said that he and other CIOs are learning to live with the risks. When large ERPERP installations went awry, many IT executives "ran for the hills" and said they were business projects, not initiatives, Gius said. "But now you're seeing CIOs become a little more emboldened," he added. "I think we're stepping up." Alles zu ERP auf CIO.de