The common denominator, again, is that these technologies are no longer merely "information systems" or "information technologies." Information is a critical part of what they provide — but in the end, they deliver an unprecedented ability for enterprises to optimize, accelerate, and control core business functions.
在高科技利弊影响
But if "technology" is now more than "information technology" — the same way that IT is more than just MIS — where does that leave IT professionals? Are they, as Carr suggested, destined to maintenance or support roles?
On the contrary. If Carr's thesis had been entirely correct, the past decade would have seen a dramatic rise in the perception of IT as a "utility" function. Instead, the percentage of organizations that view IT as "strategic" has held relatively constant at nearly 40% over the past few years — and in 2011, increased to nearly 54%.
What are these strategicIT organizations在做什么？逐渐地，他们被带入到影响整个公司地址的技术问题。高层管理人员，包括董事会和CEO，正越来越多地认识到IT带来的表的专业知识。这些技术很少单独存在，以及IT组织是战略需要能够透明地集成和支持独立的技术。
概括地说，这一专长在于能力，以实施创新可复制的方式。
To "operationalize innovation" means, in essence, to take new ideas and technologies out of the labs (or from vendors, or employees, wherever they arise) and deploy them effectively across an organization. That process requires several sub-processes, including:
• Uncovering new technologies (ideally ahead of the competition)
• Testing and prototyping them
•确定哪些技术值得进一步投资
• Developing the selected technologies
• Integrating disparate technologies into a cohesive business solution
• Putting in place all the appropriate operational infrastructure that enables organizational deployment (training, revisions in business processes, reorganization, etc.)
最后，技术人员需要做的这一个可复制的方式 - 这意味着不仅仅是勒金进行一次或两次，但有一个方法，它能够始终如一地保证，今年的年出的，该公司正在整合创新。
从什么IT到ET转变实际上意味着为IT专业人士，换句话说，是他们需要在这个过程变得熟练。他们需要成为去到球员和加尔斯谁可以采取一个好主意，并使其发生。这意味着从采购策略和供应商关系管理，组织和培训/招聘重新思考一切。
Railroad companies, for example, are under enormous pressure to conform to联邦积极的列车控制(PTC) regulations, which require PTC system implementation by 2015. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, "PTC systems are comprised of digital data link communications networks, continuous and accurate positioning systems such as NDGPS, on-board computers with digitized maps on locomotives and maintenance-of-way equipment, in-cab displays, throttle-brake interfaces on locomotives, wayside interface units at switches and wayside detectors, and control center computers and displays." In other words, these systems require many of the ET examples discussed earlier (displays, sensors, wireless/mobile networks). And railroad companies are increasingly tapping their IT departments to work hand-in-hand with railroad operations staffers to deliver these systems.
In another example, hospitals are increasingly pulling together SWAT teams consisting of medical informatics (the big data specialists); clinical technologists (the group responsible for selecting, deploying, and managing medical equipment); information technology; and information安全to meet increasing demands for secure, effective, online data-management.
This isn't all easy, of course. IT professionals are often more comfortable working behind the scenes, rather than being called on to take responsibility for an organization's mission-critical initiatives. But as the cliché has it, the Chinese symbol for "crisis" is comprised of the combination of the symbols for "danger" and "opportunity."
So yes, IT as we know it is over. But ET is just beginning.
About the author: Johna Till Johnson is President & Founder ofNemertes Research公司，研究，咨询和战略咨询公司，行为对新兴技术的影响初步研究。所有的统计数据在这里引用（除非另有说明）来自Nemertes的初级标杆研究。她和Nemertes Research的，在任何公司没有经济利益在这里提及。