The
role of Information Technology (IT) is changing, as open standards, data
interoperability, outsourcing, and the emerging cloud computing paradigm shift
IT from a perceived source of competitive advantage to a shared and common
utility. This challenges existing organizational structures and strategies, and
their capacity to compete in a Digital Economy. At the same time, the wider
Information Systems (IS) environment is now seen as a source of competitive
advantage through the creation of new forms of stakeholder value, based on
data, interoperability and connectivity. Strategic Information Systems (SIS) are
information systems which are developed in response to corporate business
initiatives: they may deliver a product or service at lower cost, are better
differentiated, are innovative, and/or focus on a particular market segment.
They may enable new business models, deeper relationships with customers and
suppliers and/or radical adjustments to costs. If implemented correctly, they
offer organizations an ‘out pacing’ strategy, allowing them to compete with the
maximization of quality and a minimization of cost.