An IT strategy focused on maintaining a cutting-edge technology Essay

An IT strategy focused on maintaining a cutting-edge technology position - Essay Example The alignment of IT and business strategy of the firm is considered as one of the most important challenges for the managers.Without this alignment of both the strategies,it is relatively impossible for the firms to actually ensure that they retain and develop cutting edge technologies to help them stay ahead of the game. Without having access to the better IT technology, it is relatively impossible for the firms to continue to dominate the market. It has also been argued that those firms which initially focused upon perfecting their IT technology and making it more effective grew faster than the firms which initially focused upon the alignment of their IT and business strategy. This line of thinking therefore suggests that it is important to compromise on the alignment of the IT and business technology if the firm is actually able to first effectively improve its technology. One way or other, it is really important that without having cutting edge technology, it would be really inef fective for the firm to support the overall business strategy of the firm. This paper will therefore argue that without having access to the cutting edge technology, it may be entirely difficult for the firms to support their overall business strategy. IT Strategy The technology strategy of a firm is typically related with the development of tactics and tools related with the use of information technology within the firm. The critical focus of such strategy always remains on the acquisition and development of strategies which can allow the firms to develop their competitive advantage out of the information technology. It is however, important to understand that this strategy must also be leveraged through the people as without effective and efficient human resource, the firm may not be able to translate this strategy into a successful strategy. Traditional view of how technology should be utilized and how the technology strategy can actually be designed is based upon how effectively it can support the overall business strategy of the firm. One of the concerns has also been focused upon the optimization of the firm’s spending on the information technology. This line of thinking therefore often compromises the way IT can actually provide the real benefits to the firm. Over the period of time, it has been therefore argued that the overall business strategy should be the driving force for the IT strategy of the firm. This has however, been without the assessment that poor technology can actually fail to support the overall business strategy of the firm. It is therefore important first to ensure a seamless integration and alignment of both the IT and business strategy of the firm with each other. Access to the cutting edge technology It is argued that the access to the cutting edge technology as well as its effective deployment by the organization is necessary in order to allow the firms to better understand their market. The market insight and analytic abil ities provided by the cutting edge latest technology therefore allow the firms to not only better understand themselves but also better design and develop their strategies which can suit to the market where they are operating. One of the key aspects of having access to the latest technology is to gain the competitive intelligence allowing firms to better leverage their business strategy. Developing the capability of competitive intelligence can only be possible with the help of having access to the cutting edge technology. Old and outdated technologies may lack the capability to provide the same level of analytic insight to help firms to actually have a re-look at their business st