Executive's guide to the future of IT leadership (free ebook)

The role of the CIO has been upended over the past few years. Trends like outsourcing, cloud, mobile, social, and BYOD have changed the focus of enterprise technology — and the CIO's job has changed right along with it. CIOs were once responsible for acquiring, implementing, and maintaining IT infrastructure. Now they're being challenged to set the technology agenda and develop strategies that drive business advantage.

For the CIO, it's a radical shift — from spending money on technology that supports the business to finding ways to use technology to make money for the business.

Extinction or evolution?

Some analysts suggest that the CIO position is on its way out and that technology decisions will become the province of other executives, such as chief marketing officers, chief digital officers, and even the heads of business units. Others think the CIO position will transform rather than disappear. They predict that CIOs will adapt to the new demands and lead their companies toward automated solutions, cost-saving business processes, and sophisticated data analytics.

This month's guide from ZDNet and TechRepublic explores the issues surrounding the ongoing reinvention of IT leadership and offers practical advice for addressing the current and future challenges facing technology executives.

The ebook is available as a free PDF download for registered ZDNet and TechRepublic members. If you're not already a member, you can click here to register. It only takes a moment.