To survive in the years ahead, companies must put technology at the very heart of everything they do. That's the central argument offered here by the Economist's management editor Cairncross (The Death of Distance), who explains why in step-by-step fashion. Part of what she is lobbying for is now accepted wisdom. Today, most senior managers readily accept the idea that information technology needs to be central to their company's knowledge management, communication and collaborations—both in and outside the corporation. But saying it should be integral to everything from marketing to managing talent may raise some eyebrows. Internally, she argues, almost every business process involves information in some form. Externally, the price of technology has fallen so low and the Internet has become so pervasive that it is absurd not to use it more extensively. By arguing that IT should be central to the organization of the future, Cairncross recognizes that management will have to think differently about their corporation's structure. "The benefits of Internet technologies depend not on their wizardry alone (which, in the coming years, will seem remarkably ordinary and natural, just as the phone does now). Companies will reap the full benefits only if they have appropriate structures and cultures. Creating those calls for skillful leadership." It will be interesting to see which companies—if any—make those changes. (Feb. 6)
