The economic climate could be hastening the rise in non-tech managers procuring their own IT, undermining the power of the CIO, according to a KPMG researcher. Research from the management consultancy suggests that global IT spend is expected reach $2.7tr by the end of 2012, a rise of 3.9 per cent. Growth in spending on computer hardware, enterprise software, IT services and telecoms equipment was in line with the general trend, but far below growth recorded in the previous twelve months, at 6.9 per cent. This suggests corporates are putting the brakes on spend in infrastructure, the CIO heartland. Mac Scott, associate director at KPMG’s advisory team believes this could be one of the causes for business departments going their own ways in IT procurement. He told CIO UK: “Traditional IT projects in large organisations are viewed as very costly. Infrastructure investments are thought of as prohibitively high. The IT requirements for supporting growth in new markets is more flexible, with a low cost of implementation. Departments, like marketing and sales, which can’t afford to make procurement decisions at the pace needed for large infrastructure investments are voting with their credit cards.” Scott pointed to the rise of the Chief Digital Officer in some US organisations, a role that does not site within the IT department, as a sign that IT spending is moving away from the control of the CIO. He observed that marketing and sales departments are not traditionally seen as cost centres by the board, but as the engines for business growth. As a consequence they have access to lines of capital that other departments don’t get. Increasingly, says Scott, this capital is being spent on guerrilla IT projects. Scott said: “Just like in crime thrillers, sales and marketing have method, motive and opportunity.” Scott told CIO UK that the trend for non-tech departments investing in their own IT is growing ,but still small scale at the moment and impacting only small fractions of the overall IT budget. Related content how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business Small and Medium Business Small and Medium Business interview WestRock CIDO Amir Kazmi on building resiliency Multidimensional resiliency is vital to setting yourself, your teams, and your organization up for success. Kazmi sets the tone at WestRock by recognizing the pace of change, instilling a learning and growth mindset, and being transparent with his te By Dan Roberts Dec 07, 2023 8 mins IT Strategy Staff Management IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by FPT Software Time for New Partnership Paradigms to Be Future-fit By Veronica Lew Dec 06, 2023 5 mins Vendors and Providers brandpost Sponsored by BMC Why CIOs should prioritize AIOps in 2024 AIOps empowers IT to manage services by incorporating AI/ML into operations. By Jeff Miller Dec 06, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe