Is the CIO Role Getting Tougher?

Since I didn’t find any new job announcements about CIOs this morning, I decided to whip up a quick post about an article that appeared on Computing’s web site today.  The article, which is based on research from Gartner, posits that the CIO role is going to change dramatically this year.  Where CIOs have focused their attentions inside their organizations on cost-cutting and operational efficiency over the past several years, 2006 is going to see them more focused on innovation and enabling their companies’ growth.  How does that prediction match up with what you see yourself doing this year?  Use the feedback mechanism to weigh in.

The article also quotes a Gartner VP who says the CIO role is going to become even more challenging this year, as CIOs struggle to meet their companies’ expectations that IT will give them a competitive edge.  John Gantz, IDC’s chief research officer, made a similar comment about companies’ heightened expectations of IT and the challenges they pose to CIOs yesterday when he and his colleague Frank Gens offered their predictions for 2006.  (IDC is a sister company to CIO’s publisher, CXO Media.) Check out Frank’s blog. 

Are you concerned about your companies’ expectation of what IT can do?  Do you feel more pressure this year to meet the needs of the business?  Do you think the CIO role is getting harder?  Please share your thoughts.