The shift to Web computing is already happening, even if it may not be noticeable in your workplace. Near ubiquitous high-speed Internet access is giving your company’s employees access to Web-based applications at home. Inevitably, they will find and use the applications they like best. Soon CIOs will be faced with a choice, says Dave Girouard, general manager of Google’s enterprise division. “The CIO can be the source of the tools, or he can take the hardball approach and try to shut them down.”The thing is, says Girouard, people are going to use them either way.History bears this out. “A lot of the innovation that ends up in front of CIOs starts off in a user’s home,” says Paul Kedrosky, executive director of the William J. von Liebig Center, a venture capital firm. “Think back 20 years ago. The rear guard action would have been to make sure that my users aren’t buying PCs when I am not looking.”CIOs who don’t want to be marching in the rear of change can start taking small steps today. H&R Block CIO Marc West says that CIOs should think twice about every client/server application they install. “If you are a PeopleSoft customer who’s going to have to upgrade to Oracle, you should be seriously questioning that investment,” says West. “Do you need to keep all that information in one application? Maybe some things don’t belong in PeopleSoft.” As Internet-connected devices like PDAs and cell phones become more popular (and IDC research shows that they will soon outnumber PCs), employees will demand access to information through them. And since these devices aren’t powerful enough to run client/server applications, it will be up to CIOs to provide Web-based applications for those employees or risk, as Girouard says, “losing their constituencies.”Or, as Sue Feldman, IDC vice president of content strategies research, puts it, “CIOs have to become part of the network.” Related content feature 4 remedies to avoid cloud app migration headaches The compelling benefits of using proprietary cloud-native services come at a price: vendor lock-in. Here are ways CIOs can effectively plan without getting stuck. By Robert Mitchell Nov 29, 2023 9 mins CIO CIO CIO case study Steps Gerresheimer takes to transform its IT CIO Zafer Nalbant explains what the medical packaging manufacturer does to modernize its IT through AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. By Jens Dose Nov 29, 2023 6 mins CIO SAP ServiceNow feature Per Scholas redefines IT hiring by diversifying the IT talent pipeline What started as a technology reclamation nonprofit has since transformed into a robust, tuition-free training program that seeks to redefine how companies fill tech skills gaps with rising talent. By Sarah K. White Nov 29, 2023 11 mins Diversity and Inclusion Hiring news Saudi Arabia will host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh By Andrea Benito Nov 28, 2023 4 mins 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