Information technology management or IT management is the discipline whereby all of the information technology resources of a firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. Managing the responsibility within a company entails many of the basic management functions, like budgeting, staffing, change management, and organizing and controlling, along with other aspects that are unique to technology, like software design, network planning, tech support etc.[1]
IT Management is different from management information systems. The latter refers to management methods tied to the automation or support of human decision making.[2] IT Management refers to IT related management activities in organizations. MIS is focused mainly on the business aspect, with a strong input into the technology phase of the business/organization.
A primary focus of IT management is the value creation made possible by technology. This requires the alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation for an organization involves a network of relationships between internal and external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control.[3]
Historically, one set of resources was dedicated to one particular computing technology, business application or line of business, and managed in a silo-like fashion.[4] These resources supported a single set of requirements and processes, and couldn't easily be optimized or reconfigured to support actual demand.[5] This led technology providers to build out and complement their product-centric infrastructure and management offerings with Converged Infrastructure environments that converge servers, storage, networking, security, management and facilities.[6][7] The efficiencies of having this type of integrated and automated management environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with simpler manageability and maintenance, and enables IT to adjust IT resources (such as servers, storage and networking) quicker to meet unpredictable business demand.[8][9]
IT managers have a lot in common with project managers but their main difference is one of focus: an IT manager is responsible and accountable for an ongoing program of IT services while the project manager's responsibility and accountability are both limited to a project with a clear start and end date.[18]
Most IT management programs are designed to educate and develop managers who can effectively manage the planning, design, selection, implementation, use, and administration of emerging and converging information and communications technologies. The program curriculum provides students with the technical knowledge and management knowledge and skills needed to effectively integrate people, information and communication technologies, and business processes in support of organizational strategic goals.[19]
IT Managers need to know predominantly Technical and Managerial skills such as analyst of computer systems , information security analyst, compute, planning, communication technologies, and business processes.[15]
An IT environment consists of a multitude of hardware, network and software components including computers, servers, routers, applications, microservices and mobile technologies. An IT infrastructure can be on premises, in the cloud or on a hybrid platform that integrates both.
IT underpins almost all enterprise activity. Automation, data processing and always-on connectivity have opened the door to previously unimagined capabilities and efficiencies. It might be impossible to separate technology from daily business operations.
At the same time, an organization is vulnerable when systems underperform or fail. A down network, lost data or malware can severely impact day-to-day operations. The average cost of a data breach in the US, for example, is USD 3.86 million.1
Overseeing current IT projects and operations will always be part of an IT management mandate. But today's CIOs need to use technology in new, innovative ways to help the business keep pace with rapid change.
Cloud services offer scalability, data security, data recovery services and more. Using the cloud can improve efficiencies and reduce infrastructure costs. It can benefit all aspects of the business, from operations to finance, and help position the organization for transformative cloud-based solutions in the future.
Many enterprises host core business applications on mainframes, which process millions of transactions each day. Cloud enablement helps IT departments modernize their mainframe systems, while freeing up CIOs to focus on other priorities. Organizations benefit from higher levels of productivity and performance with less overhead.
AI systems analyze data, learn and predict problems to help IT managers deliver better service quality. As well, AI-based chatbots can function as virtual agents, talking with users to resolve technical issues. Customers can also use them to learn about products and services. Moving ahead, cognitive computing might become vital to helping enterprises manage IT and accelerate innovation.
Cognitive learning further enables the business to unlock IoT value. For one, it might combine multiple data streams to identify patterns and provide more context than would otherwise be available. Intelligent sensors too have the potential to self-diagnose and adapt to their environment without the need for human intervention.
IBM Instana provides real-time observability that everyone and anyone can use. It delivers quick time-to-value while verifying that your observability strategy can keep up with the dynamic complexity of current and future environments. From mobile to mainframe, Instana supports over 250 technologies and growing.
Technology is the backbone of almost every business, no matter what industry. Small or large, public or private, nonprofit or for-profit, every business and industry needs technology to help it thrive. Earning an online technology management degree will prepare you to meet the needs of businesses, helping them to overcome software delays and system failures and dramatically impacting their bottom line. This online information technology management degree from WGU can increase your earning potential, improve your opportunities for advancement, and prepare you for a role as the technology linchpin for any organization.
WGU courses are competency-based which means that once you demonstrate mastery in a specific area, you can move on. This allows you to use your existing knowledge to move through your degree program more quickly.
Be prepared for a future in technology management. Whether you currently work in IT or are wanting to move into it, an information technology management degree can be crucial in helping you obtain the proper business and tech skills you need. Move into an exciting, lucrative, and impactful career with the right credentials.
A degree in IT management will combine important business strategies and leadership skills with understanding of IT practices and needs. While it often doesn't involve direct programming or coding knowledge, an IT manager is more of the leader of IT related projects for an organization. An IT degree will combine important IT fundamentals with business know-how to help students be prepared to lead teams.
IT management is generally seen as a great career with good stability, high pay, and low stress levels. The job outlook is also good, with more opportunities opening every day as organizations evaluate and expand their IT needs.
Most IT managers will need at least a bachelor's degree to be qualified for this role. Traditional schools have 4 year bachelor degree programs for IT management, but there may be online options such as WGU where students finish in 3 years on average. Some positions will require a master's degree or MBA in IT management as well, which is an additional year or two of schooling.
Strengthen your technological expertise and diversify your competencies. Earn your Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MSITM) degree from California Baptist University in just one year.
Through the MSITM program, you gain familiarity with current challenges in law and ethics, organizational leadership, conflict resolution, project management, cyber security, emerging technology and disaster preparedness. With this comprehensive approach, our curriculum deepens your industry expertise, preparing you to navigate any challenge that comes your way.
The MSITM program prioritizes practical application and offers many opportunities to put your knowledge into action. Our curriculum and faculty provide a diverse breadth of knowledge, connecting theory to practice and cultivating critical skills and experience for an ever-changing industry.
During your coursework, you develop advanced IT strategies, business management techniques and key management and leadership skills that employers search for in leaders. Your training equips you to enter management-level jobs that position you for better benefits and higher salaries.
To customize your graduate education to your personal and professional interests, CBU offers two concentrations in the information technology management program. Review concentration courses to learn more.
The business analytics concentration offers a comprehensive overview of how information technology management operates in business. Learn about translating data into decision-making, how to collect meaningful data and utilize it to anticipate potential challenges, create impactful data visualizations, implement exploratory, forecasting, predictive modeling and more.
The information systems structure concentration provides you with advanced training in understanding the makeup of an enterprise information systems infrastructure, which includes computer-based software and hardware, big data, operating systems and many other topics. Additionally, you study cyber law and organization compliance and emerging new technologies and how to strategically utilize them.
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