Consumer IT: Changing the Role of the IT Department

Abstract

The way IT is used in business has changed dramatically since the first introduction of IT for large businesses in the mid-20th century and is changing still. Consumer(ized) IT provides a complete new challenge for corporate IT departments. This thesis researches the effect of consumer(ized) IT on the functional and strategic role of the IT department. Scientific literature on this topic is very scarce, therefore this thesis is using a exploratory approach. 12 interviews with CIO’s and IT managers of large (international) companies in multiple industries are used to shed light on how the role of IT is changing. After comparison and discussion of this research’s findings a Consumerization Maturity Model and a Consumer IT Implementation model is proposed.