The state of the information technology discipline is explored. A point of departure is a depiction of the IT field in a computing space along with computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, and information systems. This examination motivated a proposed distinctive anchoring theme for the IT discipline as deployment and configuration. Recommendations are made for advancing the research component of an IT agenda by seizing on jurisdictional vacancies, abstracting from professional practice, and drawing upon theoretical results from the systems sciences, serving as a reference discipline for IT. Five IT research thrust areas are proposed: IT artifacts, enterprise architectural infrastructure, interaction models, system performance, and domain induction. Appendices provide context by discussing viewpoints on the IS-IT relationship, perspectives on the role of artifacts in IS-IT research, and observations on the perceived standing of IT as a discipline or sub-discipline
