This book is based upon the belief that information technology is one of the key drivers of business in the twenty-first century. This technology is providing new sources of revenue and oportunities to dramatically change a firm’s cost stucture. Information technology (IT) enables organizations to develop radically new stuctures such as value network, in which a focal company undertakes key core activities itself and outsources noncore tasks to partners inthe network. The technology has led to new business models and new types of businesses. IT has become intertwined closely wih corporate strategy.
Some argue that IT is not important, taht everyone has access to the same technology so it cannot provide a competitive advantage. Although this argument sounds reasonable in the context of a reource-based view of strategy, it misses several major points. First some firms gained a significant first mover advantage with IT and maintained that advantage as competitors tired to adopt their business models. Think of organizations such as eBay or Monster.com, the successfull online employment service. Second, acquiring technology is not enough to provide an advantage; the organization must manage IT obtain a return form its technologyinvestments
