IT Success!: Towards a New Model for Information Technology

By Michael Gentle

Published by Wiley, October 07

Fifty years after the birth of corporate computing, IT today is still characterized by huge project failure rates; massive budget overruns and constantly dissatisfied users. Books which try to explain this situation often single out the wrong culprits, usually perceived professional deficiencies in project management, technology or the latest methodology. However, no author has yet tried to step back and link it all to a clearly identified “original sin”, i.e. a false assumption in the beginning, which subsequently marks all IT activity through the ages. With over 25 years experience,Michael Gentle brings a refreshingly new angle to an old problem - and directly challenges both IT professionals and business executives to think differently about how to achieve IT success!...

IT Success! challenges the widespread assumption that an IT department is like a building contractor whose project managers, architects and engineers (all construction industry terms…) are supposed to deliver systems on schedule, within budget and to spec. Michael Gentle explains why this is not possible, and turns conventional wisdom on its head by showing that:   

* you cannot define an IT project in terms of contractual budgets and schedules

* anything can change during the life of a project

* what is eventually delivered can never be what is actually needed.

He proposes a new model for IT in which the traditional client/vendor relationship, with its contractual commitments, is replaced by a shared risk/reward partnership geared towards workable results over time. Using real-world examples and a case study, the author walks you through the end-to-end processes of an IT department, covering subjects like demand management, investment planning, agile development and managing production applications.

About the author
Michael Gentle has over 25 years of experience in IT departments, consulting companies and software vendors in Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. He brings a refreshingly new angle to an old problem - and directly challenges both IT professionals and business executives to think differently about how to achieve IT success. www.michaelgentle.com

Paperback Original; £19.99/30 EUR; ISBN: 9780470724019

For a review copy or an interview with the author please contact:
Alicia Barker - E: abarker@wiley.co.uk, P: 01243 770573