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In all its functions and features, technology is a dominant aspect that truly defines the world today. The management and execution of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can either make or break an entire organisation. Chief Information Officers (CIOs) as the key players in this field have duties of massive proportions cut out for them and the following year promises a fresh set of responsibilities, each one more vital than the next.

A recent survey amidst CIOs conducted by the International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed their inclination towards analytics among other services. Meanwhile the Forbes’ report on the future of CIOs states that IDC anticipates the switch to a service paradigm in IT to advance further as well as a greater dependence on partners, clouds and global sourcing till 2017.

Accomplished with the acumen of 2,810 CIOs from around the globe, the 2015 Gartner CIO Agenda Report revealed the top ten investment priorities that shall dominate every CIOs attention in 2015. These priorities include: business intelligence & analytics, infrastructure & data center, mobile, ERP, cloud, networking, voice & data communications, digitization, digital marketing, security, industry-specific applications and customer relationship/experience.

The latest priorities of this agenda also includes legacy modernization and enterprise applications.

With Gartner, the American IT research and advisory firm, conducting the CIO Leadership Forum in March of 2015, decision makers will be given an exclusive platform that shall help realise the potential of CIOs and their ability to acknowledge and take action on the rising tide of digital opportunities.

As the world of IT continues to reshape itself on a regular basis, new tasks and functions are bound to pop up to stabilize its growth. A report conducted by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB) maps out six new IT roles that shall help CIOs further the progress of their organisations.

1. Collaboration and Social Media Evangelist

As the digitization of businesses grows, this role shall focus on the need and purpose of employees to collaborate as well as figure out the tools required for collaboration and social engagement.

2. Technology Broker

An area where information officers are required to advise on the purchase of technologies appropriate for the company to assure the products’ authenticity and its compatibility with the existing systems.

3. Information Insight Enabler

Coaching the decision makers and primary employees to derive useful knowledge from the deluge of management reports and statistics. They shall also help and use that knowledge in the best way possible.

4. User Experience Guru

One will always opt for an application or a software that is user-friendly. This role shall conduct the necessary assessments of a product in order to aid and improve the collaboration and productivity of the employees.

5. Cloud Integration Specialist

Focus is now on the navigation of cloud applications to help navigate better when it comes to the coordination and integration issues of the product with the main systems.

6. End-to-End IT Service Manager

This role is a blend of business, information, technology, data, support and strategy. The service manager shall use this expansive knowledge of the organisation and improve their flexibility, responsiveness and efficiencies as a whole.

While the role of a CIO was never isolated to the field of technology, it is important to reiterate that a CIO must function as a business leader as well. The overbearing nature of Big Data might have once been perceived as a threat, but today it has created a unique opportunity for CIOs as it promises to contribute to the organisational success. Influenced by the changing trends of business and technology, not only do these new roles show the potential for better change, they also provide the necessary push required for the evolution of new age CIOs.