Talk:Chief information officer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The last paragraph is very poorly written, can anyone with more information on this backronym help? --Ma Baker 3 July 2005 20:07 (UTC)

[edit] Information Management is more than IT Management

The definition in the article's first sentence restricts the responsibility to technology. While this might be appropriate for some CIOs today, it is certainly a conservative definition and ignores the challenges of information management to today's organisations [1]. Boochever et al. support the expansion from information technology management to information management by defining the CIO by its four roles strategist, business advisor, IT executive, and architect [2].

This expansion is similar to the point of view of security consultant Bruce Schneier (see Bruce Schneier, Secrets & Lies, John Wiley & Soncs, Inc., 2000, preface page xii) about the topic of his profession:

If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand the technology.

The CIO is the top level information manager. Analogous to Schneier: If you think IT can solve your information management problems, then you don't understand the problems and you don't understand IT.

[edit] Reporting Relationship

I think the notion that CIO's generally report to the CFO is dated. I think a more accurate description is that if a CIO does not report to the CEO - they typically report to another "C" level position for example I know plenty of CIO's who report to COO's, CFO's even division Presidents. I'll let this sit here for a while and then perhaps edit the page. Thoughts anyone?

No offense to my CFO colleagues, but I think that is a bit of a dated stereotype.

Sullyjohn (talk) 21:19, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

xQx (logged in as anonymous): I agree totally. I'm changing the text. An IT Manager in a company that neglects it's IT department reports to the CFO. No self respecting CIO who is worthy of the title reports to "head bean counter" any more. If any CIOs are reading this discussion and are offended because they report to the CFO please, please, for the sake of the company you work for -- change the focus of your IT department from "supporting the staff of the company" to "supporting the strategic goals of the company" and get yourself reporting to COO or CEO. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.109.158.1 (talk) 12:36, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

I could not agree more. As a CIO I report the CEO. I am offended that a Chief would report to CFO or COO. The CIO today is so much more than an upgraded IT or MIS Director as intimated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.162.101.49 (talk) 12:35, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

[edit] Geospatial Information Officer

I can understand the reference to the Geospatial Information Officer in the first paragraph, but why is the entire second paragraph devoted to explaining what the Geospatial Information Officer is and does? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.150.117.162 (talk) 14:20, 15 October 2008 (UTC)