Marketing Article Critique: IT Does not Matter

Do you agree with Carr that as information technology’s power and ubiquity grows, its strategic importance diminishes? Why or why not?
Where do you think the next IT-based strategic advantage may occur? Give an example.
In the original article in Harvard Business Review, Carr compares IT to other infrastructure technologies of the past including railroads, electric engine and makes the point that just as other infrastructure technologies became ubiquitous, they lost their ability to create competitive advantage, IT has become ubiquitous technology and has lost ability to create competitive advantage. Do you think that comparison between other technologies and IT is justified?
Would Carr’s arguments hold for all types of IT investments or just for infrastructure investments? Explain.
In the original article in Harvard Business Review, Carr raised a number of questions that senior business managers should raise about IT investments at their organizations. If you were asked to be part of the IT coordinating committee at your firm, what questions will you have for the CIO as you start evaluation plans and budgets for the next cycle? Would you encourage your CIO to take a wait and see approach to technology investments rather than being a leader? How do you expect the CIO to respond to these questions?
Would “cloud computing” lead to further commoditization of IT infrastructure? Would you ask your CIO to move away form owning the infrastructure investments and exploit cloud capabilities being made available by commercial vendors?