The changing shape of IT is causing CIOs to question the role of IT in the organization and the part they will play in it, according to Gartner, Inc. As businesses confront global economic uncertainty, changing market dynamics and cultural discontinuities created by technological innovation, their different parts require different ways of interacting with IT.

"We are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of CIOs, one that aims not so much to 'run' IT as to ensure that the business achieves strategic value from the use of technology," said John Mahoney, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "Although this isn't an entirely new development, the extent of the change is growing and a tipping point will be reached in the next five years."

Gartner has identified four dominant futures for IT in the organization. They are not mutually exclusive and may exist in combination.

Gartner said that these new CIOs will play an important role in identifying the required future of the IT organization, and that they must ensure senior IT stakeholders are involved from the outset, so that their support is guaranteed. These CIOs will then be able to identify how their role will change and start planning a personal road map.