Optimizing the Technology Purchasing Life Cycle Through IT/OT Convergence

This IDC Perspective examines the technology purchasing life-cycle impacts of IT/OT convergence. There are both financial and technology effectiveness risks to approaching IT/OT budgeting and technology purchasing without strategic alignment across IT and OT organizations. This document offers a model for effectively overcoming these risks through organizational development of digital engineering organizations that hold portfolio management and architecture competencies. "I hear all the time from IT organizations that operations bought a piece of software, and they're struggling to support its implementation," says Jonathan Lang, research director, Worldwide IT/OT Convergence Strategies, IDC. "The real issue is that IT has traditionally been relegated to a tactical role, but this is no longer sufficient with all of the impacts of cloud, AI, connectivity, and other necessary technologies to drive IT/OT convergence."