November 25, 2009, 9:33 AM — If it ever was a question, 2009 put an end to any doubts about the resiliency of IT.
Navigating severe budget cuts, unanticipated reorganizations, and quickly evaporating revenue opportunities across most markets in the wake of financial turmoil, IT retrenched, pushed ahead, and launched new endeavors to advance company prospects despite the near historic odds stacked against it. And it is in this spirit that we at InfoWorld salute those who continue to drive IT forward.
[ For tips on how to make your IT operations more successful, see "16 ways IT can do less with less" and "20 more IT mistakes to avoid" ]
Every year, the InfoWorld 100 Awards celebrate 100 IT organizations that have implemented and integrated technologies in innovative ways in pursuit of concrete business goals. These 100 real-world projects stand as proof that striking a new path in IT can reap deep organizational rewards. This year has been no exception -- especially in light of widespread layoffs and limited resources.
For some, resiliency has meant moving forward with long-range initiatives aimed at overhauling essential operations. Shifts toward SOA, end-to-end ERP implementations, projects geared at extending the value of IT to the shop floor -- each demonstrates the value of IT when it comes to modernizing business.
For others, retrenchment has spurred efficiency initiatives, with server virtualization, datacenter automation, and green IT projects streamlining operations while ensuring IT is making headway against the permanent energy crisis.
For still others, financial uncertainty has meant doubling down on existing assets, with initiatives geared toward collaboration, knowledge management, and customer relations leading the way.
Open source made further inroads at some organizations, while others brought essential business operations in-house or launched projects aimed at leveraging the potential of cloud computing. Overall, the variety of projects highlighted as part of the InfoWorld 100 Awards testifies to the fact that today’s IT underlies every facet of business, and that those leading the charge are doing far more than keeping the lights on -- they're redefining their organizations.
View the winners of the 2009 InfoWorld 100 Awards
More InfoWorld awards2009 InfoWorld Technology of the Year Awards2009 InfoWorld Bossies: Best of Open Source Software2009 CTO 25 Awards2009 Green 15 Awards
Accenture www.accenture.com Unified Collaboration Initiative Project lead: Frank B. Modruson, CIO Project description: Accenture developed Accenture Client Exchange, a communications and collaboration platform that provides employees and clients presence, secure IM, voice and videoconferencing, virtual desktop sharing, and network-enabled phone functionality based on technology from Microsoft and Cisco. Industry: Services
Activision Blizzard www.activision.com WAN-Optimized Development Initiative Project lead: Thomas Fenady, Senior Director of IT Project description: Activision Blizzard increased the efficiency of its worldwide development efforts by revamping its network and moving away from MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) and DS3s (Digital Signal 3) in favor of WAN optimization technology from Riverbed. Industry: Entertainment
