We are witnessing a significant evolution in IT as the department transforms from being a siloed entity to one that deploys technology in every function within every business. Much of this change is due to the influx of collaboration tools, Everything as a Service (XaaS), and hybrid technologies that are shifting the priorities of IT leaders to instead focus on propelling interdepartmental transformational and growth.

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From customer relationship management tools and marketing automation platforms to contact center suites comprised of SMS text and online chat options, there is a myriad of technologies available for today’s department leaders to embrace to drive more efficiency and better outcomes. IT plays a crucial function in advising the strategy behind implementing these technologies and, in turn, can increase their influence within the organization when done effectively. Here are three ways IT can help deliver transformation across the organization.

1. Encourage Efficiency

IT is uniquely positioned to recommend and strategize how to deploy technology for productivity gains. From implementing collaboration platforms and motivating team members to better work together to deploying contact center tools for a better a customer experience, IT must endorse technology that drives progress for everyonefrom internal stakeholders to end users.

Takeaway: IT leaders must proactively reach out to each department to identify and support their technology needs to enable a better way to do their jobs—and improve the result for customers. There are next-gen options to improve efficiency such as internal collaboration and contact center tools like Spark and SMS text or online chat and WebEx to bridge the gap among global employees.

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2. Bolster Security

According to Symantec, one in every 131 emails contains malware—the highest rate in five years. Considering most of us live in our (overflowing) inbox, that is a scary reality. Whether it is recommending better encryption tools for external emailing or suggesting a layered security approach for the organization, IT leaders can use all facets of security—awareness, training, and technology—to boost defenses throughout the business.

Takeaway: Security touches every transaction of business operations, making it paramount that businessesand IToperate with a security-first mindset. IoT, mobile devices, and the proliferation of threats (ransomware, phishing, and bots) can be a perfect storm for a security disaster. IT leaders and designated security teams must build with privacy, defense of networks, and operations, as well as with information governance in mind and consistently revisit operational policies and security technologies.

3. Propel Strategic Growth

As the business world shifts toward the cloud and different ways to consume technology—public, private or hybrid—IT leaders need to ensure the business can consume cloud capabilities. Deciding what to store and where can be perplexing for leaders throughout the organization. IT leaders need to be the strategic advisors who have a firm grasp on best practices for storage and consumption so they can increase their relevance within the organization.

Takeaway: Storing information and applications on the right type of cloud solution means improved user experiences, information security practices, and backup/recovery capabilities. Simultaneously, the business can achieve faster business outcomes thanks to the speed and agility of cloud computing. IT leaders can also consider working with a third party to help move applications and information to the cloud to help ease the transition and avoid any potential downtime.

As the world of technology continues to change at a rapid pace, so do the roles and responsibilities of IT leaders. What are you doing to drive transformation within your own company?