Working in IT barely resembles what it did one and two decades ago, which creates an ever-shifting set of demands placed on IT professionals.

"Twenty years ago, we'd visit companies and walk into this room in the back of the building that was disconnected from the strategy of the company. Senior executives had no idea what they were doing; they simply provided a back-office service," said Mark Hanny, vice president of global alliances and academic initiatives at IBM.

IT is now a central part of business strategy, causing organizations to rebuild their business strategies around it.

"You look at it now, and IT is pervasive, from life sciences to environmental engineering and Procter & Gamble," Hanny said. "The future business leaders are coming from IT."
 

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