[.ca] Igniting the Phoenix: A New Vision for It (ISBN 1413436986)

IT's Vision needs books like this to re-focus:
As an author, former IT executive, and veteran of many IT wars, I am certainly well trained to defend against those that would dare suggest change is needed. But maybe, mellowing with age, allows me to finally look in the mirror, and hear voices such as Harvard's Nicholas Carr in "Does IT Matter" and InfoPower's Jonathan Sapir - "Igniting the Phoenix - A New Vision for IT." Much has been written about Carr, but Sapir's book is the jewel that offers a visionary, yet practical road map "to not throwing the baby out with the bath water", while preparing for 21st century information solutions. The phoenix, one that has served its life purpose and is ready to burst in flames, parallels what CIO's should see before them. It is time for this era of information systems to change, and a new phoenix to emerge, an era of knowledge sharing. After, years of building, and supporting business solutions that have never quite lived up to expectation and business need, the problems of IT are not solved by outsourcing the same old thing to less expensive developers in India or otherwise. Sapir points to a new approach in which "Information technology is now capable of providing the infrastructure that allows users the freedom to become self-reliant ... in a way compatible with the goals of the organization." Sapir's book shares a vision that is a must read for IT professionals and knowledge workers who care about their future. It offers those who need practical answers to SOA, Web Services, Software as a Service, Personal Service Builders - new approaches to solving business challenges.

Excellent description of the new world of info systems:
This is a great overview of the trends and concepts driving business software today. Aimed at the non-technical reader, it makes things like Web services, Service Oriented Architectures and social software easily understandable. In addition, it shows how software will be built in the future and how it will significantly impact everyone involved - from CIO's and programmers to CEO's and business users.

Another IT industry milestone is approaching...:
I have spent the last 13 years in the IT industry and looking back it is amazing just how much the industry has changed. The tools available to me now have made me several orders of magnitude more productive over those years. Every so often it is important to take stock of the direction of the industry and this book helped clarify the issues relevant today. It is clear that we are on the verge of yet another milestone in the industry. Web services, PSBs and Service Oriented Architecture are going to be key forces in the upcoming revolution. The battle will empower business users by making systems development so simple that any motivated employee will be able to effortlessly build complex systems from simple building blocks. Great book!