Behind the Headlines: Experts predict demise of the IT director

The end of the role of IT director is nigh, according to IT experts appearing on this week's Behind the Headlines programme.

David Taylor, president of Certus, Richard Sykes, chairman of consultancy Morgan Chambers, and chairman of Butler Group, Martin Butler, reviewed the events of the year, and made their predictions for the next millennium.

The role of the IT director has featured widely in this year's news as IT has soared to the very top of business agendas. But now Taylor and Sykes - both former IT directors - believe the days of the IT director's role in its current form are numbered, and that only those people that can broaden their horizons will survive.

Sykes said: "An IT director with the capability to be more broadly based will find a great future. But I predict that the real story of the next decade will be the disappearance of the conventional IT director and the IT department."

David Taylor said he hopes the role will fizzle out even within a year.

The panel also discussed the Linux revolution that has rocked the computing world.

Butler's feelings are mixed: "We have to have an alternative to the Windows environment, clearly, but technically speaking Linux is an abomination."

The last Behind the Headlines programme of the year can be viewed in the Reseller Channel (http://www.silicon.com/a34733 ).