Integrated service management and delivery will be key as the IT industry braces itself for a fundamental shift in activity and thinking.
Strategy and focused execution will also play important supporting roles that help businesses analyse the information that will aid future decisions and fuel innovation and competitive advantage.
Some 7,000 delegates were assembled at the opening keynote session of IBM's Pulse 2011 event in Las Vegas, all keen to hear how they can use service management to their advantage.
The number of delegates at this year's event is up by 30 per cent and some 41 per cent more business partners are in attendance in 2011 than in 2010, according to IBM.
"This tells me we're going through the biggest tech-fuelled transformation in our industry for years. This also tell me that there is a huge demand for the skills and expertise that you bring to the table," said IBM's general manager of Tivoli software at IBM, Danny Sabbah.
Citing an IBM study, Sabbah said that more than three-quarters of chief executives are readying their organisations for turbulent change that will put more pressure on the business and, in turn, IT functions, than ever before.
"We need stellar execution," he said. "We need maniacal focus on reducing risk and cost. That is what the business and government are demanding. I see it every day and I know you do too."
Sabbah said that organisations have a greater dependence on business leaders and that there's a big gap between what they're expected to deliver and what they're actually able to deliver on.
"Businesses around the globe are busy strategising on how to lead if not just to keep up," added Scott Hebner, vice president of global marketing for Tivoli software.
"It's obvious our entire community needs to embrace a new era of smarter computing. Because it's not just about technology anymore, it's about the economic impact of technology."
As a nod to what delegates can expect in terms of announcements the rest of the week, Hebner added: "Today the focus is on strategy, tomorrow it's execution. A strategy without execution is hallucination."
Using automation, organisations can analyse what's happening in real-time and make the right decisions using the right information, according to IBM.
"None of us have infinite time and resources. And not all metrics are created equal. However if we take this approach based on visibility, control and automation, we can effectively and positively get better business results," said Sabbah.
"This is a journey. One we must definitely make and given the turbulence and competition we have no choice. We must start now."
