Research Shows Companies Embracing New Growth Opportunities; 45% Expect to Drive New IT-Led Products or Services as Part of Innovation Plans
Information Week released its annual InformationWeek 500 honoring the most innovative U.S.-based users of business technology. The rankings and research results were announced Tuesday evening during the annual InformationWeek 500 Conference held at the St. Regis Monarch Beach, Dana Point, California.
Top 10
The top ten companies in the 2011 ranking are:
- PACCAR Inc.
- Levi Strauss & Company
- Waste Management, Inc.
- Quintiles
- Catalina Marketing Corporation
- Associated Press
- ADP
- The Procter & Gamble Company
- United Stationers Supply Company
- Vail Resorts, Inc.
"For 23 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology," said InformationWeek VP and Editor In Chief Rob Preston. "If there’s one common thread we’re hearing in our discussions with CIOs, it’s the tremendous pressure they’re under to deliver technology projects and programs faster, in order to support and drive business. This year’s list highlights the companies that are using technology to turbo-charge execution and growth—managing operations more efficiently, investing more wisely, delighting customers more consistently, and managing risk more profitably."
30% of InformationWeek 500 CIOs have a formal responsibility for innovation, in addition to their IT jobs. 2011 top innovation plans include:
- 54% are making business processes more efficient
- 45% are introducing new IT-led products or services for customers, up from 40% a year ago
- 40% are getting better business intelligence to more employees, faster.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing adoption continues, and is expanding into new realms, InformationWeek 500 research shows. When asked which Web technologies they are adopting, 79% say software as a service, showing that SaaS is firmly established. Infrastructure as a service is used by 59%, shooting up from 37% two years ago. Development platforms as a service are used by just 19%, little changed from 17% last year.
"Cloud isn’t overhyped. It’s just that the term cloud computing is used to describe a huge swath of technology," said Chris Murphy, Editor of InformationWeek. "This research brings some clarity: cloud software is entrenched, cloud infrastructure is expanding fast, and cloud development platforms still look like emerging tech."
The InformationWeek 500 is unique among corporate rankings as it spotlights the power of innovation in information technology, not the biggest IT spenders.
For complete coverage of the 2011 InformationWeek 500, visit: www.informationweek.com/500, where you can download the 2011 InformationWeek 500 research report, including exclusive profiles, research, and the full list of winners,
Ranked list of the top 250 companies: http://www.informationweek.com/iw500/2011/top250
