Applying IT to IT. Marc Andreessen has an interesting article on applying IT to IT.  I think its fascinating that IT professionals are the most vociferous in stating why automation can't possibly be applied to what they do.  The emergence of ubiquitous networks and great software for managing desktops has turned that into an eminently automatable task.  IBM reports that they can deliver superior service with a tech to supported PC ratio as high as 350.  With a ratio of 1 to 175, we figured Utah would save $7 million per year.  Yet many IT professionals are reluctant to embrace these tools and change the way they work.   Why?  Same reason the longshoremen struck the West Coast ports: they're afraid they'll lose their jobs.  What a waste.  [Windley's Enterprise Computing Weblog]

I'm more inclined to view IT professionals as the shoemaker's children who go unshod, although Windley does have a point. My experience is that there is a pretty wide distribution of quality in IT Operations settings. Places like Charles Schwab, for example, run IT operations with every tool and bit of professionalism they can muster. Other shops are a bit less world-class. Both Andreessen's and Windley's comments are worth thinking about.

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