Cybernomics and IT productivity: not business as usual

The paper argues that a more detailed understanding of the fundamental technology shifts from the 1960s to post-2000 provides an important starting point for exploring the underlying economic implications of these technologies. This more detailed understanding of the differing economics underlying types of IT investments will, in turn, have a number of profound implications for how IT investment cases are made, assessed and monitored. After so many years' experience of assessing IT investments in organisations, there still remains much uncertainty and confusion about the reliability, operationalisability and relevance of IT evaluation practices. A major reason can be found in the fact that the period 1994 – 2000 marks a period when three different eras of technology coincide and a fourth may well be emerging. After outlining these four eras, and their underlying economics, the paper proceeds to examine the implications of the argument for contemporary IT evaluation practices.