The role of CIOs is multifaceted and complex. Their charter is to support the business strategy of the organization through IT- be it to increase operational efficiency or to strive for product/service excellence or to enhance customer intimacy, and many times a combination of these strategies. In doing so they have to contend with myriad issues such as the increasing complexity both within and outside their organizations due to proliferation of applications, information and standards, rising expectations of the user-base, lower budgets, security holes and skills shortage - to name a few.

At the same time the pace of technological advances continues unabated. Understanding these trends and utilizing these advances could not only deliver competitive advantage but might even be necessary for the very survival of any organization. The real benefit that will accrue to organizations through IT in the emerging economic order and the coming rebound will be through the creation of integrated value chains and ecosystems. This would imply seamless integration of both intra and inter enterprise applications that reside under various operating platforms and environments.

These are not easy challenges to overcome. Bottlenecks are what CIOs face at the strategic, tactical and operational level - everyday. How can you overcome these hurdles? What should be your key priorities? What are the emerging technological and market trends that you must factor in your decision making process? These and other related questions will be explored at the Asia Pacific IT Forum 2003. This is your chance to learn from senior executives from the IT industry, senior IDC analysts, and award winning CIOs who have faced and overcome many similar obstacles. This is also your chance to network with your peers and learn from their experiences.

Click here to view some pictures from APIT 2002