Information Technology: Value Creator or Commodity?

Only a few years ago, companies put a high priority on coming up with innovations in information technology. A new solution, software program or piece of hardware could almost guarantee these companies a competitive advantage, at least in the foreseeable future. Yet as companies started to realize that information technology was becoming a necessary part of their businesses, these windows of opportunity for short-term advantage began to disappear. IT (Information Technology) innovation became easily duplicated, and IT, while clearly necessary, began to look like just another commodity.