Information Resources Management and Analytics - Summer 2026

Vocabulary flashcards covering IT Strategic Grids, Putt's Law, Nicholas Carr's IT arguments, Gartner Hype Cycles, and Big Data characteristics.

Factory (IT Strategic Grid)

A firm with high dependence on cost-effective, totally reliable IT operational support where system downtime causes major disruption and loss of income; managed by business unit executives.

Support (IT Strategic Grid)

A firm where the impact of IT on both operations and future strategy is low; the firm can operate during a major IT operational failure and IT development impact is limited.

Strategic (IT Strategic Grid)

Firms where IT activities are essential for executing current operations and new IT applications under development are crucial to future competitive success.

Turnaround (IT Strategic Grid)

Firms that receive considerable IT support for daily operations but are not totally dependent on it; however, new IT applications are critical for strategic objectives and new ventures.

Putt’s Law

The principle that technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.

Putt's Corollary

The observation that every technical hierarchy eventually develops a competence inversion, where technically competent people remain in charge of technology while those without technical competence move into management.

IT Doesn't Matter

An argument by Nicholas Carr in $2003$ stating that IT has transformed from a proprietary technology into an shared infrastructural technology or commodity, making it necessary for competition but insufficient for advantage.

Infrastructural Technology

A technology shared by all competitors (like a commodity) that is a simple factor of production necessary for competitiveness but does not provide a unique edge.

Innovation Trigger

The first stage of the Gartner Hype Cycle representing an emerging innovation.

Trough of Disillusionment

The third stage of the Gartner Hype Cycle where interest wanes as experiments and implementations fail to deliver, leading to calls to cut investment.

Plateau of Productivity

The final stage of the Gartner Hype Cycle where mainstream adoption takes off and the technology's broad market applicability and relevance are clearly paying off.

Volume

One of the $6V$s of Big Data referring to the size of the data.

Velocity

One of the $6V$s of Big Data referring to the speed at which data is generated and processed.

Variety

One of the $6V$s of Big Data referring to the complexity and different formats of data.

Veracity

One of the $6V$s of Big Data referring to the quality and accuracy of the data.

Valence

One of the $6V$s of Big Data referring to the connectedness of data.

Digital Divide

The gap between individuals, groups, organizations, or countries that have access to modern digital technologies and those that do not.

AI TRISM

A Gartner strategic technology trend referring to AI Trust, Risk, and Security Management.

Agentic AI

A strategic technology trend for $2025$ categorized under AI imperatives and risks.

Spatial Computing

A strategic technology trend for $2025$ categorized under human-machine synergy.

Overall IT Spending 2026

Projected to be $6,155,493$ million with a growth rate of $10.8\%$, according to Gartner.