Along with hiring CIOs, some aggressive organizations are merging their IT departments with communications or media services, creating powerful new hybrids to deal with ever-changing communication technology. The Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., is one such organization. Now it has a logical place within the company and its technology. He says staffers were leery of the merger at first, but most now admit it was a good idea. Another example is Amica Mutual Insurance Co., which recently decided to try a similar merger after the communications department's Web site and intranet efforts created the need for a webmaster.
Nothing fits neatly into little boxes.
Meanwhile, presenters learned to use the new medium as a communication tool, becoming experts in Internet graphics and information delivery. Darrell Owens is a living example of the new paradigm. At Eden Prairie, Minn.-based Best Buy, Owens is managing editor of its intranet and works for the communications department. For their part, many IT departments are honing their customer service skills. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case.