The IT director might honestly believe that the same 133MHz notebook that adeptly handles e-mail and word processing will likewise suffice for presentations. But presenters gripe that this equation too often neglects the value of top-notch presentation tools in presenting a polished image to outsiders, thus improving training effectiveness and winning new business. The battle lines Most IT departments aren't about to let presenters roam free from strict corporate technology guidelines. But despite what you may have read on a restroom wall somewhere, IT people aren't all fascists. Minn. With nine years of experience dealing with corporate, education and government IT systems, Weinhold believes conflicts between presenters and IT departments are universal.
Software is probably the most common battleground.
IT pros want to maintain consistent standards across the organization to avoid excessive service calls and network hiccups. Presenters, meanwhile, are anxious to try new applications that can spice up their message and make them more effective. Meanwhile, presenters don't care about anything except their presentations. That makes the relationship tough. These rocky relationships often trace back to the days when IT personnel were primarily mainframe custodians.