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"The traditional goal of the IT department to build, maintain and operate IT is no longer appropriate, and decisions about IT…

"The traditional goal of the IT department to build, maintain and operate IT is no longer appropriate, and decisions about IT can no longer be delegated to the IT specialists. Technology decisions are essentially business decisions demanding active line management involvement and responsibility. Very few middle managers are equipped to provide this leadership." - Joe Peppard, senior research fellow at Cranfield School of Management, speaking in a Dublin seminar hosted by Cambridge Technology Partners last week.

"This is the year in which the Internet will hit `critical mass' for business in Ireland. For example, business letterheads without an email address are becoming the exception rather than the rule, and there are very few large organisations left who don't have a Web site." - Frank Quinn of InfoLive, recently re-elected chairperson of the Irish Internet Association.

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