By Bob Violino

Today's CIOs need to think globally—and act globally. Exclusive new research by Smart Enterprise shows just how globalized business has become, and the huge impact it has had on CIOs and their IT operations. In fact, globalization affects nearly every facet of IT and the CIO's role in the organization. What's more, at a time when the sluggish U.S. economy is straining many IT projects, globalization provides CIOs with a new opportunity to invest in technology that can help their organizations expand into new markets.

While most enterprises already do business internationally, what's new is the central role IT now plays. CIOs support international expansion efforts, and they are expected to help their organizations succeed in today's global marketplace.

Indeed, more than 60 percent of IT executives in the U.S. work for organizations that serve customers outside the country, according to the Smart Enterprise "2008 Globalization & IT" survey. Nearly the same percentage of U.S. respondents have business operations or offices outside the U.S. Half have non-U.S. product suppliers, and more than 40 percent work with international third-party technology service providers or shared services. In fact, just one-quarter of the 350 executives worldwide surveyed by Smart Enterprise work for organizations that operate only in the U.S. (For more on the survey methodology, see "How the Globalization & IT Survey Was Conducted")

Other key findings of the Smart Enterprise "2008 Globalization & IT" survey:

• Globalization has led CIOs to increase spending in areas that include security, IT infrastructure, network infrastructure and compliance. For example, more than 40 percent of the survey respondents say globalization has driven them to spend more on IT infrastructure this year.
• Globalization affects the way IT executives address several key issues, including planning, collaboration, leadership and compliance. For example, when it comes to leadership, globalization affects the way over 65 percent of IT executives manage up, and how 75 percent handle relationships with partners and suppliers.
• The leading driver of accelerated IT projects is globalization. In fact, among respondents who are accelerating major projects, nearly 70 percent attribute the acceleration to globalization.
• To support global efforts, organizations rely on a variety of technology solutions. These include network and end-point security, online collaboration, teleconferencing, and network and storage consolidation and virtualization.
• To help support global issues, technology leaders believe they must enhance a number of their own professional skills, including their understanding of business issues, leadership skills and technical skills.