This book shows how to transform IT from cost center to value creator. More than half of all capital spending by businesses worldwide goes to IT. Yet most non-technical leaders remain skeptical about whether their IT investments are paying off. They are frustrated with their IT departments -- and they respond by putting pressure on IT costs. If this sounds like the situation at your company, consider this your wake-up call. According to IT researchers and authors Richard Hunter and George Westerman, the issue is not cost -- it's communication. Simply put, companies that can communicate effectively about the value of IT are able to create more value from IT. When CIOs make IT's performance and decisions transparent, everyone -- from seasoned technology experts to non-technical employees -- can better understand their roles in using and managing IT. Based on compelling research by MIT and Gartner into the practices of world-class CIOs, The Real Business of IT describes how CIOs can overcome the "value traps" that have blocked their effectiveness in the past. The book outlines a proven process leading CIOs have used to transform the executive team's perception of IT from cost generator to value creator. - Jacket flap.