The role of the CTO

While the role of CIO is fairly well-defined, the role of CTO is less so. Individual organizational requirements and cultures determine CTO roles. Some CTOs report to the CIO and some don't, but either way, a synergistic relationship between the two is necessary for success. One type of CTO is an infrastructure line manager, responsible for data center operations, desktop and network management and information security. This type of CTO reports directly to the CIO. A second type is the "elite CTO," who has a small staff of technology experts who focus on limited-scope technology projects. A third type is the traditional visionary, who functions as an enterprise technology advocate and problem-solver. The fourth type is the "disruptive visionary", who tries to create leading-edge IT capabilities quickly for strategic mission advantage. This type of CTO is rare. No matter what type of CTO you have, however, they must be chartered with specific goals, tailored to prevailing or aspirational cultures and accountable for outcome-based results.

Learn more about CTOs:
- read the article at Government Computer News

ALSO:
- read this on how the lines between CIO and CTO are blurring
- and this on the role of the CTO