¶ … CITEC- Driving Towards No Limits CITEC IS an organization formerly known as the Centre for Information Technology and Communications, and the primary function of this organization is geared towards the provision of information technology services. In 1988, it is known as a government entity, because most of its projects and activities concern the implementation of electronic communication and data program of government agencies. However, the company's early history dates back from 1965, wherein CITEC was established as the EDP Centre of the Queensland Government. In 1992, CITEC became independent from government regulation and as it launched itself as a commercial organization. Its products and services are still related to information technology for organizations and individual consumers.

Apart from the provision of information technology services, CITEC is also focused on the production and operation of infrastructures that processes electronic data and information through programs such as MVS, Unisys, and UNIX. It also supplies traditional mainframe and open systems technology, which offers business solutions to companies and organizations. It is evident that with this line-up of products and services during CITEC's role as IT regulator of the government, the organization is evidently product-oriented, and the primary focus of this analysis is to identify and analyze the importance issues that concerns CITEC's transition from being a government-regulated organization to a commercialized one.

SWOT Analysis

In analyzing CITEC's present position in the information technology environment, a SWOT analysis will be conducted, utilizing the information that the authors' case study has supplemented. One of the first factors that must be considered in studying CITEC's position in the IT environment is the determination of the organization's strengths. The first strength that CITEC has over its potential competitors when it enters the commercial IT environment is that it has a longer experience of handling projects and activities that are information technology-related, with application to basic consumer services. Also, since CITEC is focused in the production, development, and implementation of its products, such as infrastructures related to data communication and developing new programs and systems, make the organization a highly-favored entity for future projects, especially if CITEC's good reputation in its performance in Queensland's government projects created a huge impact in building up CITEC's image not only in the government sector of IT, but in the commercial setting as well.

CITEC's long service and experience as one of Queensland's main providers of government computer systems and programs is beneficial to the organization because its wide range of products and services will be beneficial and attractive to prospective consumers, organizations and individual consumers alike. In addition to this line-up of products and services, CITEC has also the advantage of having the character of internal regulation and control, which is an asset for future consumers and clients because it reflects the systematic organization of the organization. CITEC has the character of having internal control and regulation because it is once linked to a government entity, and being linked to the government entails strict control and regulation, because the government requires CITEC's programs and systems to be custom-made for government use only. Now that CITEC is emerging to be an independent organization from the Queensland government, its experiences as an organization and line-up of products and services will prove to be beneficial to future and prospective clients.

While CITEC possesses good qualities that will make it attractive in the commercial sector, it also has its weakness, especially now that the organization will be immersed into the commercial and business nature of information technology. One of the hardest problems that CITEC has upon its independence from the government is the integration of the organization's product- and consumer-oriented marketing. For years, CITEC assumed the role of IT regulator of the government, and the organization has become accustomed to the confidential and functional nature of its activities and projects. Thus, because it is not exposed to the business environment of information technology, CITEC lacks the commercial techniques and strategies that will prove to be useful when they start marketing its products and services. This is a crucial step when CITEC plans to go into commercialization, because organization and people's knowledge about CITEC as a business organization is quite limited; therefore, a strategic marketing plan can prove to be helpful in building and developing the image of CITEC not only as an information technology specialist and provider, that is, a product-oriented organization, but also as a consumer-oriented organization, wherein the provision of communications and IT services will be made not only...

One important consideration in CITEC's case is the behavior of the company's staff, management, ad personnel towards this shift. As the authors had discussed in the case study, some personnel may be reluctant or uncomfortable to CITEC's transition of focus in marketing. Thus, CITEC had promoted and implemented a series of programs for its personnel that aim to provide them with better consumer relations abilities and skills and applying them to courses related to business management and better marketing techniques, strategies, and solutions. The organization's staff is an important consideration in CITEC's case because without effective supervision of its people, the programs of the organization towards integration of both product- and consumer-oriented operations and services will not be fully realized and implemented. It is imperative that the administration of CITEC should go through the process of orientation about the company's new image, which is what CITEC had done and accomplished since its years of independence and role as a commercial information technology company in Queensland.
Once CITEC has fully integrated itself in the commercial market, the problem of facing and competing against other information technology companies is the next dilemma that CITEC will face. This phase of the company's reformation is yet to be seen, despite its efforts to build a new image for itself as a business organization and development programs for better, quality services and products. However, CITEC's future in the business environment relies on the company's personnel and managers' ability to deal with the company's future projects. If CITEC's personnel are well-oriented and integrated with the company's vision and objectives, then this important phase in CITEC's reformation will be successful and useful for future project and business dealings.

The third factor to consider is the opportunity that awaits CITEC as it becomes integrated in the IT business environment. There is a big chance that CITEC will be successful in its shift from being government-regulated to commercialization. This is because the products and services, as well as the image of good quality and no non-sense business character of the company makes it a 'unique' organization that has a balance of good quality of product and service for the company's consumers and clients. This characteristic in CITEC's image is important because most companies today have excellent consumer-oriented programs and strategies, and because of too much focus on consumer services, product quality is sacrificed, making business companies susceptible to problems relating to poor product quality and consumer-related problems because of these insufficient provisions of IT products and services. Therefore, because CITEC is a company that has good quality of products and services, the company will have better chances against its competitors because it provides something other IT companies cannot sufficiently provide -- that is, the provision of products and services in electronic data communications. Now that CITEC has well-trained personnel dealing with better consumer relations, more knowledge in marketing techniques and strategies, and most importantly, better-running programs on data communications and operations, its future as an IT business company is promising.

Potential threats to the company include the possibility that there might occur a disintegration and disorientation among the people in the company's organization. As was discussed in the company's weaknesses, one potential threat that CITEC might face is that its employees might not adjust to the new image and environment of CITEC, since a government-regulated environment is entirely different with a commercial one. The stress and pressure of work and dealing with the company's operations and projects will surely double, since there is now an integration of product and consumer-oriented focus of the company. As what the authors' had stated in the case study, "there are still some people within the organization who have not fully adjusted to the idea what the client wants as opposed to traditional services delivery. The notion of customer service to an IT specialist is sometimes uncharacteristic."

This statement by the authors shows that the problem of reorientation and reintegration of the employees towards a new kind of specialization is not an easy job to do. This shift in focus in CITEC employees' roles and functions bring about internal problems in the company, which is in direct contrast to its organization when it was still government-controlled. This problem can be further worsened by the public community and the business environment's lack of confidence to a newly-launched commercial company.…