Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest technology news and information.

Sidebar: IT Productivity: The Lag Effect

By Thomas Hoffman

January 12, 2004 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Growth in productivity, which is generally defined as output per unit of worker input, has chugged along at an annual rate of more than 4% since early 2001, after rising 2.6% per year from 1996 to 2000 and about 1.5% before then. Some economists and researchers maintain that the massive investments companies made in IT during the go-go days of the late 1990s are just beginning to blossom and are being borne out in today's productivity figures.
"The reason we're having such strong productivity growth now is that firms laid the foundation for this growth five years ago with the IT investments they made then," says MIT professor Erik Brynjolfsson.
One problem with most IT productivity research is that it's based on quarterly or annual comparisons, whereas some productivity gains aren't immediately realized because "some IT investments have more of a long-term effect," notes Howard Rubin, executive vice president at Meta Group Inc.

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

IT Management

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

3 Minutes with Free Tool Can Save Thousands!
Register Now!

Legacy IT Modernization - Practical Reality
Learn to balance budget restrictions and build a foundation to grow on in this new Webinar!

Looking for a fast payback?
Register Now!

Interactive Guide: Getting Started with Data Governance
Download this Interactive Guide today!

Rapid Implementation: The New Age of ERP
Download Now!

Key Strategies for Managing Data Growth
What are you storage challenges?

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back
Download this whitepaper showing how Google Enterprise Search boosts your bottom line.

Extending Client Refresh - 11 Steps to Maximize Savings
Register Now!

Maximizing website Return on Information with high-quality search
Download this whitepaper explaining how an investment in site search can boost your earnings while reducing customer service costs.

Lower the Cost and Complexity of a Mobile Workforce through Automation
Download This Resource Now!

All White Papers | All Webcasts

Computerworld Reports

8 Questions To Ask About Your Intrusion-Security Solution

Computerworld Technology Briefings IT Service Management

Computerworld Briefing - Analytics: The Art and Science of Better

All Computerworld Reports

	IT Management
	ROI (Return on Investment)
	Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
	Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
	The Weekly Top 10
	Cloud Computing

resource center