In this article, we introduce a framework that can be used by organizations as a positioning instrument to think of business-ICT alignment decisions in light of the strategic importance of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in their organization. We make a distinction between organizations where ICT is of high strategic importance and those where ICT is of low strategic importance. Based on this difference we argue that heavily investing in business-ICT alignment processes, structures and roles (PSRs) will not necessarily always be beneficial when ICT is of low strategic importance to the business. Furthermore, organizations that have a minimalist approach to the use of ICT do not necessarily need to invest in business-ICT alignment PSRs. We explain the dynamics and possible migration scenarios of our proposed framework after testing the statistical significance of the relationship between the strategic importance of ICT and the investment in business-ICT alignment. We end this article with a short empirical study which combines survey and case study results. Both the framework and framework dynamics still need further empirical validation, preferably with longitudinal data. Therefore, we stress and acknowledge that many of the discussions in this article are still explorative in nature. However, this article illustrates the possibilities and the need for a more fine-grained approach to business-ICT alignment.

The future development of mobile applications and services has to take into account the user needs more carefully than before. The investments in mobile telephony, which are made from the point of view of technology, disregard the fact that users are not interested in technologies; they are interested in possibilities to fulfil their needs. The main problem for the ICT industry in mobility concerns its business that is mainly based on the technology-oriented view, inadequate understanding of users’ needs, and the uninteroperable and isolated application and service perspective. The main aim of this article is to explain the existing problems in the development of mobile applications and services explicitly, and illustrate them by examples on a route to our vision of taking better into account the user needs based on their roles and tasks. We conjecture that a comprehensive view of user role specific needs would beget a new arena in mobile business — the Integrated Mobile Applications and Services industry. The other aspect is that the user needs are only one part of the triple play of business, users, and technology. Intense co-operation between the players in the industry is required to jointly create standards and platforms that enable Integrated Mobile Applications and Services. Technological development requires platforms which enable the bundling of services and applications as easily as Lego bricks can be attached on different platforms.