Does it really matter stating IT matters?

This topic truly brings me back to the time when I was a master student, when I read Nicholas Carr article that caused some buzz when it came out.

I'm not going into what was discussed at the time because the world is (always) changing and the truth is IT is more and more embedded into our daily lives, and this really makes us think of the topic in a totally different way.

In one perspective IT is becoming a commodity. For example, clean water supply matters, but we don't usually care about it, in its many applications. IT is a lot like clean water, we need it, but we know we have it, so we just don't care about it (unless there's a problem).

But IT is, or can be, much more than a commodity for the simple reason it can add real value to our lives and businesses. Systems designed to fulfill people's needs can be a game changer, and unlike water we could live without that value, but the great thing is we don't need to!

The world isn't perfect and not all steps are done in the right direction, but now more than ever people are becoming the central part of IT solutions design, and from that we can expect new solutions that will upgrade our lives and allow us to raise the bar and reach higher. The sooner we don't have to worry about some things (because IT takes care of it), the sooner we can search for new ways of bringing value to ourselves and to the societies we belong.

Bottom line, the real value IT creates is enabling us (people!) to focus on something new, where our humanity can make the difference.