Results of the 2014 Elite 100 research finds digital technology essential to getting a competitive edge

LAS VEGAS, April 2, 2014 — (PRNewswire) —  UBM Tech's  InformationWeek released its InformationWeek Elite 100 ranking of the most innovative US-based users of business technology. The rankings and research results were announced Tuesday evening during the annual InformationWeek Conference, held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For complete coverage of the 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100, please visit: informationweek.com/elite100.

The underlying theme of this year's InformationWeek Conference and Elite 100 awards program focused on digital business – a movement rooted in data analytics, mobile computing, social networking, and other customer-focused technologies that is turning companies and industries on their ear.

"The digital business movement is a force CIOs can't ignore. Just as Amazon.com transformed the retail industry, Netflix changed the face of movie distribution, and Orbitz and others reinvented travel planning, new digital companies, technologies, and business models will shake up a range of other industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to higher education," said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston.

Preston added, "Digital businesses are adept at using the web in conjunction with mobile, social, analytics, and other technologies to not only boost sales, but also change their relationships with customers. The 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100 highlights companies that are leading this digital business revolution, redefining business models, and reshaping industries."

The top ten companies in the 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100 rankings are:

1. Pfizer Inc.
2. Capital One Financial Corp.
3. The Kroger Co.
4. Raytheon Co.
5. Darden Restaurants Inc.
6. New York-Presbyterian Hospital
7. ARI
8. McKesson Corp.
9. Boeing
10. Purdue Pharma L.P.

Business Innovation category winners are:

• Agility: US General Services Administration
• Analytics: Merck & Co. Inc.
• Collaboration: Nielsen
• Customer Experience: Esurance Insurance Services Inc.
• Mobility: La Quinta Inns & Suites
• Productivity: FedEx Corp.
• Salesforce Performance: Eli Lilly & Co.
• Tech-Enabled New Product: Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E)

Among respondents to InformationWeek's 2014 Elite 100 Executive survey: 

• 48% plan to introduce new IT-led products or services this year
• 62% consider deploying analytics more broadly among their top productivity drivers
• 68% are doing predictive analysis of revenue, and another 24% are testing or planning such a rollout this year
• 50% are using platform as a service
• Companies are investing in technology — 64% of companies expect this year's IT spending to exceed last year's, and just 15% expect less spending

"Digital business isn't a sideshow activity. Elite 100 companies are weaving digital technologies into their companies' products or into their employees' everyday activities in order to get a competitive edge," said Chris Murphy, InformationWeek Editor.

Under this year's theme of "Goodbye IT, Hello Digital Business," the 2014 InformationWeek Conference featured discussions and presentations from leading technology visionaries and CIOs, including:

• NFL CIO Michelle McKenna-Doyle who discussed the NFL's aggressive digital strategy in a range of on-the-field and off-the-field areas, from the evolving game to the Internet of Things
• General Motors CIO Randy Mott who shared valuable lessons learned from GM's unprecedented IT transformation plan that included bringing most of the billions of dollars of work done by the automaker's IT outsourcers in-house, moving from 90% outsourcing to only 10%
• Mark Hurd, President of Oracle, who talked about Oracle's highly-scrutinized cloud strategy and the company's quest to rule every layer of the stack, including server hardware, operating systems, and appliances
• GE Power Generation Services CIO Jim Fowler, who discussed how his $29 billion dollar unit is making the Internet of Things concept real by doing real-time monitoring and data analysis of power-generation and other heavy equipment to catch problems before they cause an equipment failure
• Aaron Levie, CEO and Co-Founder of Box, who shared his thoughts on rogue IT, the bring-your-own app movement, and keeping data management simple
• Rebecca Kaul, President, UPMC Technology Development Center, and Laurianne McLaughlin, Editor in Chief of InformationWeek.com, who co-hosted a Women in IT Leadership networking breakfast, where female IT leaders discussed career path issues, mentoring, and more

The InformationWeek Conference gathered the nation's top business technology executives – a "who's who" in technology purchasing power – including IT leaders of FedEx, Gap Inc., LinkedIn, Ralph Lauren, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, GlaxoSmithKline Pharma, E. & J. Gallo, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., AstraZeneca, Publix Super Markets, and Discover Financial. 

This year's InformationWeek Conference was sponsored by: CA Technologies, CliQr, and Rimini Street Inc. The conference was co-located with UBM Tech's Interop Las Vegas.

To download the 2014 InformationWeek Elite 100 research report, including exclusive profiles, research, and the full list of winners, please visit informationweek.com/elite100.

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