How can an IT system initially help a company advance but later become a requirement for that business to stay competitive?

Write a paper answering the following questions below. Here are the expectations for the paper:

Paper should be short (3–4 pages, with references). It is to be structured as a point/counterpoint argument, in the following manner: Take a definite stand on the issues and develop your supporting argument carefully.

• Describe how information technology (IT) has brought radical changes to industry and societies. This topic can be addressed by articulating how a company from the past executed business processes without Information Technology (and especially information systems/software), then talk about how a present company uses IT and complex software systems.
• Describe the concept of software total cost of ownership (TOC) and its association for investment decision making. In other words, how does a company figure out that investing in software will make it more efficient or more effective and then stay on the path?

• Review the software alternative of cloud computing. Why might it make sense not to host software applications locally? What benefits does cloud computing bring? What possible negative effects are there?
• What does it mean to be competitive? Explain how IT/information systems might make a company competitive.

 

What happens in companies that cause the mindset to change from implementing IT and especially software systems to become efficient, to believing that IT and information systems/software are “must-haves” to stay at par or get ahead of the competition?