Information technology is a strategic weapon or a survival tool?

Information systems are strategic to the extent that they support a firm's business strategy . Most internet based business models used the Internet and its own information systems to support its strategy in several ways.

In my opinion, IT can be said to be both a strategic weapon and a survival tool depending on the context. Opinions are highly contextual and can differ depending on the situation. In case of brick-and-mortar companies having an online presence maybe an extension of their business strategy, but for companies like Amazon and e-Bay, which entirely depend on the internet for survival, IT/IS is a critical core competency for sustained competitive advantage. A well established internet strategy built into the overall business strategy will provide competitive advantage and this can be illustrated through the success stories of Amazon, e-Bay, Yahoo,& google. Information technology has been extensively used by online businesses to leverage intangible, complementary human and business resources such as flexible culture, strategic planning-IT integration, and supplier relationships resulting in sustainable competitive advantage and business agility.