McGill is "right on" by introducing this type of program, according to John Reid, president of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA). "Customer relations and business development is critical given the state of the industry now," he said.

Professionals with this type of skills set would be highly employable, according to Reid. Understanding customer relationship management, the metrics of the Internet and how to use new tools and resources to better understand your customers are crucial skills, he said.

"If you are part of the high-tech workforce, I think it's pretty critical to have some skill in understanding the Googlenomics," said Reid.

Robert Half Technology has seen a lot of demand for business intelligence skills over the past couple years, according to Igor Abramovitch, division director of the IT recruiting firm.

The economy is more uncertain than it used to be and companies are using this time to become more intelligent about what works and what doesn't and where they go for business. That's where BI comes in, he said.