Rambus, of Forbes Media, said there is an opportunity -- and even a responsibility -- for IT executives to make sure technology supports core business needs in 2009.

"If anything, this should be the year that alignment becomes a non-issue. Nothing in IT should happen without it directly impacting the business," he said. "The organizations and the executives to which IT reports are more focused than ever on reducing costs and getting positioned to proceed in the future. Anyone's who's not doing that? They're going to find they're extinct pretty fast."