This case describes the evolution of a software development firm's infrastructure supporting the development, delivery, and operation of applications over two decades. The firm in question is C3 Solutions (C3), a small Canadian software development firm active in a niche market within the transportation and logistics industry. Focusing on the transformation of C3's business model, the case provides before and after pictures of the infrastructures in place and illustrates the evolution of infrastructures in software development firms. C3's success was originally based on the development and sale of on-premises software. Due to pressures originating from within the company and its environment, this business model became difficult to sustain, and the organization's survival was threatened. In response, C3 carried out a profound transformation of its business model, becoming a provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS). To achieve this transformation, the company had to modify its information technology (IT) infrastructure.

By covering information technology (IT) management at Air Canada over two decades, this case illustrates the process of alignment between IT and business over time. During the 1990s, the focus was on efficiency and the IT department supported business through both the centralization of the IT function and the outsourcing of most of the IT activities, with the explicit objective of reducing costs. Twenty years later, at the time the case takes place, Air Canada had two key strategic objectives: operational excellence and customer proximity. In order to help meet these two objectives, IT now supported business through a hybrid structure and an innovation-based, "best-of-breed" sourcing strategy. Also, over the years, the IT department at Air Canada had developed processes aimed at ensuring efficient delivery of services by suppliers, as well as in-house processes to scan, identify and implement innovative IT solutions both for operational excellence and customer proximity.

The case takes place in early 2008. It illustrates the remarkable use that Cirque du Soleil makes of information technology. The case is based, in part, on the keynote speech that Danielle Savoie - who was then Vice-President of Information Technology and Knowledge Management at Cirque du Soleil - gave at the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) in Montreal in December 2007. The case is structured around the touring show life cycle and describes how information technology supports the complete process involved in designing, producing, staffing and diffusing shows at Cirque du Soleil. The case presents key infrastructure and applications and offers insights into how IT can support the key operational processes in an artistic, creative and innovative organization.

The case describes Information Technology at Cirque du Soleil in 2000, when a new Chief Information Officer was hired. The main challenge of the CIO was to find out how IT could best serve the Cirque. She was convinced that to meet this challenge, she had to develop an IT strategic vision that would be accepted by the top management of Cirque du Soleil, to deploy a highly professional IT group and increase the credibility of IT among the firm's leaders.