1. The sour economy will still play a role in IT decision-making in 2010. The top priority for CIOs: business productivity and cost reduction.

2. Even as organizations continue to look for cuts, they need to keep supporting the business. The second priority cited was IT and business alignment.

3. As CIOs look across the business in anticipation of economic recovery, business agility and speed to market ranked as the third priority.

4. Organizations need to make reduced budgets work, so business process reengineering made it to number four.

5. Sensing a familiar theme? The fifth ranked priority was IT cost reduction.

6. CIOs voted IT reliability and efficiency as the sixth highest priority.

7. Just focusing on tactical and operational concerns will hobble IT departments as they try to keep up with business needs. Thus CIOs voted IT strategic planning number seven.

8. IT doesn't have to be just a cost center. CIOs say coming up with revenue-generating IT innovations is their number eight top priority.

9. Security breaches can put a major dent in the bottom line, and also in the company's brand. CIOs say security and privacy concerns are their ninth most important priority.

10. Where does the CIO stand within the grand scheme of the organization? Many executives wonder, placing the CIO leadership role in the number 10 slot.

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