Strategic information system
Strategic information systems (SIS) are information systems that are developed in response to corporate business initiative. They are intended to give competitive advantage to the organization. They may deliver a product or service that is at a lower cost, that is differentiated, that focuses on a particular market segment, or is innovative.

Strategic information management (SIM) is a salient feature in the world of information technology (IT). In a nutshell, SIM helps businesses and organizations categorize, store, process and transfer the information they create and receive. It also offers tools for helping companies apply metrics and analytical tools to their information repositories, allowing them to recognize opportunities for growth and pinpoint ways to improve operational efficiency.

History 
The concept of SIS was first introduced into the field of information systems in 1982-83 by Dr. Charles Wiseman, President of a newly formed consultancy called "Competitive Applications," (cf. NY State records for consultancies formed in 1982) who gave a series of public lectures on SIS in NYC sponsored by the Datamation Institute, a subsidiary of Datamation Magazine.

The following quotations from the preface of the first book establishes the basic idea behind the notion of SIS:

"I began collecting instances of information systems used for strategic purposes five years ago, dubbing them "strategic information systems" (Internal Memo, American Can Company (Headquarters), Greenwich, CT, 1980). But from the start I was puzzled by their occurrence. At least theoretically I was unprepared to admit the existence of a new variety of computer application. The conventional view at the time recognized only management information systems, and management support systems, the former used to satisfy the information needs and the latter to automate basic business processes of decision makers. (Cf. articles by Richard L. Nolan, Jack Rockart, Michael Scott Morton, et al. at that time)...But as my file of cases grew, I realized that the conventional perspective on information systems was incomplete, unable to account for SIS. The examples belied the theory, and the theory in general blinded believers from seeing SIS. Indeed, some conventional information systems planning methodologies, which act like theories in guiding the systematic search for computer application opportunities, exclude certain SIS possibilities from what might be found. (ibid.)"
"This growing awareness of the inadequacy of the dominant dogma of the day led me to investigate the conceptual foundations, so to speak, of information systems. At first, I believed that the conventional gospel could be enlarged to accommodate SIS. But as my research progressed, I abandoned this position and concluded that to explain SIS and facilitate their discovery, one needed to view uses of computer (information) technology from a radically different perspective."
"I call this the strategic perspective on information systems (technology). The chapters to follow present my conception of it. Written for top executives and line managers, they show how computers (information technology) can be used to support or shape competitive strategy."

References

Sources
 Strategic Information Systems Planning: A Review. Somendra Pant and Cheng Hsu 1995 Information Resources Management Association International Conference, May 21–24, Atlanta, Georgia
 Kichan Nam, S. Rajagopalan, H. Raghav Rao, A. Chaudhury, A two-level investigation of information systems outsourcing, Communications of the ACM, v.39 n.7, p. 36-44, July 1996
 Thompson SH Teo, Yujun Pian, A contingency perspective on internet adoption and competitive advantage, European Journal of Information Systems, v.12 n.2, p. 78-92, June 2003
 Bruce R. Lewis, Terry Anthony Byrd, Development of a measure for the information technology infrastructure construct, European Journal of Information Systems, v.12 n.2, p. 93-109, June 2003
 John Mendonca, Organizational impact of information technology: a leadership course for IT, Proceedings of the 5th conference on Information technology education, October 28–30, 2004, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
 Kun Chang Lee, Sangjae Lee, In Won Kang, KMPI: measuring knowledge management performance, Information and Management, v.42 n.3, p. 469-482, March 2005
 Youlong Zhuang, Albert L. Lederer, A resource-based view of electronic commerce, Information and Management, v.43 n.2, p. 251-261, March 2006
 Kit F. Pun, Clement K. Sankat, Man-Yin R. Yiu, Towards formulating strategy and leveraging performance: a strategic information systems planning approach, International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, v.28 n.2/3, p. 128-139, April 2007
 Robert M. Brown, Amy W. Gatian, James O. Hicks, Jr., Strategic information systems and financial performance, Journal of Management Information Systems, v.11 n.4, p. 215-248, March 1995
 William R. King, Thompson S. H. Teo, Key dimensions of facilitators and inhibitors for the strategic use of information technology, Journal of Management Information Systems, v.12 n.4, p. 35-53, March 1996
 Rajiv Sabherwal, William R. King, An empirical taxonomy of the decision-making processes concerning strategic applications of information systems, Journal of Management Information Systems, v.11 n.4, p. 177-214, March 1995
 Hong-Mei Chen, Pauline J. Sheldon, Destination information systems: design issues and directions, Journal of Management Information Systems, v.14 n.2, p. 151-176, September 1997
 W. David Wilde, Paul A. Swatman, Federal government policy and community objectives in regional telecommunications: a SISP-based study of Ballarat, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, v.1 n.1, p. 16-31, April 2006
 Mohsen Akbarpour Shirazi, Javad Soroor, An intelligent agent-based architecture for strategic information system applications, Knowledge-Based Systems, v.20 n.8, p. 726-735, December, 2007
 Rodrigo Magalhaes, A context-based dynamic capability perspective of IS/IT organisational fit, International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management, v.1 n.4, p. 396-420, January 2006
 Thawatchai Jitpaiboon, Sema A. Kalaian, Impacts of IS dependency on IS strategy formulation, International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management, v.1 n.2, p. 187-201, July 2006
 P. Gongla, G. Sakamoto, A. Back-Hock, P. Goldweic, L. Ramos, R. C. Sprowls, C.-K. Kim, SPARKA: a knowledge-based system for identifying competitive uses of information technology, IBM Systems Journal, v.28 n.4, p. 628-645, 1989
 http://monografias.com/trabajos7/chaof/chaof.shtml

Information systems