CIOs should turn the tables on vendors in 2009 by ‘politely declining’ vendor courtesy trips and instead inviting them to a free lunch at a chain restaurant to discuss cost optimisation, according to Gartner.

The annual ‘ CIO Resolutions ’ presented by Gartner propose the adoption of a series of leaner entertainment and procurement strategies by CIOs this year.

CIOs, the analyst firm said, will require vendors to deliver flexibility and cost savings, which may require a reset in the ‘style’ of some vendor relationships.

“CIOs must signal a reset to a new style of interchange,” advised Gartner.

“They should identify the senior management leader in each of their key vendors, probably not the day-to-day account managers, and invite them to lunch or dinner at a chain-restaurant venue that sets a starkly thrifty tone to discuss the value driven cost optimisation that both be required to deliver in 2009.”

In addition to vendor trips, new kit might also be off the cards with Gartner advising CIOs to stop being ‘the exception that enforces the rules’.

“CIOs should design and adopt two or three key behaviours to match the required direction they want their reports to follow such as turning away their option to upgrade to the glitziest new smartphone,” said Gartner.

“Such signals will cause people to comment and think about their own values and behaviours.”

The analyst firm also provided guidance on several technologies it thinks CIOs should get ‘hands on’ with this year. These include e-book readers, Google Chrome, building mini-cloud applications and HD teleconferencing.

They should also set up ‘YouTube as a default search engine for a day’, Gartner said.

“Add a small experimental cloud-based application development project in 2009 if you have not already done so,” said Mark Raskino, vice president and Fellow at Gartner.

“Mark those parts of your portfolio that are already helping to explore cloud - perhaps software-as-a-service business applications, web-based office applications or web-delivered laptop backup.

“Sit in on project post-implementation review sessions to learn,” he added.