'Every company is now a technology company': Introducing Innovation Inc., a new project tracking the next wave of digital transformation

• A common refrain in corporate America is, "Every company is now a technology company."
• At Business Insider, we're diving deep to uncover the stories behind that mantra.
• Our year-long campaign, dubbed Innovation Inc., will provide an exclusive view into the digital overhauls underway at the world's largest and most recognizable companies.
• Prime subscribers can expect multiple stories a week giving readers an inside look into who is spearheading the efforts and what makes them successful, the triumphs and tribulations of the modernization efforts, and more.

Sign up here to receive updates on all things Innovation Inc.

"Every company is a now a technology company."

It's a common refrain across corporate America as companies invest billions of dollars into digital upgrades. No longer can industry leaders think of modernizing their IT infrastructure as a side project. Technologies like artificial intelligence or cloud computing are now a critical part of a business strategy, and it's quickly becoming the differentiator between flourishing companies and those that are struggling to remain relevant in an increasingly digital environment.

Business Insider has already been diligently reporting on this trend across the newsroom, but we're about to take it to the next level.

Welcome to Innovation Inc., a year-long project from the entire Business Insider newsroom, aimed at providing an exclusive look into the tech transformations underway at the world's largest companies.

A decade ago, behemoths like Google and Apple were considered unparalleled in their technology prowess. In the same timeframe, startups a fraction of the size of Fortune 100 companies began chipping away at leaders in industries like retail and consumer goods.

Recognizing the challenge posed by Silicon Valley, more traditional firms are quickly trying to catch up. Corporations like Walmart and JPMorgan Chase have IT operations that can rival the most sophisticated tech giant - and they're adopting artificial-intelligence-based applications at a rapid pace.

Even Valley stalwarts are reinventing themselves to be able to cash in on this digital wave.

A bitter battle between Amazon, Microsoft, and other cloud providers, for example, is bursting out into public view as corporations and the federal government look to retire now-antiquated physical data centers. And IBM, once a major provider of IT infrastructure, is banking its future on the cloud and ability to serve as an AI partner for companies looking to adopt the tech.

But the technology itself is only half the story. With those investments comes a slew of organizational challenges, like how to create a culture of innovation internally or encourage employees to actually use the new digital tools. It's also shaking up the C-suite and giving tech leaders new power, elevating the role to one of the most critical positions aside from the CEO - and, in some cases, positioning tech chiefs to lead companies.

That's where Innovation Inc. comes in. Each week, we'll be publishing several exclusive stories that give subscribers an inside view of the triumphs and struggles of tech overhauls.

Reporters on our Strategy and Enterprise Tech teams will find and profile the undercover power players who are one, two, or three layers below the CEO but are actually driving these changes. We'll figure out what makes them successful, while also pinpointing the most pressing organizational challenges - from hiring for agile teams to choosing the right vendor - and talk to experts who can offer executives a roadmap to solve them.

You can expect many more announcements throughout the year as Business Insider scales this project. In the meantime, sign up to stay up-to-date on the latest announcements.

As always, I'm reachable at JWilliams@BusinessInsider.com, on Signal/WhatsApp at 309-265-6120, or through direct message on Twitter at @JoePWilliams31. If I can't help you, I can put you in touch with someone on our team who can.

On the enterprise team, a great point of contact is Rosalie Chan. She can be reached at RMChan@BusinessInsider.com, on Signal at 646-376-6106, or on Twitter at @rosaliechan17.