Do you think of modern IT as a service or a core business unit within the organization?

Think the answer varies by industry ... to what extent does the business rely solely on IT as the core route to market for its primary competitive advantage? As a 'service' organization we still have a massive role to play in support of all business operations and the ongoing introduction of enabling technologies to drive business outcomes. 

I think it depends on what business you're in and what you need out of IT, i.e. can an internal function service those needs or do you need to use other providers or services to enable that.

I think it should be one of the core business but in the reality unless you are a soft-co, the IT&DS is just a service.