While that means more opportunity for CMOs, it also means more pressure, along with a scramble to get the right people, processes and tools in place to re-charge the growth engine.

FORBES: CMOs Find Themselves In The Driver's Seat (And The Hot Seat) As Focus Shifts To Growth: Survey

Amazon S3 and Simple DB and Google App Engine all charge based on storage, bandwidth, and CPU time.

FORBES: Cloud Computing's Hidden 'Green' Benefits

Car dealers have figured out that the real money is in their service departments, where they can charge hefty prices for engine diagnostic work or manufacturer-built replacement parts.

FORBES: Auto Pilot

Google spent millions of dollars on Get Your Business Online, a nationwide campaign that included multiday workshops in states such as Iowa and Texas in which Google helped local businesses set up websites and an online business listing tied to its search engine, free of charge.

WSJ: Behind Google's Antitrust Escape

Even at speeds of up to 75 mph, the internal combustion engine is not engaged as long as the battery has sufficient charge.

ENGADGET: VW unveils CrossBlue plug-in SUV with iPad mini headrests and 85MPGe efficiency (eyes-on)

"Two-pizza teams, " groups small enough to be fed by two pies, were put in charge of completing individual projects, such as revamping Wal-Mart's search engine.

WSJ: Targeting Tech-Savvy Startups