June 2010

June 30, 2010 30 Jun'10
How midsized organizations are adopting, adapting ITIL best practices

Midsized organizations are trending toward picking and choosing the ITIL best practices that fit their needs. While this may save them time, what's it costing them? Continue Reading
June 29, 2010 29 Jun'10
Private cloud computing: Pitfalls and advice for avoiding them

As private cloud computing gains traction in the enterprise, pitfalls await uninformed IT staff. Avoid common mistakes by reading our list of private cloud misperceptions. Continue Reading
June 25, 2010 25 Jun'10
Cloud location: Why it’s important to know where your data resides

The Internet may be global, but cloud computing, like most politics, is local -- or should be, according to experts who say a cloud location must adhere to country-based privacy and data security ... Continue Reading

June 24, 2010 24 Jun'10
When should an SMB draw the line with ITIL best practices?

Where does ITIL fit in with SMBs? It seems more organizations are following ITIL best practices in their overall IT operations and service delivery -- creating some form of a service catalog, ... Continue Reading
June 24, 2010 24 Jun'10
Reactions to Scrum and waterfall mix for agile projects

To quote one respondent to my last blog post on whether agile projects should mix Scrum and waterfall: “I have been on projects within the U.S. government where they tried to do both when saying ... Continue Reading
June 24, 2010 24 Jun'10
How to optimize your Microsoft business intelligence strategy

How can you get the most out of your BI data? For Microsoft BI users, here are four ways to optimize your business intelligence strategy to get the biggest bang for your buck. Continue Reading
June 24, 2010 24 Jun'10
Five private cloud computing best practices

Private cloud computing is something with which enterprises are coming to grips. Check out our list of five best practices for successfully deploying a private cloud. Continue Reading
June 23, 2010 23 Jun'10
Enterprise social media policies and strategies: A guide for CIOs

Enterprise social media policies and strategies are evolving as organizations recognize the benefits, risks and functions that social networks like Facebook and Twitter provide. Continue Reading
June 23, 2010 23 Jun'10
Cloud computing service quiz for enterprise CIOs

Is your organization ready to ramp up its cloud computing service offerings? Read these recent stories and take our quiz to assess your cloud computing readiness. Continue Reading
June 23, 2010 23 Jun'10
SMBs building IT service catalogs on their own terms

SMBs are choosing their own IT service catalog building blocks as ITIL proves too resource intensive. Continue Reading

June 22, 2010 22 Jun'10
Disaster recovery plan at heart of data center consolidation project

A data center and IT strategy overhaul will give one state a much-needed disaster recovery plan on a green ticket. Continue Reading
June 21, 2010 21 Jun'10
CIO weekly wrap-up: iPhone OS 4 release and PC sales on the rise

The new iPhone OS 4 operating system drops today, with the release of the iPhone 4G due later in the week. Are you upgrading? Also, several analyst firms are reporting that PC sales are rising this ... Continue Reading
June 18, 2010 18 Jun'10
Developing an IT business service requires technology -- and fearlessness

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about IT business service development, most recently SearchCIO.com News Director Christina Torode's piece on business service development. Why is the ... Continue Reading
June 18, 2010 18 Jun'10
Mixing and matching Scrum and Waterfall for agile project development

I talked to a few CIOs recently who were using Scrum and Waterfall for agile project development. One was using a combination of the two to develop a portal and services for emergency room ... Continue Reading
June 18, 2010 18 Jun'10
Self-service technology transforms universities into 'schools of one'

IT executives who are grappling with social media and self-service technology will sympathize with their counterparts in higher education. The technology sophistication of current university ... Continue Reading
June 17, 2010 17 Jun'10
New England GiveCamp: One NERD and multiple IT project success stories

A lot of projects fail. If business requirements aren't clear or gathered effectively, or if the scope of the project is inaccurate, failure happens. But this past weekend, at New England GiveCamp ... Continue Reading
June 17, 2010 17 Jun'10
Using the sex appeal of the iPad to push BI reporting in the C-suite

Democratizing business intelligence software is the anthem of the industry -- and the rallying cry of lots of BI stories. Users can become masters of their own dashboards! But (no big surprise) the ... Continue Reading
June 17, 2010 17 Jun'10
SQL Server business intelligence and self-service BI in the midmarket

Could your users benefit from SQL Server business intelligence? SQL Server 2008 R2 introduces valuable self-service BI tools that may be worth a look for the midmarket. Continue Reading
June 17, 2010 17 Jun'10
BI software advances can't address adoption issues, CIOs say

At a recent business intelligence summit, CIOs were excited over the rapid evolution of BI software -- but mindful of how hard it is to make BI solutions work. Continue Reading
June 16, 2010 16 Jun'10
What to keep in mind when shopping for a small-business printer

For those considering a new small-business printer this year, there are a lot of new options. Read this brief rundown on what it all means for more informed buying decisions. Continue Reading