Features

Features

• OpenStack in the enterprise: Are you up for the challenge?

  OpenStack is popular with the Fortune 100. PayPal is a fan. And experts say its technical shortcomings are long gone. But there are reasons for saying no.  Continue Reading

• Want OpenStack benefits? Put your private cloud plan in place first

  The open source software promises hard-to-come-by cloud standards and no vendor lock-in, says Forrester's Lauren Nelson. But there's more to consider -- including containers.  Continue Reading

• 'Threat hunting' emerges as new enterprise security role

  Enterprise security is often about the latest technology fix, but some experts believe personnel cast in a threat hunting role could provide a valuable line of defense.  Continue Reading

• Securing a board appointment: CIO requirements and benefits

  A corporate board appointment can give a CIO invaluable perspective on running a business, but to get one, deep expertise and a certain degree of unselfishness are required.  Continue Reading

• Key to driving DevOps projects: Build up staff skills and buy talent

  DevOps projects are becoming the rule rather than the exception at companies undergoing digital transformation. Here's how CIOs can get a jump on building a DevOps environment.  Continue Reading

• Rosetta Stone IT chief deciphers digital transformation, challenges

  A company known for peddling language-learning CDs takes on digital transformation challenges -- and charges into the future.  Continue Reading

• 2017 tech events calendar for CIOs, senior IT leaders

  When making 2017 travel plans, refer to our tech events calendar of face-to-face conferences in the United States and Canada for CIOs and other senior IT leaders.  Continue Reading

• Startup mentality: 2016 stories show CIOs how to think small

  A startup mindset may be just the thing to get organizational elephants to tap dance. Here are a few lessons from early-stage companies, extracted from our 2016 coverage.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft and Linux: Growing ties could benefit CIOs

  Microsoft's recent arrival as a Platinum-level member of The Linux Foundation deepens the company's involvement in open source technology, which could benefit CIOs.  Continue Reading

• Perkins taps cloud for mobile bus stop app

  Cloud computing is helping Perkins School for the Blind deliver bus stop information to people with visual impairment -- today in Boston; tomorrow perhaps in a city near you.  Continue Reading

• Hindered by legacy IT systems, Texas CIO forges a way ahead

  Over half of the roughly 4,000 business applications in use by the state of Texas are classified as legacy IT systems. CIO Todd Kimbriel has a plan in the works to remedy that.  Continue Reading

• Does 2016 mark the birth of the AR/VR enterprise?

  The AR/VR enterprise gets real: From carmakers to retailers, augmented reality and virtual reality tools are changing how workers interact and how products are made.  Continue Reading

• IT mindset: CIOs, tech departments work to overcome the 'IKEA effect'

  CIOs are working to overcome the 'IKEA effect' and ownership bias as they endeavor to create more open, flexible approaches for delivering information technology resources.  Continue Reading

• Patriots' digital transformation strategy taps mobile, social, AR

  Organizations from the New England Patriots to small municipalities are tapping mobility as a foundational technology for improving customer experience.  Continue Reading

• A CTO's IT spending strategy for a fast-growing platform startup

  CTO Brian Morgan at platform startup Catalant lets the business be his lodestar for shaping IT investments. Open source software and AWS help too.  Continue Reading

• Nationwide CIO: A new Lean management system saves $28 million

  Guru Vasudeva describes how Nationwide IT is scaling its Lean practice to drive major cultural changes and big savings.  Continue Reading

• How blockchain works: An infographic explainer

  Understanding how a blockchain works is the first step in taking advantage of the technology. Learn how a blockchain unit of value moves from party A to party B.  Continue Reading

• Robotic process automation technology gets to work

  Robotic process automation technology can eliminate or speed up routine digital tasks now performed by humans. Finding RPA sweet spots and the right tools is the CIO challenge.  Continue Reading

• CIO sells scalability of cloud to transform Ohio housing authority

  Craig Patterson was hired by the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority to find ways to improve services with IT. First, he had to sell the agency on the scalability of cloud.  Continue Reading

• Bus stop app for visually impaired got start on the street

  When Perkins School for the Blind asked its constituents what innovations would matter to them, it got the message -- and then got to work.  Continue Reading

• Mobile app for visually impaired could improve GPS accuracy

  A project at Perkins School for the Blind aims to help people with vision loss easily find bus stops -- but it could also enhance GPS accuracy for everyone.  Continue Reading

• Process robotics: The economics of digital labor shakes up outsourcing

  Robotic process automation challenges the labor arbitrage of offshore outsourcing, sparking a new discussion among vendors, business leaders and CIOs.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise augmented reality: AR applications are just around the bend

  AR applications are poised to become an integral part of CIO mobile strategy. Start with tablets and smart phones and be on the lookout for headset breakthroughs.  Continue Reading

• State of cloud infographic: Cloud computing stats for CIOs, IT execs

  Surveys show that many enterprises plan to increase or maintain cloud spending in 2016. View our infographic for the latest cloud computing stats.  Continue Reading

• For students, startups, the best work applications are Google's

  Apps for Work: Google's work applications win over young companies and students, but the business suite does have its drawbacks.  Continue Reading

• Apps for Work vs. Office 365 debate as much about culture as tech

  In the Apps for Work vs. Office 365 war over cloud productivity suites, Microsoft is capitalizing on users' strong attachment to Word, Excel and other apps. But Google has loyalists, too.  Continue Reading

• 'Promiscuous' users redefine bounds of good mobile security

  To meet today's mobility demands -- and deliver good mobile security -- organizations must balance business and user needs, says Gartner's Dionisio Zumerle in this SearchCIO interview.  Continue Reading

• Blockchain market outlook: Hype vs. reality

  There are predictions that the blockchain market will change the nature of business transactions. But how much of that is hype? One analyst weighs in on the topic.  Continue Reading

• Cloud computing in healthcare: Creative Solutions goes end to end

  Shawn Wiora, CIO at Creative Solutions in Healthcare, pursued an end-to-end cloud strategy, which resulted in improved security, better performance and IT cultural transformation.  Continue Reading

• Blockchain use cases, private vs. public debate engross community

  The blockchain industry is hashing out how to determine a good blockchain use case, debating the usefulness of private blockchains and mapping out how regulators might benefit.  Continue Reading

• For space agency, cloud financials are out of this world

  The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space chose a cloud app to get a real-time view of its books -- and close them faster.  Continue Reading

• DevOps model, a profile in CIO leadership, change management

  Take it from IT leaders who have been there: Adopting a DevOps model will require strong leadership, exceptional people skills, a high tolerance for failure and financial savvy.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-convergence: Benefits, challenges and use cases

  SearchCIO's Hyper-converged infrastructure infographic provides an at-a-glance look at the technology's benefits, drawbacks and key enterprise applications.  Continue Reading

• Mobile and cloud computing: Today's center of innovation?

  Consultant Bob Egan says that companies need to spend money on mobile cloud not just because it's beneficial to productivity but because it's required to keep up with competitors.  Continue Reading

• Hyperconvergence architecture: CIOs mull hardware savings

  Hyperconverged architecture may or may not cut hardware costs, but some CIOs and other industry executives suggest an emphasis on sticker price misses the point.  Continue Reading

• Hyper-convergence: Infrastructure under the CIO microscope

  Hyper-converged technology promises costs savings and efficiency. CIOs and other executives outline where the benefits are -- and where they aren't.  Continue Reading

• What is a smart contract and what's it good for?

  Blockchain-based smart contracts promise to improve upon traditional legal contracts by validating conditions of a contract and enforcing outcomes through code.  Continue Reading

• Data lake governance: A big data do or die

  Data lake governance may not be a sexy undertaking, but it's become a critical component in modern data architecture, according to experts.  Continue Reading

• Digital security puts CISO reporting structure in corporate glare

  The longstanding question of whom CISOs should report to has taken on new urgency as digital security rises to the top of corporate agendas.  Continue Reading

• Platform business models: Trio debuts Soundsgood playlist service

  Soundsgood, a Paris-based startup, has unveiled a cloud-based service that lets music influencers publish their playlists across a number of music streaming services.  Continue Reading

• University IT departments struggle to stay always open, always secure

  It's double duty for university IT departments today: Maintain a culture of accessibility while protecting against an ever-growing number of threats.  Continue Reading

• Dow Jones' innovation projects: Idea generation, execution

  Dow Jones' chief innovation officer, Edward Roussel, talks about the idea solicitation process and how his team works with the company's IT department.  Continue Reading

• Dow Jones' business innovation process: Set goals, measure success

  Dow Jones takes a two-pronged approach to managing business innovation: First, set clear goals to solve business problems and second, don't be afraid to experiment with new tech.  Continue Reading

• 2016 senior IT events calendar

  When making 2016 travel plans, refer to this list of face-to-face events in the United States and Canada for senior IT and business leaders.  Continue Reading

• How CIOs can use 3D printing technology to their advantage

  3D printing technology is having a moment. CIOs should use it as an opportunity to rebrand the IT group as a business innovation partner.  Continue Reading

• As mobile apps for employees proliferate, CIOs get involved

  As mobile apps for employees, clients and customers alter how enterprise work gets done, the role of the CIO and IT deepens.  Continue Reading

• Alec Ross on how cognitive robots will change the world

  Technology policy expert Alec Ross describes how cognitive robotics will impact the labor market and discusses why the U.S. is in the best position to capture tomorrow's industries.  Continue Reading

• Blockchain technology to disrupt financial, legal fields

  Technology policy expert Alec Ross predicts blockchain technology will remove 'enormous amount of friction' from legal processes within the next five years.  Continue Reading

• Without a data-driven culture, big data projects will fail

  Looking for a big data project success? Remember this: Culture is king.  Continue Reading

• Assessing the cost of private cloud

  The high cost of private cloud requires a ton of due diligence on the part of CIOs and business partners.  Continue Reading

• Creating a private cloud: Start with why

  Creating a private cloud is a big endeavor. Organizations need to assess whether they have the resources to pull it off -- or find another way to achieve cloud benefits.  Continue Reading

• A CIO ratchets up a lifelong mission to think like a customer

  Over his long career as a tech leader, Bill Oates has tried to put himself in the customer's shoes. Now at Perkins School for the Blind, 'customer-centric' takes on new meaning.  Continue Reading

• Service-oriented business: Maritz transforms IT culture

  Maritz, a company in the customer experience business, sought to improve how its in-house consumers acquired services from the IT department. Here's how it got the job done.  Continue Reading

• Blockchain ledger lays foundation for programmable economy

  A programmable economy could reduce corruption, simplify supply chains, even render spam obsolete. The blockchain ledger is an essential ingredient. CIOs must pay mind.  Continue Reading

• Technology, IoT monetization to usher in 'programmable economy'

  Our current economic systems have failed to keep pace with today's business transactions. Technology will soon close the gap, Gartner says. Make way for the 'programmable economy.'  Continue Reading

• APM strategy should focus on user experience, not just IT metrics

  Application performance management (APM) is more critical than ever in today's app economy. Yet the APM strategy of many CIOs has not kept pace . Here's how to get with the program.  Continue Reading

• Strategies for a next-generation security architecture

  Learn how the perimeter-based architecture failure, a professional threat economy and greater hacking penalties are driving the need for a next-generation security architecture.  Continue Reading

• CIO-turned-CEO endorses change management strategy rooted in Agile

  Ken Accardi, former CIO of GE Medical Systems, makes a case for applying concepts from Agile software development to change management in this SearchCIO interview.  Continue Reading

• IT asset management strategy: License compliance and beyond

  In this Q&A on IT asset management strategy, read up on what it's like to run afoul of software companies' license compliance requirements and how IoT will impact ITAM.  Continue Reading

• Building an online game platform: Startup caters to developers

  The online game platform startup STOVE aims to solve the catch-22 of platform businesses by offering business assistance to its content producers, in addition to user analytics.  Continue Reading

• The importance of CIO peer review in cloud contract negotiations

  Part two of this SearchCIO feature story on cloud contract negotiations examines cloud provider liabilities and the importance of CIO peer review.  Continue Reading

• Negotiating cloud contracts: A new era for CIOs

  As cloud spending grows, providers are easing up on the 'my way or the highway' approach. Here's how to negotiate a cloud contract with terms and conditions that work for your enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Data virtualization tools move into strategic IT realm

  Data virtualization technology is moving into the strategic realm for CIOs. Find out why, and learn about the problems it's solving for companies.  Continue Reading

• Platform business model enters online food ordering fray

  The Cookie Dining debuts a platform business model designed to outcompete established rivals by offering real-time payment, lower commissions and analytics. It will have to grow fast to do that.  Continue Reading

• Digital leaders at DHL, CVS defend against, exploit digital disruption

  Digital leaders from two very different industries talk about how they are helping their companies identify opportunities in a digital business world.  Continue Reading

• Five digital disruptors talk successes and strategies

  Here is how five IT leaders are making digital disruption happen.  Continue Reading

• For CIOs invested in digital transformation, think platform

  Digital transformation is full of unknowns, but having a platform to enable transformation isn't one of them. MIT's Jeanne Ross explains in this Q&A.  Continue Reading

• CIOs under pressure to generate revenue through data monetization

  Is data monetization the new gold rush? CEOs and boards of directors think so, and they are looking to CIOs to strike it rich.  Continue Reading

• Open source, adaptable infrastructure key to Etsy platform business model

  How does Etsy keep its platform business model in tune? Deploying up to 60 code changes a day is par for the course.  Continue Reading

• Cloud inventory management for CIOs: Build guardrails, not roadblocks

  Cloud inventory management saves money, reduces security risk and helps the enterprise compete. But first, CIOs must build relationships with business decision makers.  Continue Reading

• Platform business model picks up steam -- what's the CIO role?

  The platform business model develops and derives value from the ecosystem of users it connects. CIOs need to be in on it.  Continue Reading

• The outcome economy is upon us -- is your business ready?

  Smart products and services put a new twist on the old idea of giving customers what they want. Allan Alter explains the new 'outcome economy.'  Continue Reading

• CIOs future-proof the data center with hybrid strategies

  The cloud hasn't supplanted the enterprise data center, but, as these CIOs attest, public cloud services set the pace and offer ample reasons for keeping some IT on-premises.  Continue Reading

• NYT CIO uses niche apps to crack the digital media code

  Marc Frons, who recently announced he will be leaving his post as CIO of The New York Times, believes a culture of experimentation is the fastest road to digital glory.  Continue Reading

• Deloitte's Craig White: BPM tool tech paves way for digitization

  Deloitte's Craig White says BPM tools can drill down beyond key performance indicators to help CIOs suss out an organization's business process issues.  Continue Reading

• Is a flat organization the key to IT agility?

  In this Q&A, Rod Collins explains how CIOs can build and empower a flat IT organization -- even within a hierarchical enterprise.  Continue Reading

• Flap over Zappos holacracy puts spotlight on 'bossless' workplace

  In this Q&A, Rod Collins of Optimity Advisors sheds light on holacracy, a relatively new management style recently adopted by Zappos.  Continue Reading

• Multichannel retail depends on IT systems integration

  Before dressing up brick-and-mortar locations with customer-facing technology, CIOs need to integrate IT systems.  Continue Reading

• Whirlpool CIO: The future of IoT demands a new IT paradigm

  Whirlpool CIO Mike Heim is using cutting-edge tech to reinvent the lowly laundromat, but first he had to reinvent how his IT team worked. Welcome to the future of IoT.  Continue Reading

• Profiles in digital leadership at Forbes, CBS, US Bank

  Forbes, CBS and US Bank use social media marketing, mobile devices, Agile project development -- and strong IT-marketing partnerships -- to drive digital projects.  Continue Reading

• Integrating a hybrid environment now a CIO core competency

  Integrating a hybrid environment presents huge challenges for today's IT organizations. New tools, more manpower and a deep understanding of business data are par for the course.  Continue Reading

• Among C-level relationships, CIO-CMO proving key to business success

  Companies are discovering that the relationship between the CIO and CMO is increasingly important to business success. Frank Davis, CIO of Organic Valley, and Linda Ban of IBM offer tips on how to forge a strong partnership.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise mobile app development: No easy answers

  Enterprise mobile app development tools are proliferating but far from mature, say CIOs and analysts -- and forget about a single platform that can do it all.  Continue Reading

• Disruptive tech and its impact on wireless protocols and networks

  How are disruptive technology trends like BYOD and IoT impacting wireless networks? Networking expert Craig Mathias explains in this Q&A.  Continue Reading

• Embedded IT vs. central IT: Finding common ground

  ITSM expert George Spalding says that the key to solving problems between embedded IT and central IT is a common language based on services and not technology components.  Continue Reading

• Evolution of mobile hinges on marriage between data and devices

  Enterprise mobile computing marches on, and data is proliferating. Companies need to put them together to compete effectively.  Continue Reading

• Under-the-gun managers and other factors that kill IT innovation

  In this interview, author Jill Dyché explains why IT innovation should be on every CIO's agenda  Continue Reading

• Curing the IT identity crisis starts with understanding corporate culture

  Author Jill Dyché stresses it's time for CIOs to recreate their role, especially if they want to stay relevant to the business.  Continue Reading

• Chief innovation officers need friends in high places

  Hyatt, Merck and Nestlé Purina execs explain their business processes for innovation and detail why backing from on high is important.  Continue Reading

• CIOs make the tough call on legacy systems

  After decades of building up their IT infrastructures, companies are faced with deciding which legacy systems to keep and which to cut. CIOs can attest there are no easy formulas.  Continue Reading

• AMD CIO jettisons data centers and gives the company a lift

  The CIO of multinational semiconductor company AMD shares his story of how he consolidated 18 data centers into two.  Continue Reading

• CIOs beef up security tools in wake of 2014 data breaches

  What's different about security strategies in the aftermath of the 2014 data breaches? More money, more monitoring, more employee training, and that's just for starters.  Continue Reading

• A tale of two retailers profiting from big data

  A young and an old retailer shed light on how they're profiting from big data. (Hint: The secret is in their approach to project management.)  Continue Reading

• A new IT model and CIO role for the digital age

  A former CIO and author lays out the blueprint for how to disrupt old-school IT.  Continue Reading

• 7-Eleven guru's eight-step program for building an innovation team

  IT innovation is on every CIO's agenda -- or it should be. Before plotting your strategy, consider these eight tips from 7-Eleven's innovation guru.  Continue Reading

• Cop-turned-CIO uses open data to improve Chicagoland

  While serving under Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the city's former CIO launched an app that integrated data from multiple sources to improve situational awareness. Now, he's taking that project to the next level.  Continue Reading

• Emotional intelligence is the hallmark of a good leader

  Author and consultant Roxi Bahar Hewertson's new book, 'Lead Like It Matters Because It Does,' contends that businesses do a poor job of picking their leaders. She explains why in this Q&A with SearchCIO's Nicole Laskowski.  Continue Reading

• Smart robots pave way for better human-machine collaboration

  Robots will find a place in the enterprise, but can we trust them? Here's how they will impact the role of IT.  Continue Reading

• A physician-programmer experiments with AI and machine learning in the ER

  One way for CIOs to start preparing for machine learning and artificial intelligence is to build a flexible architecture.  Continue Reading

• Visa risk manager rescues small retailer from credit card fraud

  Finding the right software tools to combat credit card fraud can save small businesses tens of thousands of dollars. Having a seasoned fraud specialist at the helm also helps. Just ask Speck Products.  Continue Reading