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Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
Manage
Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.
Coming Down to Size: SAP Users Include Many in Midmarket
Midmarket CIOs are opening their doors to SAP, the ERP software known for its complexity and cost. Here's how the software giant is remaking itself to meet the needs of smaller customers. Continue Reading
Four Key Talking Points for Good Communication, Project Management
Good communication: The four key talking points. Continue Reading
Pros and cons of third-party patch management tools
Struggling with patch deployment every month? Considering a third-party product? Contributor Serdar Yegulalp offers 10 things to think about before making the jump from Microsoft utilities to a third-party product. Continue Reading
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The Essential Lawyer: Force Majeure Meets Disaster Recovery
Don't let a contract's force majeure clause excuse your vendors from disaster recovery responsibilities. Continue Reading
Business Mentor: The Long and Short of IT Strategy Planning
Use your long-term strategic goals to initiate short-term action. Continue Reading
Disaster recovery plans for your data warehouse
Data warehouses have become mission-critical systems that help executives make daily business decisions. In his monthly column, BI expert Wayne Eckerson offers advice on how to effectively protect your data warehouse from any type of disaster.Continue Reading
In Real Estate, Online Tools Extend Consumers' Reach
Web-savvy consumers are forcing real estate firms to change their technology approach. Offering online tools makes the difference.Continue Reading
Besieged by Vendor Communications: How to Handle Those Cold Calls
Learning how to winnow the worthwhile vendor pitches from useless cold calls is an executive art. These five strategies can help.Continue Reading
A look at approaches to virtualization
In this article, Anil Desai distinguishes among virtualization at the hardware, server and application levels and provides guidelines for evaluating which works best.Continue Reading
Master data management: Six steps to succeed
Master Data Management allows IT organizations to share vital business information across multiple systems. Follow along with six steps to ensure data management success.Continue Reading
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Security solutions: Cost-justification guidelines
CIOs often have trouble justifying the value of security solutions to the business side. ROI expert Tom Pisello offers four tips for cost justifying IT investments.Continue Reading
A Business Relationship Manager by Any Other Name
A Corporate Email Policy Can Rein in Bad Behavior
Email policies, as well as those for blogs and IM, show your users what they can do on their office laptop -- and in the process can reduce your company's risk.Continue Reading
Options for recovering data with Data Protection Manager
Having backups of your data won't do you any good unless you know how to restore them. Here are some options for restoring data through Microsoft's Data Protection Manager.Continue Reading
Cinema Sector Turns to Business Intelligence Systems, Mobile Devices
Movie theaters are hurting from the pressures created by declining admissions and at-home entertainment. Now they're using the latest mobile and self-serve technologies to reel the crowds back in.Continue Reading
USB wireless security lets you lock your PC by walking away
A USB wireless security device employs proximity-based security to lock a PC or server when the user or admin steps away. The device has been turned into a plug-in.Continue Reading
Hospital CIO, CEO Turn to COO to Help Tackle IT Projects
After a two-year freeze on IT projects, Antelope Valley Hospital had to update its technology. The CIO and CEO discuss how they prioritize projects with their new COO.Continue Reading
The FBI's Case Management Files: Virtual Case File vs. Sentinel
Disparate Systems, Lack of Interoperability Pose Problems for Builders
Collaboration is king in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.Continue Reading
Disaster recovery planning: A business impact analysis for IT
Before you develop a disaster recovery plan, you must understand, analyze and plan for the business impact -- from an IT perspective.Continue Reading
Offshore outsourcing contracts should focus on value, not price
Price is no longer the most critical issue to address in an offshore outsourcing relationship. Offshore outsourcing contracts should focus on value, not price.Continue Reading
Data center crossroads: Is outsourcing the next step?
Every midmarket organization reaches the point when it must consider outsourcing as part of its data center strategy. Options abound.Continue Reading
How to Change Your Company's Business Model
The problem with 'quickie' performance dashboards
Performance dashboards can prove tremendously useful, but they aren't a quick fix warns columnist Wayne Eckerson.Continue Reading
Setting up identity and access management for SMBs
Part one of this two-part series outlines the first three steps for setting up an identity and access management system: evaluation, planning and implementation.Continue Reading
How Activity Triggers, Workflow Tools and Dashboards Factor Into ERP
How well-crafted activity triggers optimize workflow and satisfy customers.Continue Reading
Pay Up for IT Services: How to Create an IT Chargeback Model
The practice of charging lines of business for their share of IT has a checkered past -- with good reason. Here's why, and how, to try it.Continue Reading
Key performance indicators can help your business grow
Key performance indicators (KPIs) can be used to move your company in new and different directions. This tip discusses the art of creating and implementing effective metrics.Continue Reading
Top 10 best practices for email archiving
Regulatory compliance, litigation support and storage management all begin with an efficient e-mail archiving process. Storage consultant Bill Tolson offers 10 detailed best practices for effective e-mail archiving.Continue Reading
IT inventory and compliance: Check IT List
Here are five steps to ensuring your IT inventory goes beyond tallying hardware and software to ensure compliance with licensing and other documentation regulations.Continue Reading
Resurging Business Challenges Hotel IT Systems
The hotel business has resurged after years of sliding revenue, but IT is still grappling with antiquated technology.Continue Reading
The Long Road Back
When Hurricane Katrina struck, Oreck Corp. put its disaster recovery plan into action only to discover that it fell short. Here's how this midmarket vacuum maker kept business going in the face of enormous -- and ongoing -- obstacles.Continue Reading
Executive Champion: The Benefits of Supplier Partnerships
Partnering with vendors takes work, but it can be worth the effort.Continue Reading
Top 10 considerations for selecting a platform
With hardware costs for Windows, Solaris and Linux running neck and neck these days, here's a rundown of the top 10 things beyond initial cost to consider when choosing a platform.Continue Reading
Physical security for laptops
Make sure your portable computers aren't too portable. Consider physical security for your organization's laptops.Continue Reading
Five principles of program management
Program management takes project management to a new level -- by taking into consideration how the project will affect the rest of the organization and other operational processes. In this month's column, James Champy offers five essential program ...Continue Reading
Best Practices Checklist: Exchange Server disaster recovery planning
Learn about some tried and true best practices that you need to consider when creating a Microsoft Exchange disaster recovery plan.Continue Reading
Portfolio Management: The Future Temple of IT Value?
Done right, portfolio management gives IT leaders a powerful tool to reduce complexity and improve decision making. How do you measure up?Continue Reading
Exchange Admin 101: Exchange Server communication ports
Learn about the various ports that Exchange Server uses, so you know which ports you can close for better security, and which must remain open.Continue Reading
Quick VBA script: Attachment reminder for Outlook email
We've all composed emails in which we've said "I've attached the file you wanted," hit Send -- and then realized we never attached the file. This script prevents this.Continue Reading
Web portals: Big challenges, better ROI
Information architects need time, patience and good business sense to reap the many benefits of Web portals.Continue Reading
Learn VoIP: A beginner's quiz
How much do you know about VoIP? Are you ready to implement it, or have you already done so? Here's a quiz to see how much you know about VoIP.Continue Reading
The value of business intelligence applications
How can BI help your business? This tip points out the BI benefits, risks and costs.Continue Reading
How Company Size Relates to IT Spending
Ethics Policy Can Help Organizations Steer Clear of Vendor Bribes
Ethical CIOs must fend off a range of gifts and goodies from overeager vendors. Having a company ethics policy helps.Continue Reading
The five dimensions of BI tools
Business intelligence (BI) tools have evolved over the years from simply delivering reports to leveraging advanced visualization techniques to quickly detect key patterns and trends. In his column, Wayne Eckerson discusses the evolution of BI.Continue Reading
Examining the TCO metric
Total cost of ownership (TCO) is defined as the total cost of procuring, using, managing and disposing of an asset over its useful life. This tip takes a closer look at TCO.Continue Reading
IPO Pressure: Get Ready to Meet the IT Demands of a Public Company
If your company plans to go public, don't just count your options; brace yourself for the scrutiny of auditors -- and some late nights.Continue Reading
Resource Allocation Software Helps Research and Development
Following some acquisitions, Perkin-Elmer's Life and Analytical Sciences unit had 450 R&D staffers. It just needed to manage what all of them were working on.Continue Reading
Turning Project Portfolios Into Control Towers
Let your IT project portfolio provide an eagle-eye view.Continue Reading
Budgeting for compliance: Executive Guide
The SearchCIO budgeting for compliance Executive Guide includes valuable resources and practical information and advice to help CIOs with planning and budgeting for compliance.Continue Reading
Is Your Project Alive? How Project Managers Can Check the Vital Signs
Vital signs will keep your IT project healthy.Continue Reading
The Making of an IT Executive
CIO Marc Saffer got his seat at the boardroom table but still didn't feel like one of the team. Then he hired an executive coach and got the guidance he needed.Continue Reading
CIO Habitat: Rebuilding the IT Budgeting Process
The IT budgeting process varies dramatically from best to worst practices. Where do yours stack up?Continue Reading
How to evaluate hardware for internal and external devices
You'll be in the driver's seat with this hardware evaluation guide. Expert Bernie Klinder offers advice on evaluation basics for both internal and external devices.Continue Reading
Speaking of business continuity: A cheat sheet
One of the challenges organizations often face as they initiate business continuity or disaster recovery planning is to reach consensus on precisely what they are trying to do. This requires identifying and closing any gap that may exist between the...Continue Reading
Net Present Value defined
Net Present Value is a big part of your ROI process, but you need the formula first.Continue Reading
Changing the Conversation on Measuring IT Value
Measuring the business value of IT has never been more important-nor suspect. How can tech execs get better at "show and tell"?Continue Reading
Common Microsoft Exchange Server mail delivery problems
This article discusses some common culprits of Exchange message delivery delays and failures.Continue Reading
CIO how-to: The art of developing direct reports
Most IT professionals want to develop new skills, do well and be rewarded with more pay and higher-level positions. Unfortunately, IT executives often don't do enough to help employees get there.Continue Reading
Business Mentor: Building the Case for Replacing Legacy Systems
How to add Internet Explorer security zones
When five Internet security zones aren't enough, here's how you can add more levels for finer control over content.Continue Reading
The business value of information lifecycle management
With consolidation to SANs and advances in storage management software packages, ILM is again at the forefront of storage architecture planning.Continue Reading
Launch Internet Explorer in a separate process
Find out how to prevent one instance of Internet Explorer from affecting other instances if it stops responding.Continue Reading
How to prevent spyware: Check IT List
Stop spyware before it stops you. Here are 12 steps to prevent spyware before it infects your systems.Continue Reading
FoundStone's SuperScan 4 lives up to its name
A review of a free IP scanning tool called SuperScan v4.0.Continue Reading
Exchange Admin 101: Configuring OMA and ActiveSync
There are two different components used by Exchange 2003's Mobile Information Services: Outlook Mobile Access and ActiveSync. This tip explains how to set up these features.Continue Reading
The five phases of IT Value Management
Aligning IT investments with business goals is as old as the IT function itself. Tangible examples of IT alignment, however, have been rare.Continue Reading
Top 10 time management tips
Do you have a time mangagement problem? Use these ten tips to see if you do and solve the problem.Continue Reading
Seven steps for a patch management process
Patch management is more than a one-time fix. Here are seven steps to get you started on your continuous patch management endeavors.Continue Reading
How to choose the right data storage device
Need storage? Ed Tittle offers an essential list with considerations and recommendations for more storage space on an SMB network.Continue Reading
Auto-MDIX feature addresses crossover cable problems
This tip explains how Auto-MDIX can solve the crossover cable problems many businesses have.Continue Reading
Quote of the Day: A troubleshooting networking protocol
This tip tell you how to use different networking protocol to make your life easier.Continue Reading
When is it time to get out of tech?
Where do people with tech skills go when they want to leave the tech industry?Continue Reading
How to troubleshoot firewall problems
This tip describes how to troubleshoot problems that arise when using a new firewall.Continue Reading
Justifying the cost of PC upgrades
There's good news for business users who have been waiting patiently to upgrade their PCs. PC shipments to businesses this year are expected increase by 12% from 2003, according to a recent study by Framingham, Mass.-based International Data Corp.Continue Reading
Disaster recovery spending -- How much is enough?
This tip shows how you can recover from disaster economically.Continue Reading
Maximizing the quantifiable business value of IT: Six essential components
Stretched resources make it difficult for companies to take the time to measure their business value, but it has to be done. These six steps will alleviate the stress.Continue Reading
The possibilities for grid computing in the corporate world
Grid computing has gained success in the research and education enviroments, but is it ready yet for the corporate world? Find out here.Continue Reading
Four tips you can’t ignore for legacy system integration
A legacy system integration project needs to take a number of factors into account. Get a list of things to consider, with tips from experts.Continue Reading
How to survive the IT budget process
Experts offer advice on how to prioritize IT spending and come out of the budget crucible without being scalded.Continue Reading