News

News

• February 01, 2011 01 Feb'11

  IT offshore outsourcing markets, options on the rise, Gartner says

  The never-ending quest to cut IT costs is opening up new IT offshoring markets. Here are a look at Gartner's latest assessment and a new index from IT advisory firm TPI Inc.

• January 24, 2011 24 Jan'11

  2011 IT salary and careers survey guide

  See how IT salaries stack up by title and vertical industry, as well as what your peers expect to make in 2011, in this guide to SearchCIO.com's CIO Salary and Careers Survey.

• December 22, 2010 22 Dec'10

  Six questions for building an effective outsourcing strategy

  Knowing what not to outsource is not always as obvious as it seems, according to sourcing experts. Here are six questions to help you build an effective outsourcing strategy.

• December 14, 2010 14 Dec'10

  Agile project management approaches for on-time and on-budget delivery

  Pick an agile project management path based on scope, schedule or budget to set project boundaries and keep release dates on track.

• December 10, 2010 10 Dec'10

  Asset inventory sheds light on lack of virtual machine management

  When one of Mark Bowker’s clients went to do an IT asset inventory, they couldn’t count how many virtual machines they had … because they couldn’t see them. Bowker, an analyst with Enterprise ...

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• November 17, 2010 17 Nov'10

  How to select an enterprise collaboration platform (hold on tight)

  Enterprise collaboration platforms aim to add a social layer to work apps. This story, the second of two about such platforms, offers a market overview and vendor selection advice.

• November 16, 2010 16 Nov'10

  With new enterprise collaboration platforms, 'social' means business

  Forget about pushing people to use wikis and blogs. The rush is on to build enterprise collaboration platforms that pull social networking into every workstation.

• November 03, 2010 03 Nov'10

  Business process transformation hinges on a flexible management model

  Business process transformation succeeds best in IT organizations emphasizing collaboration and real-time analysis. Learn how IT can bring transformation to the lines of business.

• October 12, 2010 12 Oct'10

  Mobile data security spans policies, budgets and backups

  A proliferation of mobile devices in the enterprise forces CIOs to reassess policies, budgets and backups for mobile data security.

• September 16, 2010 16 Sep'10

  Mobile phone security policies give IT some control over the influx

  There's no turning back mobile devices' invasion of the enterprise. CIOs need to put mobile phone security policies in place to control these uninvited guests.

• September 01, 2010 01 Sep'10

  The fundamentals of launching an IT service catalog

  The IT service catalog is a linchpin of ITSM, but is hard to create and manage. Here an expert advises where to begin, what to avoid and why CIOs should make a catalog a priority.

• August 11, 2010 11 Aug'10

  Free sample gap analysis templates: Software, security, architecture

  Learn how other organizations tackle gap analysis, from software projects to IT portfolio assessments, in this list of sample gap analysis templates.

• August 06, 2010 06 Aug'10

  What's data fungibility got to do with delivering business insight?

  What's data fungibility have to do with delivering business insight? No, really, I'm asking. According to Burton Group analyst Lyn Robison, one reason CIOs are struggling to deliver business ...

• August 04, 2010 04 Aug'10

  Corporate business services: Repurpose to reap value and flexibility

  CIOs are taking a hybrid approach to the creation of IT and corporate business services, repurposing existing technology and adding new service delivery methods.

• August 03, 2010 03 Aug'10

  How CIOs are tackling IT business services creation

  CIOs are in a prime position to shape new IT business services and shepherd the enterprise into new markets.

• July 22, 2010 22 Jul'10

  Why you need a formal data governance program, and how to get started

  Formal data governance programs are still the exception rather than the rule. Learn why your organization needs one, plus five preconditions necessary to ensure success.

• July 08, 2010 08 Jul'10

  IT chargeback: A fundamental part of cloud computing takes shape

  IT chargeback is being put to the test by cloud computing. Which metrics can be used to charge business units for IaaS, PaaS and SaaS?

• July 07, 2010 07 Jul'10

  Pros and cons of using enterprise master data management with BI

  Enterprise master data management is a big task. Some CIOs are finding quick wins by starting MDM within their business intelligence efforts. For others? It's a no-win.

• July 01, 2010 01 Jul'10

  Agile best practices can combine waterfall and Scrum

  Agile projects can mingle Scrum and waterfall approaches, but proceed with caution. Program managers share agile best practices and pitfalls.

• June 16, 2010 16 Jun'10

  Business service development: Lessons learned from the frontlines

  There is no clear-cut path for IT to follow when it comes to business service development. CIOs and experts share their dos and don'ts.

• May 13, 2010 13 May'10

  Business continuity plans must address massive air travel shutdown

  Before the dust settles from an erupting volcano in Iceland, business continuity managers need to take a close look at their business continuity plans, starting with their supply chain.

• March 25, 2010 25 Mar'10

  The importance of communication in IT innovation

  I recently was asked to participate in a panel discussion about the importance of communication in IT innovation at the Olin Innovation Lab, an annual event at the Olin College of Engineering in ...

• March 03, 2010 03 Mar'10

  First open source, ITIL-aligned IT change management tool coming soon

  The open source community has a new addition: an enterprise-level, ITIL-aligned change management tool. Recently unveiled at the Pink Elephant IT Service Management Conference & Expo, ...

• March 03, 2010 03 Mar'10

  Innovation strategies: How Chevron drives ingenuity

  Should CIOs have innovation strategies? We talk with Chevron's innovation specialist on how the energy giant discovers ingenuity and develops a corporate creative process.

• February 24, 2010 24 Feb'10

  How IT gap analysis can be the first step to ITIL success

  Performing an IT gap analysis can help your IT shop pinpoint gaps in its service delivery as a starting point in using the ITIL framework. Learn the eight questions to ask.

• February 17, 2010 17 Feb'10

  Proving the value of a business continuity plan (before disaster hits)

  How do you educate the business on the value of a business continuity plan before disaster strikes? Linking risks to business performance is key.

• February 03, 2010 03 Feb'10

  Project management office helps CIO navigate rough financial waters

  How did CIO Sharon Gietl help The Doe Run Co. navigate budget cuts and layoffs? With a tiny PMO that is prioritizing projects across the enterprise.

• January 27, 2010 27 Jan'10

  Vendor contract management key to cutting costs through renegotiation

  Enterprises are finding ways to use vendor contract management as a means to cut costs by renegotiating contracts down to the maintenance-clause and business-unit levels.

• January 26, 2010 26 Jan'10

  CIO best practices: A self-assessment guide for top IT professionals

  Some CIO best practices held steady in the recession, while others have shifted. Test if you've kept up with these quizzes in our self-assessment guide for top IT professionals.

• January 05, 2010 05 Jan'10

  Information security budget closest thing to recessionproof in 2010

  Information security budgets in enterprise IT organizations will remain robust in 2010 compared with other IT spending areas. Learn more about budgeting for IT security.

• December 08, 2009 08 Dec'09

  Vendor evaluation criteria and guidelines

  The vendor evaluation process can be very complex and time consuming. Get the latest resources for making informed decisions during your vendor evaluation process.

• November 10, 2009 10 Nov'09

  Business process automation vs. business process management: A primer

  Do you know the difference between BPA and BPM? Learn the importance of business process management and business process automation in our comparison.

• November 05, 2009 05 Nov'09

  Free IT outsourcing templates: SLAs, RFPs and more

  CIOs pursuing IT outsourcing deals can benefit from templates spelling out SLA and RFP best practices. Get links to some free IT outsourcing templates.

• October 22, 2009 22 Oct'09

  Gartner's top 10 strategic technologies for 2010

  Gartner's list of technologies that bear examination during the next three years show an agile, mobile, secure enterprise that can spot early warning signs and predict trends.

• October 06, 2009 06 Oct'09

  Software vendor evaluation criteria: Sample scorecard templates for IT projects

  Need a hand in evaluating prospective vendors or managing your current crop? Here's a sampling of software vendor scorecards and requirements to help you create your own.

• October 01, 2009 01 Oct'09

  ITIL case study: Comparing two financial services firms’ best practices

  When Barclays Global Investors and Wachovia invested in ITIL, they saw improved efficiencies and huge cost savings. Read their stories here.

• September 29, 2009 29 Sep'09

  Free risk management tools and resources for the enterprise

  An accurate risk management assessment can save you millions. Learn how to create, upgrade or review a risk management process using our list of tools, calculators and resources.

• September 15, 2009 15 Sep'09

  Service portfolio management: Helping IT get back to business

  More mature IT shops are adopting ITIL v3's service portfolio management approach to better manage the service lifecycle and provide business-centric services to the organization.

• September 02, 2009 02 Sep'09

  Uniting ITSM, PPM process methodologies yields IT management benefits

  ITSM and PPM are typically separate disciplines, but integrating them can increase visibility, help with budgeting and more. Learn more about this dynamic duo.

• September 01, 2009 01 Sep'09

  Effective ITIL project leadership: Plan-Do-Check-Act

  Successful ITIL project leaders are using the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to ensure their teams stay motivated, follow the same processes and contribute innovative ideas.

• August 27, 2009 27 Aug'09

  IT outsourcing pros and cons for Latin, South America

  IT outsourcing pros and cons for Latin and South America range from time zone alignment and geographic proximity to a lack of vendors and language barriers. Learn more here.

• August 18, 2009 18 Aug'09

  Pros and cons of IT outsourcing in popular Asian countries

  The benefits and challenges of IT outsourcing in India, China, the Philippines and Vietnam range from pricing to intellectual property barriers. Learn more here.

• August 05, 2009 05 Aug'09

  PPM software vs. SharePoint: Myths and user-vendor disconnects

  PPM software vendors are trying to address user concerns over pricing, resource allocation and calculating ROI. But have Microsoft SharePoint and Project already done the job?

• July 17, 2009 17 Jul'09

  What is transparency, and how is it relevant to IT?

  We’ve all heard about Obama’s promise for government transparency, but what about IT transparency? First, what is transparency? Transparency is basically defined as openness and accountability in ...

• July 01, 2009 01 Jul'09

  Using key risk indicators to sell your information security program

  Now that information security has the attention of the business, Gartner says, security needs to speak about risk in language the business can relate to. Here's how.

• June 02, 2009 02 Jun'09

  9 steps to business continuity strategy: Remote access solutions, more

  From remote access solutions to telecom contracts, our list will help you identify gaps in your business continuity strategy and prepare for outages.

• May 07, 2009 07 May'09

  Adding a 'business downturn' clause to your telecom contracts

  Telecom providers will do whatever it takes to keep your business, even in a business downturn. And that’s not just lip service. Did you know that you can insist on a “business downturn” contract ...

• April 29, 2009 29 Apr'09

  How BPM and SOA work together for business process improvement

  Enterprises should marry their BPM and SOA efforts if they really want reuse -- and true business process improvement.

• April 07, 2009 07 Apr'09

  How collaboration tools bring cost savings, business alignment

  Find out how two midmarket companies are successfully using collaboration tools and strategies to drive business outcomes.

• March 03, 2009 03 Mar'09

  Targeted IT communications key to ITIL implementation success

  Many companies are implementing ITIL without considering the importance of an IT communications plan. Get expert advice on ways to target your IT communications for ITIL success.

• February 18, 2009 18 Feb'09

  Eight qualities of a good leader during a recession

  These qualities of a leader during a recession show how CIOs can guide their organization in tough times, making the right IT budget cuts and inspiring employees.

• February 05, 2009 05 Feb'09

  How to build an IT vendor management office or standards body

  Vendor management offices and standards bodies can help large organizations save money on IT purchasing and better manage vendor relations, both critical during a recession.

• February 04, 2009 04 Feb'09

  Economic recession to spur 'dramatic increase' in cybercrime

  Bad times always bring a rise in crime. But this economic recession is setting us up for a wave of cybercrime. The broken economy, combined with increased digitization as retail and operations move ...

• December 17, 2008 17 Dec'08

  Employee layoffs pose security risk if systems access not disabled

  As layoffs rise, IT departments aren't being vigilant enough in disabling systems access and risk the ire of terminated employees.

• December 11, 2008 11 Dec'08

  Gartner picks top 30 countries for offshore IT outsourcing

  Countries like Mexico, Poland and Vietnam have strengthened their positions. Find out which countries round out the top 30.

• August 20, 2008 20 Aug'08

  Sustainability risk management: Beyond green IT

  Conserving natural resources is fast morphing into sustainability risk management and growing beyond the IT department. Where does the CIO fit in?

• May 15, 2008 15 May'08

  Data archiving software offers compliance, management solutions

  Hewlett-Packard puts database archiving in the hands of the business, courtesy of a visual design tool that can model apps and apply business rules. Improved XML makes it look like archived apps are at the ready.

• May 07, 2008 07 May'08

  Five tips on selecting a data center location

  Data center construction comes with a host of tough problems. Finding the right place is challenge No. 1. Here are tips to help you vet your location.

• April 09, 2008 09 Apr'08

  Gartner: It's time for IT and OT to merge

  As operational technology and information technology converge in the workplace, should CIOs be controlling the whole shebang?

• February 12, 2008 12 Feb'08

  Facebook as a business tool? Really

  To all those CIOs who refuse to embrace Facebook on the grounds that it's not a business tool: look a little closer.

• January 10, 2008 10 Jan'08

  Microsoft enterprise search strategy leads to acquisition bid

  Microsoft's $1.2 billion acquisition bid for Fast Search reveals Microsoft's enterprise search strategy. CIOs will feel a jolt or two.

• January 02, 2008 02 Jan'08

  The year's most controversial information technology management issues

  SearchCIO.com editors take a look at controversial issues facing CIOs. Read them again, if for nothing else but to whet your appetite for a good argument.

• October 17, 2007 17 Oct'07

  Offshore outsourcing: A look at the security risks

  Offshore outsourcing can save money. Are the savings worth the security risks? Columnist Philip Alexander addresses security and data concerns CIOs should be aware of when sending work offshore.

• August 29, 2007 29 Aug'07

  ITIL V3: Stakeholder coordination is key to success

  In his latest column, Brian Johnson offers tips and advice on how to coordinate the ITIL stakeholders in your organization to successfully meet business requirements by using an IT service design process.

• March 06, 2007 06 Mar'07

  Wi-Fi way to shrink digital divide, say big-city CIOs

  The CIOs of Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco talk about the goals of their high-profile municipal Wi-Fi projects and the challenges they faced along the way.

• January 18, 2007 18 Jan'07

  Top IT execs could take heat for TJX breach

  Experts say senior IT executives at TJX are most likely on the hot seat today after the retail giant revealed Wednesday a massive computer security breach.

• November 21, 2006 21 Nov'06

  A 13-hour power outage puts disaster recovery plan to the test

  When a blown electrical transformer left his data center in the dark and 30% of his company's employees cut off from their offices, CIO Richard Ridolfo put his new disaster recovery plan to the test.

• October 31, 2006 31 Oct'06

  Five ways to improve your budgeting process

  The budgeting process is often a very stressful time for IT executives, especially as they face continuing cost pressures and a need to show business value for their technology investments. Columnist James Champy offers advice on how to make ...

• August 30, 2006 30 Aug'06

  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.

• July 28, 2006 28 Jul'06

  Consider patch release schedule when looking at Linux

  As Linux grows, choosing a version that fixes flaws quickly is critical. However, as Edmund X. DeJesus learned, some Linux distributions publish security fixes faster than others.

• July 25, 2006 25 Jul'06

  Employee monitoring facts every CIO should know

  Employee monitoring is on the rise as CIOs try to safeguard their company information and increase productivity. In his latest column, security expert Gary Miliefsky offers eight tips that every CIO should know about implementing and managing an ...

• June 27, 2006 27 Jun'06

  ITIL: A data warehouse for enterprise IT resources

  Too many companies today don't have an accurate count of their assets, and therefore are underutilizing systems and being unproductive. A CMDB framework, used in support with an ITIL project, can provide databases and analysis tools to help IT ...

• May 03, 2006 03 May'06

  Shadow processes, the ghost in the BPM machine

  When employees fail to follow business process, it can kill efficiency and hurt the bottom line. Don't assume your BPM solution is a cure-all.

• February 09, 2006 09 Feb'06

  Three reasons to recruit an ethics officer

  Ethics officers can help CIOs navigate the rising tide of compliance regulations. Find out how to make your case for one.

• January 26, 2006 26 Jan'06

  Best Buy's supply chain transformation

  Best Buy has transformed its supply chain from a high-volume distribution mechanism to a customer-facing operation that drives strategy as well as product.

• November 02, 2005 02 Nov'05

  Small businesses mull SAP Business One, All-in-One choice

  The head of SAP's product management for small businesses said there are questions to ask before deciding between SAP Business One and All-in-One software.

• November 02, 2005 02 Nov'05

  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 ...

• October 20, 2005 20 Oct'05

  Five compliance questions to ask your CEO

  To avoid SOX trouble, every CIO should ask these five questions -- and every CEO should answer them.

• September 21, 2005 21 Sep'05

  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.

• July 15, 2005 15 Jul'05

  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...

• July 12, 2005 12 Jul'05

  The top benefits of business process standardization

  Learn three key things that must happen for your business and its outsourcing capabilities to be successful.

• June 08, 2005 08 Jun'05

  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.

• April 18, 2005 18 Apr'05

  Costco shops for right outsourcing contract

  The senior-ranking IT executive at Costco Wholesale Corp. got a real deal on outsourcing and empowered his IT staff members by allowing them to buy into it -- or not.

• October 26, 2004 26 Oct'04

  Communication, planning seen as keys to outsourcing success

  Gartner says that good comminication skills, solid planning and knowing thyself are just some of the critical factors in launching a successful overseas outsourcing initiative.

• August 31, 2004 31 Aug'04

  13 steps to successfully managing your offshore outsourcing supplier

  More than half of offshore deals wash up on the shores of failure. David Foote offers up a baker's dozen tips for ensuring success over there.

• August 09, 2004 09 Aug'04

  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.

• February 16, 2004 16 Feb'04

  Top 10 risks of offshore outsourcing

  According to Meta Group research, offshore outsourcing is growing 20%-25% per annum, with little evidence of slowing. While most enterprises experience initial resistance, most technical issues are readily resolved and geopolitical risk is deemed ...

• December 12, 2003 12 Dec'03

  The FAQs about SB-1386

  This guide will help you learn the basics of SB-1386 and what you should do to be in compliance.

• November 17, 2003 17 Nov'03

  IT demand management key for business effectiveness

  Internal efficiency just isn't enough. According to researchers with InterUnity Group, IT demand management (ITDM) is what separates market leaders from market followers.

• September 08, 2003 08 Sep'03

  Entrepreneurs: Born or made? A conversation with Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines

  For years, experts debated the age-old question: Are leaders born or made? Now they debate whether entrepeneurs are born or made. In an exclusive interview with Babson Executive Education Center, Herb Kelleher, chairman of Southwest Airlines, ...

• June 04, 2003 04 Jun'03

  Getting the hard facts about physical, logical and soft assets

  All assets -- physical, logical, and soft -- are important to successful IT service delivery. Once you can see them and how they relate to each other, you can model your infrastructure and better align service delivery to the needs of the enterprise.

• April 29, 2003 29 Apr'03

  Ten criteria for offshore outsourcing, part 1

  Looking to jump on the outsourcing bandwagon, or bandboat in this case, and take it overseas? There are ten things you may want to consider first.

• April 08, 2003 08 Apr'03

  The future of IT consulting

  A recent Merrill Lynch survey of CIOs shows that most won't spend nearly as much money on IT consulting as they did last year -- mainly because consulting is seen as a discretionary expense, and these are times when money is just too tight for ...