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January 11, 2011 11 Jan'11
CIO survey: IT salaries in 2010 and how they vary by industry

As companies began emerging from the recession, IT salaries differed by industry, in some cases widely. How were industries alike? Raises and a generally upbeat outlook for 2011.
January 07, 2011 07 Jan'11
Whether public, private or hybrid, it's time to get a cloud strategy

Waiting in line at a recent data center conference, I struck up a conversation with an enterprise architect at a major appliance manufacturer who said he was there with a mission: to figure out how ...
January 06, 2011 06 Jan'11
Virtualization management from the trenches

A data center design expert shares his virtualization management tips on must-have policies and tools, as well as the business benefits gained through virtualization.
January 05, 2011 05 Jan'11
Is the CIO job a young person's game -- and what's considered young?

When should a CIO on the job market start lying about his or her age? Or, to put a finer point on the question, hiding one's age? For one of the headhunters I consulted on a story this week about ...
January 04, 2011 04 Jan'11
Writing a CIO resume for 2011

What should the CIO resume look like in 2011? The ideal one includes global experience and showcases your ability to make money for the business.
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January 03, 2011 03 Jan'11
IT budgets, priorities returning to health in 2011

Virtualization, software spending top IT budgets in 2011, while staffing levels are shortchanged, according to TechTarget's 2011 IT Priorities Survey.
December 22, 2010 22 Dec'10
Virtualization without virtualization management cancels out benefits

Retaining the benefits gained through virtualization comes down to virtualization management policies and the tools of the trade.
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 22, 2010 22 Dec'10
In WikiLeaks' wake, midmarket firms reassess public cloud computing risks

Public cloud computing risks are back in the spotlight following the Amazon.com-WikiLeaks debacle. Midmarket firms will be the ones to drive changes in transparency, experts say.
December 21, 2010 21 Dec'10
A health care community cloud takes shape

A community cloud is taking shape among vertical-industry companies keen on sharing computing resources and gaining low-cost access to industry-specific applications.
December 15, 2010 15 Dec'10
Traditional project management can't keep pace with uncertain economy

SaaS-based project and portfolio management tools for SMBs offer a plus besides cost -- in uncertain times, they're better at adapting to rapid change than traditional project management tools, say experts.
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 13, 2010 13 Dec'10
Choosing a management approach that clarifies Agile project completion

A rundown of the three parts of agile project management -- scope, schedule and budget -- needed to capture often-elusive agile project end dates.
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 ...
December 09, 2010 09 Dec'10
EBay rethinks its data center design with sustainability in mind

Sales growth was outstripping eBay's data center design until its CIO introduced a more sustainable and economical approach to IT.
December 08, 2010 08 Dec'10
Make social passion the cornerstone of enterprise collaboration

The deployment of enterprise collaboration and social media is now a top agenda item for CIOs. Realizing the potential of these tools is a matter of passion, experts say.
December 06, 2010 06 Dec'10
IBM CIO talks IT risk management, mobile device security

IBM CIO Pat Toole talks about his role in IBM's IT risk management strategy, and how IBM is handling application development and mobile device security.
December 01, 2010 01 Dec'10
Consolidation, compliance pushing demand for a green data center

CIOs see the benefits of a green data center as lower costs and leadership props, experts say. Here's the skinny on green data center certifications and enabling technologies.
November 29, 2010 29 Nov'10
Picking an outsourcing service provider? Avoid these four mistakes

If 2011 is like 2010, choosing the right outsourcing service provider and getting the deal off to the right start will be critical for CIOs. Here are four mistakes to avoid.
November 24, 2010 24 Nov'10
Talk like a CFO and give your CIO career a boost

Every C-position has its own argot, its own turn of phrase. CEOs are addicted to sports analogies and fighting words. A CIO career requires constant tactical maneuvers, as the CEO might put it, ...
November 24, 2010 24 Nov'10
Time to take stock of your online reputation

The buildup and tear-down of a business’ online reputation is akin to neighbors gossiping over the fences, except for the fact that social networking sites allow millions of strangers to see and ...
November 18, 2010 18 Nov'10
IT culture's norms in need of adjustment

Cloud technology accentuates some norms of IT culture that need to change. The command-and-control approach is one of them.
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 17, 2010 17 Nov'10
A virtual PBX system can give small businesses a big voice for less

A virtual PBX system can give small companies many big-company phone features for a small monthly outlay, but it won't scale gracefully for medium-sized companies.
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 12, 2010 12 Nov'10
IT metrics, measurements and monitoring: It's all about the numbers

A little while ago, I asked the CIO of a multinational distributor of electronics equipment what he most needed to read about. His answer? Application monitoring. It's an area ripe for development, ...
November 10, 2010 10 Nov'10
Data classification vital part of data management solutions

The cost of data management solutions in the cloud and on-premise is still a bit steep for SMBs, but a lack of data classification will cost you more.
November 04, 2010 04 Nov'10
IT service catalogs moving beyond walls of IT

IT service catalogs are apparently back in vogue. The cloud, in part, is driving this renewed interest. People want to use IT service catalogs to manage cloud services that are delivered to various ...
November 04, 2010 04 Nov'10
The upcoming revolution in business intelligence systems

A revolution is coming to business intelligence systems that's fueled by more compute power, mobility, data from everywhere and the adoption of predictive analytics.
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 27, 2010 27 Oct'10
The clouds come together with a data integration solution

Midmarket cloud adopters are in need of a data integration solution that can ease the flow of information among cloud applications and on-premise systems.
October 26, 2010 26 Oct'10
Ozzie leaves behind Microsoft's technology vision

Last week, I brought up the topic of chief software architect Ray Ozzie leaving Microsoft. Since then, Ozzie, who rarely issues public statements, published a 3,453-word letter as a farewell and a ...
October 21, 2010 21 Oct'10
Gartner Symposium: IT trends you can use -- the sound bite version

I started my week perched on a straight-back chair and juggling a tape recorder at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2011. Many of Gartner's 10 top strategic IT trends and technologies laid out in the ...
October 20, 2010 20 Oct'10
Two scenarios: Are IT shops industrialized, or all but gone in 2020?

In 2020, will IT shops be "industrialized" powerhouses that expand with the business, or downsized to just five people? The Forrester CIO Forum sounds off on the future of IT.
October 20, 2010 20 Oct'10
CIOs fired up and ready to go again on IT and business alignment

After years of advice on IT and business alignment, you'd think CIOs would have heard enough. But at this week's Gartner Symposium ITxpo, the quest for IT business value lives on.
October 19, 2010 19 Oct'10
Ozzie's leaving the latest sign to break up Microsoft?

It's been years since the talk to break up Microsoft. When the company was on trial for antitrust violations in 2000, many experts felt that a breakup was just punishment. But as time went on, many ...
October 18, 2010 18 Oct'10
End-to-end monitoring offers a view from cloud to enterprise

End-to-end monitoring tools for the cloud and the enterprise promise to provide IT a view inside virtualized environments and the cloud.
October 15, 2010 15 Oct'10
A bevy of APM announcements bolsters cloud computing solutions

OK, OK -- I winced at this week's forward-looking piece by SearchCIO.com News Director Christina Torode about mobile being the new black. Those of us who are still trying to figure out cloud ...
October 14, 2010 14 Oct'10
Thanks to USPS IT innovation, 'the check's in the mail' won't cut it

The U.S. Postal Service and IT innovation doesn't strike me as a natural pairing. But after listening to CIO Ross Philo, a Brit who was named to the post in 2008 after a long career in the oil and ...
October 13, 2010 13 Oct'10
A COO pushes IT innovation by making it about business value

At the Forrester CIO Forum, a health care COO tells CIOs how he is using IT innovation to transform the business. The keys? BIACs, COEs and focusing on the bottom line.
October 13, 2010 13 Oct'10
IPads, BlackBerrys and cloud computing raise IT governance questions

IT executives share their IT governance strategies as consumerization and the cloud change the rules -- and responsibilities -- of IT.
October 12, 2010 12 Oct'10
Mobile application development tops CIO strategies

Cloud computing was unavoidable -- of course -- but CIOs at this year's Society for Information Management conference were keener on mobile application development strategies.
October 06, 2010 06 Oct'10
A burst of business continuity, disaster recovery planning

Explosives maker Austin Powder played with virtualization, and an idea for its business continuity and disaster recovery planning ignited: Make HQ a hot site for remote offices.
October 05, 2010 05 Oct'10
Outsourcing trends: Mobile business applications for a business edge

Want to know what your competitors are asking their offshore providers for? Mobile business applications, managed, supported and deployed fast for competitive gain.
September 30, 2010 30 Sep'10
Business process automation for the business' sake

CIOs like Ed Bell caution that business process automation success doesn't necessarily hail from the process of automation or the BPM tool, but rather from an understanding of the desired business outcome.
September 29, 2010 29 Sep'10
Is the CIO role 'redundant and glorified?'

I heard from a reader recently that Chief Idiot Officer, not Chief Information Officer, is a more apt descriptor for CIOs he's dealt with. Harsh. The scathing note was in response to my recent ...
September 29, 2010 29 Sep'10
Disaster recovery solutions for virtual environments run the gamut

When it comes to virtual disaster recovery solutions, the question is, how fast do you want them? Experts say a mix of solutions may be the way for enterprises to go.
September 29, 2010 29 Sep'10
What's the best tablet PC for your organization?

The Apple iPad has launched a tablet PC war as vendors strive to provide the mobility and functionality IT organizations crave. So what's the best tablet PC for your company?
September 28, 2010 28 Sep'10
A smart business intelligence strategy

My campaign to forever rid my home of snail mail is coming along, except for two areas: Clothing catalogs and Sierra Club membership appeals. The clothing catalogs I can understand. They might be ...
September 28, 2010 28 Sep'10
Social media, mobility shape business process automation in Las Vegas

CIO Joe Marcella, a seasoned practitioner of business process automation, talks about his approach and how the recession -- and social media -- have made BPA more critical than ever.
September 23, 2010 23 Sep'10
CIOs' list of demands for public cloud providers

Transferring data outside your four walls, particularly over the Internet, is not an appealing prospect to many CIOs. But cloud uptime? Now that is an even larger trust issue that CIOs just can't ...
September 23, 2010 23 Sep'10
Role of CIO increasingly calls for monetizing IT, intellectual assets

The CIO job goes by lots of names. Here's a new one: rainmaker. As businesses become IT- and intellectual-property-centric, CIOs are using their digital smarts to drive revenue.
September 22, 2010 22 Sep'10
Server virtualization leads to new disaster recovery system for bank

At Sun National Bank, a server virtualization project enabled a home-grown disaster recovery system and a bigger bang for the buck.
September 22, 2010 22 Sep'10
Social media and networking ushering in a 'third wave' of capitalism

Pepsi gets it, so does Coke. But social media and networking are not just about selling soda. They represent a 'third wave of capitalism,' one guru says. Ignore it at your peril.
September 16, 2010 16 Sep'10
A reader laments the performance of virtual desktop infrastructure

To hear the prophets tell it, virtualization -- of both the server and the desktop -- is inevitable. VMware says we're at the tipping point -- a point in time where the need for more efficient, ...
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 15, 2010 15 Sep'10
Business productivity and cost reduction No. 1 concern in CIO survey

Think the Great Recession is over? Not for CIOs. For the second year running, business productivity and cost reduction was the No. 1 concern of CIOs, CTOs and IT executives in the annual CIO survey ...
September 10, 2010 10 Sep'10
Emerging technology that's hitting its stride

Social media, it seems, is on everyone's mind these days. How do I use it as a business tool? Should I allow employees to use social media tools for business purposes? Its uses are varied, but it ...
September 08, 2010 08 Sep'10
A guide to scorecards and information dashboard design

Experts share their information dashboard design tips and scorecard template how-tos in this guide of real-world dashboard and scorecard development dos and don'ts.
September 08, 2010 08 Sep'10
Customization is out, as CIOs seek standardized outsourcing solutions

Outsourcing solutions are undergoing a seismic shift, says the head of outsourcing at A.T. Kearney. See what CIOs want from outsourcing companies, and the tradeoffs made in return.
September 07, 2010 07 Sep'10
Policies and people are keys to managing a virtualization strategy

Keep in mind that a successful virtualization strategy relies on the right policies and people, even if you are rushing to virtualize everything from applications to servers.
September 01, 2010 01 Sep'10
Data center colocation: Lock in prices now, experts advise

Demand for data center colocation is up, and so are the prices, prompting a debate over whether investments in colocation services match the ROI.
September 01, 2010 01 Sep'10
Public vs. private cloud computing: Which fits your enterprise needs?

Public and private cloud computing have penetrated enterprises, forcing IT to develop a plan for managing two distinct service-delivery models.
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 31, 2010 31 Aug'10
Data center outsourcing dilemma: CIOs weigh in on owning vs. renting

Is it better to own or rent data center space? CIOs are seeking more modular, green data center designs and considering data center outsourcing, as consolidation takes precedence.
August 31, 2010 31 Aug'10
Data center planning and design: Maintaining control during build-out

Effective data center planning and design are the first steps toward maintaining control during a build-out. In this Q&A, learn how Massachusetts officials are handling the task.
August 31, 2010 31 Aug'10
Getting clarity on the ITIL framework from ITIL's chief architect

Some 30 years after it began, the ITIL framework can still furrow the brow. Where do you start? Can you choose between V2 and V3? We get some clarity from two ITIL experts.
August 26, 2010 26 Aug'10
IT service catalog planning stage tips

A large publishing company in the U.K. is introducing a new IT service catalog as part of its plan to turn the current IT chargeback model on its head. Until this year, the company charged for IT ...
August 26, 2010 26 Aug'10
Why a conservative mutual fund company loves corporate social media

How does a conservative company like The Vanguard Group find itself on the forefront of corporate social media and enterprise 2.0 communication tools? It's all about the client.
August 25, 2010 25 Aug'10
CIO's IT strategic planning hinges on document storage and retrieval

See how one CIO is taking permanent document storage to the extreme, as in thousand-year-old record maintenance, as part of his IT strategic planning initiatives.
August 25, 2010 25 Aug'10
SOA solutions create a wrapper for legacy modernization

An expert defends the benefits of SOA solutions for legacy modernization and for creating network-centric collaborative environments.
August 24, 2010 24 Aug'10
How a CIO made a business case for a cloud computing solution

A cloud computing solution at Harvard Medical School illustrates the need for CIOs to articulate the business case and bring everyone into the process.
August 19, 2010 19 Aug'10
ITIL helps set IT service catalog expectations

I don't know about you, but to me, ITIL (or IT Infrastructure Library) is a little overwhelming. I'm only looking at using the ITIL framework as an IT service catalog tool, and I get a little lost. ...
August 18, 2010 18 Aug'10
CIO Q&A: 2010 IT spending squeezed at Welch Foods, but no sour grapes

2010 IT spending at Welch Foods was slashed, and so was IT staff, due in part to a bad blow from Mother Nature. Find out why CIO Dave Jackson is not complaining.
August 17, 2010 17 Aug'10
Experts debate the fate of cloud provider liability limits

All eyes are on cloud provider liability limits as experts ponder the financial backing needed for enterprise trust.
August 12, 2010 12 Aug'10
Time to lay down the cloud computing law for uptime

Experts lament the lack of cloud computing law covering the financial remuneration of unexpected downtime, while some cloud providers innovate with money-back guarantees.
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 28, 2010 28 Jul'10
Five points to consider when considering agile best practices

There are benefits to following agile best practices throughout the project lifecycle, but when are they your organization's best bet? Learn how to get started.
July 28, 2010 28 Jul'10
Leaving the past behind and embracing the 'new normal' in IT

The very traits that made companies successful in the 20th century will cause them to fail in the "new normal," according to futurist John Seely Brown.
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 21, 2010 21 Jul'10
ITIL best practices for small to midsized organizations

ITIL methodologies can bolster IT service delivery and operations, but they can also be a challenge. Learn how to tackle the framework with our roundup of ITIL best practices.
July 15, 2010 15 Jul'10
IT chargeback adoption obstacles and benefits

CIOs debate the merits of IT chargeback as a holy grail of business efficiency.
July 13, 2010 13 Jul'10
Deutsche Post DHL cuts IT budgets by half with a supply demand model

After moving to a supply demand model for IT, the German logistics giant Deutsche Post DHL cut its IT business expenditures by 50% and achieved better business-IT alignment.
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 06, 2010 06 Jul'10
Stack computing not catching on, but could hold promise in the cloud

Integrated computing stacks from Oracle and IBM aren't catching on with most CIOs, but some see an advantage when stacks are connected with architectures for private cloud computing.
July 01, 2010 01 Jul'10
Finding an endpoint for agile projects

One of the 12 principles of agile projects is that agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely, ...
July 01, 2010 01 Jul'10
A funny thing happened on the way to Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court considered a broad challenge to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and it chose to rule narrowly. The 5-4 opinion changed the way the members of the Public Company Accounting ...
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 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?
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.
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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.
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.
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 ...

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