Tips

Tips

• Shifting IT security budgets to attack detection, response

  A prevention-focused security strategy isn't foolproof. CIOs need to guide a shift in IT security spending toward attack detection and response.  Continue Reading

• Reconciling great user experience with data risks: CIO tips

  Harvey Koeppel recounts his quest to deliver great user experience without inviting undue data risks. The journey was not easy.  Continue Reading

• Mobile apps for business: Four CIO rules for building a mobile future

  Niel Nickolaisen suggests fellow IT leaders ignore the hysteria over 'mobile-first' enterprises and take a balanced approach to mobile app development.  Continue Reading

• Building an IT configuration management system: Hard but crucial

  An effective configuration management system that documents critical IT systems and services is a crucial prerequisite to successful incident response processes.  Continue Reading

• Mistakes CIOs make on IT outsourcing deals -- and how to fix them

  CIOs don't sign on to large IT outsourcing deals expecting them to go bad, so what accounts for the high failure rates? Andy Sealock offers a game plan for de-risking your deal.  Continue Reading

• How to govern your IT outsourcing provider after the ITO deal is done

  The best ITO deals need tweaking as time goes on. Good governance ensures that you and your IT outsourcing provider are on the same page.  Continue Reading

• Future-proof your IT outsourcing contract: A CIO checklist

  Despite reams of advice on how to write a good IT outsourcing contract, ITO expert Andy Sealock 'still sees terrible deals all over the place.' Here's how to do it right.  Continue Reading

• Infographic: Strategic IT plan checklist for CIOs

  A company's IT strategy can determine whether it sinks or floats in today's competitive marketplace. Download our free checklist to find out what components should be in your strategic IT plan.  Continue Reading

• Don't toss data center best practices when managing cloud services

  Cloud computing is different -- but it's not that different. Gartner analyst Mindy Cancila says you already do some of the most critical tasks.  Continue Reading

• Track the cost of cloud-based services with better financial management

  Companies that don't monitor the cost of cloud-based services could be in for a nasty surprise, warns Gartner analyst Mindy Cancila.  Continue Reading

• Cybersecurity experts: 'Brittle' security systems need overhaul

  Cybersecurity experts urge enterprises to embrace new tools, including micro-virtualization and intelligence-led security.  Continue Reading

• Enterprise data architecture strategy and the big data lake

  Today's enterprise data architecture strategy has to address how to align existing data systems with growing information needs, capabilities and data sources.  Continue Reading

• Larry Wall's programmer virtues and 'vices'

  IT pros who are lazy, impatient and hubristic are just what CIOs need. Gartner analyst Danny Brian explains why in this SearchCIO tip.  Continue Reading

• Taming today's cyberthreat landscape: A CIO checklist

  The cyberthreat landscape grows more dangerous by the day. Harvey Koeppel offers a 12-point cybersecurity checklist for CIOs.  Continue Reading

• From tech supplier to IT service provider, a CIO makes the 'big switch'

  To address gaps between business expectations and IT delivery, CIO Gary Watkins came up with a model to make his IT team the company's IT service provider of choice.  Continue Reading

• New CIOs: How to succeed in the first 120 days

  New CIOs have a short window to prove their mettle. Accenture's Diana Bersohn lays out a 120-day-plan for success.  Continue Reading

• Among threats to information security, human behavior a constant risk

  Among the myriad evolving threats to information security, CIOs can count on one constant: Human error. Niel Nickolaisen offers three best practices for dealing with ourselves.  Continue Reading

• AI technology: Is the genie (or genius) out of the bottle?

  Artificial intelligence has come a long way since SearchCIO columnist Harvey Koeppel studied with some of the discipline's pioneers. He offers 10 steps CIOs must take now to prepare for the AI technology era ahead.  Continue Reading

• Sample IT strategy plan templates and examples

  How do organizations gain a competitive edge in today's rapidly evolving tech landscape? With a solid IT strategy plan to guide them, for starters. These IT strategy plan templates and samples will help.  Continue Reading

• Mobile payments come of age: A brief history lesson

  Mobile payments mark the latest iteration in our 19,000-year history of commerce, says Harvey Koeppel. It's up to CIOs to make this evolutionary development work better.  Continue Reading

• Readers debate using the Apple Watch for business

  The Apple Watch offers nuggets of data that could drive employee productivity. We asked our readers to weigh in on the potential usefulness of the Apple Watch for business.  Continue Reading

• Three steps to creating a great senior leadership team

  You're only as good as your direct reports, says leadership coach and author Joseph Flahiff. Here's how to build a senior leadership team that makes breakthrough contributions to the business.  Continue Reading

• Startup guide: Don't be afraid to give your strategic goals a tuneup

  A few months into launching our new business, all signs were pointing to success. So why did we feel we had lost sight of our strategic goals?  Continue Reading

• The CIO's guide to the data center of the future

  When it comes to the enterprise data center of the future, past is probably not prologue, says SearchCIO columnist Harvey Koeppel. He offers five tips to prepare for the great data center unknown.  Continue Reading

• BPM principles in the age of the digitized customer experience

  Learn five BPM principles for delivering products and services to customers who want to conduct business in an individualized, intimate and instantaneous way.  Continue Reading

• Hire for personality, not just skills, to build your startup team

  Finding people with the right experience and skills to build your new business is critical, but it's the personality mix of a startup team that can make or break a small business.  Continue Reading

• Eight steps for keeping pace with data ownership

  Social, mobile, analytics and cloud computing require a fresh look at issues related to data ownership, according to Harvey Koeppel. His eight-point CIO checklist can help.  Continue Reading

• Lessons learned from FedEx's social networking platform project

  What big company doesn’t want a social networking platform that lets employees really connect, communicate and create? Take it from a pro: The benefits are many and, yes, it is hard to do.  Continue Reading

• Preparing your wireless network for the 802.11ac standard and beyond

  Get advice for assessing whether you should upgrade your wireless network to 802.11ac and for talking to network vendors about whether your core equipment can support it.  Continue Reading

• Gartner: DevOps is good; DevSecOps is better

  Make way for DevSecOps. According to Gartner analyst David Cearley, CIOs need to add security professionals to their DevOps teams.  Continue Reading

• Three tips for a better IT service model

  With IT budgets moving out of the IT department, these three best practices will help put your IT organization in a better position to compete with outside IT services companies.  Continue Reading

• Loss of focus chief reason for startup failure

  Too much passion, too little passion, too many cooks -- there are many factors that can lead to loss of focus and, ultimately, to startup failure.  Continue Reading

• Private cloud termination agreement: What CIOs need to know

  Relationships between companies and their cloud providers can be fleeting. Knowing this, it's important for CIOs to think about exit strategies before they sign that cloud contract. David Rutchik, a partner at Pace Harmon LLC, offers advice.  Continue Reading

• The complexities of a diversified cloud strategy

  Experts urge using a diversified cloud strategy to offset cloud vendor instability, but the sophisticated management skills this approach requires may make it unfeasible for some IT organizations.  Continue Reading

• Use a diversified cloud strategy to offset provider instability

  It can be tough for CIOs to get cloud providers to commit to providing long-term services. One way to ensure stability is by using a diversified cloud strategy.  Continue Reading

• Mobile app development process: Saving time, money

  Learn about one approach to mobile app development that cuts the amount of resources that go into expensive software development and testing.  Continue Reading

• Overcome the fear factor in enterprise application consolidation

  Application consolidation is not for the faint of heart. Among other hurdles are the users who threaten mutiny. Niel Nickolaisen offers advice on getting the deed done.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft, VMware, Cisco experts vet the cloud for CIOs

  What factors do CIOs weigh when choosing between public and private cloud? Is PaaS the future? Is it time to bring back that cloud deployment? Cloud experts offer insight to CIOs.  Continue Reading

• Advice for CIOs on cloud computing risk management

  Cloud technology expert Stephen Braat of IT service provider CDW shared his views on cloud computing risk management with CIOs at SIMposium 2014.  Continue Reading

• Cloud contract checklist: A lawyer's perspective

  It can be difficult to navigate cloud contracts. There are laws to abide by, SLAs, subcontractors and more. Where to start? One lawyer lays out the six basic issues he vets when he reviews cloud contracts with his clients.  Continue Reading

• Gartner's four steps on how to better manage public APIs

  Do you know what APIs are being leveraged inside your enterprise? Performing an internal audit is the first of four steps required for managing APIs.  Continue Reading

• Is text analytics the next BI beachhead for CIOs?

  Is it time to bring text analytics in-house? A director of analytics at Visa advises CIOs to consider these three questions before making a move.  Continue Reading

• How to ace the all-important investor pitch

  How do you convince investors to fork over money for your new business concept? A detailed 'needs inventory' is critical, says SearchCIO small business columnist Bryan Barringer. Patience also helps.  Continue Reading

• Handling disaster recovery during a bona fide crisis

  Harvey Koeppel has been there, done that in terms of IT DR, but no disaster recovery and business continuity plan prepared him for the tragedy that struck when he was the CIO of a global bank on assignment overseas.  Continue Reading

• Building a disaster recovery plan starts with IT disowning DR

  An email arrives from on high ordering IT to complete a project ASAP. The CIO marshals the troops. When it comes to disaster recovery, however, it's the CIO's duty to just say, 'No.'  Continue Reading

• Six mobile strategies that build customer relationships

  Mobile strategies that build strong customer relationships aim to make the offline world a better place. Here are six ways businesses are doing that.  Continue Reading

• Don't risk mobile chaos for lack of mobile governance

  Without governance, BYOD will quickly turn into mobile chaos. SearchCIO expert Bryan Barringer lays out the fundamentals of forming a mobility governance team.  Continue Reading

• How to build a custom cloud minus the expense of customization

  CTO Niel Nickolaisen explains how a custom cloud met changing customer demands, and how he pulled one off while sidestepping the evils of customization.  Continue Reading

• How to monetize your mobile app

  Monetizing your mobile application isn't easy. In this SearchCIO tip, three experts share the secrets behind monetizing their mobile apps and offer advice on how you, too, can develop a successful app.  Continue Reading

• Three steps to a coherent digital customer strategy

  CIOs and their application teams need to help their businesses develop a coherent digital customer strategy. Forrester Research's Stephen Powers and Mark Grannan outline the tools required to manage, engage and measure digital customer experiences.  Continue Reading

• Go mobile for business intelligence benefits, but beware the hurdles

  On-the-spot decision making and in-the-field analysis are two of the many benefits that make mobile analytics a worthy investment.  Continue Reading

• Free RFP template examples for ERP

  Use these free RFP template examples for ERP to make the best use of your business' technology resources.  Continue Reading

• Four tips from a reformed CTO for making the most of BYOx

  If CTO Niel Nickolaisen saw a rogue application, he would crush it. If he spied an unauthorized device connecting to his network, he shut down the attempt. That was then. Now he's living the BYOx life.  Continue Reading

• The mobile app payoff is in post-launch performance

  Mobile app dev is the easy part. Find out how mobile application performance management software can prevent lackluster performance in the field.  Continue Reading

• Social networking tools are the new email: Three tips from a CTO

  It's past time for CIOs to embrace enterprise social networking tools, says SearchCIO expert Niel Nickolaisen. Seek them out, measure their business value, and don't get discouraged if at first they don't succeed.  Continue Reading

• Seven data science lessons from McGraw-Hill Education analytics guru

  What programming language should every data scientist know? How should data scientists be trained? Why do you need more women on your team? McGraw-Hill Education's Alfred Essa answers those questions and more.  Continue Reading

• Four elements of creating business agility

  Organizational agility expert Joseph Flahiff lays out four practices that lead to business agility.  Continue Reading

• Free process mapping template examples for CIOs

  We scoured the Web for process mapping template examples to help CIOs better understand how to establish, align and manage IT and business processes.  Continue Reading

• A data Rx that's hard to swallow

  Analytics automation slip-ups have raised concerns about taking every data-driven Rx. #CIOChat-ters share their prescriptive analytics hesitations.  Continue Reading

• Prescriptive method of analytics boasts broad benefits

  Can the prescriptive method of analytics improve business outcomes in your industry? #CIOChat participants sound off on the potential and the reality.  Continue Reading

• The BI war: Old vs. new business intelligence vendors

  A battle is brewing between the legacy business intelligence vendor and the rookies burst onto the enterprise IT scene. Who will emerge victorious?  Continue Reading

• CTO takes on cyberthreats with hybrid security built on risk profiling

  A hybrid security defense begins by ranking potential risks by likelihood and impact, then hiring experts to shore up defenses.  Continue Reading

• Three reasons tech budgets remain firmly within CIO control

  Forrester's Andy Bartels spells out the reasons CIOs remain central to tech budgets, starting with the reality that CMOs don't want to go it alone.  Continue Reading

• Free templates: IT vendor selection, social sharing and mobile devices

  SearchCIO has rounded up free templates from around the Web providing guidance on IT vendor selection, social sharing and mobile device policies.  Continue Reading

• Automated scripts can cause mobile app security problems

  Part two of SearchCIO's six tips for avoiding mobile security mistakes looks at the limitations of non-human safeguards.  Continue Reading

• Six tips for avoiding mobile security problems with mobile apps

  Take it from some of the world's biggest brands: Mobile app security problems happen. Here are six tips for avoiding mobile app security mistakes.  Continue Reading

• Bringing SaaS ideas to the planning table: Four CIO tips

  CIOs and experts offer advice for IT leaders looking to pursue Software as a Service offerings and share SaaS ideas with an executive planning board.  Continue Reading

• Are you keeping up with technology or opening the door for rogue IT?

  Is your IT organization keeping up with technology or falling hopelessly behind? Discuss whether past-its-prime tech justifies a turn toward rogue IT.  Continue Reading

• Communication in IT key to warding off the rogue technology culprits

  Rogue IT: healthy or unhealthy? Communication in IT -- and across the organization -- is critical to keeping shadow IT at bay, our tweet jammers say.  Continue Reading

• IT leaders rethink definition of 'rogue IT' and focus on user needs

  Bring your own technology has CIOs reconsidering their definition of 'rogue IT' and refocusing their attention on user needs and innovation.  Continue Reading

• What is rogue IT, and what are its benefits and pitfalls?

  This month's #CIOChat asked participants, 'What is rogue IT?' Responses highlighted benefits, pitfalls and strategies for CIOs.  Continue Reading

• A CTO reflects on VDI implementation trials and errors

  CTO Niel Nickolaisen reflects back on the reasons some of his VDI implementations never made it past the experimentation stage.  Continue Reading

• Plenty of drivers to craft a hybrid cloud strategy, but caveats too

  Keeping the data center but keen on cloud? Take in this tip to learn about building a strong hybrid cloud strategy.  Continue Reading

• Free IT templates for CIOs and technology managers

  SearchCIO rounded up free IT templates from around the Web to help technology managers organize their IT departments, projects and service offerings.  Continue Reading

• Strong CIO/CMO alliance paves way for data-driven marketing strategy

  IT and marketing executives illuminate the need for building a strong CIO/CMO alliance and offer steps to get you there.  Continue Reading

• Advice for small business owners on whether to build a mobile app

  Building a mobile app can give small business owners a competitive edge, but it's not for everyone. Christine Parizo explains why.  Continue Reading

• Top security threats, potential for human error necessitate new tools

  Top security threats, recent fraud cases and the potential for human error have CIOs looking ahead to new security tools, our #CIOchat-ters say.  Continue Reading

• Biometric security measures and identification: A new enterprise rage?

  Should CIOs heed biometric security measures and identification? Our #CIOChat-ters weighed in on the implications of biometric-scanning authentication.  Continue Reading

• Free project management template examples for strategic IT planning

  These free project management template examples from around the Web provide project guidelines and strategic IT planning tools to CIOs and IT leaders.  Continue Reading

• A CTO who has 'seen it all' shares top tips for effective disaster recovery

  When it comes to effective disaster recovery, CTO Niel Nickolaisen advises it may be best to look outside your IT department. Read his top tips here.  Continue Reading

• Ways to crack the IT talent retention problem when money isn't the answer

  CIOs from Partners HealthCare and Harvard University discuss aspects of their talent retention strategies.  Continue Reading

• The wearable device: When will it arrive in the enterprise?

  In this recap, #CIOChat-ters discuss who should be concerned about the wearable device, and when CIOs might need to prepare related wearable policies.  Continue Reading

• #CIOChat: Your wearable device presents a BIG data challenge

  Ever consider the implications of bringing your wearable device to work? Tweet jam participants discuss data challenges and infrastructure needs.  Continue Reading

• New wearable technology uses: Customer interactions and business value

  New wearable technology uses are permeating the enterprise. CIOs can boost employee productivity and derive business value from customer interactions.  Continue Reading

• Wearable computing technology: What about all that data?

  If your organization uses wearable computing technology, odds are you produce a whole lot of data. How can CIOs keep that data actionable and secure?  Continue Reading

• Consumer tech enters the workplace: What are CIOs to do?

  The adoption of consumer tech in business is trending toward wearable devices. In this tweet recap, learn how to prep for wearables in the workplace.  Continue Reading

• On digital transformation, will CIOs get stuck in the shadows?

  Organizations must play to their digital strengths if they want to survive digital disruption, advises Forrester. Is there a place for the CIO?  Continue Reading

• CIOs assess the value of managing employee performance

  The CIO quest for skilled IT folks is escalating into an all-out talent war. Smart management of employee performance is a good place to start.  Continue Reading

• CIOs: Recalculate technology innovation strategy on a real-time basis

  ASAE CIO Reggie Henry shares how he and his team will invest in technology innovation for improved business process management in 2014.  Continue Reading

• Companies must engage customers on three fronts: Are CIOs ready?

  According to Forrester Research, to win in the 'age of the customer,' CIOs must help their businesses engage customers on three fronts.  Continue Reading

• Trimming the 'fat' from your IT roadmap in 2014

  SearchCIO's #CIOChat-ers tell us where to trim 'fat' from the technology budget in 2014 in order to establish a sustainable IT roadmap.  Continue Reading

• #CIOChat: Technology phrases we're swearing off in 2014

  In SearchCIO's year-end tweet jam, participants shared the technology phrases they plan to banish from their IT vocabulary in 2014.  Continue Reading

• How to resolve IT issues in 2014: #CIOChat IT resolutions abound

  Have you made your IT resolutions list and checked it twice? Our #CIOChat participants weighed in how to resolve IT dilemmas in the New Year.  Continue Reading

• Project focus regrets of 2013: Cloud and data make the cut

  What are you biggest IT regrets of 2013? In our final tweet jam of the year, participants share where their project focus went awry.  Continue Reading

• Move like Jagger to nail down a digital strategy

  The collaborative skills of Quincy Jones, longevity of the Rolling Stones and tenacity of Tina Turner are the makings of a potent digital strategy.  Continue Reading

• Disaster recovery practices and business continuity plans for SMBs

  Disaster recovery practices and business continuity plans are no longer a luxury for SMBs. We've rounded up some of the best DR/BC advice for CIOs.  Continue Reading

• Forrester: Three competencies CIOs need to master digital disruption

  CIOs need three competencies to keep pace with digital disruption. Plus, do you play soldier, captain or general in digital disruption?  Continue Reading

• IT budgeting, purchasing and cost-cutting tips for finance-minded CIOs

  IT budgeting, purchasing and cost cutting are constant SMB concerns. As the year winds down, CIOs must consider what's hot and what's not for 2014.  Continue Reading

• Where to invest in IT: Tweet jammers discuss budget forecast for 2014

  As a CIO, where do you plan to invest in IT in 2014? Our #CIOChat tweet jam participants talk about the budget forecast for enterprise IT.  Continue Reading

• Social gamification: How it benefits companies and their users

  Social gamification is proving its worth in organizations large and small. In this Q&A, Sonya Barry, a community manager at Java.net, explains how.  Continue Reading