Bloggers

Faced with Distraction, Leaders Need Willpower

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:24:04 GMT

HBR writes "[by John Coleman]...Our environment only exacerbates the problem. The jungle of stimuli that engulfs us each day make it difficult to exercise restraint or focus on the important habits we need to build or tasks we need to accomplish...willpower is an essential quality you'll need for personal effectiveness at work...powering through an endless day of difficult decisions...Want to grow your business or get that promotion at work?...consider a few of the following approaches..." more

Making the Business Case for Enterprise Social Networks

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:57:50 GMT

Altimeter Group writes "[by Charlene Li]...Most companies approach enterprise social networks as a technology deployment and fail to understand that the new relationships created by enterprise social networks are the source for value creation....in today’s consumerized world, business units can adopt enterprise software, often without IT ever knowing. As a result, a new approach is required that focuses on four key ways that relationships create value through enterprise social networks: [1] Encourage sharing. [2] Capture knowledge..." more

P&G CIO Sees Analytics as Key to Agility

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:26:18 GMT

Susan Hall writes "...Procter & Gamble CIO Filippo Passerini plans to quadruple the number of people on staff with expertise in business analytics...In a second, really interesting article on P&G's efforts to increase transparency and agility, Michael Schrage at Harvard Business Review writes that greater transparency in large organizations generally brings on more micromanaging. At a conference, he asked the P&G execs how they dealt with that. He was surprised at the answer..." more

Corporate Vision and Digital Strategy Linked to Content Curation

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:39:18 GMT

Rahel Anne Bailie writes "...Content curation is a hot topic right now because organizations are finding themselves with way too much content that has accumulated over the course of time...which now needs to be grouped into some sort of order for visitors to make sense of it...Content “clean-up” has a much different connotation than content curation...That latter is treated as a task worthy of a senior staffer, who understands the corporate vision and digital strategy..." more

IT Consumerization has Produced Thousands of Amateur CIOs

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:57:01 GMT

Business Finance writes "[by Eric Krell]...CIOs in every company have a Wieland problem these days...“A number of CIOs I talk to see many of their employees starting to outpace the capability of the IT department...The challenge primarily resides in security: how can...sensitive data and information be sufficiently protected as it surfs on and off private devices...CIOs do not even know exists and across wireless networks...The opportunity lies in... ." more

Selling Data Mining to Management

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:09:41 GMT

SmartData Collective writes "[by Sandro Saitta]...the step from analytics to action is a crucial one in any analytics project. Imagine you have the best data and found the best model of all time. You need to industrialize the data mining solution to make your company benefits from them...you will first need to sell your project to the management...three interesting articles on this topic..." more

Applying Risk Management Tactics to Outsourcing and Open Innovation

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:10:28 GMT

Wharton Sch of Bus writes "..Open innovation is gaining in popularity, but when should companies be concerned with protecting their own knowledge? Most people expect bad weather to negatively impact business conducted outdoors, but what are its implications in industries where work is primarily done inside? How can companies use risk management techniques to better assess the potential downsides of hiring contract or temporary workers?..." more

The Difference Between a Good and Bad Strategy

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:45:07 GMT

Forrester writes "[by Tim Sheedy]...I work with a lot of CIOs and heads of strategy...As a part of our strategy document review service, I have seen plenty of approaches to IT strategies – from “on a single page” position statements through to hugely detailed document...The basis of a good strategy is to diagnose the challenge, develop a guiding policy and create coherent policies and actions. You know it’s a bad strategy when it:..." more

Leadership Program for Women Targets Subtle Promotion Biases

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:10:06 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Maggie Starvish]...The paper is believed to be the first to incorporate an understanding of second-generation bias into a new approach to women's leadership development, moving beyond traditional programs developed for men. "Most leadership development for women is 'add women and stir'—basically, delivering to women what is delivered to men...First-generation biases, such as policies or actions...have been largely wiped off the books. Second-generation biases, while unintentional, can have the same effect..." more

Just How Important is Manufacturing in Innovating?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:01 GMT

HBR writes "[by Willy C Shih]...you cannot innovate in a country if the factories are on the other side of the world. R&D and manufacturing must be located close to each other so their people can together figure out how to develop a product...Working in these plants are inventive people who are the source of important ideas....The bottom line is if a country loses the ability or the capacity to manufacture, its innovation space will be..." more

Financial Institutions Act on BYOD Trust Model

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:29:38 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "by Ojas Rege]...The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend is one of the more dramatic results of the consumerization of IT, in which consumer preference, not corporate initiative, drives the adoption of technologies in the enterprise. By 2014, 90 percent of organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices predicted...Gartner...Building a BYOD trust model requires a financial institution to do the following:..." more

Real Innovators Ship Products Customers Can Adopt

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 23:19:54 GMT

Jeffrey Phillips writes "...There are three risks in particular that we must address when introducing a new product or service into the marketplace. Clearly the product or service must offer equivalent benefits at a lower price or new and improved capabilities at the same value proposition...You must then overcome the risks that customers perceive in any new product or service: [1] Will it be difficult to adopt? [2] Will it be compatible with my existing way of life..." more

Brands Face Stream Fatigue as Consumers Look Beyond Gimmicks

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:01:21 GMT

Brian Solis writes "...While many brands are designing editorial and engagement programs to encourage consumers to “Like” and follow profiles...consumers are simultaneously struggling to find signal against the noise, grappling with stream fatigue...overwhelming sense of over connectedness...The reality is that customers can and will cut ties with brands that do not take their best interests into account. Consumers are realizing that they have the power to..." more

Researchers Reveal How Attackers Can Track Cell Phone Locations

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:24:22 GMT

ThreatPost writes "[by Brian Prince]...The situation was detailed by researchers from the University of Minnesota, who discovered that there is enough information leaked from the lower layers of the GSM [Global System for Mobile Communications] communication stack to permit attackers to perform what they call “location tests” on targeted devices. “Cell phone towers have to track cell phone subscribers to provide service efficiently,”...one of the authors of the paper, explained... “For example..." more

Is the CIO Becoming the New CMO?

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:21:05 GMT

SmartData Collective writes "[by Ajay Kelkr]...Marketing budgets are now larger than IT budgets & growing faster says Gartner. By 2017, Gartner says that CMO’s will spend more on IT than CIO’s. Interesting how marketing is getting more & more dependent on technology. And yet the Marketer’s perception of internal IT is not very positive. The same Gartner survey has Marketers saying that they..." more

Taking a Break From Devices That Have Become 24/7 Intravenous Hookups

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:29:57 GMT

Wharton Sch of Bus writes "...Not only do we have difficulty maintaining personal boundaries with work because our lives and jobs are so enmeshed with technology, but we also feel intense pressure from our organizations to be "always on" and immediately responsive to calls and emails outside of normal working hours. Some employers, however, are now attempting to flip the "off" switch...a growing number of businesses are reviewing their policies on how workers manage email, including how many employees are allowed to be copied on a message and..." more

Who's Moving Their Company Beyond Bureaucracy Towards Innovation?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:54:28 GMT

HBR writes "[by Polly LaBarre]...we received a flood of big ideas and game-changing initiatives and experiments from management innovators in all kinds of organizations around the world. Last month, we had the tough job of narrowing the pool down to fourteen excellent finalists. Now we're proud to introduce you to the seven winners:..." more

Researchers Uncover More About the S in HTTPS

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:27:01 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Paul Ducklin]...SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is the "great enabler" of online commerce. It's the S in HTTPS, and it's the padlock in the address bar of your browser...read the actual results...both sets of researchers found duplicated ns (prime products), and ns which could be factored easily...some of these problems are explained by poor (or just plain wrong) random number generation...If you're a coder, don't cut corners on randomness. And never, ever try to roll your own pseudo-random number generator, unless..." more

Business Social Software Successful when Focused on Production, Delivery and Decision Making

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:50:48 GMT

Bertrand Duperrin writes "...While some [large companies] focus on building communities and adopting software, some implemented pragmatic management practices, focused on production, delivery and decision making. These last ones often get better results in terms on impact on work as well as employees’ well-being...These cases are all about organizational, management, human principles that drive an increased collective effectiveness as well as more sustainability in performance and management..." more

CIOs Role in Mobilization: The Missing Link Between Strategy and Execution

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:42:27 GMT

Chris Curran writes "...Mobilization is often the missing link between strategy and execution and can mean the difference between success and failure. The role of the CIO is to make sure that their companies have a carefully thought out roadmap before implementing any large scale initiative. When something goes wrong, because it inevitably will, companies that make mobilization a priority are much more likely to..." more

Collaborative Technologies have Tremendous Productivity Potential

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:38:41 GMT

Tammy Erickson writes "...As one executive told me recently, "We've built a great deal of capability — and participation — but it only touches 1% of our productive activity because it's not part of the flow of the work."...no matter how challenging, the use of collaborative technology for work will continue to grow over the years ahead because when it's used properly, social technology enables a very different level of performance. Your competition will shift the playing field in your industry by integrating this technology..." more

Research Team Discovers Critical Flaw in Standard Encryption Method

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:25:50 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Ephraim Schwartz in Encryption]...The researchers said their goal from the outset was to examine the commonly held assumption by the cryptographic community that each time random keys are generated different choices are made. In the vast majority of cases when generating public keys this seemed to be the case; however, they also uncovered “a more disconcerting finding ... that two out of every one thousand RSA moduli that we collected offer no security..." more

Virtual Water Reliance Puts Nations at Risk, Study Says

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:59:43 GMT

Yale Environment 360 writes "...The nations most reliant on this virtual water include the island nation of Malta, which is 92 percent dependent, Kuwait (90 percent), Jordan (86 percent) and Israel (82 percent). Some of the most water-rich nations — including the U.S. and Japan — are also among the biggest importers because the products they import require so much water to produce..." more

Existing Business Models Struggle with Fast, Fluid and Flexible in the Social Era

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:56:21 GMT

HBR writes "[by Nilofer Merchant]...The world has changed; how we create value has changed. Organizationally we have not. It will be wholly insufficient to put the word "social" in front of existing business models and expect things to change. Instead, we need to imagine the fundamental enterprise anew for the social era. Lean, adaptive, community-driven organizations, built for..." more

The Hollow Emptiness in Social Media Numbers - Most Accounts are Fake or Empty

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:49:15 GMT

Tom Foremski writes "[by ZDNet]...Increasing numbers of studies of social networks point to much smaller numbers of real and active users...If corporations aren’t able to use social media to reach large numbers of consumers, the value of platforms...will be severely diminished. How large is this problem of fake and empty user profiles? Here is an analysis...by Kevin Kelly, a former editor of Wired magazine and..." more

Why Some Ads Go Viral and Others Don't

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:40:42 GMT

HBR writes "...Thales Teixeira, Harvard Business School professor, explains what makes us want to watch—and share—certain commercials..." more

Business Leaders and Occupy Protestors Intersect on 10 Points

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 18:09:50 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Herman B Leonard, Eliot I Snider]...in reality their concerns are not very different from the concerns we heard when we talked to business leaders around the world about the problems they thought might constitute material threats to the sustainability of market capitalism...We classified what we heard as ten potential disruptors of the global market system...Based on our research, we believe the time has come for companies to accept the challenge to use their entrepreneurial skills on a..." more

East Meets West: Who Has Better Leaders?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:59:43 GMT

HBR writes "[by Scott Edinger]...What if the important thing wasn't which group scored better but the fact that the scores were so close? Granted that Western leadership skills were at one time considered superior, what if that advantage, perceived or real, no longer exists?...the list of commonalities was long. Here are [5]...inspiring and motivating is the attribute most strongly associated with the highest leadership scores..." more

Supply Chain Carbon Management Business Case is Strong and Growing

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:49:25 GMT

Globe Net writes "...The business case is strong and growing: suppliers that do not measure, quantify, and manage their greenhouse-gas emissions will soon see their business move to competitors that can provide better information and clearer evidence of change...the survey results indicate ways in which corporations can serve as a catalyst for these changes among their suppliers, working to engender sound carbon-management practices among..." more

Top 10 Security Risks of Mobility Computing

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:27:27 GMT

EMC writes "[by Richard Rees]...The audience for mobile computing is an inherent risk that has significantly different risk profiles and understanding of computing....application security is a good start, but it won’t solve the fundamental problems connected to mobile security. Mobile devices likely already exceed the amount of traditional computers...we should be looking more at disrupting mobile bot nets and mobile threat modeling now than traditional computing threat modeling..." more

How to Transform Strategic Supplier Relationships

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:18:08 GMT

CIO writes "[by Duncan Jones]...failure to communicate is most damaging in the pivotal relationships that involve the highest expenditure, have the most potential to deliver business benefit, and are hardest to break when things go wrong. Traditional buyer/seller negotiations...create rigid contracts that cannot adapt to...Forrester analyzed examples of collaborative, mutually beneficial, successful buyer-supplier relationships, and identified three characteristics that are key to a successful partnership:..." more

Why Sustainability Reporting is Worth the Effort

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:54:44 GMT

BSR writes "[by Dunstan Allison Hope]...working with business to create a just and sustainable world—requires corporate transparency...1. Sustainability reporting helps define how companies address the world’s biggest sustainability challenges...2. The sustainability field needs extensive capacity-building...3. While report readers tend to be global, report writers are often not....4. Platform for Dialogue..." more

Crypto Shocker: Four of Every 1,000 Public Keys Provide No Security

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:46:21 GMT

Ars Technica writes "[by Dan Goodin]...An astonishing four out of every 1,000 public keys protecting webmail, online banking, and other sensitive online services provide no cryptographic security, a team of mathematicians has found. The research is the latest to reveal limitations in the tech used by more than a million Internet sites to prevent eavesdropping..." more

Why Organizational Capabilities Diffuse Slowly

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:31:36 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by R Gibbons and R Henderson]...large literature identifies unique organizational capabilities as a potent source of competitive advantage, yet our knowledge of why capabilities fail to diffuse more rapidly-particularly in situations in which competitors apparently have strong incentives to adopt them and a well developed understanding of how they work-remains incomplete...significant capabilities often rest on managerial practices that in turn rely on relational contract..." more

3 Simple Rules Ensure Meaningful Progress in Meetings

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:36:17 GMT

Susan Mazza writes "...Whenever I work with a group as a coach or a facilitator I ask how many people have been on a committee before most people cringe a little. Bad committee experiences seem to be right up there with lousy meetings as one of the most lamented time wasters. It doesn’t have to be that way if you follow these 3 simple rules…" more

The Techniques Phish Emails Use to Evade Detection

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:11:52 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Lee Graves]...As typical, the scam starts with an email asking the user to update their account, providing a realistic spoof of an authentic...communication...Here, the phishers do a few things to mask the phish:..Let’s take a closer look at one of the URLs used in this phish…" more

Is Intergenerational Economic Mobility Lower Now?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:52:54 GMT

Mark Thoma writes "...A recent New York Times article highlighted the growing evidence showing that intergenerational economic mobility appears to be lower in the United States than in other advanced countries...Although we cannot say with any certainty how much mobility today’s children will experience over the coming decades, recent research suggests cause for concern. The gap in children’s academic performance between high- and low-income families has widened significantly...If this trend persists..." more

There Is No Career Ladder: It's a Different World

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:17:16 GMT

HBR writes "[by Priscilla Claman]...despite their near extinction, why do we still believe in career ladders? Truthfully, intentionally or not, we are still promising traditional careers...There are better ways to think about career moves. Try these tips for diverting your attention from the next step up. Look laterally for career moves...Prove you can handle a promotion...Grow your skills to grow your job. Seek out and take advantage of..." more

New Data Reveals Cleaner Economy has Greater Resiliency

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:17:35 GMT

Globe Net writes "...New data, released last week reveals that California's Core Green Economy showed greater resilience at the height of the recent recession, outperforming the overall economy by retaining a greater percentage of its workforce. The report, 2012 Many Shades of Green:California's Shift to a Cleaner, More Productive Economy, which represents a comprehensive, bottom-up accounting of California's Core Green Economy, shows that from January 2009 to January 2010, the state's overall economy..." more

Fossil Fuel Imports and Use Soar as Japan's Nuclear Fleet Sits Idle

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:59:51 GMT

Breakthrough Institute writes "[by Mark Caine]...Already, the high cost of these fossil fuel imports has contributed to Japan's newfound trade deficit of $32 billion, the country's first in over 30 years...The consequences of TEPCO's dash to fossil fuels go beyond economics: the move is also complicating the company's plans to cut carbon emissions to a yearly average of 20% below 1990 levels for..." more

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT): Useful or Buzzword?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:56:42 GMT

CTOvision writes "[by Adam Elkus]...Is the term overused? Yes...But there is a qualitative difference emerging between attackers who are taking a path of least resistance and those using sophisticated attack techniques to enter the systems of targeted organizations....while non-APTs use cruder methods to probe for weak points, APTs use social engineering...to directly target vulnerable employees and organizational knowledge gaps. As much as APTs are a marketing term, they are..." more

An Ode to Leadership and What Love has to do With It

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:50:29 GMT

Bill Taylor writes "...Business still has lots to learn from Vince Lombardi...Here's my message in a nutshell: As important as it is for companies and leaders to develop a clear value proposition, it's even more important to present an authentic values proposition — an emotional and psychological connection that establishes you in the hearts and minds of your customers. Sustaining performance is as much about cultivating a spirit of grassroots energy...engagement as unleashing a set of game-changing ideas. Companies built around..." more

3 CIOs Talk About Their Success Forming IT-Business Partnerships

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:45:58 GMT

ITworld writes "...CIOs are determining if new attempts to partner with the business are making a difference...[Dwayne Warner, CIO, Carnival Cruise Lines]...I knew the IT organization had to change...[Michael Del Priore, VP, Global CIO, Church and Dwight] I have created business-focused IT positions at several national and multinational companies. So when I started implementing these changes..." more

It's Harder than Ever to be a Senior Executive

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:06:20 GMT

HBR writes "[by Boris Groysberg]...The job of the senior executive is much more complicated today than it was a decade or two ago — and that trend will continue, especially if you hope to play on a global stage...Here are five reasons. 1. Soft skills are more important than ever...2. So are technical skills...you need to be better at everything...being legitimate in the eyes of your people...Running a company has become..." more

Report Reveals Handful of Malicious Networks Will Spawn Most 2012 Attacks

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:29:06 GMT

ThreatPost writes "[by Brian Donohue]...organized crime groups and malicious hackers are sticking with what works when launching online attacks...attacks via e-mail increased by nearly five per cent from the first half of the year and continue to be a large problem. Attacks launched from search-engine optimized Web sites were the most common entry point for malicious code...Social networking is moving up as a mlaware entry point. Now accounting for almost 6.5 per cent of..." more

The Privacy and Security Mobile Device Project

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:04:28 GMT

John Halamka writes "...The report groups its recommendations into three areas: access, storage and transmission. [1] Access - Username/password protection - to reduce the risk of keystroke loggers or stolen passwords, it recommends two factor authentication...[2] Remote access - to minimize the risk of privacy breaches, it recommends...[3] Storage - Theft risk mitigation - to reduce the risk of breach when a device is lost or stolen, it recommends encryption, biometric authentication methods, and..." more

Leaders Resist Corruption Setting New Standards of Global Business

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:59:57 GMT

HBR writes "[by Gregory Unruh]...There is a growing recognition among global leaders that every decision they make...reinforces existing practice or changes it in some way...With corruption, many business leaders feel like it is something forced on their organization by unscrupulous politicians...Many business leaders have begun to dedicate their organizations to this new norm and fight corruption. This is not easy and requires well-thought-out strategies..." more

The Differences Between the Old and New IT Leader

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:40:58 GMT

CIO writes "[by Thornton A May]...There are many differences between the old and new kind of IT hero. Multiple generations of IT leaders have been adept at answering questions, fulfilling goals and getting things done. Modern success in IT requires asking questions, setting goals and evaluating whether things are worth doing in the first place. If you want to be an IT leader in the years ahead, you need to..." more

Learn About and Use Multi-Factor Authentication

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:29:24 GMT

CTOvision writes "[by Bryan Halfpap]...Password security is important as a barrier to entry, but proper password procedures ensure that post-breach data theft including password databases are less severe. Proper password storage is essential to provide time post-breach for an organization to reassess and refactor security policy and reset affected user accounts...A proper password hash algorithm should look like this..." more

6 Green Data Centers that Could Survive an Apocalypse

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:58:21 GMT

Clean Technica writes "[by Gavin Hudson]...These are some of the coolest energy-efficient, nuke-proof data centers on Earth, but they’re not the only ones. By using variable speed drives, among other things, data center operators can do to reduce energy costs, whether they’re under ground or above..." more

6 Ways IT Depts can Defend Against Drive-By Downloads

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:49:09 GMT

CIO writes "[by Meridith Levinson]...Cybercriminals are increasingly using drive-by downloads to distribute malware without end users knowing something bad has just landed on their machine--until it's too late. Here are six ways IT departments can protect end users from the productivity sink and potential data loss that drive-by downloads create..." more

Rewind and Replay for Web App Vulnerabilities

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:12:06 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Andrew Rose]...If we are to stand a chance of breaking even in this game, we have to learn our lessons and ensure that we don’t repeat the same mistakes over and over. Unfortunately, it is alarmingly common to see well known vulnerabilities and weakness being baked right in to new applications and systems...most developers are keen to learn how to write secure code and there are simple and effective solutions that can really help, such as..." more

Social Platforms: From Noise to Situational Intelligence

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:04:11 GMT

Bertrand Duperrin writes "...many users say that the problem that enterprise social platforms is the risk of infobesity and informational noise. Reality is more complex...In a complex business world, it’s essentiel to feel signals to act and adapt permanently to external events that impact one. Feeling does not mean deep reading and understanding. Employees will have to learn to optimize their situational intelligence by making the most of the surrounding noise without being submerged by it..." more

Michigan Luring App Developers into Rich Mix of Tech Jobs

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:52:54 GMT

Susan Hall writes "...Detroit's also getting a little buzz from the report on the "app economy" job engine. Released by trade group TechNet, it estimates that mobile app development has created 466,000 jobs in the United States since 2007. The report found that 1.1 percent of the Detroit-Warren-Livonia metropolitan statistical area's jobs come from the "app economy,"..." more

Be Aware of Aggregated Data Clauses in Contracts

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:49:13 GMT

Michael Overly writes "...A growing number of cloud and other technology agreements include grants to the vendor of broad and generally undefined rights to take “aggregated data” derived from the engagement and use it for unspecified purposes. Businesses should be aware of these clauses and revise them to accomplish two things: ensure the data really is “aggregated” and reduce risk...The first step is..." more

Mobile Wallet Still has Gaping Holes

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:40:32 GMT

ITworld writes "[by Kevin Fogarty]...The idea is to eliminate the need to carry a wallet full of plastic by connecting smartphones directly to secure payment-processing systems so consumers can use their smartphones as the hardware token that allows them to authenticate themselves when making purchases at retail stores, vending machines and almost anywhere else..." more

Distinguish between App Layer Vulnerabilities and Perimeter Protections

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:38:08 GMT

Imperva writes "[by Rob Rachwald]...Though we have no evidence, its a safe bet that the UN had IPS, network firewalls and possibly so-called "next gen" firewalls which are virtually useless. Its amazing that so many security professionals still can't distinguish between application layer vulnerabilities and perimeter protections. Note that the hacker used Blind SQL injections, something..." more

5 Ways Companies Close the Skills Gap and Improve Competitive Position

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:34:56 GMT

HBR writes "[by David Smith]...American companies need to get creative about addressing the skills challenge. There are plenty of ways to find or develop the right people without spending enormous amounts of time and money. Based on Accenture's research and experience helping companies build their bench of talent, here are five ways for companies to close the skills gap and improve their competitive position...[1]Mine the existing workforce for hidden talent...[3] Use analytical techniques to find and cultivate talent..." more

Emerging Green Economy Tracked in State of Green Business Report

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:29:22 GMT

Globe Net writes "[by GreenBiz]...The report chides U.S. industry for the fact that the US economy wastes approximately 85% of the energy produced, with few signs of any significant coming change. Automobile emissions rose in 2011, while the US administration created aggressive fuel standards that don't take full effect until 2025...Many companies now report on environmental and social indicates, ensuring that sustainability metrics are counted and become part of the corporate fabric..." more

B2B Electronic Invoicing Continues Growth Across the Globe

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:18:04 GMT

Business Finance writes "[by Karen Kroll]...The days of paper invoices continue to decline, as electronic invoicing proliferates. In 2011, the use of e-invoicing jumped by 20 percent...One reason for the growth is legislation mandating or encouraging its use in several countries, including Finland and Mexico. In the U.S., the Department of the Treasury last year announced that it was “mandating that all Treasury Bureaus implement..." more

Peeling Apart a Two Factor Authentication Solution

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:01:30 GMT

John Halamka writes "...about innovative approaches to strong identity management which we're investigating...Here's how credentials are issued per Richard Furr, Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Policy and Compliance, SAFE-BioPharma Association:...Here's how actual authentication works:..." more

NSF Releases Guidance on Cloud Computing

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:59:03 GMT

CTOvision writes "[by Ryan Kamauff]...The National Science Foundation released their report on cloud computing... here...The NSF used NIST’s guidance on cloud computing to inform their research and decision making. This report will be instrumental in informing Federal decision makers and cloud investment. It is important to pay attention to such documents as they can help businesses align with Federal government priorities..." more

Years of Broadcast Ads Conditioned People to Not Believe Companies

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:51:50 GMT

Jeff Nolan writes "...The reason why brand statements are untrustworthy is that they reflect what a company, specifically those in the leadership of a company, want to believe about their organization, not what the customers of that institution reflect back to them as their values..." more

Don't Confuse Passion with Competence

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:43:27 GMT

HBR writes "[by Scott Anthony]...Passion only matters if it leads to an innovation that delivers impact, whether that impact is measured in revenues, profits, improved process performance, or something entirely differently. This is one reason why good venture capital investors dole out capital in stages. They are waiting to see if the vision that looks so great on paper bears any resemblance to reality. When I'm evaluating entrepreneurs and their ideas, I look for..." more

Pharmaceutical and Drug Supply Chains Challenged

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:22:11 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...Significant ongoing production quality problems...a discernible trend involving multiple generic injectable drug supplies is evident. The American Society of Health System Pharmacists reported shortages of 251 drugs in 2011, mainly generic injectable medications....according to FDA, nearly half of the existing shortages stem from quality problems at manufacturing facilities. Manufacturing and shipping delays, as well as shortages of active pharmaceutical ingredients..." more

Financial Institutions Hounded by Implications of Big Data

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:17:01 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "[by Katherine Burger]...plenty of conflict and fear in the room as financial institutions have tried to come to grips with the implications of big data. In addition to promising better and more profitable insight into customers, channels and risks, big data also is going to change the ways banks operate by breaking down organizational boundaries and forcing people out of their proverbial comfort zones. As McKinsey & Co. partner Allen L. Weinberg notes..." more

Why are BPO and BPM Not Talking to Each Other?

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:05:22 GMT

Adam Deane writes "...This might be due to lack of implementations at BPO customers, or that large BPO companies usually have their own software solutions and internal process teams. It might be due to regional differences...But it’s probably down to the snub we give anyone that dares uses the phrase “business process” in their industry description, without..." more

Walmart Broadens ROI for Green Power

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:29:14 GMT

HBR writes "[by Andrew Winston]...amidst a seemingly scripted set of responses on Walmart's supply chain and operational greening efforts, the discussion took an interesting turn...Walmart has tweaked its ROI requirements for green power initiatives to reflect more of the big picture...If the lords of low cost recognize the strategic value of green investments, so can the rest of us..." more

FTC Warns Background Screening Mobile Apps may be Unlawful

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:06:12 GMT

CIO writes "[by Michael Cooney]...Under the FCRA, operations that assemble or evaluate information to provide to third parties qualify as consumer reporting agencies, or CRAs. Mobile apps that supply such information may qualify as CRAs under the Act. CRAs must take reasonable steps to ensure the user of each report has a 'permissible purpose' to use the report; take reasonable steps to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of the information conveyed in its reports; and provide users of its..." more

5 Technology Trend Opportunities in 2012

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:38:25 GMT

Chris Curran writes "...Some companies are letting outsiders in on their innovation processes... companies grow more comfortable tapping social networks to collaborate with their partners, customers and employees. Companies that shed their old innovation processes and embrace these all-inclusive innovation teams will be in a powerful position to explore and exploit the following technology trends...[1] Location Awareness: Widening Possibilities with Near Field Communication Tracking anything that moves..." more

Kodak: A Parable of American Competitiveness

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:25:11 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Dina Gerdeman]...Outsourcing manufacturing operations has been occurring for decades, based on the assumption that moving grunt work overseas wouldn't affect US companies' competitive edge in the global marketplace. But this assumption is wrong, and the fallout has been disastrous...Much of the damage to American competitiveness in the science and technology fields has already been done..." more

Desktop VDI may be Ready for Prime Time but Is the Network?

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:57:27 GMT

Lori MacVittie writes "...IT is stuck trying to figure out how to efficiently deliver, secure, and manage applications to multiple operating systems right now. Not tomorrow, not next week. Today. VDI is thus rearing its head as a viable solution; one that promises consistency regardless of platform...For the most part, experts and implementers deem VDI ready to meet the challenge...whether the network is ready for VDI..." more

Five Ad Trends Emerge from Super Bowl Indicating Cross Channel Integration a Mainstay

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:05 GMT

Jeremiah Owyang writes "Super Bowl ads...nation’s largest consumer facing ads represent a bellwether for advertising trends...so marketers know to pay attention......Rather than push for fans and followers on social sites, brands invested in promoting traditional websites, and experimented with new forms of engagement like applications...and even promoting hashtags. We found five trends:..." more

The Perfect Storm for Innovation

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:49:51 GMT

John Halamka writes "...2012 will be a transformative year...truly a perfect storm....My advice - look for the perfect storms in your own life. Minimize your distractions, cancel unnecessary meetings, and put aside those tasks that don't add value. Take a risk and dive head first into the..." more

The Five Proofs of Facebook's IPO

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:17:36 GMT

…Facebook's success confirms these ideas:…The value of networks. Networks become more valuable as the number of users increases. As the largest undifferentiated network that anyone can join …The power of platforms…The importance of partners…huge human hunger for connections...The triumph of hope over experience. Facebook could indeed exceed expectations…

An Uncharacteristic Supply Stumble for Procter and Gamble

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:41:03 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...As is often the case, lessons will be learned, especially regarding the alignment of product management, sales, marketing, and global supply planning in new product introduction involving highly complex manufacturing processes...We suggest that the takeaway for readers is that even the best supply chain teams can stumble, and when it occurs in the public limelight..." more

Recap of Davos 2012: 'Joblessness and Its Discontents'

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:29:12 GMT

Wharton Sch of Bus writes "This year, U.S. business leaders still appeared in substantial number, including Google's Eric Schmidt, Archer Daniels Midland's Patricia A. Woertz and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon. But the home market for American executives has become less promising...the mood far more sober. Social problems also seem deeper...Among the most vexing...is the jobless recovery in the West. In sessions ranging from the future of capitalism to the drivers of growth, joblessness and its discontents..." more

Why the Collective may not always be the Answer

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:57:30 GMT

Bertrand Duperrin writes "...In short, the collective needs high individual performance to work. It can reinforce individual performance but can’t replace a minimum everyone should do on his own. Is this going against the belief that social helps ordinary people to do extraordinary things ? Not really. Only a reminder that says that the collective won’t move forward if individuals don’t...Extraordinary things can be made by ordinary people…provided they don’t act with mediocrity..." more

Bridging the Mobile Security Gap Depends on Operational Consistency

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:10:48 GMT

Securosis writes "[by Mike Rothman]...We used to think of mobile devices as only laptops, but the pendulum has swung back the other way, to focus almost exclusively on smartphones as the greatest risk...It should irk you, as a security professional, that you still must use multiple consoles to do your job...Over time this integration becomes critical...The long-term goal is to be able to enforce policies...Figure out who needs access, to what, from where, on what device, and..." more

Entrenched Leadership Often Rejects Innovation

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:51:01 GMT

Wharton Sch of Bus writes "...When new technologies change the world, some companies are caught off-guard. Others see change coming...And then there are companies like Kodak -- which saw the future and simply couldn't figure out what to do...Kodak inventors earned 19,576 U.S. patents between 1900 and 1999...more than 1,000 patents in digital imaging alone. The company now hopes to sell some of those patents...Kodak's legacy goes beyond patents and capital equipment..." more

The Days of Manager Knows Best are Ending

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:28:13 GMT

HBR writes "[by Sujai Hajela]...To get a glimpse of what tomorrow's young global managers might be like as leaders, take a look at how today's young people think about communications...The demand for increased connectivity and flexibility and greater use of social media will shape and change companies from the inside out. Companies will need to think hard about these questions:..." more

Report Warns of Woeful Readiness for Cyber Attacks Globally

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:21:16 GMT

ThreatPost writes "[by Paul Roberts]...the world's nations hold very different views about the role of the Internet and of individual freedoms...That doesn't bode well for the future, especially as the advent of Internet connected mobile devices and cloud computing stand ready to transform the Internet and introduce new avenues for attack. The report recommends...Cyber security is a social problem, not just a military problem..." more

How a Financial Services Company Built a Relevant and Relatable Brand

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:17:25 GMT

SmartBlog writes "[by Doris Nhan]...As a financial-services company that sells annuities, Lincoln Financial Group is not necessarily known as a “fun” brand....the company’s marketing team...took an all-inclusive approach with a focus on building a brand that is relevant and relatable...ensuring a well-rounded customer experience that’s in line with the campaign’s messaging. It’s the most important element for any brand-building efforts, but...the one that you have least control over. The best thing to do is..." more

Why You Won't Quit Your Job

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:34:46 GMT

HBR writes "[by Daniel Gulati]...throwing in the towel on a dead-end job is actually quite difficult, even when you really want to. Here's why:...You've been conditioned....strong human bias toward accumulating small wins is what we call progress, but paradoxically, it seems to be inhibiting many individuals from reaching their true potential...you want — or need — to move on from your job. But it's a pretty good bet that you won't. Why won't you quit?..." more

8 Steps for Achieving World-Class Collaboration

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:02:53 GMT

NewsGator writes "...If you missed the complete webinar, click here to watch the on-demand version. Step One: Create Urgency...Step 2: Form a Powerful Coalition It’s important to convince people change is necessary by encouraging strong leadership and support from key members of you organization...Step Five: Remove Obstacles After creating a structure for change, remove obstacles that inhibit empowering the people you need to execute your..." more

From CIO to Chief Digital Officer

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:42:00 GMT

EMC writes "[by Chuck Hollis]...two powerful ideas have connected that give light to a fascinating new career pathway for the progressive CIO....In the new digital information economy, who leads the transformation from the previous business model to the new one?...The businesses that were "born digital" have an inherent advantage...who will lead the charge at an executive level? Clearly, this important role..." more

Proof that a Company's Sustainability Credentials Get Customers Returning

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:47:29 GMT

GreenBiz writes "[by Tilde Herrera]...In a wide-ranging conversation with GreenBiz Executive Editor Joel Makower today at the State of Green Business Forum, Lowry and Ryan explained why a company created 12 years ago with environmental responsibility written into its DNA would distance itself from the green label. "We don't run from the green, we just don't make that the lead story," Ryan said. Instead, Method sells an experience, or..." more

Study Shows Direct Correlation Between Brand Website Usage and In-Store Purchases

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:19:27 GMT

Globe Net writes "...groundbreaking consumer study has found that consumer brand websites significantly impact in store purchasing behavior. The study, Are Your CPG Brands Maximizing the Return on Your Digital Investment, found that visitors to consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand websites buy 37% more in retail stores than non-visitors to the brand site. The study, undertaken by..." more

Retail Suppliers Pressured by Brands Demanding Differentiation in Goods

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:09:48 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...More empowered consumers armed with smarter mobile devices continue to make a profound impact...showrooming is an increasingly bigger problem for retail chains...Target has emphatically stated that it will not allow its brick and mortar stores to be utilized as a showroom that consumers utilize, only to later buy an item at an online site offering the most attractive price...Target suppliers will have little choice but to cooperate with the initiative or run the risk of..." more

7 Digital Strategies of Top-Performing Companies

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:16:13 GMT

Chris Curran writes "...We surveyed 489 companies across industries with annual revenues of more than $500 million to find out what successful companies are doing...how the “top performers”—companies that grew by 5% or more last year—are making the grade...4) Invest in Mobile Workforces...Top performers spend more on empowering their workforces with mobile devices than the rest...5) Interact with Customers Using Mobile Technology. Only 44% of the pack interacts with customers via mobile devices..." more

The Digital Money Ecosystem Opportunity

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:11:03 GMT

Irving Wladawsky-Berger writes "...We are going through an information revolution that is impacting just about everything around us, including the very nature of money, identity and trust. Given the central role that money plays in human societies and in our personal lives, and the major advances that continue to take place in the world of information technologies, the evolution towards a universal, digital money ecosystem promises to be one of our most exciting transformational initiatives in..." more

Measuring the Efficacy of the World's Managers

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:38:05 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Carmen Nobel]...Firms in the United States, Japan, and Germany tend to be managed especially well, while firms in Brazil, China, and India tend to be managed poorly. Those are among the initial findings of the World Management Survey (WMS), a huge international research initiative to measure differences in organizational management practices all over the world...The researchers have summarized the initial results of the study in a new working paper..." more

J.C. Penney's Risky New Pricing Strategy

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:35:23 GMT

HBR writes "[by Rafi Mohammed]...J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson recently unveiled ambitious plans to transform the 110-year-old department store chain into a 21st century retail powerhouse. Leveraging his experience at Target and Apple...Quite simply, J.C. Penney lacks the differentiation to make this pricing strategy successful. J.C. Penney's products are fairly homogenous. When selling a relatively undifferentiated product, the only lever to generate higher sales is..." more

Create a Meaningful Life Through Meaningful Work

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:30:22 GMT

Umair Haque writes "...If we want to do better, I suggest it's time to get lethally serious about doing stuff that actually matters. So here are three questions to ask about yourself about what you're spending your life doing:...call this post my tiny statement of rebellion..." more

The 6 Biggest Trends in Sustainability Reporting

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:09:29 GMT

GreenBiz writes "[by Ann Goodman]...Ernst & Young offered a preview of fall 2011 survey...sustainability and climate change practice experts, highlighted six trends: 1. A rise in sustainability reporting; 2. An increase in the CFO's sustainability role; 3. The emergence of employees as a key sustainability stakeholder force; 4. Strong reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and mounting reporting on water use -- despite regulatory uncertainty..." more

Federated Authentication Requires a Fabric of Trust

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:10:29 GMT

John Halamka writes "As Harvard thinks about how best to enable authentication across multiple schools, organizations, affiliates and populations, it has choices to make - centralize all authentication, allow every group to pursue its own strategy, or coordinated federation that includes the best of centralized and localized approaches..." more

Retail Revolution: We Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:02:48 GMT

HBR writes "[by Jeffrey F Rayport]...The panel made one thing clear: just when any sensible person might have concluded that e-commerce business models had finally reached maturity, we are witnessing a veritable explosion of new ones. Powered by local, mobile, and social media, online retail is becoming something that no long-time, card-carrying NRF member might reasonably have anticipated. Consider a few emerging models:..." more

How 4 Organizations Prevent Thumb Drive Security Disasters

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:57:52 GMT

CIO writes "[by John Brandon]...in the modern IT climate, CIOs know they have to provide the services employees need to do their jobs, and that can include using a USB drive...four organizations that have taken slightly different approaches to dealing with thumb-drive security to match the organizations' specific needs and policies..." more

US Launches National Initiative for Global Supply Chain Security

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:45:19 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...long overdue initiative, A National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security...The effort is directed at articulating policies to strengthen inbound and outbound supply chains within the U.S. and its trading partners. The outlined document provides further details including the key objectives needing to be addressed in an implementation plan which readers can review. The strategy includes two goals:..." more

The Human Cost of Kodak's Bankruptcy

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:21:34 GMT

HBR writes "[by Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer]...Admittedly, we are in no position to judge whether or not Kodak should have filed for bankruptcy protection. But here's the larger lesson: Leaders need to be aware of, and take seriously, both the financial and the emotional impact that such a step has on workers and communities...Mulcahy [Xerox] and Arpey [American Airlines] both understood the crushing blow that bankruptcy would deal to their employees and..." more