Enterprise

Risk Exposure: Spain's Bank Crisis Hits the Airbus and Boing Supply Chains

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:25:46 GMT

Kellogg Sch of Bus writes "...The financial troubles in southern Europe are spreading and impacting the supply chains of Airbus and Boeing...Supplier management must combine strategic contracting and relationship management that drives continuous improvement. It is key to operations strategy and any outsourcing models..." more

True Private Cloud Requires the Right Management System

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:19:14 GMT

Arthur Cole writes "...Converting legacy systems into private cloud architectures is proving to be an extremely nettlesome endeavor, as it forces enterprises to answer some very fundamental questions...The best thing about the cloud — whether public, private or hybrid — is that it solves a whole raft of management and deployment issues that have bedeviled IT for decades. At the same time, however, it introduces a whole new set of issues that..." more

Berkshire Partners IT Director Lists 3 Ways They Leverage Microsoft CRM

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:11:20 GMT

Customer Effective writes "[by Brad Koontz]...Eric Souza, Director of IT for Berkshire Partners participated in a live webinar with Brad Koontz of Customer Effective. The topic was CRM for Private Equity and Souza described their CRM journey and what made them successful...Souza added that now, with Microsoft CRM, deal flow pipeline reports are now in real time, easily searchable and available to the right people when they need them. Berkshire was able to get get senior level buy-in into the..." more

Why Every Organization Needs Four CIOs

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:38:16 GMT

SmartData Collective writes "[by Joe McKendrick]...We all know that the jobs of CIOs — most commonly known as chief information officers — are undergoing a dramatic transition. Now, it’s fair to say the initials “CIO” have evolved to mean four different titles...Chief Infrastructure Officer, Chief Integration Officer, Chief Innovation Officer, Chief Intelligence Officer, All four roles have important mandates...Here’s how these four roles fall out:..." more

To Investigate a Company Culture, Ask the Right Questions

Fri, 18 May 2012 16:13:31 GMT

HBR writes "[by Bill Barnett]...I believe you can learn about culture, even in the early stages. Here are suggestions about how to structure your inquiry... ask questions that point the discussion to how the organization works...I've come up with specific sample questions you can ask as you're interviewing for a job or talking with others who know the institution. They're grouped into six topic areas..." more

Whether Your Company is Big or Small, Good Leadership is Universal

Fri, 18 May 2012 15:40:19 GMT

Tribridge writes "[by Tony DiBenedetto]...Last week, Deloitte hosted a seminar called Private Perspectives...The guest speaker was the CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt...He shared his four leadership practices that any manager or CEO can utilize...[1] Push the team to have very high standards... [2] Play to win. Be the best you can be in your space. [3] Drive strategic change in an organization. The role of leadership is to..." more

How Teens Have Raised Customer Expectations Across the Board

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:59:12 GMT

Aspect writes "[by Chris O'Brien]...the average teen sends more than 50 text messages a day, while children aged 11 to 14 spend an average of 73 minutes a day texting...They may be teenagers now, but this generation and its tendencies have already started to reshape the customer experience landscape entirely...more smartphones were sold last year than PCs and tablets combined, and the number of mobile Internet users is projected to..." more

CIO's Juggle Smartphone and Tablet Usage

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:42:21 GMT

CIO writes "[by Tom Kaneshige]...Mobile BYOD, or bring-your-own-device, is one of the hottest trends in technology today. Employees are pushing IT to support their personal smartphones and tablets at work. They want these consumer devices to tap into the corporate network, run critical apps and access sensitive data..." more

The Top U.S. Regions for Technology Jobs

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:37:34 GMT

Joel Kotkin writes "...Silicon Valley is far from leading the way in expanding science and technology-related employment in the United States...the Valley may soon need to consider what it must do to compete with the many other regions that are inexorably catching up with it. Best Metropolitan Areas for Technology Jobs..." more

APIs are Essential for Delivering Storage in Enterprise Cloud Infrastructures

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:52:40 GMT

Chris Evans writes "...It’s pretty easy to pick holes in the current legacy storage products, especially when it comes to integration within both public and private cloud deployments. However it’s worth discussing exactly what is required when implementing cloud frameworks, as the way in which storage is deployed is radically different from the traditional model of storage operations...we will look at why traditional methods of storage management need to change..." more

Reason for Site Refresh - Huge Estimated Loses for Poor Online Experience

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:43:32 GMT

Business Finance writes "[by Alan Radding]...look at what you are doing with online. Does it seem stale?...The Internet has moved into the age of hybrid computing, public/private/hybrid clouds, and constant mobility and social networking...organizations that have optimized engagement, according to Gallup Research, outperformed their competitors by 26% in gross margin and experienced 85% sales growth..." more

9 Ways to Improve the Signal to Noise Ratio on Twitter

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:34:48 GMT

Brian Solis writes "...In one such study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, MIT and Georgia Tech, people on Twitter said that only one-third of Tweets that hit their streams are worthwhile...what makes a Tweet worthy of response or sharing? The team is currently studying the specifics, but initial findings point to tweets that included questions, featured curated/relevant information with..." more

What Is It And Why Is Responsive Web Design Going Mainstream?

Thu, 17 May 2012 17:08:38 GMT

Ars Technica writes "[by Matthew Braga]...Responsive Web design, as the name implies, is a style of Web development where content responds to the device on which it is being rendered...If you want proof that responsive design is going mainstream, you need look no further than some of the Internet's biggest Web properties..." more

Average U.S. Smartphone User has 41 Apps on Their Device

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:03:16 GMT

Network World writes "[by Brad Reed]...Nielsen has some interesting new data out today about Americans' smartphone usage. The big takeaway: Americans love their mobile apps. How much do they love mobile apps, you ask? For starters, the average number of apps on a typical smartphone has jumped from 32 to 41 over the past year, an increase of..." more

Quantifying Reputation Loss From a Breach

Wed, 16 May 2012 18:00:31 GMT

Lori MacVittie writes "...20% of the businesses that lost data lost customers as a direct result. The impacts were most severe for companies with more than 100 employees. Almost half of them lost sales...One of the first things we have to calculate is influence, as that directly impacts reputation...It’s word of mouth, what people say about you, after all...we can find a lot of this data. It’s a well-studied area..." more

How to Avoid the Improvement Hype Cycle

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:26:38 GMT

Chris Taylor writes "...Companies that practice process improvement have been victims of this hype cycle for decades. Fed by consultants, gurus, technology vendors, and academics, their enthusiasm for a particular process improvement method takes on a religious tone...Many executives have never recognized this pattern of serial adoption of different approaches to what is essentially the same topic...So how can your organization avoid the process improvement hype cycle?..." more

New Microsoft Industry Reference Architecture for Banking MIRA-B

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:13:41 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "[by Bryan Yurcan]...IT costs in the banking industry average about 14 percent of total costs1 — nearly twice that of other industries — because of redundant, outdated or siloed applications that exist across multiple business units...MIRA-B helps alleviate this issue by helping banks create repeatable architectures and reuse commodity resources, where efficiencies can be gained. This framework enables new levels of data, application and business process transparency while helping banks maintain market..." more

Great Businesses Don't Start With a Plan

Wed, 16 May 2012 17:10:18 GMT

Anthony Tjan writes "[by HBR]...don't worry too much about a business plan. But to guide your thinking...consider these design points: 1. Identify and clearly articulate your Heart and purpose....be very clear on the why of a business — the bigger goal at hand. 2. The team is more important than any idea or plan. The top three priorities should be people, followed by people, and then people....3. Think big, start small, then..." more

Ways to Know You are Talking Too Technically to Your Business Users

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:28:09 GMT

ITworld writes "[by Eric Bloom]...Business users are, generally speaking, looking for solutions to their problems and not necessarily the behind-the-scenes technologies that make it work...here are some tips you can use to assure that you are speaking appropriately with your business users..." more

Bringing Clarity to the Mysteries of Growth and Innovation

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:22:53 GMT

HBR writes "[by Scott Anthony]...Christensen's mission is to help leaders make decisions using robust, well-grounded theories. His basic two litmus tests for a good business theory are something that explains the different circumstances facing managers and the causal connection between an action and a result...I agree with Forbes' description that How Will You Measure Your Life is "one of the more surprisingly powerful books of personal philosophy of the 21st century..." more

General Motors Pulls Annual $10M Worth of Ads from Facebook

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:56:30 GMT

Ars Technica writes "[by Cyrus Farivar]...General Motors has announced that it would be pulling its paid advertising from Facebook, saying that it had too little impact...Companies in industries from consumer electronics to financial services tell us they’re no longer sure Facebook is the best place to dedicate their social marketing budget—a shocking fact given..." more

5 Rising, 5 Declining Security Technologies

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:20:46 GMT

CIO writes "[by Ellen Messmer]...Security technologies rise and fall in popularity, and Forrester Research in its TechRadar report puts its bets on five it thinks are in a growth mode and five it thinks are dying away..." more

If Your Customers Can Live Without You, Eventually They Will

Tue, 15 May 2012 19:13:55 GMT

Bill Taylor writes "[HBR]...I've begun to encourage senior leaders of companies, executives who run business units or departments, even mid-level managers who are responsible for a specific brand, to step back and take time (probably much longer than twenty minutes) and write their organization's obituary...To clarify your company's future, it helps to step back and imagine a world in which it does not exist. This simple exercise grows out of a powerful question I heard years ago from" more

Big Data Will Make IT the New Intel Inside - CIOs Have 3 Options

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:23:52 GMT

SmartData Collective writes "[by Gil Press]...The linking of documents by web 1.0 and the linking of people by web 2.0 created what we now call big data. The explosion...occurred outside enterprises and, so far, had limited impact on enterprise IT...cannot ignore big data anymore...As I see it, CIOs have three options right now: 1.Let the business units acquire and experiment with big data tools... 2. Start working with the business units and functions to identify..." more

Grim Job Market Continues for Young Americans

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:18:25 GMT

Small Business Labs writes "[by Steve]...Although the overall labor market continues to improve, there isn't a lot of good job news for young Americans. The Economic Policy Institute's The Class of 2012 lays out how the job situation is for those 25 and younger. The key data is the current unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 is 16.4%. A couple of other data points of interest are:..." more

How to Get Feedback When You're the Boss

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:54:48 GMT

HBR writes "[by Amy Gallo]...The higher up in the organization you get, the less likely you'll receive constructive feedback on your ideas, performance, or strategy...without input, your development will suffer, you may become isolated, and you're likely to miss out on hearing some great ideas. So, what can you do...What the Experts Say..." more

The Fallacy of Information Overload

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:46:30 GMT

Brian Solis writes "...there is a very real human cost of social connectivity. But, the symptoms of information overload are only a reflection of our inability or lack of desire to bring order to our chaos...The reality is that we are learning how to use these networks and what to expect in return..." more

Is Enterprise 2.0 a Pandora's Box?

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:38:12 GMT

Bertrand Duperrin writes "...at the beginning, enterprise 2.0 used to be seen as the solution to all the problems organizations have accumulated without challenging them frontally. One thing leading to another, the solution turned out to be more complex to implement than expected...enterprise 2.0 and social business were not the solution. Only principles that help solving problems we can’t overlook anymore..." more

'Smartphonatics' Driving Mobile Payments

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:34:16 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "[by Bryan Yurcan]...The survey found that nearly 25 percent of consumers globally can be classified as smartphonatics. India has the highest percentage of total population identified as smartphonatics, at 60 percent, followed by South Africa at 42 percent. The fewest are found in Germany (10 percent), France (8 percent) and Canada (7 percent). The United States ranks in the middle at 20 percent. According to Shevlin, this disparity is due to several factors..." more

Business Process Management is Viewed as a C-Level Concern

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:32:05 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "[by Bryan Yurcan]... business process management is increasingly viewed as a C-level concern, as companies look internally to improve their margins, efficiency and productivity, according to a new study released today...over 1,000 senior business and IT decision makers -- including CEOs and CIOs -- worldwide, with over 60 percent saying they believe BPM should be managed directly by the executive board. Over half surveyed also believe their organization will place greater emphasis on BPM in..." more

Largest U.S. Community College District Chooses Microsoft Live

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:39:50 GMT

CIO writes "[by Juan Carlos Perez]...LACCD, the largest community college district in the U.S., plans to start the..rollout in the fall...While email communication will be the primary application...also be incorporated by users, including calendaring, IM and audio/video conferencing; and document creation, editing, storage, sharing and collaboration through SkyDrive and online..." more

As a Startup Grows, the Founders have to Grow with It

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:54:00 GMT

Telerik writes "[by Stephen Forte]...As startups start to mature, their founders have to mature along with it...Behaviors and policies that were appropriate for a small startup may not be appropriate for a company that is public. For example when Bill Gates rallied the troops by saying that they were going to “cut off Netscape’s air supply”, Bill was guilty of acting like..." more

5 Key Interop 2012 Takeaways for CIOs and IT Pros

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:13:01 GMT

CIO writes "[by Jeff Vance]...After dozens of meetings and a slew of informal conversations, here are five key takeaways from Interop 2012 that CIOs should be aware of: Security needs to be throughout the network, and that's no longer empty talk....DNS vulnerabilities are becoming too risky to ignore.... any single thread ties these five items together, it's this: Organizations can't avoid the cloud any longer. Too many vendors are shifting to the cloud for everything from..." more

UML Gets Better, But is Mobile Web Getting Worse?

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:48:58 GMT

Capgemini Group writes "[by Andy Mulholland]...is this going to turn into a new lock-in model? And if it is driven by Bring Your Own Device, BYOD, then it might seem the enterprise may not be making some of the choices. More than ever, all of this argues for enterprises to determine a strategy and policies quickly or risk finding themselves committed to a course of action without even realizing it. For example, it might be difficult for the CIO to..." more

Microsoft Presents a Vision of the Future

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:45:26 GMT

CTOvision writes "[by Bob Gurley]...Here is a Microsoft vision piece mean to show us some ways that future technologies can help us make better use of our time and get things done. It is a pretty cool video that can help us think through requirements for what we want out of the future. It features several devices...It is well worth a watch..." more

How to Find the Reverse Leaders in Your Midst

Mon, 14 May 2012 17:02:23 GMT

HBR writes "[by Scott Edinger]... I'm seeing more and more of these reverse leaders. But I'm not seeing many organizations able to recognize them — or cultivate their talents to gain a competitive advantage. What are the [5] characteristics you should be looking for to spot your reverse leaders? [1] They're the ones with strong interpersonal skills born of self-awareness...[2] They focus more on results than on process...[3] They exhibit particularly high degrees of integrity..." more

Something is Different this Time Around with Career Choices

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:44:18 GMT

HBR writes "[by Gianpiero Petriglieri]...Members of generations whose defining experiences were of commitment and rebellion struggle to make sense of a generation whose members' defining experiences are of uncertainty and flux. In the past, talented new people were keen to wrestle institutional conductors for the wheel of the bus. These days, many cannot wait to get off the bus...This generational transition could be less of a handover or a takeover, and more of a walkout,,,It is a clash of workplace civilizations..." more

The Application Age and Next-Generation Firewall Policy Decisions

Fri, 11 May 2012 20:19:50 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Sam Erdheim]...When setting policies at an application level, you must understand each application, its business value to different users and any potential risks that come with it. More granularity leads to more rule sets and more rule sets lead to more complexity, so you need to have a plan and make sure that all involved teams are on board with it. When deploying more granular, next-generation firewall policies, here are some tips to think about:..." more

Relevance Dominates! Four Brand Strategies for Staying Relevant

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:42:56 GMT

HBR writes "[by David Aaker]...How does a brand stay relevant? How can a brand avoid the disinvest or milking decision? There are four strategies that can work...The selection of the optimal response will be context specific, but it will involve two questions. What is size of the relevance threat and its supporting trend? And what is a realistic judgment about the firm's ability to innovate, add needed capabilities, and be successful in the marketplace? Complexities, interactions, and future uncertainties make them..." more

Cool Technology of the Week: Active Sync

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:42:55 GMT

John Halamka writes "...We think the best we can do within the limitations of present server-side technology is to enforce the use of passwords on all devices using Active Sync, require a timeout of 10 minutes, and eliminate the use of the most simple passwords (1234, 1111 etc). Microsoft Exchange/Active Sync can query the device for the settings currently in place and only synchronize email if the device adheres to enterprise security policies..." more

Want a Team to be Creative? Make it Diverse

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:11:59 GMT

HBR writes "[by Beth Comstock]...This is the opposite of groupthink, the creativity-killing phenomenon of too much agreement and too similar perspectives that often paralyzes otherwise great teams.Turning a critic into a passionate advocate and supporter is a great goal in innovation...And sometimes the necessary diverse view is one that isn't way outside the norm: it can be right there in front of you..." more

Examples of the Qualification Filter when Someone Asks You for a Favor

Fri, 11 May 2012 17:38:04 GMT

HBR writes "[by Daniel Gulati]...The professional world is powered by favors — busy individuals helping those in their extended networks...Lately, though, I've been flooded with requests from my extended network...Here's the one trick I use to separate those I actually help from those I choose to ignore: Qualify anyone who asks you for a favor. In other words, kindly direct the person to take an action...Here are some [3] examples of the qualification filter in action:..." more

Projects are the New Job Interviews

Fri, 11 May 2012 03:38:33 GMT

HBR writes "[by Michael Schrage]...the reason why I'm confident that "projects are the new job interviews" is not simply because I'm observing a nascent trend but because this appears to be a more efficient and effective mechanism for companies and candidates to gain the true measure of each other. Designing great applijects and projeclications will be a craft and art. The most successful utilizers will..." more

Culture Takes Over When the CEO Leaves the Room

Fri, 11 May 2012 00:34:07 GMT

HBR writes "[by Frances Frei, Anne Morriss]...Employees make hundreds of decisions on their own every day, and culture is our guide. Culture tells us what to do when the CEO isn't in the room, which is of course most of the time...As part of our research for Uncommon Service, we went hunting for patterns among organizations with highly effective service cultures. The companies we studied all demonstrated high levels of the following — call them the 3Cs of culture:..." more

The Flattened Firm -- Not as Advertised

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:48:40 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Julie M. Wulf]...The alleged benefits of flattening flow primarily from pushing decisions downward to enhance customer and market responsiveness and to improve accountability and morale. Has flattening delivered on its promise to push decisions downward? In this article, I present evidence suggesting that while firms have delayered, flattened firms can exhibit more control and decision-making at the top. Managers take note. Flattening can lead to exactly the opposite effects from what it promises to do..." more

Summary from Sr Leaders at MIT Future of US Manufacturing Conference

Thu, 10 May 2012 21:02:48 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...The tide of movement toward U.S. manufacturing is clearly evident right now, but cannot in any way be considered a lasting trend without continued candid dialogue...It was heartening to hear CEO’s and senior leaders state that manufacturing does matter in any vibrant economy, and that the U.S. requires a vibrant industrialized economy built on world class manufacturing and supply chain capabilities...the future is determined by either the actions or..." more

Online Mortgage Complaint Tool Launched

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:28:01 GMT

Bank Systems Tech writes "[by Bryan Yurcan]...the court-appointed monitor to oversee the massive mortgage settlement reached earlier this year between 49 states, the federal government and five major banks, announced the launch of an online tool for consumer advocates to report their clients' mortgage servicing complaints. The online form can be found at..." more

BYOD Stirs Up Legal Problems for IT Departments

Thu, 10 May 2012 16:11:08 GMT

CIO writes "[by Tom Kaneshige]...Welcome to the foggy world of BYOD, where the blending of personal and work lives on a single device open up a host of problems. CIOs often fret about security and management, but BYOD can land a company in murky legal water, too....It's clear that companies and employees need good legal agreements in place for participating in a BYOD program. Unfortunately, such agreements are scarce..." more

8 of 10 Highest Risk Vulnerabilities on SMB Networks Due to Weak or Blank Passwords

Wed, 09 May 2012 23:01:43 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by DarkReading]...leader in information risk and security performance management, today announced the aggregate results of small business security scans from March 30 – April 28 showed eight of the top ten highest risk vulnerabilities detected on small business networks are connected with blank or default passwords..." more

Cloud Up There With Root Canal, Lightening Strike

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:55:56 GMT

Network World writes "[by Jim Duffy]...More than one-third of IT decision makers would rather get a root canal, dig a ditch, or do their own taxes than address network challenges associated with public or private cloud deployments....1,300 [survey] respondents said they dread network challenges associated with private or public cloud deployments...reason behind their move to the cloud, 52% of respondents claimed it was an imperative made by their business or CIO..." more

Declining Employee Loyalty: A Casualty of the New Workplace

Wed, 09 May 2012 21:10:08 GMT

Wharton Sch of Bus writes "...Perhaps the most compelling argument for trying to retain good workers is that replacing managerial and professional employees can cost approximately 150% of their annual salary, according to various estimates. Harter suggests that for frontline, lower end workers, it costs about half of their salaries, while for high-level IT professionals, the figure could be as high as 200%. "The real impact," he says, "can be on co-workers' productivity.".." more

Never Attribute to Technology that which is Explained by the Failure of People

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:42:24 GMT

Lori MacVittie writes "...there are and will be cloud-specific risks that must be addressed...But let’s not make mountains out of molehills by failing to recognize those “new” risks that actually aren’t “new” at all, but rather are simply being recognized by a wider audience due to the abundance of interest in cloud computing models. For example, I found this article particularly apocalyptic with respect to cloud and complexity..." more

Leadership: Decide What You Stand For, Then Stand For it All the Time

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:34:44 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Clayton Christensen]...life is just one unending stream of extenuating circumstances...If you give in to "just this once," based on a marginal-cost analysis, you'll regret where you end up. That's the lesson I learned: it's easier to hold to your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold to them 98 percent of the time..." more

A New Definition of Professional Behavior is Developing in Social

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:25:33 GMT

HBR writes "[by Allison Fine]...Social media's threat to professional behavior for older generations is often expressed like this: [1] We'll be off message if our organization doesn't speak with one institutional voice. [2] I will be attacked out there by the wingnuts/trolls/nuts. [3] We cannot have blog posts and Tweets go up and out with typos in it...These concerns are understandable...A new definition of professional behavior is developing in this social world. Here is the transition:..." more

The Emergence of Extremely Viral People-to-People Networks - P2P

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:39:00 GMT

HBR writes "[by Ray Wang] ...engagement requires a set of building blocks...The emergence of extremely viral people-to-people (P2P) networks has changed the notion of the customer and employee forever. Social media, social networks, and mobility also herald the death of B2B and B2C as we know them. A bad experience at work with..." more

Mobile BYOD Users Want More Security

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:04:47 GMT

CIO writes "[by Ellen Messmer]...The bring-your-own-device trend sweeping the enterprise is also causing a lot of hand-wringing. IT professionals, of whom there were about 1,500 represented in the survey, indicated that senior management and employees were pressuring IT to support BYOD. But almost half these IT professionals are concerned about future data breaches related to BYOD mobile, not to mention how to support multiple device operating systems. Nine of 10 respondents in the survey said employers should..." more

Social Media and Sustainability: Seven Key Lessons

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:17:37 GMT

Globe Net writes "[by Stephan Burckhardt]...At a panel on social media and Corporate Social Responsibility held...in Vancouver, BC, social media was confirmed as an essential tool to leverage discussions on sustainability into broader audiences...expert panelists from Microsoft...[1]...Social media is less about managing downside risk and more about listening to your key audiences...[2] Be authentic In the emerging social ecosystem, authenticity is key. Feeding the corporate line either falls flat, or worse, backfires..." more

Disruption: The Big Data Conspiracy

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:16:33 GMT

Chris Taylor writes "...There will still be a place for polluting the public’s mind, rest assured, but the one-way channels that support those messages (radio, television and newspapers) are going the way of the dinosaurs…and it accelerated as soon as the Web went mobile. It is only a matter of time before the bi-directional nature of the Internet takes over" more

Real-World Collaboration in Action with SharePoint Online and Office 365

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:15:14 GMT

Bamboo Solutions writes "[by Pamela Flora]...Seeing it come together flawlessly and work exactly as it should work was... it was like watching magic happen and not knowing how it happened, but appreciating the trick as a feat deserving nothing less than utter wonderment. It was that "I love it when a plan comes together" moment...We discovered some quirks in the process, however, and knowing about them might serve you well should you decide to make your own co-authoring plan come together:..." more

Why is IT Avoiding BYOD Support?

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:01:08 GMT

ITworld writes "[by Kevin Fogarty]...Only one third of CIOs say they allow employees to access corporate networks using personal devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops or other personal-technology choices, according to a survey released today by Robert Half Technology. CIOs hesitate to allow full BYOD access because they're balancing convenience and flexibility for employees with security and logistical concerns of their employers...Even among companies that do allow BYOD hardware to connect to the network, only 28 percent..." more

The Remote Access Security Checklist

Tue, 08 May 2012 20:18:49 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Joe Schembri]...Last week, I explained why secure remote access is so vital. This week, let’s consider the checklist of must-haves for any remote access policy...." more

Culture is the Key to Leading Well

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:17:11 GMT

Heartland Technologies writes "...Leadership is a skill. It can be learned. But it is hard work and requires one to be intentional and committed...the word we heard over and over throughout the day. It is all about the people...If we don't lead ourselves well, there is little chance we will do so with others...It means being disciplined...five key areas we need to be sure we are leading ourselves, and our company well:..." more

Global Tech Power Players Unite to Form a Wireless Power Standard

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:52:49 GMT

ITworld writes "[by Kevin Purdy]...Heard about the A4WP? Of course not. But you should know it is yet another team of mobile industry players...working to create a wireless charging standard. Wireless charging, as in “lay your phone on something for a while, pick it up, it’s charged.” It’s one of those things you just assume is in the foreseeable future...but it could be tomorrow..." more

Delta Airlines Says Supply Chain Matters: Acquires a Refinery

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:35:39 GMT

Bob Ferrari writes "...With the acquisition, Delta intends to reduce its annual jet fuel costs by $300 million, along with having the ability to plan on a reliable source of supply for eastern U.S. operational needs. In fact, plans call for the deal to close in the first-half of this year, with production likely to begin in the third quarter, providing Delta an estimated $100 million savings in..." more

Going Wireless in the Data Center

Mon, 07 May 2012 20:03:33 GMT

CIO writes "[by Johanna Ambrosio]...Bouncing information around a data center, via 60GHz Wi-Fi, can speed things up by 30% compared to using traditional cables, a group of researchers found. The technique is still being perfected, but it could yield an interesting approach for enterprises in the not-too-distant future..." more

What Innovative CIOs Identify as the Top 3 Disruptive Technologies

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:00:49 GMT

Ray Wang writes "...respondents were asked what key disruptive technologies would make an impact in the enterprise in the next year...105 innovative CIOs participated in the survey. The results indicate a shift away from cloud (56.4%-2012) and virtualization (29.6% – 2012) to mobile (60.2%-2012) and big data and analytics..." more

Innovation Tip on How to Crush the I'm Not Creative Barrier

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:24:52 GMT

HBR writes "[by Jeff Dyer, Hal Gregersen, Clayton M Christensen]...Anyone can innovate, if they choose to. Disruptive innovators do it by choice, not chance. Their everyday actions swap out an "I'm not creative" mind-set for an "I am creative" one...If you think your innovation efforts might be blocked by an "I'm not creative" brain barrier, take this fast, five-question diagnostic test...If you answered no to three or more questions, then you're probably bumping into the "I'm not creative" barrier..." more

The Debate on International Cybercrime Meets the Challenge of Cooperation

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:19:21 GMT

EMC writes "[by Bob Griffin]...Over the weekend, three stories crossed my desk that got me thinking about the challenge that Art Coviello issued to the security industry in his RSA Conference 2012 keynote: to forge a “collective resolve” to stand together against “a host of adversaries who threaten our very trust in the world’s digital economy”. The first of these was the report, published in..." more

IT is Under Pressure Turning Long Demands into a Short List

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:09:30 GMT

CIO writes "[by Beth Stackpole]..."The game-changer is the sheer amount of demand on IT for new technologies that don't follow the normal trajectory of IT," says Major [IT Exec at Aspen Skiing]. "You can't just have a thousand random requests coming in because so much is new and untested. More than ever, there has to be a voice of sanity about what these technologies are going to do...Major is up against the same challenges that a lot of IT shops are facing. Surging demand..." more

The Best Way to Plan for Business Success is to Can the Business Plan

Mon, 07 May 2012 18:04:24 GMT

Bob MacDonald writes "...The reason for this seeming incongruity is simple: Few understand the difference between a goal, a plan and a prediction...Don’t get me wrong. It is important to have goals and a plan for success. The problem is that typical business plans are a waste of time...The Smart Way to Approach the Planning Process: First, one has to..." more

Make Room for a More Social CIO

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:54:59 GMT

Aspect writes "[by Mike Sheridan]...social technologies are quickly creeping into enterprise operations...The convergence here is really setting the stage for social business. Because of the growing use of social as a customer service medium and the data and engagement opportunities it presents, it is clear that social media can no longer stand alone in marketing and with the help of the CIO, it..." more

Big Data Implications of Cutting-Edge Technologies like AI

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:52:47 GMT

Andrew McAfee writes "...economic implications of cutting-edge technologies...AI algorithms get better as data gets bigger...Faith in human intuition remains strong. Too strong. One of my biggest surprises came as I listened to the AI researchers defend human decision-making and pattern-matching capabilities...I think our intuition, while amazing and real, is also highly overrated — clearly glitchy and biased — and should be replaced by algorithmic approaches as soon as..." more

The Big Three Predictions for the Global Energy and Environment Market

Fri, 04 May 2012 23:07:30 GMT

Globe Net writes "...Frost & Sullivan has released its three big predictions for 2012 for the global energy and environment market. Industrial convergence, smart technology and distributed generation will be the key topics in 2012...Based on a survey of several thousand companies conducted in December 2011, this research paper highlights areas of growth... key driver for the research...Mega Trends which are driving new and emerging market segments for key industry participants..." more

How National Geographic Uses Social to Get People Talking

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:37:48 GMT

SmartBlog writes "[by Jesse Stanchak]...National Geographic is one of the most beloved brands of all time. So it’s no surprise that on Facebook and Twitter, this passion is reflected in their huge fan numbers. But how do they manage it all? How do they find the content that their fans want to share? What is the voice of the brand?...A few of his big ideas:..." more

FTP a Dead Protocol or Very Much Alive?

Fri, 04 May 2012 21:32:06 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Fighting In.Security]...Recently I was tasked with writing an analysis on the risks of using FTP in an oganization. My first thought was what company still uses FTP when it’s known to be a very unsecure protocl. Turns out there are many companies that still use FTP despite its vulverabilites because of..." more

Solutions for On-the-Go Windows Phone Users

Fri, 04 May 2012 20:49:33 GMT

IdentityMine writes "[by Devin Jordan]...There is a pretty slick new app on the Windows Phone Marketplace that allows you to replace the standard calendar tile with a tile that maximizes the limited space on your start screen. AppoinTile displays up to 4 upcoming appointments, calendar, and the days date which brings everything you need into one optimized tile..." more

Sharing Ideas with Authority Figures

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:33:43 GMT

HBR writes "[by Teresa Norton]...I've conducted a sort of dip stick poll and the answers should horrify the bosses: "I always wonder if it is a trap." This staff member wondered if she was being tested, not asked for an opinion or fresh solution. Another common response is, "If I could only get into my bosses mind and see what he is thinking'..." more

Why Your Business Still Needs Newsletters

Fri, 04 May 2012 15:24:50 GMT

CIO writes "[by Angela West]...Email marketing remains the most effective means of obtaining new customers and keeping them loyal to your brand...Survey respondents named email newsletters and notifications as their third-favorite means of discovering what a merchant had to offer, behind a direct visit to a company's website (in which case you've likely already earned the consumer's loyalty) and print materials (which are considerably more expensive to produce and send). By contrast..." more

Consumerization Trend Will Outstrip IT's Ability to Secure the Enterprise

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:55:26 GMT

CIO writes "[by Matt Hamblen]..."The number of devices coming in the next few years will outstrip IT's ability to keep the enterprise secure," he said. "IT can't handle all these devices. They're going crazy. They get into fights on whether users should get upgrades or not." And because IT shops won't be able to keep up, software vendors will be forced to innovate and create what Dulaney called..." more

Remember Windows Live? It Becomes Invisible in Windows 8

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:54:28 GMT

CIO writes "[by Tim Green]...Microsoft acknowledges that the current way of offering Windows Live services seems disconnected from the operating system and its applications, but that changes with Windows 8...Windows Live consists of Hotmail, SkyDrive and Messenger, but these will be better integrated via applications that appear as part of Windows 8, according to Chris Jones, VP of the Windows Live group..." more

10 Essential Vendor Behaviors in Today's Market

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:42:46 GMT

Chris Taylor writes "...while back, a noteworthy healthcare consulting firm asked for input that they could pass-on to vendors that would help those vendors understand the relationship imperatives that are critical to a healthcare CIO, right now, in today’s market...Here are the top ten..." more

3 Areas You Need to Test when Assessing Mobile Applications

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:57:54 GMT

Security_Bloggers_Network writes "[by Tom Eston]...here are three areas that need to be tested in every mobile application...How’s the application storing data and where is it being stored?...How’s the application communicating over HTTP?...How does the application communicate over TCP?..If you’re deploying mobile apps for your business it’s more important than ever to have testing done on these three areas at a minimum. Lastly, keep up-to-date on..." more

Leadership is Under Fire Around the Word

Wed, 02 May 2012 20:45:35 GMT

HBS Working Knowledge writes "[by Jim Heskett]...Followers appear to be exercising more and more power, thanks to such contextual changes as the rise of social networks, ubiquitous communication, greater transparency, and rising and unmet expectations. It has made the practice of leadership more complex and demanding...So why is there such a disconnect in the "leadership industry" between efforts and results? That's the primary question posed by..." more

Q1 2012 Shows CIOs and Tech Buyers are Cautiously Making Capital Investments

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:21:10 GMT

Forrester writes "[by Andrew Bartels]...Behind these numbers lie two cross-currents of tech buying behavior. On the one hand, CIOs and other tech buyers are being cautious in making capital investments in computer and communications equipment given the uncertain strength of the US economy. On the other hand, they are keen to invest in software that can improve their business operations and analytical capabilities. Caution in making capital investments also explains..." more

Top 10 Global Sustainability Leaders and Those Behind

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:13:18 GMT

Globe Net writes "...1: Puma despite operating in a sector at high risk for human-rights abuses...2: FirstGroup derives more than 90 per cent of sales from rail and bus services...and those with room for improvement [1] Apple, the world's bigget company, gets a D inEIRIS' sustainability ratings and lags behind other tech...[2] ExxonMobil, the world's second biggest company, shows poor performance in..." more

Oil and Gas Companies See Offshore Wind Potential

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:32:57 GMT

Yale Environment 360 writes "...For wind energy developers, as much as 25 percent of capital spending includes services that can be performed by oil and gas companies, said Jayesh Parmar, a UK-based consultant at Baringa Partners LLP. “The synergies available between offshore wind and oil and gas are most apparent in the North Sea,”...“It makes sense here to be operating in both areas.” With numerous offshore wind projects planned, the European Wind Energy Association predicts..." more

Big Data Makes it Easier to Go Local

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:47:17 GMT

Small Business Labs writes "[by Steve King]...We agree that business is becoming more small town like. And I would add that, if anything, the authors may be underestimating the strenght of this trend. The growing availability and use of Big Data and analytics is making it easier and cheaper for large companies to "go local" by personalizing products and services and looking and acting like small businesses. Small businesses will need to respond by..." more

Why Moore's Law as We Know it is on its Last Legs

Wed, 02 May 2012 14:55:37 GMT

CIO writes "[by Jon Gold]...The constant shrinking of transistors -- which is responsible for the increased density and consequently higher computing capacity of microprocessors -- is unsustainable, according to Kaku. Once transistors approach 5 nanometers in size, they will be subject to two key problems: High density will see running temperatures skyrocket to impractically high levels, and quantum mechanics suggests..." more

3 Reasons Managers Don't Really Want to Innovate

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:16:22 GMT

Ron Ashkenas writes "...Based on my experience, there are at least three (largely unintentional) reasons why managers send mixed messages about innovation. First, managers need immediate results...Managers may also fear that innovation will cannibalize current business...Additionally, managers are often schooled in slow, continuous improvement. Approaches like..." more

The Future Of Business - Small and Mobile

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:12:35 GMT

Owen Greaves writes "...So what do we do? This is the simple question that is more complicated than it’s simplicity...I’m not bashing those who have gone before us a built these big box stores, I’m merely pointing out that those coming after us, the under 20 generation….they aren’t interested. They’re egos are not wired that way...they are minimalists, they want fast, cheap, NOW" more

The Future Of Business - Small and Mobile

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:10:15 GMT

Throughout the Brutal Recession the Best Cities for Jobs 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:08:10 GMT

NewGeography writes "[by Joel Kotkin and Michael Shires]...The strong growth of the energy sector, and Texas, is even more evident in our overall ranking, which includes many small and medium-sized metropolitan areas. The top 10 fastest growers overall include such energy-centric places as No. 1 Odessa, Texas; second-place Midland, Texas; Lafayette, La. (fourth place); Corpus Christi, Texas (sixth), San Angelo, Texas (seventh); and Casper, Wyo. (10th). The shift from public to private can be seen in..." more

The IT Infrastructure Consumption Unit is Changing

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:01:11 GMT

Network World writes "[by Mark Bowker]...IT will resist as long as they can, but when it comes to purchasing infrastructure for virtual computing environments and cloud computing initiatives, the do-it-yourself (DIY) model is becoming a thing of the past. Instead, the new IT consumption model is moving toward..." more

What do Consumers Really Want? Simplicity

Tue, 01 May 2012 20:57:49 GMT

HBR writes "[by Karen Freeman, Patrick Spenner, Anna Bird]...today's consumers, barraged by information, are adapting their shopping habits to cope with the noise — and that has profound implications for marketers The bottom line:... These days making a purchase decision easy is what makes customers choose your brand...." more

Winners of CIO Magazine's Ones to Watch Awards

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:07:08 GMT

CIO writes "[by Lauren Brousell]...Our judges selected these up-and-comers as the 2012 honorees..." more

Network Running Skype is Drastically Overhauled

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:02:39 GMT

Ars Technica writes "[by Dan Good]...Microsoft has drastically overhauled the network running its Skype voice-over-IP service, replacing peer-to-peer client machines with thousands of Linux boxes that have been hardened against the most common types of hack attacks, a security researcher said. The change, which Immunity Security's Kostya Kortchinsky said occurred about two months ago, represents a major departure from the design that has powered Skype for the past decade. Since its introduction in 2003..." more

10 Things CIOs Learn from Startups about Innovation and Disruption

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:40:36 GMT

Isaac Sacolick writes "...a panel of startup technologists on the topic of innovation and disruption. The audience was approximately thirty Fortune 500 CIOs, and I was determined to demonstrate what enterprises could learn from nimble, agile, and innovative startups...[1] Founders spend an inordinate amount of time working on culture. It's key to get the brightest minds to join, work hard, and stay. ..[2] Everyone must be productive..." more

Adjusting to Life in a Hyperconnected World

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:37:18 GMT

Irving Wladawsky-Berger writes "...Recent studies are also showing that virtual connections are not enough for most people, - they continue to value physical, face-to-face encounters. That is why cities compete with each other to attract talented people, who like to be in close proximity...Human relationships are rich and they’re messy and they’re demanding,” says [MIT Professor Sherry] Turkle. “And we clean them up with technology. And when we do, one of the things that can happen is..." more

Developing Countries are Revolutionizing Mobile Banking

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:03:33 GMT

HBR writes "[by Vijay Govindarajan]...Poor countries are jumping ahead of rich ones by building a 21st century infrastructure (because they have little legacy infrastructure to begin with)...India has leapfrogged from no land-line telephones to the latest in wireless telephony. That revolution, in turn, is causing India to leapfrog brick-and-mortar banking to wireless banking for the masses. We see similar patterns in other poor countries as well...The story of one such innovation..." more

Survey Reveals 54% of Cloud Projects are Deployed without CFOs and CIOs Knowledge

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:43:01 GMT

CIO writes "[by Tom Powledge]...many CFOs, and even their CIO counterparts, don't hear about some cloud deployments until after they're rolled out. Research from the IT Policy Compliance Group reports that 54% of organizations surveyed do not know how many cloud computing projects are underway in their business. The ease and instantaneous ability to turn on cloud apps is leading to deployment without..." more