software vendor

Mistakes plague IT projects

Judi Hasson — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:16:26 -0400

The Standish Group says 29 percent of all IT projects are never completed successfully, often because CIOs don't follow standard management processes, don't have the right staff, don't properly assess the risks, or don't take quick enough action to mitigate problems that can grow out of control.

CIO.com has complied a list of the 14 most common project management mistakes, along with suggestions on how to avoid them and how get a project completed successfully on budget. The top item on the list is staffing. "The key to getting a project successfully accomplished is getting the right people with the right skills," says Joel Koppelman, CEO of project management software vendor Primavera. "All the planning in the world won't overcome an insufficiency of talent."

Another big mistake: failing to have an experienced, savvy project manager who has the skills and the ability to deal with all of the stakeholders and the financials. CIOs are also advised to insure that there is flexibility, that the project team is not hamstrung by too much process, and that they can communicate directly with sponsors and end users.

For more project advice:
- see this CIO.com article

Microsoft may up the ante for Yahoo

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Efforts by Microsoft and Yahoo to negotiate a merger agreement have stalled, with the two companies not even talking. But Microsoft this week could raise its bid by as much as $2 to $33 a share to get some movement. Yahoo, however, has indicated that that's not enough and wants an offer in the high 30s, according to the Wall Street Journal. If the third Microsoft bid doesn't succeed, the world's biggest software vendor may walk away or it could decide to embark on a proxy fight. Microsoft, however, is reluctant to start a hostile takeover, the Journal said. One other option according to various reports: a plan that would allow Yahoo to remain independent while signing a search advertising partnership with Google.

To read more on the battle of the titans:
- See this Financial Post article

ALSO NOTED: Are you having an identity crisis?; Don't sue your software vendor;

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

> Are you having an identity crisis? Article
> Don't sue your software vendor. Article
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> How to be a better IT exec. Article
> New CIO for Hitachi unit. Article
> So do you really need a business analyst? Article

And Finally... How badly do you want a new job? Article

IT hiring on the rise

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:01:40 -0400

While just about every news site seems completely preoccupied by the imminent release of Steve Jobs's iPhone this week, it has been a busy news week for CIOs as well. Baseline released the results from is latest survey, which looks at the fastest growing software companies. Not surprisingly, CIOs are interested in working with fewer software vendors and they're expecting a lot more from those few that they work with. After fattening up with point solutions from several vendors, CIOs are now looking for vendors that act more like partners, by helping to pull everything together in the enterprise. In terms of the fastest growing software vendor, Nuance Communications nabbed the number one spot, with 67.2 percent growth over the course of last year. Much of this growth is happening through acquisitions--take Oracle who spent $20 billion on acquisitions alone in the last few years. Also this week, Robert Half Technology released findings from its 3Q hiring survey, which finds that seventeen percent of the 1,400 CIOs surveyed said that they plan to add IT staff in the next three months while only two percent expect to cut staff. It's a great sign that things are looking up for IT. -Patty

Faulty IT practices leads to customer attrition

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Companies are losing customers because they are doing a poor job of resolving IT issues and neglecting to tailor IT-enabled business services to meet customer requirements. These findings, from a study from software vendor BMC, notes that poor call center practices and systems, neglecting to personalize fault resolution processes, and a refusal to offer the same benefits to existing customers as new customers all contribute to customers' refusal to stay with the company. To solve the problem, IT staff must be more attentive to customer requests and needs and use more automated methods that lead to customer satisfaction, such as online customer self-service, information management systems and incident management software that can track the causes of customer service problems.

To get more information about improving customer service:
- read the article at ITWeek

The unknown, but successful, software maker

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:01:37 -0500

When you think of customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning, it's more than likely the names Oracle and SAP come to mind. But there's actually a little-known software vendor who's right on the leading vendor's heels and may be worth checking out, if you're looking to upgrade or revamp your systems. Infor Global Solutions has been quietly building a customer base and expanding its reach by gobbling up a bunch of smaller software makers--it now boasts with 8,100 employees and 70,000 customers.

For more on the unknown leading software maker:
- read the report at Baseline magazine

Related Article: Oracle sets its sights on Red Hat. Article

Network access tools aren't as good as you think

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Network Access Control (NAC) technologies have long been considered a good security approach, but as hackers will prove at an upcoming industry conference, NAC is easy to breach--each and every type of NAC can be broken into. As security software vendor Insightix explains it, the NAC tools on the market weren't designed very well since any hacker with a user name and password can get into the network systems a company puts in place. It makes shoring up against internal network threats all the more important, say experts.

For more on NAC vulnerabilities:
- see this article at InformationWeek

Nortel's efforts to get back in the telecom race

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Nortel Networks is trimming costs on both sides of the aisle--cutting about 1,000 jobs and trimming business operations costs such as pension-plan contributions. Yet at the same time, the Canada-based telecom equipment and software vendor is also adding jobs, just not in the U.S. or Canada. It's boosting staffing by adding about 800 jobs in their Mexico and Turkey operations bases. While the cost reductions should save between $1 million to $2 million a year, industry analysts and pundits aren't satisfied it's enough to get Nortel into a more competitive position.

For more on Nortel's moves:
- take a look at this article at from The New York Times

SAP aims for the SMB marketplace

Wed, 31 May 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Think SAP and you likely get visions of huge corporations plopping down intricate and heavy duty software engines for supply chain management and other business functions. But the software vendor wants to change that image and is working hard to prove that its tools, which help enterprises automate operations and processes, isn't too big and heavy for the small to midsize market. It's achieved its first proof point by helping power a Formula One racing team, which is no easy feat in car racing.

For more on how SAP is reaching down to new markets:
- read this article at BusinessWeek