boardroom

HP settles privacy case

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:59:59 -0500

In 2006, HP disclosed that misconduct by private investigators and company employees occurred during an attempt to identify the source of a boardroom leak. Now company officials, hoping to put the scandal behind them, have reached a settlement with The New York Times and three Business Week reporters. "What HP did was an affront to the free press," Terry Gross, the San Francisco lawyer representing the parties told The New York Times. "They did not like what reporters were writing, and they broke into their private telephone accounts to identify who their sources were," he said. HP said in a written statement that it is "happy to resolve the matter." But the company still faces lawsuits filed by three CNET reporters and an Associated Press journalist.

For more on the settlement of the spy case:
- See this Vnunet article

Boards begin to pay attention to CIOs

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

With Sarbanes-Oxley and financial scandals in the news on a regular basis now, independent director boards are increasingly curious about how CIOs are running their shops and spending precious resources. According to Jack Capers, a partner in the Atlanta office of law firm King & Spalding and a member of the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group, directors now see the IT department not just as a repository of key data and process insight, but also as a key resource for risk management. As a result, there has been a new trend in seeking CIO participation in boardroom discussions. It's a trend that is likely to continue. "I believe there will be an increase in communication with the CIO," Capers tells CIO Update. So, how can you prepare for the call upstairs? Board members generally appreciate less technical explanations. When speaking to the board, always tie technology to the business and engage in discussions rather than presentations. Most importantly, before going in front of the board, rehearse and make certain that your presentations are fast-paced and informative. This is not the time to wing it, say the experts.

For more advice on how to present to the board:
- see the article in CIO Update

CIOs should play bigger role in corporate strategy, study says

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

We've all heard that CIOs' roles are evolving into more of a business role, but according to a new study out this week from IBM, there is still something of a glass ceiling for tech execs that want to play a bigger role in the boardroom. Of the 170 CIOs IBM interviewed, 84 percent said their job has evolved beyond technology infrastructure and computing support to create strategy and help transform the business. But only 16 percent said their companies have done enough to take full advantage of IT. "CIOs need to play a more active role in participating in business discussion, to take this notion of CIOs becoming business leaders and consider what they could do to help their companies achieve that objective," said George Pohle, vice president and global leader for the Institute for Business Value at IBM. "It's up to the CIO to be able to come to the table with good examples of what they can do. They shouldn't just ask to sit at the table and expect that they will think of good ideas while they are there," he added. Resistance to change on the part of business executives was cited by CIOs as one of the things that made their roles the most difficult. On the operation side, however, CIOs felt they're better able to integrate business and technology.

For more:
- read this article
- read the IBM release

Study: Digital information explodes

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:01:39 -0500

According to a new white paper from International Data, the amount of digital information created by 2006 was equal to about 3 million times the information on all books ever written, and between 2006 and 2010, the information added annually to the digital universe will increase from 161 exabytes to 988 exabytes. Fueling this are three major analog-to-digital conversions: film to digital image capture, analog to digital voice, and analog to digital TV. IDC predicts that by 2010, while nearly 70 percent of the digital universe will be created by individuals, organizations will be responsible for the security, privacy, reliability, and compliance of at least 85 percent of that same digital universe. This rapidly expanding responsibility will put pressure on existing computing operations and drive organizations to develop more information-centric computing architectures. As a result, CIOs and IT managers will see the span of their domains increase exponentially, while information security and privacy protection will become a significant boardroom concern.

To learn more about the impact of data growth on IT departments:
- read this ComputerWeekly article

Climbing the corporate ladder

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 19:01:39 -0500

CIOs aren't the first executives the board thinks of when looking for someone to replace an outgoing CEO. Instead, they usually turn to the CFO or COO. But that doesn't have to be the case. CIOs with the right business understanding, leadership and skills can be good candidates for the top job. By far, leadership qualities are the most important skills for CIOs hoping to make the leap, according to a survey from Silicon.com. It's about earning the right to have an opinion in the boardroom. Other important skills are commercial awareness, exposure to legal and contract issues, and having the respect of your colleagues and employees.

To read more about making it to the top rung:
- read the article at Silicon.com
- check out this article about clawing your way to the top

Related Articles:
It's open season on CIOs. Report
Forging a good CIO-CEO connection. Report
Reaching the pinnacle of success. Report

Taking the telecom bull by the horn

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Only by CIOs getting directly involved will companies have efficient, cost-effective telecommunications systems that provide everything the organization needs now and in the future. To avoid being burned by your telecommunications vendor, make sure your voice is heard on your company's board. With state-of-the-art technologies like VoIP taking the corporate world by storm, telecom is important enough to warrant a voice in the boardroom.

For more about standing up for telecom:
- check out the Silicon.com report

Related Article:
VoIP will open data doors to phishers. Report

ALSO NOTED: The top IT turkeys of 2006; IBM releases new security application for SMBs; and much more...

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:01:33 -0500

> The top IT turkeys of 2006. Article

> IBM releases new security application for SMBs. Article

> The real reason why Microsoft made a deal with Novell. Article

> IT talent shortfall predicted to hurt UK economy. Article

> Despite its recent boardroom scandal, HP's profits are up. Article

And Finally... Clothing lets air guitarists play. Article

SPOTLIGHT: A new battle brews for CIOs

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:01:34 -0500

The next boardroom battle for many companies is expected to pit compliance leaders against CIOs as compliance officers try to control technology spend when it comes to meeting regulatory guidelines. A new study from Critical Research for Achiever Business Solutions, today's emerging compliance leader is being given more clout than ever before--and that includes the IT environment. Article

HP customers see scandal as CEO test

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Last week was a bit rough for HP's top executives with a few testifying before a congressional panel about the company's investigation into boardroom leaks and the resignation of a couple high level positions. Yet despite being headline news across the tech industry for several weeks, the scandal doesn't seem to be causing any issues with HP's client base. Most seem unperturbed by the revelations, but a number of people feel it's going to prove to be a big test for HP's current leader Mark Hurd. If anything, it seems tech leaders are just keeping an eye on how he handles the situation and if any more of his involvement is revealed.

For more on how clients view the HP situation:
- don't miss the news at Computerworld

HP's defense "not believable" says panel

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:01:36 -0400

It was a grueling day for HP executives who appeared before a congressional panel to answer questions about the company's methodology in trying to hunt down who was leaking confidential boardroom information. Former chairwoman Patricia Dunn claimed not to remember conversations related to the issue of pretexting or how phone numbers were accessed. Lawmakers seemed a bit put out about the company's strategy and investigative tactics, with one saying that HP's defense claims of not knowing about investigative tactics are unbelievable.

For more on how the hearings went:
- read the news report at InformationWeek