help companies

The wild world of wireless

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:59:58 -0400

As wide-area wireless network technology becomes a standard element in just about every enterprise network these days, a growing number of companies are exploring new ways to wrench out more speed and quality out of their mobile links. Such technologies include Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) and other 3G technologies. These wireless apps are helping IT administrators move beyond simply offering email to implementing business applications like salesforce automation that are optimized for wireless delivery. The hope is that early adopters will secure a competitive edge or build better efficiencies into their business processes. The sales force of large companies is a natural beneficiary of these sorts of technologies and industries like pharmaceuticals, financial services, insurance and media are buying into the technology at a rapid pace. The technologies can help companies and their sales staff reach rural areas, and can bring an end to the search for hotspots that support your network configurations. Cost has also come down and in most cases is no longer an issue for CIOs. The market potential for this technology is huge: "There's probably around three million EV-DO cards out there today, and there's somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 million users of wireless," Tim Donahue, vice president of business marketing at Sprint, told Networkworld. "We are still on the front end of this curve."

For more on 3G and EV-DO:
- look for the article in Networkworld

Open-source can be risky business

Tue, 08 May 2007 20:01:39 -0400

For CIOs, the governance of open source can be very tricky. Governance of open-source technology is critical; without knowing how it was obtained and how it's being used, companies can get sued over its use. There are also downtime risks; organizations need to know how to deal with open-source technology when it fails. Another risk is compliance. With workflow in place to enforce open-source polices, organizations can ensure that they have the proper controls in place to satisfy any applicable regulatory requirements. There are products available to help, however, such as those from OpenLogic and SourceLabs. These products offer open-source support or maintain certified repositories of open-source technology. They also pinpoint problematic open-source products and include basic governance and workflows that help companies track what's being used and how it's used. But some believe these products aren't enough. Policies and practices have to go with the software.

Read more about managing open-source in the enterprise:
- read the article at ComputerWeekly

ALSO:
- read this on how open-source has grown up
- and this on the danger of open-source

Evaluating developer skills

Mon, 07 May 2007 20:01:36 -0400

A new testing process developed by the SANS Institute will help companies determine how well developers can craft secure code. The exams, which will cover C/C++, Java/J2SE, Perl/PHP and .Net/ASP, can identify gaps in a programmer's training. Once identified, these developers will be able to work with GIAC Secure Software Programmer (GSSP) status through the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) program, part of SANS.

Read more about evaluating developers' skills:
- read the article at CIO

ALSO NOTED: The damage that data leaks can do; Hosted services make sense;

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

> Are data leaks bleeding your company dry? Article

> Hosted services trump in-house deployments. Article

> Self-service technologies help companies help themselves. Article

> Total malware volumes grow dramatically. Article

> Security is a top concern for European companies. Article

> Businesses have yet to cash in on Second Life. Article

> Survey: Most IT managers believe that SAM ISO is unsustainable. Press release

And Finally… Notes from InfoSec. Blog

ITIL: Not ready for prime time in the midmarket?

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Although the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)--a sort of roadmap of best practices that helps IT departments adopt more efficient service management--is making great strides in the enterprise, some say that smaller companies won't get the benefits, at least not yet. Implementing ITIL requires making some big changes in infrastructure and working style, and it can be expensive and time-consuming. If you are set on it, though, try service management-specific solution providers like Pink Elephant, Service-now.com, Getronics and TraverseIT LLC, which help companies implement ITIL. Ultimately, however, ITIL will make inroads in the midmarket, and will make IT services more efficient in these companies. By mastering five processes that make up ITIL--incident management, problem management, change management, configuration management and release management--companies can minimize the time to identify and resolve service incidents.

Learn more about ITIL in the midmarket:
- read the article at CIO Decisions

ALSO:
- read this on the ROI of ITIL
- and this on putting business ahead of technology

Lawyers are a fact of life for CIOs

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

The recent rash of legislation governing data retention, electronic discovery, privacy, data use and abuse has created a goldmine for lawyers well-versed in IT issues. More than ever before, CIOs must interact with attorneys just to protect themselves and their companies. It's not always a pleasant experience, but it's a fact of corporate life today. There are ways to reduce your exposure to lawyers, though. One option is to outsource the management of data and compliance to an outside service provider and another is to cue up new types of software to classify data at creation, apply policies to it and to enforce it--all in one fell swoop. Yet another is to employ an internal search technology to help companies locate difficult-to-find data.

Learn more about how to avoid lawyers:
- read the column at ComputerWorld

Focus on neglected areas using BPM

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Business Process Management (BPM), which combines software with policies to streamline process flow among departments, can help companies focus attention on neglected areas by bridging departmental boundaries and filling information gaps. Unlike business process re-engineering (BPR), an earlier iteration of BPM, this method is not a one-time overhaul but a step toward continuous change. BPM does this by identifying, documenting, monitoring and automating activities within a company that are connected to the development of a product or service. Many vendors offer BPM functionality in their products, such as Oracle.

Learn if your company is a good candidate for BPM and how to get started:
- read the article at CIO Today