Blogs

-
Mike Vizard
Revealing the Business Value of Innovation
RSS
Accessing Microsoft Excel Online Today
It seems like just about everybody, whether it’s Google, Microsoft or Zoho.com, is looking to provide end users with some form of access to a shared set of productivity applications on the Web. The trouble with these approaches is that the Google and Zoho approaches require end users to learn a...More >
Arthur ColeInfrastructure
“ Many smaller companies are quick to point out that cloud services can be delivered, both internally and externally, with largely the same virtual infrastructure that is already in place.”
All Blogs
Alignment, staffing and culture are often more critical than software and apps
11.06.09
Can Web 2.0 Transparency Help Companies with Compliance Efforts?
OK, we all know e-mail can be an incredible compliance hassle. As IT Business Edge's Lora Bentley wrote about a month ago, employees can , either through willful disregard or (as in the case cited in her post) simple misunderstanding. Web 2.0 technologies in the workplace will be even... More >
11/6/2009 12:42:00 PM
Cloud Computing: Same Old Enterprise Story
In an enterprise version of "West Side Story," the "decentralized" and "centralized" gangs would fight it out instead of the Sharks and the Jets. (And with fewer knives and less dancing.) IT wants to control the enterprise turf with centralization, because it's easier to secure and support.... More >
Insights on enterprise software markets to help define smart strategy
11.06.09
Ingres CEO's Advice about Enterprise Software Makes No Sense
I've been waiting with bated breath for a week for the second installment of Ingres CEO Roger Burkhardt's advice on how to keep from getting duped by the leading enterprise software suppliers. I hope Fortune gets some of Ingres’ ad money after it let Burkhardt put a free ad on its editorial... More >
11/4/2009 7:58:00 AM
Why Cloud vs. Premise? Is 'Premise' the Wrong Word?
Here is an interesting blog post by Webex/Cisco's director of product strategy, David Knight, asking the question " Why Cloud vs Premise ?" that might be helpful as you plan your 2010 IT budget and projects. I agree with his conclusion that the security/compliance and performance advantages of... More >
From regulatory compliance to corporate governance structure, everyone is involved
11.06.09
EU Agrees to Telecom Reform
As politicians and other stakeholders in the U.S. debate the pros and cons of rules requiring transparency in network management and prohibiting discrimination among content types, the European Union is revamping its own telecommunications regulations, such that competition between providers... More >
11/5/2009 2:49:00 PM
Electronic Medical Records Backup Doesn't Have to be Paper
Wednesday at CTO Edge , Wayne Rash wrote about a recent experience he had trying to get a prescription from his doctor's office. He couldn't get anyone on the phone, and when he drove there, he found there had been a fire in the building, so the power was out. Since the office had moved to... More >
Data center and networking architecture to keep your data safe and moving
11.06.09
Big or Small? Contrasting Approaches to the Cloud
Does the cloud lend itself to a major all-in-one platform, or should enterprises pursue a piecemeal approach, at least for the moment? It should be no surprise that the major platform vendors like did what they do best for the burgeoning cloud movement -- build all-inclusive integrated... More >
11/5/2009 1:59:00 PM
New Life in Hard-Disk Drives
It was obvious from the beginning that even though solid-state drives (SSDs) were gearing up for a major push into the enterprise, it hardly meant hard disks (HDDs) were going the way of the dinosaurs. Surprisingly, though, HDDs not only are poised to maintain strength in enterprise... More >
Observations about Microsoft, the world’s largest software vendor
11.03.09
Add Lower Prices on Microsoft Cloud Apps to CIO List of Criteria
Prices for Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite and for Exchange Online are lower, as of today, as outlined in this InformationWeek article . At the same time, Microsoft announced both a list of large clients that have recently adopted one or both of the products, as well as expanded... More >
10/20/2009 3:59:00 PM
Business Communications and the Sidekick User
As the first data restoration becomes available today to T-Mobile Sidekick users who lost contacts, photos and other information stored on their mobile devices, Microsoft execs are applying the lessons learned more broadly to enterprise offerings. Is a cell phone data loss problem actually... More >
The real truth about technology and IT
11.04.09
EMC, Cisco, Dell, Oracle Shoot for Super-Company Status
Some weeks are quiet and some not so much. EMC pulled together one of the most powerful partnerships this week, from an enterprise standpoint. Dell acquired Perot Systems and became a true enterprise player. And the Oracle-Sun deal began to look like a disaster. Individually, these are interesting... More >
11/3/2009 1:32:00 PM
Ballmer and Microsoft: Credit Where Credit Is Due
Recently Steve Ballmer has been under a microscope. Dan Lyons wrote a Newsweek piece called the “Lost Decade: Why Steve Ballmer is no Bill Gates” and he is right. Ballmer is no Bill Gates. But then I could as easily argue that Bill Gates is no Bill Gates either. Gates is managing his own... More >
Begin with business processes and then progress into leading-edge technologies
11.06.09
Cutter Consortium Offers Free Journal on Semantic Enterprise
On Wednesday I wrote about semantic technology's implication for the enterprise. In that post, I shamelessly hinted that it'd be great if the Cutter Consortium would offer non-members a look at the Cutter piece “The Rise of the Semantic Enterprise.” Guess what? Cutter did. And it turns out it's... More >
11/5/2009 5:04:00 PM
Which Costs More: Staff or Middleware?
I follow a lot of SOA discussions that, for various reasons, I don't write about on this blog. First, this isn't an SOA blog; it's an integration blog, and I've got to represent, you know: Keep it real, and so on. Second, sometimes these discussions are just too niche for this blog's audience.... More >
Companies’ communications strategies must be agile in a rapidly evolving market
11.05.09
LTE Begins to Make its Voice Heard
The down and dirty work of actually making all othe promised applications and functions of a modern telecommunications system come to life is well under way. This week, Converged Network Digest reports , a number of vendors and network service providers -- including AT&T, Orange, Verizon,... More >
11/3/2009 4:58:00 PM
More Smartphones, Lower Prices Drive Competitive Change
One extremely important element in the future of the smartphone market is, of course, how much devices will cost. On one level, that’s a self-evident statement. But precisely how the world of pricing evolves -- and whether the customer eventually pays the entire cost or today's system of... More >
Securing your data and network, inside and outside the perimeter
11.05.09
Joint Cloud Venture Brings Big Hopes
Cisco and EMC announced this week that they are collaborating to provide private cloud computing services. The new partnership includes Cisco, EMC, VMware, and Intel, and will develop virtual products, while Cisco and EMC will partner under a venture called Acadia to train customers on how to... More >
11/4/2009 10:12:00 AM
University of Penn Deploys DNSSEC: Let's See More Adopters
Many of you know that I teach in the security and technology program at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa. When I heard that the University of Pennsylvania, a competing school in Philadelphia, was implementing DNSSEC, I was a bit jealous. The university is implementing the technology as part of... More >
Managing a business in a technology-driven world
11.03.09
I'm Ready to Push Away from the Bandwidth Buffet
Net neutrality is a hot-button issue with folks who like to talk about such topics, particularly since the The thing about net neutrality is that it’s hard to actually pin down what folks are talking about. Most of my journalist-type friends focus on aspects of net neutrality that... More >
10/20/2009 11:02:00 AM
Windows 7 Sounds Solid, Which in the Wake of Vista Is Revolutionary
I am like most business users, I imagine, in that I can no longer personally get all that excited about the launch of any new technology, unless that technology promises to make my life somehow easier. For example, if somebody were to announce that the release of a fully functional word processor... More >
Expert tech insight and advice for small businesses with big goals
11.06.09
Some Simple Ways to Be More Security Conscious
I wrote about the recently, as evidenced by the findings of a study co-sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec. In that earlier blog, I promised to give some advice to help SMBs and their employees attain a higher security consciousness. In truth, the scope of... More >
11/5/2009 9:19:00 AM
Lenovo Launches All-in-One Desktop PC for SMBs
Lenovo early this week announced its first all-in-one desktop designed for the SMB, which the company says will ship by at the end of November. In an all-in-one, the main chassis containing the processor and motherboard are integrated into the back of the LCD display. A departure from bulky... More >
11.06.09
Cloud Computing: Same Old Enterprise Story
In an enterprise version of "West Side Story," the "decentralized" and "centralized" gangs would fight it out instead of the Sharks and the Jets. (And with fewer knives and less dancing.) IT wants to control the enterprise turf with centralization, because it's easier to secure and support.... More >
11.06.09
Ingres CEO's Advice about Enterprise Software Makes No Sense
I've been waiting with bated breath for a week for the second installment of Ingres CEO Roger Burkhardt's advice on how to keep from getting duped by the leading enterprise software suppliers. I hope Fortune gets some of Ingres’ ad money after it let Burkhardt put a free ad on its editorial... More >
11.05.09
New Life in Hard-Disk Drives
It was obvious from the beginning that even though solid-state drives (SSDs) were gearing up for a major push into the enterprise, it hardly meant hard disks (HDDs) were going the way of the dinosaurs. Surprisingly, though, HDDs not only are poised to maintain strength in enterprise... More >
11.06.09
Can Web 2.0 Transparency Help Companies with Compliance Efforts?
OK, we all know e-mail can be an incredible compliance hassle. As IT Business Edge's Lora Bentley wrote about a month ago, employees can , either through willful disregard or (as in the case cited in her post) simple misunderstanding. Web 2.0 technologies in the workplace will be even... More >
11.06.09
Cutter Consortium Offers Free Journal on Semantic Enterprise
On Wednesday I wrote about semantic technology's implication for the enterprise. In that post, I shamelessly hinted that it'd be great if the Cutter Consortium would offer non-members a look at the Cutter piece “The Rise of the Semantic Enterprise.” Guess what? Cutter did. And it turns out it's... More >
11.05.09
Which Costs More: Staff or Middleware?
I follow a lot of SOA discussions that, for various reasons, I don't write about on this blog. First, this isn't an SOA blog; it's an integration blog, and I've got to represent, you know: Keep it real, and so on. Second, sometimes these discussions are just too niche for this blog's audience.... More >
11.05.09
Google Wave: Likes, Dislikes and Planned Changes
I'm intrigued by the , which is why I've been writing about it even though I haven't actually tried it. (I hope that changes soon, as two people took pity on me and sent invitations from their Wave accounts. The suspense is killing me. It's like a very geeky Christmas.) In reading about... More >
11.06.09
Some Simple Ways to Be More Security Conscious
I wrote about the recently, as evidenced by the findings of a study co-sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec. In that earlier blog, I promised to give some advice to help SMBs and their employees attain a higher security consciousness. In truth, the scope of... More >
11.06.09
Big or Small? Contrasting Approaches to the Cloud
Does the cloud lend itself to a major all-in-one platform, or should enterprises pursue a piecemeal approach, at least for the moment? It should be no surprise that the major platform vendors like did what they do best for the burgeoning cloud movement -- build all-inclusive integrated... More >
11.05.09
Process Automation or Offshoring: Either Way, You Lose Jobs
My 75-year-old father will probably never stop working. He "retired" several years ago, but it never took. His current job involves driving checks and other documents to bank branches across central Indiana. Some years ago, when Congress passed the Check 21 Act , which allows digital copies of... More >
11.05.09
The Need for BI Speed
There are a lot of data warehouses out there that can no longer keep up with the pace of the business. Most data warehouses were built on the assumption that performance would hardly be an issue. The business side wasn’t expected to stress the platform by making too many queries, and just about... More >
11.02.09
Blurring the Line Between Public and Private Clouds
If a private cloud is nevertheless hosted on a public service, is it still a private cloud? It may seem like a dumb question considering the very definition of a private cloud is that it is hosted on the enterprise's own internal architecture, so anything that is sourced outside is naturally a... More >
11.06.09
Dismantling of Regulations Hurts IT Governance
For better or worse, IT organizations can take a collective sigh of relief now that the feared audit of their operations seems to fading as a requirement. As Congress moves to put in place to make regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley less onerous, we seem to be witnessing the dismantling of... More >
11.06.09
EU Agrees to Telecom Reform
As politicians and other stakeholders in the U.S. debate the pros and cons of rules requiring transparency in network management and prohibiting discrimination among content types, the European Union is revamping its own telecommunications regulations, such that competition between providers... More >
11.06.09
Accessing Microsoft Excel Online Today
It seems like just about everybody, whether it’s Google, Microsoft or Zoho.com, is looking to provide end users with some form of access to a shared set of productivity applications on the Web. The trouble with these approaches is that the Google and Zoho approaches require end users to learn a... More >
11.06.09
Can Web 2.0 Transparency Help Companies with Compliance Efforts?
OK, we all know e-mail can be an incredible compliance hassle. As IT Business Edge's Lora Bentley wrote about a month ago, employees can , either through willful disregard or (as in the case cited in her post) simple misunderstanding. Web 2.0 technologies in the workplace will be even... More >
11.06.09
Cutter Consortium Offers Free Journal on Semantic Enterprise
On Wednesday I wrote about semantic technology's implication for the enterprise. In that post, I shamelessly hinted that it'd be great if the Cutter Consortium would offer non-members a look at the Cutter piece “The Rise of the Semantic Enterprise.” Guess what? Cutter did. And it turns out it's... More >
11.06.09
Big or Small? Contrasting Approaches to the Cloud
Does the cloud lend itself to a major all-in-one platform, or should enterprises pursue a piecemeal approach, at least for the moment? It should be no surprise that the major platform vendors like did what they do best for the burgeoning cloud movement -- build all-inclusive integrated... More >
11.06.09
Cloud Computing: Same Old Enterprise Story
In an enterprise version of "West Side Story," the "decentralized" and "centralized" gangs would fight it out instead of the Sharks and the Jets. (And with fewer knives and less dancing.) IT wants to control the enterprise turf with centralization, because it's easier to secure and support.... More >
11.06.09
Dismantling of Regulations Hurts IT Governance
For better or worse, IT organizations can take a collective sigh of relief now that the feared audit of their operations seems to fading as a requirement. As Congress moves to put in place to make regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley less onerous, we seem to be witnessing the dismantling of... More >
11.06.09
Ingres CEO's Advice about Enterprise Software Makes No Sense
I've been waiting with bated breath for a week for the second installment of Ingres CEO Roger Burkhardt's advice on how to keep from getting duped by the leading enterprise software suppliers. I hope Fortune gets some of Ingres’ ad money after it let Burkhardt put a free ad on its editorial... More >
11.06.09
Some Simple Ways to Be More Security Conscious
I wrote about the recently, as evidenced by the findings of a study co-sponsored by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec. In that earlier blog, I promised to give some advice to help SMBs and their employees attain a higher security consciousness. In truth, the scope of... More >
11.05.09
Joint Cloud Venture Brings Big Hopes
Cisco and EMC announced this week that they are collaborating to provide private cloud computing services. The new partnership includes Cisco, EMC, VMware, and Intel, and will develop virtual products, while Cisco and EMC will partner under a venture called Acadia to train customers on how to... More >
11.05.09
Workforce Optimization Needs Higher Priority
One of the sadder facts about life in Corporate America is that we’ve become pretty sloppy when it comes to managing people. During the good times, there wasn’t much call for focusing on workforce optimization . Now that we’re living in more challenging economic times, the need to get the most... More >
11.05.09
Which Costs More: Staff or Middleware?
I follow a lot of SOA discussions that, for various reasons, I don't write about on this blog. First, this isn't an SOA blog; it's an integration blog, and I've got to represent, you know: Keep it real, and so on. Second, sometimes these discussions are just too niche for this blog's audience.... More >
11.05.09
Electronic Medical Records Backup Doesn't Have to be Paper
Wednesday at CTO Edge , Wayne Rash wrote about a recent experience he had trying to get a prescription from his doctor's office. He couldn't get anyone on the phone, and when he drove there, he found there had been a fire in the building, so the power was out. Since the office had moved to... More >
Hot Topics
Resource Centers
- Cost Cutting through Server Consolidation
- Application Grid
- Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Tape Storage
- Responding to Change
- Mobile Computing Optimization
- Greening IT with Server Consolidation
- Data Loss Protection
- Laptop Security
- Enterprise Manager
- Data Center Management
- Security Information and Event Management
- Network Optimization
- Energy Efficiency
- Information Management
- Decision Management
- Power Supply Solutions
- Business Intelligence
- Security SaaS Solutions
- Applications for Mid-size Businesses
- Tablet PCs
- Data Deduplication
- Data Management
- Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence
- Virtualization & Business Continuity
- Data Management Solutions
- Optimized Infrastructure

-
Decision Management
Applications, management tools and industry advice on how to optimize your data for better business decisions.

-
Data Management
Data management tips and techniques that insure ease of access, comprehensive security and absolute privacy for your invaluable company information.

-
Optimized Infrastructure
Hardware and software tools to create an enterprise infrastructure for data and business optimization.

-
Applications for Mid-size Businesses
Applications that mid-sized businesses can use to improve operational efficiency, accelerate growth, and maintain profitability.
Software Forum: Information On Demand Virtual Experience
This interactive virtual forum presents leading IT experts providing the insights you need to turn your information into a strategic driver for innovation, business optimization and competitive differentiation.
Lowering Your IT Costs with Oracle Database 11g Release 2
This white paper identifies the key capabilities a database management solution needs to successfully deliver more information with higher quality of service, make more efficient use of IT budgets, and reduce the risk of change in data centers.