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Arthur Cole
Data center and networking architecture to keep your data safe and moving
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The Beginning of the End of IT as We Know It
Continuing with our look at year-end reviews and predictions, I'm struck by the way many of these reports focus on individual technologies but not on the data center in general. If your focus is on, say, the future of servers or virtualization in 2010, there's no shortage of opinion out there....More >
Sue Marquette Poremba Data Security
“With the news of the latest terrorist attempt and revamped security efforts for travelers ... I couldn’t help but think about how important it is to be proactive when it comes to safety measures of all kinds.”
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Alignment, staffing and culture are often more critical than software and apps
12.31.09
H-1B Visas and More in Democrats' Sweeping Immigration Proposal
Even many foes of the H-1B visa (the rational ones, anyway) support the idea of clearing a path to permanent residency for talented graduates of U.S. universities. In a nutshell, that means . In a post from last spring, I used an excerpt from my interview with Ron Hira, an associate professor... More >
12/30/2009 1:47:00 PM
Social Tools Will Change Business, but How?
In reading a recent Forbes interview with Gartner CIO (cool name alert) Darko Hrelic, I was at first taken with the interviewer's reference to him as a "chief collaboration officer," yet another . But I was even more interested in Hrelic's admission that Gartner, which I assume is... More >
Insights on enterprise software markets to help define smart strategy
12.31.09
Looking for the Next Google or Salesforce.com
In the process of doing research to watch for the next Google or salesforce.com from an IT investment-research point of view, I take a look at Inc. magazine’s annual listing of fastest growing U.S. software companies . This list amazes me every year because of the fact that hundreds of... More >
12/30/2009 8:41:00 AM
Mea Culpa: 2009 Enterprise Software Clarifications and Corrections
As the year 2009 (and the decade if you are not a purist) wraps up, it’s worth one post to clarify some comments I made during the year that caused confusion among or possibly misled readers: In January, I wrote about , working with IBM Global Services (or whatever name it goes by these... More >
From regulatory compliance to corporate governance structure, everyone is involved
12.31.09
Cybersecurity Czar Has Staffing Work Cut out for Him
Remember Howard Schmidt, the White House's ? According to FCW.com , the former Microsoft exec's appointment to the post was widely applauded, and he reportedly has just the right mix of private sector and public sector experience to do the job well. But he's certainly had to hit the ground... More >
12/31/2009 2:22:00 PM
AT&T Wants FCC to Do Away with PTSN, Regulate Wireless
Telecom giant AT&T is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission again. This time, however, it has nothing to do with net neutrality or Google Voice . Not directly, anyway. MobileBurn.com reported Thursday that AT&T wants the FCC to drop required support of the public... More >
Observations about Microsoft, the world’s largest software vendor
12.03.09
Turn in Your Boss, Get Paid
Microsoft is hoping to recruit more end users to join its ongoing battle against software piracy. As part of this year’s awareness push, yesterday was named Consumer Action Day by the company, with a major element of the message focused on malware fears and an invitation for some users to... More >
11/3/2009 6:44:00 PM
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 >
The real truth about technology and IT
12.31.09
The Next Decade for Apple, Google and Microsoft CEOs
Boy, talk about three companies in vastly different positions in their life cycles. Apple is finishing a rebirth, Google is reaching maturity, and Microsoft seems to be dropping into old age. Each company faces unique challenges. Apple needs a life after its CEO leaves, Google needs its CEO to do... More >
12/29/2009 8:51:00 PM
Air Travel Security: Is It Time to Start Over?
My grandmother used to tell a story about a not particularly smart lady who put salt instead of sugar in her tea. She then added herbs to the tea to offset the salt, but the tea only got worse. She went door to door and collected suggestions; each made the tea even more undrinkable. She finally... More >
Begin with business processes and then progress into leading-edge technologies
12.30.09
First (IT) Step in Better Customer Service? Integration
My husband recently bought a new planner, “filled with hope and promise for the New Year,” he shared on the phone. I understood completely. Along with our passion for office supplies and geek movies, we share a love of planners. Last year, I bought four – I guess I needed a lot of fresh starts. ... More >
12/29/2009 12:44:00 PM
Is SOA a Success or Not So Much? Survey Says...
With statistics, it's all how you slice them – or, at least, where you focus your attention. We know this, and yet, statistics are the lifeblood of so much advice and so many investments. I was reminded of this while reading a Forrester Research paper, Insights For CIOs — SOA and Beyond ,... More >
Companies’ communications strategies must be agile in a rapidly evolving market
12.31.09
VoIP Changes Everything
On the last day of the 2009 – Y2K+10 Eve – it is appropriate to look back at the massive communications transformation that occurred during the first decade of the 21st century. Ten years ago today, virtually everyone got traditional telephone services – time-division multiplexed services (TDM)... More >
12/30/2009 5:13:00 PM
Moving Toward Speech Recognition and Voice Interfaces
Get ready to hear a lot about speech and voice recognition. As applications multiply and the goings-on on the typical mobile device grows more complex, the most direct, and in many cases safest, way to interact with a device is to tell it what to do. Speech recognition also has a host of uses for... More >
Managing a business in a technology-driven world
12.03.09
Using Tech to Take the Pain Out of Collaboration
I’ve never managed a developer or development team directly, but for years now I’ve been a primary “non-tech” stakeholder for the sites that I’ve helped launch and operate. So, I know enough to poke around in admin tools and find evidence of data corruption or to write oversimplified business logic... More >
11/16/2009 10:54:00 AM
I'm Learning to Love My Softphone, and You Should, Too
I have to confess to being originally irritated by our transition here at the home office over to an -- primarily, I suppose, because I tend to be irritated by most all change. Not something to be proud of, but not altogether atypical of most end users, I'd imagine. However, I have started... More >
Expert tech insight and advice for small businesses with big goals
12.31.09
Benefits of Switching to Hosted Exchange 2010
As we enter a new year, I made a decision to change how my personal e-mail is handled. I transitioned from running my own Exchange server to becoming a paying customer of Intermedia's Exchange 2010 hosting earlier this week. One reason I opted for Intermedia is due to it being the world's... More >
12/30/2009 2:55:00 PM
Migrating Your SMB to Exchange 2010; Is Now the Time?
Officially launched at Microsoft Tech Ed Europe 2009 conference at Berlin in November, Microsoft Exchange 2010 is the newest version of Microsoft's messaging platform. As one might expect, there are many new and improved features that can be found in this version of Exchange. Are there features... More >
Revealing the Business Value of Innovation
12.30.09
The Price Is Not Right
About this time of year, when many corporations are trying to close the book on 2009 while fine-tuning their budget forecasts for 2010, there is always a nagging feeling that money has been left on the table. The reason for this is that pricing within most companies remains more art than science.... More >
12/29/2009 9:31:00 AM
Patriot Act May Hamper Cloud Computing Adoption
The common wisdom concerning e-mail these days is that it’s all heading into the cloud. After all, it’s difficult to manage and, as a basic utility of computing, in and of itself it doesn’t provide a lot of strategic value. But Sendmail CEO Don Massaro would beg to differ with conventional... More >
Securing your data and network, inside and outside the perimeter
12.30.09
A New Year Deserves New Security Strategies
With the news of the latest terrorist attempt and revamped security efforts for travelers dominating the headlines the past few days, I couldn’t help but think about how important it is to be proactive when it comes to safety measures of all kinds. With the New Year days away, what better time to... More >
12/29/2009 11:14:00 AM
Enforcement Key to a Strong Security Policy Plan
Earlier this month, I posed the question: A good security audit will show that most security breaches are preventable. An article at IT Security lists 15 top reasons why business security is compromised . The reasons range from outdated software and poor spam filters to outsourced IT and... More >
The more sensitive it is, the more it warrants discussion
12.31.09
May 2010 Be the Year That Charles Wang Is Brought to Justice
As 2009 draws to a close, we can all no doubt think of any number of tech-news headlines we wish we had read this year, but didn’t. Near the very top of my list is this one: “Charles Wang Brought to Justice.” Wang is the co-founder and former CEO of the software company that under his watch was... More >
12/30/2009 1:32:00 PM
Age Discrimination in IT: At Least the Pain Is Shared
A reader who commented yesterday on my blog post, took issue with my contention that one of the reasons it’s important to encourage our children to pursue careers in IT is the need to fill the jobs that will be vacated by the approaching retirement of a lot of baby boomers. “Retiring... More >
12.29.09
Air Travel Security: Is It Time to Start Over?
My grandmother used to tell a story about a not particularly smart lady who put salt instead of sugar in her tea. She then added herbs to the tea to offset the salt, but the tea only got worse. She went door to door and collected suggestions; each made the tea even more undrinkable. She finally... More >
12.30.09
Moving Toward Speech Recognition and Voice Interfaces
Get ready to hear a lot about speech and voice recognition. As applications multiply and the goings-on on the typical mobile device grows more complex, the most direct, and in many cases safest, way to interact with a device is to tell it what to do. Speech recognition also has a host of uses for... More >
12.30.09
Social Tools Will Change Business, but How?
In reading a recent Forbes interview with Gartner CIO (cool name alert) Darko Hrelic, I was at first taken with the interviewer's reference to him as a "chief collaboration officer," yet another . But I was even more interested in Hrelic's admission that Gartner, which I assume is... More >
12.30.09
Mea Culpa: 2009 Enterprise Software Clarifications and Corrections
As the year 2009 (and the decade if you are not a purist) wraps up, it’s worth one post to clarify some comments I made during the year that caused confusion among or possibly misled readers: In January, I wrote about , working with IBM Global Services (or whatever name it goes by these... More >
12.30.09
Big Guys Rule E-Commerce Roost
The Internet was supposed to level the playing ground for small businesses hoping to compete against retail giants. But it largely hasn't turned out that way. While a or services, it won't do much for those selling more common items. The largest e-tailers got the highest scores in ForeSee... More >
12.30.09
Age Discrimination in IT: At Least the Pain Is Shared
A reader who commented yesterday on my blog post, took issue with my contention that one of the reasons it’s important to encourage our children to pursue careers in IT is the need to fill the jobs that will be vacated by the approaching retirement of a lot of baby boomers. “Retiring... More >
12.29.09
Patriot Act May Hamper Cloud Computing Adoption
The common wisdom concerning e-mail these days is that it’s all heading into the cloud. After all, it’s difficult to manage and, as a basic utility of computing, in and of itself it doesn’t provide a lot of strategic value. But Sendmail CEO Don Massaro would beg to differ with conventional... More >
12.30.09
The Cloud in 2010 and Beyond
This is the time when the trade press is awash with reviews of the past year and predictions for the next. This year, it's almost impossible to miss the prognostications for , with notable commentary ranging from "it's just a fad" to "it's a paradigm-shifting development." But some of the... More >
12.29.09
So Easy to Be Hard When Designing Technology
Whether or not you agree with Roger Sessions' estimate of $6.2 trillion for the annual global cost of IT failures -- and -- I think many if not most people can get on board with his contention that complexity is one of the primary causes of wrecked projects. There's a growing , rather... More >
12.29.09
Good News, Bad News on IT Job Outlook
When it comes to hiring plans, any upward movement is good news. So it's not surprising that a new CareerBuilder survey indicating 20 percent of companies plan to hire folks for permanent, full-time jobs in the coming year , a jump from 14 percent this year, is being hailed as great news. Not... More >
12.30.09
SEC Rules Require Disclosure of Boards' Risk Oversight Activities
Earlier this month, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved new rules requiring public companies to increase transparency around their boards' risk oversight activities, executive compensation and board leadership structure, among other things. Chair Mary Schapiro explained the... More >
12.29.09
Is SOA a Success or Not So Much? Survey Says...
With statistics, it's all how you slice them – or, at least, where you focus your attention. We know this, and yet, statistics are the lifeblood of so much advice and so many investments. I was reminded of this while reading a Forrester Research paper, Insights For CIOs — SOA and Beyond ,... More >
12.30.09
First (IT) Step in Better Customer Service? Integration
My husband recently bought a new planner, “filled with hope and promise for the New Year,” he shared on the phone. I understood completely. Along with our passion for office supplies and geek movies, we share a love of planners. Last year, I bought four – I guess I needed a lot of fresh starts. ... More >
12.31.09
Cybersecurity Czar Has Staffing Work Cut out for Him
Remember Howard Schmidt, the White House's ? According to FCW.com , the former Microsoft exec's appointment to the post was widely applauded, and he reportedly has just the right mix of private sector and public sector experience to do the job well. But he's certainly had to hit the ground... More >
12.31.09
May 2010 Be the Year That Charles Wang Is Brought to Justice
As 2009 draws to a close, we can all no doubt think of any number of tech-news headlines we wish we had read this year, but didn’t. Near the very top of my list is this one: “Charles Wang Brought to Justice.” Wang is the co-founder and former CEO of the software company that under his watch was... More >
12.31.09
The Beginning of the End of IT as We Know It
Continuing with our look at year-end reviews and predictions, I'm struck by the way many of these reports focus on individual technologies but not on the data center in general. If your focus is on, say, the future of servers or virtualization in 2010, there's no shortage of opinion out there.... More >
12.31.09
AT&T Wants FCC to Do Away with PTSN, Regulate Wireless
Telecom giant AT&T is lobbying the Federal Communications Commission again. This time, however, it has nothing to do with net neutrality or Google Voice . Not directly, anyway. MobileBurn.com reported Thursday that AT&T wants the FCC to drop required support of the public... More >
12.31.09
The Next Decade for Apple, Google and Microsoft CEOs
Boy, talk about three companies in vastly different positions in their life cycles. Apple is finishing a rebirth, Google is reaching maturity, and Microsoft seems to be dropping into old age. Each company faces unique challenges. Apple needs a life after its CEO leaves, Google needs its CEO to do... More >
12.31.09
Governments Still Have a Way to Go with Social Networking
Social networking in the corporate environment has been one of my favorite blog subjects lately. Since the concept of is still evolving, there is always something new to write about. And usually the people involved in developing the policies are excited about what they're doing and more than... More >
12.31.09
H-1B Visas and More in Democrats' Sweeping Immigration Proposal
Even many foes of the H-1B visa (the rational ones, anyway) support the idea of clearing a path to permanent residency for talented graduates of U.S. universities. In a nutshell, that means . In a post from last spring, I used an excerpt from my interview with Ron Hira, an associate professor... More >
12.31.09
VoIP Changes Everything
On the last day of the 2009 – Y2K+10 Eve – it is appropriate to look back at the massive communications transformation that occurred during the first decade of the 21st century. Ten years ago today, virtually everyone got traditional telephone services – time-division multiplexed services (TDM)... More >
12.31.09
Groovle.com Not 'Confusingly Similar' to Google, Panel Says
For the last month at least, I've been writing about Google and its seemingly endless quest for control of the Internet experience. There is, however, at least one thing the search giant won't be controlling any time soon. As Wednesday, an arbitration panel approved by the Internet Corporation... More >
12.31.09
Benefits of Switching to Hosted Exchange 2010
As we enter a new year, I made a decision to change how my personal e-mail is handled. I transitioned from running my own Exchange server to becoming a paying customer of Intermedia's Exchange 2010 hosting earlier this week. One reason I opted for Intermedia is due to it being the world's... More >
12.31.09
Looking for the Next Google or Salesforce.com
In the process of doing research to watch for the next Google or salesforce.com from an IT investment-research point of view, I take a look at Inc. magazine’s annual listing of fastest growing U.S. software companies . This list amazes me every year because of the fact that hundreds of... More >
12.30.09
First (IT) Step in Better Customer Service? Integration
My husband recently bought a new planner, “filled with hope and promise for the New Year,” he shared on the phone. I understood completely. Along with our passion for office supplies and geek movies, we share a love of planners. Last year, I bought four – I guess I needed a lot of fresh starts. ... More >
12.30.09
Moving Toward Speech Recognition and Voice Interfaces
Get ready to hear a lot about speech and voice recognition. As applications multiply and the goings-on on the typical mobile device grows more complex, the most direct, and in many cases safest, way to interact with a device is to tell it what to do. Speech recognition also has a host of uses for... More >
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