Advanced Search

As IT becomes even more integral to success, companies are rethinking how the organization looks, functions, and interacts with the rest of the business.

This article looks at the management approach used in two different types of projects:
An IT project for an automotive parts manufacturer and a construction project for the same automotive parts manufacturer. The author argues that there are real-world tactics from the construction side that can be applied to the management of an internal IT project and that by comparing these projects, it's clear that an internal IT department would benefit from adopting common management practices that are more typically used in outsourced projects, such as in the construction industry.

This Technology Note covering the e-procurement is presented in two parts. The first part covers: 1. The Promise of E-Procurement; 2. E-Procurement Myths and Reality; 3. Preparing for an E-Procurement Initiative. The second part covers: 4. E-Procurement Architecture; 5. Selecting an E-Procurement Partner(s); 6. Implementing E-Procurement.
(see Part II at: http://www.technologyevaluation.com/ViewArticle.asp?id=74.601.52.1180)

The nation's leading high-tech centers are places where people from virtually any background can settle and make things happen.

Chart from InformationWeek special on E-Services breaks down how customers ranked their E-services vendors in the following categories:
- Knowledge of Networking
- Partnerships with Vendors
- Strategic Business Advice
- Industry Expertise
- Pricing and Value
- Reliability of Service
- Service-Level Agreements
- Programming Expertise
- Vendor Reputation
- Commerce and Brand Expertise
- Customer Service
- Availablility and Uptime
- Range of Services
- Customer Referrals

Ever since the Internet entered the popular culture, futurists and technophiles have been telling the world that the new medium would transform homes into information-rich hubs of activity.

XML will change the appearance and substance of corporate systems. A big part of the language's appeal is in being able to meld business processes with application.

Article discusses three recent trends in managing IT within companies:
1. A move from isolating IT spending from overall business process costs.
2. Some companies are viewing IT cost management on a different basis than simply controlling the growth in absolute spending.
3. Companies are seeking to dramatically reduce the cycle time before benefits start to be realized.

According to research by the International Computer Security Association, in 1998, at least one computer attack or break-in occurred every second. Back in the good old days of the Internet, firewalls were an afterthought. But today, they're basic equipment. The problem is, they're not enough, according to a January Gartner report titled "Intrusion Detection System (IDS): Perspective."

"Many organizations believe that since they have firewalls or other types of security mechanisms at the boundaries of their enterprise, they are protected from attacks originating from the Internet. However, that is not the case, for a variety of reasons," the report states.

For one, firewalls don't detect attacks from within the system, which can be placed by disgruntled employees. Also, firewalls can be circumvented.

TechRepublic, in cooperation with Gartner, has made the full report available to you as a download. This report explains:
- The strengths and weaknesses of IDS
- Selection guidelines
- IDS leaders

For a searchable repository of business cases check out our Case Study Center

---

The poster company for the new economy not only failed to anticipate the economic downturn, its much-heralded forecasting software and outsourcing infrastructure may have even made things worse.

Traditional information technology players such as AT&T, IBM, and EDS are moving back into the driver's seat.

These days, many employees use either a PDA or cell phone for both personal and work-related purposes. This article provides advice on how to bring order, control costs, protect company data, and maintain support with multiple computing devices.

Prof. Phil Dover reviews a recent study from ITSMA that identifies the most effective activities for branding IT services today. Read why the research indicates that the most effective activities include creating thought and on-line leadership, internal branding, balancing local and global branding and the impact of demonstrating social responsibility.

The MSP Association defines a management service provider (MSP) as “a company that delivers information technology infrastructure management services over a network to multiple customers on a subscription basis.” Before the Internet became a commodity, organizations leased private networks from major communication service providers that managed those networks for a fee. In recent years, many organizations, such as hospitals, universities, and other businesses—small, medium, and large alike—have outsourced the management of their corporate networks to third parties, which provide day-to-day management of these networks. Read on for more about this industry...

Note: Darwin Magazine is now dead. Some articles are moving to CIO. I will try to update the links when I have time...

---

How to implement workflow technologies-and keep the work
and workforce humming along.

Larry Downes, coauthor of Unleashing the Killer App, deconstructs the new-order IT architecture that will connect tomorrow's information supply chain.

A new computing paradigm known as web services is quickly gathering momentum in enterprise IT. Web services represent an emerging model for developing and deploying enterprise software applications that promises to fundamentally change not only the way companies build and deploy software, but also how they communicate with their partners and customers.

This increased flexibility emerges because web services will likely change the fundamental cost structure of enterprise application integration (EAI).

Still, notwithstanding the enthusiasm and the major investments in product development made by software vendors, the deployment of web services is very much in its infancy, and many questions remain: What are the practical implications for early adopters? What problems can web services help solve today? What are the first steps?

SEC is an early adopter of sports-gear maker's open-source integration engine.

Editor's Note: a topical story but for those with E-business responsibilities, the open-source program referenced might be worth investigating, so I included it.

IT will rise again-but only if the providers learn how to help their customers make money.

Editor's Note: in addition to discussing the future of the IT industry, the article offers 5 best practices of companies that realized real value from their IT investments.

Forget IT innovation and investment. Executives must now rely on risk management and cost control. An excerpt from Nicholas G. Carr's new book, Does IT Matter?

There comes a time at every smaller, growing company when managers perceive a need for more sophisticated software tools than spreadsheet-dependent planning, budgeting, and forecasting.

Describes some very important and very elusive IT concepts including:
- eXtensible markup language (XML)
- Universal description, discovery, and integration (UDDI)
- Web services description language (WDSL)
- Simple object access protocol (SOAP)
- Service oriented architectures (SOA)
- Business Process Management (BPM)
- Business process execution language (BPEL)

This manifesto helps companies of all sizes understand and implement the necessary level of security. The 25 tips cover everything from physical security to SPAM.

Do tech vendors wield influence over IT research? You bet--but how much is a matter of perspective.

ITIL, COBIT, and ISO 17799 provide a blueprint for managing IT services.

The Internet has left its mark on society - from online shopping and banking to YouTube videos and social networking. Beyond these societal trends, how does the economy of the Internet work? How is the industry structured, and which companies are the players? How do companies make money, and what are the prospects for growth?