Stories by Lauren Gibbons Paul

As a CIO, you know data is the lifeblood of your organization. But did you ever think of packaging up that data in a different way and creating a whole new product or service?

SLAs are a critical component of any vendor contract. Beyond listing expectations of service type and quality, an SLA provides remedies when requirements aren't met.

It's the stuff of CSO nightmares. Early on the morning of September 2, while most folks were home sleeping off the hot dogs, thieves used bolt cutters to break into an Alltel Communications warehouse and four of its loading docks in Fort Smith, Ark. Sources say they escaped with an estimated US$10 million worth of cell phones, not a bad haul for their Labor Day efforts.

Everyone knows it's cheaper and better to build in security from the start of a technology project. Forward-thinking companies have formalized the process; here's why you should too.

Jonathan Shapiro remembers the instant he knew he wanted to hire Tom Scott as CIO of Lillian Vernon. In Scott's first interview at the headquarters of the specialty catalogue retailer in August 2003, he wowed company president Shapiro when he responded to a routine question about a customer database he had been working on at his then current employer.

How a mid-market company with limited resources tackled an ambitious IT overhaul.

As the great IT budget freeze begins to thaw, you must either sharpen your project presentation skills or be cut out of the loop. Take heart - our five rules practically guarantee business case success

It's not only about golf and cocktails any more.
To successfully sell IT, CIOs must align projects with customer needs and then prove they delivered value. Better learn these eight essential sales techniques - your budget may be at stake

Collaboration among trading partners can unlock great value. Mistrust is the barrier. Here are six ways to build confidence.

E-mail management is principally a people issue, not a technical one.
Read tips from CIOs on how to get the message out to your employees.

Psst. See that great stack of paper on the corner of your desk? You know the one. It contains all the latest research from your IT analyst firm - the research that costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Get up right now, pick up the pile and toss it in the garbage.

We've been doing it for more than 25 years. Why are we still doing it wrong?

Making your supply chain more efficient sounds like a major undertaking. You can begin modestly and still reap impressive rewards.

Mail Boxes Etc. spent US$25 million to position itself as the real world's shipping partner to the virtual e-tail space. One problem: The technology doesn't work.

No standards. Few vendors. Skeptical users. Early adopters of wireless technology had it tough.