Stories by Galen Gruman

Surprise! The Droid Eris is a better smartphone than the Droid

This month's purported "iPhone killer" is the Android-based Motorola Droid, which Verizon began selling in the United States on Nov. 6. Unfortunately, it has some real flaws that make it less enterprise-friendly than the iPhone, so it won't kill off the iPhone in business. But the Motorola Droid is a surprisingly good device for individuals and businesses that uses Gmail, POP- or IMAP-based e-mail, or Exchange with no ActiveSync security policies.

Written by Galen Gruman09 Nov. 09 22:14

Meet America's first CIO

In a surprise announcement, President Obama has named the first federal CIO of the US: Vivek Kundra, CTO of the District of Columbia. (He has yet to name the position he did promise he would create: the first national CTO.) So who is Kundra, and what might his appointment mean for the federal government's direction for and spending on technology?

Written by Galen Gruman10 March 09 10:40

More Support For Business Value Management

CIOs have long heard the advice from the C-suite, consultants, analysts, and the press: Stop focusing on constantly rebuilding your engine and get strategic about IT as a business value generator. Now there's proof from The Hackett Group that this advice is true.

Written by Galen Gruman12 May 08 14:33

Top Performers Prove Worth of Business Value Management

Driving IT business value has always been one of the key mandates for the CIO. Now research from the Hackett Group puts some numbers around business value management and its importance to the enterprise.

Written by Galen Gruman09 April 08 08:58

How to Lock Up Laptop Security

Haven't encrypted your laptop fleet yet? There's no excuse for that choice anymore. Check out today's smart strategies for improving laptop security — before the next machine disappears

Written by Galen Gruman27 Feb. 08 10:59

SharePoint 2007: A Tool for All Reasons

As the technology partner (head of IT) at global law firm Bryan Cave, John Alber saw increasing resources being devoted to keeping multiple information systems integrated and the data flowing among them. Over time, the law firm brought in what it considered the best tools to handle tasks such as document repositories, e-mail management, conflict-of-interest databases and calendar management, to help attorneys and support staff research, collaborate and stay abreast of case developments

Written by Galen Gruman04 Feb. 08 12:56

Getting Your Vendors to Flock Together

Keeping track of bids, vendor performance, previous contract terms, alternative providers and technology differences was taking too much time for Bernard "Bud" Mathaisel as he settled in as CIO of electronics manufacturer Solectron in 1999

Written by Galen Gruman04 Feb. 08 12:53

Strategies for Dealing With IT Complexity

Every innovation, every business process improvement, comes with an IT complexity tax that must be paid by CIOs in time, money and sweat. Here are strategies to mitigate the increasing complexity of IT as it enables new business.

Written by Galen Gruman24 Dec. 07 10:30

CRM's Integration Blues

Software as a service (SaaS) has gone beyond the realm of rogue deployments, and CRM software, most notably Salesforce.com, has led the way through the enterprise front door

Written by Galen Gruman05 Nov. 07 14:01

IT's New Maths

For many CIOs, the go-go, profligate nineties were followed by the parsimonious naughties. Now IT budgets are beginning to grow again . . . but under an intense level of scrutiny by executive management that wants proof that all those IT dollars actually redound to the bottom line

Written by Galen Gruman05 Nov. 07 13:59

Your RFID Battle Plan

Tracking chemicals through the manufacturing and distribution process is a critical requirement for Dow Chemical, to ensure safety and operational efficiency. In 2004, identification technologies such as RFID tags had gained significant buzz due to initiatives by the US Defence Department and Wal-Mart to mandate their use in supply chain and inventory management applications

Written by Galen Gruman05 Nov. 07 13:40

Searching for Happy Customers

Mess up internal search and you'll frustrate your employees. But mess up external search and you'll alienate your customers

Written by Galen Gruman06 Aug. 07 13:38

Nail Down BPM Success

The problem: You need to simplify people-intensive business processes such as managing approval for loans or ensuring proper billing for insurance claims. The answer? Most commonly, companies look for an automation solution, based on workflow management, document management or business process management (BPM) tools

Written by Galen Gruman05 June 07 11:49
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