IT Value / Opinions

When there's a third party in the cloud

When contracting for cloud-computing services, one challenge is that there may be more parties involved than your company and the cloud vendor. The vendor might outsource some of the services covered in the contract, or it could end up under different ownership after a merger or acquisition. On the client end, you might choose to work with a cloud broker. Because the introduction of third parties can increase risk, it's essential for potential cloud clients to identify third parties before adopting a cloud service, thoroughly understand their roles and ensure that their responsibilities are effectively addressed in the contract.

Written by Thomas Trappler30 July 12 14:28

How to succeed in business: Award-winning IT innovation

IDG Enterprise CEO Michael Friendenberg finds that the 25th annual class of CIO 100 winners exemplify organizations that know how to succeed in business in even a challenging economic climate

Written by Michael Friedenberg27 July 12 13:21

The challenges of simplification

CIO magazine editor in chief Maryfran Johnson looks at how some companies are tackling the complex task of making their tools and processes simpler

Written by Maryfran Johnson29 June 12 19:33

Stop! You can't sell your <fill in the blank>

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether the "First-sale Doctrine" applies to products made outside the US ... let's hope they get it right ...

Written by Mark Gibbs18 June 12 04:24

Transformation Key to Retain Edge for Indian IT Services

The global sourcing industry has changed fundamentally, driven by global megatrends of demographics, economics, rapidly changing technological infrastructure, connected consumers and rise of emerging economies.

Written by Som Mittal15 June 12 14:57

Three quick tips for presenting to the board

There's a right way and a wrong way to convey important information to your fellow executives. Our expert offers three things to keep in mind.

Written by Lauren Brousell15 June 12 14:45

Will Windows 8 be the client OS that IT loves best?

Speakers at Microsoft TechEd touted the virtues of the upcoming Windows 8. No surprise there -- except the speakers were using Windows 8 on tablets, with nary a desktop in sight. Will the strength of Windows 8 on tablets finally get IT and end users on the same BYOD page?

Written by Rob Enderle15 June 12 14:45

Paul Glen: Truth and project time estimates

Geeks are devoted to Truth, with a capital T. The question 'When will it be done?' feels like a request to lie. Insider; registration required)

Written by Paul Glen13 June 12 18:32

CIOs are critical to improving customer experience

Forrester vice president Kyle McNabb advises CIOs to take a central role in improving customer experience and outlines what it takes to reclaim that role.

Written by Kyle Mcnabb08 June 12 14:38

Publisher's Letter: How CIOs can help build IT talent for the future

Many in the US are concerned about the talent gap between American students and similarly-aged students overseas when it comes to math and science skills. This is a real problem for our economy and security. But CIOs can help by reaching out to guidance councelors and educating them about jobs in IT.

Written by Gary Beach08 June 12 12:53

Editor's Letter: Can we get a CIO-CMO do-over?

CIO magazine's editor in chief discusses our June 15 cover story on the CIO-CMO relationship and why, despite the potential for animosity, there is a big benefit in learning to get along.

Written by Maryfran Johnson08 June 12 12:53

Total cost of ownership is only part of the SaaS picture

For me TCO is only part of the picture, using this measure in isolation can lead you to make suboptimal purchasing decisions. This is written with my experience of Salesforce front of mind, however this can apply to most SaaS providers.

Written by Andy Pattinson14 April 11 15:54

The true cost of IT

Thanks to its increasing intertwining with business processes, IT is becoming more complex and costly to manage. The complexity is due in part to the natural evolution of the business’s dependence on IT, and to the piecemeal and sometimes divergent nature of demands on IT. Whatever the cause, complexity begets ambiguity and is therefore undesirable

Written by Sukalp Sharma30 March 11 17:46

Think Tank: Beyond service management

Most IT service organisations have adopted ITIL or similar service management disciplines. Service management requires new processes for users. Service is provided only after a service request is raised, new initiatives need a business justification, service level agreements need to be in place, and the list goes on. Any experienced IT manager knows that certain disciples are necessary to be able to deliver reliable and cost effective IT service.

Written by Hemant Kogekar22 June 10 10:48

How Better Software Can Save the World

About 30 years ago, I tried to calculate the mass of a glueball, a highly mysterious subatomic particle composed entirely of gluons, which are the infinitesimally tiny elementary particles that make it possible for protons and neutrons to stick together in atomic nuclei. As you can imagine, the calculations were extremely complex and required an enormous amount of computing power.

Written by Adam Kolawa13 Oct. 08 14:18

IT full of 'ducks'? Declare open season

Every organization has some "ducks." Ducks are employees who have a detrimental effect on productivity. Their work is consistently substandard, they rarely meet deadlines, and their skills are out of date. They hate change, resist taking responsibility, and blame their failures on co-workers. They constantly complain about their projects, their teammates, their workloads and their managers. They stifle innovation by shooting down new proposals, claiming that changes "just can't be done."

Written by Bart Perkins22 April 08 09:25

Are Users Getting a Good Deal?

All who remember how painful the budget process was understand that a CIO's negotiating power is, to a great extent, determined by how well clients understand the value they get for the money. There are three components to the concept of value: understanding exactly what IT delivers, believing that the cost is fair and evaluating the contribution of those deliverables to the bottom line.

Written by N. Dean Meyer31 March 08 15:19

Why You Need More Than One Software Vendor

Lining up a single vendor to supply most of your software seems easy but isn't always smart, says an IT management expert. With fewer vendors to choose from these days, it's best to hedge your bets

Written by Laurie Orlov14 Jan. 08 12:58
  • CIO Spotlight: Anthony Molinia

    'Technology will be a key enabler for tomorrow’s university:' Molinia

    CIO Executive Council

    Facilitates robust interactions among our global leaders in order to bring measurable value to their organisations and to support their professional development.

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