If you don't know what cloud computing is, then you probably need to brush up on your buzzwords. The term was coined in 1997 by University of Texas researcher Ramnath Chellappa, and it took a decade for it to really catch on.

Cloud computing provides a great number of advantages, but the new risks that it entails can't be ignored. Every company that takes advantage of these services will need to perform an analysis that looks at the specific risks posed by the service provided, service conditions, and the risk profile of the firm.

Cloud computing provides a great number of advantages, but the new risks that it entails can't be ignored. Every company that takes advantage of these services will need to perform an analysis that looks at the specific risks posed by the service provided, service conditions, and the risk profile of the firm.

The use of open source BI and data warehousing tools continues to gain increasing acceptance by end-user organizations. But one of the big questions on a lot of people's minds is: what effect is open source BI adoption having on traditional BI software licensing?

Search is having a major influence on BI and data retrieval and analysis in general. Although the technology is still developing, the combination of BI and search is important because it can provide nontechnical business users and BI consumers with easier access to -- and the ability to analyze -- both structured and unstructured information.

In June and July 2009, Cutter Consortium conducted a survey that asked 79 end-user organizations about their various BI and data warehousing efforts. One set of questions sought to determine the impact of the economic downturn on BI and data warehousing spending.

A business can gain significant value from the Semantic Web by drawing on its capability to combine and interoperate with several technologies and services, encompassing data warehouses, disparate operating systems, and myriad types of messaging. The resulting "cohesive" technological platform allows in-depth user participation and collaboration that also reveals new and meaningful relationships among information silos and applications that may not be obvious to the business.

A business can gain significant value from the Semantic Web by drawing on its capability to combine and interoperate with several technologies and services, encompassing data warehouses, disparate operating systems, and myriad types of messaging. The resulting "cohesive" technological platform allows in-depth user participation and collaboration that also reveals new and meaningful relationships among information silos and applications that may not be obvious to the business.

With significant input from fellow Cutter Consultant Ken Collier, I recently wrote an article called "The Agile Triathlete" that discussed how becoming skilled at test-driven development (TDD) was analogous to becoming a skilled triathlete.

In my last Trends Advisor ("Netbooks, 4G Networks to Spark IT's New Generation," 3 September), I suggested that the netbook, as opposed to what folks like Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have been suggesting, is one of the major "disruptive technologies" of the decade.

In my last Trends Advisor ("Netbooks, 4G Networks to Spark IT's New Generation," 3 September), I suggested that the netbook, as opposed to what folks like Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have been suggesting, is one of the major "disruptive technologies" of the decade.

In my last Trends Advisor ("Netbooks, 4G Networks to Spark IT's New Generation," 3 September), I suggested that the netbook, as opposed to what folks like Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have been suggesting, is one of the major "disruptive technologies" of the decade.

This Executive Report outlines the framework and process of business transformation.

The accompanying Executive Report discusses the framework, process, and practical enactment of business transformation. The report is based on the unique experiences I've had providing consulting and training services to three separate organizations over the past two years.

Data integrity and confidentiality have long relied on a combination of network- and application-based security. As enterprise architecture (EA) becomes more complex, data is progressively more integrated within massive data warehouses and distributed architectures.

Enterprise data integrity, security, and confidentiality have long relied on combined network- and application-based security. When data was secured on local centralized systems using role-based account access supported by strong firewalls, the thinking was that corporate data was well secured.

This month's issue focuses on green IT and its measurement. Our objective is to benchmark current practice and offer tangible guidelines on the measurement of green IT and green IS efforts. Our academic contributor is Brian Donnellan, Professor of IS Innovation at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and Co-Director of the Innovation Value Institute. Our practicing contributor is Bhuvan Unhelkar, a Cutter Consortium Senior Consultant.

This installment of Cutter Benchmark Review focuses on one of the most important and complex issues we have addressed during my tenure as editor. It complements our May 2008 issue (Vol. 8, No. 5) on green IS by analyzing green IT metrics and measurement. Specifically, with this issue we sought to benchmark current practice and offer tangible guidelines on the measurement of green IT and green IS efforts.

This survey investigated the relevance of metrics and measurements to a green (environmentally responsible) organization. The 29 respondents were primarily from North America and Asia (38% each), with 21% from Europe and 3% from South America.

Barriers to the continual refinement of today's traditional search engine model are looming as the Internet continues to grow exponentially, as the information signal-to-noise ratio continues to shrink, and as we embrace the emerging Web 3.0 era, which is characterized by semantically linked data.

Barriers to the continual refinement of today's traditional search engine model are looming as the Internet continues to grow exponentially, as the information signal-to-noise ratio continues to shrink, and as we embrace the emerging Web 3.0 era, which is characterized by semantically linked data.

I've been thinking quite a bit about the word "static" and how it might be used to describe some aspects of the Information Age in which we live. Static is an interesting word, having more than one meaning when used in different contexts.

I've been thinking quite a bit about the word "static" and how it might be used to describe some aspects of the Information Age in which we live. Static is an interesting word, having more than one meaning when used in different contexts.