Ideas for how you can reduce the costs to train your IT staff as well as help reduce the expense of learning programs throughout your organization.

There are two broad categories of topics related to scaling agile projects: organization and product. Several previous Advisors have focused on organizational scaling; this one will begin to focus on the product side, including such topics as architecture, roadmaps, backlogs, and multilevel release planning.

The past week saw several news stories that remind us how fragile IT security has become and how the opportunities created by the tremendous power of the Internet to share information can also create major risks.

The past week saw several news stories that remind us how fragile IT security has become and how the opportunities created by the tremendous power of the Internet to share information can also create major risks.

The past week saw several news stories that remind us how fragile IT security has become and how the opportunities created by the tremendous power of the Internet to share information can also create major risks.

I have been using two devices since they launched: the BlackBerry (since 1999) and the iPhone (since July 2007), and neither has left my side since its launch, except for a five-month trial separation from my BlackBerry. As I write this, two devices -- the BlackBerry 9000 and the iPhone 3G -- are charging.

I have been using two devices since they launched: the BlackBerry (since 1999) and the iPhone (since July 2007), and neither has left my side since its launch, except for a five-month trial separation from my BlackBerry. As I write this, two devices -- the BlackBerry 9000 and the iPhone 3G -- are charging.

IT managers face logistical problems in balancing global standards with local needs in increasingly globalized organizations. While many people in business and government repeat the mantra "think globally, act locally," applying this ideal entails a host of challenges ranging from coordinating communication across disparate time zones to determining technical standards implemented on top of wildly differing infrastructures.

IT managers face logistical problems in balancing global standards with local needs in increasingly globalized organizations. While many people in business and government repeat the mantra "think globally, act locally," applying this ideal entails a host of challenges ranging from coordinating communication across disparate time zones to determining technical standards implemented on top of wildly differing infrastructures.

IT managers face logistical problems in balancing global standards with local needs in increasingly globalized organizations. While many people in business and government repeat the mantra "think globally, act locally," applying this ideal entails a host of challenges ranging from coordinating communication across disparate time zones to determining technical standards implemented on top of wildly differing infrastructures.

The success rates of adopting agile methods on a large scale have been disappointing. We have made good progress at the project level, but from portfolio to enterprise, success has been elusive. Even when we have somehow skirted resistance, delays, politics, and bureaucracy, results have not met expectations.

In the past couple of years, organizations have sought sourcing value beyond cost savings. Access to talent and business process innovation are two examples of these more strategic aspirations. Yet, as the economy goes, so go sourcing priorities. Cost-saving sourcing projects are likely the highest priority again this year. While saving money proved elusive for some organizations in the past, those disappointing efforts arm managers today with a deeper understanding of the levers influencing sourcing costs, increasing the likelihood of success.

In the past couple of years, organizations have sought sourcing value beyond cost savings. Access to talent and business process innovation are two examples of these more strategic aspirations. Yet, as the economy goes, so go sourcing priorities. Cost-saving sourcing projects are likely the highest priority again this year. While saving money proved elusive for some organizations in the past, those disappointing efforts arm managers today with a deeper understanding of the levers influencing sourcing costs, increasing the likelihood of success.

Staffing has taken an expected hit, according to our recent research on IT trends for 2009.1 While still about half of companies thankfully remain in a stable IT hiring situation, only a quarter of companies are currently hiring, and the remaining 25% are downsizing.

Staffing has taken an expected hit, according to our recent research on IT trends for 2009.1 While still about half of companies thankfully remain in a stable IT hiring situation, only a quarter of companies are currently hiring, and the remaining 25% are downsizing.

This month I gave a cost-containment workshop at a national conference on IT financial management. While there, I spent three good days listening to a variety of speakers who mostly focused on how better to manage IT investment. I've written about some of the high points and my impressions here.

We are beginning to hear more serious thought given to the concept of third-party providers managing desktop environments via the cloud.

Virtualization is one of the hottest IT trends today. But when it comes to data warehousing, you'd hardly know it, because virtualization has made little impact in the data warehousing space. There's a good reason for this, which I'll get to in a minute.

Initiating the "right" projects is just one aspect of portfolio management; you must also appropriately monitor and guide ongoing development projects as well as systems that are in production or being retired. During development, it is critical to monitor your organization's standard metrics (more on this in a minute), as well as those issues that are specific to the individual project.

A couple of months ago, we complimented the folks at Cutter about the recent Cutter IT Journal (CITJ) on Project Management 2.0. 1 We were impressed with the breadth and quality of the articles and their general themes. However, we also noted that the term "business value" was mentioned only once in CITJ -- and was not discussed in any of the articles.

In Part I of this two-part Executive Update series, we explored the value of architecture and the function of the architect.1 Here, we discuss the various stages and domains of architecture and why enterprise architecture (EA) is good business.

Conception --> Closure --> Delivery

Conception --> Closure --> Delivery

Agile methods (Scrum, XP, Crystal, DSDM, Feature-Driven Development, etc.) have moved into the mainstream over the past few years. Earlier in their adoption cycle, industry leaders such as BMC Software, British Telecom, Capital One, DTE Energy, and Yahoo!

In general, it is easier to obtain money, even in these hard times, than it is to "buy time." Many times every year, I find someone pressuring me or some hapless CIO or project manager into committing to some schedule that everyone knows is so nearly impossible that agreement is tantamount to eventual failure.