While conducting the IT due diligence to support one company acquisition, it became obvious that the company we were trying to purchase reduced expenses considerably by pirating software. In other words, the company purchased one set of software and simply copied it illegally to other employees as needed.

The Internet and related Web-based applications are promoting the evolution of new forms of cooperation, supported by pervasive, real-time, and distributed platforms designed to facilitate and optimize data exchange and information flow.

In preparation for attending a conference, I noticed a session called "SOA: Hype or Happening?" Even though the session did not advertise more probing and intriguing questions, I opted to attend that session, though I thought a better concept would be "A Checkpoint on the Progress of the SOA Platform."

In my mind's eye, I see service-oriented architecture (SOA) in the real world as having more to do with discussions revolving around these questions:

In this Executive Update, the last in a series of three about outsourcing, I lay out the steps to follow to reshape IT management in an outsourcing operation: assess current conditions, determine the level of satisfaction, set up objectives, and then start with adjustments.

Experience (and a quick Google search on "software implementation failures") tells us that implementing software packages can be just as treacherous, if not more so, than their custom software development brethren.

A funny thing is happening along the path of innovation for some companies. They are discovering their product development strategy is seriously endangered by a shortage of qualified technical staff. So they have responded with an obvious solution: offshoring it.

A funny thing is happening along the path of innovation for some companies. They are discovering their product development strategy is seriously endangered by a shortage of qualified technical staff. So they have responded with an obvious solution: offshoring it.

A funny thing is happening along the path of innovation for some companies. They are discovering their product development strategy is seriously endangered by a shortage of qualified technical staff. So they have responded with an obvious solution: offshoring it.

Last week, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of software engineering. Between 7 and 11 October 1968, the NATO Science Committee hosted 62 leading academics and professionals of the young computer industry in Garmisch, a beautiful place in Bavaria, Germany, at the foot of the north face of the highest German mountain.

Researchers in academia have, for several years now, been conducting all sorts of interesting research in advanced human-computer interface topics. Collectively, this research falls under the banner of augmented cognition (AugCog).

Researchers in academia have, for several years now, been conducting all sorts of interesting research in advanced human-computer interface topics. Collectively, this research falls under the banner of augmented cognition (AugCog).

Researchers in academia have, for several years now, been conducting all sorts of interesting research in advanced human-computer interface topics. Collectively, this research falls under the banner of augmented cognition (AugCog).

We have covered a lot of material since we published the first Advisor in this series on the principles of planning. Now it's time for a review.

I love it when the number of things I have to do is limited to five or fewer. Psychologists tell us that we're good for seven, but my limit is five. Fortunately, the number really is five; here they are:

Business technology strategy

Computing and communications architecture

Technology delivery

I love it when the number of things I have to do is limited to five or fewer. Psychologists tell us that we're good for seven, but my limit is five. Fortunately, the number really is five; here they are:

Business technology strategy

Computing and communications architecture

Technology delivery

I've been engaged with several clients recently to help them formulate a service-oriented architecture (SOA) strategy for their respective enterprises. In my conversations with them, I've had two essential points to offer.

Last week, Microsoft shed some light on three BI and data warehousing projects it's working on: Gemini, Kilimanjaro, and Madison.

As with all enterprise search systems, the usefulness of a BI search tool depends primarily on the relevancy of the search results returned to the user when conducting searches and the ease with which users can carry out their searches successfully.

Software estimation is an area where more promises have been broken than in any other area of software development. But like addicts, we keep demanding promises because we need them to survive. As managers, there is a limit to what we can reasonably expect from software estimation, and when we cross that limit, we are, in effect, asking for short-term satisfaction in the form of promises that will not be kept.

Vendors are now offering on-demand versions of their analytic databases and other data warehousing and BI applications. These tools and applications are available to end-user organizations via a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model or hosted on cloud computing platforms from Amazon.com and others providers.

Software estimation is an area where more promises have been broken than in any other area of software development. But like addicts, we keep demanding promises because we need them to survive.

In a recent Advisor (see "To Attract Agile Change, Embrace Uncertainty," 11 September 2008), I discussed the need for managers and teams to embrace uncertainty in development efforts and, furthermore, that this is very difficult to do.

There was an interesting story a few weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal about the electronic retailer Best Buy's internal prediction market [1]. Company executives use the prediction market, called TagTrade, to see how successful Best Buy employees think a particular project, idea, or initiative will be.

There was an interesting story a few weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal about the electronic retailer Best Buy's internal prediction market [1]. Company executives use the prediction market, called TagTrade, to see how successful Best Buy employees think a particular project, idea, or initiative will be.

There was an interesting story a few weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal about the electronic retailer Best Buy's internal prediction market [1]. Company executives use the prediction market, called TagTrade, to see how successful Best Buy employees think a particular project, idea, or initiative will be.