Outsourcing continues to occupy the thoughts of IT managers, according to those surveyed for the January 2008 issue of the Cutter Benchmark Review . Last year, we found that 48% of respondents had or were planning to outsource work. That number has jumped to 55% this year. Outsourcing seems to be the way companies are going to manage not only short-term labor costs, but also longer-term costs associated with retirement and healthcare.

Outsourcing continues to occupy the thoughts of IT managers, according to those surveyed for the January 2008 issue of the Cutter Benchmark Review . Last year, we found that 48% of respondents had or were planning to outsource work. That number has jumped to 55% this year. Outsourcing seems to be the way companies are going to manage not only short-term labor costs, but also longer-term costs associated with retirement and healthcare.

Recently, I had the chance to talk with two CIOs from large, multi-billion and multi-national businesses with names we all recognize. To protect the identities of those involved, let’s call them Firm A and Firm B.

Watching flight attendants doing service on a short-distance flight, you can learn a good lesson about global process optimization. There is just enough space in the aisle for a single trolley; overtaking is impossible. In most cases, the first attendant starts his service in row one and then services the rows consecutively.

Organizations should now view business performance management as a strategic initiative that is essential for monitoring, measuring, and optimizing corporate performance. Organizations that fail to take this view risk being outperformed by more nimble competitors that do.

Organizations should now view business performance management as a strategic initiative that is essential for monitoring, measuring, and optimizing corporate performance. Organizations that fail to take this view risk being outperformed by more nimble competitors that do.

As more organizations face transitions to agile methods and those transitions involve larger segments of those organizations, the need for transition or transformation strategies increases.

In 1943, a very important building was built on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, that became something of a celebrity in its own right. For one thing, like many WWII-era buildings, Building 20 was a "temporary" structure. And like many temporary structures, it outlived its original planning horizon.

collaboration = innovation

collaboration = innovation

I've been a big proponent of business process intelligence (which some call "process performance intelligence" or "process performance management") -- the ability to monitor the efficiency of distributed business processes in near real time -- ever since I was first shown the technology back in 2005.

In this Advisor, I pick up on our conversation on the "Experience Analysis and Design" (EAD) methodology (see "EAD: The Architecture of the Customer Experience, Part 1," 2 January 2008, and "EAD: The Architecture of the Customer Experience, Part 2," 2

Giving advice about the importance of teamwork is right up there with talking about the virtues of mom and apple pie. Yet, considering that 66% of development teams choose to work around their corporate data groups, clearly this isn't happening. It's no good having the best architecture in the world if the development teams aren't interested in it.

Approximately 19% of end-user organizations' business performance management applications currently provide proactive alerting and event notification capabilities. However, indications are that use of such facilities is expected to increase as organizations progress with their business performance management efforts.

Concerns about the environment haven't been at this fever pitch since the early 1970s. With the relentless stream of current news articles demanding green action on the part of corporations as well as government, it is no surprise that attention is focused on the IT activities of the enterprise. The need for additional computing performance and value delivery to the corporation is causing a growing problem inflamed by rapidly escalating electric utility costs.

I never thought I would see the day that the firewall would have outlived its useful life. However, with the advent of WS-Security, which includes functionality for confidentiality, authentication, and integrity, the firewall may be an endangered technology. 1 Witness the fact that I am now hearing security professionals within large corporations actually talking about the possibility of doing away with firewalls.

Despite the promises of Web 2.0, few organizations have actually applied Web 2.0 principles in any significant way. Enterprises need something to assist them in realizing the potential of Web 2.0. Therefore, in Part I (Vol. 8, No. 2) of this two-part Executive Update series, we proposed the Web 2.0 Reference Model, which provides a holistic perspective for enterprises to consider the many constituents and factors that lead to the realization of Web 2.0 principles.

Are you a corporate leader or upper-level manager considering whether to implement one of the agile methodologies, such as XP, Scrum, Dynamic Systems Development Method, or others, because you have heard about its ability to deliver increased quality, business value, and customer satisfaction? If so, you are not alone.

Part I in this two-part Executive Update series (Vol. 9, No. 3) defined green IT and discussed the developments and initiatives that have led to an awareness of the need for green data centers in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Here in Part II, I discuss some principles, make recommendations for the design and operation of a green computing infrastructure, and propose a strategy for implementation.

Part I in this two-part Executive Update series (Vol. 9, No. 3) defined green IT and discussed the developments and initiatives that have led to an awareness of the need for green data centers in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Here in Part II, I discuss some principles, make recommendations for the design and operation of a green computing infrastructure, and propose a strategy for implementation.

Watching flight attendants doing service on a short-distance flight, you can learn a good lesson about global process optimization. There is just enough space in the aisle for a single trolley; overtaking is impossible. In most cases, the first attendant starts his service in row one and then services the rows consecutively.

Do not multiply entities beyond necessity.

-- William of Occam

With the release of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) version 3, the best-practices framework leaves behind an exclusive focus on quality IT processes aligning with business for an emphasis on process excellence delivering high-value services to customers. The change is subtle but speaks volumes (five, actually) about the risk-mitigation possibilities within it.

With the release of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) version 3, the best-practices framework leaves behind an exclusive focus on quality IT processes aligning with business for an emphasis on process excellence delivering high-value services to customers. The change is subtle but speaks volumes (five, actually) about the risk-mitigation possibilities within it.

I received a lot of feedback from my 28 November 2007 Advisor, "Governance from Day Three" -- most of it positive. It seems that governance is generally thought of as a dirty word. I also got some differing views, however, many with some valid points.