Companies are starting to direct their attention at how they can better facilitate collaboration among their BI users using so-called Web 2.0 technologies such as instant messaging (IM), wikis, and blogs.

Companies are starting to direct their attention at how they can better facilitate collaboration among their BI users using so-called Web 2.0 technologies such as instant messaging (IM), wikis, and blogs.

In a previous Executive Update [1], I alluded to the importance of the role of the customer service representative (CSR) in the IT function, attributing to it nothing less than the mythical healing powers of balm from Gideon for the oppressed CIO.

Business intelligence (BI) and analytics technology are continuing to extend into new domains, where the usefulness of developing trends from aggregated data becomes both obvious and possible. At the same time, analysis is increasingly granular, yielding information down to the small group and individual level. As soon as information can be linked at the individual level, some of the many laws regarding information privacy will come into play.

Business intelligence (BI) and analytics technology are continuing to extend into new domains, where the usefulness of developing trends from aggregated data becomes both obvious and possible. At the same time, analysis is increasingly granular, yielding information down to the small group and individual level. As soon as information can be linked at the individual level, some of the many laws regarding information privacy will come into play.

On the road to greater value creation from software projects, the principles of agile project management (APM) would do well to meet up with the intentions behind the idea of the disappearing IT organization. Together they represent a potentially powerful set of conditions for improved business performance through more effective software development.

Think of disputes that occur in outsourcing deals as mushrooms. To grow and spawn, they need an environment that is dark and full of fertilizer. Your goal is to create an environment that is well lit, with little fertilizer for the mushrooms to feed on.

Think of disputes that occur in outsourcing deals as mushrooms. To grow and spawn, they need an environment that is dark and full of fertilizer. Your goal is to create an environment that is well lit, with little fertilizer for the mushrooms to feed on.

Think of disputes that occur in outsourcing deals as mushrooms. To grow and spawn, they need an environment that is dark and full of fertilizer. Your goal is to create an environment that is well lit, with little fertilizer for the mushrooms to feed on.

This series of Executive Updates systematically examines the past, present, and future of the global IT outsourcing landscape. In Part I (Vol. 8, No. 5), we analyzed the current status of IT outsourcing using data from a late 2006 Cutter Consortium survey among 95 organizations. In Part II (Vol. 8, No.

This series of Executive Updates systematically examines the past, present, and future of the global IT outsourcing landscape. In Part I (Vol. 8, No. 5), we analyzed the current status of IT outsourcing using data from a late 2006 Cutter Consortium survey among 95 organizations. In Part II (Vol. 8, No.

Pundits have used a variety of terms to describe the rapid change that results from a sudden shift in underlying principles. But whether it is called a revolution, a new paradigm, or a tectonic shift, the nature and the structure of the Web are changing.

Pundits have used a variety of terms to describe the rapid change that results from a sudden shift in underlying principles. But whether it is called a revolution, a new paradigm, or a tectonic shift, the nature and the structure of the Web are changing.

Here are 10 rules I'd like to propose we all follow, starting immediately:

Here are 10 rules I'd like to propose we all follow, starting immediately:

Everything has been said and written about the role of pressure in software development; there's no need to reiterate that all over again. At least, that's what I thought until recently, when an executive called me in for one of those "let's talk frankly" chats.

The responsibility for establishing and maintaining information security today looks like a Scrabble board. COSO, COBIT, ITIL, ISO, and ASIS1 (apologies if I missed any other tiles) are either standards bodies that evangelize practices or acronyms for the management practices themselves -- all designed to help organizations optimize today's information security strategy and contend with tomorrow's threats. Whatever approach an organization adopts, there is one other standard worth considering first.

The responsibility for establishing and maintaining information security today looks like a Scrabble board. COSO, COBIT, ITIL, ISO, and ASIS1 (apologies if I missed any other tiles) are either standards bodies that evangelize practices or acronyms for the management practices themselves -- all designed to help organizations optimize today's information security strategy and contend with tomorrow's threats. Whatever approach an organization adopts, there is one other standard worth considering first.

The responsibility for establishing and maintaining information security today looks like a Scrabble board. COSO, COBIT, ITIL, ISO, and ASIS1 (apologies if I missed any other tiles) are either standards bodies that evangelize practices or acronyms for the management practices themselves -- all designed to help organizations optimize today's information security strategy and contend with tomorrow's threats. Whatever approach an organization adopts, there is one other standard worth considering first.

"Whatever Web 2.0 is, IT executives and technologists need to pay attention to it, and so do the business-unit managers who look for ways to use IT strategically to improve their revenues and shareholder value."

-- Ed Yourdon, Guest Editor, Cutter IT Journal

The business/IT divide is alive and well. We often cast blame on IT for not "talking to the business in a way they can understand," but it's a two-way street and there is plenty of responsibility to be shared for the situation. Business blames IT for a host of sins. Recently, I heard: "They can't do what we ask ... everything takes too long ...

Ah, the word "politics" sounds ugly. Yet IT managers always talk about the negative role of politics in making IT investment and prioritization decisions. It would seem that "politics" is something to be avoided, that somehow a more rational decision-making approach could avoid politics.

In helping the founder get a local technology professional organization to take flight, I began to think about some broad themes around the business value of IT that would seed discussions in future meetings among the like-minded folk who populate this informal group. Thinking about business value topics made me realize how useful this exercise is in establishing better alignment between IT and business units.

In the next few Advisors, I'll address some complex rights your organization will want to consider in outsourcing contracts, as well as the obligations you may wish to require of a service provider. Each of these entails having a separate schedule in your outsourcing contract in addition to clauses within the contract.

In the next few Advisors, I'll address some complex rights your organization will want to consider in outsourcing contracts, as well as the obligations you may wish to require of a service provider. Each of these entails having a separate schedule in your outsourcing contract in addition to clauses within the contract.