In just eight years, e-learning has become a very common term in our culture and modern organizations. This has led to a growing conversation about what e-learning actually is today and what it will become in the future. It has also led to many claims being made about its value, impact, and benefits -- some of which are pure myth, while others are certain truths; some of which are fact, while others are fiction.

This issue of Cutter Benchmark Review focuses on a topic of continued importance for the modern organization: learning. The size of training budgets and the centrality of employees' knowledge to organizations' success make this statement all but self-evident. With the advent of the Internet, e-learning has grown to command a sizeable (and growing) portion of that budget. In fact, our survey shows that less than a quarter of our responding organizations don't offer e-learning programs, and only 15% have no experience with this training approach.

This survey examined anytime, anywhere learning and training programs delivered via technology in modern organizations. Of the 66 responding organizations, 55% are based in North America, 23% in Asia/Pacific, 20% in Europe, and the rest dispersed across South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

The ultra-competitive nature of today's business world is driving companies to optimize the processes that impact their financial and operational performance. As a result, many companies are seeking to apply performance-driven management techniques to streamline their day-to-day business operations and facilitate better decisions across the organization.

The ultra-competitive nature of today's business world is driving companies to optimize the processes that impact their financial and operational performance. As a result, many companies are seeking to apply performance-driven management techniques to streamline their day-to-day business operations and facilitate better decisions across the organization.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has been a headache for many public companies, but the discipline and transparency it forced on them produced an unexpected benefit -- better control of their business information (most of it electronic) and higher market valuations. The new electronic discovery (e-discovery) amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that went into effect on 1 December 2006 promise a similar headache -- and similar benefits.

"Deciding that innovation is a strategic necessity is one thing, but making it happen is another."

-- Claude R. Baudoin, Guest Editor

"Deciding that innovation is a strategic necessity is one thing, but making it happen is another."

-- Claude R. Baudoin, Guest Editor

The future belongs to those who know how to create new things.

-- Robert D. Austin, Fellow, Cutter Consortium, and Professor, Harvard Business School

In the current competitive, dynamic, global marketplace, continuous innovation is a key to success and growth. A growing number of enterprises -- big and small, established and startups -- are in search of better ways to effectively foster, exploit, and manage innovation.

The future belongs to those who know how to create new things.

-- Robert D. Austin, Fellow, Cutter Consortium, and Professor, Harvard Business School

In the current competitive, dynamic, global marketplace, continuous innovation is a key to success and growth. A growing number of enterprises -- big and small, established and startups -- are in search of better ways to effectively foster, exploit, and manage innovation.

I have witnessed the widespread belief that innovation is about having some brilliant people on board. It is enough to let them learn, and -- sooner or later and due to unknown reasons -- new ideas simply will arise.

I have witnessed the widespread belief that innovation is about having some brilliant people on board. It is enough to let them learn, and -- sooner or later and due to unknown reasons -- new ideas simply will arise.

Collaboration can be thought as the central function in innovation. Lone inventors seldom have the necessary knowledge and skills to take ideas further. Above all, innovation requires the sharing of knowledge and ideas and the bringing together of people who have complementary skills for carrying forward new concepts. Increasingly, innovation is becoming a matter of collaboration within and between companies.

Collaboration can be thought as the central function in innovation. Lone inventors seldom have the necessary knowledge and skills to take ideas further. Above all, innovation requires the sharing of knowledge and ideas and the bringing together of people who have complementary skills for carrying forward new concepts. Increasingly, innovation is becoming a matter of collaboration within and between companies.

Unless one's business is IT, it is very much the case that IT is ancillary to the main purpose of the enterprise. This statement often causes a great loss in the perceived value of IT within the enterprise. People begin to believe that IT is a luxury or an extravagance -- a set of toys and baubles -- and thus assign less importance to planning its existence and use. This is extremely unfortunate, because IT is the great enabler of innovation within organizations.

Unless one's business is IT, it is very much the case that IT is ancillary to the main purpose of the enterprise. This statement often causes a great loss in the perceived value of IT within the enterprise. People begin to believe that IT is a luxury or an extravagance -- a set of toys and baubles -- and thus assign less importance to planning its existence and use. This is extremely unfortunate, because IT is the great enabler of innovation within organizations.

At some level, everyone understands that spending all of your time and resources focusing solely on what you already have or do will eventually leave you behind the curve when the "next big thing" comes around the corner. The automotive industry [3] and many prominent technology companies are notable examples of the negative impacts of this myopic approach. Some companies survive [1], but the list of those that do not is long.

At some level, everyone understands that spending all of your time and resources focusing solely on what you already have or do will eventually leave you behind the curve when the "next big thing" comes around the corner. The automotive industry [3] and many prominent technology companies are notable examples of the negative impacts of this myopic approach. Some companies survive [1], but the list of those that do not is long.

Some time ago, I wrote a book called Software Creativity. In that book, I initially planned to take the position that software engineering (the development and maintenance of software products) was a field in which creativity and innovation counted for much more than discipline. I was tired of, and angered by, the claims of many in the software engineering field that the solutions to the problems of software lay in discipline, formality, and quantitative reasoning.

Some time ago, I wrote a book called Software Creativity. In that book, I initially planned to take the position that software engineering (the development and maintenance of software products) was a field in which creativity and innovation counted for much more than discipline. I was tired of, and angered by, the claims of many in the software engineering field that the solutions to the problems of software lay in discipline, formality, and quantitative reasoning.

A popular trend in project management is the establishment of a project support office (PSO), aka a project management office. Some organizations have implemented a PSO as a result of performing due diligence and concluding that this move is a good business decision.

A popular trend in project management is the establishment of a project support office (PSO), aka a project management office. In the accompanying Executive Report, we offer a primer on the PSO.

Agile practices generally get their start when someone in an organization -- anyone -- begins to think something like, "I'm sure there is a better way to go about this business of developing software." That person can be a developer, a user, a manager, a team leader -- perhaps even you. There are, in fact, many "better ways," among which agile is only one possible choice. How we choose is largely a matter of preference, be it individual or organizational.

Security centralization is the inevitable result of trends that have been operating within the IT environment for some time. These trends point to a need to define a single, coherent response to external threats; something that is capable of being budgeted, audited, and managed as an essential business process. In essence, centralization represents IT security coming of age.

Security centralization is the inevitable result of trends that have been operating within the IT environment for some time. These trends point to a need to define a single, coherent response to external threats; something that is capable of being budgeted, audited, and managed as an essential business process. In essence, centralization represents IT security coming of age.