The ever-increasing complexity of the enterprise security environment is fast creating a requirement to centralize and unify the security infrastructure so that it can be more easily managed, loopholes can be closed, and regulatory requirements can be met.

The ever-increasing complexity of the enterprise security environment is fast creating a requirement to centralize and unify the security infrastructure so that it can be more easily managed, loopholes can be closed, and regulatory requirements can be met.

All businesses possess information in their computer networks and systems that they would rather not share with third parties. These include customer lists, marketing strategies, sales results, product development plans, and a host of other information that could harm a business by giving its competitors a competitive advantage. Businesses label this information with a variety of titles, such as "confidential," "privileged," or "secret," but is calling it a secret enough to protect it as a matter of law?

All businesses possess information in their computer networks and systems that they would rather not share with third parties. These include customer lists, marketing strategies, sales results, product development plans, and a host of other information that could harm a business by giving its competitors a competitive advantage. Businesses label this information with a variety of titles, such as "confidential," "privileged," or "secret," but is calling it a secret enough to protect it as a matter of law?

How long did anyone think it would take for organizations to begin climbing the business process strategic sourcing/outsourcing value chain? Fortified with the experience and wisdom earned in first-generation projects motivated by the pursuit of cost reductions, managers have turned their attention to the possibilities of sourcing far more strategic processes, either from company offices in far-flung locations or from service providers. An entirely new generation of sourcing initiatives has arrived. How can your organization succeed?

How long did anyone think it would take for organizations to begin climbing the business process strategic sourcing/outsourcing value chain? Fortified with the experience and wisdom earned in first-generation projects motivated by the pursuit of cost reductions, managers have turned their attention to the possibilities of sourcing far more strategic processes, either from company offices in far-flung locations or from service providers. An entirely new generation of sourcing initiatives has arrived. How can your organization succeed?

How long did anyone think it would take for organizations to begin climbing the business process strategic sourcing/outsourcing value chain? Fortified with the experience and wisdom earned in first-generation projects motivated by the pursuit of cost reductions, managers have turned their attention to the possibilities of sourcing far more strategic processes, either from company offices in far-flung locations or from service providers. An entirely new generation of sourcing initiatives has arrived. How can your organization succeed?

Sourcing is moving rapidly up the value chain from the outsourcing and offshoring of common, low-value, but important, processes such as those found in IT, tech support, HR administration, and inbound customer service calls to R&D, product development, drug development, and logistics. No longer just outsourcing or offshoring, "strategic sourcing" represents a new frontier of enterprise opportunity fraught with much risk as organizations grope for answers.

Sourcing is moving rapidly up the value chain from the outsourcing and offshoring of common, low-value, but important, processes such as those found in IT, tech support, HR administration, and inbound customer service calls to R&D, product development, drug development, and logistics. No longer just outsourcing or offshoring, "strategic sourcing" represents a new frontier of enterprise opportunity fraught with much risk as organizations grope for answers.

Sourcing is moving rapidly up the value chain from the outsourcing and offshoring of common, low-value, but important, processes such as those found in IT, tech support, HR administration, and inbound customer service calls to R&D, product development, drug development, and logistics. No longer just outsourcing or offshoring, "strategic sourcing" represents a new frontier of enterprise opportunity fraught with much risk as organizations grope for answers.

Since its introduction in the early 1990s, IT outsourcing has been experimented with and embraced by an increasing number of companies. Given the dramatically changing global business landscape of the last few years, the question arises: where are firms on their outsourcing learning curve? This Executive Update is the first in a series that examines the status of outsourcing. The series is based on a recent Cutter Consortium survey of 95 companies that pursue outsourcing as part of their IT strategy.

Since its introduction in the early 1990s, IT outsourcing has been experimented with and embraced by an increasing number of companies. Given the dramatically changing global business landscape of the last few years, the question arises: where are firms on their outsourcing learning curve? This Executive Update is the first in a series that examines the status of outsourcing. The series is based on a recent Cutter Consortium survey of 95 companies that pursue outsourcing as part of their IT strategy.

Security

Identity theft is now such an Internet-enabled plague that the liability for damages is switching away from the individual victim to any institution that has personal data stolen.

Security

Identity theft is now such an Internet-enabled plague that the liability for damages is switching away from the individual victim to any institution that has personal data stolen.

Security

Identity theft is now such an Internet-enabled plague that the liability for damages is switching away from the individual victim to any institution that has personal data stolen.

The 21st-century shift from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy envisioned by such thought leaders as Alvin and Heidi Toffler, Peter Drucker, and others is quickly materializing.

The 21st-century shift from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy envisioned by such thought leaders as Alvin and Heidi Toffler, Peter Drucker, and others is quickly materializing.

The 21st-century shift from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy envisioned by such thought leaders as Alvin and Heidi Toffler, Peter Drucker, and others is quickly materializing.

My last Advisor presented a few of the ownership challenges experienced by sourcing vendors and discussed how the vendor team can approach their part as owner of sourcing initiatives (see "Smart Sourcing: The Ownership Factor for Vendors," 14 February 2007).

My last Advisor presented a few of the ownership challenges experienced by sourcing vendors and discussed how the vendor team can approach their part as owner of sourcing initiatives (see "Smart Sourcing: The Ownership Factor for Vendors," 14 February 2007).

Now that companies are making progress with service-oriented architecture (SOA), they are starting to experience some of the costs of success. As more services are developed and more applications are built using those services, the services need to be enhanced to support additional requirements for multiple, simultaneous users.

I was struck by the results of a little micro-survey I conducted over the last six months with three CIOs from mid-sized companies. This was a very informal survey that happened during the course of casual conversations over coffee breaks, lunches, or between sessions at a conference. The topic of measuring IT performance came up.

Until this title is put in context, it seems like a strange position for anyone to take. It sounds like you are leaving your team holding the bag. Bear with me though.

Business process management (BPM) is a hot management topic and an equally compelling IT product subject these days. True believers are setting up business process management as one of the last remaining sources of competitive advantage as other sources have evaporated. While BPM is a management philosophy first and a class of packaged applications second, you wouldn't know it from the way vendors convey the value of their products.

At the beginning of the year, I said that I doubted that the US Congress would get around to enacting any sort of new data breach regulations because it would simply be too preoccupied with trying to come up with a solution to the disastrous situation in Iraq (see "BI Trends and Developments to Watch for In 2007," 2 January 2007). But n