As corporate networks push above Gigabit Ethernet, a whole new range of applications, once confined to special networks and limited usage, is coming into view. Broadband -- combined with real-time support as specified in IPv6 and provided on all of today's switches and routers -- makes it possible to stream audio, video, and massive application files around the enterprise without heavily impacting users. But what are those applications?

As corporate networks push above Gigabit Ethernet, a whole new range of applications, once confined to special networks and limited usage, is coming into view. Broadband -- combined with real-time support as specified in IPv6 and provided on all of today's switches and routers -- makes it possible to stream audio, video, and massive application files around the enterprise without heavily impacting users. But what are those applications?

In a recent set of columns, I have been thinking aloud about the state of systems thinking and training in IT. I say systems thinking and training because there's been too much focus on computer science education in recent years. In the process, we have focused far too much on programming and programming tricks and far too little on systems and how to design systems and databases to accomplish important business functions that are easy to build, test, deploy, and maintain.

In a recent set of columns, I have been thinking aloud about the state of systems thinking and training in IT. I say systems thinking and training because there's been too much focus on computer science education in recent years. In the process, we have focused far too much on programming and programming tricks and far too little on systems and how to design systems and databases to accomplish important business functions that are easy to build, test, deploy, and maintain.

In an earlier Advisor, I discussed that over the last four or five years I've worked with a significant number of product companies in implementing agile development and project management practices (see "Management's Performance Levers, Part 1," 29 June 2006, and "Management's Performance Levers, Part 2," 13 July 2006).

This past June might be known as the month of the lost business reputations. I don't recall a month when so many seemingly solid corporate reputations have been tarnished.

Let's start with an announcement by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in June that it would have to delay deliveries of its A380 super-jumbo jet by yet another six months. The announcement takes Airbus customers -- and the market -- by surprise, leading to a drop of 26% in Airbus stock price in one day.

This past June might be known as the month of the lost business reputations. I don't recall a month when so many seemingly solid corporate reputations have been tarnished.

Let's start with an announcement by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus in June that it would have to delay deliveries of its A380 super-jumbo jet by yet another six months. The announcement takes Airbus customers -- and the market -- by surprise, leading to a drop of 26% in Airbus stock price in one day.

Is your IT organization entitled to be the supplier of information services for your company? Do they deserve to be? Why? Are they the best, most competitive supplier of quality services? Do they even think they have competition? They should -- because every company needs to have accurate, timely, available information when and where they need it and be able to get it from the best supplier around.

Is your IT organization entitled to be the supplier of information services for your company? Do they deserve to be? Why? Are they the best, most competitive supplier of quality services? Do they even think they have competition? They should -- because every company needs to have accurate, timely, available information when and where they need it and be able to get it from the best supplier around.

It seems like architecture as an IT profession has finally hit the big time, judging by conferences if nothing else. Last week I presented at Dr. Dobb's Architecture and Design World 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This is not the first time I've presented at an architecture conference, but it is the first time I remember being impressed by how many people were present.

We all seem to have a morbid curiosity about how we compare to others -- how we compare to others in our industry or peer group in terms of spending on IT, or MIPS per employee, or whatever.

I was talking recently with a colleague who is involved in a business performance management initiative. The subject quickly turned to one of the most important challenges associated with such an effort: identifying key performance indicators (KPIs). This Advisor summarizes what we discussed.

Basically, there are a number of techniques useful for identifying KPIs for business performance management efforts. But the reality is that, more than likely, organizations are going to have to utilize multiple techniques.

I was talking recently with a colleague who is involved in a business performance management initiative. The subject quickly turned to one of the most important challenges associated with such an effort: identifying key performance indicators (KPIs). This Advisor summarizes what we discussed.

Basically, there are a number of techniques useful for identifying KPIs for business performance management efforts. But the reality is that, more than likely, organizations are going to have to utilize multiple techniques.

I was talking recently with a colleague who is involved in a business performance management initiative. The subject quickly turned to one of the most important challenges associated with such an effort: identifying key performance indicators (KPIs). This Advisor summarizes what we discussed.

Basically, there are a number of techniques useful for identifying KPIs for business performance management efforts. But the reality is that, more than likely, organizations are going to have to utilize multiple techniques.

I was talking recently with a colleague who is involved in a business performance management initiative. The subject quickly turned to one of the most important challenges associated with such an effort: identifying key performance indicators (KPIs). This Advisor summarizes what we discussed.

Basically, there are a number of techniques useful for identifying KPIs for business performance management efforts. But the reality is that, more than likely, organizations are going to have to utilize multiple techniques.

We often encounter CIOs with a common complaint: business executives demand more business impact and less cost from IT. When we explore the issues with these CIOs, we discover that the problem is more fundamental: the IT organization has been incapable of communicating IT's business impact to business executives. That is, other than IT's cost (the cost of IT borne by the business units), the IT organization has not (credibly) communicated the impact and value of what they do to the business executives who pay the bills.

Countless self help groups meet each day throughout the world, and all start with the same premise, adapted from the original AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) Twelve-Step program: "First, admit you have a problem."

Countless self help groups meet each day throughout the world, and all start with the same premise, adapted from the original AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) Twelve-Step program: "First, admit you have a problem."

In this, the last installment of my three-part series on LoTech -- HiFi (for parts one and two, see "Part 1: The Evolution of Story Cards and User Stories," 23 March 2006, and "Part 2: The Cost of Tracking Tools," 11 May 2006), we will look at ways to take metrics beyond "how fast" or "how much."

As the classic "dog days" of summer approach in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a temptation to take a break -- to draw a deep breath and forget about one's individual and organizational worries for a little while. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, the price of organizational freedom is eternal vigilance.

As the classic "dog days" of summer approach in the Northern Hemisphere, there is a temptation to take a break -- to draw a deep breath and forget about one's individual and organizational worries for a little while. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, the price of organizational freedom is eternal vigilance.

Corporations that perform well over long periods of time have typically learned how to maximize the performance of their people. They recognize that it is people who make good or bad decisions or who may even avoid making decisions. They strive to create a business environment where employees feel valued and are supported by effective direction -- policies, procedures, standards of performance, guidelines, and tools -- for performing their work.

Corporations that perform well over long periods of time have typically learned how to maximize the performance of their people. They recognize that it is people who make good or bad decisions or who may even avoid making decisions. They strive to create a business environment where employees feel valued and are supported by effective direction -- policies, procedures, standards of performance, guidelines, and tools -- for performing their work.

A friend of mine recently returned from a software development conference where he picked up an introductory copy of a business rules management system (BRMS) development tool. I asked him what he planned to do with it, and he said he had no plans, really, because he "didn't want to learn some new development language." Basically, he said he couldn't see writing rules to create applications he could more easily develop just by writing code.

In his recent E-mail Advisor, titled "Software as a Service," Mike Rosen, the Director of Cutter Consortium's Enterprise Architecture Practice, does a great job of identifying some of the technological advancements which are making "SaaS" a viable solution for a variety of application requirements.