Look around, and it is pretty easy to pick out a software product that has benefited from a conscious focus on the design elements. There is a clear consistency across different areas of the application; it works well to support the client's needs -- indeed it can be a joy to use. Under the hood, the same focus has simplified the task of building the application, and likely has reduced the time and effort in the process.

A number of important developments took place last week that are significant when it comes to the issue of securing sensitive data and the possible cost of failing to do so. Just as important, they serve to drive home a point I've made in the past: organizations must take an "all-encompassing" approach when it comes to data security.

A number of important developments took place last week that are significant when it comes to the issue of securing sensitive data and the possible cost of failing to do so. Just as important, they serve to drive home a point I've made in the past: organizations must take an "all-encompassing" approach when it comes to data security.

"Development is about delivering value through the proper management of projects; governance is about managing portfolio resources and funding the right projects at the right time."

- William B. Walton, Guest Editor

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

Not all organizations are in agreement about the critical nature of strategy, planning, and budgeting in an agile business environment. Applying traditional approaches for the sake of meeting objectives oftentimes results in misdirected managerial attention, the stifling of innovation and creativity, and the inability to focus on new priorities.

In this Executive Update and the concluding one that follows, we continue our examination into the subject of lessons learned based upon the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey. In our survey of 105 IS/IT managers from around the world (for more information on survey demographics, see Part I [Vol. 2, No.

In this Executive Update and the concluding one that follows, we continue our examination into the subject of lessons learned based upon the results of a recent Cutter Consortium survey. In our survey of 105 IS/IT managers from around the world (for more information on survey demographics, see Part I [Vol. 2, No.

All too often, IT organizations spend the majority of their efforts analyzing the external factors of an outsourcing relationship, while taking a minimal amount of time to understand how this new development model will effect them internally. This Executive Update focuses on how organizations can reorganize their teams and internal processes so software outsourcing has a better chance of living up to its promise.

All too often, IT organizations spend the majority of their efforts analyzing the external factors of an outsourcing relationship, while taking a minimal amount of time to understand how this new development model will effect them internally. This Executive Update focuses on how organizations can reorganize their teams and internal processes so software outsourcing has a better chance of living up to its promise.

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

This phrase has been repeated so often that most of the time we uncritically accept this simple explanation as justification for believing that visual interfaces are inherently superior to textual ones. Software vendors, most noticeably the ones that sell decision support and analytic software, are quite apt to repeat the claim as well.

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

This phrase has been repeated so often that most of the time we uncritically accept this simple explanation as justification for believing that visual interfaces are inherently superior to textual ones. Software vendors, most noticeably the ones that sell decision support and analytic software, are quite apt to repeat the claim as well.