IT executives are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the business value of IT and to improve returns on IT investments. But many practitioners question whether it is possible to develop a business case for most IT investments, and many IT executives find that when they do calculate ROI, no one believes their numbers. Is the problem ROI itself or the practices used to calculate it?

A unique, comprehensive study of what is described as the "best- and worst-in-class" for software development provides some fascinating insights for developers and management alike. Compiled and newly released by Quantitative Software Management, Inc., which has been compiling detailed data across all major industry segments for nearly 20 years, this study represents the latest three-year time slice.

"There are lies, damned lies, and statistics," said one voice.

"You can't manage what you don't measure," said the other.

So go the internal voices in the battle for the soul of the IT manager, when it comes to the subject of benchmarking.

As if our current buzzwords had already run their course, or we didn't have enough to last us, a new buzzword has hit the enterprise architecture and application scene. "Applistructure" describes the latest trend to combine enterprise business applications with enterprise infrastructure.