Much of what we think about is shaped by the metaphors we use to comprehend the world. Way back in 1984, Michael Porter suggested that we had entered an "information revolution," but that viewpoint misses the forest for the trees. Information per se is not the issue. What people are doing with the information and how they are applying IT are more important than the information itself.

Yes! Of course! EA metrics really do matter.

Last week, Oracle finally beat out SAP AG in its battle to acquire retail applications vendor Retek Inc. for approximately US $630 million. Oracle had been trying to acquire Retek since earlier this year but was initially distracted by its long, drawn-out efforts to buy PeopleSoft. Then, SAP decided to make a play for Retek.

Last week, Oracle finally beat out SAP AG in its battle to acquire retail applications vendor Retek Inc. for approximately US $630 million. Oracle had been trying to acquire Retek since earlier this year but was initially distracted by its long, drawn-out efforts to buy PeopleSoft. Then, SAP decided to make a play for Retek.

Last week, Oracle finally beat out SAP AG in its battle to acquire retail applications vendor Retek Inc. for approximately US $630 million. Oracle had been trying to acquire Retek since earlier this year but was initially distracted by its long, drawn-out efforts to buy PeopleSoft. Then, SAP decided to make a play for Retek.

Last week, Oracle finally beat out SAP AG in its battle to acquire retail applications vendor Retek Inc. for approximately US $630 million. Oracle had been trying to acquire Retek since earlier this year but was initially distracted by its long, drawn-out efforts to buy PeopleSoft. Then, SAP decided to make a play for Retek.

A software portfolio is a collection of IT projects, both proposed and in progress, as well as the deployed systems within your organization. Your IT portfolio should be a diversified mix of high-risk/high-reward and low-risk/low-reward elements, just like your personal investment portfolio, all leading to the creation of systems that support a strategic business goal.

For many practitioners, establishing collaboration means weakening corporate IT security. Yet as we all know, nobody in the business or IT community will agree to compromise security for anything. So the questions become:

How do we have both collaboration and security?

For many practitioners, establishing collaboration means weakening corporate IT security. Yet as we all know, nobody in the business or IT community will agree to compromise security for anything. So the questions become:

How do we have both collaboration and security?

Since the recent Cutter IT Journal issue on outsourcing (" Offshore Outsourcing: No Pain, No Gain?" Vol. 17, No. 10, October 2004), there has been a steady stream of articles on outsourcing, an indicator that this topic is very much on our minds.

Since the recent Cutter IT Journal issue on outsourcing (" Offshore Outsourcing: No Pain, No Gain?" Vol. 17, No. 10, October 2004), there has been a steady stream of articles on outsourcing, an indicator that this topic is very much on our minds.

Since the recent Cutter IT Journal issue on outsourcing (" Offshore Outsourcing: No Pain, No Gain?" Vol. 17, No. 10, October 2004), there has been a steady stream of articles on outsourcing, an indicator that this topic is very much on our minds.

For many practitioners, establishing collaboration means weakening corporate IT security. Yet as we all know, nobody in the business or IT community will agree to compromise security for anything. So the questions become:

How do we have both collaboration and security?