Businesses face an increasingly tough challenge to separate technology from business imperatives. A holistic approach that integrates the reality businesses face with their strategic direction and organizational health is urgently needed. This includes operational effectiveness and performance.

Intrapreneuring is a term that came into widespread use during the late, lamented dot-com boom. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, however, dates the term "intrapreneur" to 1982 and defines it thus: "a corporate executive who develops new enterprises within the corporation." But you could define it equally well by adapting the old joke about pioneers: How do you tell the intrapreneurs?

Like the infamous southern US families, companies are split by the battles and bickering between IT and their internal business clients. Certainly, there is a history of bad blood, and both sides own some part of the blame for the over 30 years of turmoil. Passive aggression has become the weapon of choice, with both sides wielding it with expertise and enthusiasm.

As hard as it is to believe, we are now in the third era of e-business -- the arrival of the Internet and online services in the competitive mainstream of every industry. The dot-com era came first. This was a real wake-up call for most "old economy" companies. Executives were concerned that the dot-coms would steal their customers, drive down prices, or dis-intermediate them. The result: era two.

Before each night is done, their plan will be unfurled; By the dawning of the sun, they'll take over the world.

-- Theme song from Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky and The Brain. Lyrics by Tom Ruegger.

There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who benefit from the old order, and lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order.

—Anonymous

Decisions, decisions, decisions. For a software development or maintenance manager, a typical day involves making a seemingly endless string of decisions:

For a software development or maintenance manager, a typical day involves making a seemingly endless string of decisions. But what is a good decision? One that:

A small group of dedicated software engineers met in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in February to discuss revolution. They had spent the past five years living with the people, eating their food, and wearing their clothes. They had become one with the people. And now, they were gathering to share their experiences and discuss the overthrow of the tyranny that had so damaged their profession and their people.

"Change, that is the only thing in the world that is unchanging," or so wrote Heraclitus some 2,500 years ago. The subject of this and an upcoming Executive Update is the changing world of project management and the coping strategies being used by organizations, drawing on data from Cutter Consortium's ongoing surveys.

"Things do not change; we change." Henry David Thoreau's words are our guideposts for this Executive Update, in which we complete our look at the changing world of project management and the coping strategies being used by organizations, drawing on data from Cutter Consortium's ongoing surveys.

The growth of the global marketplace and the convergence of the Internet with other new technologies are presenting companies with new challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Some observers view today's rapidly changing business environment as a crisis; others see it as an opportunity. In fact, the Chinese symbol for crisis defines it as both a danger and an opportunity.

The growth of the global marketplace and the convergence of the Internet with other new technologies are presenting companies with new challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Some observers view today's rapidly changing business environment as a crisis; others see it as an opportunity. In fact, the Chinese symbol for crisis defines it as both a danger and an opportunity.

The growth of the global marketplace and the convergence of the Internet with other new technologies are presenting companies with new challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Some observers view today's rapidly changing business environment as a crisis; others see it as an opportunity. In fact, the Chinese symbol for crisis defines it as both a danger and an opportunity.

Traditional outsourcing was usually tactical and often had little to do with strategic alignment of the business. Today, the role of external service providers has matured into a strategic enabler, rather than just a cost-cutting tactic.

Traditional outsourcing was usually tactical and often had little to do with strategic alignment of the business. Today, the role of external service providers has matured into a strategic enabler, rather than just a cost-cutting tactic.

Traditional outsourcing was usually tactical and often had little to do with strategic alignment of the business. Today, the role of external service providers has matured into a strategic enabler, rather than just a cost-cutting tactic.

Faster, better, cheaper. Whether you're developing and supporting software applications internally or externally, this continues to be the mantra for IT managers and their business partners. In fact, many corporations have turned to outsourcing in an attempt to ease the constant pressure of achieving these objectives.

Faster, better, cheaper. Whether you're developing and supporting software applications internally or externally, this continues to be the mantra for IT managers and their business partners. In fact, many corporations have turned to outsourcing in an attempt to ease the constant pressure of achieving these objectives.

A number of psychology studies have shown that human beings have roughly seven "slots" in their brains. These slots contain your ideas and personal priorities -- related to work, family, health, etc. -- at any point in time Basically, this represents whatever thoughts you're juggling. Anything that doesn't make it into those slots gets shelved into memory, to be triggered later by an event or an assistant (digital or human).

A number of psychology studies have shown that human beings have roughly seven "slots" in their brains. These slots contain your ideas and personal priorities -- related to work, family, health, etc. -- at any point in time Basically, this represents whatever thoughts you're juggling. Anything that doesn't make it into those slots gets shelved into memory, to be triggered later by an event or an assistant (digital or human).