One highly touted aspect of e-business is its ability to deconstruct value chains.

When your CEO calls for a 15% increase in revenues next year, does your senior vice president of sales call the IT organization to request help? What about the head of marketing if told to expand market share, or the head of operations if told to increase production? In far too many companies, probably not.

The Object Management Group (OMG) held its first Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) workshop in Orlando, Florida, last week. The emphasis was on discussing EAI issues, and the workshop was heavily attended by CTOs and senior technical people from Fortune 1000 companies.

We recently faced some challenges with a roofing project on our home, and these challenges provided me with some lessons I think can be applied to the multi-project world of IT.

The Object Management Group (OMG) held its first Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) workshop in Orlando, Florida, last week.

The Object Management Group (OMG) held its first Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) workshop in Orlando, Florida, last week.

In the current Cutter Consortium survey on outsourcing, we ask companies what types of outsourcing problems they have encountered.

In the current Cutter Consortium survey on outsourcing, we ask companies what types of outsourcing problems they have encountered.

The reality of sustainable competitive advantage through information technology will remain elusive to the majority of organizations. We all understand the fundamental reasons: as long as IT is freely available to all industry participants, they will pursue their optimal use of it, either as leaders or as followers. Any early advantages will eventually be competed away.

In last week's Advisor, I mentioned that the Chinese information agency is encouraging government agencies in China to use Red Flag Linux, rather than Microsoft Windows. I want to follow up with some more general comments on Linux this week.

Medical examiners don't do autopsies for the benefit of the deceased. Those procedures are for the benefit of the living, either for piece of mind in knowing what killed a friend or relative or for public safety in being able to identify a communicable disease or bring a killer to justice. By focusing on the living rather than the dead, postmortem examinations attempt to advance the standard of living for those left behind.

In last week's Advisor, I mentioned that the Chinese information agency is encouraging government agencies in China to use Red Flag Linux, rather than Microsoft Windows.

In last week's Advisor, I mentioned that the Chinese information agency is encouraging government agencies in China to use Red Flag Linux, rather than Microsoft Windows.

Medical examiners don't do autopsies for the benefit of the deceased.

Medical examiners don't do autopsies for the benefit of the deceased.