Everyone talks about architecture these days, and there are many different types or levels of architecture. Since its inception in 1987, the granddaddy of architectures, the Zachman Framework, has doubled, from three levels and three areas to six levels and six areas (see http://www.zifa.com).

The world's most eminent IT gurus are warning of the potential dangers to our information infrastructure caused by natural or malicious acts. In this post-9/11 world they are calling for companies, governments, and economies to take steps to buffer themselves from pandemic effects.

What began as a trickle is turning into a torrent.... Global sourcing is a hot topic in executive suites throughout the US and Europe. Driven by our increasingly globalized economy, IT services are following the lead of industries such as manufacturing and agriculture in their shift to less expensive geographic locales.

For the most part, functional testing seems to be pretty straightforward. Do this, that happens. Is "that" what we expected? If so, the test passes; if anything else happens, it fails. Seems pretty simple.

Is IT considered to be of strategic importance in your organization? Here are a few signs to look for:

In a keynote at the Java One conference, Hasso Plattner, co-chairman of SAP, argued for common standards. Specifically, Plattner said:

I've got to give you a couple of threads first, then I promise I'll tie them together.

I recently had a phone conversation with a reader whose company is considering the use of a business intelligence (BI) application service provider (ASP) to outsource several of its BI functions. We discussed a number of issues to consider when contemplating the use of an analytical ASP. As a result, I've decided to make this the focus of this week's Advisor.

Recent revelations of abuse by supposedly world-class practitioners on Wall Street and at companies like Enron underscore the importance of a realistic approach to risk management.

In last month's Advisor (" The Devolution of E-Business," 27 March 2002), I described how the devolution of e-business, rather than signaling the end of e-business, is really an opportunity for the business as a whole.