In previous Executive Updates, we've looked at IT executives' motivations for outsourcing and the types of models they plan to use (application service providers [ASPs], business process outsourcing [BPO], etc.). That has provided an understanding of the "whys" and the "hows" of outsourcing but not the "whats." Exactly what are IT organizations outsourcing?

An extreme project looks like this:

In previous Executive Updates, we've looked at IT executives' motivations for outsourcing and the types of models they plan to use (application service providers [ASPs], business process outsourcing [BPO], etc.). That has provided an understanding of the "whys" and the "hows" of outsourcing but not the "whats." Exactly what are IT organizations outsourcing?

E-learning seems to be the newest solution for all that ails business training programs, and it's inevitable that IT be challenged to adopt an approach to learning that leverages technology. Creating a strategy for e-learning is confusing, though, because it can take so many different forms. Walk through a vendor exhibit area at any training conference and it seems every vendor is selling an e-learning product.

We've talked a lot about how e-business is different. New technologies, 24/7 availability, worldwide access, and faster time to market are all ways that the e-business world is different. Most of these changes are concrete and therefore obvious. But e-business is different in intangible ways, too.

Recently, members of the Cutter Research Business Technology Trends Group (a focus group of IT managers) were asked to complete a study on the future of their mobile workforces. For this study, mobile professionals were defined as workers who are trying to access corporate information away from a physical corporate location.

Recently, members of the Cutter Research Business Technology Trends Group (a focus group of IT managers) were asked to complete a study on the future of their mobile workforces. For this study, mobile professionals were defined as workers who are trying to access corporate information away from a physical corporate location.

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).

A common question asked within the IT industry is "How can we successfully develop software?" One answer is to adopt and follow an appropriate software process -- also referred to as a software methodology -- to guide your development efforts.

A common question asked within the IT industry is "How can we successfully develop software?" One answer is to adopt and follow an appropriate software process -- also referred to as a software methodology -- to guide your development efforts.

In a recent Cutter Business Technology Council Opinion, I wrote the following:

"Software functionality and other services traditionally provided by internal IT departments will be increasingly delivered 'over the Net' via supply chains composed of multiple external service providers.

In a recent Cutter Business Technology Council Opinion, I wrote the following:

"Software functionality and other services traditionally provided by internal IT departments will be increasingly delivered 'over the Net' via supply chains composed of multiple external service providers.

The Cutter Technology Council's Assertion #13 reads: "E-business and e-commerce will continue to fuel explosive growth in, and unending confusion about, the middleware portion of IT architectures." The purpose of this Executive Update is to consider whether there is evidence of this trend in industry today.

Whether to centralize or to decentralize is one of the perennial questions in IT. It never goes away; it just advances and recedes in an irregular cycle. Since this question is currently looming large in industry, this Executive Update analyzes data from Cutter Consortium's ongoing Business-IT Strategies Survey to explore the facets of decentralized IT.

Attending yet another project management course seems to be a common reward for being part of a failed project. However, having served as a member of project teams, a project manager, a project director, and a member of several steering committees -- and having attended a number of project management courses -- I have begun to realize that most failures have little to do with the project manager's abilities.

This Executive Update contains the third, and last, part of our series containing advice from a panel of Cutter Consortium Senior Consultants -- Mike Epner, Ian Hayes, David Herron, and Wendell Jones -- on the outsourcing process.

This Executive Update contains the third, and last, part of our series containing advice from a panel of Cutter Consortium Senior Consultants -- Mike Epner, Ian Hayes, David Herron, and Wendell Jones -- on the outsourcing process.

In Part 1 of this Executive Update (Vol. 2, No. 5), we looked at internal strategy and process maturity and their respective impacts on offshore outsourcing. In this Update, we'll continue to look at the management of offshore service providers.

In Part 1 of this Executive Update (Vol. 2, No. 5), we looked at internal strategy and process maturity and their respective impacts on offshore outsourcing. In this Update, we'll continue to look at the management of offshore service providers.

Telecommuting is both a familiar concept and a popular buzzword in today's high-tech, Internet-enabled society. As we suggested in a Cutter Consortium Business Technology Trends E-Mail Advisor last year (" Telecommuting Still Has a Long Way to Go," 9 November 2000):

Telecommuting is both a familiar concept and a popular buzzword in today's high-tech, Internet-enabled society. As we suggested in a Cutter Consortium Business Technology Trends E-Mail Advisor last year (" Telecommuting Still Has a Long Way to Go," 9 November 2000):