Web 2.0: Just say yes
Not wild about wikis? Not big on blogs? Not sold on Second Life? IT execs who ignore Web 2.0 collaboration technologies could be hurting their company's bottom line.
Stories by Sandra Gittlen
Three IT projects that matter
While rapid-fire cost-savings and consolidation efforts typically dominate an IT executive's annual to-do list, what's getting the green light this year are multiphase projects that protect organizations from regulatory fallout and data leakage.
NAC helps with wireless LAN security at college
For Scott McCollum, IT services director at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, network security can't mean one thing for the wired LAN and another for wireless connections.
Want to manage your wired/wireless LANS together? Too bad
For the past few years, organizations have gone full-force in deploying a combination of wired and wireless enterprise networks. But now, as wireless technology matures, they are left asking: Where are the tools to unify management of these disparate networks?
Ready or not, here comes user PC choice
Some IT executives might have been alarmed when Gartner predicted that by next year 10 percent of companies will require employees to purchase and maintain their own notebooks and other devices. But for Bill Leo, CIO of Oliver Wyman Delta Organization & Leadership, it was confirmation of what he already knew: He is already taking the first steps toward allowing employees to purchase and use their own PCs.
New attacks leave online transactions vulnerable even after sign-on authentication
Companies are trying to demonstrate that they're getting better at securing online transactions by adding multiple forms of authentication at sign-on, such as site keys. But experts say they could do 10 types of authentication at the start of the session and users would still be subject to attacks.
You want savings? Try 1,500 videoconferences per year
For the Pan American Health Organization, advanced conferencing technologies are literally a lifesaver.
Adding server capacity as you grow
Steve Evans, senior vice president of information systems at PGA Tour Inc., knew there was gold to be had in a new scoring application his developers had built. But he also knew the capacity demands to support the application would be too great for his team to handle. Before tossing his revenue-generating idea aside, Evans found the CPU strength he needed in an on-demand computing service.
IT recruitment: inside advice
It may be a job seeker's market, but IT executives say prospective candidates better show their business chops if they're going to command an employer's attention and money.
Cool career opportunity: Data center architect
Are you a go-getter who has experience managing servers, storage, security and facilities, and wants to get into the next big thing? If so, you just might be the perfect person for a role that is growing exponentially in importance: data centre architect.
Blade servers: Early adopters offer their tips, tricks
While blade servers can offer tremendous benefits for the data center, early adopters of the technology warn fellow IT implementers to plan very carefully.
Battle of the ages
Charleston Southern University CIO Rusty Bruns has a secret weapon to handle needy users -- Buddy Gray, a 63-year-old network manager.
On the horizon: 100 Gigabit Ethernet
The IEEE's latest project could significantly boost the speed of traffic delivery across the Internet. In November, the IEEE's 802.3 Higher Speed Study Group announced that it's working to create a 100Gbps Ethernet standard, which could be ready by 2010. The group is racing against time to accommodate the increasing demands of content creators and consumers around the world. Sandra Gittlen recently spoke with John D'Ambrosia, chairman of the study group and a scientist at Force10 Networks, about the impact of 100G Ethernet on technology users.
Three easy ways to get more powerful
In the world of IT, amassing personal power is all about boosting credibility. As Andy Avila, IT and security manager at San Francisco law firm Cooley Godward Kronish says, "Credibility brings power because with it plans have a better chance of standing for themselves."
A polished supply chain
Four years ago, MasterBrand Cabinets CIO Dave Mewes faced one of the toughest challenges of his career. Fortune Brands, the parent holding company, wanted to diversify its portfolio of cabinet products and began an acquisition spree under the MasterBrand name. Mewes' mission soon became clear: Tie together the supply-chain management systems of six diverse business units and four sales channels without replacing the dozens of legacy systems used by each group.