News

Google Chrome: A Hit with Online Software Vendors

With its ability to load pages quickly and its resistance to crashing, online software vendors such as Zoho and Socialtext see Google's new Chrome web browser as a good opportunity for delivering business software.

Embotics Free Virtualization Tool Fights VM Sprawl

Virtualization management tool vendor Embotics offers V-Scout, a free program that helps you track virtual machines from cradle to grave and automate management tasks.

Google Video Makes (Another) Google Pitch for Business Users

Building on YouTube, Google adds video to its Google Apps online software suite. Analysts say the capability will give Google another selling point in its efforts to compete in the productivity software market with Microsoft.

CIOs Trim Spending, Desktops Make a Comeback and More

This issue of Trendlines from the 9/1/08 issue of CIO magazine covers IT budgets, the return of the desktop, SaaS and the fight against cancer, why developers think the CIO is clueless and recent changes in the C suites around the country

Is It Time For Employee-Provisioned Hardware Programs?

Employee provisioning of laptops and PDAs is the next logical step in the consumerization of IT. But figuring out the right parameters can be tricky.

Firing or Laying Off IT Workers Can Cost You Big, So Watch Out!

Employees who are laid off or fired will likely use their knowledge to steal a company's confidential data. And some of those devious IT administrators would take the company's privileged password list to access sensitive information such a

Plus-One Winners Apply IT to Leading-Edge Business Trends

Special awards for 2008 CIO 100 winners recognize impact on customers, finance, operations, security and competitive advantage.

Four Simple Steps to Connecting with Hiring Managers and Getting a New Job

Focusing your job search on the employers that need your skills the most will improve your chances of connecting with key hiring-decision makers and landing a new job.

Negotiating for the Best Job Offer: Survey Says DO IT!

IT professionals who negotiate for a better salary and benefits package during their job search almost always get a better deal, according to CIO.com research.

Check Point Marries Virtual, Physical Security for VMware Servers

New Check Point app secures VMware virtual servers and applications by making them act as if they were on separate physical servers; unifies security tasks for physical and virtual resources.

These Boots Were Made for Tracking: Nine West Tries On RFID Strategy

Footwear giant Nine West joins a long list of retailers in search of the RFID Holy Grail: item-level RFID tracking. Will the move be a good fit? Even the mighty Wal-Mart has struggled to cash in on this technology.

Why Mentoring Creates Competitive Advantage

Mentoring your team creates an IT department that is better able to compete for talent and business advantage, says the CIO of Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development.

SOA Aids Vets Transition to Civilian Life; The Shortcomings of Corporate Blogs; Tough Times for PC Makers and More

This issue of Trendlines from the 8/15/08 issue of CIO magazine covers the latest technology news including the IT behind the upcoming Republican and Democrat National Conventions and new reports on how corporate blogs engage customers and how the ec

VMware Bug Shuts Down ESX 3.5 Users

License-tracking error keeps new VMs from launching and running VMs from migrating to new hosts. VMware promises a fix in 36 hours; workaround is to lie to your server about the date.

It’s SOA Easy, Say Government Agencies

The need for application and data integration between government departments has made the public sector the leaders in Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) adoption, according to IT market analyst firm Springboard Research.

Virtualization Power Savings: Virtual Iron Debuts New Twist

LivePower feature designed to save electricity by consolidating VMs onto a few servers and automatically powering down the rest.

To Telecommute or Not to Telecommute?

A new survey reveals that white collar workers have mixed feelings about the option to work from home. It's not the isolation they fear; it's a lack of professional advancement.

Virtualization How-To: Five Steps to Safer Virtual Servers

Virtualization security guru Chris Whitener of Hewlett-Packard shares his field-tested advice on how to secure virtual servers. Consider these five tips as you evaluate your enterprise's virtualization security. n

Microsoft SharePoint Add-On Tracks Usage, Value

A reporting tool from Nintex, a Microsoft partner, could help CIOs and other information technology leaders learn how their SharePoint sites are being utilized and by whom, so companies can build a more devoted user base.n

Google Gadgets an Open Door for Attack

Researchers outline a threat posed by Google Gadgets that can compromise user privacy and other risks, say experts at Black Hat conference.

VMware Remains Only Holdout on Multi-vendor Virtual Server Management

The market for heterogeneous virtualization management is heating up, experts say. How's VMware going to play it?

Apple Lawsuit Could Decide Whether Network Engineers Are Eligible for Overtime Pay

This high-profile and potentially precedent-setting case is likely to be settled out of court, says a legal expert.

TJX Data Breach: Ignore Cost Lessons and Weep

While monetary costs from a massive data breach are bad enough, the damage to reputation and the resulting loss of business can be considerable. The recent indictment of the TJX hackers underscores how your company may be at risk, explain security e

CIO’s 50 Most Popular Articles

From 9 Reasons Why Application Developers Think Their CIO Is Clueless to Six Free BlackBerry Downloads You Don't Want to Miss to 5 Things You'll Love about Firefox 3, take a look at the most popular articles from May through July.

Ubuntu Goes Enterprise

Canonical announced plans to offer a software stack that includes several enterprise-ready open-source applications.

Google Adds More Features to Enterprise Search Appliance

Analysts say the new features for Google's search appliance, which include improved security and access controls, will make the enterprise search tool more palatable for businesses.

Best Reuse Plays in SOA

Many companies, especially those outside the US, find that the reuse of services is their greatest organizational investment in SOA.

The “High-Tech Olympics,” Security Holes, IT Job Dissatisfaction and More

This issue of Trendlines from the 8/01/08 issue of CIO magazine covers the latest technology news including why Endpoint security holes are problem, charitable opportunities for IT workers, advancement in PC data theft and the push for Broadband acro

Enterprise Web 2.0 Adoption Still Growing, McKinsey Report Says

The adoption of enterprise Web 2.0 technologies, often referred to as Enterprise 2.0, has grown since last year, an annual McKinsey report says. But barriers remain, including justifying a return on investment to executives who allocate the money for

The Next Three Big Open-Source Challenges: Cloud Computing, Open Web and Mobile

Tim O'Reilly's OSCON kenynote encouraged the open-source community to pay attention to three main challenges: Cloud computing, the open programmable Web and open mobile. Another speaker exhorted attendees to get involved in another larger e

BlackBerry Media Sync Brings iTunes Music to RIM Smartphones

BlackBerry users can now easily sync music from iTunes libraries with their smartphones' media players thanks to a new, free piece of software from Research In Motion (RIM), aptly named BlackBerry Media Sync.

SOA Vendor Matrix

Umpire Desktop: MLB Turns to IBM for Web 2.0 Technology

Using IBM's Websphere Portal, MLB umpires can now get information on weather, player statistics and history to help them prepare for games.

Virtual-Server Vendors Adding Ability to Manage Competing Products

As the market for virtual-server managment heats up, VM vendors are responding to users' aversion to homogeneity by adding the ability to manage other vendors' virtual environments.

Collaboration Under SOA: The Human Aspects

This book chapter from Executing SOA: A Practical Guide for the Service-Oriented Architect shows how Web 2.0 business concepts apply to businesses, especially those enterprises that adhere to the philosophy of SOA.

How To Make Better Decisions

Making a big decision? First ask: What have we missed? What if we do the opposite? What if we're wrong?

RIM BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 4.1.6 Upgrade Addresses Critical PDF Flaw

Research In Motion (RIM) has released an upgrade to its BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) software that fixes a previously disclosed vulnerability and provides new e-mail and calendaring functionality for administrators and corporate smartphone user

RIM to BlackBerry Administrators: Beware Critical BES Security Flaw (UPDATED)

A vulnerability in the BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) PDF rendering component could enable hackers to hijack associated infrastructure, RIM says.

Tools for Leading Business Change

As developments such as Web 2.0 change business models, enterprise architecture and IT portfolio management provide strategic tools that CIOs can use to innovate and efficiently execute change. Just remember that these tools are not about IT, but abo

IT Embracing, Maybe Even Leading Web 2.0 Movement in Enterprise, Forrester says

A new report shows that IT professionals, once viewed as a hindrance to adopting Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis and social networks within the enterprise, have begun leading the charge.

Telecommuting, Indian Outsourcers, Portable Karaoke and More

This issue of Trendlines from the 7/15/08 issue of CIO magazine covers recent news impacting the IT community including Wi-Fi issue in Philadelphia, IT costs at Dow Chemical and Online fraud tools

Gartner: IT Too Slow to Change and Adapt to New Technologies

Report says IT is hung-up on buying software suites, stifling the introduction of newer Web-based technology. Also, younger workers taking enterprise jobs will become less patient with a slow rate of technological change.

How Schwan Food Cashed In on Server and Desktop Virtualization

This frozen food company has warmed up to hardware, energy and staff savings related to server and desktop virtualization. Here's a look at what they've reaped from virtualizing more than 50 percent of servers and desktops since 2002.

High-Tech Workers Earned Much More in Recent Years, Study Shows

American Electronics Association study found technology workers earned 87 percent more than average U.S. employees. New York City and Silicon Valley are top regions for high-tech jobs.

IT Executives to Vendors: Deliver on Promises, Support Us

CIO's 2008 Vendor Scorecard Survey finds IT leaders want technology vendors to keep their word, both during and after the sale.

Five Ways IT Can Avoid a Privacy Lawsuit

Violating an informal privacy policy is a no-no, a recent court ruling found. CIOs can take some important lessons about text messaging and privacy away from the case of Quon v. Arch Wireless.

How to Tell Your Board of Directors About IT Value

Board members don't want to hear about technology. You need to tell them how you're helping the company make money.

How to Build an IT Team That Helps Your Company Make Money

Generating revenue for his company is the focus for the CIO of pharmaceutical testing company MDS.

Getting Clueful: The Series

"How it works" isn't always the key issue in understanding a technology or a business initiative. Often, you have to listen to the practitioners to avoid doing really, really dumb things.

Forrester: Corporate Blogs Fail to Engage Customers

By writing blogs as if they were press releases, corporate blogs, often written by executives, have failed to capture their intended audiences in any meaningful way, Forrester says.