News

Mobile Printing via NFC: A Novelty With Little Real Value

Samsung's latest personal printers are packed with valuable features, including NFC functionality that lets you tap to print. But the NFC feature is a novelty, according to CIO.com's Al Sacco, and it only works with certain devices.

By Al Sacco

Dec 6, 2013 6 mins

Android Small and Medium Business Wi-Fi

22 Ways Apple’s iPad Video Mixes Fantasy and Reality

Apple marketers are some of the best in the business, especially when showing off the new iPad Air in a promotional video. But don't fall completely for the marketing hype this holiday season. We break down one of their most compelling videos to

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 5, 2013 10 mins

Marketing Small and Medium Business iPad

It’s Time to Leave the Driving to the Droids

The best thing about driverless cars is that robots don't get distracted. CIO.com senior writer Tom Kaneshige explains why we should pry our fingers from the steering wheel and leave the road to self-driven cars.

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 5, 2013 3 mins

Car Tech Consumer Electronics Innovation

DreamForce’s Big Idea: Smartphones as an Enterprise App Platform

At a conference as big and boisterous as Dreamforce, you hear a relentless stream of ideas. Some are good, but most are bad. At Dreamforce 2013, there was only one idea that really mattered: Whether smartphones are the future client for enterprise ap

By David Taber

Dec 5, 2013 5 mins

CRM Systems Cloud Computing Mobile Device Management

CIOs Say Cost, Complexity Impede True Mobile Gains in Enterprise

A new survey of 300 CIOs found that while the majority of IT executives see real value in mobilizing existing enterprise apps or rolling out brand new mobile innovations, they also see the costs and complexity of these initiatives as real challenges.

By Al Sacco

Dec 5, 2013 4 mins

CIO Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business

CIOs to Gain Authority, Better Alignment With Business Leaders

A measure attached to defense funding bill would consolidate government CIO organization structure, grant new budgetary authorities that could align IT more closely with mission objectives.

By Kenneth Corbin

Dec 4, 2013 4 mins

CIO Government Government IT

Why Microsoft SharePoint Faces a Challenging Future

Many enterprises use and like SharePoint. Microsoft likes it, too, because it's one of the company's fastest-growing product lines. But making enterprises support separate cloud and on-premises versions and telling SharePoint app developers

By Jonathan Hassell

Dec 4, 2013 7 mins

Collaboration Software Developer Small and Medium Business

Mobile App Revolution Rivals Industrial Revolution

Based on comments from experts at this week's AppNation event, to say mobile apps are a disruptive technology is an understatement.

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 3, 2013 3 mins

Developer Small and Medium Business iPhone

18 Hot IT Certifications for 2014

For years premium pay for IT certifications has been on the decline, but top pay for IT certifications has increased for two consecutive quarters and is up 1.5 percent; the largest quarterly increase since 2006. Read along as we look at the IT cert

By Rich Hein

Dec 2, 2013 12 mins

CIO Careers IT Skills

8 Simple Ways to Increase Your Office Productivity

If your workspace is disorganized, you could be losing productivity. These eight tips can help you keep it all together and get the most out of each hour of the day.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 27, 2013 6 mins

Careers Personal Software

Cloud Traffic Poised to Quadruple by 2017, Challenge CIOs

A recent report from Cisco Systems suggests that global cloud traffic will reach 5.3 zettabytes in 2017. That's more than four times the traffic seen in 2012. Analysts and vendors say this will have far-reaching implications for enterprise IT.

By JD Sartain

Nov 27, 2013 5 mins

Cloud Management Hybrid Cloud Server Virtualization

12 Best Free iOS 7 Holiday Shopping Apps

Braving the long lines and crowds for holiday shopping on Black Friday (and beyond)? Use these free iOS7 shopping apps to make your life a little bit easier.

By James A. Martin

Nov 26, 2013 8 mins

E-commerce Software iOS iPhone

Small Businesses Put Themselves at Risk by Not Taking Security Seriously

A new study by Ponemon Institute finds many small and mid-sized business don't see cyber attacks as a significant threat to their business.n

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 26, 2013 4 mins

Cybercrime Data Breach Intrusion Detection Software

IT Buyers Starting to Look a Lot Like Consumer Shoppers

A survey of 1,000 business and IT decision makers shows a blurring line between the business-to-business and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales process. That is, technology buyers are starting to resemble mall shoppers.

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 26, 2013 4 mins

Budgeting CIO Careers

Typhoon Unlikely to Have Long-Term Impact on Philippines Outsourcing Industry

Philippines outsourcing hub Cebu, closest to the path of the storm, did not take a direct hit. However, a lack of public statements from industry groups and providers reveals industry immaturity.

By Stephanie Overby

Nov 22, 2013 5 mins

Disaster Recovery Outsourcing

To Beat IBM, Amazon Web Services Needs to Build the Next Xbox

CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle isn't suggesting that Amazon get into gaming. Rather, AWS needs to approach IBM and the enterprise cloud the same way Microsoft successfully took on Sony. Otherwise, Amazon risks entering the annals of tech history

By Rob Enderle

Nov 22, 2013 7 mins

Cloud Management Private Cloud System Management

Evolution of the Smartphone Refresh Cycle, Planned Obsolescence and You

Smartphone makers are releasing more smartphones faster than ever before, and wireless carriers are rolling out new plans to make it affordable to buy new phones more often. CIO.com's Al Sacco examines this trend and asks if it's really a g

By Al Sacco

Nov 21, 2013 8 mins

Computers and Peripherals Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Facebook Open Sources Its Embedded Database Code

Facebook has released RocksDB — an embeddable, persistent key-value store for fast storage — to the open source community. The embedded database is intended to support applications that need low-latency database accesses.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 21, 2013 3 mins

Big Data Facebook Open Source

8 iPad Apps That Are Complex, Powerful and Advanced

Most people don't think of the iPad as a high-end computing device. These eight apps prove otherwise.

By John Brandon

Nov 20, 2013 5 mins

Analytics Mobile Apps iOS

Federal CIOs Look to Platform-as-a-Service for Software Development

A new survey of federal IT executives indicates strong interest in hosted application development to cut cost and improve efficiencies, though PaaS adoption currently remains weak.

By Kenneth Corbin

Nov 20, 2013 4 mins

CIO Developer Government IT

How Safe is Google Glass for Driving?

A California woman's citation for wearing Google Glass behind the wheel raises safety questions about wearing the Internet-connected headset while driving.

By James A. Martin

Nov 20, 2013 10 mins

Car Tech Government Regulation

12 Simple Ways to Boost Your Travel Experience with Smartphones, Tablets

Traveling today without a smartphone or a tablet can be considered cruel and unusual punishment. CIO.com's Al Sacco shares 12 travel tips and tricks for smartphone and tablet users, all of which are sure to ease and enhance the travel experience

By Al Sacco

Nov 19, 2013 8 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones Tablets

Top 10 Cloud Computing Certifications

Looking for a way to benchmark your cloud computing knowledge and skills? Want an extra edge when looking for that cloud computing job? Get cloud computing certified.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 19, 2013 5 mins

Certifications Cloud Computing IT Skills

Tablets, Mobile Malware Heighten BYOD Security Concerns

With the increased popularity of powerful tablets and the rise in mobile malware, it's no surprise that Forrester research released today shows that IT managers feel uneasy about BYOD.

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 19, 2013 3 mins

Mobile Security Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Tech Industry Leaders Dissect Botched Healthcare.gov Launch

Senior technology industry executives from Adobe, VMware and others diagnose the problems in troubled Healthcare.gov, citing the ambitious scope of the project and endemic flaws in broader government contracting apparatus.

By Kenneth Corbin

Nov 19, 2013 4 mins

Government Government IT Healthcare Industry

Big Data Application Framework Gets Update, SQL Interface

Open source big data application platform specialist Concurrent has released a new version of the Cascading application framework and simultaneously released Cascading Lingual 1.0, an ANSI SQL interface for Hadoop.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 19, 2013 3 mins

Big Data Business Intelligence Data Management

9 Step CIO Survival Guide

Will the CIO role fade to black or shine as a catalyst of change? The jury is still out, but this CIO Survival Guide will help you redefine the role at your business.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 18, 2013 6 mins

CIO IT Leadership

IT Learns to COPE With Mobile Devices

More than 60 percent of employees say it is OK to transfer work documents to personal devices or online file-sharing apps. Given that statistic, it's no surprise that companies want to rein in BYOD. However, there may be alternative: A move to

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 18, 2013 7 mins

Data and Information Security Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business

Healthcare Finally Warming to Cloud Technology

Ever the risk-averse industry, healthcare is finally beginning to trust cloud for the storage of protected health information. Experts credit better cloud security, dropping costs and the growing need for disparate organizations to share information.

By Brian Eastwood

Nov 18, 2013 5 mins

Cloud Management Compliance Healthcare Industry

NSA Spying Will Impact Cloud Providers and Customers

With the U.S. Congress unlikely to take action on NSA surveillance programs, U.S. cloud service providers could take a hit.

By Stephanie Overby

Nov 15, 2013 6 mins

Government Legal Outsourcing

IBM Will Beat Amazon Web Services Because Process Beats Product

IBM will eventually beat Amazon Web Services, writes CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle, but not because AWS has an inferior product. In many ways, AWS is better than IBM's cloud offering. But Big Blue's experience with enterprise customers, not

By Rob Enderle

Nov 15, 2013 8 mins

Developer Government IT Web Development

Tech Leaders Warn IT Talent Shortage Could Curb Hiring Plans

Technology companies are looking to hire more employees over the next year, but worry that there will not be enough qualified IT jobs candidates to fill the vacancies.

By Kenneth Corbin

Nov 14, 2013 4 mins

Government H-1B Visas IT Jobs

New Microsoft License Agreement Could Drive Up Costs

Microsoft's new Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE) licensing program, which replaces the ECI and EAP programs, could increase enterprise customers' costs by as much as 40 percent.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 14, 2013 6 mins

Enterprise Architecture Small and Medium Business Windows

What to Expect at Salesforce.com’s Dreamforce

Salesforce.com's annual Dreamforce conference will kick off next week in San Francisco, and with a reported 120,000 people registered to attend in person and virtually, it will be the cloud software vendor's biggest shindig yet. Here's

By Chris Kanaracus

Nov 13, 2013 3 mins

Cloud Computing

7 Technology Job Boards to Find or Fill Positions

Job boards are an important element of a well-rounded job search for workers or employee search for recruiters and hiring managers, but with so many options where should you start? This guide is a good place. We look at job boards that focus squarely

By Rich Hein

Nov 13, 2013 3 mins

Careers IT Jobs IT Leadership

Mobile Tech’s Bright Future Has a Dark Side

Experts at the Open Mobile Summit discuss the future of mobility, some have a rosy view, some a darker perspective. Perhaps mobile innovation can make life easier, but what will it cost you in terms of privacy?

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 13, 2013 4 mins

Data and Information Security Privacy Small and Medium Business

What Contract IT Workers Miss About Being Full-Time

A survey of contract and freelance IT professionals shows healthcare and 401k plans are the most-missed perks of traditional employment, while there are many things they don't miss at all.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 12, 2013 3 mins

Careers IT Leadership Remote Work

Will You Star in the Next Google or Facebook Ad?

Recent updates to Google and Facebook privacy policies give the companies permission to use your photos in commercial content such as ads. Users aren't pleased — but, at the moment at least, they are almost powerless to stop it.

By JD Sartain

Nov 12, 2013 5 mins

Facebook Internet Privacy

Android, Windows Phone Make Major Gains in Q3 2013

Both Android and Windows Phone significantly increased their market share, while iOS and BlackBerry lost share, according to IDC's third quarter 2013 smartphone tracker report.

By Al Sacco

Nov 12, 2013 3 mins

Apple Small and Medium Business iPhone

Why IBM Will Win the War With Amazon Web Services

Amazon dominates the cloud, but IBM, strengthened by its SoftLayer acquisition, has unleashed a marketing campaign that fires on all cylinders. Whether IBM's cloud is, in fact, better may matter less than Amazon's ability to challenge a com

By Rob Enderle

Nov 8, 2013 6 mins

Cloud Management Developer Virtualization

CIO Says BNSF Railway Will Stay on Microsoft’s Track as It Moves to the Cloud

The railroad company is shifting its on-premises Microsoft email and collaboration systems to Office 365.

By Juan Carlos Perez

Nov 7, 2013 3 mins

Microsoft Office Office Suites SaaS

Federal Agencies on Track to Consolidate Data Centers

Congress looks to reduce the footprint of the government's IT infrastructure as agencies shift toward cloud computing, shared services and detailed reporting of government IT spending.

By Kenneth Corbin

Nov 7, 2013 4 mins

CIO Government Government IT

Facebook Releases Query Engine to Open Source Community

Facebook has released Presto — a distributed SQL query engine optimized for running ad-hoc interactive queries on data sources up to petabytes in size — to the open source community under the Apache license. It says Presto is 10x better than Hive.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 6, 2013 5 mins

Big Data Business Intelligence Facebook

BYOD’s Battle Royale Pits IT vs. Employee

IT departments want to control the devices employees bring into the workplace. Employees say, 'my device, my rules.' It's an epic battle that promises to rage on, but who's winning right now? Check out this infographic for a BYOD

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 6, 2013 1 min

Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Many companies have a love-hate relationship social media. They hate that employees may say something inappropriate or confidential, but they love the marketing impact of an army of workers hitting the social networks. We peek into Xerox's socia

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 5, 2013 5 mins

Careers Social Networking Apps

Is Your IT Organization World-Class?

According to new research from The Hackett Group, two critical ingredients are woven into world-class IT shops. The firm also offers four best practices to achieve world-class status.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 5, 2013 4 mins

CIO CTO IT Governance

Rackspace Aims for a More Flexible Public Cloud

Rackspace Hosting says it has rearchitected its public cloud with a workload-oriented framework designed to deliver optimal performance and price based on the workload. It now comes in two flavors and the company says more are on the way.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 5, 2013 4 mins

Cloud Management Hybrid Cloud Private Cloud

Digital Advertising Alliance Argues Online Privacy Is All About Choice

New polling from the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) highlights the importance of guidelines to limit Web companies' online tracking.

By Kenneth Corbin

Nov 5, 2013 5 mins

Internet Marketing Privacy

The 5 Best Things About Google’s Nexus 5

It's hard to stand out in the crowded smartphone market these days, but CIO.com's Al Sacco spotlights five key reasons Google's new Nexus 5 Android phone is in a class by itself.

By Al Sacco

Nov 4, 2013 5 mins

Android Small and Medium Business Smartphones

In Wake of BlackBerry’s Demise, CIOs Look to Samsung, Apple and Microsoft

BlackBerry's fall means CIOs must quickly develop a new mobile strategy. The big three of enterprise mobility are familiar names — Apple, Samsung and Microsoft. Who will win out?

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 4, 2013 5 mins

CIO Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business