CIO Magazine‘s recent tech poll revealed something that may not be surprising to corporate network managers: Spending on networks has eclipsed computer hardware as the top IT budget category. What is surprising is that this isn’t due to an increase in the local area networks (LANs) that now run in
When companies start to think about streamlining operations, the IT department is often among the first to be flagged. To survive, IT leaders must demonstrate that their department serves a strategic role in the organization’s future. For many IT groups, that’s a big change. Redesigning IT’s role starts with reorganizing
Last February, Playboy Enterprises in Chicago, Ill. made an unpublicized move that didn’t make a news ripple. It re-launched PLAYBOY store, and also opened a new store aimed at female consumers, the BUNNY shop. This was the result of a long and difficult decision-making process for Playboy. “They had to
When comparing wired networks to wireless ones, it’s six of one, half dozen of another. Wired network speeds have increased to the gigabit range, providing more rapid, reliable and secure access to stored data. On the other hand, wireless networks offer flexibility, mobility and faster return on investment (ROI). What’s
You know the drill: You call tech support about a computer problem, you’re immediately put on hold, and then you wait for anywhere between five minutes and forever before talking to a real person. You’re asked to describe the problem, then you’re put on hold again while the support person
Talk about disruptive technologies. Despite being widely available for only a few years, Web 2.0 tools, such as WYSIWYG blogging platforms, wikis, social networks, RSS and social bookmarking sites have had a tremendous impact on the way millions of people think about and use the Internet. The term “Web 2.0”
Advocates of software configuration management tools and techniques tend to resort to metaphor when describing why, once adopted, IT organizations can’t live without them. By far the most frequent comparison is to the assembly line popularized by Henry Ford (but not invented by him, as it is widely believed). Before
Wouldn’t it be a great idea if an enterprise’s IT resources could be linked and reused, enabling businesses to respond more quickly and cost-effectively to changing market conditions? That’s the theory behind service-oriented architecture (SOA) and, in theory, systems developed according to SOA principles promise new levels of flexibility. In
As a hosted electronic data exchange company, SPS Commerce in Minneapolis, Minn., is in the business of connecting the software it creates to applications its customers use every day. When the company recently outgrew some of its own systems, it was in a unique position of living its own customers’
Redundancy is routine in the constant scramble to keep a conventional enterprise network functioning. But the wireless infrastructure is often ignored, leaving enterprises vulnerable to malicious attacks and network failure. No longer a hot-spot sideshow, wireless is on track to become the primary enterprise network sooner than you might think.
