CIO.com - Strategy

Massive Layoffs at HP Make for IT Outsourcing Identity Crisis

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Major cutbacks at HP, at a time when its competitors are growing, raise questions about the company's IT services strategy for the future. Will it be a low-margin service provider or strategic business partner?

Beyond Templates: Building a Better Business Website

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Are you looking for a more robust and actionable business website? Here experts offer advice to help you move beyond a basic template-based business website.

How to Advance Lean Software Development (Beyond the 'Toyota Way')

Mon, 21 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The concept of lean software traces its origins to lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System. Building software is much different than building a car, but lessons about reducing waste and achieving continuous improvement apply nonetheless.

Can a New Analyst Firm Take Down Gartner?

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

For more than 30 years, Gartner has dominated the IT analyst market. CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle sees Ombud, a new analyst firm focusing on social CRM and pulling member profiles from LinkedIn, as a viable challenge to a firm founded before there were even PCs.

Google Drive Begs the Question: Who Owns Your Data in the Cloud?

Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Google Drive raises several concerns about cloud storage. Many of these consumer-level questions -- who owns your data, how data can be used and what happens if the data is lost or stolen -- are ones enterprise IT executives should be asking, too.

CIO's Digital Spotlight on BYOD

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Learn how to take control of and benefit from the bring-your-own-devices (BYOD) phenomenon--without losing corporate data. This free, downloadable special edition describes what your BYOD policy should cover and outlines the risks you need to manage.

Best Practices for Selecting Storage Services for Big Data

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Big data is fueling the need for ever-growing storage repositories. If you're looking to meet scalability concerns without breaking the bank, selecting a storage platform that can meet the needs of big data can be a challenge--but it doesn't have to be an overwhelming one.

Cisco Tries to Head Off Software-Defined Networks

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Cisco's network programmability strategy is a multifaceted initiative intended to keep the business at the forefront of networking technology, even as it threatens the company's dominance.

How to Use Hadoop to Overcome Storage Limitations

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Big data is all about storing and accessing large amounts of structured and unstructured data. However, where to put that data and how to access it have become the biggest challenges for enterprises looking to leverage the information. If you haven't yet considererd the open source Hadoop platform, now's the time.

Houston, We Have an IT Governance Problem

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Anticipating potential pitfalls, detecting warning signs and acting at the first signs of trouble are the keys to a well-functioning governance framework. KPMG's Harvey Okin offers advice on how to identify governance issues before they become real problems.

Big Data in the Real World Isn't So Easy

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The pundits make it sound so simple. But CIOs wrestling with overwhelming amounts of unwieldy data know that 'big data' is a big challenge that requires high-quality data, new approaches to data management and more processing power. But the payoff could be a strong competitive advantage.

4 New IT Outsourcing Pricing Models Gain Popularity

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Enterprises that have gone the outsourcing route now expect more value from their IT service providers and IT service vendors want potentially higher-margin work. The combination has resulted in several new pricing models. CIO.com looks at four emerging options.

Chevron's CIO Talks Transformation and Why IT Leaders Should Smile

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

In the latest installment of the CIO Interview Series, Louie Ehrlich, CIO and president of Chevron Information Technology Company, talks about the most important things he's learned leading a giant, global IT team through massive change. His answers may sound simple, but they're hard-won lessons for Ehrlich, the top tech executive for the nearly $250 billion energy company, whose transformation effort has yielded the better part of a billion dollars in payback for Chevron.

IBM and HP Take Different Tacks to the New Cloud

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Tech giants IBM and HP recently made major cloud announcements, but the differences between the two are striking. CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle explains how HP's move was tactical and meshes with the recent leadership change, while IBM is playing the long game with artificially intelligent systems.

How to Avoid the Perils of Virtualization and Cloud Stall

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Virtualization and cloud computing offer the promise of cost savings, efficiency and flexibility, but organizations must plan their transitions carefully or risk finding themselves stuck with a bundle of sunk costs and no path forward.