Computerworld indepth News

Unified communications still fragmented

(Bob Violino) — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The technology may get a big push from mobile adoption, but integration among multiple UC components is still a tough slog.

Public-sector cloud computing: The good, the bad and the ugly

(Howard Baldwin) — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

From California and Utah to Ohio, Massachusetts and Maine, state and local governments are using the cloud to update antiquated systems, but the hurdles are high.

Today, printers. Tomorrow, 'integrated peripherals'?

(Lamont Wood) — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Printers are evolving from passive devices as vendors cram more features into them and buyers find ways to better integrate them into the overall environment.

Open-source cloud frameworks: A work in progress

(Robert L. Scheier) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Here's a look at the growing list of open-source platform-as-a-service providers and how IT managers can decide where the technology fits best in their organizations.

Open source enables high-volume searches

(Stacy Collett) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

With the explosion of unstructured data, companies are looking for more options for enterprise search. Here's a look at the benefits and limitations of open-source search-enabled applications.

Prioritizing tech projects: How managers make a short list of long demands

bstack@stackpolepartners.com (Beth Stackpole) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

IT is under pressure to get more agile in its delivery methods and pursue flexible prioritization strategies to work with, not against, the burgeoning needs of the business.

Get virtualization out of its silos

(Howard Baldwin) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

To take full advantage of virtualization's high-level benefits, companies must view the technology's capabilities across the entire IT organization. Here's some expert advice on creating a virtualization strategy that looks at the big picture. Insider (registration required)

The upside of shadow IT

julia_king@computerworld.com (Julia King) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

As employees bypass IT and regularly subscribe to collaboration, analytic and other cloud services with the press of a button, some of the savviest CIOs are embracing and even encouraging shadow IT. Here's why.

The new help desk: Agile, educational, efficient

johnmbrandon@gmail.com (John Brandon) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Whether it's a 'teaching moment' or a system that provides more efficient ticket tracking, the help desk is getting a much-needed assist in some shops.

The Grill: SuperValu's Wayne Shurts on 'intensely business-focused IT'

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Wayne Shurts, executive vice president and CIO at SuperValu, talks about how he's working to help the IT department at the grocery retailer better support the company's overall business. Insider (registration required)

E-discovery in the cloud? Not so easy

tharbert@comcast.net (Tam Harbert) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Companies often assume data in the cloud is inherently discoverable, but is it? Know what questions to ask your cloud vendor so you can get your data back when required.

Time to de-Flash your site?

(David Weldon) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Flash is a problem for iDevices, which makes mobile access to a website problematic. Here's what smart shops are doing about it.

Should the CIO know how to code?

(Howard Baldwin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

With IT integral to the business, an increasing number of companies are hiring CIOs who didn't rise through the ranks. Is that a good thing? Insider (registration required)

Lessons for IT, Apple in Flashback brouhaha

(Ryan Faas) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:54:00 GMT

Although the number of Flashback-infected Macs is on the decline, the reverberations from the outbreak will affect Apple and the businesses that have increasingly adopted Macs. Columnist Ryan Faas explains.

The Grill: Melissa P. Dodd

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Melissa P. Dodd, CIO of the Boston Public Schools, shares her ideas on running a large school system's IT department. Insider (registration required)

As IT picks up the pace, can tech workers keep up?

marybrandel@verizon.net (Mary Brandel) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A long-awaited resurgence in the IT industry holds both promise and peril for the tech workforce.

Tech workers stress over skills gap

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

IT is hiring again, but after years of stalled projects and training cuts, tech workers worry their skills aren't worthy.

Techies work harder as benefits go bust

(Stacy Collett) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Rising healthcare costs and shrinking benefits and bonuses leave many IT workers feeling like they're stuck in a rut even though they've received modest raises.

Why tech vendors fund patent 'trolls'

(Gina Smith) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Some of the largest names in the tech industry are funding patent 'trolls,' for protection from lawsuits and for access to the patent pool.

Data analytics driving medical breakthroughs

(Esther Shein) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Big data and other technologies are poised to start saving lives and enhancing quality of life for sick patients.

5 annoying help desk calls -- and how to banish them

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A few simple changes can eliminate many of the irritating calls that drive users and call-center staffers alike up the wall.

Life after IT: When CIOs leave at the top of their game

trwhouse@comcast.net (Todd R. Weiss) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:00:00 GMT

You work, you strive, you reach the top of your profession -- and then you leave? Sure, say these ex-CIOs. Read their take on life after IT. Insider (registration required)

The future of the PC

(Kevin Fogarty) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Columnist Kevin Fogarty says when users can buy sophisticated data services to support not only gadgets, but applications, too, that changes the role and goals of IT.

How to wrangle your virtual machines

(Robert L. Scheier) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

While vendors continue to work toward a single console, or "single pane of glass" tools, customers must choose from products that manage only parts of their environments or focus on specific problems such as the sprawl of unused virtual machines, security or backup.

Big fish, little pond: Some IT execs go small, and love it

(Beth Tackpole) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Sure, there are budget constraints and far fewer resources. But being an IT leader in a small shop has numerous benefits, not the least of which are agility and a greater ability to influence the business.

Disaster recovery on double duty

(Robert L. Scheier) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

More and more IT shops are using technologies such as virtualization and replication to make disaster recovery just another service, sometimes using the same servers, network and storage that run order entry, email, application development or other services.

Who holds the encryption keys?

(Stacy Collett) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Experts and IT leaders offer strategies for getting the most from the latest encryption and digital rights management technologies.

The Grill: David D. Clark

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Meet David D. Clark, who has been involved in the development of the Internet since the 1970s. He talks here about the Internet, its potential and problems, and its future. Insider (registration required)

Governance at the speed of change

(Raju Pusapati) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:06:00 GMT

The right approach to governance -- using real-time metrics -- can enable more reliable applications, more agile IT, more satisfied business owners and, ultimately, happier customers. Insider (registration required)

Outlook 2010 cheat sheet

preston@gralla.com (Preston Gralla) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Whether you're upgrading from Outlook 2007 or an earlier version, we've got the goods on how to find your way around Microsoft Outlook 2010 and make the most of its new features. Insider (registration required)

Power your mobile strategy with a cloud

(Bill Claybrook) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Using a private cloud to handle back-end infrastructure tasks for your mobile workforce is the way to go. To get there, be prepared to make an investment of time and resources.

Cobol brain drain: Survey results

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Computerworld's survey shows that the move away from Cobol is happening very slowly -- if at all.

Brain drain: Where Cobol systems go from here

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

As baby boomers retire, the business processes they used to create their Cobol programs may walk out the door with them. Here's what IT organizations are doing about it.

Standardizing the desktop with virtualization

(John Brandon) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

More companies are using desktop virtualization tools to create a 'gold standard' -- one desktop version that gets pushed out to all end users.

Mohawk Fine Papers builds integration in the cloud

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Mohawk Fine Papers says it has saved millions by leveraging a cloud service broker's service-oriented architecture and using it as a central integration point for all of its B2B transactions.

The Grill: Mojgan Lefebvre

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Mojgan Lefebvre, senior vice president and CIO at Liberty Mutual Commercial Markets, shares her insights into what it takes to manage a successful IT shop as well as one's own career. Insider (registration required)

Is your outsourcer agile enough?

(Minda Zetlin) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Companies that want to create user-friendly, transparent, quickly evolving enterprise apps are often hindered in their ability to do so by their outsourcers. Here's how to figure out when outsourcing agile development is the right move.

Giving legacy systems a tuneup

(Sandra Gittlen) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Given economic realities these days, not every company can justify getting rid of systems that are still working, however shakily. Here are some ways to make legacy hardware more responsive to today's business needs. Insider (registration required)

E-discovery in the cloud? Not so easy

(Tam Harbert) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Companies often assume data in the cloud is inherently discoverable, but is it? Know what questions to ask your cloud vendor so you can get your data back when required.

HTML5 client-side storage tutorial: Beyond cookies

(Chuck Hudson and Tom Leadbetter) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT

This excerpt from the HTML5 Developer's Cookbook takes you step by step through using HTML5's new browser-based storage.

Life with a large cloud: Lessons learned

(Bob Violino) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:00:00 GMT

IT leaders who already manage large clouds have advice for those just getting started. Here's one of the most important tips: Don't forget the training and personnel issues.

Premier 100 IT Leaders: Earning the rewards of risk-taking

julia_king@computerworld.com (Julia King) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Many of this year's Premier 100 IT Leaders are making their mark by successfully executing on bold, high-risk decisions that are yielding big business benefits, thanks to their rigorous attention to detail, expert management and unparalleled leadership skills.

Michael Hugos: An agile IT architecture in three easy steps

(Michael Hugos) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Columnist Michael Hugos describes how to build an agile IT architecture in three easy steps, from integrating internal and external systems to developing customer-facing applications. Insider, registration required.

Prioritizing tech projects: How managers make a short list of long demands

(Beth Stackpole) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:34:00 GMT

IT is under pressure to get more agile in its delivery methods and pursue flexible prioritization strategies to work with, not against, the burgeoning needs of business.

What's the big deal about Hadoop?

(Todd R. Weiss) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Hadoop is all the rage, but it requires expertise that's beyond the ken of many IT shops, customers say.

The Grill: Catherine P. Bessant

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

The Bank of America tech leader's mandate is to streamline and modernize back-office operations. Insider (registration required)

'Big data' prep: 5 things IT should do now

(Beth Stackpole) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Ready or not, big data is coming. Here are 5 things IT managers can do today to prepare for the data deluge of tomorrow.

6 key skills new IT grads are lacking

markmary1@verizon.net (Mary K. Pratt) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

They're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but recent tech grads aren't quite ready for the work world, IT managers say. Here are six skills they lack.

Best practices for scaling up SaaS

rmitchell@computerworld.com (Robert L. Mitchell) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Companies talk about the challenges they face in scaling up with SaaS and other cloud services, why the technology still isn't the best fit for some applications or business requirements, and why they decided to sign on -- or walk away.

Hands on: HP's Enterprise Database Consolidation Appliance

(Jonathan Hassell) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMT

This new appliance from Microsoft and HP can bring in all database instances from around the network and host them in a fault-tolerant device with lots of features -- and a hefty pricetag. Insider (registration required)