Data Loss Prevention: Where Do We Go From Here?
Data loss prvention is fast becoming one of the most overused yet misunderstood acronyms in an industry known for its cryptic abbreviations. The popular label for data loss prevention is appearing on a puzzling variety of security products, adding to the confusion and hype. Meanwhile, the debate continues over where DLP should be deployed: on the network or the endpoint? What about stored data? And does it matter whether DLP is deployed as a standalone solution or as a feature in a broader product portfolio? To address those questions, organizations must first understand what DLP is, why it is important, and how it works.
Best Practices for Deploying WAN Optimization with Data Replication: Keys for Successful Data Protection across the WAN
All too often, the Wide Area Network (WAN) link is the weak link in data protection. As data volumes
grow, and as the distance between data centers increases to protect business data from catastrophic disasters, there is
increasing pressure being placed on the WAN. This has heightened the demand for optimization tools that can improve
data replication times across the WAN while maximizing bandwidth efficiency during these processes. By understanding
these requirements and establishing guidelines for addressing them, WAN optimization can be deployed with maximum
effectiveness. As such, WAN optimization can live up to its potential as a key enabler for strategic disaster recovery
initiatives.
Nearshoring: A Smart Alternative to Offshore
If offshoring's days are numbered, it should come as no surprise that household names have set up shop south of the border, nearer than any would have imagined when offshoring began in the 1980s. Look for those numbers to grow exponentially as more companies learn of the nearshoring option.
Millenial Workforce: IT Risk or Benefit?
They are here ... the Millennials that is. And according to a new Symantec study,
"Millennial Workforce: IT Risk or Benefit," this should be a real wake-up call to CIOs. Trying to implement IT risk
management policies with a millennial workforce--one that has been labeled as risk takers--is very problematic. The
study was conducted with 200 respondents each from the millennial workforce (born after 1980), the older workforce
(born before 1980), and IT executives and professionals, to better understand this problem and the potential IT risk
issues surrounding the emergence of this new tech savvy workforce. Clearly, the study reveals there is potential for
huge risk exposure: data loss, compliance issues, legal implications, and other problems.
The People IT Needs Don't Want to Work in IT
Both Enterprise IT and outsourcers can still attract hard-core computer nerds because working with computers and technology is all the fun they need - at least for a few years. I have nothing against computer nerds, but having too many computer nerds in IT is one of the main reasons why many enterprises think IT is not doing a good job of supporting their business and competitive initiatives. If enterprise IT wants to attract and hold onto more non-nerds, it is going to have to make some fundamental changes in its work environment. Here are four action items on making enterprise IT a more attractive career option.
Mobile Devices and Centralized Computing Redefine the Desktop
If access to corporate data via a mobile device hinges upon a PC-like model for security and management, we might
just be out of luck. Thankfully, an emerging computing architecture that is beginning to
make waves in the enterprise space offers an alternative. Not only does this new paradigm offer a way to effectively
leverage mobile devices, making them a useful part of the IT infrastructure, it also mitigates many of the cost and
management burdens identified earlier. This seismic shift that is altering the enterprise computing landscape is known
as "centralized computing" or "virtual desktop infrastructure."
Why Flexibility Is Key to a Successful Data Migration
Data migration has rapidly risen from distant acquaintance to the CIO's very best friend. This article explains why data migration is the new hot topic of 2008 and examines what can be done to ensure migrations are delivered on time, to budget and aligned to business need."
Respect the Iron Triangle
Organizations need to perform and deliver projects under certain constraints, which traditionally
include scope, time and cost. Another way to refer to these three constraints is the "iron triangle," with each side
representing a constraint. A passing familiarity with geometry tells us that one side of the triangle cannot be
changed without impact on the others.
Four Steps to Ensure Adoption of Project Management Software
Not surprisingly, the way businesses manage projects is changing rapidly and in some cases dramatically. Often,
however, project managers and team members lack appropriate tools allowing them to adapt to this new reality. Just as
it has transformed the way we shop, the way we travel and the way we stay connected, the Web has reshaped the ways we
collaborate and make decisions. Businesses can help ensure adoption of PM software by considering four steps that will promote buy-in from staff and
higher productivity by instilling more efficiency throughout the organization.
The Wiki Way to Better IT Managed Services
Rather than settling for a hard set of capabilities based on the knowledge and abilities of the supplier’s internal
development team, taking a Wiki-like approach means using a much larger set of brains to create an application or service
that is more flexible than in the past. This flexibility gives it the ability to satisfy a much larger set of demands, and
to do it without waiting for the next major revision. Adopting a Wiki-style mentality could help suppliers get used to
taking and incorporating customer input. This will not only satisfy the needs of a particular customer, but should also
benefit an entire customer base. In other words, the ideas and improvements that Company A wants to implement are seen
and improved upon by other customers. Together the customer base helps drive the way service is delivered. The goal is a
business model that becomes the reality that customers can all agree on.
When Do I Turn on Project Management?
Introducing program management before an IT implementation can be a time-consuming activity. But wouldn't your organization
prefer to have this information at hand before the technology is unwrapped and the meter starts running on the hours of
effort your employees, vendors, and subcontractors put into costly rework? In either case, there is no free ride. But, as this article explains, the
upfront ride involving careful planning is ultimately cheaper, smoother and less painful than jolting ride involving
brutal back-end rework and cost and schedule overruns.
Naked Truth about Enterprise IT Value
There is no magic formula for proving IT value because enterprise IT has only limited ability to actually create value. Enterprise IT is a service provider and its services produce little or no real value for the enterprise. Value is created by enterprise IT's customers using IT resources and capabilities to improve the overall performance and profitability of the enterprise. Based on his own experience and research, Bruce Skaistis is convinced a customer-driven approach is the best way to get maximum value from enterprise IT resources and expenditures. Instead of chasing after magic formulas for proving IT value, CIOs and IT leaders need to work with their customers to ensure IT produces maximum value for the enterprise. He advocates creating a customer-driven, value-based enterprise IT governance framework. Here are three key components of the framework.
Project Portfolio Management Megatrends
As we look forward to what's next for Project Portfolio Management (PPM), there are several trends that will play out over the next few years. The fundamental tenets of PPM such as visibility and centralization of data will continue to drive value, but new trends are emerging now as PPM transitions from powerful concept to real-world practice. The basics are in place. Analysts and thought leaders have chronicled how PPM applications have fundamentally altered the project landscape. By integrating project information in one place, PPM changes how organizations approve, plan and deliver projects. From a bottom line perspective, PPM enables organizations to improve their return on project investments.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Mainframe
It appears the mainframe is far from dead. In fact, in an independent survey of 135 mainframe customers conducted by independent software vendor William Data Systems, nearly half (49 percent) of "Big Iron" (the insiders' nickname for mainframes) customers expect to grow mainframe processes during the next year. This wasn't a one-industry survey either. The customers came from a range of different verticals, including government, financial services, and manufacturing. What is going on here?"
Why Google’s 'Android' Is More about Advertising and Less about Business
According to new report, Google’s recently announced "Android" is "just another mobile Linux,"
rather than any real technical innovation; i.e., no more than a convenient way for Google to pursue its real
goal, which is to create an advertising delivery system it can control rather than innovating in telecommunications.
Developments and Directions for Trustworthy Semantic Webs
The semantic Web consists of a collection of technologies that enable machine understandable Web pages. The idea is for agents acting on behalf of users to collaborate with one another, invoke Web services, understand Web pages and carry out activities such as making airline reservations, planning for a surgery or designing a vehicle. In order to ensure the security of operation, the semantic Web needs to enforce policies for confidentiality, privacy, trust, and integrity among others. In order to carry out negotiation, various inferencing systems have been developed. While numerous developments have been reported on semantic Web technologies, it is only recently that security is getting some attention. Therefore, one of the major directions for the semantic Web is to ensure the security of operation. Here we discuss some of these security issues.
The Global Struggle to Adopt Green Data Centers
Symantec today announced the findings of its Green Data Center report, a follow-up to its recently
announced State of the Data Center study. The report provides details on data center managers attitudes, approaches, and motivations for ‘greening’ the data center.
IT Project Management Improves (Slightly)
The percentage of successful IT projects has increased over the last decade; but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Ask a CEO or CFO if he thinks one successful project out of every three IT projects is good enough. The secret to success with IT projects is learning how to ...
Introduction to SOA Technology
Firms are aggressively beginning to design, develop, and implement advanced and complex Web service systems. This book
guides readers through the business strategies, methodologies, and technologies used to successfully plan and deploy Web
services. Interdepartmental case studies illustrate business dimensions, technological dimensions, and methodological
principles as well as key critical factors for successful implementation of service-oriented projects. Based on the
authors' practical experience, Service-Oriented Architecture: (SOA) Strategy, Methodology, and Technology
describes the best practices and provides insightful tips for using this
competitive-edge technology to improve business operations. Here's Chapter 7, Introduction to SOA Technology.