November 14th, 2012
Cloud IT Strategy
by Tom Loveland
How Salesforce.com Blazed a New Trail
Technology enables change, and change drives success. We measure success in terms of change: increases, decreases, percentages, growth and trends.
But how do we define change? Transformation? Innovation? Conversion? Shift? Transition?
Powerful data mining systems transform boring data into hidden treasures. Innovative data manipulation programs convert stagnant business relationships into rich prospect lists. And new computing platforms have shifted the technology paradigm from one of monolithic information systems living in giant metal boxes to well-connected business processes that float around in the cloud.
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November 9th, 2012
Case Study Data
by Marjie Cota
Data Breakthroughs That Changed the Game
Data is a game changer. 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every day – and the data comes in all shapes and sizes. Long gone is the notion that data is just for reporting, or collecting. Mix some innovative understanding of data with some good old-fashioned diligence, and voila – you’ve got a game changer.
Data Access
In 1989, physicist Tim Berners-Lee had an idea to create a single information network that would enable his co-workers to share all the computer-stored data at his laboratory. He was frustrated that access to existing data was so difficult, as it was stored only on particular machines that required additional programming knowledge just to login. Berners-Lee envisioned a collaborative environment where people working together could design something in a common, shared space.
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November 6th, 2012
IT Strategy
by Rick Mosca
Without One, You Could Be Fighting a Losing Battle
Would a general go into battle without a defined plan? Never. Neither would he consider each operation individually. Rather, he would pursue tactics that link all of the battles together to meet a strategically defined goal of winning the war. It would be a plan against which he could measure success and clearly define return on manpower and capital investments.
Similarly, a CEO would not make an isolated decision to resolve a technology problem without looking at the organization as a whole. Much like an enemy attack, however, IT problems can strike without overt warning, crippling operations or revealing an exposed flank and forcing a quick response. What should we do when security systems are breached?
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October 30th, 2012
Cloud Legacy
by Dmitry Cherches
Cloud-Connected Technologies Offer Faster Backup and Reliable Recovery
Of great concern to most organizations is data protection and security. Yet, according to an Aberdeen Group Benchmark Report, more than 44 percent of companies with 100 to 1,000 employees do not have a disaster recovery strategy in place. Even companies that have a formal plan may not have the degree of readiness that assures business continuity in the face of lost or damaged data.
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