Cutter IT Journal

More on the Search for Low-Hanging Fruit: Improving Security and Privacy with Penetration Testing

21 Oct 2009 22:46:13 GMT

Miller, Bryan | E-Mail Advisors | 21 October 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Since my article appeared in the August issue of Cutter IT Journal (see "In Search of Low-Hanging Fruit: Improving Security and Privacy with Penetration Testing," Vol. 22, No. 8), I have talked with several clients and read other articles that have cited additional reasons for not properly auditing the security of networks and applications. In an August 2009 article [1], security researcher and blogger Jeremiah Grossman lists several reasons companies give for not performing adequate application testing. Some of these include the following:

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj091021.html

The Flex Factor: Changing the Process Mindset

14 Oct 2009 22:33:37 GMT

Highsmith, Jim | E-Mail Advisors | 14 October 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

A couple of recent client engagements with very large companies reminded me about the fixation on process in many companies. Having used agile, iterative methods for so many years, I lost track of how pervasive process orientation can be in some organizations. Explaining my high-level process (envision, speculate, explore, adapt, close) to one group, I finally realized that its members were looking for more -- much more -- detail. They were looking for subprocesses that were broken down into sub-subprocesses that were further broken down into steps and then tasks, with specifically defined inputs and outputs for each process, subprocess, step, and task.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj091014.html

Understanding What Makes a Project "Fuzzy"

8 Oct 2009 00:51:24 GMT

Wysocki, Robert K. | E-Mail Advisors | 07 October 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

A "fuzzy" project is one where something feels out of sorts. Maybe the goal statement is a bit aggressive and the project manager (PM) wonders whether or not it can be achieved. Maybe the proposed solution just doesn't seem to do the job. Or maybe the assumption of a cause-and-effect relationship between goal and solution is a bit of a stretch. Some managers would argue that all of their projects are fuzzy projects. For these people, it seems like all of the simple projects -- where both the goal and the solution are clearly defined and documented -- are already done. Those are the projects where managers feel that requirements are complete, and they have the comfort of a complete work breakdown structure (WBS). With those types of projects complete, all that's left are projects that have a goal statement that managers feel cannot be attained as currently framed or a solution that is far from complete -- or both. Effectively managing such projects is the biggest challenge that PMs face. The percentage of such projects among all projects is increasing, and that trend will not reverse itself.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj091007.html

The Purpose of Vision, Purpose, and Goals: A Critical Dimension in Project Management

30 Sep 2009 19:22:06 GMT

Sampath, J.M.; Sampath, Kalpana | E-Mail Advisors | 30 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

While walking, a young man reached a crossroad. Unsure of which road to take, he looked around and saw an elderly gentleman passing by. He approached him and asked, "Sir, where does this road lead to?"

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090930.html

Java vs. .NET, Revisited

24 Sep 2009 01:40:56 GMT

Cohen, Pini | E-Mail Advisors | 23 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Five to seven years ago, Java versus .Net was a hot topic. At that time, many organizations were at this important crossroad. Now, they have all made up their minds. But some are reconsidering their previous decision.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090923.html

The Rise of the Semantic Enterprise

2 Sep 2009 01:27:35 GMT

Ummel, Mitchell | Journals | 01 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

In this issue we explore the Semantic Web and what it signifies for the enterprise. Learn how SWTs can help solve another perennial business problem -- data integration -- by providing dynamic data and a flexible architecture. Hear how these technologies can enable more flexible delivery of mathematical models to users, thereby enhancing business decision making. And find out how enterprises can exploit SWTs to create a people-machine continuum that improves business agility. Tune in to discover what a "meaningful Web" could mean for your organization.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/2009/09/index.html

The Trend Toward BPM and SOA Convergence: What Does It Mean to IT Culture?

17 Sep 2009 01:25:55 GMT

Allen, Paul | E-Mail Advisors | 16 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

We read much these days about business process management (BPM) and service-oriented architecture (SOA) converging. Is that just hype, or does it really make sense? And if it does make sense, just what might that mean for our organization -- not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of that subtler, softer kind of thing we call "culture" -- the unwritten rules of the game?

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090916.html

Jump on in: News from the Agile2009 Conference

9 Sep 2009 19:45:31 GMT

Cohen, Beth | E-Mail Advisors | 09 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal; Agile Project Management

Judging from the wildly enthusiastic international crowd of 1,400 attending the Agile2009 conference in Chicago, Illinois, USA, last week, XP, Scrum, and agile software development methodologies are becoming more mainstream. After years of pilot projects, agile is finally gaining acceptance as a legitimate approach to software development in the business community. While the conference sessions were still heavily weighted toward practical topics such as how to build agile test beds, embedded software development, and the fine points of pair programming, many popular sessions expanded the scope to include business and operational concerns, such as workflow, infrastructure, metrics, and building agile organizations and culture.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090909.html

The Web as the Sea Around Us: Will it Engulf or Buoy Us?

2 Sep 2009 19:36:08 GMT

Andriole, Stephen J. | E-Mail Advisors | 02 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

It cannot be said any clearer: we have significantly underestimated the impact that the Web is having -- and will continue to have -- on our personal and professional lives. Within five years, the Web will become the dominant personal and professional platform for communication, collaboration, entertainment, learning, and all forms of business transaction processing. Within 10 years, the personal/professional merger will be complete with virtually no distinctions between what we do to live and what we do to work. I predict that significant aspects of our personal and professional lives will move to the Web, be managed by Web-based providers, and support an agility and mobility that we're unable to define or appreciate today. This means that everyone will become immersed within, and dependent upon, the Web. Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Well, just about all of us are committed to and dependent on cable TV, our cell phone carriers, and the people who service our cars. In a recent Cutter Business Intelligence Executive Report (see "Living on the Web: Digital Life and Death in the Early 21st Century," Vol. 9, No. 5), I suggest that shifting to the Web has benefits that extend well beyond agility and mobility and is likely to change the way we all think about the range of activities that define who we are, how we live, and how we work. It's all inevitable.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090902.html

Call for Papers: Leveraging IT Governance When the Chips Are Down

10 Aug 2009 15:49:45 GMT

Benson, Robert J.; Bugnitz, Tom | 10 September 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The December Cutter IT Journal invites useful, innovative, and thoughtful debate on IT governance and its relationship to IT effectiveness in dealing with the current turbulent times. Please respond to Bob Benson at bbenson[at]cutter[dot]com with a copy to itjournal[at]cutter[dot]com, no later than 10 September and include an extended abstract and a short article outline showing major discussion points.

http://www.cutter.com/content-and-analysis/journals-and-reports/cutter-it-journal/callforpapers03.html

Cutter IT Journal Call for Papers: Enterprise Architecture: The State of the Practice 2010

28 Aug 2009 15:46:40 GMT

Rosen, Mike | 28 August 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Enterprise Architecture (EA) has become a mainstream activity in large or information intensive organizations. Several years ago, Cutter IT Journal covered the emerging best practices in EA and since then customer surveys have requested that we check back to explore how things are evolving. Have organizations that implemented EA programs realized the benefits they expected?

http://www.cutter.com/content-and-analysis/journals-and-reports/cutter-it-journal/callforpapers02.html

What Happens After the Fall?

26 Aug 2009 15:21:29 GMT

Mazzucchelli, Lou | E-Mail Advisors | 26 August 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

While post-recovery conditions are not likely to immediately return to pre-crash states, some cyclical trends will remain in place and help us forecast the medium term. Other forces outside IT may have the greatest impact on IT's future.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090826.html

Startups Continue to Seed IT Innovation

19 Aug 2009 15:10:57 GMT

Cohen, Beth | E-Mail Advisors | 19 August 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Unless you have been buried under a rock for the past eight years, you have probably noticed that practically all of the revolutionary IT products and hot services that get the big buzz are being developed directly for the consumer sector. Think about all of the great new products -- wireless LAN, instant messaging, Web 2.0, social networking, MP3 players, PDA technology, flash drives, and cloud computing (yes even cloud computing, which is mostly a means for Google and Amazon to recoup some of their excess capacity investments). All are examples of technologies that originated as products designed for the consumer market that have since been adopted by the enterprise. The truth is that there has been little IT innovation created directly for the business market since the dot-com meltdown in 2001 (virtualization does not count, as I view it as a reinvention of some very old ideas).

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090819.html

Assessing the Culture of Your Organization

12 Aug 2009 14:54:00 GMT

Furniss, Bob | E-Mail Advisors | 12 August 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Culture is a feeling in your organization that is hard to categorize but easy to see. Culture is what your employees say about service and the customer when no one else is around -- around the lunch table or over drinks. Culture is an attitude toward quality. Culture is the norms, attitudes, beliefs, and values that employees place on their job, their organization, and their relationship with the customer.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090812.html

To Assess Risk, Be Wary of Personal Viewpoints

5 Aug 2009 14:39:05 GMT

Phillips, Dwayne | E-Mail Advisors | 05 August 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

I recommend beginning a project with a risk assessment to identify potential problems. But such assessments are plagued with potential problems themselves. One is that expertise can act as a lens to magnify only a small part of the project. Fortunately, there are ways to work around these lenses.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090805.html

Strategic Risk: Balancing 5 Steps in the New Equation

29 Jul 2009 16:39:19 GMT

Andriole, Stephen J. | E-Mail Advisors | 29 July 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Strategic risk should be measured differently from tactical risk. Strategic risk should be forward-thinking, active, and opportunity-driven. In fact, the cost of not doing something should be measured creatively and -- as counterintuitive as it may seem -- quantitatively.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090729.html

A COBIT Primer

22 Jul 2009 16:25:34 GMT

Rosen, Michael | E-Mail Advisors | 22 July 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

There are so many different frameworks with which architects work -- TOGAF, Zachmann, FEAF, ITIL -- to name just a few. All have different goals, strengths, weaknesses, audiences, and so on. The one that I find to be the least well known among architects is COBIT. Yet I find that many CIOs and executives are familiar with this framework and that it is important in communicating up to the C-level. COBIT, originally released in 1996, is currently at version 4.1 (you can download the guide from www.isaca.org).

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090722.html

Cloud Computing: IT's Day in the Sun?

1 Jul 2009 15:01:04 GMT

Murugesan, San | Journals | 01 June 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

We hope to thoroughly demystify the phenomenon by exploring this new style of computing at length in a June/July double issue of Cutter IT Journal. In our special double issue, you'll learn what to look for in a cloud service-level agreement -- and what might be missing. You'll hear why, contrary to popular belief, cloud computing's security benefits outweigh its security risks. And you'll discover how advances in cloud computing architectures could ultimately enable enterprises "to outsource their entire IT infrastructure transparently, turning it into a controllable line item expense instead of a major capital investment." If that sounds good to you, join us and get your head into the cloud.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/2009/06/index.html

Out of this World: The Semantic Web 3.0 Mashup Universe

15 Jul 2009 14:17:41 GMT

Ummel, Mitchell | E-Mail Advisors | 15 July 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The Internet is undergoing a rapid transformation from a web of hyperlinked documents to a web of semantically linked data. Recent observations lead me to believe we're seeing the emergence of what may qualify as Web 3.0 (or Semantic Web) applications [1]. These applications are consumers and providers of semantically linked data. The opportunities and impact to our way of thinking about enterprise systems development in a Semantic Web-based world is yet to be explored and is well beyond the scope of this article [2].

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090715.html

Risk Management Takes an Organizational Approach

8 Jul 2009 14:08:47 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 08 July 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

In the run-up to the Iraq War, there was a systems dynamic model published on the High Performance Systems (HPS) Web site (now known as isee Systems).1 The model showed clearly a number of feedback loops that were likely to produce bad rather than good outcomes from the invasion. As it turned out, the model was amazingly prescient, since it predicted: (1) the backlash of the Muslim world, (2) the deterioration of US/European relationships, and (3) increased rather than decreased polarization in the Middle East. The model did not predict the pushback of the Iraqis to the foreign radicals or the surge, but you can't get everything right.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090708.html

Emotional Consciousness and Its Impact on Agility

17 Jun 2009 19:57:07 GMT

Sampath, Kalpana | E-Mail Advisors | 17 June 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

When all resources are well in place, what is it that stalls a project, drawing extra time and energy? Why so managers have to remind teammates so often to keep their emotions in check? Most leadership workshops seek to understand emotional intelligence and to teach a whole set of emotional management skills. Is there truly clarity on what emotions are and how to live with them?

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090617.html

Key to Encouraging Planning Lies in Communication

3 Jun 2009 16:13:53 GMT

Phillips, Dwayne | E-Mail Advisors | 03 June 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Plans are important to me; they are not important to everyone. The same is true of many intellectual products in our workplaces. One challenge for managers is to arrange situations where the right people become interested enough to think and communicate their thoughts.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090603.html

Part of the Process: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

27 May 2009 16:02:22 GMT

Andriole, Stephen J. | E-Mail Advisors | 27 May 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

It's not the technology, stupid; it's the processes. Processes are good, bad, ugly, or indifferent depending on how well -- or poorly -- you provide incentives to promote their efficacy. Let me repeat: it's not the technology. In fact, among the triumvirate of people, process, and technology, technology is the least likely case of failure. Then comes people. But at the top of the list are the processes we anoint as our problem-solving saviors.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090527.html

Outsourcing Strategies to Weather a Recession

1 May 2009 15:55:28 GMT

Cullen, Sara | Journals | 01 May 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Even under normal circumstances, outsourcing presents many challenges for buyers and sellers. In the current economic climate, when the value-for-money proposition of outsourcing becomes skewed toward the money side of the equation, existing outsourcing deals and prospective ones face new and different challenges. Buyers will want to reduce the costs of current contracts and obtain substantial savings in new ones. Sellers can't afford to reduce existing prices given projections of decreased revenue plus the bigger discounts required to win new work. Can both parties achieve their financial goals while maintaining a good long-term relationship?

http://www.cutter.com/itjournal/fulltext/2009/05/index.html

Real Virtuality: Preparing for a Long-Term Paradigm Shift

20 May 2009 15:39:53 GMT

Sivan, Yesha Y. | E-Mail Advisors | 20 May 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

IT managers need to have a split personality: they must be both conservative and innovative. On the one hand, they have to maintain older systems and keep current processes working smoothly. On the other hand, they have to continually examine new IT technologies that can alter the business. Around 1990, a "game-changing" technology, the Internet, emerged. New businesses that embraced the Internet in innovative ways -- such as eBay, Amazon, and Google -- thrived. However, companies that failed to embrace the Internet early -- such as Tower Records, Barnes & Noble, and Rand McNally -- were less fortunate. Tower closed, Barnes & Noble missed the online business that now belongs to Amazon, and Rand McNally failed to capture the online mapping business.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090520.html

As to What Really Matters, How Does BI Stack Up?

6 May 2009 15:59:45 GMT

Di Maio, Paola | E-Mail Advisors | 06 May 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Although a relatively new practice in modern IT management, business intelligence (BI) has turned out to be central to achieving and maintaining competitiveness in enterprise operations. Yet the more the BI culture develops and becomes adopted by contemporary organizations, the more obvious the challenges and limitations of some BI approaches become.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090506.html

Mobile Technologies: Still Capturing Attention Despite Shrinking Budgets

29 Apr 2009 15:48:11 GMT

Piccoli, Gabriele | E-Mail Advisors | 29 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Mobile technology, its applications, and the services that are delivered over the wireless channel continue to evolve. A recent survey by Cutter Consortium spans from consolidated hardware form factors, such as the laptop, to evolving applications, such as Twitter and location-based contextualized messaging services exploiting the capabilities of such devices as the smartphone (for more on this survey, see Cutter Benchmark Review, Vol. 9, No. 3). According to our analysis, the importance of the mobile platform as a tool in the arsenal of modern organizations is undeniable, but there is no clarity as to how firms should incorporate mobile technology in their overall infrastructure.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090429.html

Making Management Manage Metrically

22 Apr 2009 15:36:07 GMT

Gilb, Tom | E-Mail Advisors | 22 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Every time I am asked to look at a suffering project, I see the same very basic failing: all the project objectives are vague.

This applies to projects costing more than US $100 million and ongoing for eight years, as well as smaller projects. In fact, I have concluded that management everywhere has not got a clue as to how to set clear objectives for projects. The problem is management's vague, nice-sounding phrases: though not in deadlines, sales targets, and budgets.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090422.html

The Convergence of Information Security, Privacy, and Compliance

1 Apr 2009 15:09:14 GMT

Herold, Rebecca | Journals | 01 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

There has been much talk recently regarding a convergence of information security and privacy. Not that this is anything particularly new - convergence has been happening ever since privacy became a concern. After all, privacy requires the implementation of robust information security controls and appropriate safeguards. There are at least 46 privacy breach notice laws in the US alone; understanding and complying with their multiple requirements (to say nothing of the growing number of other national and international privacy laws) will require privacy and information security areas to work together for effective enterprise-wide management.

In this issue of Cutter IT Journal, we'll examine the critical - and overlapping - areas of information security, privacy, and compliance. Security expert Ron Woerner will tell you how collaborative risk management can bring the right groups together to find your organization's privacy and security "sweet spot." From attorney Bill Zucker and his colleagues, you'll hear four (often rollicking) stories about the costly information security, privacy, and compliance mistakes their clients have made, "in the hope that from these cautionary tales, you, like us, will develop good judgment from experience - with the understanding that, unfortunately, experience comes from bad judgment"! And security/privacy professional Ilene Klein will show you how to create an effective and thoroughgoing security awareness program, which she calls "the first line of defense against security's weakest link" - your own people. Be sure to join us as Cutter Senior Consultant Rebecca Herold, one of Computerworld's "Best Privacy Advisers" of 2008, leads the search for a safe path through one of IT's most mine-filled areas.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/2009/04/index.html

Coming Out the Other Side: Keeping Your Head Up in Bad Times

15 Apr 2009 14:59:46 GMT

Orr, Ken | E-Mail Advisors | 15 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090415.html

Seeking a Balance: Neither Pure Art Nor Pure Science

8 Apr 2009 13:16:54 GMT

Brosseau, Jim | E-Mail Advisors | 08 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The March 2009 edition of Harvard Business Review has an excellent article titled "When Should a Process be Art, Not Science?" by Joseph M. Hall and M. Eric Johnson. The article contains many great insights, but there is a sense in the article that we need to choose; that the answer be one or the other: art or science. This appears to be true with most things that we try to categorize.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090408.html

The Curse of COTS

1 Apr 2009 13:09:39 GMT

Phillips, Dwayne | E-Mail Advisors | 01 April 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) products are great. Someone else does all the research, development, design, and manufacturing; we just read the spec sheet and buy the products. What could be better? Beware, however, the curse of COTS.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090401.html

New Metrics for Managing Turbulent Times

1 Mar 2009 14:37:16 GMT

Mah, Michael C. | Journals | 01 March 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The current economic downturn has cut a deep gash in the economies of virtually every country and industry, affecting people's lives in ways not seen in over 50 years. There is no doubt that we are now firmly on the scarcity side of the abundance/scarcity continuum, so the question is, where do we go from here? For many, cost cutting is now the order of the day. Others may see opportunity. In the last economic downturn, as their competitors slashed investments, companies such as Intel and IBM famously invested in R&D, thereby generating record profits in technologies like Wi-Fi once the economy recovered. Will organizations try to cost-cut their way out of this crisis, or can they find ways to invest through the downturn? How will IT managers make tough decisions in light of the economic conditions their companies face?

What they need is reliable information with which to navigate these turbulent waters. In this issue of Cutter IT Journal, we explore metrics that can help IT managers make sound decisions in hard times. If your cost-cutting efforts include offshoring, you'll discover financial measures to help ensure your sourcing contracts deliver not only lower costs but project success. Hear how you can demonstrate the value enterprise architecture offers both to initial projects and later initiatives, enabling your organization to "make it through the current problems and be ready to compete when times improve again." If, as Cutter Fellow Tom DeMarco famously said, "you can't control what you can't measure," join us to regain a measure of control.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/2009/03/index.html

Bold CIO -- It Is SOA Time!

25 Mar 2009 14:25:55 GMT

Cohen, Pini | E-Mail Advisors | 25 March 2009 | Enterprise Architecture; Cutter IT Journal

A lot has been said lately about service-oriented architecture (SOA). Still, I would like to take a look at another angle of SOA adoption in the light of the current economic turmoil.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090325.html

Zen and the Art of Agile "Motorcycle Maintenance"

18 Mar 2009 14:08:30 GMT

Sampath, J.M. | E-Mail Advisors | 18 March 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The term "agile" has been used extensively over the years. "Agile leaders," "agile teams," "agile projects": these are some of the common phrases we get to hear often in the context of agile project management (APM). When a new concept takes birth, the core understanding behind it also evolves over a period of time. With time, however, it also presents a danger of getting camouflaged and of being taken for granted. Hence, revisiting the same from time to time can bring a deeper level of understanding and clarity to the existing concept and keep its essence intact. This Advisor is an attempt to explore the possible meaning of the term "agile" using the "5W 1H" process (what, why, when, where, who, and how).

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090318.html

What It Takes To Be an Informed, Competent Enterprise

11 Mar 2009 19:50:35 GMT

Wiig, Karl M. | E-Mail Advisors | 11 March 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Enterprises need to be competent to perform well and succeed. However, it is often less clear what enterprise competence means. In our context of knowledge management (KM), we focus on ways in which knowledge contributes to competence and how KM-related initiatives must be considered to maintain and build it.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090311.html

Get a Clear View of Clouds, and Then Venture into Them

4 Mar 2009 19:39:09 GMT

Murugesan, San | E-Mail Advisors | 04 March 2009 | Cutter IT Journal; Sourcing & Vendor Relationships

Like electrical service, computing has become a utility. You can draw on your required computing resources -- hardware, software, storage, applications, and infrastructure -- when and where you need them and in the amount you need. Known as cloud computing, this new model of computing allows users to access programs, applications, and other computing resources through the Internet, even from a thin client, which may be a desktop PC, or a mobile device such as a smartphone or a laptop. Of course, cloud computing has limitations, presents risks, and raises concerns, and all these need to be addressed satisfactorily. The recent outages of some popular cloud applications and services instruct us to carefully consider the pros and cons of adopting cloud-based applications and services.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090304.html

Modern Risk Management: Record the Pain as It Happens

25 Feb 2009 14:01:10 GMT

Pritchard, Carl | E-Mail Advisors | 25 February 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Lessons learned are often the most overlooked aspect of risk management. They are seen somehow as a secondary follow-on to the risk management effort rather than as the cornerstone on which we build. The inverse should clearly be true. Lessons learned can be drawn not only from our own efforts but also from those of other organizations if those efforts (and their pain and angst) are well documented.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090225.html

Iridium Satellite Collision in Space

18 Feb 2009 22:18:08 GMT

Barry, Douglas K. | E-Mail Advisors | 18 February 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

You might have seen the recent news reports about the collision between US and Russian communication satellites (see "Debris Spews Into Space After Satellites Collide," New York Times, 11 February 2009). The US satellite was one of the Iridium satellites. What wasn't reported and you probably don't know is that an object database management system (ODBMS) is an important part of the Iridium system. It is a technology with which I've been involved since the late 1980s. So I'm adding some technical detail to this story. (For background on ODBMSs, see www.service-architecture.com/object-oriented-databases/articles/.)

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090218.html

Choosing the Right Fight: Battling Metrics Glut

11 Feb 2009 21:54:31 GMT

Kellen, Vince | E-Mail Advisors | 11 February 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The problem in IT isn't whether we can measure things but how many ways can we measure the same thing. I have worked with IT shops that maintain a portfolio of hundreds, if not thousands, of daily, weekly, and monthly metrics. Given the plethora of metrics available, what should an IT metrics scorecard look like? How many metrics should it contain? What kinds of metrics should be in it? Should there be one scorecard or many, depending on the level and area within IT? What metrics, beyond those that may be mandated, should be reported to internal business clients and externally to government, audit, or other interested parties?

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090211.html

What Are Your Web 2.0 Ethics?

4 Feb 2009 13:31:07 GMT

Light, Ben | E-Mail Advisors | 04 February 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Many are engaging with Web 2.0 technology in their personal lives, and increasingly at work. Even if you don't think there's much new in Web 2.0 technologies, that it's merely a renaming of extant things, you can't ignore the power of them as presented now, and as widely adopted. It is perhaps the level of adoption of these technologies, combined with the potentialities for social interaction of different kinds, that make Web 2.0 so interesting from an ethical perspective. For years, it has been well recognized that there are inextricable interplays between our home and work lives -- many people meet their life partners at work; we have rules governing the use of office equipment for personal use, such as phones and PCs; and, of course, who can forget the office Christmas party! These examples immediately bring to mind ethical issues surrounding them. I would argue that Web 2.0 -- particularly Web 2.0-enabled social networking sites -- complicate this even further. In this short communication, I want to look at a few examples, consider some of the ethical questions arising, and discuss what we can do about them -- if anything.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090204.html

Improving the Forecast: Cloud Models in the Applications World

28 Jan 2009 19:03:51 GMT

Shimoni, Einat | E-Mail Advisors | 28 January 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

The cloud hype continues to spread into just about any IT category, whether it's computing infrastructures (IAAS), platforms (PAAS), storage (scaling on-demand), applications (software as a service [SaaS]/cloud software), and even newer categories, such as integration on the cloud (IAAS). The list goes on.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090128.html

When the Dust Clears From an IT 'Battle,' Try an After-Action Review

21 Jan 2009 18:53:41 GMT

Kellen, Vince | E-Mail Advisors | 21 January 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

It's 2:12 am. The cell phone is ringing. What now? It's Amy, a data center technician. She wouldn't be calling me unless something is wrong. Very wrong. She tries to explain that the primary storage network is failing. And the path to the backup is failing, too. She can't tell what it is. Everything is coming down. In the middle of the call, Rick, who manages the storage systems, is calling. I put Amy on hold. Rick says it isn't the storage network at all. All the information says it's the database server having issues, but from his perspective, it doesn't make sense. He is checking. As soon as he hangs up, Bill calls me. He's the manager of the database group. I tell him to wait a minute and tell Amy I have to hang up on her. Amy is upset and says she needs to get back to the manufacturing group since this is affecting their big processes for tomorrow and these seasonal processes represent tens of millions of dollars in revenue. I go back to Bill. He explains the situation. All his metrics say the system outage, which now appears to be widespread, isn't a database problem. He is agitated, saying everyone keeps blaming the database group. Just because he has the best metrics doesn't mean everyone has to blame him each time there is an issue. He thinks the problem is in the manufacturing application. After all, yesterday the manufacturing group put into production some significant vendor patches. In the middle of this, Lynn calls. She heads up the manufacturing group. She is furious because she says the database group switched some database drivers last night out without telling her, and she thinks the driver changes may be at fault. She says all their testing on the manufacturing changes checked out just fine. She is angry, too.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090121.html

Call for Papers: The Convergence of Information Security, Privacy and Compliance

15 Jan 2009 16:19:15 GMT

Herold, Rebecca | 10 January 2009 | Cutter IT Journal The April 2009

Cutter IT Journal -- with Guest Editor Cutter Senior Consultant Rebecca Herold, recently named one of the "Best Privacy Advisers" and "Best Privacy Consultancies" of 2008 by Computerworld -- invites insightful debate on and analyses of approaches organizations are taking to ensure that information security, privacy and compliance areas collaborate, and how to address the associated convergence issues. What are the information security, privacy and compliance issues that impact organizations most significantly? What are the best practices for addressing the associated compliance requirements? What are the best ways to manage convergence? How can gaps be avoided? How can conflicts be resolved?

http://www.cutter.com/content-and-analysis/journals-and-reports/cutter-it-journal/callforpapers03.html

Some Less Obvious Factors Curtailing Cloud Computing Progress

14 Jan 2009 16:08:40 GMT

Cohen, Pini | E-Mail Advisors | 14 January 2009 | Cutter IT Journal; Sourcing & Vendor Relationships

Cloud computing is a prominent concept in the IT technology world. Cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) promise fast return on investment, agility, improved scalability, availability, and more.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090114.html

Software Process: With Long Experience Comes Deeper Practical Faith

7 Jan 2009 15:51:00 GMT

Brosseau, Jim | E-Mail Advisors | 07 January 2009 | Cutter IT Journal

Generally, in software development, process is described as the steps we take to get things done. It is often captured as a specified approach to building our products that involves some sort of lifecycle, a collection of roles and responsibilities, a series of artifacts we produce along the way, perhaps some milestones, and some checks and balances to help keep the whole system running smoothly. There is more than meets the eye, though, if we want our approach to be successful.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2009/itj090107.html

The Next CRM Challenge: Manage the Customer Experience

24 Dec 2008 19:46:23 GMT

Shimoni, Einat | E-Mail Advisors | 24 December 2008 | Cutter IT Journal

A new three-letter acronym has hit the customer relationship management (CRM) market in the past few years: CEM (customer experience management) [1].

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2008/itj081224.html

Beyond Skills and Knowledge: Attitude, Understanding, Ethics

17 Dec 2008 19:08:10 GMT

Wiig, Karl M. | E-Mail Advisors | 17 December 2008 | Cutter IT Journal

Consider the "competent performer" who possesses good skills and knowledge. However, good skills and knowledge are not sufficient. In order to deliver acceptable work, the competent performer must have a good attitude, conviction that he or she is doing the right thing, and an understanding of how to support enterprise intents and strategy. In addition, and most important, the competent performer must have appropriate access to pertinent information that describes the actual task situation. This makes information management a crucial cocontributor to enterprise performance.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2008/itj081217.html

Taming the Menagerie: Turn Stuff Off

10 Dec 2008 14:40:42 GMT

Lister, Tim | E-Mail Advisors | 10 December 2008 | Cutter IT Journal

Y2K was great for IT housekeeping. It forced us into answering the question: do we make that application compliant, or can we toss it? Well, we are almost nine years past Y2K, and I am finding that during this period many organizations have been concentrating on adding new functionality, and rarely changing it, let alone replacing it.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2008/itj081210.html

Waste Not, Want Not: An Agile/Lean Approach to Managing the Project Portfolio

3 Dec 2008 16:59:53 GMT

Rothman, Johanna | E-Mail Advisors | 03 December 2008 | Cutter IT Journal

If you've been succeeding with agile in your organization for a while, you've experienced projects that make more visible progress, are done earlier, and provide a high level of satisfaction for everyone involved.

But some people who try to move to agile in their organizations are not entirely successful. The teams are not dedicated to just one project at a time, or the support from a previous release is overwhelming their ability to move a project forward, or they have too many emergency projects. While these problems don't prevent agile adoption, they certainly don't help. All these problems are symptoms of management's having insufficient tools to manage its project portfolio. But management doesn't need fancy-dancy tools to manage the portfolio. All a management team needs to do is answer one question and select one answer from three options.

http://www.cutter.com/content/itjournal/fulltext/advisor/2008/itj081203.html