Latest on Enterprise IT: News, Features, Opinions and More  Google Buzz takes the fight to Facebook
Today's leading social networks -- Facebook and Twitter -- now face a very formidable foe with search giant Google's unveiling of social upgrades to its Gmail e-mail service. Researchers warn of likely attacks against Windows, PowerPoint
Some of the bugs Microsoft patched today will be exploited by hackers almost immediately, security researchers predicted. Microsoft delivers huge Windows security update
Microsoft today shipped a record 13 security updates that patched dozens of vulnerabilities in Windows. Ksplice debuts zero downtime service for Linux
Ksplice officially launched its no-reboot patching service for Linux servers. Microsoft warns of lapsing Windows support
Just days after warning Windows 7 users of an impending shutdown of the free release candidate, Microsoft reminded customers running Windows 2000, XP and Vista of approaching support deadlines for those editions. SAP hits reset button with CEO change
With the replacement of Léo Apotheker as CEO of German ERP giant SAP, company officials are hoping to rebuild customer relations and ignite more innovation at the company, according to a conference call held with co-founder and chairman Hasso Plattner today. Solid-state storage fixes data center bottlenecks -- for a price
Solid-state memory can goose performance of transaction-heavy apps. But the cost is still high, leaving data center operators to decide when flash is justified. IT Shops, It's Time to Restart Your Engines
Scot Finnie says IT has to get into gear now, before the recovery is in full swing. CIOs Clamor for Usage-Based Pricing
Enterprise software vendors that don't change their licensing schemes risk losing customers to software-as-a-service alternatives, IDC says. Cloudy, With a Chance of Trouble
Bart Perkins identifies seven thorny issues you must consider before making the jump to cloud computing. Users Want Reliability, Not Metrics
Chuck Musciano, CIO at Martin Marietta Materials, reminds IT managers that end users want good service, not good service metrics. Carbon-Tracking Software Market Starts to Get Hot
The nascent market for enterprise carbon accounting software is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years, and CA, SAP and Microsoft are seeking a piece of the action. Privacy Training Gone Awry
Privacy consultant Jay Cline identifies the errors companies often make when trying to educate employees about data protection. Get Ready for Global Accounting
CIOs need to start converting financial reporting systems to accommodate the accounting standard used overseas. Virtualization: Beware of Server Overload
Virtualization vendors may tout the potential of putting 20, 50 or even 100 virtual machines on a single physical machine. But those ratios are dangerous for resource-intensive, mission-critical applications. The Grill: Microsoft's Chris Capossela
Microsoft's Office marketing chief Chris Capossela talks about the company's plans to beat Google Apps, and adding Twitter-like features to Office. Apotheker is out as SAP CEO
Leo Apotheker has resigned as CEO of German ERP giant SAP, the company disclosed on Sunday. The decision was by mutual agreement with SAP's supervisory board, and is effective immediately. ERP Costs: 3 Signs Companies Are Wasting Less Money
It took a worldwide recession to start the trend, but there are signs that companies are getting ERP costs under control, according to a new report from Panorama Consulting. But there's still more work to be done. Report: Microsoft may launch new Office cloud license
Microsoft Corp. may be close to adding a new way for big businesses to buy Microsoft Office. IE more popular than you think, researcher says
Microsoft's Internet Explorer is used much more often than most assume, a researcher asserted today. Zoho slows frantic growth, works on integrating Web apps instead
Despite competition from Google Docs and others, start-up Zoho has built the broadest Web productivity suite out there. Is NAND flash about to hit a dead end?
As the technology used to create NAND flash memory continues to shrink, bit error rates and reliability issues are increasing. That's forcing solid-state memory makers to look for alternatives. What we know about Oracle Cloud Office, OpenOffice.org
Product announcements have raised a number of questions that neither Oracle nor OpenOffice.org want to answer. Here's what we know. Microsoft nears Office 2010 release
Microsoft has delivered a near-final version of Office 2010 to a small group of invitation-only testers, but doesn't plan to make the new build available to the general public, the company said today. Linux, Windows or both? Doesn't matter to virtual desktop vendor Ulteo
Ulteo is poised to offer commercial support for its free virtual desktop infrastructure software, which the open-source start-up says will cost companies a fraction of established offerings from Citrix, Microsoft and VMware. Carbonite aims at small businesses with backup service
Consumer online backup company Carbonite has released a version of its service that's targeted at small businesses and provides backups without a per-computer fee. Windows 7 adoption swells, as XP suffers record drop
Microsoft's Windows 7 took just three months to reach a penetration benchmark that Vista needed almost a year to make, Web measurement firm NetApplications.com said today. The Gap: BI better in enterprise-wide deployment
When considering BI projects, organizations would be better off setting up an enterprise-wide data warehouse rather than running different data marts for individual projects, said Michael Jones, senior vice president of IT for the Gap clothing retailer. Data warehousing vendors squabble over best way forward with flash memory
This year the watchword will be speed, as vendors start introducing flash memory storage to get around the longtime bottleneck of reading and writing to disk. Cloud security: Try these techniques now
Some customers are making peace with the notion of security in the cloud. Here's how they're coping. Meet the Man with Big Love for Big ERP
Forget "Mr. Big" on Sex & The City: We've got an exclusive Q&A with Big ERP. He has never met a choice or a cloud that he likes, but he knows how to put those pricey maintenance fees to good use (just check out the gut on this guy). Database wars: IBM, Oracle's Ellison trade zingers
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison criticized IBM's database business during an event at which Oracle outlined its plans for the newly acquired Sun Microsystems. Oracle will boost MySQL, release Cloud Office suite
Oracle promised to aggressively push its newly acquired MySQL open-source database, rather than kill it. What's Happening with ERP Today
Today's ERP systems call for different management. SAP Q4 revenue sinks 9%, net income drops 12%
SAP reported a 9% year-on-year fall in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2009, with net income dropping 12% from its record level a year earlier. But the company sees a return to growth and improvements in operating income this year. Apple tablet unlikely to be B2B-ready, says vendor
Tablet computers preceding Apple's expected tablet may have been a dud with consumers, but they have actually made some inroads in industries such as health care, construction and field service. Obama's jobs push arrives as engineers leave IT
On the eve of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Wednesday, a speech that's expected to focus on the need for jobs, the nation's largest engineering association is warning that the latest jobs data is "discouraging" for engineering. New Microsoft Office price list: Winners and losers
Microsoft's new Office pricing scheme is more complex than first thought; it's at least partially a response to increased competition from IBM, Google, Zoho and OpenOffice.org. Symantec touts NetBackup 7, Backup Exec 2010, 'de-duplication everywhere'
Symantec today announced new versions of its enterprise-class NetBackup software and its midmarket Backup Exec product, both of which now include de-duplication and incremental backup technology for virtual server environments. Researcher to reveal more Internet Explorer problems
Microsoft's IE could inadvertently allow a hacker to read files on a person's computer, another problem for the company just days after a serious vulnerability received an emergency patch. Netezza launches Skimmer data appliance, teases two more
Netezza on Monday launched the follow-up to its TwinFin data warehousing appliance. The new offering is a smaller device that shares the surfing-themed name of its big brother. Help desks under siege
Help desk pros are taking on more responsibilities with less assistance than ever. Will the skills they gain help them in the future? Here's hoping. Telepresence catching on, but hold onto your wallet
MetLife and the Taj Hotels are using these high-end systems, and are saving a bundle in travel costs. There are other benefits, too. IT hiring in India outpaces U.S.
Indian IT companies have started adding thousands of employees after a year of relatively flat growth. But the same can't be said for U.S. companies. ParAccel to speed up data appliance with flash memory
ParAccel Inc. will release a version of its columnar database appliance with flash memory attached to the server's motherboard that it says will boost data reading speeds by up to 15 times. Security Manager's Journal: Sometimes, you just have to do it
Laying the groundwork is important, but don't neglect to get on with the actual job. With latest features, Box.net claims edge over SharePoint, Google Docs
Just as Google Docs makes collaborating on documents via the Web easier than Microsoft Office does, Box.Net enables corporate workers to share documents and other files more easily and beyond firewalls than Microsoft SharePoint.
Why data center temperatures have moderated
After a huge spike a few years ago, better power-management tools, multicore chips and advanced power supplies have helped keep temps down. But, ironically, virtualization may make things hotter again. Data center density hits the wall
The newest servers concentrate more power into a smaller footprint. Some experts advocate spreading the servers out to mitigate the heat problem, but others say water-based cooling is inevitable. Stay away from OpenOffice.org until Oracle shows commitment, analyst says
A European IT consulting firm is warning large enterprises and government entities not to deploy OpenOffice.org until Oracle shows proof that it will invest as heavily in the development of the open-source productivity suite as project champion Sun Microsystems did. Amazon EC2's model is a solution for shelfware, says IDC
Sick of overpaying for features they don't need or use, enterprise customers are eager for software vendors to enable pay-per-use models that better align cost with consumption, according to IDC Corp. Pillar boosts Axiom's capacity, performance
Pillar Data Systems today announced a new version of its Axiom 600 modular storage array that offers more processing power, storage capacity and available ports. For sale: NASA slashes price on used space shuttles
Looking to buy a new vehicle at a bargain price? NASA has dropped the sale price of a used space shuttle to just $28.8 million. Book Review: The Shift to Enterprise 2.0 Won't Be Easy
A new book by Andrew McAfee, who coined the term "Enterprise 2.0," acknowledges that the adoption of Web 2.0 collaborative tools in business will be a hard slog. Can You Handle High-Def?
CIOs could be blindsided by an expected surge in bandwidth-hogging video applications. Data center plays supporting role in Avatar
The stunning images in the hit movie Avatar were rendered by 4,000 blade servers at Weta Digital's data center in New Zealand. State, Local Gov'ts Expected to Boost Cloud IT Spending
An Input research report says state and local governments will increase their spending on cloud-based IT services. User Authentication No Longer Thwarts Online Bank Thieves
A Gartner analyst says banks need to take more steps to prevent online fraud, because cybercrooks are outmaneuvering current authentication techniques. The Combo Platter
HP, IBM and Dell are pursuing a strategy of selling servers, storage and networking as a package. For CIOs, this means trading flexibility for efficiency. Taming the Printer Chaos
Service providers can help companies save money on printers and supplies, but it probably means prying underused "personal" printers from the grip of employees. Command & Control
The Pentagon develops real-time monitoring software to track thousands of contractors providing support to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. John Chen
On his company's 25th anniversary, Sybase CEO John Chen talks about the software vendor's rising stock price, and why the financial community is thrilled with its applications for high-speed stock trades. Smartphones Need Smart Security
Smartphones may seem cute and personal, but in a business setting, they're really handheld computers that need to be secured to prevent data loss. Oracle and SAP Are Big: Too Big for Their Own Good?
The billion-dollar behemoths are top dogs in enterprise software. But they just might be too big to manage the change that's happening all around them. How Hadoop startup Cloudera is evolving
A data integration app will be formally released this quarter as part of the overarching Cloudera Dta Platform. FewClix e-mail plug-in may help you love Lotus Notes again
FewClix, the new e-mail add-on for Lotus Notes by Synaptris Inc., is a mirror image of Xobni, the widely praised e-mail plug-in for Microsoft Outlook. Cisco releases services-oriented SAN network line card
Cisco announced a new SOA network that uses a line card in its MDS line of switches and directors to provide up to four storage-related applications, including data encryption, data migration and Fibre Channel over IP (FCIP) data transport. FAQ: What renting Microsoft Windows, Office means to you
Microsoft's announcement that it would begin renting Windows and Office 2007 left many initially euphoric, but later disappointed when it became clear it was no panacea. Here is the real deal on Microsoft's Rental Rights. Microsoft, HP announce 'infrastructure-to-app' partnership
Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft will invest $250 million over three years on a product integration strategy meant to "significantly simplify" technology deployments for companies of all sizes, they said Wednesday. Opinion: IT's 5 big security mistakes
We've always been terrible in IT about learning from our mistakes. This year, let's do better so we don't keep repeating them. GoToMyPC belatedly adds Mac capabilities
Citrix Systems Inc. has upgraded its market-leading GoToMyPC remote access software, which now allows users to connect from or to their Macs over a distant network. Cloud Software Vendors See Stocks Hit Stratosphere
SaaS companies have ridden the cloud applications trend to huge stock gains since December 2008. Who's in the most money? Microsoft IE's downfall 'far fetched,' says researcher
Talk of Internet Explorer's demise is "far fetched,"according to Devil Mountain Software, which cites data showing that more than 80% of enterprise PCs run Microsoft's browser during the workday. Should your IT department support the iPhone?
The iPhone has changed a lot since its debut in 2007 and is now more suitable than ever for use in the enterprise. Like it or not, systems administrators should figure out how to support it to keep users happy, says Ryan Faas. Microsoft site crash leaves business customers in limbo
Problems with a Microsoft Web site that handles software licenses have left some businesses unable to activate and use their Microsoft apps for more than a month. SAP plays up sustainability angle of green IT
Organizations seeking ways to conserve energy and profit from being green may find the true gains won’t come from "greening" their data centers, but rather by maximizing the efficiency of their supply chains, said Peter Graf, the chief sustainability officer for SAP. SOA grows up -- and out
Broadening adoption of a service-oriented architecture requires more planning, better management tools and more effective measurement of what's working -- and not working. More flash drive firms warn of security flaw; NIST investigates
SanDisk and Verbatim have joined Kingston in warning owners of some USB flash drives they should update their devices to protect against a security flaw that allows hackers access to their data. Google risks losing focus amid expansion, analysts say
Analysts say the Google must move beyond its search roots to continue its growth levels, but the path is fraught with risks. Smartphones help collect data on malaria cases in remote Uganda
New database software, and an inventive use of a remote-control tech-support application, help better track outbreaks. 10 Virtualization Vendors to Watch in 2010
Which virtualization tool vendors should be on your radar screen in 2010? Here's CIO.com's third-annual list of intriguing innovators in virtualization management, security and more. As Gartner expands, so does the competition
Gartner Inc. said today it is acquiring enterprise IT advisory firm the Burton Group for $56 million, just one month after it announced it was buying AMR Research for $64 million. But if Gartner is attempting to consolidate the IT analysis industry, it may be playing a game of whack-a-mole. Image gallery: 4 online backup services protect your data
Four online backup services let you stash your data in the cloud. We test them to find out whether any of them stand out. Review: 4 online backup services protect your data
Four online backup services let you stash your data in the cloud. We test them to find out whether any of them stand out. New Model Reinvents How IT Gets Funded
The CIO Executive Board proposes a radically new, business-centric way of allocating IT costs to the business units. Cloud Still Faces User Resistance
An IDC survey on cloud computing finds that users remain concerned about security, reliability and vendor lock-in issues. Open-Source BI Going Mainstream for Routine Uses
Deployments of open-source business intelligence software are doubling every year because the tools are deemed "good enough" for routine applications, a Gartner report says. Exploit the Power of Data Visualization
Data visualization technology will help business execs and analysts make better decisions from the ocean of available data, says consultant John Sviokla. TSA Gaffe Shows Pitfalls of Redaction
The public exposure of a TSA security manual illustrates the need for using robust redaction tools that will thoroughly hide sensitive text in electronic documents. Y2K, the Crazy: Computer glitch or mind-blowing catastrophe?
In the days leading up to the year 2000, IT managers fielded many a crazy question from anxious bosses and hysterical users.
Y2K, the Bad: Fear, hype and the blame game
Ten years later, we remember how a problem-free Millennium Eve made some corner-office types wonder if Y2K had been overhyped. Top 10 IT stories of 2009
Opinion: Time for a little 'era awareness'
Thornton May thinks too many of us in IT lack a sense of where we've been and where we're heading. He suggests three areas of focus for 2010. Opinion: IT's future lies in sharing resources
Gartner's Howard Rubin envisions a time when organizations leverage global technology capacity for the "basics" of technology-related services -- everything from simple consumables such as connectivity, desktop services and e-mail to processing power to data storage. Budget tips for the new year
IT budgets in 2010 will look a lot like 2009's. CIO strategies for getting the biggest bang for the same amount of bucks include everything from further streamlining and consolidating the IT infrastructure to plugging in iPhones, Google Apps and netbooks. 6 hottest IT skills for 2010
As the economy takes its first tentative steps toward recovery, organizations surveyed by Computerworld said they will work first to replenish their ranks of programmers and help-desk technicians to meet the demands of new projects and growing staffs. Cloud computing: Love it or hate it?
IT executives on both sides of the cloud computing debate explain what they like, or don't like, about the hosted technology. 11 daring predictions for 2010
Six industry pundits put it on the line with some thought-provoking predictions for 2010. Innovative tech projects won't slow down for some
Despite tight IT budgets and a gloomy economic outlook, most companies aren't hesitating to invest in emerging technologies. Computerworld examines the types of budding technologies that organizations are testing and how IT leaders are able to persuade other decision-makers to take the plunge. Servers get a makeover in 2010
As virtualization takes over, enterprises are ordering more systems fully loaded with maximum processing power, memory and I/O capabilities.
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Watch the most compelling Super Bowl ads of years past from the likes of Intel, Iomega, EDS, Apple and Xerox, then vote for your favorite in our reader poll.
As the technology used to create NAND flash memory continues to shrink, bit error rates and reliability issues are increasing, forcing solid-state memory makers to look for alternatives.
You're ready to advance, but your manager is asleep at the switch. Here's how to get ahead without a boost from your boss.
These applications can help you turn your raw video into a snazzy presentation.
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