More Management and Careers In Depth

IT Needs to Aspire and Really Make a Difference

IT leaders deploying today's transformational technologies can do so resignedly or aspirationally. Only one approach can really make a difference for the business.

Career Watch: Companies expect to do more IT staff hiring in short term

Also in this issue, advice on jump-starting a young career.

The Grill: Arthur Langer turns the IT education model on its head

Arthur M. Langer, chairman and founder of Workforce Opportunity Services, describes the outsourcing model his nonprofit organization uses to train and match up economically disadvantaged youth with hard-to-fill positions in IT.

Turning Long Demands Into a Short List

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.

Dispatch from the technology culture wars

There's room for common ground in the tech culture war between the 'geeks' -- technical people who like to tinker with tech -- and 'noobs' -- nontechnical people who want gadgets to just work, writes columnist Mike Elgan.

Is it So Bad for the CIO to Report to the CFO?

Conventional wisdom says the CIO should report to the CEO. But not everyone agrees that's so important.

One CIO's Answer for Improving Healthcare IT

How Yale New Haven Health's CIO tackled integrating three IT systems into one while keeping customer care front and center

HCL CEO Vineet Nayar: Outsourcing is dead, and there's nothing innovative in cloud technology

The customer always comes first. Except when it comes to HCL, the $6 billion Indian outsourcing -- make that co-sourcing -- giant led by CEO Vineet Nayar, who literally wrote the book on a philosophy known as 'employees first, customer second.' In this latest installment of our CEO Interview Series, Nayar spoke with IDG Enterprise Chief Content Officer John Gallant about how that philosophy is fueling HCL's rapid growth and why more CIOs ought to consider adopting it.

10 questions for Flexera Software CFO Joe Freda

Name: Joe Freda

Holistic Virtualization

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)

Shark Tank: Power sharing

The boss needs a power supply for his PC's speakers. Unfortunately, there aren't any to spare...

The Upside of Shadow IT

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.

Help for the Help Desk

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.

Fixing the Technology Isn't Always Enough

Users want us to acknowledge the emotions that accompany their technology problems. Relax, though; you don't have to be Dr. Phil to do that. Insider (registration required)

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

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)

Your cloud contract needs to look beyond renewal time

Use your contract to keep from being surprised when it's time to renew. (Insider; registration required)

SAP co-CEO Bill McDermott explains its five-market focus

If you think SAP equals ERP, Bill McDermott would like a few minutes to set you straight about the 2012 version of the software giant, which he claims is in the midst of "an intellectual renewal." McDermott has been co-CEO -- along with Jim Hagemann Snabe -- of SAP since 2010 and has helped broaden the company's strategy beyond traditional applications and analytics to the cloud, mobile, Big Data and a bet-the-business focus on real-time computing with the HANA in-memory database at the forefront. Insider (registration required)

3G and 4G wireless speed showdown: Which networks are fastest?

PC World tested 3G and 4G wireless data transfer speeds at multiple locations in 13 major cities. Here's the lowdown on which carriers offer the best speeds and coverage.

Should the CIO know how to code?

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)

What tech managers can do to hold on to their best talent

6 tips for holding on to your workplace stars. (Insider; registration required)