News

Facebook, the NSA and the Screwy Ethics of Corporate Analytics

CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle suffered a brutal beating after police broke up an illegal rave next door to his house. The rave attracted hundreds of teens who saw the party invite on Facebook. The incident left Enderle to wonder why Facebook, other s

By Rob Enderle

Nov 1, 2013 6 mins

Facebook Government Government IT

5 IT Outsourcing Tips in the Wake of Infosys’s Visa Fraud Settlement

Following the Infosys visa fraud $34 million settlement, IT outsourcing customers should take these five steps to protect themselves. Here's a look at what outsourcing customers need to do.

By Stephanie Overby

Oct 31, 2013 3 mins

H-1B Visas Legal Outsourcing

NSA Director Denies Knowledge of Google, Yahoo Hack

Confronted with the latest revelation from the Snowden disclosures, Gen. Keith Alexander says that the NSA obtains data from tech companies only through a court order.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 31, 2013 4 mins

Data Breach Government Privacy

Infosys Visa Fraud Settlement Could Impact IT Offshoring Model and Customers

An agreement by the Indian IT service provider to pay $34 million to settle claims of visa fraud and abuse could force more outsourcers to reconsider their business models.n

By Stephanie Overby

Oct 31, 2013 6 mins

H-1B Visas Legal Outsourcing

5 World Problems Too Big for Big Data

Despite advances in computing power, storage and analytics technology, some challenges are still too big for big data. Here's a look at five such problems — and what it will take to solve them.

By John Brandon

Oct 31, 2013 6 mins

Big Data Government Healthcare Industry

Big Data Analytics Use Cases for Healthcare IT

Advances in technology, not to mention government mandates, are forcing healthcare to take analytics seriously. Here's a look at the current (and future) analytics landscape in healthcare, along with 10 real use cases of analytics in action.

By Brian Eastwood

Oct 30, 2013 8 mins

Analytics Big Data Healthcare Industry

Silicon Valley’s Tech Culture: ‘We Just Want to Be Alone’

From a distance, Silicon Valley may look like a center for technical innovation. But it's more than that. Look closer and you'll find a home for social outcasts, radical libertarians and nerdy geniuses who dream of fleeing society entirely

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 30, 2013 7 mins

IT Leadership

10 Simple iOS Tips and Tricks for iPhone/iPad Newbies

Got a new iPhone or iPad? These 10 easy iOS tips and tricks can help quickly navigate around your device, streamline processes, organize home screens and much more.

By Al Sacco

Oct 30, 2013 6 mins

Apple Small and Medium Business iPhone

U.S. CIO Sees Healthcare.gov Glitches as a ‘Teachable Moment’

The federal healthcare portal may have stumbled out of the gate, but CIO Steven VanRoekel says the rollout marks an important step forward as the government seeks to digitize its operations.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 29, 2013 4 mins

Government Government IT Healthcare Industry

Microsoft’s Windows Launches Through the Years

The launch of Windows 8 last year was the biggest product launch in the industry's history. How do the company's previous Windows launches stack up? Follow the timeline of Microsoft's operating system releases in this infographic. n

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 29, 2013 2 mins

Operating Systems Small and Medium Business Windows

Why BBM for Android, iOS Success will be Short-Lived

CIO.com's Al Sacco likes the new BBM for Android and iOS apps but says they're not compelling enough to make the average iOS or Android user switch from their messaging apps of choice. Here's why.

By Al Sacco

Oct 29, 2013 7 mins

Apple Small and Medium Business iPhone

5 Best and 5 Worst Cities for IT Salaries

Want to know where IT professionals make the highest — and the lowest — salaries? We dig into Kforce's 2014 Salary and Employment Guide to see where today's tech workers make the most and the least, the top paying IT roles in each city, a

By Rich Hein

Oct 29, 2013 5 mins

Careers IT Jobs Salaries

10 SharePoint Success Stories

Historically, Microsoft SharePoint has been associated with intranets and content management. But customers are increasingly using it to enable a much broader range of capabilities from communications to business intelligence, enterprise search, even

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 28, 2013 7 mins

Business Intelligence Enterprise Applications Internet

Microsoft’s Big Data Service Available After a Year in Preview

After a year of in-the-field testing, the Windows Azure HDInsight Service, which allows customers to spin up Hadoop clusters in the cloud, gets the green light for release into general availability.

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 28, 2013 4 mins

Big Data Business Intelligence Cloud Management

5 Quick Tips for Taking Better Pictures with Your Smartphone

Everyone has a smartphone camera these days, but a relative few get the best photos possible from their devices. CIO.com's Al Sacco shares five quick tips to help you take better smartphone photos.

By Al Sacco

Oct 28, 2013 7 mins

Computers and Peripherals Small and Medium Business Smartphones

ERP Comes to the Cloud and (Finally) Smaller Businesses

Trek Global claims that its cloud-based ERP service can help midmarket and small businesses leverage ERP to create efficiencies.

By Sharon Florentine

Oct 28, 2013 4 mins

Cloud Computing ERP Systems

How the C-Suite Can Close the Gender Gap

CIOs and other top execs should identify women for the executive talent pipeline, then provide coaching and workplace flexibility, says Elaine Miller, a managing director with PricewaterhouseCoopersu2029

By Mary K. Pratt

Oct 28, 2013 3 mins

Careers IT Jobs IT Leadership

Lukewarm Global IT Outsourcing Market Heats Up in Third Quarter

The first half of the year was relatively quiet for global IT outsourcing deals, but activity has picked up considerably in the third quarter. Outsourcing consultancy ISG examines why and predicts how the IT outsourcing market will finish out the yea

By Stephanie Overby

Oct 25, 2013 4 mins

IT Leadership IT Strategy Outsourcing

Why IBM Will Be Saved by Analytics — and Steven Mills

It's easy to tell executives exactly what they want to hear, even if it makes you like the violin player on the Titanic. Luckily, today's analytics technology gives executives real-time insight into how their firms are performing. At IBM, l

By Rob Enderle

Oct 25, 2013 6 mins

Big Data Innovation ROI and Metrics

Does Mavericks Burst Open the Door to BYOD for OS X?

By offering a free Mac OS X upgrade that's (quietly) enterprise-friendly, Apple may have found a way to appeal to both the consumer and business sides of Mac users' persona. And once they have a chance to test it, it may even make CIOs hap

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 24, 2013 4 mins

Apple MacOS Technology Industry

8 Cool Heat Maps That Help You Visualize Big Data

Big or small, data can be difficult to visualize. These examples use heat maps to put massive data sets into a context that's easy to understand.

By John Brandon

Oct 24, 2013 2 mins

Big Data Fraud Retail Industry

How to Use Google’s Keyword Planner for SEO (and 7 Free Alternatives)

Google's new Adwords Keyword Planner is geared for PPC rather than organic SEO, but it can still be useful for keyword research. Here are five ways to use the new tool — plus, seven organic keyword research alternatives.

By James A. Martin

Oct 23, 2013 8 mins

E-commerce Software Internet Marketing

Teradata Turns to the Cloud, Offers Data Warehouse as a Service

Aiming to give customers the flexibility to store, process and leverage their data on-premises, in the cloud or in a hybrid environment, Teradata is making its portfolio of platforms and services available via the cloud, including Data Warehouse as a

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 23, 2013 5 mins

Big Data Business Intelligence Data Warehousing

STEM Talent Shortfall Frustrates Tech Recruiters

Survey of scientific and technical talent recruiters from across Fortune 1000 companies reveals brisk competition for STEM-educated workers as demand outstrips supply.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 23, 2013 4 mins

Careers IT Jobs IT Skills

Hortonworks Makes Hadoop More Versatile in New Distro

Built on Apache Hadoop YARN architecture, HDP 2.0 changes Hadoop from a single-purpose Web-scale batch data processing platform into multi-use operating system for batch, interactive, online and stream processing.

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 23, 2013 3 mins

Big Data Open Source Virtualization

10 Tech Tools to Get Things Done Faster

We could all use some help improving our productivity. Here are 10 apps that help you collaborate, take notes or just plain save time.

By Paul Mah

Oct 22, 2013 6 mins

Collaboration Software Mobile Apps Small and Medium Business

5 IT Security Horror Stories (and 5 Ways to Avoid Them)

When it comes to security, your employees may be your weakest link. While policies and training can go a long way toward helping them keep devices and data safe, sometimes technology is the answer.

By Sharon Florentine

Oct 21, 2013 4 mins

Data and Information Security IT Governance IT Strategy

Dell VP, Good Technology CEO Grim on BlackBerry at MobileCon 2013

Dell and Good Technology shared some insights on BlackBerry at MobileCon 2013. Not surprisingly, the outlook was grim, and though the end may be near for BlackBerry, both companies offered a few possible reasons why BlackBerry could still hang on in

By Al Sacco

Oct 21, 2013 7 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones Tablets

CIOs Want to Be Allies, Not Adversaries, With Business Users

For years, CIOs raged against stealth technology that could put their company's security — and maybe their authority — at risk. Today, though, IT executives see the world differently and are quick to explain that they should be ambassadors bet

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 21, 2013 4 mins

Budgeting CIO Small and Medium Business

Gartner Says CIOs and CMOs Must Learn to Collaborate on Digital Marketing

The research firm predicts the convergence of IT and marketing as businesses increasingly look to digital promotional strategies.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 18, 2013 4 mins

Business IT Alignment CIO IT Strategy

How a Dating Service for IP Could Turn Patent Trolls Into White Knights

At Demo 2013, a firm called idealAsset showed off a product that helps would-be buyers and sellers of intellectual property find each other. Could this sort of matchmaking convince patent trolls to acquire IP by nobler means?

By Rob Enderle

Oct 18, 2013 4 mins

Intellectual Property Regulation Small and Medium Business

Why Smartwatches, Glasses and Other Wearable Tech are No Gimmick

Executives, product managers, analysts and others from wearable-technology companies spoke at MobileCon 2013 about the current state of "wearables," challenges and barriers to success, as well as why wearable tech is here to stay.

By Al Sacco

Oct 17, 2013 9 mins

Consumer Electronics Small and Medium Business Ultrabook

Tech Gives Rise to the Digital Marketer

That sound you hear is the buzz around marketing using social media and mobile apps. Not only can marketers now reach a larger audience, data analytics measure the effectiveness of digital campaigns in quantifiable terms. But can marketing pros becom

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 17, 2013 5 mins

E-commerce Software Marketing Small and Medium Business

Federal Security Breaches Traced to User Noncompliance

In an effort to lock down agency data and control access points, cybersecurity professionals in the federal government fail to consider the experience of end users, who say security policies are burdensome and often resort to workarounds.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 17, 2013 4 mins

Government Government IT Regulation

Silicon Valley Tech Workers: Get Your Butt in Here!

First Yahoo called its remote workers back to the office. Now HP has issued an 'all-hands-deck' mandate. (Rumors are swirling that Visa may be next to rein in workers.) Is this really all about innovation? And will this approach work with t

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 15, 2013 7 mins

IT Strategy Innovation Remote Work

6 IT Outsourcing Lessons Learned From Healthcare.gov’s Troubled Launch

The federal government's recent launch of Healthcare.gov is a stunning example of outsourced IT gone wrong. The multi-contractor project has been riddled with issues and should serve as a reminder to any IT outsourcing customer regarding steps t

By Stephanie Overby

Oct 15, 2013 6 mins

Government Healthcare Industry IT Strategy

Adobe Helps Marketing Teams Tap Predictive Analytics, Mobile and Video Data

Aiming to make it easier for a broad swathe of people within the marketing department to leverage data, Adobe unveils new features for Adobe Analytics and the Adobe Marketing Cloud.

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 15, 2013 5 mins

Big Data Business Intelligence Marketing

Federal Government Shutdown Unlikely to Impact H-1B Users

If the government shutdown continues on for more than a couple of months it could be trouble for IT outsourcers. But currently, the shutdown of iCert is not yet a problem for IT service providers. Here's why.

By Stephanie Overby

Oct 11, 2013 3 mins

Government H-1B Visas Outsourcing

The State of HP, As Told by Meg Whitman

Hewlett-Packard is in the midst of a very public turnaround. This week, CEO Meg Whitman spoke to analysts about it. Her message — and the way she delivered it — should inspire HP customers and consumers at large.

By Rob Enderle

Oct 11, 2013 6 mins

High-Performance Computing Laptops Technology Industry

10 New Gadgets to Improve Your Workspace

These gadgets and peripherals hitting the market just in time for the holiday season — yes, it's coming — will give you and your desk a much-needed upgrade.

By Paul Mah

Oct 10, 2013 6 mins

Personal Software Tablets Ultrabook

Why Managers Need to Stop Worrying and Love Millennials

Millennials will challenge traditional managerial methods and question your every move. However, they will also bring energy, tech savvy and innovative ideas. Focus on hiring and retaining them as if your job depends on it — because it will.

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 10, 2013 5 mins

Careers IT Leadership

Google Tells Feds It Wants to Disclose Surveillance Orders

Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo and LinkedIn are ramping up efforts in Congress and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court to win authority to publish figures about data-collection orders received from the feds. However, the Justice Depa

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 10, 2013 5 mins

Government Legal Regulation

9 of the Hottest Mobile Development Skills

The demand for programmers and developers with mobile skills continues to rise, but which ones should you consider adding to your toolbox? We look at which IT skills are most sought-after by employers.

By Rich Hein

Oct 10, 2013 6 mins

Developer IT Skills Small and Medium Business

Picking a Fight Over NSA Surveillance in the Post-Snowden Era

Privacy and Internet freedom will take center stage when Congress debates NSA Surveillance Reform. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden is ready to lead the charge for stricter oversight of the NSA's far-ranging intelligence-gathering activities.

By Kenneth Corbin

Oct 9, 2013 4 mins

Cloud Security Government Regulation

Kaseya Now Lets MSPs Offer Single Pane Infrastructure Monitoring

With the Zyrion acquisition complete, Kaseya brings Traverse cloud, virtualization and network monitoring product to market for one-stop infrastructure management. One MSP talks about what the deal means to IT customers.

By Sharon Florentine

Oct 9, 2013 3 mins

Business Intelligence Data Center SaaS

Digital Distractions Can Turn Deadly

Our obsession with mobile devices leads us to text, surf and read when we should be paying attention to what's around us. Those distractions could cost you your cell phone — or worse.

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 9, 2013 4 mins

Consumer Electronics Mobile Small and Medium Business

Microsoft Says Its Future in the Cloud Is Bright

Pointing to a $2 trillion opportunity as the enterprise shifts to the cloud, Microsoft says it is perfectly positioned to lead in the enterprise cloud era.

By Thor Olavsrud

Oct 9, 2013 6 mins

BPM Systems Microsoft Office Small and Medium Business

Zombies Are Scary for Halloween, Scarier for Mobile IT

If you're talking about movies or Halloween costumes, zombies are scary fun. However, when the term for the undead refers to company-owned or BYOD mobile phones, CIOs are looking at the potential for frightening amounts of buried expenses.

By Tom Kaneshige

Oct 8, 2013 1 min

Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Fade to Black(Berry): 8 Years Covering the Rise and Fall of RIM

CIO.com's longtime BlackBerry beat reporter Al Sacco says goodbye to the company he intimately covered for more than eight years.

By Al Sacco

Oct 8, 2013 14 mins

Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business Smartphones

10 Ways IT Pros Can Reduce Stress at Work

These relaxation techniques will help even the most frantic tech workers combat stress in the office. Creating a daily routine can help bring your mind and body back in balance and help you reduce the tension of everyday life in a busy IT environment

By Sharon Florentine

Oct 7, 2013 5 mins

Careers