Grid View
List View-
Data Center Consolidation: Benefits and Costs
Many organizations have multiple data centers, even though a smaller number would be sufficient. Such a situation is costly: a Computer Economics survey finds that organizations operating multiple data centers spend more on IT per user than those with a single data center. This Research Byte is an executive summary of our full report on the cost savings and other benefits of data center consolidation.
September, 2007
-
Unix Beats Windows and Linux Data Centers in Economies of Scale
Data center cost is subject to economy of scale--for example, larger data centers can enjoy greater discounts on equipment and software. They can also use automated tools to make support personnel more productive. So why are Unix data centers so much better at utilizing these economies of scale than Window and Linux data centers? This Research Byte is a summary of our full report, Windows and Linux Data Centers Lag Behind Unix in Realizing Economies of Scale.
September, 2007
-
The State of IT Outsourcing and Guidelines for Success
This article investigates the prevalence of IT outsourcing for nine IT functions, the percentage of organizations reporting a change this year in their levels of outsourcing for each IT function, and the relative priority that these firms give to outsourcing versus "back-sourcing" (bringing outsourced functions back in-house). We also explore the concept of "partial outsourcing," where some work is outsourced while the rest is retained in-house, using application development and help desk outsourcing as examples. We conclude by proposing important principles for organizations to consider when outsourcing IT functions. (4 pp., 4 figs.)[Executive Summary]
August, 2007
-
The Prevalence of IT Outsourcing
The popularity of IT outsourcing is growing. According to Chapter 5 of our latest IT Spending, Staffing, and Technology Trends study, organizations in the U.S. and Canada are increasing the amount of IT work given to outside service providers. In today's economy and tightening job market, few IT organizations can afford to adopt a "no outsourcing" strategy. On the other hand, outsourcing the entire IT organization to an outside provider is rarely justified. This Research Byte is a brief overview of our report on this subject, The State of IT Outsourcing and Guidelines for Success.
August, 2007
-
Happy Together: Security Professionals and Project Managers
In response to today's increasing threat levels, many companies are increasing their investments in security. Yet many of these same organizations find that their security programs are not effective, as witnessed by the many high-profile security incidents reported by commercial and governmental organizations over the past year. The reason: management has fully embraced security as an essential element of project management.
August, 2007
-
Making Security an Integral Part of Project Management
Vulnerabilities are often introduced into an organization when changes are made to its technology, business processes, or facilities. Therefore, security should be an important element of project management, to ensure that the security implications of these changes are addressed. However, a survey by Computer Economics suggests that executives have not adequately integrated their security and project management functions. This article presents the results of our survey on the role of security in project management. Additionally, we review the positive impact that security can have on project management practices. (5 pp., 9 figs.) [Executive Summary]
August, 2007
-
Desktop Support Staffing Ratios: Executive Summary
Desktop computers, including laptops and workstations, have become essential items for most employees, who rely on these machines as their primary means of access to corporate systems. Although there is no question concerning the importance of desktop service and support, determining the number of desktop support technicians can be a difficult exercise. This Research Byte is an executive summary of our full report, which provides guidelines for staffing the desktop support function, based on our survey of over 200 IT organizations.
July, 2007
-
Desktop Support Staffing Ratios 2007
Determining the right number of desktop support technicians can be a difficult exercise. This article provides an analysis of desktop support staffing levels based on the total number of personal computers (including laptops and workstations). We provide support ratios for the composite sample, by organization size (based on the total number of desktops deployed), and by industry sector. In addition, we analyze how frequently desktop support activities are outsourced, by organization size. The article concludes with recommendations for improving the productivity for desktop support personnel. (6 pp., 5 figs.) [Executive Summary]
July, 2007
-
Google: Your Next Enterprise Application Provider?
Google's recent acquisition of Postini sends a signal that the company intends to be a major player in the on-demand enterprise application market. Today, Google's enterprise division accounts for less than one percent of the company's annual revenues. But Google expects enterprise applications to grow into a much larger part of its business over the next few years.
July, 2007
-
Google Enlarges Its Enterprise Applications Footprint
Google's recent $625 million acquisition of Postini sends a signal that the company intends to be a major player in the on-demand enterprise application market. However, the big question is whether Googleâs desire to be a major player in the enterprise applications market goes beyond the desktop to backend systems such as ERP and CRM systems. (2 pp., 1 fig.)[Executive Summary]
July, 2007
-
IT Budgets Are Lagging Behind Corporate Revenues
Although IT spending is growing at a healthy pace in 2007, IT budgets are not increasing as fast as corporate revenues, indicating that IT managers are doing an excellent job of controlling costs while meeting the needs of their organizations. This press release provides highlights of some of the major findings for the 18th edition of our annual IT Spending, Staffing, and Technology Trends study.
July, 2007
-
IBM’s Newest Supercomputer Targets Commercial Users
IBM's Blue Gene/P is 100,000 times more powerful than a home PC and can process more operations in one second than the combined power of a stack of laptop computers nearly 1.5 miles high. It is designed to fit in small spaces, use less power than competing systems, and--according to IBM--is at least seven times more energy efficient than any other supercomputer. This article describes features of the Blue Gene/P and its likely commercial adopters.
July, 2007
-
ITIL Refresh Provides New Focus on Business Needs
The new ITIL Version 3 (released in May, 2007) is designed to provide a more cohesive and better-organized description of ITIL standards, and is considerably slimmer--it contains only five volumes, compared to the original 31. It also includes a new focus on specific vertical markets and technological issues. Additionally, this release offers material that will help explain ITIL to non-IT business professionals, with an emphasis on IT and business alignment.
July, 2007
-
ITIL Adoption Moves into U.S. Mainstream
While the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is nearly ubiquitous in Europe and in parts of Asia, it has only been since 2005 that ITIL has gained traction in the U.S. This article summarizes the current state of ITIL adoption in the U.S. and highlights the types of organizations that are adopting ITIL most quickly. We also provide recommendations for organizations interested in beginning the process of adopting ITIL best practices. (5 pp., 6 figs.)
July, 2007
-
IT Spending & Staffing 2007/2008: Chapter 1, Executive Summary
Chapter 1 of our 2007/2008 IT Spending, Staffing, and Technology Trends study provides a detailed analysis of the major findings from this year's study. It also describes the contents of the subsequent chapters, and gives detailed information about the demographics of the study participants and the survey methodology. (32 pp., 16 figs.) [Full Study Description]
June, 2007
CE Report
Search results for "" ( 5626 )
