SAL Journal

Monday, July 07, 2003

 
www.mcdwireless.com - McDonald's with wireless
posted by Sheldon Lennox 5:03 PM

Friday, July 04, 2003

 
Total Recorder
MP3DirectCut (www.webattack.com

posted by Sheldon Lennox 8:05 AM

Saturday, June 28, 2003

 
comprehensive policies to handle:

- E-mail and Internet usage
- Virus prevention
- Information security and privacy protection
- Inventory and equipment use
- Software installation and licensing
- Data retention
- New hire and employee separation procedures
- Tuition reimbursement
- Remote access
- Workplace safety
- Travel and expense reimbursement

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:23 AM

 
ITConsultantWire -- brought to you by IT Consultant Magazine
Issue 15
June 25, 2002
http://www.ITConsultMag.com

4. ==== PROJECT MANAGEMENT ====
* Tips for Finding and Responding to RFPs
A major portion of any consultant's time is devoted to finding and securing new contracts. One avenue that many firms -- especially one-person consulting shops -- often ignore is government contracts. This three-part article explores the pros and cons of bidding on government contracts, offers tips on locating RFPs issued by various government agencies, and shares guidelines for responding to an RFP. The article also discusses the less-formal process used for most non-government RFPs. Finally, the author presents some cautionary advice about the level of detail you should provide when responding to an RFP and suggestions for how to satisfy the potential customer's need for information without exposing too much of your proposed solution.

An overview links to the three-part article (free registration required)


posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:21 AM

 
IT CONSULTANT REPUBLIC NETNOTE E-NEWSLETTER for November 6, 2002

IMPLEMENTING THE ITIL FRAMEWORK
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a group of standards for service, is gaining acceptance as a non-proprietary framework for IT projects. See how one service-level administrator helped integrate ITIL into his organization.

GIVE YOUR CLIENTS A 360-DEGREE VIEW OF PROJECTS WITH THIS PROPOSAL SHEET
Whenever you're tasked with putting together a new feature on a client's Web site, you likely have to justify why it's necessary and what benefits it holds for your client. This form addresses business and technological issues related to your project.

MEMBERS RECOMMEND NINE TOOLS FOR NETWORK AUTODISCOVERY
We asked our members to recommend network autodiscovery tools that were affordable, effective, and easy to use. Here are nine tools our members endorsed along with their vital statistics.

NETSILICA OFFERS A BROWSER-BASED ALTERNATIVE TO VPN
Giving employees remote access to files and applications can be a security risk and a support nightmare. NetSilica has simplified the process with a browser-based remote access solution that requires no special hardware.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:19 AM

 
IT CONSULTANT REPUBLIC NETNOTE E-NEWSLETTER for December 6, 2002

DOWNLOAD THIS SAMPLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT FOR HIPAA COMPLIANCE
Consultants who handle private patient information from healthcare organizations have to sign a Business Associate agreement when renewing contracts or hammering out new ones. Use this sample agreement to help you prepare for negotiations.

ONE MEMBER'S SECURITY ASSESSMENT IS AN EYE-OPENER FOR HIS CLIENT
When he was hired to perform an assessment for a client following an electronic break-in, an IT consultant found all kinds of security problems. Here's a rundown of the tools he used, what he finally found, and his prescription for a security fix.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:24 AM

 
Vol. 01 No. 7 June 2002

AICPA 2002 Top Technologies

The AICPA's 2002 Top Technologies were announced during the TECH 2002 Computer and Technology Conference in May, and were drawn from a master list of issues originally compiled by various CPAs who belong to the IT Member Section. After an on-line survey was conducted by the AICPA to determine which ones most impacted the profession, 10 were selected as the top choices. This was the first year the AICPA compiled its Top Technologies list through Web-based tools in an effort to increase the number of participants.

Beginning with the Sept/Oct 2002 issue of InfoTech Update - the bimonthly newsletter for the IT Member Section - each issue will feature in-depth stories and analysis on many of these technologies. In addition, tell us how you are using these in your own firms and businesses by sending an email to infotech@aicpa.org . We'll print your responses in upcoming publications.

Here are the technologies, along with links to resources for more information. For details on the Top Technologies, visit www.cpa2biz.com/toptechs and download an Excel spreadsheet showing the rankings of the various topics, as well as a full PowerPoint presentation offered at TECH 2002.

#1: Business and Financial Reporting Applications - applications that take advantage of XML and XBRL capabilities to facilitate access, retrieval and analysis.

Links/Resources
* www.xbrl.org - the on-line community for XBRL providing detailed information on how the standard is being used in businesses across the world. For more information:, Louis Matherne, AICPA, lmatherne@aicpa.org, (212) 596-6027

* "The Future of Business and Financial Reporting" by Charles Davis More.
To learn more,please click Issues/2001_01_toptentechs_issues_issue_homepage_issue__el_10310.htm> here:

#2: Training and Technology Competency - the methodology and curriculum by which personnel learn to understand and use technology. This includes learning measurement of competency and learning plans to increase the knowledge of individuals.

Links/Resources
* http://www.toptentechs.com/issues/Issue5 - an article from last year's Top Tech Techs by Roman Kepczyk.
* Various on-line learning communities, including AICPA ( http://www.aicpa.org/) and SmartForce (http://www.smartforce.com/), as well as complete index from Google http://directory.google.com/Top/Reference/Education/Distance
ine_Teaching%20and_Learning> Learning/Online_Teaching and_Learning
*
http://www.aicpa.org/accrspec/index.htm - a special page set up by the AICPA to offer information on various accreditations and designations, including
the new CITP (Certified Information Technology Professional).

#3: Information Security and Controls - software applications, processes, procedures and physical hardware in place to ensure information resources are available only to those people authorized to access it. This includes access control, authentication, non-repudiation and authorization, as well as the ability to protect against viruses and hostile acts.

Links/Resources
* http://www.issa.org - the Information Systems Security Association.
* http://www.aicpa.org/assurance - links to two of the AICPA's most in-demand offerings - SysTrust and WebTrust.
* "How to get a Digital Certificate," an InfoTech Update column by Susan Bradley. To learn more, click here.

#4: Quality of Service - the end-user defined satisfaction level of providing processing, computing response time, support, bandwidth and security.

Links/Resources
*Click
Issues/2001_01_toptentechs_issues_issue_homepage_issue__qu_10347.htm> here for an article written by Ed Zollars that covers reliability of systems.
*
http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/infotech/news/sept00.htm - another article by Ed Zollars that examines high-tech insurance (note - AICPA membership required).

#5: Disaster Recovery (business continuation and contingency planning) - the development, monitoring and updating of the process by which organizations plan for continuity of their business in the event of a loss of business information resources due to impairments, such as theft, virus infestation, weather damage, accidents or other malicious destruction.

Links/Resources
* http://www.cpa2biz.com/ Information Technology Resource Center - access the Center for a variety of articles, commentaries and "how-to" guides on protecting information and surviving a disaster.
* http://www.disasterrecoveryworld.com - an on-line resource with plan creation, audit checklists, books and much more.
* http://www.idra.com/ - includes news headlines sorted by industry.
* http://www.globalcontinuity.com/ - a portal for disaster planning issues.

#6: Communication Technologies - Bandwidth - the set of technologies that enable voice, data, and video information to travel from device to device.

Links/Resources
* http://www.bandwidth.com/ - although this is a commercial site, it does feature a number of articles in current technology/computer publications.
* http://webservices.cnet.com/bandwidth
- an Internet speed test from CNET Internet Services to see how fast a connection really is. Try it!
*"Bandwidth Bargains" by Sandi Smith. To learn more, please click
nologies/2001_01_toptentechs_techs_issue_homepage_technologies_10387.htm>
here.
* http://wwww.zdnet.com - search for "bandwidth" on this all-things-tech site for a list of stories and opinions about the topic. Included is a recent posting called "The Net Will Transform Everything," by Irving Wladawksy-Berger, vice president of technology strategy for IBM.

#7: Remote Connectivity Tools - Technology that allows a user to connect to a computer from a distant location outside of the office.

Links/Resources

* http://www.toptentechs.com/techs/Issue9 - "Keeping in Touch Remotely" by Sandi Smith.
* http://www.passtheshareware.com/c-conect.htm - a public site with hundreds of links to shareware tools for connectivity.
* http://www.itworld.com/Net/2629/NWW_2-5-01_cutthewires/ - "Go Ahead, cut the Wires" from Network World.

#8: Web-based and Web-enabled Applications - Web-based: software programs that automate a business task through the use of the Web. Applied, designed and developed for exclusive use on the Web, these describe an application, such as NetLedger, that you go to the Web and use. Web-enabled: an application that is accessible on the Internet, but does not operate in a native Web-browser. It uses the Internet as a delivery mechanism.

Links/Resources
*
http://www.darwinmag.com/learn/curve/ - "What is a Web-Enabled Application" by Kathleen S. Carr.
* "Have Browser Will Travel," an article written for the 2001 Top Ten Techs.
To learn more, please click
ications/2001_01_toptentechs_applications_issue_homepage_appli_10161.htm>
here.

#9: Qualified IT Personnel - the problems involved with attracting and retaining qualified IT individuals to our profession.

Links/Resources
* http://www.toptentechs.com/issues/Issue7/# - "Surviving the IT job Skill Crunch" by Sandi Smith.
* www.itaa.org -home page for the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), a clearinghouse for IT and related topics. Includes a new study, "Bouncing Back: Jobs, Skills and the Continuing Demand for IT Workers" available at

http://www.itaa.org/news/pubs/product.cfm?EventID=437.
* http://www.ihrim.org - the International Association for Human Resource Information Management (IHRIM) provides resources in HR information management, systems issues, trends and technology.

#10: Messaging Applications (email, faxing, voicemail, instant messaging) -
applications that allow users to communicate electronically.

Links/Resources
* http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20010802S0002 - "Instant Messaging: Going Corporate" debates the pros and cons of using IM in the workplace.
* http://www.internet.com - offers a variety of resources on this and other topics. Included is "Messaging Applications Market Forecast and Analysis,
2001-2005" at

http://allnetresearch.internet.com/item/0,,2186851_1,00.html (note there is a substantial charge for the report).
* http://www.messaging-software.com - a clearinghouse site that offers various solutions in messaging and other applications.
*http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2865520,00.html
- "Instant Messaging, Instant Service" on ZDNet Tech Update.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:11 AM

 
Named the top technology for 2002 by the American Institute of CPAs, "Business and Financial Reporting Applications" focuses on the effect of XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) on company systems and processes. CPAs in all areas of accounting need to have a solid understanding of XBRL so they can serve as a knowledge base for their clients and customers.

"Introduction to XBRL" is a basic overview written by Eric Cohen, CPA, CITP, is chair of the XBRL US Steering Committee and PricewaterhouseCooper's technical lead for XBRL. He helps with XBRL's internal training and leads the project to represent back-end accounting and general ledger information with the XBRL GL, the Journal Taxonomy.

The source for this article is the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Introduction to XBRL
By Eric E. Cohen

Business reporting is undergoing a revolution that is using Internet technologies to make the flow of financial and business reporting data more transparent and efficient. These
technologies are reducing the mechanical work involved in publishing business data between information partners and within businesses by more than 60 percent.

Perhaps you have heard of this revolution? It is called XBRL.

The eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) and XBRL International, an international consortium of more than 150 organizations, are bringing together stakeholders in the supply chain of business reporting in new and exciting ways. XBRL is
making headlines, from the pilot effort recently unveiled by NASDAQ (for more information, see below), Microsoft and PricewaterhouseCoopers to a revamping of the way the U.S.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) collects information from banks.

What is XBRL?
XBRL has received extensive coverage in the accounting press. Sessions on XBRL are given at professional conferences related to accounting, auditing, taxation, government reporting and the securities industry.

But what is XBRL? Three things: a community of organizations, a set of rules for building identifiers for business reporting languages, and specialized business reporting languages for areas of existing and emerging financial and business reporting.

A Community of Organizations

XBRL International is a consortium of organizations and people who have come together to improve the flow of information from organizations to the capital markets. Its members have agreed to help develop standardized business reporting languages.

Members include representatives from all of the stakeholder communities affected by corporate reporting: the companies themselves, their trading partners, internal and external accountants, regulators and government entities, data aggregators and the investment community, academic institutions and researchers, and the software developers and consultants who create the solutions for creating, publishing, and
consuming the data.

Organizations such as the AICPA, the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), and the International Accounting Standards Committee (IAS) are involved in XBRL International. So are PricewaterhouseCoopers, BDO Seidman, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, and accounting software developers such as J.D. Edwards, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and SAP.

A Set of Rules for Business Reporting Languages

XBRL is a set of rules for building identifiers for business reporting languages. It uses an Internet-based language called the Extensible Markup Language (XML) to create cross-platform, application-independent representations of documents and data specifically for business reporting. XBRL takes this flexible and popular tool and standardizes the way it is used to represent business reporting languages and data.

Business reports have many things in common. The facts in those reports are about particular companies and divisions for certain periods of time. They are measured in different currencies or units of measure and are related to specific scenarios, including actual, budget or forecasts. XBRL specifies how to express all of these in a common format so developers can create solutions that understand XBRL reports.

Specialized Business Reporting Languages

XBRL is a related set of specialized business reporting languages for existing and emerging financial and business reporting. XBRL International members, interested outside
parties and authorities are working together to reflect the information found in important areas of business reporting using XBRL.

The first of these specialized languages was an agreement on how to represent the different facts found in a typical financial statement for general filers prepared according to
the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for Commercial and Industrial organizations. IAS is expected to release a public draft of international financial statement
taxonomies based on its work with accounting groups from around the world. Japan and Germany have their own taxonomies as well.

This language is used to tag business facts. Applications created to understand these tags can automatically retrieve data from business reports tagged with XBRL. This is similar to
creating financial statement bar codes that enable a financial statement to be automatically assembled from tagged fragments from the accounting system, the text systems used to create Notes to the Financial Statements and other sources. This financial statement can then be posted to the Web, where consumers can more easily find and automatically consume the information.

The current NASDAQ pilot project is an example of the value of companies using a shared business vocabulary to tag their financial statements. Data can be accessed, brought into an XBRL-aware application such as the Excel spreadsheet provided and then analyzed. XBRL does not guarantee that comparing one company's revenues with another company's
revenues is like comparing apples with apples. However, it does reduce the mechanical work of bringing the information into an analytical tool so that these other judgments can be worked on more easily.

Why Is XBRL Important?

The XBRL effort could not have come at a better time. The investment community has higher expectations than the traditional reporting model allows. Today's headlines show the problems that have been in part created by a lack of transparency in financial reporting. The SEC was forced to respond. XBRL can help answer the questions.

The Internet, particularly the World Wide Web, has changed the expectations of consumers of information. Investors and internal management are accustomed to getting information
whenever desired. Almost every company now makes its financial information available through its corporate Web site. Large companies' data is available at the SEC's EDGAR site.

However, that information is difficult to find and use. The traditional financial report is available in formats like PDF files that are proprietary and difficult to consistently
extract data from automatically, information is hidden in Notes to the Financial Statements, and much important information is not included at all.

Today's headlines cover companies in crisis. The SEC has responded by requiring companies to provide information more quickly and to have their high-level executives to sign off on the accuracy of financial statements. Former SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt has spoke about the need for immediate disclosure of important information. In addition, the SEC now allows electronic financial statements with no paper originals as backups.

The SEC and the financial markets are calling for companies to provide information more quickly, more efficiently and more cost effectively, and to provide it in a way that is simpler to consume and illustrated with evaluative and trend data. The recent U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (Public Law No: 107-204) calls for new and faster disclosure and documentation. New tools are necessary for companies to just keep up.

Although XBRL does not improve the quality of data in financial reports immediately and directly, it will reduce mechanical data entry, eliminate entry errors, encourage more analysis of data, facilitate comparisons against external data, and provide greater transparency. These should subsequently affect the quality and quantity of financial reporting data.

Forces Leading To XBRL

The accounting profession is not alone in the need to more effectively publish, share and consume information. The Internet is not only a catalyst for changed expectations, but
also a means to meet them. The accounting and investment communities join many others in taking advantage of these means.

The Web is a great tool for preparing information for inexpensive, global machine-to-human interaction. However, it fails in machine-to-machine exchange for many reasons. For more
than a decade, another technology, electronic data interchange (EDI), has been hailed as a tool for machine-to-machine exchange, but it has failed to touch smaller businesses. In recent years, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which oversees Web technologies, has recommended XML as a way to provide the best of global, inexpensive communications combined with machine-to-machine sharing.

Shortly after XML became a recommendation, AICPA and other organizations met to develop domain-specific standards for XML. AICPA focused on developing standards for accounting and investing, while attorneys, bankers, insurance companies and hundreds of other groups each began to develop agreed-upon standards for representing its industry's information in XML.

Since its official beginning in October 1999, this work has grown to its present point of major adoption. In the United States, the FDIC has begun to work with banks to transfer their call reporting filings with XBRL, as have other governmental entities around the world. Major corporations like Microsoft now post their financial statements in XBRL. Many major markets like NASDAQ are considering how XBRL will provide the transparency and efficiencies necessary for trust and confidence. For tax reporting, the United Kingdom's Inland Revenue has committed to XBRL.

Conclusion

A new business-reporting model, involving the collaboration of the entire corporate reporting supply chain, is considered vital for restoring public trust. New efficiencies are
necessary for internal reporting as well. XBRL is an important tool to reduce the number of mechanical tasks, allowing all of the stakeholders in the chain to more efficiently share and
analyze information.

Resources:
XBRL International: http://www.xbrl.org/
SEC EDGAR: http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml

posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:03 AM

Friday, June 27, 2003

 
DISASTER RECOVERY E-NEWSLETTER for November 12, 2002


DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE DATA BACKUP STRATEGY
While running backups and shuffling tapes can be mundane work, few tasks are more critical for an administrator to manage than setting up a reliable backup procedure. This tutorial shows you how to do just that.

THE CHANGING FACE OF CONTINUITY PLANNING
Continuity planning is shifting from a technical focus to a strategic business concern. Prepare yourself for the changes. Auerbach Publications discusses the skills you will need to face them.

DOWNLOAD THIS OFFICE MOVE CHECKLIST TO PLAN YOUR NEXT RELOCATION PROJECT
Whether you've been called upon to coordinate an internal department move or help relocate a remote office, this office move checklist will help you get off to a good start as you begin to organize the relocation project.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 11:05 PM

 
DISASTER RECOVERY E-NEWSLETTER for December 10, 2002

SPREAD THE COST AROUND

Business continuity planning (BCP) impacts several different areas of an organization. It goes beyond technology, just as disaster recovery takes into account more than an organization's servers. Learn how to leverage this idea to help absorb some of the costs associated with the BCP process and the technology that's needed to put the plan together.

In smaller organizations, there's usually only one budget for everything, so this path is little more than bookkeeping. However, in mid- to large-size organizations, some creativity and planning may help you afford a great deal more than you'd normally expect.

For example, consider facilities management, one of the key players in enterprisewide BCP. This department is responsible for arranging an alternate data center space, a place for workers to temporarily set up shop, and other facilities. The cost of colocation rent, such as SunGard's DR data center floor space, can be absorbed by the budget of facilities management, since it falls under that department's domain. You'll still have to come up with the cash for the servers you place there, but it's easier when you have someone else picking up the tab for the physical space.

Getting other departments to assume some of the cost of your BCP will also have the side benefit of forcing them to cost justify the systems they want to put into practice. Departments that ordinarily demand that their file server be protected with a real-time replication solution will think twice about protecting their MP3 files in that manner if they're
responsible for the price tag. However, if the systems in question are mandatory to properly protect the data, that department will have little trouble finding fiscal reason to assume their portion of the overall DR budget.

The only drawback is that there's a certain level of red tape and budgetary overhead that's introduced any time you try to spread the cost of a project across multiple business units. Overcoming these complications will take dedication and proper planning, but it's definitely not something that should discourage you from following this course of action whenever
possible.

It's not always possible to get other departments or divisions to take over part of the BCP budget, but by working toward that goal, you can significantly reduce the amount of money the IT group is responsible for in the long run. After all, each dollar another department includes in its own budget adds to the total amount of money you have available to
extend and enhance your DR plan.


DOWNLOAD THIS REPORT ON BEST PRACTICES IN BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING
Instead of anticipating a one-time disaster, enterprises must now incorporate business continuity planning into all technical projects. Gartner's best practices report looks at the cost of downtime and negotiating a continuity service provider contract.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 11:00 PM

 
DISASTER RECOVERY E-NEWSLETTER for January 7, 2003

A COST-EFFECTIVE, COOPERATIVE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN YOU CAN DOWNLOAD
AND CUSTOMIZE
A TechRepublic member outlines how he developed a disaster recovery plan at a very low cost using ingenuity, networking, and cooperation. You can download his template and customize it to your own needs.

A DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN NEEDS TO INCLUDE REMOTE ACCESS
In the wake of a disaster, your physical facilities may be unreachable. To keep people working, be sure to have the capability for remote access by employees. Gartner has some suggestions for enterprises and their disaster management teams.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:58 PM

 
CHAD DICKERSON: "CTO Connection" from InfoWorld.com, June 4, 2003

FUHGEDDABOUT IT

IT doesn't matter.

That's right -- "IT doesn't matter" is the title of a must-read piece for IT in the May 2003 Harvard Business Review. In a nutshell, Nicholas G. Carr, an independent business editor and writer, argues that IT is the latest in a series of broadly-adopted technologies that have changed the way business operates over the past 20 years, but the wide availability and low cost of technology infrastructure has begun to transform IT into an invisible "commodity input."

For the purposes of his discussion, Carr defines IT as "the technologies used for processing, storing, and transporting information in digital form."

Carr goes on to argue that companies should take a more defensive approach to IT, spend less, and become IT followers instead of IT leaders. It has worked for companies such as
Dell and Wal-Mart, Carr notes, and a number of studies have clearly demonstrated that higher levels of IT spending have no correlation to a company's financial results. In fact,
the most successful companies spend far less on IT than the average. In its ubiquity, IT no longer confers strategic advantage to companies, so they should focus on using IT for
risk management not for creating new IT opportunities.

You know what? Carr is right and IT staff should take heed. But I think a deeper look at the larger IT environment suggests that although the nuts and bolts of IT don't matter in and of themselves -- the servers, the network, the databases -- business is not out of the IT woods just yet.

There's a lot more to a successful technology operation than a bunch of cheap servers and network gear. Although IT itself doesn't matter, I have found that IT staff matter more than
ever. Getting it all right still depends as much on assembling the right people as it does on using the appropriate technologies.

The market for IT jobs is undoubtedly poor right now, but I still need more IT help than I have on hand, even to handle the commodity tasks. Informal discussions with other CTOs and IT managers confirm that finding good IT people remains difficult, even with a seeming glut of talent. The natural suggestion from the business side is to outsource, but
outsourcing is not automatically cost effective. And you are still competing in the same labor market as your outsourcer, unless you are outsourcing IT to companies that are far
removed geographically from your own (which is happening in some cases).

If the name of the game is managing costs to stay competitive, the old sports adage certainly applies: The best offense is a good defense. Carr suggests that companies should focus heavily on security and service vulnerabilities, which is good news for security staff and anyone who knows how to build and maintain high-availability systems. Eliminating waste in storage and server overdeployment is another element of playing defense. But anyone who has been involved in the consolidation trends of the past couple of years knows that managing infrastructure strip-down is a more valuable skill than simply building infrastructure willy-nilly.

If IT is headed in the same direction as electricity, that sounds pretty good to me -- the last bill I got from an electrician certainly made me think about switching careers. I think I'll stick with IT for now, though.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:45 PM

 
CHAD DICKERSON: "CTO Connection" from InfoWorld.com
Wednesday, December 11, 2002

INFLUENCING INNOVATION

RECENTLY I HAD the pleasure of listening to Dr. Hal Varian, the dean of U.C. Berkeley's School of Information Management and Systems, speak to InfoWorld's 25 Most Influential CTOs at our awards dinner in San Francisco.

I'll admit that I wasn't familiar with Dr. Varian's work, but after hearing him speak, my lack of exposure felt somewhat neglectful. Varian writes a regular column for the New York Times' business section and, with his colleague Carl Shapiro, has published a book that is next on my reading list -- Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy. You can also read Varian's online-only article "The Economics of Innovation" at http://www.infoworld.com/ctozone , and you can check out his live forum, "Building the IT
workforce," Thursday, Dec. 12, at 11 a.m. PST at http://www.infoworld.com/forums . Also a professor in the Haas School of Business at Berkeley, Dr. Varian's views dovetail with the CTO mindset in its focus on how technology and business intersect to drive innovation.

One topic that really captured my attention was Varian's explanation of the concept of "recombinant growth." The term may sound intimidating, but it is actually quite simple. Recombinant growth refers to reassembling existing technologies into something novel, innovative, and ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.

The Wright brothers leveraged their knowledge of kites, the new gasoline engine, and bicycles to invent something new and revolutionary: the airplane. The genius of the Wrights lay in their vision for creating a single mechanism that was greater than the sum of
its components.

On the technology and business level, this is the essence of what CTOs do -- we take our understanding of all the different technologies available and combine them in unique ways to deliver competitive advantages for our businesses.

I'll offer a timely example. Like many companies, InfoWorld has rolled out a number of wireless technologies over the past several months to enhance the productivity of its employees. Our headquarters is fully 802.11-enabled, a number of our key employees
are avid Blackberry users, and we're doing some tests with 802.11-enabled PocketPCs. On the sales side, we recently adopted Salesforce.com as our sales force automation solution. Both the wireless decisions and the sales force automation were made independently.

Coincidentally, I spent most of my time this week going on calls to our customers with members of our sales team, to study their work habits. A typical problem in the field is the need for a client's phone number that is not within arm's reach. Fortunately for me,
Salesforce.com announced a wireless edition launching in December that would allow sales people in the field to interface with their sales database in real time. Our investment in two unrelated technologies -- Salesforce.com and wireless technologies -- combine into an immediately useful innovation that will help drive revenue more efficiently. To a CTO, that's what it's all about.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:45 PM

 
CHAD DICKERSON: "CTO Connection" from InfoWorld.com
Wednesday, November 6, 2002

THE ART OF GOOD POLITICS

Recently, a book titled Revolutionizing IT: The Art of Using Information Technology Effectively came in the mail and caught my eye. Its authors, David H. Andrews and Kenneth R. Johnson, make many useful observations for developing software and systems, based on their combined experience of more than 60 years in the business. I immediately agreed with their assertion in the title that using IT effectively is an art, not a science.

Although the authors mostly provide useful food for thought in project management practices (such as allowing time, not requirements, to determine the scope of a project), I zeroed in on their thoughts about managing technology people. Andrews and Johnson
note that technology professionals possess unique characteristics that make them different from other workers. Technology professionals, the authors say, are logical, idealistic, optimistic, loyal, apolitical, curious, and sometimes communication-challenged in that they may be reluctant to voice their work dissatisfactions until they reach a boiling point.

Based on my experience, the authors' description of the technology worker is even-handed and fair. They mostly point to the strengths of technology professionals. However, one trait that might seem positive on the surface -- being apolitical -- actually turns out to be negative, in my opinion. Charles de Gaulle once said, "I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." For CTOs and other technology leaders, the same reasoning applies. Assuming an apolitical stance in today's business world is naive and impractical from a day-to-day execution standpoint.

I don't fundamentally view politics as a lot of nasty back-stabbing and infighting. Politics is about working and negotiating with others in your organization to get things done. The Webster's dictionary has several definitions for the word "politics," but the definition I would use in this context is, "the total complex of relations between people living in society." Technology leaders should not turn up their noses at office politics, they
should embrace the particular dynamics of their workplace and strive to understand how they need to operate within their organization to move things forward. Playing the game is not always pretty, but understanding and leveraging the complex relationships of people can often be more immediately useful than deep technical knowledge.

Developing this understanding of organizational dynamics and how you and your team operate within them can help avoid the nastiness and strife typically associated with the word "politics." You might have the most talented technology team in the industry, but
if you don't understand the support of the sales department for a key project, your team -- and you as CTO -- will be viewed as ineffective, operating in a technology silo that is disconnected from the real needs of the business.

It's the CTO's job to marshal resources and communicate the value of IT to key constituencies within a company so that the technology team can focus on what it does
best, which is leveraging IT to deliver business value. If a CTO successfully communicates this value, the level of political noise will be minimized and there will be fewer resource constraints and less interdepartmental contention. Leveraging politics to create a work environment for people that runs as harmoniously as your back-end network is a positive thing.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:45 PM

 
"CTO Strategies" from InfoWorld.com
Thursday, January 23, 2003

Taking strategic planning from lip service to action plan

The chief technologist's role of aligning technology with business means that the CTO must be one-part strategist and one-part task master. If the CTO were to manage day-to-day IT operations without having a hand in development of corporate strategy, the enterprise would be left with a technology patchwork that serves not the corporate goals, but rather the corporate technology.

Chief technologists intuitively understand how IT must be included in developing long- and near-term strategic goals. But the questions become, How does -- and can -- strategic planning go from vision statement to action plan and where does budget planning fit in?

The tail wags the dog

Strategic and budget planning definitely play together, says Mary Stassie, senior vice president and CTO at Herndon, Va.-based government systems integrator DigitalNet. "I look at strategic planning as what direction you want to steer the ship. Budget planning
is more tactical." Strategic planning leads budget planning, says Joe Amor, vice president and general manager of Microspace Communications in Raleigh, N.C. "I see budget and
operations planning as planning that occurs as a result of a finalized strategic plan. The strategic plan defines how much money -- budgetary -- and what infrastructure -- operations -- will be required to execute the plan."

Amor, who oversees operations and how technology supports and furthers enterprise operations, says his role in strategic planning is to "determine current trends and anticipate future market demand so Microspace will have the right service at the right
time with the right features -- and all of this at the right price."

A CTO, says Mike Gioja, vice president of technology at Framingham, Mass.-based Workscape, "must really understand the business drivers and be able to articulate in business terms how new technologies could provide the company with a competitive
advantage."

This must be in the context of fully understanding the industry landscape and reality of current business and sales issues. "Everything is a trade-off, and this requires balancing the short term and long term," says Gioja. "The CTO needs to consider design points for
longer term needs in order to minimize rework/rewrites that could negatively impact the business model and ROI."

In a supporting role

Even as CTOs develop the technology road map to be folded into the enterprise's strategic plan, they cannot do so in a vacuum.

Amor says his company's executives believe that market research is never-ending requirement. "[Market research] must be a standard component of weekly/monthly job responsibilities -- and not just something that one does at the end of the year in
anticipation of the upcoming year's plan."

Amor looks to both current clients and his company's account managers as extremely valuable sources of information required to put a strategic plan in place. "After all, both are vital participants in the market and are exposed to a variety of business-critical information on a daily basis," he says.

Stassie agrees and also includes field managers as important sources in developing a strategic plan.

Defining the cloud

Taking a vision -- a strategy from concept to actionable plan -- is more of that managing amid the chaos, something CTOs are familiar with. Still, strategic planning without resulting action items is little more than lip service.

DigitalNet's Stassie says her company develops a strategic plan document yearly, something that comes from meetings of executives and various managers. "Everyone walks from the summit, with action items -- with items that are tracked," she says.

Other companies are quite formal in their approach to strategic planning. Mark Minevich, now CTO of Marksoft Holdings, served as CTO of Next Generation in IBM's Global Incubator program. His division worked with a corporate strategy team a few times a year to focus on
emerging business opportunities, conducting high-level strategic planning in the areas of strategic vision, offerings, core competencies, market intelligence, and value propositions. The team "performed a comprehensive market intelligence and market management study, validated by third-party providers and historical data points before the acceptance of
the strategic plan," he says.

CTOs in complex organizations must obtain "support for a strategic plan from other CTOs and strategic planners in other divisions as well as an alignment with corporate strategy," says Minevich, who also is chairman of the New York-New Jersey chapter of the Technology Leadership Council.

But any resulting plan cannot be made of stone, says Stassie. "Technology is changing so quickly that long-term strategic plans are now two to three-year plans. The plan can't be a plan for plan's sake. It must be a living document."

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:45 PM

 
PEARL HARBOR "DAY OF DECEIT" AUTHOR ANSWERS HIS CRITICS

In the three years since the publication of his bestseller, DAY OF DECEIT: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor, Robert B. Stinnett has drawn plenty of fans and critics. (Stinnett's op-eds, by the way, are among the Independent Institute's most frequently visited web pages.)

Fans praise Stinnett's original archival research, aided by the Freedom of Information Act, for showing that decision-makers in Washington, D.C. had foreknowledge of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor -- and in fact had intended to provoke a Japanese attack.

Stinnett's detractors, however, sling their arrows at everything from the book's underlying thesis to relatively minor issues such as its location of U.S. military code-breaking outposts and the dates of recently declassified wartime memos.

Last December, the WALL STREET JOURNAL's Letters-to-the-Editor page became ground zero for the anti-Stinnett attack by publishing letters written by two influential critics of Stinnett -- authors Stephen Budiansky and Edward J. Drea (who have written separate books on code-breaking in World War II). Along with earlier criticism by David Kahn (also the author of a book on code-breaking), published the previous November in the NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS, these attacks comprise the loudest broadside against Stinnett's work.

Unfortunately, although Stinnett authored a detailed rejoinder, neither the WSJ nor the NYROB deemed it sufficiently newsworthy to published. Fortunately, Stinnett's rejoinder, "The Pearl Harbor Deception," is now available on the Independent Institute website.

There is, however, an injustice that should enrage even Stinnett's critics -- assuming that they seek the truth. "Immediately after DAY OF DECEIT appeared in bookstores in 1999," writes Stinnett in his rejoinder, "NSA [the National Security Agency] began withdrawing
pre-Pearl Harbor documents from the Crane Files housed in Archives II.... As of January 2002, over two dozen NSA withdrawal notices have triggered the removal of Pearl Harbor documents from public inspection."

If Stinnett's critics want an honest debate, shouldn't they speak out against the NSA's stonewalling and in favor of the release of the documents -- written more than 60 years ago -- that would help settle the debate? If truth is their goal, what have they got to lose?

See "The Pearl Harbor Deception," by Robert B. Stinnett (December 2, 2002)

Also see
"December 7, 1941: A Setup from the Beginning," by Robert B. Stinnett (HONOLULU ADVERTISER, December 7, 2000)

"Pentagon Still Scapegoats Pearl Harbor Fall Guys," by Robert B. Stinnett (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, December 7, 2001)

"Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor? An Interview with Robert B. Stinnett," by Douglas Cirignano

To read or hear Robert B. Stinnett's address to the Independent Policy Forum, "Pearl Harbor: Official Lies in an American War Tragedy?"

posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:45 PM

Thursday, June 26, 2003

 
Sent: Tuesday, November 05, 2002 3:37 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Consider Linux clusters for your organization


DOWNLOAD THIS BUDGET WORKBOOK TO TRACK AND ANALYZE TECH COSTS
One TechRepublic member and IT consultant created an Excel budget workbook, which is a handy tool for mapping out tech expenditures, including software and hardware costs. Use it to align your tech expenditures with strategic business goals.

SIX IT GOVERNANCE RULES TO BOOST IT AND USER CREDIBILITY
Effective decision-making between the IS organization and users can raise each group's credibility in the eyes of the other. To improve IT credibility, CIOs should adopt Gartner's six rules for IT governance.

THE NEW CIO MANAGEMENT STRATEGY: CONSULTANTS 'R' US
Revamping IT into an internal services organization--aka a consulting firm--won't be easy, but it will afford IT new respect and provide unexpected payoffs, including better expertise and a new revenue approach.


DOWNLOAD THIS LOG TO TRACK AND ANALYZE YOUR HELP DESK ACTIVITIES
Tracking and analyzing help desk activity is an IT requirement. Why use expensive call-tracking and issue resolution software when you can use this Excel spreadsheet instead?

posted by Sheldon Lennox 6:54 PM

 
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 4:13 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Address intranet security concerns


PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT KEEPS IT ALIGNED WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY
Keeping IT synchronized with the corporate business strategy can be much easier if CIOs apply the principles of financial portfolio management to IT investments. Financial expert Peter Hennigan discusses how this method can work for your organization.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 6:51 PM

 
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 3:43 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Land the perfect CIO job

HOW TO LAND THE PERFECT CIO JOB
When it comes to landing a new IT leadership role, your approach has to be proactive. The perfect CIO job is out there, but it requires hard work and dedication to find it. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting that perfect job, including tips on watching the marketplace and playing the networking game.

WRITE AN EFFECTIVE IT DUE DILIGENCE REPORT
After you've conducted your on-site due diligence data collection, you must prepare a report. Keep in mind that writing isn't exactly a breeze. Use this collection of tips to help you create an effective and informative report.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 6:49 PM

 
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 3:26 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Survey reveals IT leaders' top concerns

ENSURE QUALITY ON YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITH THIS DOWNLOADABLE
SPREADSHEET
Keeping a keen eye on an application development process can be more difficult if you don't use tracking software. This spreadsheet, designed to identify problems in the development project life cycle, can help.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

 
AICPA News Update - Week of Feb 24

Privacy Tools Available Free on CPA2Biz.com
Privacy is one of the top issues for businesses of all sizes. To address this issue, several tools are now provided as free pdf downloads in the CPA2Biz Privacy Resource Center.

These include:
-Privacy Matters: An Introduction to Personal Information Protection
-20 Questions Businesses Need to Ask About Privacy
-An Overview of HIPAA: The Role of CPAs in Privacy Compliance
-Privacy - Are Your Clients Minding Their Own Business?
-Privacy - Minding Your Own Business

To view these resources, visit https://www.cpa2biz.com/ResourceCenters/Information+Security/Privacy/default.htm.
In addition, two new brochures were developed for CPAs in public practice and CPAs in business and industry as an introduction to privacy issues. These can be accessed at: https://www.cpa2biz.com/ResourceCenters/Information+Security/Privacy/Privacy+Resources.htm
posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

 
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 11:03 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Invest in enterprise management solutions


DOWNLOAD TO ASSESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT READINESS
Consultants tasked with introducing formal project management processes to a client would do well to understand how much the client has already embraced project management, if at all. This template can help you gauge the work you have ahead.

MOVE YOUR PROJECT TRACKING ONLINE WITH PROJUX
Managing and tracking projects in the traditional way can be a major hassle for project leaders and members. One streamlining alternative is Projux, an online project-tracking tool that can make short work of managing project data.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

 
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 3:23 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Upgrade your OS and Office suite to XP

DOWNLOAD TO ASSESS PROJECT MANAGEMENT READINESS
Consultants tasked with introducing formal project management processes to a client would do well to understand how much the client has already embraced project management, if at all. This template can help you gauge the work you have ahead.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

 
Sent: Thursday, January 09, 2003 3:18 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] Make the case for spend analytics

WHEN A BEST PRACTICE ISN'T BEST FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
After a consultant performed a security assessment for a client, he was rehired a few months later to examine his client's progress. Here's what he found when he took a look at the client's approach to passwords and the corrections he had to make.



posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

 
Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 3:16 AM
Subject: [TechRepublic] CIOs share wisdom and experiences in a new book

CIOs SHARE WISDOM AND EXPERIENCES IN A UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
There isn't anyone more suited to write about CIO issues than CIOs themselves. That's what one CIO realized when he initiated a literary project to provide IT executive insight. The mission of the book, CIO Wisdom, is to raise IT's respect level and provide helpful experiences and lessons learned.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:09 PM

Sunday, April 27, 2003

 

<> GSpot Codec Information Appliance v2.1 [112k] W9x/2k/XP

 

 http://www.headbands.com/gspot/

 

{Codec information appliance} A codec is a program that tells the computer how to display a video clip or movie. Video clips aren't displayed or interpreted in the same way, and codec takes care of it. Find an AVI file and drag 'n drop the file into GSpot, which outputs all of the information in its dialog box. Look in "Video Format" for Status to see if the codec is installed or not. If it's not, then you need to obtain the codec listed. If a codec isn't available for "Audio Format," there may be no sound. GSpot identifies what's needed, but does not install it. Go to a favorite search engine and enter "codec" along with the information from the status box to help narrow down the search. Download the codec and install it, which will enable your media players to play the file. I plugged in a lot of files before I could find one that was "not installed." It was CRAM and doing a search, I found out the codec's name was "Microsoft Video 1" and did a search on the phrase to learn it's an old codec originally shipped with Video for Windows (from Windows 3.1). It is a codec of low quality, and rarely used today. Though I do little with videos, I had fun playing with this utility. [Meryl]

 

 

 

 

posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:01 AM

Sunday, December 15, 2002

 
AICPA B&I E-News #15
June 15, 2002

A strategic planning and visioning methodology developed by The Grove Consultants International, based in San Francisco (http://www.grove.com). This methodology combines graphic facilitation with strategic planning and visioning concepts that focuses participants using graphic templates in a story-telling manner, which taps the group's intuition and gains their commitment.

Employee Loyalty is Central to Business Success

Frederick F. Reichheld, director emeritus of Bain & Co. and author, recently presented a Webcast, sponsored by Ultimate Software, titled: The Impact of Employee Loyalty. He presented his common sense-based principles of employee loyalty. I hope you will find them relevant and meaningful:

* Win/win - innovation is constantly required to improve employer/employee relationships. This may require forgoing the most profitable alternative when employee morale will be negatively impacted.
* Be picky- hire people who demonstrate that they have the appropriate company values.
* Keep it simple - keep your company organized into small teams. Good growth and positive customer response come from small teams.
* Reward the right results - reward not only based on profits, but also based on customer satisfaction and internal team evaluations.
* Listen hard/talk straight - when management fudges, it gives employees the message they can as well.
* Preach what you practice - leaders must be clear what the company stands for. When the times are tough, management needs to let employees know the principles the company stands for so that they will understand the decisions being made.

AICPA Top Ten Technologies

The AICPA conducted an on-line survey to rank 42 technologies. A total of 195 people responded. Top Technologies are presented in four categories:

* Issues: situations that result from technology implementation.
* Applications: business opportunities/objectives using one or more technologies.
* Technologies: end products (hardware, software or standard).
* Emerging Technologies: new developments currently under review.

The Top Technologies for 2002 are as follows:

1. Business and Financial Reporting Applications.
2. Training and Technology Competency.
3. Information Security and Controls.
4. Quality of Service.
5. Disaster Recovery (including business continuation and contingency planning).
6. Communication Technologies (bandwidth)
7. Remote Connectivity Tools
8. Web-based and web-enabled applications (internet)
9. Qualified IT Personnel
10. Messaging Applications (e-mail, faxing, voicemail, instant messaging)

Click on the following links to obtain more information about the Top Ten Technologies:

* Top Ten Technology List: http://www.cpa2biz.com/toptechs.

Coming Soon

Ethics Decision Tree for CPAs in Business & Industry: I mentioned this in our last issue and it is almost web-ready. This is a tool to help CPAs in business & industry understand the process they should go through when challenged by a professional ethics matter. This is a free tool and will be based on the web and later printed in an upcoming CPA Letter supplement.

Sample RFP: Under development is a sample "Request for Proposal" tool that a CPA controller or CFO would send out to accounting firms when they are considering engaging a firm for audit and related services. We will present two different samples RFPs: (1) for a privately-held company, and (2) for a publicly-held company. These tools will be ready for publication on the web in a few short weeks. They will be available for free download.

posted by Sheldon Lennox 9:59 AM

Monday, December 09, 2002

 
Windows 2000 Power Users
Volume 2, Number 34
December 6, 2002
By Serdar Yegulalp (serdar@win2kpowerusers.com)

XP's Product Activation Problem Solved, Pt 1

In volume 2, issue 32 (http://www.thegline.com/win2k/issues/2002/32.html#3), I related the problems of a fellow using a Windows XP product key which appeared to have been rendered invalid by Service Pack 1. Some of you may know that SP1 invalidates a slew of keys which were being widely pirated. Unfortunately, some people actually used those keys legitimately, or had keys which were in the same "family" as the invalidated ones.

The solution, of course, is to provide a new key -- but how do you do that for a system which has already been activated? How do you "de-activate" XP and provide a new key? After asking this, my mailbox fairly exploded with solutions, so I'm going to spend most of this issue detailing them. Yes, Virginia, there is a way to revoke Product Activation -- in fact, there's a bunch of ways:

1. SYSPREP
One of the handy by-products of running SYSPREP, the cloning-preparation tool provided by Microsoft and available on the XP CD-ROM, is that Product Activation is reset. (You can specify this to not happen if you're shipping out pre-activated systems, though.) It's probably one of the simplest ways around this problem, but some people may be understandably reluctant to muck around with SYSPREP. It also requires a lengthy reboot, and there can be other complications that make it less attractive to people.

2. Do an in-place upgrade (i.e., repair) with a genuine copy of Windows.
An in-place upgrade is nothing less than installing a fresh copy of Windows on top of the old one. This solves a lot of problems all at once, as you might imagine, but it also opens a Pandora's box of new ones. For one thing, I've had some bad trouble with machines where I did an in-place upgrade; I'd consider this a last-resort solution.

3. Hack it!
You had the feeling this was coming, didn't you? Yes, you can revoke your own license key with a little under-the-hood hacking. A whole slew of different people sent in this tip, so a thank you to all of you (you know who you are). These instructions actually come from Microsoft themselves, so they are almost certain to work provided you follow the steps to the letter.

a. Run REGEDIT and locate the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents.
b. Edit the value OOBETimer, and change at least one digit of this value.
c. Close REGEDIT and open a command line (Start | Run | CMD).
d. At the command line, type: %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
e. Click on "Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows."
f. Click on "Change Product key."
g. Enter the new key and click Update. You'll need to get a new key via the phone, through MS's 1-800 number, but the process takes only about five minutes.


posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:51 AM

Thursday, November 28, 2002

 
[TechRepublic] Gobble up cheap DRAM
November 26, 2002

QUICKLY IDENTIFY RAM CHIPS WITH THESE TIPS
Have a drawer full of old memory chips you can't identify? Sort through your help desk's RAM stockpile with help from these tips. Then, check out the posts in this article's discussion. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=1b-wAchI3NTzVkxtPN7_hOdaZHSC-8y


posted by Sheldon Lennox 11:47 PM

Thursday, November 21, 2002

 
Project Management at Builder.com
November 21, 2002

ESTIMATE TASK SIZE TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES IN MICROSOFT PROJECT
Task size estimates help you efficiently allocate resources in Microsoft Project. Giving your team members just the right amount of time they need to complete a task gives your project a better chance of succeeding. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=ad-_4jAQzEWaIyM-Nrqx6qxsYpHDaEW

CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTING A WEB-BASED PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Our columnist shares the challenges faced, and obstacles met, by one company deploying a Web-based project management system. Benefit from learning how this company smoothed out its bumps along the PM road. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=c2-oXSLQUEsqUhZmy9fkyAcFuRLH5Kt


posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:22 PM

Thursday, November 14, 2002

 
[TechRepublic] Secure your messages with next-generation IM
November 14, 2002

SECURE YOUR MESSAGES WITH NEXT-GENERATION IM

NEXT IM ADOPTION WAVE ARRIVING SOON
Instant messaging is a popular consumer tool that hasn't taken deep root in the enterprise. But that may change soon. Tim Landgrave explains that some of the biggest technology players are working to push and cement IM in the corporate workplace. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=8e-VeJcQCninXXNMiTLyZJPDVf9LiGm

IT DUE DILIGENCE: THE ON-SITE DISCOVERY VISIT
In IT due diligence, preparation is key to a successful on-site visit. Mike Sisco points out that this prep work can directly affect how much information is gleaned and help your efforts to build a strong IT relationship with the acquired company. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=b8-smd2QQUDXVJ_x5ESRRklp1NHPybD


posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:38 PM

Tuesday, November 12, 2002

 
OutlookPower Update
November 11, 2002

OUTLOOK 11 AND NEW MOBILITY FEATURES
By Diane Poremsky, Contributing Editor

Many of the new upcoming Outlook features I'm discussing this week are improvements in Outlook that make the program easier to use when out of the office. These features will likely benefit Exchange users, especially Exchange Titanium users, more than standalone Outlook users, although the improvements to header handling and download updates may benefit POP3 Outlook client users the most.

Most of us have experienced connection problems and are well aware that Outlook doesn't handle noisy connections well. When Outlook is downloading POP3 email,
it waits until all messages are downloaded before deleting (or marking as downloaded) the messages from the server. As a result, it's not unusual to get the same message downloaded multiple times. Outlook 11 will mark the headers downloaded after every 32kb, not at the end. This way, if Outlook looses the connection while downloading five messages, it will only need to re-download the last message or two, not all five.

Another new feature that sounds great is Outlook's ability to sense the connection speed. When you are using a high speed connection, Outlook will bring the entire message down when it's selected. For slower dialup connections, it will "drizzle" (get the message headers, then bodies) to improve download experience and eliminate the waiting to connect dialog we're all too familiar with.

Currently, when you connect to your mailbox, you have to choose online or offline mode and restart Outlook to change modes. With Outlook 11 you can switch modes on the fly, without restarting the program.

Both mobile users and security conscious Exchange administrators will like Outlook's ability to do "RPC over HTTP" (basically, the ability to do a "remote procedure call" over the standard Web HTTP protocol). This allows Outlook to speak with the Exchange server over the standard Web port, which is already open for OWA users. In plain English, this means users can use Outlook 11 as easily as they use OWA to access their mailboxes when out of the office, they won't have to use VPN to access the network first when they want to use Outlook. This will be more convenient for the users, and result in less hassle for the firewall administrator. The only catch is that this feature requires the new version of Exchange server, code named Titanium. It's unclear at this point if only the front end server needs to be Titanium or if server housing the
users mailboxes also needs to be running Titanium as well. [Another thought: RPC over HTTP may also mean developers can tap into this as a new way to tinker with Exchange and add capabilities. We'll keep an eye on this and let you know. --DG]

Most administers will have mixed feelings about another improvement in Outlook: message stores are no longer limited to 2GB. The default will be 20GB, with a practical limit of about 100GB for most users. The actual limit will be 32 terabytes, although few, if any, users have that much hard drive space available to them at this point in time.

To keep up with the latest information about the new version of Outlook, stop by http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol11.htm.


NEW ADD-ONS FOR OUTLOOK
Sperry Software has released four add-on solutions for Microsoft Outlook 2000/2002. Attachment Save removes the file attachments from incoming emails and saves them to a Windows folder when each email arrives. Email Duplicates Eliminator takes care of duplicate emails that are created each time you synchronize your personal data assistant with your desktop computer. Add Email Addresses automatically adds names to your address book when you send emails. http://www.sperrysoftware.com/


posted by Sheldon Lennox 11:54 PM

Monday, November 11, 2002

 
Microsoft Inside Office newsletter - November

QUIZ: DO YOU KNOW YOUR OUTLOOK CALENDAR?
How much do you really know about your Outlook calendar? Take our quiz and test your knowledge. Plus, pick up great tips and find out how Outlook 2002 and Microsoft Exchange Server combine to deliver new features to help you manage your time. http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/quiz/qolcalendar.aspx

BECOME A CERTIFIED SPECIALIST FOR MICROSOFT PROJECT 2002
Demonstrate your expertise with Microsoft Project 2002. The Microsoft Office Certification for Microsoft Project indicates your proficiency in using Microsoft Project to plan and manage complex projects and communicate project information. http://www.microsoft.com/TrainCert/mcp/officespecialist/project.asp

NOW AVAILABLE: MICROSOFT PRODUCER RESOURCE CD
Get Microsoft Producer 1.1, the add-on for Microsoft PowerPoint version 2002 that makes it easy to create media-rich presentations for the Web. This resource CD also comes with templates, a template editor, white papers, and other great tools. http://microsoft.order-6.com/producer/


posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:15 PM

 
CIO Hotline at TechRepublic.com
11/7/02
[TechRepublic] Find out why governments lag in systems adoption

CONFIGURE & SECURE 802.11 WIRELESS NETWORKS

Enjoy the benefits of wireless networking by addressing security and integration issues upfront. Configure, secure, and troubleshoot wireless networking with TechRepublic's 802.11 Wireless Networking Resource Guide. Learn how to:
*Understand wireless networking protocols
*Troubleshoot wireless configuration and hardware issues
*Secure your organization's wireless network
*Compare wireless hardware offerings
*Figure out if wireless presents a positive cost benefit
*Create a formal wireless policy
Eliminate the guesswork and trial-and-error with expert advice! http://cl.com.com/Click?q=41-qq-1IEK0oK5-L1hn9t_RkpOJJZ3z

RESULTS FROM OUR RECENT SURVEY
Our last survey was based on the article "Guidelines for setting security and privacy policies." We asked about your company's approach to security in light of increased concerns. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=80-KTNvQQ0M6P72T6BeSKS8VdtIBm68

DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE A SECURITY POLICY IN PLACE?
* Yes: 90 percent
* Not yet, but we're working on it: 10 percent

HAS YOUR COMPANY UPDATED ITS SECURITY POLICY IN 2002?
* Yes: 80 percent
* No: 20 percent

DOES YOUR COMPANY'S POLICY COVER SECURITY BASICS AND INCLUDE ADVICE TO USERS ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIOR?
* Yes: 100 percent

HAS YOUR IT ORGANIZATION RECEIVED ANY NEGATIVE FEEDBACK IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED SECURITY MEASURES?
* Yes: 50 percent
* No: 40 percent
* I'm not sure: 10 percent


posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:15 PM

 
Lockergnome's Windows Digest
October 27, 2002

SetupStream v2.02 [2.6M] W9x/2k/XP FREE
http://www.virtualzone.de/setupstream/

{Create a setup wizard} There is nothing I find more unprofessional than an application that comes to you in ZIP format with no install wizard. I don't mind if the ZIP file only has an executable and a database file (because with something that simple, there is no reason to make an install file), but when the ZIP file involves multiple directories and files, it is just more professional and efficient to install to a folder somewhere besides the Desktop - perhaps, rather, in the Program Files folder. SetupStream is an application that will help you make a setup wizard for any set of files on your computer. I can't believe how easy this application is to use - NO programming knowledge is required to make a setup wizard. This isn't just a case of "you get what you pay for;" in fact, I am quite surprised that this application is free. SetupStream will allow you to do things such as make modifications to the Windows Registry, define a separate destination directory for each file, create shortcuts, and even display a license agreement that the user has to accept in order to proceed. I love that I have the power to make a setup wizard that places an uninstall wizard in my Add/Remove programs
link, which means I can do a clean uninstall if the installed program proves to be troublesome. I have only been able to outline a few of the great features of SetupStream, and I highly recommend that if you only click on ONE link in this newsletter today, make it this one, because this application is more than worthy of your attention. [BS]

Phone Scoop
http://www.phonescoop.com/

I have recently become the proud owner of a brand new Motorola T720 cell phone. I didn't just run to the store and purchase my new phone, though; I DID perform some research first. Nothing is worse than to bring home a new phone and find out that the reception is terrible, the battery life is lacking, and that you could have gotten a way better phone for the same price - if not cheaper. I learned this lesson with my previous Nokia phone, because I knew I loved my original Nokia phone and thought the next model would be even better. Well, I was wrong. One of the Web sites I used to do my research was phonescoop.com - partially because I knew I could read more than just the specifications on the phone, but I could find user reviews too. It's my opinion that someone who has used the phone would give me the best review, whether good or bad. It's the same idea as me giving Windows ME a bad review without even looking at it. On top of all of this, I can use their Phone Finder to find the perfect phone with all the features I want that are supported by my wireless provider. Now that I have purchased and started using my new phone I can see why everyone loved it so much. That doesn't mean I am going to stop checking out this Web site, though, because phonescoop.com also has news headlines on new gadgets and technology advances that
affect the way I communicate from a mobility point of view. So next time you need a new cell phone, head over to phonescoop.com first and get all the facts. You will be happy that you did! [BS]


posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:07 AM

Sunday, November 10, 2002

 
A "best practices" document for testing and deploying Microsoft Service Packs to make things a little more predicatable for our fellow admins. Thought you might find it useful.
http://www.labmice.net/ServicePacks/articles/deploysp.htm

A quick and dirty checklist for standalone installations is at:
http://www.labmice.net/ServicePacks/articles/survivesp.htm


posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:30 PM

 
[Lockergnome Windows Daily] Marvelous Mold
11.05.2002

FilmWise http://www.filmwise.com/

I have a friend at work who seems to know every detail about every movie ever made. He has even competed in local contests and beat groups of people with his film knowledge. He doesn't just learn this information by watching movies; he also likes to surf the Internet for trivia and movie facts. I was proud to furnish him with a link to filmwise.com this week. With this Web site, you can quiz yourself in various aspects of movie trivia. If you think you can pick the title of a movie just by viewing a scene of it, then you should try the Invisibles quiz! With Invisibles, you have to pick the movie from a picture of the scene; the twist is that the people are made invisible. It's much harder to figure the movie when you can't see the people in the movie! If that is just too tough, then you can always try a Visual Quiz where you pick a movie from seeing a specific visual from the movie, like the QuikStop mart from Clerks. If these quizzes don't catch your attention, then maybe you are a text quiz type of person. The text quizzes are hard to explain, but some of them consist of fill-in- the-blank movie quotes or name-the-movie-from-this-phone- conversation. Did I mention that they have quiz contests you can enter? Indeed they do, and if you win then you get to walk away with a brand new DVD. Of course, since I clued you in to the Web site that means that you need to send me the first DVD you win... right? Well, maybe not, but I think I can live with the peace of mind that you are enjoying this very entertaining and challenging Web site. [BS]


posted by Sheldon Lennox 9:49 PM

Friday, November 08, 2002

 
AOL sends corporate IM
Cathleen Moore
October 28, 2002 01:01 AM PST

AS CORPORATE INTEREST in instant messaging and presence-awareness technology escalates, widely-used consumer IM services are making a run at the enterprise with new security, management, and integration capabilities. For the rest of the article, go to: http://www.infoworld.com/articles/pl/xml/02/10/28/021028plsecureim.xml


posted by Sheldon Lennox 2:35 AM

Wednesday, November 06, 2002

 
[Lockergnome Tech Specialist] Keen Static
October 29, 2002

Free Win2K DNS Training Course
Passed along by Bernie Klinder

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q330511

A training course titled "Understanding and Troubleshooting DNS in Windows 2000" is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center.

This course provides in-depth discussion of Domain Name Service (DNS) as implemented in Windows 2000, with emphasis on best practices for installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting the DNS Client service and DNS Server service in Windows 2000 networking and Active Directory directory service environments. Detailed discussion of DNS name resolution methods and namespace planning are included. Screen-capture demonstrations illustrate key administrative, configuration, and troubleshooting tasks.


posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:53 PM

Saturday, November 02, 2002

 
Spotlight White Papers in IT Management
October 17, 2002

TITLE: Strategic Initiatives
COMPANY: Helix Group Inc.
DESCRIPTION: The Strategic Initiatives construct is an excellent way to insure that strategies are integrated, coordinated, challenging to the organization, trackable and implementable. Here is a very... http://cl.com.com/Click?q=60-oqItIsE4xX6RnJGLN8SFokx3EaFR

TITLE: Improving the Planning Process
COMPANY: Helix Group Inc.
DESCRIPTION: A common approach to planning is what is called The Table of Contents Project Approach. It begins with the very positive notion that if there is to be a plan then it should be documented.... http://cl.com.com/Click?q=9f-o7XMQ1JLPB49raDYlcGekq4NBfnR

TITLE: What is a Project and When is a Project Manager Needed?
COMPANY: Comprehensive Consulting Solutions, Inc.
DESCRIPTION: Most people view a project as a designated set of tasks needed to accomplish a particular goal. Using those criteria, many of the things that you do each day could be considered projects. That is... http://cl.com.com/Click?q=b4-aJlbQ6Z9ubPgop8qJzDoyUDMPMPR


posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:34 PM

 
[TechRepublic] Assign tasks with the Build Team From Enterprise dialog box
October 18, 2002

USING THE BUILD TEAM FROM ENTERPRISE DIALOG BOX IN MICROSOFT PROJECT 2002 PROFESSIONAL
If you're managing a project, you want to match the right team member for a particular task. Brian Kennemer examines some features of the
Build Team From Enterprise dialog box and shows you how you can use it to find resources with Project Server and Project 2002 Professional.
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=2c-DafOIc0wqhot1K3YXlzdB70KrcDy

ADVANTAGES AND DRAWBACKS TO HOURLY FEES AND FLAT RATES
Are consultants better off charging their clients a flat fee or setting an hourly rate? Heed these stories, and a few hard lessons, from four consultants before you bill your clients.
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=41-qq-1IEK0oKb8E1UJ9t_RkpOJJZ3z

ARE ALL NETWORK AUTODISCOVERY TOOLS EITHER WEAK OR COSTLY?
TechRepublic's senior network engineer, Lori Hyde, tried two network autodiscovery tools and found they provided a mess of information that
takes as much time to clean up as manually documenting the network. Hyde seeks a solution. What's your advice?
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=56-NwNYInnktkwtpFoCNCrrDMhFzwvO

SOLICIT FEEDBACK ON ACTION ITEMS TO REALIZE FULL MEETING VALUE
Columnist Tim Landgrave explains how consistently agreeing on and following through with action items identified in meetings boosts customer service satisfaction and enhances product quality.
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=96-pjrWQtdmd9qdDLdrBfkmSjnT08GJ

HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LEADING CERTIFICATION FORUMS
Web-based forums can be excellent IT certification study aids. Erik Eckel rates the four most popular IT discussion centers and explains what each has to offer. He also identifies several newsgroups you can turn to when tracking down elusive answers.
http://cl.com.com/Click?q=ab-ZcMKQYpJbnQKfCdqDsn90w7ZszQJ


posted by Sheldon Lennox 6:05 PM

 
[TechRepublic] Address DNS-related security concerns
October 23, 2002

QUICK FIXES FOR SECURING WINDOWS 2000 DNS SERVICES
Domain Name Service (DNS) offers various conveniences, but it also contains inherent security vulnerabilities, such as denial of service (DoS) attacks. Lauri Elliott explains how you can help your clients by tightening possible security problems on their Windows 2000 DNS service. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=06-fPUuI48ThKWGTa5wSxf5Cz1hb1G5

GET WINDOWS MESSENGER TO WORK WITH FIREWALLS AND NAT
Windows Messenger can connect your users in exciting new ways. But it's a challenge when firewalls and NAT are involved. Greg Shultz discusses why firewalls and NAT cause connection problems and shows you ways UPnP can help. Also, check out the recent discussion posts to this article! http://cl.com.com/Click?q=1b-wAchI3NTz0kutr5R_hOdaZHSC-8y

WORKING WITH OVERALLOCATIONS IN MICROSOFT PROJECT 2002
Every project has a finite amount of time and resources that can be devoted to completing tasks. Overallocation, when a project calls for more time than a team member has, can present serious problems. Learn how to work around this dilemma. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=30-u8KEIRrBLw8WzgY7dP5MSDp7-LbH

NURTURING THE FREELANCE NETWORK
Consultants who complete their engagements with the help of freelancers can take steps to ensure that independent contractors will be around when needed. Keep freelancers happy with these suggestions. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=5a-ah31IP00dKubJK0lGS5EpJQ4IVI6

MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS WITH PROJECT SERVER'S STATUS REPORT FEATURE
Written progress reports can be one of the more difficult parts of a resource's job. But Project Server makes them easy with qualitative, text-based status reports that are built into the Web Access product. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=6f-3xL9IOLlY3LXPZftqTgEFNlnWhhi

MAP NETWORK DRIVES WITH WINDOWS 2000 LOGIN SCRIPTS
Constantly remapping network drives can be a help desk headache. Find out how Windows 2000 login scripts can make the job much easier. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=84-CC2yQ602V7kz3gfIO4TwBY0oUgVw


posted by Sheldon Lennox 5:38 PM

 
[TechRepublic] Consider scalability and lower costs for network appliances
October 24, 2002

CONSIDER SCALABILITY AND LOWER COSTS FOR NETWORK APPLIANCES

FIRM FINDS AFFORDABLE, SCALABLE ALTERNATIVE TO MICROSOFT EXCHANGE
It would have been simple for one manufacturer to replace its box of ISP accounts with Microsoft Exchange, but cost and maintenance issues prompted the tech team to choose a new network appliance. Read about this project tech leader's cost-effective decision. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=a4-HGVsQ6p5mTatgeq1YN85vOGCwkyH

WILL THE CIO ROLE BECOME EXTINCT IN THE NEXT DECADE?
According to one former CIO, the role of the CIO, as we know it, will disappear in the next decade because of changing attitudes toward technology's place in the enterprise. Do you agree? Post a comment within the discussion thread and let us know. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=ba-m-u5QXpMTWYccYfwxI1z_ZBnPYnv

THIS WORKSHEET TOOL HELPS TECH LEADERS SPECIFY PROJECT NEEDS AND COSTS
Do you need detailed estimates of related internal costs and expected return on investment (ROI) to receive business leaders' backing for IT projects? Get this information and justify your IT expenditures by downloading our worksheet tool. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=cf-ebQ-QLwTuw80dUfESnezOviSm-mv

HOW TO TACKLE A NETWORK DOCUMENTATION PROJECT
Few IT tasks are more tedious than network documentation, and the job becomes especially challenging when you have to build it from scratch. These pointers will help you get your documentation project on the right track. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=23-sFnGINMcnMu30qCXT7ob9ud28GQB


posted by Sheldon Lennox 5:32 PM

Friday, November 01, 2002

 
[TechRepublic] Make a suitable payment arrangement for each project
November 01, 2002

MAKE A SUITABLE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENT FOR EACH PROJECT

CLIENT PAYMENT STRUCTURES THAT GET THE CHECK
You like to have control over how your clients structure their payments to you. Some factors are out of your control, but you can work some payment methods and strategies into your project contract, such as "milestone" installments and discount incentives. Lisa Gill explains. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=fe-xkjgQwgDVMsFBZJkPiPYga_Ov5Gs

ETHICAL DILEMMA: DID THE CONSULTANT MAKE THE RIGHT MOVE?
When a consultant learned that a client's Web hosting service wasn't performing data backups, he decided he had to tell what he knew despite the fact that he was jeopardizing his career. Did he make the right call? Read the article and discuss this dilemma with other members. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=3d-oieNIbzv6X6paJlAgrDPUXPFcMLS

BUILDING STOPLIGHT CHARTS INTO PROJECT SERVER 2002
Stoplight charts--in which the status of a project is represented by red, yellow, or green icons--can offer project leaders a quick view of which projects need attention. Here's how you can easily set them up in Project Server 2002. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=52-LU0oIrJGIR2IUtRELgL3tO6eroJ-

MAKE SURE YOUR COVER LETTER CONVEYS THE RIGHT MESSAGE
Instead of being able to rely largely on their employment network, consultants are finding themselves relying on standard tools to get their feet in the door. Keep these points in mind as you write your cover letter. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=67-Pn3kIOEwRnthwxrzxDr3K6SrE5H-


posted by Sheldon Lennox 2:50 PM

Wednesday, October 23, 2002

 
AICPA Information Technology Section October Technology Alert
October 23, 2002

Agility and the Business Value of IT
By Susan Bradley, CPA/CITP, MCP

Editor's Note: This is a commentary based on a three-part series from Garter Group http://www3.gartner.com/pages/story.php.id.2284.s.8.jsp
called "The Business Value of IT."

Think of last year's gross revenue. Can you determine exactly how much was generated by technology investments? In the days of rationalizing ROI, firms and companies estimated just how much one dollar of IT spending would generate an increase in net income or profit. Today, this is even harder to determine.

As we enter the "maturing" of the IT industry, evidenced by the Internet Bubble, it is more difficult to determine the impact and value of IT for a number of reasons. We question the implementation of large IT projects, the risks associated with them and certainly the value of IT spending as knowledge workers continue trying to embrace the ambiguous concept of "change."

Today, "agile" is a five-letter word businesses build into every dollar of IT spending. Most analysts are saying we need to be "agile" to obtain the best business value for IT spending. Even large firms want to ensure they gain competitive advantages by investing in solutions that enable them to make real-time shifts in strategies.

In a 24x7x365, real-time connected world, businesses attempt to shift from internal efficiency to external agility. Local governments, as well, also seek real-time information and data from their constituents. Software, such as PeopleSoft, SAP and others are implemented to provide such information. SEC filers are embracing Web-based solutions to help meet increasing needs of faster period closings and more transparent reporting.

IT agility also provides businesses like banks - dependent in the past on physical brick and mortar locations to serve their clients - to provide a wider range of methods for customers to obtain services they need immediately.

The value of IT spending as it pertains to increasing knowledge worker productivity is the hardest to quantify. Real-time, online collaboration is key as firms begin to realize the advantages of workforces worldwide. Gartner Group estimates that by 2005, more than 25 percent of IT capital budgets in at least 70 percent of large- and mid-size businesses will be directed to transforming enterprises into using external focus and agility to compete. In addition, while the traditional focus of IT investment in "Enterprise necessities" (financial control, production management and internal communications) exists, differentiation is key to the process. As a result, they need "Enterprise differentiators," such as supply-chain virtual communities, creating new services and forming new business partnerships.

What can IT provide to firms to ensure business value? Gartner Group defines the following key elements:

* Internal efficiency
* Finance
* Payroll
* Internal Inventory and Production Control
* Internal Communication
* External efficiency
* External service providers
* Connected supply chains linking production to customers
* Internal agility
* CRM in financial services
* External agility
* Building stronger connections between customers and businesses


To begin this process, Gartner recommends businesses devote at least 40 percent of their management decision-making time to "Enterprise differentiators." Factors needing immediate attention to transition to agility include budget allocation, competencies, governance of IS organization and enterprises, enterprise IT architecture, management systems, enterprise cultures, and leadership styles. Many of these factors can be found in the AICPA's Top Technologies for 2002 (http://www.cpa2biz.com/).

Failure to align long-term IT strategies into driving change in the enterprise and change architecture, along with competencies, investment and leadership, may jeopardize the enterprise.

Before gathering an IT strategy team to evaluate the plan, think about your own firm's agility. Are you trying to build in a culture of change for workers and a leadership that both embraces and rewards change? Begin by seeing that training, collaborative tools, and knowledge management systems exist so that firms can foster infrastructure interoperability, transparency and zero latency. Now is the time to evaluate your current IT systems to ensure that they assist organizations in this goal. "IT systems" include both the dollars spent on IT structures, such as the traditional hardware and software, as well as the dollars spent on your knowledge workers.

To prepare for tougher times ahead ensure your "company's ship" is built like a tugboat - powerful but flexible, and that your IT structure isn't like the doomed Titanic, unwilling to see the danger ahead and unable to turn fast enough to divert disaster. The right investment in IT will allow you to become a tugboat. However, while It may be difficult to quantify the business value of IT, it's not difficult to realize the impact when IT doesn't not provide value. When firms can't compete, they can't survive.

Susan Bradley is a principal with Tamiyasu, Smith, Horn and Braun in Fresno, Calif. She writes a regular column for IntoTech Update called "EBitz." Contact her at mailto:sbradcpa@pacbell.com.


posted by Sheldon Lennox 9:57 PM

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

 
[TechRepublic] Patch your recovery solution with tape
October 22, 2002

Not every organization has the resources and infrastructure to support real-time replication and high availability (HA) systems. In fact, numerous companies can't provide redundant hardware, even in a many-to-one configuration. If this is the case for your organization, and it uses tape as its primary--or only--methodology for disaster recovery (DR), learn how to achieve the maximum level of protection.

First, settle on a backup rotation scheme. While it's possible to backup all the data every night--a full daily backup--the size of the average tape and the amount of time a full backup takes makes this idea unrealistic. A more practical approach to protecting data is to devise a system that utilizes both full and incremental backups. My personal favorite is the grandfather-father-son (GFS) system.

With the GFS rotation, you make a full monthly backup and move it immediately to an off-site location. A weekly backup is held on-site until the next weekly full backup is successfully completed. In addition, an incremental or differential backup is performed each day to catch changes since the last weekly tape. These daily backups are generally not removed from the site unless a methodology is in place that ensures they can be returned to the site quickly.

Second, decide what tape backup system to use. This decision includes the implementation of hardware and software for servers and possibly desktops.

The two favorite hardware options currently in the industry are digital linear tape (DLT) and linear tape open (LTO). Both of these tape formats offer great performance, speed, and large capacity. While each has subtle benefits over the other, it's generally the pricing from your preferred vendor that will determine which one you use.

There are a multitude of tape software systems available to protect your data. However, before you make a software purchase decision, analyze what you need to back up. For flat files, such as Word documents, any software system will perform well. Applications like databases, e-mail systems, and other systems that hold open files and databases require special backup agents that not all software makers provide.

Many special backup agents cost an additional fee per server, but without the agents, the files that are locked by the software will not be backed up until the software is no longer running. This means that backup software will require some applications to be in an offline state before backing them up without an agent. The limited time frame in which you can execute backups--the backup window--is one of the main reasons that tape backups can be difficult to perform on large-scale database driven systems.

Software decisions must also take into account where the data resides. Some tape systems are not designed to allow the backup of data over the network. Others require the installation of agents on each server that's backed up. Unlike software agents, these are usually included with the backup software, but it's one more service that the servers must run.

Take time to investigate your options, because the proper combination of hardware and software can create an excellent tape backup system to protect your company's data. Keep in mind that the data stored on tapes is approximately 12 to 24 hours behind the live production data. However, if your recovery point objective (RPO) allows for this much data loss, then tape is a very good cost-effective method of DR.


posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:51 AM

 
[TechRepublic] Learn nine key principles of real-time enterprises
October 21, 2002

THE WIN9x VPN CLIENT CONNECTION GUIDE
Your VPN server may work like a charm, but if the client isn't configured properly, the whole system is pretty useless. Find out how to configure older Windows 9x clients to use VPN technology. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=d3-GZGkQJP56HxYx6KUCi-n1D-sDB8R

WORKING WITH OVERALLOCATIONS IN MICROSOFT PROJECT 2002
Every project has a finite amount of time and resources that can be devoted to completing tasks. Overallocation, when a project calls for more time than a team member has, can present serious problems. Learn how to work around this dilemma. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=e8-DO-MQfkcp_EWf0eqTefDMcBP9Ibp

WHITE PAPER: IMPLEMENTING BACKUP FOR DSL SERVICES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
With the availability of backup technology for DSL, small businesses can now affordably enjoy always on, high-speed Internet connectivity and protection from downtime. Review this paper from Netopia. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=fd-BX3MQgO-_luJVPfm1Ow66i6_vmEQ


posted by Sheldon Lennox 10:44 AM

Thursday, October 17, 2002

 
[TechRepublic] Change your view of information with MindManager 2002
October 11, 2002

CHANGE YOUR VIEW OF INFORMATION WITH MINDMANAGER 2002
For consultants who feel more comfortable explaining projects using visual elements as opposed to Gantt charts, try MindManager 2002, especially if team members have struggled with large tasks. Brian Kennemer offers a review of this valuable tool. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=aa-gBteQXU7_CWw_84WWUeUcI2rs6uR

FOUR CAREER NETWORKING REMINDERS FOR CONSULTANTS
Just because there's less money for IT consulting, it doesn't mean you're out of business. Check out these approaches to developing good relationships with clients and other contractors, as well as gaining new work. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=bf-JtRfQ8Z7gRkZaG95gLuAlEqogMdR

PLANNING AN OFFICE MOVE
TechRepublic members are discussing issues to consider when relocating an office. We'll assemble ideas from the discussion and create a download checklist to help you make trouble-free transitions. Join the discussion and let us know what factors should make the list. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=e9-gdzpQxVPw9GdLmCTqifTWLDB9hRR

ADJUSTING THE PROJECT BID: HOW TO GET YOUR MONEY AND KEEP THE JOB
Consultants must be able to bid projects accurately. If not, they risk losing work, reputation, and revenue. Get tips on what to do if you accidentally underestimate either the time or money resources required by a contract. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=fe-xkIgQwgokMutUFzePyF6O0hhv5cR

BASIC STRATEGIES FOR SECURING INTERNET INFORMATION SERVER
If you're deploying a Web server using Internet Information Server (IIS) and you don't take time to plan for its security, you may as well paint a giant bull's-eye on it. To help you keep it secure, here are some basic security steps to keep hackers at bay. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=13-NxSZI3XI8SrCFFVsOGxoI-Gy7r9R


posted by Sheldon Lennox 1:47 PM

 
Project Management at Builder.com
October 17, 2002
[Builder.com] Clear up clients' preproject misconceptions

PINPOINT YOUR CLIENT'S PRIORITIES TO NAIL APPLICATION DELIVERABLES
When you take on a project, it's invaluable to know your client's true priorities. With the list we offer here, you can ask your client to rank 30 important items from performance to documentation. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=07-HqCzI5rQvhaehmIiR7f6Qg7wbbdR

BOOTSTRAPPING A SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Bootstrapping a software project requires special considerations, especially when the product concept isn't completely defined. Starting production with one developer and involving QA early will keep your project on track. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=1c-cs_iIFrAT12vglqn5SJa4o58RKZR


posted by Sheldon Lennox 9:38 AM

 
[TechRepublic] User policies are good first step in minimizing security risks
October 17, 2002

CIO ROLE MULTIPLIES AS COMPANIES EXPAND AND GROW
Many organizations are creating multiple CIO positions to handle the breadth of tactical and strategic duties that have become a part of the job. Here's a look at two organizational models that companies are using to divide their CIO responsibilities. http://cl.com.com/Click?q=08-IFoQIRjSBena01HgFu1mQMY96dFR


posted by Sheldon Lennox 9:38 AM

Monday, October 14, 2002

 
LangaList Plus HTML Edition 2002-09-30

2) "Fred, Did I Get Ripped Off?"

Dear Fred, I purchased an E Machine, Model E Tower 333CS. The label on the outside of the box and the model number both indicated that the CPU has a speed of 333 megahertz. Recently I installed a program called the Belarc Advisor and this program indicated that my CPU is only 250 megahertz. Did I get ripped off? --- Arthur Handel

Maybe, but you'll need to do more testing to know for sure.

I suggest you try other speed-reporting software. One of the most respected is "CPU-Z" (it used to be known as CPUID, but grew way beyond simply identifying CPU types). You can download a free copy from http://www.cpuid.com/ .

Other tools such as SiSoft Sandra ( http://www.sisoftware.demon.co.uk/sandra/ ) also can help. Or, see
http://www.google.com/search?q=cpu+benchmark for a raft of CPU measurement tools, some free, some not. PC Pitstop also can measure your system speed. ( http://www.pcpitstop.com )

BTW: Some minor variation in measured-vs-rated speed is normal. For example, my nominal "2GHz" system actually runs at 1993.9MHz, an irrelevant difference of less than 1%. But getting 250MHz when you paid for 333Mhz is a difference of 25%, and would be significant, if it proves true.


4) Hide (Obscure) Your Address From Spammers

Hi Fred -- There's been an awful lot of discussion on SPAM recently. We all agree it's gotten way out-of-control. You mentioned a number of tools that help kill SPAM at the point of receipt, but I use one that helps prevent your name from getting on these lists to begin with. It's a must-use tool for any webmaster. Type in your email address into this form and it will return an obfuscated version of your email address which you then insert as code into your web page. Instead of using the traditional "mailto" tag, you use the "a href" tag. This fools those pesky harvest bots and they skim right on by. I know you've discussed similar technology on the Langa List before, but this one is extremely useful. I've edited all 70 web pages on my site to include this and I noticed an significant difference in the amount of SPAM I received with new email addresses. As a test I created 3 new email addresses for my domain. I obfuscated one of them and linked the other two using the traditional "mailto" tag. Within 2 weeks I started to receive SPAM at these 2 new addresses, but have yet to receive any at the obfuscated one.

http://www.manastungare.com/asp/preventspam.asp

Another tip I never post my true email address on a bulletin board, guestbook or other Internet forum. Instead, I manually obfuscate it by inserting something into the address which obviously doesn't belong there. For instance webDISCARDTHISmaster@mydomain.com. You wouldn't believe how much SPAM I get at that address...

Thanks again -- love the Plus addition. Best money I've spent on the Internet. Pat Beemer

Thanks, Pat. The "preventspam" link does make easy one kind of obfuscation--- substituting HTML letter codes for the actual letters in your address. For example, if I add this to the HTML of a web page or HTML email...

Email

...a browser will display it as a mail link to "Email" with the actual email address (in this case, "webmaster@langa.com") well obscured. Address-harvesting 'bots see only the raw code ("%77%65%62%6D%...." etc), and skip it.

You can achieve a further level of obscuration by using a small script snippet--- say, a "document.write" command--- to display the obscured address: Most 'bots won't look inside scripts, and thus won't even try to harvest the address.


11) Plus! Edition Extra: Three Powerful (and FREE) Tools

When Bronson C. Elliott isn't at his day job, or working on the LangaList archives, he's often experimenting with new software:

Fred: Thought I'd alert you to a website I've found that offers some versions of useful freeware. The website is called "Lexun Freeware" and can be found at http://home.carolina.rr.com/lexunfreeware/ .

* DrvClonerXP - Copies a drive partition's structure sector-by-sector, byte-for-byte directly to another drive partition, giving you an exact reproduction (clone) of your original partition! No intermediate file is created (like DrvImagerXP below), just direct partition to partition low level structure copying.
* DrvImagerXP - Copies a drive partition's structure sector-by-sector, byte-for-byte to a file, giving you an exact reproduction of your drive partition in file format! The partition's structure defined in the file can then later be copied back to the same partition, or even a different partition, restoring it perfectly. Lots of users prefer it over Drive Image and Ghost!
* RegScrubXP - It's faster, more thorough, and incorporates multi-threading for better user response. It includes a large selection of XP tips and tweaks, and the option of applying some nice tweaks to the Registry to customize your computing experience. It also allows you to click a button to automatically download any updates to RegScrubXP from this web site, all done in the background while you continue working. And the best part... it's free!!!!!

Nice find, Bronson! As I already have Drive Image, I haven't tried the two imaging/cloning tools, but I did download and try RegScrubXP (after making a full backup). It dug out *tons* of stuff that neither the JV16 Power Tools nor Norton's WinDoctor found, and appears to have done so without ill effect. Very nice!


posted by Sheldon Lennox 12:44 PM

Sunday, October 13, 2002

 
LangaList Plus HTML Edition 2002-10-07

4) How To Repair/Reinstall ANY Version Of Windows

Hi Fred: Interesting bunch of reinstall tips for most all flavors of Windows. I stumbled on it through the Steve Gibson server. http://www.windowsreinstall.com/ ---Greg M

This site will show you how to install, upgrade , reinstall , repair, troubleshoot and fix Microsoft Windows XP ( Also known as WinXP & whistler ) , Windows 98 ( Also known as Win98 ) , Windows ME ( Also known as WinME & Windows Millennium) , Windows 95 ( Also known as Win95 ), Windows 2000 ( also known as Win2k & W2K ), Windows NT ( Also known as WinNT), OEM computers ( Dell, Advent, Time, HP, and Compaq home PC's and Laptops ). Also tips, tricks, help, hints, how to build a computer plus much much more.


5) Bugged By Bugbear

A new email/web worm, "Bugbear," appeared last week, and at first seemed to be a minor annoyance. But by late in the week, it had grown to be a full-fledge pain in the posterior.

The worm tries to disable any software firewalls or anti-virus apps you have running, copies itself onto your system using random and variable file names, looks for any network connections it can exploit, and attempts to reinfect others by network and by its own built-in SMTP (email) engine, so you may never know the bad emails are going out to your friends and colleagues. It's also a keystroke logger, and more. According to the folks at Symantec, the worm can:

* Delete files.
* Terminate processes.
* List processes and deliver the list to the hacker.
* Copy files.
* Start processes.
* List files and deliver the list to the hacker.
* Deliver intercepted keystrokes to the hacker (in an encrypted form). This may release confidential information that typed on a computer (passwords, login details, and so on).
* Deliver the system information to the hacker in the following form:
- User:
- Processor:
- Windows version:
- Memory information:
- Local drives, their types (e.g., fixed/removable/RAM disk/CD-ROM/remote), and their physical characteristics
- List network resources and their types, and deliver the list to the hacker.

All the major antivirus makers have patches that catch and fix Bugbear, but from the volume of infected emails I'm getting, way too many people are running unprotected and have been infected.

Symantec has a free tool just for removing BugBear: See http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.bugbear@mm.removal.tool.html and http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/FxBgbear.exe

More Info:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.bugbear@mm.html
http://www.sophos.com/virusinfo/analyses/w32bugbeara.html


9) More on eMachines Weirdness

As usual, there's no topic that some LangaList reader, somewhere, doesn't have down pat. Consider this:

Fred: It was interesting to read the article from the last newsletter "Did I get Ripped Off" ( http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2002/2002-09-30.htm#2 ). The answer to this readers question is...yes, no and maybe! To explain further, there were at least four versions of this machine and YES some were built with a 250Mhz processor. For more info