Technology News: CIO

Phone-Hater Linus Torvalds Blesses Nexus One
February 09, 2010

Google's Nexus One phone is a winner, according to Linus Torvalds, founder of the operating system it's based on. "I generally hate phones," explained Torvalds, who is known as "the father of Linux," in a blog post on Saturday. "At the same time I love the concept of having a phone that runs Linux, and I've had a number of them over the years," he wrote.

CIOs, Get Ready to Defend Your Spend
January 03, 2010

I had the pleasure to recently sit down with Robin Purohit, vice president and general manager for HP Software and Solutions, to examine how CIOs are managing their IT budgets for 2010. During the economic recovery, the cost-containment conundrum of "do more for less" -- that is, while still supporting all of your business requirements -- is likely to remain the norm.

Best Things From the Dismal Aught Decade
December 28, 2009

From a technology perspective, this decade -- with Apple and Google being exceptions -- sucked. There were some interesting things that happened that set us up for the teen decade, though, and that fuel anticipation for the 20s, which a hundred years ago, was actually a decade of wonder and excitement -- and had a better name.

Steve Jobs Conquers the Decade - Now What?
November 07, 2009

Now that Fortune has named Apple CEO Steve Jobs CEO of the decade, where will he go from here? Throughout his career, Jobs has typically led the market, bringing out products that consumers didn't know they wanted until they saw them -- products like the iPhone and iPod touch, for instance. He will probably continue doing so, but in the future he may delegate more responsibilities.

IBM and Apple: Why We Love Monopolies and Then Kill Them
October 12, 2009

The age of the computer started in the 1950s, and one of the first things that happened to a then relatively tiny IBM was it got nailed by the Department of Justice. The result was competition and the modern age of computing. Last week, the DoJ opened another, very similar, investigation of IBM. It was -- you'd never guess -- on the mainframe.

Nvidia Puts On Graphic Power Display With Fermi
October 01, 2009

Graphics processor vendor Nvidia on Wednesday announced its next-generation CUDA graphics processor unit architecture, code-named "Fermi." The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory, has announced it will build a new supercomputer based on Fermi. The new architecture has also garnered support from Cray, IBM, HP, Dell and other companies.

The CIO: Between a Peak and a Valley
September 20, 2009

The combination of the down economy, resetting of IT investment patterns, and the need for agile business processes, along with the arrival of some new technologies, are all combining to force CIOs to reevaluate their plans. What should CIOs make as priorities in the short, medium and long terms? How can they reduce total cost while modernizing and transforming IT?

Memo to CIOs: Where to Invest Your IT Dollars
September 02, 2009

After a tough year of cuts, layoffs, and the pressure to do even more with less, many of you are facing the toughest fiscal environment of your professional careers. Can you achieve your key objectives in 2010 with reduced spending and a smaller staff? It is possible, and many of the answers can be found in your data.

On the 'Fake Linus Torvalds' and the Nifty Nokia N900
August 31, 2009

You know it's a good day when included among all the dry-as-dust press releases that arrive on your virtual desk is one that promises to combine Linux, Twitter and "dangerously outrageous" fun. Sure enough, from none other than the Linux Foundation came the tantalizing announcement of the "Fake Linus Torvalds" promotion, which it kicked off last week.

The Enterprise Architect: White Knight or Wallflower?
May 25, 2009

The role of enterprise architecture has never been more important, and never have IT departments had to be as responsive to the businesses they support as now. So how are enterprise architects perceived in a daunting economic recession, as saviors or door stops? During a recent panel discussion, at The Open Group's 22nd annual Enterprise Architecture Practitioner's Conference in London, this question was probed.

Dell Rolls Out Laptop for the Hard-Hat Set
March 10, 2009

It certainly meets the Tom Clancy High-Tech Battlefield Seal of Approval, but it also hopes to take advantage of new stimulus-package spending that should result in new construction projects nationwide. These are the potential markets Dell is targeting with its new XFR E6400 Latitude rugged laptop computer.

The CIO's Place in the Cloud
March 02, 2009

Occasionally when some new and disruptive technology comes on the market, my friends and colleagues phone me up to ask, "How is this new technology going to change your world?" They know I will feign indifference and my comeback will be that CIO means "career is over!" The secret answer is, innovation is what makes this role fun.

Green IT, Part 1: Withering on the Vine?
February 10, 2009

Green's got the blues. "Dark Days for Green Energy," declared a headline in the Feb. 4 issue of The New York Times. "Because of the credit crisis and the broader economic downturn ... installation of wind and solar power is plummeting," reported the Times. Green energy's melancholia extends to cousin "green IT."

Why Risk Analysis Is Like Mowing the Lawn
January 19, 2009

Like many kids, I hated mowing the lawn. Also like many kids, I was the go-to guy for lots of family landscaping. The worst lawn to mow of all my relatives was my grandmother's: It was big, it was weedy and rocky, and she still had a push-mower. But the strangest part of mowing her lawn was the neighbor down the street.

Force.com Is One to Be Reckoned With
November 20, 2008

At its annual Dreamforce event, Salesforce.com and several of its partners -- Facebook, Google and Amazon -- made announcements intended to encourage more businesses to pursue Web-as-a-platform using their Force.com business process platform. Taking away significant amounts of hype, there were three themes for the conference.

Security Freebies for a Shrinking Budget
October 20, 2008

Some people say that there's nothing worse than a sour economy. I, for one, don't agree. What could possibly be worse, you ask? Simple: a bad economy in the middle of a budget cycle. Securing funding for technology projects is hard enough nowadays, but IT security projects have it even harder.