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The Intelligent Enterprise Blog: Third Eye View, By Rajan Chandras
Rajan ChandrasThird Eye View, by Rajan Chandras

Rajan Chandras is a senior consultant with the New York offices of a leading global IT services firm, and is also a freelancing technology analyst and writer with a focus on information and IT management.


The HP-EDS Bulls Eye (and Collateral Damage)

As the mists clear away on the HP-EDS deal, it appears that there’s good news in the making for companies that outsource their infrastructure, and not-so-good news for HP competitors. Judging from the technology analysts/media response, here is an early assessment of the impact of the merger…

>>Continue reading "The HP-EDS Bulls Eye (and Collateral Damage)"


Posted Tuesday, May 13, 2008
6:30 PM
>>Comments


Birth of a Behemoth: HP to Purchase EDS

News is that HP is purchasing EDS. HP was already marginally bigger than IBM, and now with this bold move, HP is looking to catch up with IBM in the lucrative Services sector, which provides a large chunk of IBM's revenue and an even larger chunk of profitability. In data management, though, IBM will probably continue to have a formidable lead for some time.

>>Continue reading "Birth of a Behemoth: HP to Purchase EDS"


Posted Monday, May 12, 2008
5:26 PM
>>Comments


Is BPMN Overrated?

That might be one way to restate the premise of a survey on the Business Process Management Notation standard that has stirred up quite a controversy. The survey is interesting (because it raises some some good questions about BPMN and business process modeling) and entertaining (because it challenges dogmatic thinking on the topic).

In nutshell, the researchers reviewed 126 BPMN diagrams collected from "consultants, seminar participants, and online sources" (in other words, more or less unscientifically, which of course does not automatically invalidate the research), and found that of the 52 distinct elements (symbols) that exist in BPMN 1.1 specifications:

- Only nine elements were used on the average in each diagram (i.e. less than 20%)
- Only five elements were used in more than half the models, and another six symbols in a fourth of the models
- 17 elements (more than 30%) were used in three or fewer models, including five elements not used at all!

>>Continue reading "Is BPMN Overrated?"


Posted Thursday, May 8, 2008
10:02 AM
>>Comments


Is Web 2.0 Disruptive to Databases?

Are Web 2.0 innovations (mashups, cloud computing, web communities, etc.) conspiring to bring about the downfall of the relational database (RDBMS) as we know and love it? Is that venerable technology — which proudly and successfully beat back energetic onslaughts from the likes of object and xml databases, document management solutions, and indeed the World Wide Web, that near—infinite hyperlinked information store — now reeling against the momentum of Web 2.0? Or, to paraphrase a popular quote, is the news of the conventional database's demise greatly exaggerated?

>>Continue reading "Is Web 2.0 Disruptive to Databases?"


Posted Friday, April 25, 2008
10:23 AM
>>Comments


Message in a Bottle: On Outsourcing Science

We outsource manufacturing. We outsource services. Farming and mining already follow a natural global-sourcing model. Now, research says that we should outsource science too; it's good for American innovation. I guess the outsourcing genie is well and truly out of the bottle…

A recent article in the New York Times mentions research and researchers in American universities that have reached the conclusion that we have nothing to fear from the rise of science in low-cost countries like China and India. In fact, we should view this as an opportunity to "reduce the cost of producing new scientific discovery," which should help American innovation. In turn, this approach also decimates the theory that a shortage of US scientists will hamper American competitiveness.

>>Continue reading "Message in a Bottle: On Outsourcing Science"


Posted Monday, April 21, 2008
1:08 PM
>>Comments


H-1B Visa Debate Warms Up (Again)

This month, Bill Gates urged lawmakers to increase the number of H-1B (guest worker) visas; two bills were introduced in Congress seeking to raise the visa cap; and a study was released indicating that increased employment of guest workers is, in fact, beneficial to domestic (US) employment. Meanwhile, opponents of the guest worker program are sharpening their own knives at this onslaught of pro-immigration lobbying. In other words, it's open season on the H-1B program once again.

As we approach the fateful date of April 1, when the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) begins accepting H-1B applications for the next year — which for some reason begins on October 1 — the controversy is reigniting yet again.

>>Continue reading "H-1B Visa Debate Warms Up (Again)"


Posted Wednesday, March 26, 2008
9:10 AM
>>Comments


Data Modeling and the Canonical Conundrum

A Forrester Research paper I read recently stoked my interest (again) in the canonical data/information model, a once hot pursuit that seems to have cooled down in recent times. In short, the paper states that the canonical information model excludes "at rest" data (legacy systems of record, packaged applications etc.) but includes information in motion (messages, service invocations, etc.). My first instinct was to disagree with this definition…

But then, I began wondering about what, exactly, is a canonical information model, and realized that this definition only serves to highlight the confusion out there around [enterprise] [canonical] [business] [data/information/object] models… starting, as you can see, with the term itself. As somebody (Confucius? African proverb?) once said: "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there."

>>Continue reading "Data Modeling and the Canonical Conundrum"


Posted Thursday, March 20, 2008
6:25 AM
>>Comments


The Lighter Side of Information Democracy

It's time to take a closer look at the increasingly popular catch-phrase "Information Democracy." Some time back, I received a vendor e-mail message promising "information for all" through MDM. But deep contemplation of this important matter (interrupted only by intermittent wakefulness) led me to an astonishing revelation: Information isn't a Democracy, it's (gasp) Communism!

Information available to all, where you need it, when you need it. That is the promise of Information Democracy, and to be sure, information integration and MDM solutions go a long way in providing this. But this definition ignores two critical factors: Who and Why. Information is not freely available for all, where and when your need it. In fact, data security, provisioning and governance are all specifically aimed at making sure of this. Everyone is not equal in the information they may seek or receive. Information Democracy is a great catch-phrase, but it is also a great fallacy.

But if not a democracy, what is Data?

>>Continue reading "The Lighter Side of Information Democracy"


Posted Friday, March 14, 2008
4:48 PM
>>Comments


India Outsources to US Tech Workers

The buzz in the local Indian trade magazines is about IBM recently grabbing a multi-year outsourcing deal from the Indian operations of Vodaphone, the global communications giant. Deals like these demonstrate that countries like India and China are more than merely the source of competition for US-based IT firms (and US-based consultants), they offer a solid opportunity for those willing to brave the geographical and culture gap.

As I pick my way through Indian news and newsmakers during my visit here, it's becoming abundantly clear that looking at India as a source of competition for the West is only half the story. Consider the following major outsourcing deals struck in 2007, all happening in India:

>>Continue reading "India Outsources to US Tech Workers"


Posted Monday, February 25, 2008
9:34 AM
>>Comments


A Tale of Two Economies

The signs are familiar and worrying: a US economy that cannot seem to rebound, job losses on the rise, and consumers getting increasingly jittery. Will US companies, in a desperate bid to cut costs, intensify their push to send work offshore? Not so fast.

As I land in India's economic capital Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) on a work and personal trip, headlines in The Economic Times — India's answer to The Wall Street Journal — present a contradictory picture about the opportunities for the Indian offshore industry. Here are some representative news items.

>>Continue reading "A Tale of Two Economies"


Posted Monday, February 4, 2008
10:02 AM
>>Comments


ELT vs. ETL: Much Ado about Something

My recent blog post on Informatica not only led to what an ITBusinessEdge.com blog called a "mini-buzz" about the fate of the company, it invited reader comments that, among other things, took up opposing points of view on Informatica's ELT capabilities — and, yes, that's extract-load-transform (also called "pushdown") not conventional extract-transform-load (ETL). There's no doubt that ELT is now a mainstream capability, and Informatica's inclusion of pushdown optimization in the recently released PowerCenter version 8.5 brings ELT the legitimacy it deserves.

>>Continue reading "ELT vs. ETL: Much Ado about Something"


Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008
5:10 PM
>>Comments


Sun Rises At Last

The acquisition of MySQL by Sun Microsystems, right on the heels of the Oracle-BEA merger, is great news for everyone. After languishing on the sidelines for years, Sun has, in a single stroke, reclaimed its relevance, taken the open source movement a step further, and opened up new (and promising) options for customers. It's like Sun shaking us by the shoulders, saying "Wake up; I have some good news for you."

>>Continue reading "Sun Rises At Last"


Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008
4:27 PM
>>Comments


Oracle Gets BEA: Dare I Say 'I Told You So?'

The big news today is that Oracle is buying BEA. Everyone saw this coming, but I offered my take on "Why Oracle Needs This Deal" last October. The question is, what will Oracle do with BEA, and how will this help or hurt BEA and Oracle customers?

>>Continue reading "Oracle Gets BEA: Dare I Say 'I Told You So?'"


Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2008
1:45 PM
>>Comments


Is Informatica Losing Relevance?

Informatica was recently named among "The Dozen" most influential companies driving the intelligent enterprise in our just-published 2008 Editors' Choice Awards. As a contributor to the nominations, I too had recommended Informatica. Why, then, this apparent volte-face, and why does it matter to you? Very simple: I believe Informatica is at perhaps the most important crossroads in its recent history, and as a current or potential Informatica customer, you too are invested in Informatica's future.

>>Continue reading "Is Informatica Losing Relevance?"


Posted Tuesday, January 8, 2008
2:16 PM
>>Comments


Process Analysis: The Downside of Participation

I was recently asked to review a business process diagram that was intended to capture current state for a service disruption planning process. I quickly found out that the challenge was not so much assessing the diagram itself, but resetting expectations of users that seemed to be already sold on the diagram, despite its numerous deficiencies. This is a classic pitfall in business process analysis (BPA).

>>Continue reading "Process Analysis: The Downside of Participation"


Posted Friday, January 4, 2008
12:43 PM
>>Comments


Consolidation Hits the Business Rules Market

The consolidation game continues apace, this time in the Business Rules solutions marketplace. I received an e-mail message from Paul Haley, the erstwhile founder and chairman of Haley Systems, one of the better-known business rules software in the US, informing me that Haley Systems had been acquired…and that, not having gone with the acquisition, he himself is now once again foot loose and fancy free ("like you, vendor neutral," as he put it).

For the record, Haley Systems was acquired by RuleBurst, which is an Australian firm with a good footprint in areas of the world that Haley Systems did not cover, so there is now another truly global player in the business rules market.

>>Continue reading "Consolidation Hits the Business Rules Market"


Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007
9:14 AM
>>Comments


Bye Bye, BEA: Why Oracle Needs This Deal

After rejecting Oracle's initial bid for $6.7 billion, BEA has now indicated readiness to sell itself to Oracle ("or any other bidder") for about $8.2 billion. With Oracle's insatiable appetite, BEA's relative stagnation, and incessant pressure from billionaire investor Karl Icahn on BEA management, the acquisition now seems to be only a matter of time. So, what does Oracle get for $8 billion and change? A cake that it has always coveted…and an icing to die for.

Oracle has always been a leader in terms sheer market size and growth, but the same can hardly be said in terms of its technological prowess. The fact is, Oracle has always lagged behind its acquisitions — be it Siebel (CRM), PeopleSoft (HRM, Hyperion (BI) — or now BEA (application middleware). On the other hand, BEA has always led the market in terms of technology. Consider, for example, its main product lines around the application server (Webogic), integration services (AquaLogic) and transaction processing (Tuxedo).

>>Continue reading "Bye Bye, BEA: Why Oracle Needs This Deal"


Posted Friday, October 26, 2007
3:49 PM
>>Comments


Whose Data Is It Anyway? 'PITI' the Poor Homeowner

The ongoing sub-prime mortgage crisis has already taken its toll in more ways than one, and it's now adding a new twist to the concept of data ownership. For all of us sitting back thinking it's someone else's problem, here's a real eye-opener.

American Home Mortgage Investment Corporation (AHM), among America's biggest mortgage lenders, recently filed for bankruptcy on account of its sub-prime lending exposure. This, in turn, alarmed large AHM clients like Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, which promptly terminated client-servicing agreements with AHM and asked it to return client files, meaning mortgage files for individual home owners serviced by AHM on their behalf, including data related to mortgage principal, interest, property taxes and insurance (PITI).

>>Continue reading "Whose Data Is It Anyway? 'PITI' the Poor Homeowner "


Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007
9:03 AM
>>Comments


Rethink Three Myths When Picking a Consultant

Independent consultants (a.k.a. sub-contractors) are often the back-bone of many data management activities, especially database administration, ETL/database development and BI development. Yet, finding good consultants is difficult, and often a hit-or-miss proposition. Here are three myths about independent consultants that you should steer clear of.

>>Continue reading "Rethink Three Myths When Picking a Consultant"


Posted Friday, September 28, 2007
6:43 AM
>>Comments


Governance is a Four-Letter Word

It's probably true in more ways than one, but the four-letter word I'm thinking of is RISK. The ultimate objective of IT governance is two-fold: enhance business value and reduce business risk from information technology. A recent book I read does a pretty good job of addressing the latter, and goes onto my "Recommended Reading" bookshelf.

As IT continues to grow in strategic importance — and let's face it, IT "arrived" years ago, naysayers be damned — IT is also a source of increasing business risk and disruption. The vulnerability of airlines to any technological malfunction (or, of course, misalignment in the human-computer interface) is a stellar example of the disruptive power of IT.

>>Continue reading "Governance is a Four-Letter Word"


Posted Monday, September 10, 2007
7:24 AM
>>Comments


The Lighter Side of Outsourcing

Consumer confidence faltering in a sputtering economy, jobs continuing to move offshore at rapid pace… is this a time to laugh at outsourcing? Why not? As outsourcing vendors get increasingly sophisticated with their offerings — and corporate America gets increasingly greedy about the cost savings — here are a few glorious changes that we can all look forward to.

>>Continue reading "The Lighter Side of Outsourcing"


Posted Friday, August 31, 2007
11:45 AM
>>Comments


Master Data Management: Minimizing the Complexity

There are many factors that pose a challenge for enterprisewide Master Data Management. Business ownership and ongoing participation, business process disruption, data integration and synchronization – these and other factors can make an MDM implementation painful, time-consuming and expensive. But there are also some factors that help reduce the pain and effort.

>>Continue reading "Master Data Management: Minimizing the Complexity"


Posted Thursday, August 23, 2007
9:56 AM
>>Comments


For VMware and its Kind, the Future is Virtually Assured

VMware made a stunning debut on the New York Stock Exchange this week — reportedly the strongest IPO since Google — and the future looks good for VMware itself and for virtualization in general. The future, however, isn't fully here yet.

Virtualization looks good for a lot of exciting reasons. The central promise of virtualization is resource optimization — doing more with less. What's not to like about that? Companies like the promise of reduced cost and complexity (more on this later). In a recent survey, Forrester Research found that 40 percent of U.S. respondents currently use virtualization… but more than 90 percent are aware of the technology. Interestingly, the survey also indicates that large companies are much more likely to use virtualization than smaller businesses. Arguably the SMB sector more keenly feels the need for cost savings than larger corporations — could it be that the cost/complexity equation for virtualization works out unfavorably for smaller businesses?

>>Continue reading "For VMware and its Kind, the Future is Virtually Assured"


Posted Thursday, August 16, 2007
3:59 PM
>>Comments


CDI, PIM and MDM: Confusion Prevails

A comment on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Customer Data Hubs from our own Brain Food Blogger served, inadvertently, to highlight the confusion that prevails in the CDI/PIM/MDM space. That's particularly unfortunate, because one simple mathematical equation could set the confusion to rest.

First, here's the equation, in terms of set theory: {CDI, PIM} Subset {MDM}.

In other words, customer data integration and product information management are both subsets of master data management, one focused on customers and the other on products. Too bad, they don't have conforming acronyms (who would think that CDI and PIM are so closely related?)

>>Continue reading "CDI, PIM and MDM: Confusion Prevails"


Posted Wednesday, July 25, 2007
11:09 AM
>>Comments


Offshore 101 for SMEs

Face it: as a small or medium enterprise, you simply do not have the kind of leverage on offshore service providers as the GEs and Citis. But just because you aren't spending $20 million annually on offshore services doesn't mean that you have no options.

In its latest quarterly financial report, leading Indian offshore firm Infosys reports nearly 130 customers that spent $20 million or more in the last twelve months. But what of lesser clients? According to Forrester Research, offshore service providers are "increasingly willing to walk away from business rather than make concessions or alterations that don't suit them."

>>Continue reading "Offshore 101 for SMEs"


Posted Monday, July 23, 2007
12:14 PM
>>Comments


Walk the Data Governance Talk

"Governance," that wonderfully over-used term, is something that data management professionals love to preach. But to what extent do we practice it in our own professional activities, and how do we go about achieving this laudable objective?

Listen to a presentation from any data product or service vendor or to a speech from any data management professional – especially, one that is up to speed on the latest jargon – and you will hear the term "governance" mentioned sooner rather than later. Pay closer attention and you will find it's typically mentioned in the context of Master Data Management (MDM) or Customer Data Integration (CDI), and seldom otherwise. And therein lies the problem.

>>Continue reading "Walk the Data Governance Talk"


Posted Tuesday, July 10, 2007
10:37 AM
>>Comments


SAP Admits Reaching Inside Oracle Jar

About two months ago, I wrote a commentary on Oracle's lawsuit accusing SAP of extensive illegal downloads confidential material from Oracle Support. Today, SAP CEO Henning Kagermann admitted to "inappropriate downloads." Unfortunately, the candor is probably a little late in coming, and this is likely to be the beginning rather than the end for SAP's troubles.

>>Continue reading "SAP Admits Reaching Inside Oracle Jar"


Posted Tuesday, July 3, 2007
2:29 PM
>>Comments


Handheld Devices Need Handholding

My commentary last week referred to data-related issues in identifying Iraqi insurgents for allied soldiers on the move. An obvious solution would be for the soldiers to carry mobile devices (e.g. laptops, PDAs) to verify identity on-the-spot. The trouble is, application and data synchronization for widely distributed mobile devices is still an imperfect science. It all boils down to the question: What's your poison?

>>Continue reading "Handheld Devices Need Handholding"


Posted Monday, June 25, 2007
2:06 PM
>>Comments


Combating Insurgency with an Unusual Weapon

Can data quality and data integration technologies help quell insurgency in Iraq? Going by a recent New York Times news item, this seems to be the case, and serves to remind us yet again – if indeed there was any need – about the kind of profound impact data integration and quality can have on the success of any initiative, business or otherwise.

>>Continue reading "Combating Insurgency with an Unusual Weapon"


Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2007
10:28 AM
>>Comments


IBM Information Server: Getting It Right?

At a conference in Miami last week, I sat in on a presentation on the IBM Information Server, and afterward I chatted with an IBM Information Management executive. I'm usually inclined towards a healthy degree of skepticism of marketing presentations (who isn't?), but I must say that I walked away from both the chat and presentation impressed with what I'd seen and heard.

It's easy enough for large companies like IBM and Oracle to acquire smaller ones, either because they see a positive product or market synergy, or even simply to spoil it for the competition. The question is: what happens to the acquisitions down the road? In an earlier commentary written against the backdrop of the acquisition of customer data integration vendor DWL by IBM, I had wondered about how well IBM would integrate the DWL product. Integration is not easy, even for integrators themselves. Some 20 months later, my questions seem to be answered, at least in part, in the form of the IBM Information Server.

>>Continue reading "IBM Information Server: Getting It Right?"


Posted Tuesday, June 12, 2007
9:08 AM
>>Comments


'Chindia': An Intriguing Proposition

We are all perfectly (and in some cases painfully) aware of the rising IT prowess of China and India. But a recent book written by a couple of Gartner analysts takes this theme to an intriguing new level: what if India and China were to combine their capabilities, not just in information technology, but in other areas of business as well? The book presents an arresting proposition, and is near the top of my suggested-reading list.

>>Continue reading "'Chindia': An Intriguing Proposition"


Posted Monday, June 4, 2007
3:21 PM
>>Comments


Service Innovation: Survival of the Savviest

On May 30, a bunch of very smart people from a variety of industry and academic settings will gather in Santa Clara, Calif., to discuss service innovation in the technology industry, at a symposium organized by the recently formed Service Research Innovation Initiative (SRII). Regrettably, I won't be there (to provide balance to all that intelligentsia), but I did get a chance to catch up with Tom Pridham, Executive Director SRII, about it.

>>Continue reading "Service Innovation: Survival of the Savviest"


Posted Tuesday, May 29, 2007
8:07 AM
>>Comments


BI and the Law of Diminishing Differentiation

I recently read a good book that explains how to use analytics to derive competitive edge. The book is brimming with success stories in analytics-driven competition and is well worth the price (though I will give away a free copy of the book to one lucky winner - see drawing details below). The book also got me thinking about what constitutes "competitive advantage" in the context of BI.

All technology has the potential to provide competitive advantage…until, that is, your competitors also begin using the technology, at which point it becomes a commodity. Companies are then faced with two options, and most companies choose both: discover ways to get more from the technology and find other technologies to exploit. We have seen this happen ad infinitum. Barcodes, ERP, data warehousing, geo-spatial applications – technology provides the differentiation, only until others catch up. (Which raises the interesting question: perhaps technology can also provide a competitive disadvantage, e.g. RFID? But that's another story.)

>>Continue reading "BI and the Law of Diminishing Differentiation"


Posted Wednesday, May 16, 2007
1:07 PM
>>Comments


Six Steps Toward Spreading BI

If it seems like your BI initiative isn't picking up speed, you are probably not alone. Recent findings seem to indicate that although everybody is talking about business intelligence, not everybody is doing it yet, at least to the extent expected. What to do?

A recent survey by InformationWeek brought out two interesting findings: the percentage of businesses providing BI tools to more than a quarter of their employees remains unchanged since last year, and major challenges to more widespread adoption include software/implementation complexity and unclear ROI. These are non-trivial challenges from both a technical and business perspective, and the onus is on vendors and IT practitioners to push the pedal.

>>Continue reading "Six Steps Toward Spreading BI"


Posted Thursday, May 3, 2007
8:39 AM
>>Comments


Data Integration Comes in Three Flavors

Those shopping for data integration solutions will find that they come in three flavors that sometimes seem similar, but keep these distinctions in mind.

Stand-alone Tools: Niche data-integration tools from vendors such as MetaMatrix, Group 1 Software, Pervasive and Tableau enable you to provide "spot" solutions for specific problems such as pulling together data from diverse sources into a portal (MetaMatrix) mixing and matching technologies to create your own "data integration stack" (Pervasive or Group 1 together with Tableau). Enterprise and solution architects will relish the opportunity to exercise their creativity to create heterogeneous, best-of-breed solutions at reasonable cost.

Focused Solutions: Solution vendors such as Business Objects, Cognos, Informatica, Initiate Systems and SAS offer high-class capabilities in data integration as well, but usually with a specific purpose, such as business intelligence or customer data integration. If they have the integrated solution that you need, look no further – but if you pick just one component from the solution, the proposition will look less attractive

>>Continue reading "Data Integration Comes in Three Flavors"


Posted Monday, April 30, 2007
8:04 AM
>>Comments


Data Breaches Cry Out for Data Governance

Data privacy issues are a growing menace. On April 20, the New York Times reported yet another significant data breach: the inadvertent public disclosure of tens of thousands of social security numbers, belonging to people who received financial assistance from the U.S. Agriculture Department, on a web site powered by Census Bureau database. The breach, coming on top of numerous similar ones reported in recent times, is a clear indication that data governance is the need of the hour.

>>Continue reading "Data Breaches Cry Out for Data Governance"


Posted Wednesday, April 25, 2007
8:54 AM
>>Comments


Infrastructure: A Wake-Up Call for India, China

If China and India aspire to recognition and respect for their increasing prowess in technology, they must do better.

The World Economic Forum recently released its annual Global Information Technology Report for 2006-2007. The hallmark of the report is the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), which seeks to benchmark countries in their capabilities in information and telecommunication technologies (ICT). Denmark, Sweden and Singapore take the top honors for 2006-07. India (ranked 44) and China (ranked 59) are both placed somewhat dismally – and losing ground to boot (India down 4 spaces, China down 9 spaces).

>>Continue reading "Infrastructure: A Wake-Up Call for India, China"


Posted Friday, April 20, 2007
12:43 PM
>>Comments


The Traveler and the Tree: Learning from Wodehouse

The Software Equity Group reports that the year 2006 "established new benchmarks for domestic M&A; activity across all industry sectors." The operative phrase is, of course, new benchmarks: 2006 has apparently beaten records set in the glorious – some might say vainglorious – years of 1999 and 2000. In North America alone, there were more than 1,700 mergers and acquisitions in the software and IT services sector, up from 2005 and consuming more than $80 billion in M&A; spending, up about 10 percent from the previous year.

This comes as no surprise. Watching giants like IBM, HP, Microsoft and Oracle voraciously mop up the corporate IT landscape (not to forget, of course, the Googles and the Ciscos), we expect 2007 to be another stellar year for acquisitions, with implications for all of us.

>>Continue reading "The Traveler and the Tree: Learning from Wodehouse"


Posted Friday, April 13, 2007
10:38 AM
>>Comments


The Annual Easter H-1B Hunt Exceeds Expectations

That thundering sound you heard down the streets leading to the offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) earlier this month was the stampede of immigration lawyers rushing to grab their share of H-1B visas for their resource-starved clients. In a feeding frenzy against which the annual Thanksgiving rush at any Macy's or Best Buy pales into insignificance, it appears that all 65,000 H-1B visas for the coming year were snapped up in a day – the entire year's quota of work visas, sold out in one single day.

What gives?

>>Continue reading "The Annual Easter H-1B Hunt Exceeds Expectations"


Posted Tuesday, April 10, 2007
9:45 AM
>>Comments


Trashing the Competition: Oracle, Microsoft & More

You already know about the Oracle/SAP flap: Oracle is claiming that a SAP subsidiary has illegally downloaded Oracle software and documentation, and wants this grievance redressed. But that's just the latest episode of a long running comedy-drama…

The Oracle complaint, filed in California, makes for surprisingly easy and interesting reading. In essence, Oracle's contention is that the software/documentation downloads, and indeed the SAP strategy, is to:
• Offer cut-rate support services to Oracle customers
• Lure Oracle customers to (SAP)
• Siphon off valuable software maintenance revenue from Oracle
• Compete with Oracle support and maintenance services on Oracle products, despite not owning any of the software code

[The reasons for this curious format will become clear shortly…]

>>Continue reading "Trashing the Competition: Oracle, Microsoft & More"


Posted Wednesday, April 4, 2007
4:04 PM
>>Comments


Data Integration: How Times Have Changed

Enterprise data integration has clearly "arrived." The road had many twists and turns, yet data integration has not just survived, it has grown in strength and stature. How do we apply our collective learning from market developments to position ourselves better for 2007 and beyond?

>>Continue reading "Data Integration: How Times Have Changed"


Posted Monday, April 2, 2007
8:01 AM
>>Comments


CIO Does Not Stand For 'Career Is Over'

…any more than, say, CEO stands for Capability Eludes Opportunity or CFO means Clever Financial Obfuscation -- okay, maybe there’s something in that last one. In a global economy that is more dependent than ever on information and technology, the CIO can only become more influential and in demand.

Forrester Research reports that global spending on IT in 2007 will rise 6 percent to reach $2.02 trillion. How big is that? Well, consider that global military spending is estimated to be “only” slightly more than $1 trillion. Or one way to look at it: chief information officers have twice as much opportunity to do good as military officers have to do harm (ignoring, for the moment, the not inconsiderable IT spending on military).

>>Continue reading "CIO Does Not Stand For 'Career Is Over'"


Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2007
4:42 PM
>>Comments


 




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