Can We Make IT Any More Complex Than It Is?

One of the reasons that the rest of the company doesn’t seem to really like those of us in the IT department is because we seem to make everything so much more complex when we get involved. First it was our networking issues (Frame Relay, ATM, Ethernet), then it was our server issues (multicore, Intel … Read more

Does IHOP Have Tasty Lessons To Serve Up For IT?

I don’t know about you, but I’m always open to having breakfast no matter what time of day it is. This might explain why so much of my life has been spent sitting in IHOP restaurants eating mountains of pancakes. When I stumbled across an interview with IHOP’s CIO in eWeek magazine, I was of … Read more

What Can IT Become When It Grows Up?

So I love IT, and you love IT. We love the applications, the servers, the networks and, of course, the Internet. Whether it’s because we are closet control freaks or because we are fascinated by how all of the pieces fit together, we just love it. I’m not saying that love is a bad thing, … Read more

Can’t We All Just Get Along (In IT)?

So there you are, manning the laptop, doing your utmost best to guide your IT department and, of course, your company on to greater glories. Do you really need to network with your colleagues at other firms? For that matter, do they really have anything to teach you? Peter Whatnell over at Sunoco has some … Read more

Creative Abrasion: How To Build Innovation Into IT

While trolling the Internet over the holidays, I came across a write-up of the Unstructure Event held that was held Orlando, Florida, USA on 17 Nov & 18 Nov 2008. Unstructure is basically a platform for open discussions on a wide range of business topics. They had a face-to-face meeting back in November. What caught … Read more

3 Secrets That Oil Companies Use To Run A Great IT Department

If you had to guess as to what the secret of running a great IT department is, what would you say? Peter Whatnell over at Sunoco has some thoughts on this subject. Peter breaks it down to three key items: knowing how your company makes money, choosing to not run against the company’s culture, and … Read more

Citi Shows How NOT To Run An IT Department

The news is always filled with IT departments that are winning awards for being innovative, reducing costs, or saving the day. That’s why a recent article in the Wall Street Journal about how the Citi group’s IT department is blowing it was so interesting… The article was titled “Computer Glitch Slows Citi” (if you worked … Read more

We’re In A Recession, What’s An IT Department To Do?

Remember what happened to the IT industry back in 2001? When the dot.com bubble burst, pretty much the sky started falling and IT spending hit the proverbial brick wall. If you’ve been reading the newspapers or watching TV lately, then you’ve probably noticed that the global economic downturn sure looks like what we saw back … Read more