Project Management's Missing Links

Finding us in your spam mailbox? Please add us to your address book! Trouble viewing this email? View in Browser  Manage my subscriptions Maximizing IT Investments September 12, 2011 Overlooked Project Management Steps Can Save Your Initiative Some companies treat project management as an art, while at other companies it's more of a science. All too often, it's a mess. While teams might sometimes elect to omit a PM step here and there, sticking to the tried-and-true path of phased project management is among the best ways to keep projects on track. Our partners at Method123 have identified some commonly-overlooked steps. Read more > How to Shorten the Lifecycle of Help Desk Issues This free trial software offers two editions that you can explore to create the ideal help desk solution that scales as your business grows. Try it now > Blogs Arthur Cole Infrastructure Getting the Cloud in Shape for the Enterprise Rob Enderle Unfiltered Opinion The Secret Rules That Govern the Success and Failure of Tech Companies Ann All Business of Tech Making Connection Between Intranets, Enterprise App Stores IT as a Service: A Blueprint for Success   Check out this on-demand webcast on how to accelerate the value of IT by delivering services through the cloud. Watch it now > Simplified Management Equals Increased ROI Reducing IT management overhead can increase the value of a solution. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the corporate data center, where CTOs often find themselves balancing the cost of a solution against the cost of managing it. While vendors promote a variety of management approaches, CTOs would do well to remember that ease of use (from an administration point of view) equals improved ROI. Virtualization Interest Grows Among SMBs Like their larger enterprise IT brethren, IT organizations within SMBs are discovering the benefits of virtualization. But just as large enterprises before them, many are also discovering the challenges of deploying and managing virtual machines. A Symantec survey found interest in virtualization was high, but progress in adopting virtualization has been somewhat slow. And a lack of attention paid to backup and security is setting the stage for much bigger problems later. Managing Data Integration? There's an App for That Here's an announcement that will probably make a few anti-Apple heads explode in the IT department: Informatica unveiled an iOS-based app last week for monitoring and administering cloud integration jobs via an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Don't worry, an Android version will follow, although there's no word on when. Some 21 percent of U.S. companies now use some sort of mobile-based tool for IT support, according to research by the 451 Group. So more apps like this will no doubt follow. Latest White Papers M2M Technology — When Machines Talk, Efficiencies Soar Disc vs Tape: Best Practices for Backup and Long-term Data Retention The CXO's Roadmap to IT Governance Monitoring Cloud Services: Tips, Tricks, and Tools Featured White Papers How Does IPv6 Impact Your Company? This white paper discusses the shortcomings of the currently used IPv4 protocol and provides the rationale for migration to IPv6 and its impact on voice and visual communications. •  The Cloud as a Game Changer for Business Growth & Protection •  VoIP Vendor Comparison Grid: Your Short List of Key Points •  Have a Need for Business Agility? SOA Delivers "Managers create structures that appear to force actable behavior, but instead create bureaucracies where process trumps progress." Excerpt from Rob Enderle Unfiltered Opinion Premium Tools Cloud Computing Foundation Certification Kit Cloud computing is a topic you need to be well versed at iif you want your IT management career to advance. This downloadable resource will step you through the services available, deployment models and security risks associated with Cloud Computing. Use this 185 page eBook and access to a unique eLearning experience to grow your career. •  The Complete IT Policy Kit •  The Strategic IT Planning Bundle •  The ITIL V3 Foundation Certification Kit IT Marketplace This e-mail is sent by: NarrowCast Group, LLC, 10400 Linn Station Road, Suite 100, Louisville, KY 40223 Copyright ©2003-2011 NarrowCast Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. E-mail Reports Sign up for these additional e-mail reports to get the best return on your company's technology and talent: •  Aligning IT & Business Goals    •  Optimizing Infrastructure    •  Integrating the Enterprise    •  Maximizing IT Investments    •  Business Tools & Templates •  IT Careers •  Leveraging Enterprise Software •  Managing Compliance Standards •  Mobile and Telecom •  Fortifying Network Security •  CTO Edge Update •  Daily Edge Privacy Policy     Manage Subscriptions     Unsubscribe     Contact Us     How to Advertise