The Importance of Information Technology Training from a Management Perspective
Information technology training for IT managers and systems analysts may seem superfluous - these folks are usually well-learned in their areas of expertise. But, do they understand how a company's technology fits into the bigger picture from a business perspective? That's where management training becomes important. Every manager who plays a role in researching, selecting or implementing enterprise technology needs to have a firm grasp on the bas...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

MOSS 2007: What It Means for Your Business
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, more commonly abbreviated as MOSS 2007, is one of the critical business intelligence tools available today. According to Microsoft itself, MOSS 2007 can be used to "facilitate collaboration, provide content management features, implement business processes, and supply access to information that is essential to organizational goals and processes."...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

Adobe CS3: What's New?
Adobe CS3 (Creative Suite 3) is a suite of products that combines traditional Adobe programs with programs that Adobe acquired and has since rebranded from Macromedia. The suite includes Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks, as well as Illustrator and Photoshop. All of the programs in Adobe CS3 that were formerly Macromedia have been streamlined and given Adobe-like functionality. The entire suite now works seamlessly as a complete family of Adobe prog...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

Rich Internet Applications: Has Microsoft Finally Seen the (Silver) Light?
In response to the proliferation of other frameworks used to create rich Internet applications such as Flex from Adobe (formerly from Macromedia) and AJAX-based frameworks, Microsoft Silverlight was recently introduced. All three of these applications, as well as the others on the market, enable a web developer to create an interface on a web page that is much more robust than traditional HTML-based pages once were. Extending t...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

Your Risk Management Process - A Practical and Effective Approach
Some experts have said that a strong risk management process can decrease problems on a project by as much as 80 or 90 percent. In combination with solid project management practices—having a well-defined scope, incorporating input from the appropriate stakeholders, following a good change management process, and keeping open the lines of communication—a goo...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

How to Avoid Project Failure through Project Planning and Effective Project Recovery
There you are, project manager of a brand new project, you have done your project planning and have started implementation. Now you are thinking about what you can tell your PMI colleagues at the next chapter meeting, creating a wondrous spreadsheet to avoid project failure and revolutionize project control, and learning how to use a new whiz-bang software package you have just bought, when BAM – you are in trouble. A project wreck and you never...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

ITIL V3: A Set of Best Practices for Managing Your IT Services
Looking for ways to enhance customer service and cut waiting times for responses, ITIL V3 has emerged as a vital methodology for businesses looking to revamp their service processes. Boasting great success overseas and two revisions later, the ITIL framework, or Information Technology Infrastructure Library, now has U.S. companies eyeing the methodology and...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

PMP and ITIL: Framework Methodologies with Valuable Synergy
For a long time, IT professionals were apt to believe that ITIL and project management certification (PMP) were conflicting frameworks, and you were either certified in one or the other, but rarely both. The ITIL framework and project management framework both serve different purposes to be sure, but when combined within an organization, they ultimately create great synergy. The ITIL framework, a lifecycle that addresses the way an IT organization operates, is first and foremost business driv...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]

Effective Negotiation Strategies: Being Prepared
On numerous occasions, I have participated in negotiations as a technical consultant on behalf of clients. In order to save time and money, the client often prepares for these negotiations themselves. Through many previous bad experiences, I have learned to ask clients in advance what their idea of negotiation strategies and being prepared actually is. Their answers often show, however, that they are not yet ready to begin an effective negotiation session. Inexperienced, lazy, or naiv...
[Posted: 2010-01-14 21:50:09]