WiseTechGuy

I have been spending a lot of time recently reading material in the e-book format.  I must admit, I am a paper diehard in many ways.  For books, particularly technical books, I really prefer the printed hardbound editions.  Not only do I seem to “bond” with the book, but I also highlight sections, write notes on pages and on some occasions even flag a page.  For long e-mails, I tend to print them as well.  I seem to absorb the material I am dealing with more effectively that way. Final editing is another occasion when paper is also a preferred medium for me.  Errors that seemed invisible on the printed screen just seem to jump out on a printed page.  I better cover myself here and say I did not print this posting before doing a final edit ;-) J.H. Newman once said, “Growth is the only Evidence of Life,” an observation that I have found remarkable insightful on many levels over the years.  It is part of my motivation and passion for continuing to be a lifelong learner across a

There has been a lot written about Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) along with both the challenges and opportunities they present for organizations.  Throughout all these discussions, one element is consistent: organizations need comprehensive and pragmatic strategies for embracing and managing these devices. Based on recent conversations with people from organizations spanning multiple industries, it is clear to me that tablets (slates), as wells as other personal devices, are already well embedded into the organizations. In some cases, this has been done in partnership with the IT organization. However, in most it has been done under the radar by one or more groups. These devices, personal or otherwise, may already provide critical capabilities to the organization. A wise CIO, Rob Cohen, who I had the good fortune to work for, once told me “that in organizations, as in life, innovation generally occurs on the edges. Over the years, I have seen this observation validated time and time ag

During a recent flight, while I was suffering the indignities that befall travelers these days, I was struck again by how primitive the experience remains inside the cabin, particularly flying domestically on US carriers. This is not not the mindset of an Information Technology / CIO speaking, rather the thoughts of an experienced traveler. Quite literally, it is as if time has stood still in those airline cabins. Thinking back to some of my earlies tmemories on the Lockheed Constellation ,  Douglas DC-7 , and the  Boeing 707  not much has changed, and what has, is for the worse Domestic airline cabins today are the equivalent of technical “ Death Valley ” devoid of and hostile to technology life. It seems inconceivable that Wi-Fi broadband access is not available. Moreover, the lack of personal video screens for everyone strikes me as an opportunity lost for the carriers. To begin, the screen’s absence, certainly impacts customer satisfaction in my view. I think this is especially

It has been a long winter for many of us in the US . Many horror stories were common, spanning from the humorous to the downright tragic. I am not sure if homeowners or business were harder hit this year, I just know that everywhere I went it seemed that I saw damaged property, especially roofs and people with assorted winter related injuries --- many from too much snow removal. Focusing on the business side, my impression was that most commercial buildings suffered leaks at one point or another. Flat roofs tend to precipitate that outcome, particularly in a year with more than 2x the average snowfall as we have had here in the greater Boston area. More troubling, as Murphy would have it, the leaks make their way into conduits and/or data centers in some cases. I had a recent conversation with an associate who thought they had made it through the winter unscathed until some of the ice recently started thawing. At that point, water started flowing into a wiring room. For t

I recently had the occasion to hear George Westerman speak on this issue and his book (see below) recently at a Boston SIM meeting. I must admit that the subject matter, something familiar to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or other seasoned IT professionals, did not exactly get my pulse racing. However, as I am always open to get a fresh perspective, I was rewarded with a warm and polished speaker who clearly related this information. George’s unique contribution in my view, both in his presentation and even more so in the book, is to focus on the communication aspect of value. Specifically on identifying how IT is affecting the overall business; both in positive and negative ways. One of the key points is to lead such conversations away from technical talk and towards business objectives; thereby having something that is clearly related to the organization. The book is filled with practical examples to help drive this point home. From budget requests to project updates, this p