All

Open Source software is demonstrably successful in specific business and government areas (think of all those Linux and Apache servers humming away!). However, apart from these, MySQL and a few exceptions from, for example, the Mozilla stable, Open Source systems have not yet had a significant impact in the mainstream world of business IT. The one exception is in Government where there is a...

It is essential that IT develops the agility to keep pace with business as it changes and that IT is seen to be making a positive contribution to business success. This can be achieved through the establishment, publication and continual review and enhancement of an Enterprise IT Architecture Model. Organisations should undertake a review of the state of their current Enterprise IT Arc...

A monthly review of all of the sourcing activity, upcoming tenders and news items.

It is well known that the cost to rectify a defect increases significantly the later the stage in the systems development life cycle it is discovered. At the same time it is well known that software requirements can only be reliably uncovered when an iterative process of validating software under construction is used. Taking full advantage of iterative requirements validation while minimisi...

While sophisticated Knowledge Management Systems have proved to date to be a bridge too far for many organisations the use of Document Management and Collaboration Systems can provide an acceptable alternative.

Organisations, especially in the public sector, are increasingly sensitive to the possible, potentially visible and embarrassing, failure of large IT projects. It is now customary to include independent quality assurance (IQA) of the project management for such projects as an added insurance to prevent failure. Lesser projects may not be able to justify such IQA and the PMO may be too involved wit...

Implementing a web service oriented architecture leads to more maintainable application systems that are cheaper to operate - if you can afford to wait three years or longer, without resorting to cutting corners, or even pulling the plug. Reduction of risk exposure is the real and immediate reason why consumption and creation of services should be an essential part of renovating and evolvin...

Last month’s article on this topic was triggered by a January 2006 McKinsey & Co. survey1 on the IT spending patterns of 37 retail and wholesale banks. In essence, it showed that the lowest spenders were judged as delivering the greatest business value from their investment in IT. The result seemed counter-intuitive and lead us to carry out our own observational analysis on the p...

Multi-channel CRM is an area in which technology has to serve people, and when it does not, the disappointment and failure is measurable. In call centres, and in the growing, though underutilised implementation of Web based contact, CRM can be tuned to customer needs, if an organisation has made adequate plans, based on customer behaviour and usage. If CRM solutions are chosen, for e...

Just a week has passed since the election, and the Australian population can switch off their PCs (and Macs too) and Web connections as they have blogged themselves into exhaustion; debating and understanding the policies; been involved at the grass roots level of political and social debate, all in all, thoroughly engaged in the of political process.