Career development

Jun 28 2008   1:33AM GMT

Are you ready to make decisions as CSO or CIO? – SAS70

Posted by: sas70expert
Security management, Third-party services, Administration, Networking, Security, Strategic Enterprise Management, Microsoft Windows, Information risk management, Career development, Management, Security Program Management, Compliance, Risk management, human factors, business/IT alignment, Auditing, Monitoring, Financials, Data center operations, CIO, DataCenter, DataManagement, CEO, management software, CFO, Email, Exchange, SAS 70, CSO

As you complete that CISSP or CISA designation and move up the corporate ladder, do you have the right skills to begin making the decisions as CSO or CIO? Even if you have a great understanding of IT operations(networking, disaster recovery, datacenter management), compliance(SAS70, Webtrust, Systrust, SOX), and leadership(Project management, financial budgeting and administration), if you don’t communicate effectively you will not make the list. IT leaders can write, speak until they are red in the face; however, if they are unable to speak general business language, the business audience will not support their IT objectives or provide funding. Some of the more important skills to have as CSO or CIO are:

• Communicate effectively
• Lead during a disaster
• Provide an IT strategy

 What are the important skills that a CSO or CIO must have to be a success? As a team leader? To build Board support? To be an effective information technology project manager/business leader? To build another Google, Microsoft Windows, or Email Exchange?

SAS70ExPERT@gmail.com

 

Jun 16 2008   4:46AM GMT

CIO, CEO, CFO’s role in future Information Technology(IT) - SAS70

Posted by: sas70expert
Disaster Recovery, Networking, Storage, Security, Microsoft Windows, Career development, Compliance, business/IT alignment, Auditing, CIO, DataCenter, DataManagement, CFO, Email, Exchange, SAS 70, budget, bugeting, CSO

When I was with the big four, we couldn’t just be auditors, we were risk management consultants. Today, it seems that IT job titles and roles are in a similar transition.As a consultant/auditor, I am always discussing with the client the value that I bring to their organization as an experienced SAS70 auditor. Because of my expertise my audit will be much more in-depth, more efficient and effective with their time, resources, and revenue.

According to Computerworld, the below job titles are examples of the kinds you’ll see cropping up in IT in the not-too-distant future. IT job titles with any hint of computers, databases, software development languages or data network will disappear.

· Product Architect

· Chief Delivery Officer

· Chief Process Officer

Why? It’s a direct result of IT becoming integrated into the business strategy and being considered a partner in the business instead of a service provider who has no effect on revenue.

Xcel Energy, a $10 billion electric power and natural gas utility in Minneapolis, is changing the way it looks at IT. The company expects its data managers to be able to look at data and figure out answers to questions, such as where money is being lost. In other words, the company wants someone to put data in a business context.

The outsourcing of ping, power, and pipe is common to third party vendors. Even management of the application is increasing outsourced; however, companies still need IT to manage the flow of data in/out of the application, the relationship with the outsourced vendor, and assist in performing data analysis.

The focus more on life-cycle management, vendor management and data analysis has raised the expertise requirements of IT functions and is requiring more business management decisions to be made by IT. Moving IT management away from technology management doesn’t take them out of the picture, it will make them more critical to the survival of the business and elevate their ability to make a difference within their companies strategic direction.

How do you think your role is changing? Are you being elevated? Or just asked to do more with less?

SAS70ExPERT@gmail. com

Jun 14 2008   6:39AM GMT

CIO - Are you sitting on your DataCenter assets or using them?

Posted by: sas70expert
Networking, Storage, Security, Microsoft Windows, Career development, Compliance, business/IT alignment, Auditing, CIO, DataCenter, DataManagement, CEO, CFO, Email, Exchange, SAS 70, budget, bugeting, CSO

Are you sitting on your DataCenter assets or using them? CIO/SAS70

 

As the economy continues to be unsteady, what are your priorities as CIO? As CEO’s continue to be fired, CIO’s should use the uncertainty to prioritize there IT efforts, strengthen their information security within their DataCenters, and improve communication to the business of IT efforts.

 

IT project funds are shrinking. Are you concentrating in the area that will return results to the bottom line of the business and keep your paycheck coming? Re-evaluate your priorities now – concentrate on those projects that will improve revenue; that will make you a superstar in the eyes of your management, and will solidify your job.

 

Prioritize and communicate to get the most value from all the hard work that you do. According to survey results, only 10% of CIO’s say that they did an excellent job of communicating the value of their IT assets to their bosses. If you performed a SAS70 audit, not only tell your customers, but make your internal management aware of it, as it should strengthen your network security internal controls. CIO’s should form an alliance with CFO’s to communicate the business value of the core IT assets and the projects completed within the year. Make efforts to let the Board, Management and other stakeholders aware of your hardwork and that are critical to survival of the business and quantity the net return that these IT projects bring to the organization. Scorecards work best to quickly identify areas of accomplishments, areas in process, and future plans. I use a similar technique to communicate to the audited the SAS70 audit process, results, issues and deadlines. What other methods do you use? Do you plan on cutting or adding to your IT budget for 2008 an 2009?

 

TAGs: DataCenter, Budgeting, Business/IT alignment, Career development, CIO,