CIO weekly wrap-up

CIO weekly wrap-up: SOA best practices, ITIL, ITSM, app consolidation

Last week was a busy one for SearchCIO.com, with SOA topping our slate. We have best practices for SOA implementation, SOA for business process transformation, SOA in action at Amtrak…you get the picture. We also quizzed you on your ITIL and ITSM knowledge and discussed application consolidation in four ssteps. For the full list of articles, click on the links below!

(And yes, if you sense some forced cheeriness, it’s because I’m still trying to recover from last night’s Patriots-Colts game. I don’t want to talk about it — still too painful to put into words.)

Best practices for a SOA implementation and application integration — A service-oriented architecture (SOA) implementation and application integration allow information to be transferred and supported efficiently. In this month’s CIO Briefing, learn more about SOA best practices.

SOA implementation propels business process transformation — When business process automation was insufficient and BPM products proved too narrow, a CIO turned to SOA to streamline business processes and boost productivity by 30%.

SOA best practices from Amtrak — Amtrak’s chief SOA architect offers advice to CIOs on implementing SOA services, from creating a plan and choosing standards to governance and monitoring.

Review the latest trends in ITSM and ITIL best practices — Many enterprises find that implementing ITSM and ITIL best practices leads to improved efficiencies and lower costs. Review our latest ITSM and ITIL content and take our quiz.

Should it stay or should it go? Application consolidation in 4 steps — In this piece, learn how to decide which applications to cut and which to keep when consolidating your application portfolio.

CIO weekly wrap-up: IT outsourcing templates, SOA implementation

Good morning! We’re enjoying some beautiful Indian summer weather here in the Northeast — if only every Monday could start like this! Last week on SearchCIO.com, we talked to Virginia’s CIO about that state’s IT outsourcing problems, provided links to some free IT outsourcing templates covering SLAs, RFPs and more, and looked at various SOA implementation approaches. Let us know what you think!

How Virginia’s new CIO is fixing the state’s IT outsourcing problems — In a one-on-one interview, Virginia’s CIO explains steps being taken to improve oversight and performance of the state’s $2 billion IT outsourcing deal, which has been beset by delays and other problems.

SOA implementation evolves from open source to Oracle SOA suite — Though SOA is something you do, rather than buy, the CIO at the Screen Actors Guild found the best approach was to go shopping and solve the problem at the database layer.

Free IT outsourcing templates: SLAs, RFPs and more — CIOs pursuing IT outsourcing deals can benefit from templates spelling out SLA and RFP best practices. Here, we’ve provided links to some of the best free IT outsourcing templates on the Web.

CIO weekly wrap-up: IT’s value, agile methodology, outsourcing and SOA

Happy belated Halloween! I hope everybody who celebrated had a great time — any creative IT-related Halloween costumes you’d like to tell us about?

Last week on SearchCIO.com, we talked about demonstrating the business value of IT, agile development methodologies, a botched IT outsourcing contract and six ways to fail with your SOA implementation. (Come to think of it, the latter two probably provided you with some pre-Halloween shudders, right?) Check out the full stories linked below.

The Real Business of IT: Free chapter download — This book focuses on how CIOs can demonstrate the value of IT as a strategic partner. And who doesn’t like free?

Agile development methodology not easy but worth the effort, users say — The agile methodology is giving development organizations the “speed they need” to respond to changes in the market and bring more value to the business faster. Here’s how you can do the same!

Botched IT outsourcing contract shows need for governance, SLAs — Virginia’s $2 billion IT outsourcing contract has gone awry, with service interruptions and missed deadlines. Find out what lessons were learned on IT governance and clear SLAs. To share your views, read our post on IT outsourcing contracts without penalties.

Six ways to fail with your SOA implementation — A service-oriented architecture is one way to make application development more agile, a growing business requirement. Here are the top risks for SOA failure — avoid them if you want to do it right!

CIO weekly wrap-up: IT outsourcing, BPM tools, 2010 top technologies

Good morning! Last week on SearchCIO.com, we focused on how to build innovation and flexibility into IT outsourcing deals, discussed how to select the right BPM tools for success, and shared Gartner’s top 10 strategic technologies for 2010. Check out the stories and podcast linked below and let us know if you have any comments to add.

How to build IT innovation, flexibility into your IT outsourcing deals — Learn how to draw IT innovation from your IT outsourcing vendors and structure your contracts to cover new technology models like cloud and SaaS.

BPM tool selection: Strategies for success — Get the most out of your BPM tools. Learn how to assess your business and technical needs and choose the best vendor and tool to meet your BPM needs.

Gartner’s top 10 strategic technologies for 2010 — Gartner’s list of technologies that bear examination during the next three years show an agile, mobile, secure enterprise that can spot early warning signs and predict trends.

CIO weekly wrap-up: IT multi-sourcing, change management and Lean IT

Good morning! We had a snowy weekend here in the Boston area, as anybody who watched the Patriots game knows. What better way to warm up than by enjoying a piping-hot cup of coffee or tea and reviewing our latest SearchCIO.com content?

Review these trends in IT disaster recovery planning and outsourcing — IT disaster recovery outsourcing can help enterprises protect data centers more effectively than doing it themselves if catastrophe strikes. Want to show us how much you know about outsourcing DR, or looking to learn more? Review our latest stories and take our quiz?

Multi-sourcing requires IT governance strategy with multiple tiers — An IT governance strategy for multi-sourcing activities requires a multi-tier approach with participation throughout the enterprise. Read how NASA (yes, the NASA that recently bombed the moon to learn more about its surface) learned to govern multi-sourcing.

FAQ: IT and organizational change management — The CIO’s role in organizational and IT change management is to ensure service availability and business support. In our latest FAQ guide, learn more about IT’s role in change management.

Lean thinking in IT: Case studies and advice from practitioners — Lean thinking in IT can improve customer satisfaction and business alignment and cut waste, as TransUnion, Harley-Davidson and Flextronics have found. Read each company’s story here.

CIO weekly wrap-up: Email archiving, DR, business continuity and ITIL

I’m a huge Boston sports fan, so forgive me for moving a bit more slowly than usual this morning. Yesterday’s “Black Sunday” (as it’s already being dubbed) really knocked me — and much of New England, I’d wager — for a loop. At least we have an excellent Celtics season to look forward to….

I’m diving into my SearchCIO.com wrap-up to chase away the blues. As always, read the stories linked below and contact us with any thoughts!

Email archiving solutions and strategies for enterprise CIOs – As an email scandal in the Boston mayor’s office is currently demonstrating, effective email archiving solutions and strategies are an important part of a CIO’s job, as e-discovery, litigation and compliance regulations require detailed email policies.

Disaster recovery is dead; long live continuous business operations – IT disaster recovery is dead, according to the head of the Disaster Recovery Institute International. Here’s how DR is becoming synonymous with business continuity.

ITIL case study: ITIL best practices at two financial services firms – When Barclays Global Investors and Wachovia invested in ITIL, they saw improved efficiencies and huge cost savings. Read their stories here and feel free to share your own ITIL experiences below.

CIO weekly wrap-up: CIO mistakes, qualities of a good leader and ITIL

In a few hours, I’ll be bound for Chicago to learn more about IT services and sourcing, but don’t think I would leave you without your weekly wrap-up of CIO content! Check out the latest pieces to run on SearchCIO.com by clicking the links below:

CIO management mistakes that can harm CIO careers, cause IT failures – Are you an effective CIO or senior IT leader, or are you poised for failure because you’ve made one of these mistakes? Here are eight things you might need to change before it’s too late.

Do you have the qualities of a good leader? Test your leadership IQ – The qualities of a good leader transcend industry, organization and circumstance. Do you know what it takes to be a good leader in IT? Take our quiz and find out.

Maturing an ITIL strategy beyond incident, problem, change management – Some ITIL implementations stall once IT gets incident, problem and change management under control. Here’s what ITIL practitioners advise to keep driving benefits and maturity.

ITSM and ITIL best practices for process improvement – ITSM and ITIL processes continue to gain traction in enterprises as CIOs seek to cut costs and increase efficiencies through business process improvement. Learn more in this guide, our latest CIO briefing.

CIO weekly wrap-up: Google Wave, email retention, ITIL, data recovery

Good morning! Last week on SearchCIO.com, we surfed the Google Wave, examined the email retention policy (or lack thereof) that’s caused such consternation in Boston, explained how to complement your ITIL framework with other process methodologies, and presented some data recovery solutions for CIOs. Read the stories linked below and feel free to share your comments!

Google Wave: A sea change for business collaboration, communication? – Businesses are getting caught up in the Google Wave, contemplating how such mashup collaboration technologies stand to change the way they operate internally and do business.

Miscues abounded in Boston email retention policy, practices – Boston CIO Bill Oates talks about measures taken to tune an email retention policy after disconnects between user practice and system capability set off a political firestorm the week before the city’s mayoral primary. (Also see our initial story on the email scandal.)

Complementing your ITIL framework with other process methodologies — ITIL can be more effective when used with other process methodologies, like Six Sigma, PPM and ISO 20000. In this story, learn how to leverage mixed process methodologies and increase efficiencies in your company.

Data recovery solutions must address a range of concerns – In this piece, our expert describes how to do a reality check to ensure that your disaster recovery strategy and data recovery solution pay off in the long run.

CIO weekly wrap-up: Service portfolio management, ITSM, email scandal

Good afternoon! This past week, SearchCIO.com looked at the importance of service portfolio management and culture management as part of ITSM and ITIL implementations. We also took a look at an email scandal that’s threatening to rock Boston’s mayoral race and serves to remind CIOs of the importance of an email retention policy or archiving system. Check out the stories linked below!

Service portfolio management: Helping IT get back to business — More mature IT shops are adopting ITIL v3’s service portfolio management approach to better manage the service lifecycle and provide business-centric services to the organization.

Culture management critical to ITSM and ITIL implementation — The goal of any IT Service Management program is not purchasing the tool or implementing the processes. Instead, it’s about creating an organizational culture that will positively embrace these new best practices.

For CIOs, email deletion scandal shows need for email retention policy — The email deletion scandal brewing in Boston is fair warning to CIOs to get their email policies in order.

CIO weekly wrap-up: Swine flu preparedness, business continuity, ITIL

I just returned from an amazing week in Costa Rica and have the tan (really, the sunburn) to prove it. Maybe surfing at the sunniest time of day wasn’t the smartest move? Anyway, I’m re-discovering how difficult it is to get back into the swing of things at work post-vacation, so this lineup of our latest work is as much for my benefit as it is for yours!

Over the past two weeks, SearchCIO.com has examined ITIL project leadership, swine flu preparedness, business continuity, IT disaster recovery outsourcing, IT strategies in a bad economy and more. Please check out the pieces linked below and let us know what you think!

Effective ITIL project leadership: Plan-Do-Check-Act – Successful ITIL project leaders are using the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to ensure their teams stay motivated, follow the same processes and contribute innovative ideas.

Uniting ITSM, PPM process methodologies yields IT management benefits – ITSM and PPM are typically separate disciplines, but integrating them can increase visibility, help with budgeting and more. Learn more about this dynamic duo.

Tips for business continuity and contingency planning for swine flu – IT business continuity plans for swine flu outbreaks focus on people and remote access issues. Here are experts’ tips on what to include.

IT disaster recovery outsourcing: A planning guide for enterprise CIOs – Planning for IT disaster recovery outsourcing requires CIOs to assess their DR needs, make the case for funding and select technologies. Learn more in our latest CIO briefing.

Talking swine flu and Conficker with the CIO of the CDC – In this Q&A, the CIO at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discusses how preparations for H1N1 and other human viruses compare with the computer variety and more.

Tips from the CDC’s CIO on H1N1 flu preparedness – Get a CIO checklist for H1N1.

CIO advice: IT strategies in a bad economy – CIOs should consider re-evaluating their IT strategies in this economy. Get advice on addressing ROI, innovating and achieving project success in this podcast.

Swine flu preparedness: Business continuity during an H1N1 outbreak – Swine flu preparedness will top enterprise CIO agendas this fall as offices create business continuity plans in case of widespread absenteeism. Learn more in this H1N1 flu guide.

Health care security, HIPAA compliance on deck for CIOs in Obama era – HIPAA enforcement has long been lax, but that’s changing with stiffer HIPAA security and privacy rules and incentives to move to electronic health records.