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Zerto's 3.1 release targets enterprise and cloud service providers
For the virtualized environment of your enterprise, Zerto wants to be the business continuity and disaster recovery solution provider of choice. TechRepublic recently spoke with Zerto about the recent...
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The future of enterprise development
Increasingly, business units are demanding faster responses and more rapid adoption of new technologies. The CIO who can adapt to this new environment will position his or her team for explosive succe...
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The CIO and the help desk disconnect
Stacked against investments in other areas like new hardware or software purchases, the help desk is often overlooked yet is tasked with a larger support role with each passing year. But it's critical...
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Preparing for the CIO track
Jay Rollins provides tips about how to prepare for the CIO position, including the top 10 undergraduate courses to take to become a CIO. He also offers insight about the evolving role of the CIO.
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Implementing help desk software: IT exec offers a firsthand account
If your organization is in the market for new help desk software, read Jay Rollins' detailed account of selecting and implementing a new help desk system. His insights into the process may save your c...
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IT project management tips about centralization, alignment, and more
In this roundup of project management tips, Jay Rollins covers centralization, alignment, prioritization, PM groups, and hiring the Super Project Manager.
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Don't let standards impede employee innovation
If users want to use one-off software tools or hardware, IT pros might want to think twice about saying "no." Jay Rollins says being too standards driven can be counterproductive to employee innovatio...
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Why SMBs should formalize IT governance processes
Want to get the benefits of IT governance without dealing with all the layers of the onion? Jay Rollins outlines what SMBs need to do to start formalizing the IT governance process.
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Let employees select trade shows to attend (but retain veto rights)
With tighter travel and training budgets, many IT leaders are being more discerning when approving employees' requests to attend trade shows. Jay Rollins discusses the process he uses to help employee...
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BI systems failure: Is the CIO to blame?
Jay Rollins comments on a recent discussion about whether a CIO could be faulted when business intelligence systems projects fail. He breaks down the two sides of the argument and offers his take.
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Responding to IT mini crises involving KFC, Lotus, Adobe, and a contractor
Business lessons can come from the most unlikely of sources, as evidenced by a mini work crisis because of this week's Kentucky Fried Chicken promo. Jay Rollins outlines the five stages of a mini cris...
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Hiring independent contractors to help with small projects is a win-win
Now is the perfect time to hire an independent IT contractor to work on small projects that are on the back burner. These projects can lead to small wins that make users happy and provide the contract...
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Stepping into a leadership vacuum shows initiative
Take charge of your career by stepping into a vacuum and taking ownership of it. Jay Rollins discusses potential pitfalls you may encounter and explains why confidence is key in this leadership role.
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Seek out difficult customers to gain valuable insight
One of the best things about difficult customers is that they care enough to complain. If you're discounting these customers' opinions, you may miss opportunities to gain valuable insights about your ...
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A funny thing happened on the way to selecting software
Actually a few funny things happened during phase one of Jay Rollins' software selection process. Find out how a pushy vendor, Thomas the Tank Engine, and a pizza party factor into the process.
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What can we learn from Apple?
Challenging long-held assumptions and having the intestinal fortitude to carry the ball across the goal line regardless of how tough it actually is separates the outstanding IT leader from the rest.
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Help Desk Implementation Diary: Week 3
Jay Rollins continues his help desk implementation saga. This week the goal was to get all the service levels and business rules implemented.
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Ignorance may be bliss, but it's also dangerous
Jay Rollins talks about an instance in his company where the user view of "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" seriously affected the bottom line and what he had to do to correct it.
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Don't let gray areas delay your projects
We've all been there--we're set to start a project when a gray area brings everything to a pause. Jay Rollins talks about how it's best to face the gray areas head on.
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Help Desk Implementation Diary: Week 4
The Help Desk implementation continues this week amid ice storms, power outages, and windstorms. Jay Rollins and his team look at Nimsoft and IPMonitor solutions.
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What you can learn from the ITSM process
In order to add value to your company, you have to be as close to the transaction as possible. By having the larger percentage of IT services focused on support processes, you are one layer removed fr...
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Top ten undergraduate courses for the CIO track
I was recently asked by a prospective undergraduate student what courses she should take if she wanted to become a CIO. Here is my version of the top ten classes that have an impact on the CIO role in...
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Six tips for networking to success
Many people in the IT industry don't know how to network very well. But it's imperative if you want to move up in your career. Here are six tips for networking the right way.
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The Stimulus Package and its impact on healthcare IT
Jay Rollins talks about the implications for IT that Electronic Medical Records could have and why the concept of Personal Medical Records may be better.
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The downside to corporate wireless plans
When looking at corporate wireless plans, Jay Rollins finds that the promise of pooled minutes, volume discounts, and a dedicated account manager may seem like Nirvana, but you're giving something up....
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How to cut to the chase on the vendor cold call
For IT shops, vendor cold calls can be a royal pain. Here's how to save yourself some time and get the folks calling to cut to the chase.
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Desperately seeking Blackberry Enterprise Server value
Jay Rollins has to make a mobile device decision for his enterprise. In this blog, he weighs the pros and cons, features and drawbacks of the three main players.
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Help Desk Implementation Diary: Testing
This week in his help desk implementation, Jay Rollins finds that most of the initial bumps have been smoothed out and major items have been squared away. But as they test the software, his team raise...
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Anticipate problems when requesting more staff
If you're one of the fortunate few companies that continue to grow through even this economic mess, justifying additional headcount can be tricky. And when you are transitioning from a small company t...
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How to reward your best employees
Great employees make your life as a manager much easier.It makes sense to show that their efforts are recognized and appreciated. You might find, however, that shareholders don't always back your desi...