Outsourcing
TechWeb, 6/7/02: Outsourcing Still Tops IT Agenda
Farming out some critical IT tasks? You're not alone. As budgets remain tight, enterprises are looking to outsourcing in an effort to save money.
And they'll probably continue to do so, according to analysts. Attorney John Halvey, who specializes in outsourcing contracts for New York law firms, says firmly: "There's only going to be more outsourcing, not less."
That's sure to boost revenue even higher at the big services firms. EDS has already reported a 14 percent increase in its outsourcing business, and IBM's outsourcing revenue ticked up 6 percent to $3.28 billion just recently.
But don't take that to mean you're stuck with whatever they offer: InformationWeek's Bob Evans notes the trend is toward more flexible, unbundled offerings, as customers grow more educated, selective—and demanding. Is it any wonder he says to put outsourcing at the top of your IT to-do list this summer? — Larry Lange
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IT Management
IDC: Consultants called on to blend IT and business
By Juan Carlos Perez
MIAMI (05/30/02)—Companies that better orchestrate their business strategy with their IT game plan will fuel spending on IT and business consulting services in the coming years, according to a pair of IDC studies.
Ten years ago, many companies didn't consider their IT strategy as crucial to their business plans as they do now, said Anna Danilenko, an IDC analyst, on Wednesday. With the dot-com frenzy of the late 1990s, the pendulum swung the other way and many companies emphasized their IT strategy while losing sight of their business blueprint, which led to failures, she added. Now, those companies are turning to providers of IT and business consulting services to help them synchronize the two sides, which are in turn becoming more and more intertwined, she said.
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ZDNet, 6/7/02: Microsoft in my data center? ! Well…
In a recent column, I said that the shift from a client/server architecture to Web services will open the door to Windows in data center.
Many of you responded, and your reactions ranged from wildly optimistic to "no way" on the issue. Even Microsoft chimed in with details on the improvements coming when Windows .Net Datacenter Server ships later this year and on how the company is beefing up its training program to deal with the vacuum of qualified personnel.
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Microsoft
Business Week, 6/17/02: Ballmer's Microsoft
How CEO Steve Ballmer is remaking the company that Bill Gates built
There isn't another company in the world as closely identified with its leader as Microsoft Corp. (MSFT ) has been with William H. Gates III. When the PC revolution erupted in the mid-1980s, it was Gates who emerged as chief pitchman for the clunky machines that suddenly appeared on many desktops. When tech stocks soared to unimaginable heights, Gates's multibillions landed him atop the lists of the world's wealthiest. And when Microsoft found itself in the crosshairs of federal antitrust regulators, Gates personified the abuse of market power. He was lord over a software behemoth that in 27 years has racked up nearly $50 billion in profits and that calls the tune for one of the world's most crucial industries. Gates is to our era what Rockefeller and Carnegie were to theirs.
But Gates no longer runs Microsoft. He gave up the chief executive role 2 1/2 years ago to his best friend and longtime management sidekick, Steven A. Ballmer. The burly, eats-nails-for-breakfast Detroit native thrives on the discipline of organizational management the way Gates thrills to the intricacies of technology. In 2000, Gates gave his pal free rein to restructure the way Microsoft manages finance, sales, product development, marketing, even strategic planning. And Ballmer took him up on it, big time.
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