News

The 9 Most Difficult-to-Fill IT Roles

Competition for IT workers is fierce in the tech world and skills shortages abound. How fierce? Using data from TEKsystems, we look at what organizations describe as their most difficult-to-fill IT roles.

By Rich Hein

Apr 23, 2014 5 mins

IT Jobs IT Leadership IT Strategy

Healthcare IT Security Brings Challenges, Opportunities, but No Big Surprises

Recent pan-industry data breach reports from Symantec and Verizon Enterprise Solutions largely confirm what healthcare already knows about the root cause of its data breaches. But how can organizations step up to improve security?

By Brian Eastwood

Apr 23, 2014 7 mins

Data Breach Healthcare Industry Intrusion Detection Software

‘Silicon Valley’ Nails the Bay Area’s Tech Culture

CIO.com's Tom Kaneshige had resisted watching HBO's new comedy about life in the Silicon Valley. After all, he's lived it since the '90s. But a funny thing happened during his week of binge viewing.

By Tom Kaneshige

Apr 23, 2014 5 mins

Consumer Electronics Innovation Internet

How to Gauge Employee Satisfaction, One Question at a Time

If you're looking to improve workplace satisfaction and retention, you can improve morale by asking employees a single question.

By Sharon Florentine

Apr 23, 2014 5 mins

IT Governance IT Jobs IT Strategy

Cloud Attacks Are Following Enterprise Workloads

As more enterprise workloads shift to cloud and hosting environments, cyberattacks that have traditionally targeted on-premises data centers — such as brute force attacks and vulnerability scans — are following them to the Web.

By Thor Olavsrud

Apr 23, 2014 7 mins

Cloud Computing Cloud Security Intrusion Detection Software

Nielsen this week released U.S. smartphone market share numbers, based on OS and manufacturer, for the first quarter of 2014. Among the notable findings, Apple gained OS share but lost ground in device-maker share, while HTC dropped two slots in the

By Al Sacco

Apr 23, 2014 2 mins

Apple Small and Medium Business iPhone

7 Ways to Advance Your Project Management Career

Project management experts and executive IT recruiters provide tips to project managers on what they can do to give their careers a boost.

By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff

Apr 23, 2014 6 mins

Certifications IT Skills Project Management Tools

Telenav's Scout iOS navigation app just got some cool new features, including the ability to search while navigating. Best of all, the app is free and it provides accurate directions.

By James A. Martin

Apr 22, 2014 3 mins

Mobile Apps iPhone

The days of developing our own personal profiles that place a priority on reputation management are slipping away as impromptu (and sometimes anonymous and temporary) activity on social media gathers momentum. This new class of apps encourages you to

By Matt Kapko

Apr 22, 2014 9 mins

Mobile Apps Privacy Social Networking Apps

Anatomy of an Android OS Update, from HTC

If you've ever wondered why it takes so long for device makers and wireless carriers to roll out Android software updates, HTC has an infographic you should see.

By Al Sacco

Apr 22, 2014 2 mins

Android Small and Medium Business Smartphones

BlackBerry Releases BES 10 Security Update to Address ‘Heartbleed’ Flaw

BlackBerry's BES 10 software was updated on Tuesday to fix a security issue related to the "Heartbleed" OpenSSL vulnerability.

By Al Sacco

Apr 22, 2014 1 min

Mobile Security Small and Medium Business Smartphones

4 Things You’ll Love About HTC’s One (M8) – and 4 You Won’t

HTC's latest and greatest, the One (M8), packs a bevy of unique features. Some are sure to impress, while others will disappoint. CIO.com's Al Sacco shed lights on four of the best things about the new HTC One and four of the worst.

By Al Sacco

Apr 22, 2014 9 mins

Android Small and Medium Business Smartphones

4 Ways to Use Square in Your Small Business (Or Your Global Business)

Small businesses increasingly turn to Square to process payments without the hassle (and expense) of custom card-reading hardware. There are other benefits to the service, including analytics and online sales modules, as well as opportunities for lar

By Jen A. Miller

Apr 22, 2014 5 mins

Mobile Apps Retail Industry Small and Medium Business

12 Tablet Accessories That Let You Ditch Your Laptop

Android and iOS tablets have come a long way, but for many users they're still not suitable laptop replacements. However, you can change that. These 12 gadgets each help bridge the gap between notebook PC and tablet.

By James A. Martin

Apr 22, 2014 7 mins

Small and Medium Business Smartphones Tablets

Federal CIOs Squeezed by Budgets, Executive Buy-in

Technology chiefs in the federal government say they struggle with their role within their departments and agencies. A bill passed in the House and pending in the Senate could give federal CIOs more authority, though.

By Kenneth Corbin

Apr 21, 2014 5 mins

CIO Government Government IT

Twitter Readies Design Changes As It Unveils New Ad Offerings

Twitter has taken a slow approach in the rollout of new ad products and changes to the user interface, but that's beginning to change. Following its deeper integration with MoPub, Twitter is expected to reveal a series of new ad products alongsi

By Matt Kapko

Apr 21, 2014 6 mins

E-commerce Software Facebook Twitter

IT Departments Not Losing Ground to Managed Service Providers (Yet)

Many business users say they're fed up with what they perceive as sluggish IT departments, but cringe at the thought of outsourcing to a managed services provider. However, the rise of BYOD, consumer tech and cloud computing may be clearing a pa

By Tom Kaneshige

Apr 21, 2014 3 mins

CIO IT Strategy Outsourcing

5 New Wireless Technologies for Today’s Businesses

Wireless technology changes quickly. This matters if you're running a business, as faster Wi-Fi can improve employee productivity as well as customer service. These advances in wireless tech are therefore worth watching.

By John Brandon

Apr 21, 2014 3 mins

RFID Small and Medium Business Smartphones

5 Ways to Get Open Source Software Support

Support for open source software is 'unbundled' from the software itself. That actually makes it much easier to get the right level of support at the right price.

By Paul Rubens

Apr 21, 2014 5 mins

Open Source Project Management Tools Small and Medium Business

10 Top Information Security Threats for the Next Two Years

Each year, the Information Security Forum, a nonprofit association that researches and analyzes security and risk management issues, releases its 'Threat Horizon' report to provide members with a forward-looking view of the biggest security

By Thor Olavsrud

Apr 21, 2014 7 mins

Encryption Security

Radio Shack Giving Away iPhone 5s with iPhone 4s Trade-In

That old iPhone 4s will get you a free iPhone 5s from Radio Shack, if you don’t mind signing a two-year contract. Without a trade-in, the Radio Shack price is still a bargain at $99.

By Bill Snyder

Apr 18, 2014 2 mins

Consumer Electronics iPhone

BlackBerry Not a Part of Smartphone ‘Kill Switch’ Group (UPDATED)

The majority of leading smartphone makers expressed support for the new "Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment," but BlackBerry is one of the few notable device makers that has not.

By Al Sacco

Apr 18, 2014 3 mins

Carriers Small and Medium Business Smartphones

For Those Days When You Just Need a Matching Orange Alligator Smartphone and Smartwatch…

Paris-based By Atelier is "celebrating the launch of Samsung's Galaxy S5" with a blindingly orange alligator skin case and wristband for the Gear Fit smartwatch. And the set only costs $2,500.

By Al Sacco

Apr 18, 2014 2 mins

Android Consumer Electronics Smartphones

‘Get The Job’ Interviewing App for Android, iOS Not Worth Your Time

A recent game for Android and iOS tests your knowledge of the job interview process. The paid version asks some good questions, according to CIO.com blogger James A. Martin, but the freebies are mostly useless.

By James A. Martin

Apr 18, 2014 2 mins

Android Smartphones iPhone

Analysts Have Mixed Emotions in Bidding Farewell to Windows XP

Microsoft's Windows XP has reached its end-of-support deadline, but it's not easy saying goodbye to the most dominant operating system of its time. Two Aberdeen Group analysts share their (differing) thoughts on the end of Windows XP.

By Derek Brink and Jim Rapoza

Apr 18, 2014 6 mins

IT Governance IT Strategy Small and Medium Business

Working-at-Home a Win-Win for Employers and Employees

Marissa Mayer's infamous policy for Yahoo aside, telecommuting remains an important tool for reducing employee stress and increasing operational efficiency. Follow these tips to do it right.

By Sharon Florentine

Apr 18, 2014 5 mins

Collaboration Software IT Skills Small and Medium Business

Meet the Most Profitable PC Company You’ve Never Heard Of

Dell's Original Equipment Manufacturer division makes custom PCs for companies in a variety of industries. It also makes money. With sales of plain ol' out-of-the-box machines on the decline, this might point to the future of the PC.

By Rob Enderle

Apr 18, 2014 5 mins

Car Tech Energy Industry Healthcare Industry

Why Chrome Remote Desktop for Android is Nearly Useless

Google released an Android version of its Chrome Remote Desktop app, and the software lets you remotely view what's on your Windows or Mac screen. Unfortunately, accessing your computer is a significant challenge, according to CIO.com blogger Ja

By James A. Martin

Apr 17, 2014 3 mins

Android Compliance Smartphones

Microsoft to Windows 8.1 Users: Update ASAP or You’re on Your Own

Windows 8.1 users who don’t install a recent patch won’t be able to install any future security patches, according to Microsoft.

By Bill Snyder

Apr 17, 2014 2 mins

Security Small and Medium Business Windows

Health Insurance Exchange Tech Winners and Losers

Between the federal Healthcare.gov site and various state websites, more than 8 million Americans signed up for 2014 healthcare coverage on a health insurance exchange. Building those exchanges proved to be much, much easier said than done. Here&#039

By Brian Eastwood

Apr 17, 2014 9 mins

Government Government IT Healthcare Industry

IT Leader or IT Manager? How to Be the Best of Both

The best leaders aren't necessarily great managers and great managers aren't always the best leaders. A company needs both types of personalities to be competitive. Here's a look at the separate skills and traits associated with each,

By Rich Hein

Apr 17, 2014 6 mins

CIO IT Jobs Relationship Building

Federal CIOs Moving Cybersecurity Beyond Compliance

The evolving nature of cyberattacks demands a more dynamic response, according to government CIOs making an effort to implement real-time, continuous monitoring and reporting for security issues.

By Kenneth Corbin

Apr 17, 2014 5 mins

Cybercrime Government Regulation

CIOs and Procurement Pros Partner on Cloud Services

Cloud services can help CIOs free themselves from worrying about managing data centers, scaling capacity, configuring servers, applying security patches and other routine maintenance so they can focus on providing insight to improve the business.

By Tom Kaneshige

Apr 17, 2014 6 mins

CIO Cloud Computing Enterprise Applications

Why a Smartphone ‘Kill Switch’ Won’t Stop Phone Theft

The idea of a smartphone "kill switch" sounds promising and is a step in the right direction in the fight against phone thieves, but it's not a solution to the problem, according to CIO.com's Al Sacco.

By Al Sacco

Apr 17, 2014 5 mins

Carriers Small and Medium Business Smartphones

Will the Internet of Things Become the Internet of Broken Things?

Fifty billion devices will connect to the Internet in the next few years. It's up to vendors to make sure they do, in fact, connect to the Internet — and provide reliable data, security and customer experience. Otherwise, analysts warn, the fut

By JD Sartain

Apr 17, 2014 5 mins

Energy Industry Manufacturing Industry Mobile Security

Leaked Images of Amazon’s ‘Fire Phone’

A couple of images of Amazon's first smartphone leaked yesterday, and reports suggest it could be officially announced in June.

By Al Sacco

Apr 16, 2014 2 mins

Android Small and Medium Business Smartphones

9 Things You Need to Know Before You Store Data in the Cloud

More and more businesses of all sizes are storing some or all of their data in the cloud. But before you move to an online storage provider, there are some things you should know (and ask) about cloud storage and recovery.

By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff

Apr 16, 2014 8 mins

Backup and Recovery Cloud Management Cloud Storage

10 Hot Hadoop Startups to Watch

As data volumes grow, figuring out how to unlock value becomes vastly important. Hadoop enables the processing of large data sets in a distributed environment and has become almost synonymous with big data. Here are 10 startups with solutions for unl

By Jeff Vance

Apr 16, 2014 16 mins

Big Data Financial Services Industry Venture Capital

Healthcare is Hot for CIOs!

New CIOs at WellPoint, Sharp Healthcare, Wakeforest Baptist (along with CIO moves in retail, energy and more)

By Martha Heller

Apr 15, 2014 3 mins

CIO IT Jobs IT Strategy

Google Glass Gets Android KitKat, Loses Video Calling (UPDATED)

Google frustrated a number of Glass Explorers yesterday when it announced the upcoming Glass XE16 software update, which brings Android KitKat to Glass, will drop a valuable feature: Video calling.

By Al Sacco

Apr 15, 2014 3 mins

Android Consumer Electronics Operating Systems

Just because you're not posting drunken selfies doesn't mean you've got this social networking thing down. There are a number of more subtle social media mistakes that could hurt your career. Here are six to avoid.

By Sharon Florentine

Apr 15, 2014 8 mins

Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

CIOs to Become In-House Brokers — and That’s a Good Thing

In their new role as brokers and consultants, CIOs will be in an even more powerful position. According to a new survey, two-thirds of C-level executives and business unit leaders expect the IT department to have more influence on technology decision

By Tom Kaneshige

Apr 15, 2014 5 mins

CIO Careers IT Strategy

How to Switch From iPhone 5S to BlackBerry Z30 (and Why)

Spend some time with a BlackBerry 10 device and you just might put your iPhone away for good. CIO.com contributor Paul Mah did. Here he outlines the nine steps it takes to move from an iPhone 5S to a BlackBerry Z30.

By Paul Mah

Apr 15, 2014 8 mins

Android Mobile Device Management iPhone

4 Qualities to Look for in a Data Scientist

Every business, it seems, needs a data scientist, but not everyone knows what to look for. The four qualities of a good data scientist described here will help you first write a job description and then evaluate candidates for your data scientist vac

By Jonathan Hassell

Apr 15, 2014 7 mins

Big Data Data Warehousing IT Jobs

T-Mobile Kills Overage Fees—but not Without a Price

T-Mobile customers won’t get stuck with big bills if they blow through their data caps in the future, but their connection speeds will be significantly slowed, according to CIO.com blogger Bill Snyder.

By Bill Snyder

Apr 14, 2014 4 mins

Carriers

Microsoft’s Office for iPad Shakes Up Mobile Enterprise

It's hard to overstate the impact of Microsoft Office for iPad. The arrival of the dominant productivity suite on the dominant tablet promises to change how iPads are viewed in the enterprise. Office for iPad may also crush competitive apps, shu

By Tom Kaneshige

Apr 14, 2014 6 mins

Microsoft Office Small and Medium Business iPad

6 Amazing Advances in Cloud Technology

The cloud is more than just dirt-cheap data storage and lightning-fast apps. These six innovations show that it's possible to manage servers, develop applications, run virtual machines and even sequence the human genome using cloud technology.

By John Brandon

Apr 14, 2014 4 mins

Cloud Management Developer Enterprise Architecture

Is Windows 8 Development Worth the Trouble?

Microsoft pays some companies to produce Windows 8 versions of their products. Without this type of financial assistance, or various other incentives, is Windows 8 and especially Windows Phone development worth the effort?

By Paul Rubens

Apr 14, 2014 7 mins

Microsoft Office Small and Medium Business Tablet PCs

IT Service Providers in Ukraine Deliver Despite Political Tensions

It's been business as usual for IT outsourcing providers in Ukraine, though the ongoing military and political uncertainty has had a public relations impact.

By Stephanie Overby

Apr 14, 2014 2 mins

IT Leadership IT Strategy Outsourcing

Dropbox's new Carousel app makes it simple to share photos and video stored in your Dropbox account. But the app is missing features that would make it even more valuable, according to CIO.com blogger James A. Martin.

By James A. Martin

Apr 11, 2014 3 mins

Android Smartphones iPhone