News

22 Ways Apple’s iPad Video Mixes Fantasy and Reality

Apple marketers are some of the best in the business, especially when showing off the new iPad Air in a promotional video. But don't fall completely for the marketing hype this holiday season. We break down one of their most compelling videos to

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 5, 2013 10 mins

Marketing Small and Medium Business iPad

Mobile Devices to Drastically Boost Online Gambling – and That’s a Bad Thing

Mobile phones and tablets are making it much easier to gamble online. CIO.com blogger Bill Snyder explains why this is a worrisome trend.

By Bill Snyder

Dec 5, 2013 3 mins

Consumer Electronics Internet Small and Medium Business

Why Windows Phone is the Mobile Platform to Watch

It's easy to overlook Windows Phone, the underdog in today's Android/iOS world. But CIO.com blogger James A. Martin says it's time to give the smartphone platform another look. Here's why.

By James A. Martin

Dec 5, 2013 3 mins

Mobile Apps Operating Systems

It’s Time to Leave the Driving to the Droids

The best thing about driverless cars is that robots don't get distracted. CIO.com senior writer Tom Kaneshige explains why we should pry our fingers from the steering wheel and leave the road to self-driven cars.

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 5, 2013 3 mins

Car Tech Consumer Electronics Innovation

DreamForce’s Big Idea: Smartphones as an Enterprise App Platform

At a conference as big and boisterous as Dreamforce, you hear a relentless stream of ideas. Some are good, but most are bad. At Dreamforce 2013, there was only one idea that really mattered: Whether smartphones are the future client for enterprise ap

By David Taber

Dec 5, 2013 5 mins

CRM Systems Cloud Computing Mobile Device Management

GE Healthcare CTO Says IT Needs to Embrace Mobile, Cloud to Remain Relevant

GE Healthcare CTO Nevin Zimmermann talks with IDG Enterprise Chief Content Officer John Gallant about mobile, cloud, big data and more. Zimmermann also discusses how his team is evolving and why CIOs must embrace technology changes.

By John Gallant

Dec 5, 2013 20 mins

CTO Healthcare Industry IT Strategy

CIOs Say Cost, Complexity Impede True Mobile Gains in Enterprise

A new survey of 300 CIOs found that while the majority of IT executives see real value in mobilizing existing enterprise apps or rolling out brand new mobile innovations, they also see the costs and complexity of these initiatives as real challenges.

By Al Sacco

Dec 5, 2013 4 mins

CIO Mobile Device Management Small and Medium Business

How Cross-platform Tools Make It Easier to Develop for Both iOS and Android

If you're building applications for Android and iOS, cross-platform mobile development tools can make you more productive. Just don't expect the results to look pretty.

By Paul Rubens

Dec 5, 2013 6 mins

Android Smartphones iPhone

Why Are So Many IT Projects Failing?

A recent study reports that 50 percent of companies had an IT project fail in the last 12 months. Business leaders who blame IT are missing the real project management issues.

By Sharon Florentine

Dec 4, 2013 4 mins

IT Governance Frameworks IT Jobs Project Management Tools

CIOs to Gain Authority, Better Alignment With Business Leaders

A measure attached to defense funding bill would consolidate government CIO organization structure, grant new budgetary authorities that could align IT more closely with mission objectives.

By Kenneth Corbin

Dec 4, 2013 4 mins

CIO Government Government IT

Why Microsoft SharePoint Faces a Challenging Future

Many enterprises use and like SharePoint. Microsoft likes it, too, because it's one of the company's fastest-growing product lines. But making enterprises support separate cloud and on-premises versions and telling SharePoint app developers

By Jonathan Hassell

Dec 4, 2013 7 mins

Collaboration Software Developer Small and Medium Business

Reaching Beyond IT Yields GM Role

Hunter Jones promoted from CIO of Cameron International to Business Unit CIO, and other news

By Martha Heller

Dec 3, 2013 3 mins

CIO IT Jobs IT Strategy

How (and Why) I Went From Google Glass Atheist to ‘Explorer’

In his first two days as a Glass Explorer, CIO.com blogger James A. Martin visited Google's San Francisco Glass showroom, had an unfortunate incident with a sunglasses clip and learned firsthand just how easy it is to become a victim of app over

By James A. Martin

Dec 3, 2013 5 mins

Consumer Electronics Mobile Apps

Mobile App Revolution Rivals Industrial Revolution

Based on comments from experts at this week's AppNation event, to say mobile apps are a disruptive technology is an understatement.

By Tom Kaneshige

Dec 3, 2013 3 mins

Developer Small and Medium Business iPhone

4 Websites That Find the Best Cyber Monday Deals for You

You could spend all day surfing the Web looking for Cyber Monday deals, but wouldn't you rather just see the best ones? CIO.com blogger Bill Snyder shares a list of websites that aggregate the deals you don't want to miss.

By Bill Snyder

Dec 2, 2013 3 mins

Consumer Electronics Internet

18 Hot IT Certifications for 2014

For years premium pay for IT certifications has been on the decline, but top pay for IT certifications has increased for two consecutive quarters and is up 1.5 percent; the largest quarterly increase since 2006. Read along as we look at the IT cert

By Rich Hein

Dec 2, 2013 12 mins

CIO Careers IT Skills

Amazon’s Best Cyber Monday Tech Deals

Amazon is sure to be the most popular online retailer this Cyber Monday, and it's offering some noteworthy deals on tech, including $50 off its popular Kindle Fire HDX tablet and a 46-inch Samsung 1080p HDTV for less than $480.

By Al Sacco

Dec 2, 2013 2 mins

Consumer Electronics Small and Medium Business Tablets

CIOs Opting for IT Contractors Over Hiring Full-Time Staff

The Bureau of Labor Statistics paints a dark picture of the IT job market, but there's a bright spot — CIOs are hiring more skilled IT contractors.

By Sharon Florentine

Dec 2, 2013 5 mins

Careers Salaries

Windows XP Migration Window Is Closing Fast

Microsoft will cease providing security updates and supporting Windows XP in April. Is your migration under way? Here are some steps to take to start the process.

By Thor Olavsrud

Dec 2, 2013 4 mins

Laptops Microsoft Office Small and Medium Business

Call Centers Suffer From Big Data Overload

Nearly half of all contact centers consistently collect and report on metrics that they never use to improve the customer experience, according to a new survey.

By Stephanie Overby

Dec 2, 2013 5 mins

Big Data CRM Systems IT Skills

Does Google Glass Pose Safety, Health and Security Risks?

Google Glass ranks among the most anticipated of wearable technologies. But a pair of glasses with a small computer screen above one eye is bound to raise concerns about security, privacy, and even the health and safety of the person wearing it.

By James A. Martin

Dec 2, 2013 8 mins

Internet Physical Security Small and Medium Business

Where to Find Black Friday’s Best Deals on the iPad Air

Apple isn’t giving real discounts today, but fear not. Other stores will knock as much as $50 off the price of the iPad Air and the iPad Mini.

By Bill Snyder

Nov 29, 2013 2 mins

Consumer Electronics iPad

8 Simple Ways to Increase Your Office Productivity

If your workspace is disorganized, you could be losing productivity. These eight tips can help you keep it all together and get the most out of each hour of the day.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 27, 2013 6 mins

Careers Personal Software

Learning From Healthcare.gov: 4 Lessons in Choosing a IT Vendor

The vendor chosen in a no-bid process to build Healthcare.gov was fired from a similar project after missing deadlines and suffering security lapses for three years. Such obvious mistakes are unfortunately all too common in the private and public sec

By Rob Enderle

Nov 27, 2013 6 mins

Financial Services Industry Government Government IT

Cloud Traffic Poised to Quadruple by 2017, Challenge CIOs

A recent report from Cisco Systems suggests that global cloud traffic will reach 5.3 zettabytes in 2017. That's more than four times the traffic seen in 2012. Analysts and vendors say this will have far-reaching implications for enterprise IT.

By JD Sartain

Nov 27, 2013 5 mins

Cloud Management Hybrid Cloud Server Virtualization

Are You Being (Over)served? Mobile Breathalyzer for iOS & Android Tells You

Just in time for the holiday cheer season comes the Android release of the BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer app. Together with the BACtrack device, the app records your blood alcohol content and warns you if you've been, ahem, overserved.

By James A. Martin

Nov 27, 2013 3 mins

Android Smartphones iPhone

Overheating, Poor Battery Life Top List of Complaints About Top Smartphones

Getting ready to buy a new smartphone? There's no shortage of options on the market, but even the best have problems you should know about before you take out your credit card. rn

By Bill Snyder

Nov 26, 2013 3 mins

Android Smartphones iPhone

12 Best Free iOS 7 Holiday Shopping Apps

Braving the long lines and crowds for holiday shopping on Black Friday (and beyond)? Use these free iOS7 shopping apps to make your life a little bit easier.

By James A. Martin

Nov 26, 2013 8 mins

E-commerce Software iOS iPhone

Small Businesses Put Themselves at Risk by Not Taking Security Seriously

A new study by Ponemon Institute finds many small and mid-sized business don't see cyber attacks as a significant threat to their business.n

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 26, 2013 4 mins

Cybercrime Data Breach Intrusion Detection Software

IT Buyers Starting to Look a Lot Like Consumer Shoppers

A survey of 1,000 business and IT decision makers shows a blurring line between the business-to-business and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales process. That is, technology buyers are starting to resemble mall shoppers.

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 26, 2013 4 mins

Budgeting CIO Careers

8 Tips to Organize Your Office (and Yourself) for Better Productivity

If your workspace is in chaos, you could be losing productivity and your job performance will likely suffer. These eight tips can help you keep it all together and get the most out of each hour of the day.

By Sharon Florentine

Nov 26, 2013 7 mins

IT Governance IT Strategy Personal Software

7 Things We Learned at AWS re:invent 2013

Amazon Web Services often gets criticized as a platform that doesn't necessarily scale for the enterprise. So at re:Invent, the second annual AWS conference, Amazon made a series of announcements aimed squarely at dispelling these concerns.

By CIO Staff

Nov 26, 2013 8 mins

Disaster Recovery System Management Virtualization

14 Ways to Use Twitter to Market Your Business

Twitter experts, marketing pros and business leaders share their top tips on how to turn 140 characters into online marketing gold.

By Jennifer Lonoff Schiff

Nov 25, 2013 8 mins

Internet Marketing Twitter

A CIO Survival Guide to Saying No

One of the toughest leadership challenges for CIOs today is having to refuse business requests for new technology. Hereu2019s how to keep the lines of IT-business communication open while communicating honestly with your fellow executives.

By Maryfran Johnson

Nov 25, 2013 2 mins

CIO

CTO’s Risky Approach Yields an Innovative Mobile Trading App

TradeMonster uses a hybrid HTML5 approach to develop a mobile app that closely resembles the company's Web trading platform.

By Lauren Brousell

Nov 25, 2013 2 mins

Developer Financial Services Industry Small and Medium Business

A CEO’s Guide to Setting Goals for 2014

One CEO gains inspiration from quotes by business luminaries such as John Chambers, Jeff Bezos, Jack Dorsey and Howard Schultz

By Michael Friedenberg

Nov 25, 2013 2 mins

IT Leadership

15 Programming Productivity Killers

Meetings, know-nothing managers, productivity metrics — here's what's threatening to slay the next generation of great software.

By Peter Wayner

Nov 25, 2013 10 mins

IT Leadership

Sprint is Dead Last in New Wireless Carrier Satisfaction Ranking

Sprint, the number three U.S. wireless carrier, is upgrading its network, but the slow pace of change and crummy support displeased its customers, many of whom gave the carrier terrible satisfaction scores in a new Consumer Reports ranking.

By Bill Snyder

Nov 22, 2013 3 mins

Carriers

‘Desti’ is a Must-Have iPad App for Travelers

The latest update to travel-search and planning app Desti adds lots of useful new features, making it an ideal place to start planning your next getaway, according to CIO.com blogger James A. Martin.

By James A. Martin

Nov 22, 2013 3 mins

Mobile Apps iPad

Has the Time for Smartwatches Arrived (or Is It Too Late for Watches)?

CIO.com Senior Writer Tom Kaneshige attended a wearable technology show yesterday and stared a bevy of smartwatches in the face. Today, he ponders whether anyone needs one of these trendy devices to know what time it is — or maybe that's not th

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 22, 2013 4 mins

Computers and Peripherals Consumer Electronics Small and Medium Business

Typhoon Unlikely to Have Long-Term Impact on Philippines Outsourcing Industry

Philippines outsourcing hub Cebu, closest to the path of the storm, did not take a direct hit. However, a lack of public statements from industry groups and providers reveals industry immaturity.

By Stephanie Overby

Nov 22, 2013 5 mins

Disaster Recovery Outsourcing

To Beat IBM, Amazon Web Services Needs to Build the Next Xbox

CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle isn't suggesting that Amazon get into gaming. Rather, AWS needs to approach IBM and the enterprise cloud the same way Microsoft successfully took on Sony. Otherwise, Amazon risks entering the annals of tech history

By Rob Enderle

Nov 22, 2013 7 mins

Cloud Management Private Cloud System Management

How Lenovo Plans to Crack the Server Market

Known for its ThinkPad laptops, Lenovo is trying to find its way into the data center, despite the dominance of the Big 3: IBM, HP and Dell

By Agam Shah

Nov 22, 2013 3 mins

Computers and Peripherals Servers

The Care and Feeding of Data Scientists

CIOs must encourage data scientists to solve real business problems, not just play with data.

By Mary K. Pratt

Nov 22, 2013 3 mins

Big Data IT Leadership IT Skills

Integrating CRM and Analytics Key to Next-Gen Customer Loyalty Programs

Rather than giving away free stuff, The North Face and Red Robin create customized "experience" rewards for faithful customers

By Stephanie Overby

Nov 22, 2013 3 mins

CRM Systems Data Management Retail Industry

5 Tips to Read BEFORE You Do Your Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and if you're not strategic it can drive you mad. Here are five ways to lessen stress and ensure you find the best deals.

By Bill Snyder

Nov 21, 2013 3 mins

Consumer Electronics

Evolution of the Smartphone Refresh Cycle, Planned Obsolescence and You

Smartphone makers are releasing more smartphones faster than ever before, and wireless carriers are rolling out new plans to make it affordable to buy new phones more often. CIO.com's Al Sacco examines this trend and asks if it's really a g

By Al Sacco

Nov 21, 2013 8 mins

Computers and Peripherals Small and Medium Business Smartphones

For CMOs Big Data Can Lead to Big Profits

It's become a common refrain that marketers need to become more data-driven. This infographic breaks down the pressures that chief marketing officers are under and the upside to embracing big data.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 21, 2013 2 mins

Big Data Marketing

Facebook Open Sources Its Embedded Database Code

Facebook has released RocksDB — an embeddable, persistent key-value store for fast storage — to the open source community. The embedded database is intended to support applications that need low-latency database accesses.

By Thor Olavsrud

Nov 21, 2013 3 mins

Big Data Facebook Open Source

How BYOD Puts Everyone at Legal Risk

If your BYOD policy goes too far, you may be prosecuted for unfair labor practices. However, courts expect you to produce all relevant data in discovery proceedings. Meanwhile, your employees may fear retaliation if they don't sign draconian BYO

By Tom Kaneshige

Nov 21, 2013 8 mins

Careers Compliance Legal