Project Management Newsletter
 
NEWSLETTERS
 

CIO.com updates, insights and advice on technology, management and your career.

 CIO BlackBerry News and Tips
 CIO Research and Analysis
 CIO Microsoft
 CIO Insider
 
 
 
LEADERSHIP
 
CIO Executive Programs
The Leader in Face-to-Face Education for Senior Executives

Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »

 
CIO Executive Council
A Peer-Advisory Service and Professional Association for CIOs

Public Council Teleconference: Application Rationalization — Hidden Costs and Smart Decisions

November 17 at 11:00 am US/Eastern (GMT-5)

Join Honorio Padrón, of The Hackett Group, who will share the drivers for companies to tackle application rationalization and the results of research that define the hidden cost of complexity. Additionally, we will discuss key decision milestones—to start or not, holding the course steady and fulfilling expectations.

Virtual Desktop Cost-Benefit Analysis — Michael Jacobs, Catlin Group

The analysis contained in this presentation measures the cost of everything from the machines and licenses to the infrastructure for virtual vs. traditional desktop environments.

Honor your best senior team members - Apply for the CIO Ones to Watch Award

Get well-earned public recognition for your top up-and-coming team members, your IT organization and your enterprise. Award winners will be announced, publicized and feted in May 2010, great timing to help attract new IT recruits to your company.

More / Register »

Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »



 
 
RESOURCE CENTER
 
 
 
 

Five IT Projects That Need Your Attention Right Now

You have only so much funding and time, so don't waste either of them. These projects can make you a hero or at least can save you from one of those terrible "learning experiences."

 

October 05, 2007CIO

There's always too much to do. If you had an infinite budget and project schedule, or at least more resources than you have now, you could accomplish impressive things for your company. Performing triage means you need to pick IT projects that can deliver the most bang for the buck. Accordingly, we discuss five projects that deserve a CIO's immediate attention. We chose these projects because they have a measurable impact, contain elements with a relatively fast ROI, and enhance both network security and manageability.

To start with, we discuss identity and access management, to ensure that the right people can get to the right resources. Next is Linux integration. Linux is here to stay, and it's time that you integrate it into your infrastructure. We follow with discussions on patch and change management, both integral pieces in terms of reliability and security for your network. Finally, we talk about incident management, a hot topic for any organization wishing to control costs and keep users content, whether they're behind a desktop or are business partners.

Manage Identities

Account management has been IT's forgotten stepchild, but today's network complexity highlights its importance. IT managers are now faced with an incredibly varied mix of directory services, platforms and applications. Ensuring that accounts are properly provisioned and, when needed, terminated, has become an onerous task.

For example, a small network can have several Windows servers running in Active Directory (AD), several Linux servers using local accounts, and one or two network applications that maintain accounts in an Oracle database. In even this small setting, managing accounts, password resets and access rights is a significant task in itself. Now imagine an enterprise environment, particularly one with legacy applications and Big Iron. Ensuring that users have accounts and the required access in this environment can be both a security and a support nightmare—that is, unless there is a well-defined solution for managing those accounts and access rights.

The Solution

Commit to an identity and access management (IAM) process, which manages account provisioning, password resets, and access rights for accounts on the network and within applications.

Where to Start

There are several approaches to implementing IAM. Some focus on using enterprise directories to house accounts and access rights, but, frankly, this is a very limited approach that does not reach far enough into the enterprise, particularly in terms of legacy applications. Even Microsoft, which touts AD as an identity solution, understands the limitations of an enterprise directory; the company released Microsoft Identity Integration Service (MIIS) to support the broader IAM needs of the enterprise. Keep in mind, however, that an enterprise directory is still a critical element of IAM.

That said, begin by implementing an IAM product, such as those offered by CA, IBM, Novell, Microsoft or Sun, and use it first to manage your enterprise directory. This will give you a very quick win, and it will also give you time to learn both the complexities of the IAM product as well as the overall IAM process. Next, build and implement connectors to specific platforms and applications within your network. Fortunately, many IAM products come with built-in connectors for enterprise applications (for example, PeopleSoft, Exchange), which allow you to progress from simpler to more complex implementations over time.

 
 
Loading...
 
WHITE PAPERS

The Innovation Quotient

Even in tough times, smart investments in telecom and network services pay big dividends by boosting corporate productivity.
 

Infrastructures for Innovation

Read this exclusive research report from Qwest Communications and CIO on advanced communications infrastructures and their role in your organization's success.
 

eBook: Enterprise Management Flyover

A sample of the selected articles in this eBook provide insight on ensuring web service quality for SOA.
 

White Paper: Innovation and IT

Download this paper for further results and guidance in making wise IT investments that lead to innovation success.
 

What Every CIO Needs to Know About Search

Read this white paper before developing your enterprise search strategy.
 

Upgrading to VMware vSphere with vWire

Learn how vWire can help ensure the success of your upgrade from ESX 3.x to vSphere.
 

WEBCASTS

The Innovation Quotient

Hear how even in tough times, smart investments in telecom and network services pay off.
 

Extending Client Refresh - 11 Steps to Maximize Savings

11 Steps to Maximize Savings
 

The Last Software You'll Ever Buy? The Platform Approach to Development

Torn between "buy" and "build"? There is a third option that can give you the custom fit of an in-house build and t...
 

Beyond Installing ITPM Software: How a global company reduced risk and successfully implemented ITPM

Hear directly from one of your peers who has reduced risk and successfully implemented ITPM in this Live Webcast. ...
 

Informatica 9: What it means for the CIO?

Hear from Informatica's CIO on how Informatica 9 will improve...
 

The Case for Data Protection for SMBs

Every business needs a data back-up and recovery strategy. Without it, a severe storm or power outage could result ...
 

Resource Alerts

Get instant email notifications by topic when white papers, webcasts, and case studies are added to our library.

 
FEATURED SPONSORS
 
 
 
SPONSORED LINKS
 

Upgrading to VMware vSphere with vWire

IDC White Paper: CCM for IT Compliance and Risk Management

Tolly Group Lab Test Results: Cisco vs. ShoreTel

Enterprise Capture: Your Onramp to Business Process Automation

Focus Under Pressure: Why IT Governance Becomes Mission-Critical in a Down Economy

The Total Economic Impact of Network Security Intrusion Prevention

Seven Technologies for Advanced Mail Protection

How Consumerization of IT Will Make Your Business More Productive

Adobe® LiveCycle®solutions for intuitive user experience

Mind the Talent Gap: Global Survey on IT and HR trends and challenges

Seven Ways ITIL Can Help You in an Economic Downturn

Return on Information: Google Enterprise Search pays you back. Get the facts.

VMware. The source for Business Infrastructure Virtualization.

ShoreTel tells businesses to untangle from competitors' complexity and turn to its brilliantly simple UC solution

See how AT&T can help protect your network.

Streamline IT Costs. Boost Performance with WAN Optimization.

Build your 1st app FREE with Force.com

TDWI checklist helps define data readiness for analytics. Download report.

A Clear View Toward Virtualization

Virtualization Technology as a Business Solution

The rules of infrastructure management just changed.

A Clear View Toward Virtualization

Interactive Q&A helps you discover key ways to maximize IT assets.

Ready to virtualize tier one applications? Check your virtualization maturity.

Think you can't afford a Cisco Switch? Cisco Catalyst Switches are now more affordable.

Authentication as a Service by Forrester Research

Disciplined Autonomy: Resolving the Tension Between Flexibility and Control

Build a Foundation for Unified Communications

Removing the Barriers to IT Governance: How On-Demand Software Changes the Game

Cloud Computing--What is its Potential Value for Your Company?

Seven Design Requirements for Web 2.0 Threat Protection

Learn about the growing threat of insider data theft.

Top to Bottom Performance Management Excellence at the City of Chicago

Architecting Business Intelligence Applications for Change: The Open Solution

Taking the Service Desk to the Next Level

Disciplined Autonomy: Resolving the Tension Between Flexibility and Control

AT&T Synaptic Storage as a Service. Expand on demand

Trend Micro ranked #1 against real-world malware. Read more.

Webinar: Jump-start your in-house e-discovery with Ringtail QuickCull from FTI Technology

Top Five CIO Challenges

Read the RSA report: Security for Business Innovation

64-page prescriptive guide to security, compliance, and IT operations.

Increase UPS efficiency without sacrificing protection.

eZine: A Roadmap to Reducing IT Complexity

Reduce risk, gain agility. See how Progress can help your business.

Virtualization Technology as a Business Solution

eZine: A Roadmap to Reducing IT Complexity

World-class trading technology solutions from NYSE Technologies.

If You're Paying for Telecom, You're Paying Too Much. Contact Asentinel Today.

Trade-In your old printer and save up to $1,000 plus free recycling!