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 »
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.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »March 09, 2006 — CIO —
Technology buyers were drawn to this year’s CeBIT trade show by several emerging technologies that could help reinvigorate the tech sector after several years in the doldrums.
Many of the product announcements here suggested that VoIP (voice-over-IP) and RFID (radio frequency identification) are entering the mainstream, while Web-based CRM (customer relationship management) systems and open-source software have already hit their stride.
"Things are rushing by quickly these days. You have to be here to stay on top of everything," said David Kolochter, an IT administrator with German waste management company Umweltservice Bochum GmbH.
He was here to look at the new features in Microsoft’s SQL Server 2005 database, released late last year, to decide whether it is worth his company upgrading its 20 or so servers from SQL Server 2000.
The buzz around new technologies contrasts with recent years, when businesses were focused more on cutting costs than buying products that would help gain an edge over competitors, attendees said.
"The economy is getting better, there are more products coming--I think things are getting interesting again," said Michael Rable, a technical marketing engineer with content management vendor Open Text, here for his 10th CeBIT conference.
Boris Zuberbuhler was here to find an online sales system for his printer supplies company, Pelikan Hardcopy (International) AG. He wants a "complete solution" from a single vendor that will plug into Pelikan’s ERP (enterprise resource planning) system, from SSA Global Technologies’ Baan division.
If new technologies are emerging, so too are new markets. Stefanos Mendonis came to CeBIT looking for security partners that he can work with in Algeria, where his company, High Tech Systems, wants to help financial institutions beef up their security. IT is developing fast in Algeria, he said, but service providers are woefully short on security, leaving their customers exposed.
Change isn’t everywhere, however. Desktop PCs haven’t been exciting since the race to offer a 1GHz microprocessor ended a few years ago, said Marco Stiemert, PC purchasing manager for German retailer Media Markt. "Nothing is changing, that’s the problem for us," he said.
Media Markt will try to entice PC buyers with the upcoming high-density DVD formats, Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Microsoft’s Vista operating system will also give a big sales boost when it ships later this year, he predicted.
"Things from Microsoft always create a lot of interest," Stiemert said.
That’s an understatement judging from the hype around Microsoft’s ultramobile PC project. Samsung Electronics showed the first device here. It’s a portable computer the size of a large paperback book with a touch-sensitive screen and wired and wireless connectivity. The quick-start multimedia capabilities and the games announced here suggest a younger audience.