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 »January 01, 2002 — CIO —
You’ve probably said something like it 20 times a day while bantering with your IT colleagues: "Let’s take this ERP discussion offline with Chuck, who can penetrate the FUD on this." This makes perfect sense to your network manager, but your CFO will be baffled. As you prepare to do battle with that same CFO over your budget, being clear and concise is more important than ever.
So the next time you’re in the boardroom trying to sell upper management on a plan to migrate away from your company’s legacy systems, don’t speak geek. Instead, speak the language of business. Here’s a guide to help you translate some examples of techy talk into the kind of lingo any CFO (or CEO) can understand.
"We’ll need to kludge around a bit to fix that bug in the system."
Translation: "We’re going to avoid some computer problems by working around them."
"This will give us a multitier architecture that’s low maintenance, flexible and robust."
Translation: "The technology is useful, cheap and it won’t break."
"We have very scarce PC real estate."
Translation: "We don’t have room on this computer for all those nutty programs you want to add."
"Version 5.1432 of Acme Technology’s new suite of integrated KM, CRM and ERP wireless tools suffers from software bloat."
Translation: "This software contains more features than we’d ever need, and it’s too complicated to run."
"The vendor is gonking when he tells you the software will instantly give us a robust SFA system."
Translation: "They’re lying. That sales-force automation product doesn’t work."
"We’ve got to get rid of this meatloaf."
Translation: "We’re going to install a system to block the jokes, pyramid messages and other useless e-mail."
"I realize that this m-commerce software has a lot of object value."
Translation: "I know you really want this wireless e-commerce technology, but let’s figure out what it does before we buy it."
"I can leverage that inventory-management module across multiple channels."
Translation: "I can track inventory online and in our stores."
"That consultant thinks he’s a member of the digerati."
Translation: "That guy says he knows something about computers and the Web, but he’s clueless."
"Promising to install an ERP system in two weeks was a real CLM."
Translation: "Now that I’ve deep-sixed my career, what kind of severance package do you think I can get?"