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 »
Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits
December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.
Working With and Communicating to Your Board of Directors
January 13, 2009, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
CIO panelists who will share tips and experiences working with their boards: Twila Day of SYSCO; Jeff O'Hare, West Corp.; Marc West, formerly with H&R Block.
IT's Role in Growing Mid-Market Companies
January 14, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET (GMT-5)
Mid-market Council members will share their companies' stories and challenges in driving or coping with growth. Panelists represent Veterinary Pet Insurance, Medicis Pharmaceutical, and Intrax Cultural Exchange.
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November 26, 2008 — IDG News Service —
Steve Strout, CEO of the Americas SAP Users Group (ASUG), is no longer with the organization, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The spokeswoman declined to provide further comment, including whether Strout left voluntarily or was fired. She referred IDG Applications Service to another ASUG spokeswoman, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Strout, who could not immediately be reached Wednesday, was ASUG's first full-time CEO. The group claims to have more than 50,000 members.
He was also on the front lines of a debate this year over SAP's controversial decision to move all customers to the fuller-featured but more expensive Enterprise Support service. User groups in Europe were vocally critical of SAP's move, while Strout and ASUG sought in public comments to maintain a moderate tone.
SAP has maintained that the move was necessary due to increased complexity in customers' environments and that it will result in a lower total cost of ownership.
But so far, customers aren't wholly convinced. The SAP User Group Executive Network (SUGEN), a group made up of representatives from SAP user groups around the world, is now working with SAP to develop key performance indicators for Enterprise Support.
The two parties will "jointly evaluate the progress of these KPIs against customer expectations on a regular basis and adjust the continued rollout of SAP Enterprise Support until the quality measures are achieved," SAP said this month.
In an interview earlier this month, Strout took a measured view of SAP's position on support pricing. "I don't know that we're accepting that as much as we're recognizing that we're not here to tell SAP how to structure its business. Customers will vote with their money," he said.
Strout also said the KPIs should help settle the debate: "Let the actual data talk for itself. To date, the predominant conversation has been emotional."
Copyright © 2008 IDG News Service. All rights reserved. IDG News Service is a trademark of International Data Group, Inc.
Just the basics, please. Sometimes we all need a refresher or we need to make sure our team and our colleagues are all on the same page.
Over 25 tutorials on everything from business intelligence to virtualization.