THOMAS WAILGUM

As a senior editor, I write in-depth features that probe macroeconomic and business topics that challenge today's executives and the IT community; shorter articles that analyze current business and technology trends; personality-driven Q&As that ask questions our readers want to see answered; lively and opinionated columns that strive to stir discussions in our online readership; and interactive pieces that use online media tools, such as slide shows, to grab readers' attention and deliver entertaining content.

These are the topic areas I'm following now:

-Enterprise applications (ERP, CRM, SCM, BI)

-Data management (MDM) and real-time data challenges

-Software as a service and how companies are deciding between on-premise vs. on-demand

-Oracle vs. SAP vs. Everybody Else

-Transformational IT stories that have financially impacted businesses

-Sports, technology and business

-The role business analysts play in software development

A look at some of my most popular and favorite articles on CIO.com include: "How Wal-Mart Lost Its Technology Edge," "How to Be a Supremely Productive Person: A Chat With John Halamka," "Ten IT Urban Legends Exposed," and "IT at the Department of Defense: Adding Insult to Injury."

I've written other investigative articles and profiles of executives at Toyota, Starbucks, the New York City Police Department, UPS and ESPN.

The Long and Windy Road to Oracle's Fusion Applications

Oracle has laid out the Fusion Apps roadmap for its customers. But how each customer actually gets to the Fusion Apps destination is another question altogether.

AltaVista's View Was Nice, for a Moment in Time

AltaVista will be "sunsetted" soon--reminding us that even though the bubbly mid-90's seems like a century ago, the Web is merely a toddler.

12 Tech Survey Topics That Should Die in 2011

Enough is enough: We don't need any more surveys about "dramatic Facebook usage" or "CIOs' interest in cloud." Because 100 percent of this research is an introduction to the obvious.

SAP's Not-So-Secret Weapon: Its Own CIO

Oliver Bussmann, now a year into his tenure as CIO for SAP, has re-invented and raised the profile of the ERP vendor's CIO role. One key: Sharing with customers his ongoing experiences with a huge SAP environment.

Greenpeace's Cool IT Leaderboard Rates Climate-Change Leaders and Laggards

Cisco, Ericsson and Fujitsu earn top honors for their efforts in climate solutions, remote collaboration and telecommuting offerings.

CIOs in 2011: The IT Roles and Strategies in High Demand

"Cost reduction" is out for 2011. What's in? Key portfolio and project management roles as well as demand for more consistent delivery of IT services.

Techs for the Memories: What Did We Do Before...

Take a look back at the pros and cons of life before HDTV, Facebook and Wi-Fi. You do remember life before texting, don't you?

11 Hot ERP Topics for 2011: Analysis and Predictions

From courtroom trials to executive shake-ups, 2010 was quite a year for the ERP marketplace. But 2011 has even more drama in store: Here's our analysis of the key problems, players and products.

SAP's Co-CEOs: Are Two Heads Better Than One?

Nearly a year into their tenure as co-CEOs of SAP, Bill McDermott and Jim Hagemann Snabe are saying all the right things and getting good marks from industry analysts--proving that a dual-CEO model is not a recipe for disaster. But the duo still faces significant challenges.

Email Spam: The Response You Always Wanted to Write

Ever wanted to respond to e-mails from "deposed Nigerian leaders with 40 million dollars" to spare? Here's your chance.