excuse

Apple and IBM team up against Microsoft

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Lotus Notes is coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and both Apple and IBM hope that the result will make you want Microsoft solutions a little bit less. If the mere presence of the new client isn't enough to convince you, the price might: $39 per client for new customers, and no charge at all for customers who've already implemented Lotus Web-access. The benefit for IBM is obvious; for Apple, it's increasing the perception that the iPhone is a good enterprise-class platform. For customers, it could mean having a good excuse for buying an iPhone on the company tab. Sounds like a win-win-win to me.

For more on the new Notes client for iPhones:
- Read the whole news story at DailyTechRag

Editor's Corner

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Why are you wireless?
OK, it seems like a nonsense question. Why wouldn't you be wireless? As hip, cutting-edge technical professionals, we'll always have the latest technology on our desks and attached to our belts. I mean, we have to be familiar with the technology so we can properly advise our companies, right? We both know that we use that as an excuse--and maybe even an excuse with merit. In truth, we really like the latest technology. It's a perfectly valid reason for making a personal technology decision, but enterprise wireless decisions are requiring more substantive business-related justifications, and that's a good thing. It means that the novelty is wearing off, and wireless systems are becoming "just another business system." It also means that IT professionals will have to hone their business analysis skills in order to justify wireless applications--and that's a good thing, too. Get ready to become a better business manager in order to be a more effective IT manager; it's critical to keep your skills evolving as the IT climate shifts. -Curtis

Patch mobile, too

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:01:38 -0500

"Patch Tuesday" has become part of the rhythm of life for any I.T. shop running Microsoft software. It's easy to be so caught up in the updates for servers and workstations that you forget about updates for the smallest devices. The early change to Daylight Savings time is a good excuse to include smart phones and PDAs in your regular patch routine--Microsoft, Palm, RIM and others have updated their software to account for the new dates of the time change. The new day for changing clocks happens at the beginning of next week--this week marks a good time for that new update routine.

For more on mobile device updating:
- read the article at Information Week

Editor's Corner

Sun, 30 Apr 2006 20:01:40 -0400

Ever since the dawn of the beeper device, which lets people communicate wherever and whenever, I've had the sneaking suspicion that ubiquitous access was not far off. The emerging communications technologies we all use today in our very mobile lives prove the point. While we can still claim the cell phone was off, the beeper was off or IM was turned off, there will soon come a day when there won't be any excuse for not answering a message or returning a call as the person reaching out will know exactly where we were and what we were doing.

It's called "presence technology," and it's bringing us all closer to the Big Brother syndrome, but this time on the workplace rather than government level. Once companies move to a unified messaging platform the capabilities to know exactly what an employee is doing at any time no matter where they are could very easily become reality. And while I can see the business benefits to having such access and information, I can also see the danger point of losing privacy during our workday.

As a recent article at CIO Insight points out, there is a lot of discussion and planning about expectations and employee education head before the next wave of communications hits the enterprise. - Judy