Archive for March, 2011

  • The purpose of a company is to make money and to make that money while somehow imparting a positive effect to its customers. Can IT enable the business without a clearly laid out Vision? Without that sense of purpose, doesn't IT typically make a mosh of things?

    Is The CIO Necessary?

    The purpose of a company is to make money and to make that money while somehow imparting a positive effect to its customers. Can IT enable the business without a clearly laid out Vision? Without that sense of purpose, doesn't IT typically make a mosh of things?

    Continue Reading...

  • Architecture is about holistically describing the system of people, process and technology. It can be abstract and conceptual, or it can be concrete and detailed. But it is never merely a specific product set from a specific vendor.

    Architecture is Not: a Vendor Product

    Architecture is about holistically describing the system of people, process and technology. It can be abstract and conceptual, or it can be concrete and detailed. But it is never merely a specific product set from a specific vendor.

    Continue Reading...

  • Anything IT does should be seen as consistent. Using words like "Principle" with the definition most people have for it is a sure-fire way to disappoint folks. It turns out that instead of a iron clad 'always-will-do' thing, our Principles are merely suggestions.

    Unprincipled Architecture

    Anything IT does should be seen as consistent. Using words like "Principle" with the definition most people have for it is a sure-fire way to disappoint folks. It turns out that instead of a iron clad 'always-will-do' thing, our Principles are merely suggestions.

    Continue Reading...

  • Companies don't "do" Social because they ultimately care about what their customers think. They "do" it because happy, engaged, evangelic customers contribute to the bottom line of the company while angry, disrespected, disinterested customers can kill the bottom line. The Enterprise is engaged in Social because Social is good for the Enterprise.

    Social Memo to the Enterprise

    Companies don't "do" Social because they ultimately care about what their customers think. They "do" it because happy, engaged, evangelic customers contribute to the bottom line of the company while angry, disrespected, disinterested customers can kill the bottom line. The Enterprise is engaged in Social because Social is good for the Enterprise.

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  • How does one sell something that doesn't really exist in the physical world? Well you attach some sort of value to the thing. You establish a scenario under which, when used properly, the IT service will produce a cost savings or avoidance, or open a new line of revenue for your business. The IT service has to have dollars associated with it in order for the sell to even be possible. Hopefully they're not red numbers. That makes it even harder.

    The Canonical WSDL Portal

    How does one sell something that doesn't really exist in the physical world? Well you attach some sort of value to the thing. You establish a scenario under which, when used properly, the IT service will produce a cost savings or avoidance, or open a new line of revenue for your business. The IT service has to have dollars associated with it in order for the sell to even be possible. Hopefully they're not red numbers. That makes it even harder.

    Continue Reading...