Search

The article presents information on business process management (BPM) computer software. BPM starts with process modeling. Process modeling is a business-driven exercise wherein current and proposed process flows are documented in detail, linked to quantifiable performance metrics, and optimized through simulation analysis. Such optimized models automatically generate the skeleton of the information technology implementation in the process designer of a BPM suite. Process designer is a graphical development tool that incorporates human workflow, application integration, and business rules to develop an executable process solution.

The article provides predictions of executives on the future of information technology (IT) and the computer software industry. According to Proofpoint Inc.'s chief executive officer, Gary Steele, the blogosphere will become the richest source of material news leaks in the history of the stock market. Furthermore, Carl Weddle, Director of IT at Quality Trailer Products, said that the consolidation of hardware, software, and telecommunication is nearing both practical and legal maxima. In addition, customers of IT will demand Internet-quality search in the enterprise, as forecasted by Accenture Ltd.'s chief information officer.

The article reports on how content-addressed storage (CAS) systems can help information technology managers bring their organizations into compliance with regulatory mandates. CAS is an intelligent repository used to store and preserve compliance-sensitive documents such as medical records, blueprints, invoices and e-mail messages. Each piece of data that is fed into CAS are being stored using identifiers, which ensures that sensitive business content is not altered and that the paper trail is preserved within the context of a paperless environment. It also has the ability to perform high-speed searches through the repository.

The article reports developments related to computer software industry. Sun Microsystems Inc., AMD Corp., and other companies are teaming with the Environmental Protection Agency to cook up an Energy Star rating for the server. Information technology managers will theoretically be better able to plug energy consumption into their ROI equations. The foundation of information lifecycle management is differentiating the many flavors of data at the enterprise and matching each to the proper stripe of storage.

The article focuses on correcting problems that are found in various computer software. Software vendors should work with researchers who look for software vulnerabilities and that vendors should be open about the discovered problems. But when one looks at the many commercial and open-source software vendors out there, it is easy to see that there are many levels and definitions of openness. Some choose to address every single problem as it comes to light, an approach that is typical of, but not found solely in, open-source products. Others fix critical problems immediately but sit on smaller problems and fix them in big updates or service packs. Much of the discussion about these approaches tends to focus on the political issues. Vendor A might say that Vendor B's products are insecure because Vendor B issues multiple fixes. Vendor B might then turn around and say that the single service pack Vendor A issued actually fixed 50 problems that people were exposed to in the months prior to the service pack's release. But there's really no right answer when it comes to issuing software fixes.

Reports on Optinuity Inc.'s introduction of software designed to automate manual processes that information technology (IT) departments use to run the systems and networks on which their businesses are built. Documentation, management and execution of IT operations, procedures and scripts by the software called C2O; Design of the C2O on software called SKEmatrix developed to automate scheduled tasks in mainframe batch environments.

The article discusses recovery prospects in the information technology (IT) industry in the U.S. It is the time for technology firms to indulge in innovation and take risks to make recovery happen. The author blames IT industry's major firms like Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Sun and Intel of laid back attitude. The opportunity has never been better for competitors in case of operating systems as Microsoft has not yet launched its upgraded versions, yet few challengers are prepared. Linux and open-source options may be ready to step in, but again, some customers feel Linux is just not ready and they're switching back to Windows. Technology users have responded to the changing environment since the end of the dot-com boom by cutting costs, establishing benchmarks and shifting costs to outsourcing, but technology firms have not. They are still running the same basic business models they've always run, scratching for any small or near-term growth they can get but missing, or not communicating to customers the long-term solution. Moreover, a lot of vitality is being sapped from the industry as a whole by outshoring.

Reports on Oracle's addition of expanded electronic signatures and records capabilities to its Oracle SupplyChain Management 11i.10. Company's efforts to provide better control, information and flexibility for business events.

This article presents updates on IT business continuity priorities. Shift business continuity focuses on software, rather than adding more hardware for failover. Another solution is to allocate risk assessment tasks to development and operations organizations. Build in processes is also necessary for graceful degradation of service so that failures in an environment with fragile, tightly integrated applications do not cascade through the entire system. Moreover, improve management of IT configurations, software releases and changes to IT infrastructure, particularly in distributed computing environment.

Discloses the findings of a study by the National Association of Software and Service Companies about India's dominance as a provider of software exports services. Factors contributing to the country's success in information technology (IT); Comparison of the destinations for offshoring IT services in India, China and the Philippines.

Discusses strategies for identifying and clearing out costly computer software. Importance of buying only software that is needed; Need to hire someone to watch over an application and making sure it has a business impact; Benefits from a decentralized IT buying model. INSET: ASSET MANAGEMENT: Where and When to Start.

Focuses on the development of computer software which complement system management software. Functionality of system management software; Limitations of performance tools; List of software companies which have developed complementary software for system management software as of June 2003.

The article reports that U.S.-based computer software company CA Inc. has launched software, services and training programs to help implement best practices for managing information technology shops under the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework. The Service Management Accelerator offering aims to formalize and expand the company's ITIL-related products and services. The CA Service Management Accelators offerings include a new software product called Configuration Management Database r11.

The author of this article presents four problems that he would like to be remedied in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Vista software. One of the author's long-standing gripes is the way Windows decides what window or application is active. He therefore suggests to the company never to change focus from the window he is working on until he explicitly command Windows to do so. Another problem occurs when a ton of files need to be deleted from a directory. Windows indicates that a file is in use and cannot be deleted. It does not give the specific application that has locked the file, and it does not ask if the user wants to delete it anyway or allow to continue deleting the next file.

The article presents Green Hills Software's Multi toolchain. The product has been integrated with the Eclipse C/C++ Development Tool. The article highlights the key features and benefits offered by the product.

Reports on developments related to the information technology industry. Formation of the U.S. Technology Professional Services Association; Creation of two European Union directives that will regulate the chemical compounds used in computers and other hardware; Availability of Bind-View Corp.'s BV-CAT regulatory compliance software.

This article reports that Cognos Inc. (CI) will unveil business intelligence software that integrates five products and is designed to work against any data source and simplify deployment. The new Cognos 8 includes query and reporting tools, dashboards, and analysis and event management capabilities that can be assessed through a single Web-based interface. The tool also adds the ability to report against multi-dimensional online analytical processing data. The tool integrates the ReportNet, Metric Manager, PowerPlay, DecisionStream and NoticeCast products of CI.

This article reports that Microsoft Corp. (MC) plans to deliver a new server software infrastructure package for midsize companies, plus role-based business applications that will be tailored to meet the needs of businesses with 50 to 1,000 employees. But the midmarket includes a wide variety of industries with different requirements. Illustrating the challenges that MC faces in trying to package software for such as broad customer base, some users expressed keen interest in the new and upcoming offerings, while others voiced doubts that the products will meet their specific needs.

Provides updates on topics related to information technology and the computer industry. Impact of the growing popularity of open-source private branch exchange software with integrated voice over Internet protocol capabilities; Use of hyperlinks to visually connect data from disparate sources on the network in Mindjet Corp.'s MindManager software; Identification of ActivCard Corp. as among the first single sign-on vendors whose software will work with the Firefox browser.

This article comments on the advantages and disadvantages of open sourcing and outsourcing software. Custom-developed software built on reliable open source frameworks wins the day when the benefits of slick commercial software cannot outweigh the licensing costs. On the other hand, when done for the right reasons, outsourcing can save money and reduce unnecessary distractions for in-house information technology (IT) teams. Outsourcing is becoming increasingly attractive in two particular scenarios. The first instance deals with outsourcing relatively generic functions that rely on widely used commercial software packages that require specific expertise and near-perfect uptime. In these scenarios, it is difficult to run these systems noticeably better than an outsourcer. The second, more interesting emerging scenario is the Web-based hosted service with a well-documented Web services API, an offering pioneered by Salesforce.com with their sforce platform. In this type of outsourcing arrangement, users get all the benefits of a core service without having to own software or hardware, but they retain the option to extend the system to address specific needs of their business. Platforms such as sforce dispel the notion that outsourcing is about cramming a variety of square-pegged businesses into a single hosted round hole. In areas where outsourcing does not make sense and IT needs to build custom functionality unavailable in commercial products, open source is an increasingly viable choice.

Provides information on the K-Bus infrastructure software from Entopia Inc. Purpose of the design of the software; Description by Entopia of K-Bus; Claims concerning the product in connection with its construction on a J2EE Web services architecture.

This article reports on the plan of Groove Networks to launch the Version 3.0 of its secure collaboration software in early 2004. Groove Version 3.0 will feature bolstered end-user and developer functionality, simplified admittance to collaborative workspaces and greater leverage of existing corporate infrastructure. The product's starting point, Groove LaunchPad, is designed to bring common tasks related to workspaces and contacts to a single location and will tap presence-awareness capabilities to display user and workspace activities. Users will be able to drag and drop a name from LaunchPad to invite another user to a workspace. The updated version will also include secure file-sharing technology that will allow standard Windows file folders to be automatically synchronized across any number of personal computers and to be shared among multiple users across firewalls. Using Web services, the technology may eliminate the need for e-mail attachments by allowing remote file-sharing and collaboration to occur directly within the Windows Explorer. The Forms tool in the software will allow users and developers to easily create applications than can capture, search, track measure and report on information. INSET: Widening Workspaces.

Discusses issues relating to open-source software. The promise that open-source software will deliver standard platforms; Mention of IBM's open-source license; Suggestion that open source can revive the primacy of technical quality and the relevance of product features, which have been hurt by vendors' self-serving time lines, road maps and revenue targets.