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ZDNet researches 500 medium- to large-sized enterprises every month. The top IT priorities in May 2004 are Wired & Wireless, Hardware Upgrades, Software Infrastructure, Security, and Web Technology.
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Wired & Wireless
How important is this?
Wired & Wireless ranked as #1 IT priority in May
IT Priority Scoreboard
  • Wireless
  • VoIP
  • Availability & Reliability

    		•
    #1 priority of IT managers
    RESEARCH & RESOURCES for Wired & Wireless

    Positive Outlook for the Wireless Handset Industry Energizes 2004 CTIA
    The wireless equipment market expects to see single-digit growth in 2004 and the global handset market looks for 5 percent and 7 percent increases in 2004 and 2005.
    No Wires, No Rules
    New wireless technologies will soon reconfigure the Web using radio spectrum that doesn't cost a dime.
    VoIP is Key to Capturing Government and Education Managed IP VPN Business
    VoIP is a top 2004 budgeted project for government and education, creating an opportunity for service providers to position managed IP VPN solutions to support it.
    Packet Data Services Still Growing but Not Like They Used To
    The Yankee Group expects a 5-year CAGR of 38 percent for IP VPN and 66 percent for Ethernet services.
    Avaya Global Services: Targeting the Business Problems of Communications
    Avaya's recent analyst day focused on its dual thrust of evolving into a solutions provider from a products firm and driving its services offerings into the higher realm of addressing communications-centric business process requirements and pain points.

    /See all Wired & Wireless articles
    Hardware Upgrades
    How important is this?
    Hardware Upgrades ranked as #2 IT priority in May
    IT Priority Scoreboard
  • Desktops
  • Storage
  • Servers
    • Planning toolkits:
  • Windows Server 2003


    		•
    #2 priority of IT managers
    RESEARCH & RESOURCES for Hardware Upgrades

    Gartner: iSCSI and ATA poised for more enterprise acceptance
    /
    Gartner analysts are talking up two storage developments that may drive a new wave of modularity and cost reduction in server selection and infrastructure design
    Harvesting Hardware Maintenance Savings
    Although hardware price/performance continues its ride down the commodity curve, IT organization (ITO) maintenance budgets remain stubbornly high. Users focusing on lean maintenance management should realize significant savings against an often-ignored budget line item.
    A Best Practices Guide for IT Systems Procurement
    The May 2003 CIO Forum in New York City, managed by Richmond Events, brought together hundreds of top-tier CIOs, CTOs, and systems administrators for a series of seminars, workshops, and discussions. Following dozens of interviews, The Yankee Group assembled a set of best practices for systems licensing and negotiations.
    Evaluating the Costs of Multivendor PC Hardware
    Although some level of diversity in hardware suppliers is typically unavoidable and beneficial, it does introduce costs that must be understood during the vendor selection process. This is particularly true for PCs and other end-user devices. Organizations should strive to keep the number of active vendors low.
    Estimating the Power of the Grid
    Vendors tout grid, utility, or on demand computing as if they were the underpinning of an IT revolution. However, the current reality remains decidedly less tantalizing.

    /See all Hardware Upgrades articles
    Software Infrastructure
    How important is this?
    Software Infrastructure ranked as #3 IT priority in May
    IT Priority Scoreboard
  • ERP
  • Directory Services
  • Linux
  • CRM
  • Groupware

    		•
    #3 priority of IT managers
    RESEARCH & RESOURCES for Software Infrastructure

    META Viewpoint Update: The Legacy of NetWare for Novell
    Novell's true legacy for NetWare is in a range of management products that have been derived from the legacy platform, the training and support systems that enabled it, and the potential both offer for the SUSE Linux platform environment.
    TIBCO Acquires Staffware--Move Raises More Questions Than Answers
    While TIBCO will add a set of business-centric, process-based applications from Staffware’s Business Process Management (BPM) product line to its proven Information Technology (IT)-centric message bus architecture, it’s unclear how the products will complement each other.
    Put your apps to the test--or someone else will
    /
    Mercury Interactive's business technology optimization can test your systems and let you spot a catastrophe before it happens. This brand of BTO doesn't come cheap. But could these BTO systems be as mission critical as the systems driving your business?
    CRM Realities Force Siebel To Shift Leadership, Direction
    Companies typically do not change leadership positions if they expect to follow the same path. Siebel must change course to remain competitive.
    Collaboration: The Future Is Contextual, Process-Centric, and Community-Driven
    Collaboration strategies are shifting from a focus on tools to an eye on improving process performance. Improving work practices within business processes requires collaboration "in context" while tapping into communities of practice as sources of best practices and innovation.

    /See all Software Infrastructure articles
    Security
    How important is this?
    Security ranked as #4 IT priority in May
    IT Priority Scoreboard
  • Firewalls & VPNs
  • Virus Defense

    		•
    #4 priority of IT managers
    RESEARCH & RESOURCES for Security

    Why your personal firewall could be obsolete
    /
    With Microsoft poised to transform Windows XP's built-in personal firewall into a more serious security technology, now's a good time for enterprises to think more strategically before buying any more third-party personal firewall technology. But where's the outbound filtering?
    Microsoft Scores Points Against Competitors With Spam Fighting Initiative
    In February, Microsoft published a technology and policy proposal called the Coordinated Spam Reduction Initiative suggesting several ways to reduce spam.
    Security from the inside out
    /
    Most security solutions deal with attacks from the outside in, building security perimeters across a network. Start-up Fortify Software is pioneering an automated inside-out, root-cause approach that could improve the security of software by systematically weeding out vulnerabilities as an integral part of the software development process.
    Business blind spots can have devastating consequences
    The constant chatter about insufficient budgets, technology complexity and regulatory compliance is valid, but it masks the underlying failure to inculcate a culture that can overcome those problems with a clear and strategic focus on identifying the key business levers and extracting the relevant data.
    Security issues move Linksys routers off the short list
    /
    David Berlind's's Linksys router/firewalls--old and new--have suffered a variety of Universal Plug-n-Play problems, port vulnerabilities and reliability issues. Apparently, a combination of engineering difficulties and design decisions are leaving Linksys customers exposed to potential security problems.

    /See all Security articles
    Web Technology
    How important is this?
    Web Technology ranked as #5 IT priority in May
    IT Priority Scoreboard
  • Portals
  • Application Integration
    • Planning toolkits:
  • Site Development


    		•
    #5 priority of IT managers
    RESEARCH & RESOURCES for Web Technology

    Googlemania and the enterprise
    /
    Given how Google has evolved since it first opened its doors nearly six years ago, the IT community can expect the company to become a major, global infrastructure player. In fact, Google may become as relevant within enterprises in the future as Microsoft or Cisco are today.
    The CA and the Fury
    CA announced Wednesday the resignation of Sanjay Kumar as CEO and chairman of the board of Computer Associates. In the same announcement, Kumar was appointed to the newly created position of chief software architect.
    Siebel UAN: A Process- and Partner-Centric Approach to Integration - Part 1
    The Universal Application Network (UAN) is Siebel's enterprise application integration initiative. Along with analytics, UAN is critical to Siebel's strategy of expanding and deepening its application and technology footprint within enterprise accounts.
    XML component streamlines client's order entry system
    By using XML programming, Excel, Access, and Active Server Pages, one consultant automated a client's order entry process, cut the time the client had to spend rekeying data, and eliminated order entry errors.
    Is IronPort's SMTPi the cure to unwanted e-mail?
    /
    We're not going to stop spam until the various providers of e-mail solutions and services agree to new interoperable e-mail standards. To address the authentication issues, Microsoft and Yahoo are advocating their proprietary technologies, while a third, caller-ID-like spec known as Sender Policy Framework is proving why open may be the way to go. But what about accreditation? Enter SMTPi, a unique and promising if misleadingly named solution.

    /See all Web Technology articles





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