CIO Talk Network Podcast

While Post M&A IT integration is tedious, an even more challenging task is Supply Chain integration. What makes it so formidable is the need for a very high level of human intervention and the usually large disparity in the related systems, technologies, and processes. So, how can we ensure the success of such an undertaking? Guest 1: Neville Rademeyer, SVP and CIO, Solo Cup Company Guest Bio: htt...

Senior IT professionals go through an emotional roller coaster ride when their IT leadership role in a company comes to an un/planned end. It can be challenging to find another equally high profiled IT leadership role, given the way the previous job ended. Also, after working 70-80 hour work weeks, the sudden lull can be unnerving. When faced with such a dramatic change in their career path, what...

Today's business user wants to get things done faster and better, with or without Corporate IT's help by leveraging the consumer devices and programs. Does it make sense to accommodate this parallel IT department run by business users vs. stifling their initiative and productivity by saying 'NO' to it? Guest 1: Robert Israel, CIO, John C. Lincoln Hospitals, Phoenix, Arizona Guest Bio: https://www....

Globalization, outsourcing, and other forms of decentralizing IT functions are supposed to yield great results and address the "more with less" directive. However, with the baby boomer exodus from the IT job market looming, huge attrition rates in offshoring destinations and the lack of required IT management talent in offshore countries is jeopardizing the projects/initiatives for IT. What is the...

Surveys show large numbers of CIO's are applying/deciding to apply lean principles to improve their data center operations. But applying the "lean techniques" developed by car manufacturers 30 years ago, to today's data centers, will require experimentation and a fundamental change of mindset by employees. So far, experts are acknowledging the trend exists, but there isn't much documentation on ex...

Now that the first quarter has started, the last minute buzz around next year planning is over. Seminars, articles, and conferences are centered around the CIO Agenda for the new year. What was the due diligence performed as these planning agenda items were identified? Should IT leadership use them as a ready checklist for their respective organization? Guest 1: Deirdre Woods, Chief Information Of...

As organizations start implementing ITSM and/or SOA, the interdependence between the two should become obvious. Are organizations recognizing this connection? How can this inherent relationship be leveraged to plan and execute a common implementation and achieve higher level of efficiency, better quality of service, and reduced cost? Guest 1: Ken Hamilton, Founder/Past Chair itSMF USA; Director, H...

We are surrounded by a large number of Information Technology media outlets which ideally should aim to keep us informed and help us make better decisions. Given the reality of competition and heavy dependence on Advertising and sponsorship dollars, is true journalism intact when it comes to IT media? Do IT decision-makers heed the advice offered by and through these media outlets? Guest 1: Gary B...

By 2010, there will be a major IT workforce exodus with baby boomers reaching retirement age. How are we planning to handle this shift expected in IT workforce levels? How is industry and academia collaborating to ensure that the new breed of IT talent is ready for the market in terms of quality and quantity? Guest 1: Ed Lazowska, Bill and Melinda Gates Chair, Computer Science and Engineering, Uni...

There is a tremendous talent pool out there with potential to become the next successful CIO. Most don't know their potential or are not exposed to the right grooming. Then there are others who are ready but don't seem to get the right opportunity. What can be done to pave the path for these CIO trainees? Guest 1: Bill J. Vass, President and COO, Sun Microsystems Federal, Inc Guest Bio: https://ww...

Given the dynamic business environment, hosted supply chain offerings seem like a dream come true. How realistic are these claims? Are there any strings attached? How should organizations go about deciding whether hosted supply chain is the way to go? Guest 1: Beth Enslow, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Research, Aberdeen Group Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/beth-enslow/...

Lately, a lot of investment has been made in providing sophisticated dashboards and metric to IT and Executive leadership. Are these tools useful or even usable? Are they actually being used? Can or are they being abused to disguise failure? Guest 1: Mike Boyle, CIO, Allstate Financial Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/mike-boyle/ Guest 2: Dr. Greg Hanson, Assistant Sergeant at...

With the advent of pc virtualization and Web 2.0, the perceived need and value of IT Asset Management may be diminished. If so, how do we justify the investment in Asset Management? Guest 1: Jack Heine, Research VP, Gartner Research Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/jack-heine/ Guest 2: Dean Verhaeghe, VP Development, Optimization Products, Tivoli Software, IBM Guest Bio: https...

On an average, about every 4 years, many CIOs move on. Some say there are no challenges left to resolve and others say that there are way too many! In either case, it seems like a 4-year itch, the results of which may not be in the best interest of the organization or the CIO. Guest 1: Mark P. McDonald, Chief Information Officer, City of Vancouver Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contribu...

As SOA becomes pervasive within the organization as well as among external entities, just setting up related technology is not enough. While we are betting on this wild horse, what control and governance measures are being taken for its successful adoption? Guest 1: Peter S. Kastner, VP & Research Director, Enterprise Technology, Aberdeen Group Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor...

We demand agility from our IT environments and offering software solutions to address the issue. How about infrastructure? Understaffed and bogged down by daily fire-fighting, can we truly expect the infrastructure team to complete a project without an effect on other groups and at the speed expected? Guest 1: Wallace Dalrymple, Chief Network & Telecom Architect, Global Technology Management, Gene...

While we are busy handling compliance and integration issues, communication among IT workers, between IT and other departments, IT and end customers, etc. is equally important and usually the weakest link preventing IT from delivering at its full potential. Guest 1: Sheleen Quish, SVP of HR and IT, Ameristar Casinos, Inc. Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/sheleen-quish/ Guest 2...

More and more US companies have been adopting ITIL best practices in combination with 6 Sigma, CoBIT, and other existing frameworks. Is ITIL really delivering on its promises? Guest 1: Malcolm Fry, Member, ITIL Advisory Group and Independent Executive Advisor, BMC Software Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/malcolm-fry/ Guest 2: John P. Gillispie, COO, Iowa's Information Technol...

With constant pressure to deliver "more with less", not only the IT leaders but the whole IT organization needs to join hands and get creative, get unconventional, and break the norms with a sole purpose of making the business successful. How do we build such a maverick IT team? Guest 1: Steve Bandrowczak, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Nortel Networks Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/c...

Partnering with Vendors, Up/Downstream Value Chain members, or other departments/divisions can successfully can bring multiple benefits to an organization provided it is initiated and maintained carefully. Come to think of it, partnering is no different than dating! Guest 1: Jim Wetherbe, Stevenson Chaired Professor of Information Technology, Texas Tech University Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknet...

While some treat the concept of 'web 2.0' as hype, the concept has gained enough mass, that it cannot be ignored outright. Meanwhile, software as a service is gaining popularity, while there is also an increasing demand for consumer devices to be integrated with enterprise data. What has your IT leadership done to ensure that your company's departments will be ready when Web 2.0 becomes mainstream...

A CIO's role is more crucial to organizational success today, than ever before. How well established are performance benchmarks? How can a CIO's ongoing performance be measured effectively? Guest 1: Susan Cramm, President Valuedance and Former CIO, Taco Bell Corporation Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/susan-cramm/ Guest 2: John Baldoni, Chair of leadership development N2growt...

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is carrying out a monumental task of bringing all federal and state agencies together in terms of its data and applications, thus creating a cohesive force to fight against internal and external threats. Easier said than done, this mega project is extremely complex, will take years of effort and cost billions of dollars. Are we biting off more than we can...

The ability to juggle multiple IT initiatives is a required qualification for IT leaders. Stepping up to the challenge many IT leaders end up biting more than they can chew or pick the wrong battles. What does it take for an IT leader to pick the right type and right number of IT initiatives thus getting the most out of IT dollars spent? Is it an art or a science? Guest: Robert D. Austin, Associat...

By centralizing the computing assets, we are expecting thin client computing technologies to provide higher uptime, more end-user workspace, better security, and better manageability. Are these tall claims? Is thin-client computing for everyone? Guest 1: Robert Israel, CIO, John C. Lincoln Hospitals, Phoenix, Arizona Guest Bio: https://www.ciotalknetwork.com/contributor/robert-israel/ Guest 2: Bri...