apps

Time to embrace thin clients?

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:59:59 -0500

Thin client computing--basically the use of scaled down front-end machines that connect workers to servers that hold all the data and apps--may be in for a revival of sorts. The concept has come into and out of vogue in cycles over the last decade or so. But now people are talking about the use of such clients as a way to produce a stronger compliance program. It makes sense. Would it not be safer to simply make it impossible for data to be stored on a workstation? Let a central server in a secure data center do all that. Makes it much easier to control. And compliance is all about control. We're seeing more vendors hit this angle in their marketing. HP is certainly on the bandwagon.

For more:
- here's an article on HP's latest initiative
- here's some background

The meaning of IBM's Cognos deal

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

What prompted IBM to pay about 5 times Cognos' annual revenue and nearly 40 times its most recent net earnings? Well, you can chalk some of it up to Sarbanes Oxley. IBM has been aggressively pursuing the compliance opportunity--along with Oracle and SAP--and seems to be close to achieving "leader" status in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for financial compliance software companies. Of course, Cognos was a leader in Business Intelligence. The challenge for IBM is to offer the software in an integrated way. One could argue that compliance is the conversion point for a lot of apps, content management, business intelligence, core GRC, and ERM. IBM is clearly on to something.

For more about the purchase:
- read this New York Times article

Oracle continues to add compliance features

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:59:59 -0400

Oracle is a great example of how big IT vendors have ridden the compliance wave. Clearly, Oracle along with IBM and others sense a certain demand out there, which frankly would be hard to miss. Oracle at least seems to be counting on most clients to opt for add-ons to existing products rather than deploying standalone GRC apps, which seem to be multiplying nevertheless. Oracle's latest GRC suite move: It has announced a deal to buy LogicalApps, which markets an Active Governance suite that enables prevention, monitoring and reporting of financial and operational risk, according to ITworld.com.

For more:
- here's the article

Related articles:
- IT Watch: Oracle continues to focus on compliance
- GRC software seems to be rising

Evolve as CIO

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

These days, C-level recruiters say chief information officers are taking on new responsibilities that require them to think like a business-type more so than a systems-type. To some degree this is being fueled by what's going on in the CFO's office. Carl Gilcrist, of Spencer Stuart, says that CIOs are increasingly taking over managing shared services within an organization, a role typically held by business-types. For financial-oriented apps, the logic goes that the CFO is burdened with Sarbanes-Oxley and other laws and doesn't have time. That makes some sense. But I would think that compliance has become a huge issue for many CIOs, as security and IT governance issues are huge these days. So I would think that broad-minded CIO might break out of the techno box a bit by becoming a compliance resource for the CFO. Being the GRC point man seems like a good spot to be. If you're up to it. Column

Compliance aspects of online hosted apps improving?

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Chances are that you've at least considered moving to Web-based apps for core productivity software, word processing and spreadsheets and even email services--especially if you are a small- or medium-sized firm. There's something appealing about it, and it might be cheaper. Astutely, Google has purchased on-demand security software maker Postini for $625 million. The idea is to add enterprise-quality security to on-demand, online applications, to allay customers compliance fears. It may turn the tide for some users. Some big firms especially may be wary of such apps because they might not seem kosher from a Sarbanes-Oxley point of view. You would have to think that any hosted service provider will have to move along similar lines.

For more:
- here's an article from Instant Messaging Planet

Time to get your Greynet policies in order

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

We've discussed the use of instant messaging in the office and the Sarbanes-Oxley implications. Many firms have moved to store all such communication and impose a measure of control via enterprise IM systems, like Microsoft's Live Communications Server or IBM's Lotus Sametime. It would be easy to argue that you would want to re-think your approach to all so-called greynet apps, not only IM but also file sharing and other personal programs that the IT department has not sanctioned. You certainly don't want your company's computers used for activity that might infringe copyrights. You also can be forgiven if you want your bandwidth to be used for corporate purposes. And the threat that such apps can be used by rogue employees to leak sensitive data is real. One vendor survey has found that greynet app use is soaring. Chances are you've tried to "lay down the law." Most companies have. Foster City, Calif.-based FaceTime--surprise, the same one that did the survey--has raised brows for its solution.

For more:
- here's an article from Enterprise Networking Planet

Sarbox pushing IT salaries higher

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:01:39 -0500

We all know that Sarbanes-Oxley has pushed salaries higher for financial and accounting employees. According to a new survey, the same can now be said for information technology workers. Amid across-the-board increases in salaries, the biggest boosts were bestowed on employees with specific skills, such as Sarbox and ERP. In fact, IT employees with a Sarbox specialty made nearly $92,000 on average last year. That's a bit above the average and lags only ERP specialists, who make $96,100. This is hardly surprising, and you should expect Sarbox specialists' salaries to go even higher, which will prompt a lot of job turnover. This can be frustrating for managers, but it is a reality. So you had better get ready, and make sure all processes and apps are well-documented. You do not want to be left in a lurch.

For more on the survey by Dice:
- here's a summary