IT Executive news

• The State of the CIO 2016 by the numbers

  08-02-2016 22:50
  
  We know you're busy and sometimes you just want to get straight to the numbers — without our pesky interviews and analysis clouding the facts. While we certainly hope you take the time to read our full report on the State of the CIO 2016, titled "Transformational CIOs juggle innovation and operations," we decided to put together an abridged version in downloadable PDF form, so you can skip straight to the quantifiable data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, pleas
  
  Read more

• Prysm combines displays with SaaS to extend the reach of enterprise collaboration

  08-02-2016 22:20
  
  The increasingly busy enterprise collaboration space got a new entry Monday with Prysm's new platform designed to support dispersed, multidevice workplaces.Combining hardware and software as a service (SaaS), Prysm Enterprise allows businesses and their employees to collaborate in real time across locations and screens ranging in size from mobile devices to large-scale video walls.The platform works by creating cloud-based visual workspaces that combine applications, content, video conferencing
  
  Read more

• On trend: ERP software gets modern data, mobile and social user interface

  08-02-2016 22:19
  
  Historically, enterprise software had a reputation for “pig ugly” design tied to its mainframe-era roots. But in recent years, ERP vendors have tried mightily to overcome that reputation by modernizing the user interface, according to a report by Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• Kingston buys encrypted flash drive maker IronKey

  08-02-2016 22:19
  
  Kingston Technology today announced it has acquired the USB technology and assets of IronKey from Imation Corp.
  Imation, which purchased the then privately-held IronKey in 2011, did not disclose the financial details of the sale to Kingston.
  IronKey is perhaps best known for its highly secure USB flash drives, which use 256-bit AES encryption algorithm to secure data and a stainless steel case with no seams so it cannot be pried open.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please cl
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Users await possible Twitter feed change

  08-02-2016 22:00
  
  Twitter users are waiting to see what changes, if any, will hit their feed this week.BuzzFeed reported Friday that a "brand new Twitter" is on the way, with the social network getting ready to launch an algorithm that will reorder the way users see tweets on their feeds. Users would see tweets based on what the company's algorithm thinks they want to see, instead of in the usual reverse chronological order.BuzzFeed noted that it wasn't clear if this will be an option for users or if the algorith
  
  Read more

• Microsoft previews enterprise-grade setting sync in Windows 10

  08-02-2016 21:30
  
  Microsoft last week announced that a public preview of the enterprise-specific synchronization of settings, apps and passwords between devices running Windows 10, first touted nine months ago, is now available.
  Dubbed "Enterprise State Roaming," the capability is tied to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) Premium, the commercial cloud-based directory and identity management service. Azure AD is, at the most basic, an in-the-cloud replacement for on-premises Windows Server-based Active Directory.
  
  Read more

• Steal this Idea: Toyota’s secret to innovation

  08-02-2016 21:16
  
  You never know what great ideas might lay inside the Innovation Fair: a biometric security prototype, a 3D printer test lab – even a new way to sell pre-owned cars. One thing is certain, you don’t always have to look externally for innovation. There are stronger and more insightful ideas inside each organization, and it’s our job as leaders to unleash and put those ideas and talent into action.The Innovation Fair helps turn internal ideas into reality. It’s a one-day even
  
  Read more

• Forget Trump and Clinton: IBM's Watson is running for president

  08-02-2016 21:06
  
  If company CEOs can be replaced by computers, why not the president of the United States? That, in fact, is exactly what's been proposed for IBM's Watson.Watson has already made quite a name for itself, of course, dating back to its 2011 victory on Jeopardy. Since then, it's gone on to make medical predictions, critique written text and offer insight on product performance, among other accomplishments.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The top 10 IT outsourcing service providers of the year

  08-02-2016 21:03
  
  Outsourcing consultancy and research firm Everest Group recently unveiled its ranking of top 20 IT service providers, but it wasn’t legacy powerhouses like IBM or HP that topped the list. Teaneck, N.J.-based Cognizant (now India’s second largest outsourcing providers) claimed the top spot, followed by Accenture and Big Blue.Everest Group has been ranking service providers individually based on their performance in 26 different categories, including key business lines, geographies, an
  
  Read more

• Snowden leaks furor still spilling over into courts

  08-02-2016 21:02
  
  Nearly three years after former NSA contractor Edward Snowden first leaked details about massive domestic spying, his revelations have prompted a broader discourse, especially among legal scholars, over the potentially invasive nature of big data cybersurveillance tools.
  Even as intelligence officials, the FBI and Congress worry about the rise of terrorists using encryption to communicate, legal experts are concerned that the enormous volume of data still being collected and stored by the Natio
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Apple's iPad Pro vs. Microsoft's Surface Pro 4

  08-02-2016 21:02
  Apple vs. Microsoft is a very old story indeed. The two companies have been battling it out for many years in many different market segments. But what about the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4? Which one is the better buy?Jean-Louis Gassee has a great head to head comparison of the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4, and his conclusions might surprise you. I'll share my own thoughts below, but here's a sample of his post:Jean-Louis Gassee reports for Monday Note:
  The Microsoft product is a decent lap
  
  Read more

• 5G might be your next home broadband service

  08-02-2016 21:01
  
  An AT&T regulatory filing last week shed light on a lesser-known aspect of the emerging 5G wireless standard that could be a boon to some consumers: Home broadband.AT&T asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to test potential 5G technologies in Austin, Texas. It needs permission to use several frequency bands for the experiments. The application, which industry analyst Steve Crowley pointed out on Twitter, says AT&T wants to build a multi-gigabit experimental netw
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: Why this dedicated KDE Plasma user keeps going back to Gnome

  08-02-2016 20:48
  
  I started off as a Gnome user – whether I was using Debian, Fedora or Ubuntu. I switched to Plasma when Unity happened and have been a KDE Plasma user ever since.
  As much as I love Plasma, my reliance on email, calendar and contacts is increasing for work. There is almost no scope for any error and Plasma doesn’t have the kind of integration you would want among those three applications.
  Also, with more and more of my work moving to the cloud or online services, I find I don’t
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: CIOs facing tsunami of disruptive technologies over the next three years

  08-02-2016 20:22
  
  CIOs are facing a tsunami of converging technologies: cloud (24x7 accessibility, storage, computing power), Internet of Things (data producers), mobile (access point 24x7, anywhere), and data and analytics (developing insight from massive amounts of data), with robots, artificial intelligence and cognitive computing all coming into play. Also, it’s a given that security is an over-arching consideration. And while virtually every sector will be affected by these emerging technologies, CIOs
  
  Read more

• The Surface Pro shares the Denver Broncos' moment of triumph at Super Bowl 50

  08-02-2016 19:46
  The Surface Pro ended the NFL season on a high note—a handwritten one, at that. As the game wound down, with the Broncos the clear winners, Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was seen running around the field with a Surface Pro in hand. Exactly why was unclear until he held it aloft to TV cameras with the words “WORLD! CHAMPS!” scribbled on the Surface’s display.
  Here's the moment as captured by NBC's Frank Thorp V on Twitter:
  Somehow Aqib Talib gets his Microsoft Surf
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: More ecommerce predictions for 2016

  08-02-2016 19:05
  
  Following on from my previous post about what's in store for ecommerce in 2016, here's the second part, which is focused on more trends that I believe we'll see this year.Building in-house teams
  Optimization strategies are only as strong as the insight and strategy that drives them. Digital marketing experience and expertise will be in high demand again this year, and not necessarily from agencies and third parties. Although a trend that has been building over the past few years, I expect to see
  
  Read more

• Cybercriminals adopt spies' techniques to pull off online bank heists

  08-02-2016 18:22
  The times when stealthy, persistent and advanced malware was associated only with cyberespionage are gone. Criminals are now using similar threats and techniques to steal millions of dollars from financial institutions.Last year researchers from security vendor Kaspersky Lab were called in to investigate unusual thefts from 29 banks and other organizations located in Russia, leading to the discovery of three new sophisticated attack campaigns. Their findings were presented Monday during the comp
  
  Read more

• The State of the CIO by the numbers

  08-02-2016 17:51
  
  We know you're busy and sometimes you just want to get straight to the numbers -- without our pesky interviews and analysis clouding the facts. While we certainly hope you take the time to read our full report on the State of the CIO 2016, Transformational CIOs juggle innovation and operations, we decided to put together this abridged version in downloadable PDF form, so you can skip straight to the quantifiable data.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider S
  
  Read more

• Watch hundreds of robots and drones in an amazing choreographed dance

  08-02-2016 17:19
  
  Hours-long entertainment shows are a staple of the new year in many East Asian countries, but none is greater than Chinese Central Television's lunar new year gala.The TV spectacular, which is said to be watched by 700 million people, featured scores of the country's best-known singers but they all risked being upstaged by robots as the Year of the Monkey was ushered in.A crew of 540 humanoid robots danced in perfect step to a song by Sun Nan (孙楠) against the impressive Guangz
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: The 5 questions you don't want to be asked

  08-02-2016 17:12
  
  “A prudent question is one half of wisdom.” –Francis BaconA big part of my job as an executive coach and executive recruiter is helping my clients and candidates prepare for interviews. C level executive assessments typically involve four or more rounds of interviews across a representative selection of leaders from the enterprise. Each succeeding round typically requires more and more preparation as the finalist candidates are siphoned through the selection funnel.Preparation
  
  Read more

• Google's rumored VR headset sounds a lot like Samsung’s

  08-02-2016 16:56
  
  As Google goes on a virtual reality hiring spree, rumors about the company’s VR hardware plans are starting to take shape.
  Citing unnamed sources, Financial Times reports that Google is working on a new virtual reality headset and a VR-optimized version of Android to go with it. The headset would come in sturdy plastic, with built-in sensors and lenses, similar to Samsung’s GearVR. Users would then insert a smartphone into the headset to provide the imagery and processing power.To r
  
  Read more

• Survey: The state of encryption is strong, but mind the gaps

  08-02-2016 15:49
  
  (Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• Java installer flaw shows why you should clear your Downloads folder

  08-02-2016 15:48
  
  On most computers, the default download folder quickly becomes a repository of old and unorganized files that were opened once and then forgotten about. A recently fixed flaw in the Java installer highlights why keeping this folder clean is important.
  On Friday, Oracle published a security advisory recommending that users delete all the Java installers they might have laying around on their computers and use new ones for versions 6u113, 7u97, 8u73 or later.
  The reason is that older Java install
  
  Read more

• Report: Hackers steal, post details on 9,000 DHS employees

  08-02-2016 14:44
  
  A hacker posted the names, phone numbers and other details about 9,000 Department of Homeland Security employees and says he will post 20,000 similar records about FBI workers. He claims to have records that include military emails and credit card numbers, according to a published report.
  Today the hacker posted the details on Twitter along with a screenshot of a warning page allegedly from a Department of Justice computer (shown above).
  Motherboard writer Joseph Cox writes that Sunday he recei
  
  Read more

• Microsoft sees silver lining in clouded Windows

  08-02-2016 14:29
  
  In case you haven’t noticed, Microsoft — yes, sleepy old Microsoft — has been on a tear the last few years. Windows 10 was released last year to nearly universal praise, Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented-reality headset has been called groundbreaking, and the company jumped to No. 3 on the BrandZ list of most valuable global brands in 2015 after languishing at No. 7 as recently as 2013. More important, between early September 2015 and Feb. 1 of this year, the company’
  
  Read more

• 13 ways the cloud has changed (since last you looked)

  08-02-2016 14:13
  
  The definition of cloud computing has always been, well, a bit cloudy. The basic idea has been straightforward: If it’s not calculated or stored in a rack in your own office on metal you can touch, it’s in the cloud. If it’s someone else’s machine in someone else’s colo, it’s in the cloud.So many choicesTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• How to conquer recruiting, retention and IT skills challenges

  08-02-2016 14:09
  
  IT has become ingrained in every part of business strategy, so it's not surprising that demand for tech talent is at an all-time high, forcing organizations to be creative when competing for talent. We're already through the month of January and employers are looking down the barrel of a competitive 2016. To help tech hiring managers and CIOs plan for a tumultuous year, several industry experts offer their advice."IT has always been at the heart of product offerings and growth, but today IT is i
  
  Read more

• How to handle a major social media crisis

  08-02-2016 14:07
  
  It was a tweet heard around the world. Last month, a minor squabble erupted on Twitter between two fast food chains, Burger King and Wendy’s. It started as a harmless exchange about value meals. Burger King dropped a challenge to match their low price. When another user asked Wendy’s for its response, the company – which has 851,000 followers – tweeted a major ding: “Edible food.” Ouch. One ding between two major companies is enough to make your stoc
  
  Read more

• Facebook's Free Basics prohibited in India

  08-02-2016 14:03
  
  Facebook's Free Basics service has been dealt a severe blow by India's telecommunications regulator, which ruled on Monday that telecom service providers are prohibited from charging differently for data depending on the content or the application that the user is accessing.The move follows strong protests by civil rights groups in the country against Free Basics, which was seen by its critics as creating a "walled garden" of select free websites, including Facebook, in the name of providing unc
  
  Read more

• What the hell is the difference between ad tech and marketing tech?

  08-02-2016 14:00
  
  What is advertising technology? What is marketing tech? Do the terms overlap, and why should ad or marketing professionals care?"Ad tech and marketing tech are like peanut butter and chocolate," says Jake Sorofman, research vice president at Gartner. "Ad tech targets anonymous audiences, while marketing tech generally targets known customers."If only it were all that simple. The fact is all of the minute differences between ad tech and marketing tech aren't as important as what the technologies
  
  Read more

• IDG Contributor Network: The future of healthcare and humans

  08-02-2016 14:00
  
  Today it’s a matter of When, not If we solve Death and Generation Z could be the first generation to experience Immortality in their lifetime. We have the technology to reverse paralysis, restore sight, print hearts, write disease out of existence and transfer memories, age is a quirk of genetics, Nanotech is a game changer and only Darwinism is dead.
  The year is 2090 and I sidle up to have a look at the clinics menu of services. Everything gets commercialised eventually - even Immortalit
  
  Read more

• Business leaders lack confidence in IoT technology

  08-02-2016 13:56
  
  A study by IT staffing firm TEksystems reports that businesses are struggling to get Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives past the concept stage. Of the 200 IT and business leaders polled, 42 percent said their business was in early talks regarding IoT and its impact on business. However, only 17 percent said they had pilot programs in place; 22 percent said they have finally "transitioned into IoT-driven processes, services and products."According to TEKsystems Research Manager Jason Hayman, "I
  
  Read more

• Mozilla moves Firefox to more flexible release schedule

  08-02-2016 13:54
  
  Mozilla last week said it was changing Firefox's rigid every-six-week release cadence for a looser schedule that resembles what Google has used for Chrome since 2008.
  In a post to a company blog, Mozilla said it would use a variable release tempo in 2016 with six-to-eight-week intervals.
  Chrome has used a flexible schedule sinceits September 2008 debut, shipping a new edition approximately every six to eight weeks, but unlike Mozilla, has never set delivery dates ahead of releases appearing.
  "F
  
  Read more

• Apple's GPU supplier ditches CEO, seeks new strategy

  08-02-2016 13:51
  Imagination Technologies, the U.K. company that makes graphics chips for Apple's iPhones and iPads, is ditching its CEO and its strategy as it heads for its second consecutive year of losses.The semiconductor design and licensing company plans to sell its loss-making digital audio business, Pure, which has dogged its results for years, but will invest more in its PowerVR graphics core designs, which Apple uses in its iPhones and iPads.Board member Andrew Heath will serve as interim CEO while the
  
  Read more

• The 8 most stressful jobs in tech

  08-02-2016 13:29
  
  The most stressful tech jobsImage by ThinkstockEveryone experiences stress at work, but some jobs involve more overall stress than others. That's especially true for the tech industry, where high demand meets a lack of talent, which results in understaffed IT departments and a lack of support in up and coming areas like big data, security, mobile developers and more.For some people, a stressful job is no issue, but for others it can be draining and even become a health issue. And science backs t
  
  Read more

• Flash memory's density surpasses hard drives for first time

  08-02-2016 13:08
  
  NAND flash memory has surpassed hard disk drive (HDD) technology in areal density for the first time, according to a new report from a market research firm.
  During a presentation at the 2016 IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco last week, Micron shared data showing NAND flash has moved past HDDs in areal density, according to Coughlin Associates.
  At last year's ISSCC, Samsung white papers indicated that its 3D NAND flash products had reached 1.19Tbits per
  
  Read more

• What to love about your IT security job

  08-02-2016 12:53
  
  My heart belongs to ITImage by Davide D'AmicoSecurity practices may not top the “what I love about my job” list for the everyday employee, but for those working in the InfoSec industry, it’s a different story. Between the thrill of building systems to protect data and keeping up with an ever-changing landscape, IT security professionals face new challenges daily and are never finished with their to-do lists. Whether it’s building new technologies or advancing security ski
  
  Read more

• Four mindblowing Ted Talks for techies

  08-02-2016 12:44
  
  One of the biggest challenges for any tech professional is keeping up with change. But sometimes you’re so focused of advances that affect your particular job, industry or strategic goals that you lose sight of the bigger picture.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• Big data's big role in humanitarian aid

  08-02-2016 12:41
  
  Hundreds of thousands of refugees streamed into Europe in 2015 from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries. Some estimates put the number at nearly a million.The sheer volume of people overwhelmed European officials, who not only had to handle the volatile politics stemming from the crisis, but also had to find food, shelter and other necessities for the migrants.Sweden, like many of its European Union counterparts, was taking in refugees. The Swedish Migration Board, which usually sees 2,500
  
  Read more

• This is why Amazon will open physical bookstores

  08-02-2016 12:15
  
  Opening physical bookstores is the best idea Amazon has had since the creation of Amazon Prime.But wait, you say! Wasn't the report that Amazon is even planning a store retracted? And wasn't Amazon created as an efficient alternative to brick-and-mortar stores? Aren't all the bookstores going out of business partly because of Amazon?Confusion on all this abounds. Here's what you need to know about Amazon's brilliant plan to launch a chain of physical bookstores.Accidentally telling the truth
  San
  
  Read more

• Review: AirWatch takes mobile device management to the next level

  08-02-2016 12:06
  
  AirWatch 8.1 is a sophisticated control plane for mobile devices that meets the needs of large enterprises. It stacks up well against other MDM apps we’ve tested, and features container demarcation plus elements of data loss prevention.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
  
  Read more

• For sale: The nuclear bunker of your dreams

  08-02-2016 11:00
  
  Ultimate hideawayImage by ReutersYou say you’ll need an escape route should the presidential candidate of your nightmares prevail come November? Perhaps a spacious and lavishly equipped nuclear fallout bunker will do the trick, provided you’re OK with a move to Northern Ireland and can pony up the quite reasonable $840,000 asking price. Built in 1987 at the end of the Cold War, the bunker sleeps 235, and while its technological trimmings may be in need of modernization, such will be
  
  Read more

Follow @ITExecutiveNews on Twitter!