CIO Views | Stephen Hultquist

Microsoft + Yahoo! => Google?

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-05-13T17:24:05+00:00

A couple weeks ago, I posted an article about the partnership between Salesforce and Google, and discussed the implications of it in terms of reality versus the hype about whether or not Microsoft would be threatened by it as most pundits liked to discuss. Of course, when the Microsoft offer for Yahoo! imploded last week, the same folks rambled on with the same focus: Microsoft needs something in order to compete with Google. Perhaps so. But doing it by buying an on-line search company misses the boat completely. Are these guys really that ignorant? Perhaps, as the old joke goes,... READ MORE

The Purpose of IT

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-04-20T20:04:29+00:00

Salesforce + Google > Microsoft?

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-04-17T00:05:58+00:00

This week's announcement that Salesforce and Google were joining forces had the webscape all atwitter. Seems that everyone wanted to talk about how they were going after Microsoft's desktop market share. When will these folks realize that they are missing the point? The various media wonks always like to proclaim the death of this or the triumph of that, but they are always wrong. People forget that in the hype of the moment -- to the detriment of the truth and business success. Remember when mainframes were going to die? Last time I checked, IBM was doing quite well in... READ MORE

MacBook Air is insecure

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-04-02T00:30:58+00:00

Late last week, a MacBook Air was cracked at the CanSecWest security conference as reported by Robert McMillen here in InfoWorld. The Web discussions about it show just how silly this whole security discussion has become. Some pundits delighted in the fact that Apple's premier laptop was the "first to fall" again this year. Others noted that many of those attacking the systems were using Macs to do so. Others notes that Vista fell second and Ubuntu Linux was not cracked during the event. From the perspective of a CIO who does the necessary analysis, none of these actually matter.... READ MORE

IT control freaks

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-04-01T17:03:11+00:00

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Ben Worthen writes, "Many IT groups have banned the iPhone from their workplaces, complaining that there is no way to force employees to protect their iPhones with passwords and that they can't erase sensitive corporate data from remote locations if the device is stolen or lost. Additionally, they say the iPhone doesn't support the software many businesses use and that it only works on one cellular carrier's network. "But keeping the iPhone out of the office may be a losing battle. As a result, some technology experts say the iPhone could... READ MORE

The life of a CIO

Stephen Hultquist — 2008-03-28T05:47:46+00:00

Since my last blog post here, I have been actively working through the daily life of a CIO for a couple of my clients. As I provide them the executive management and strategic technology guidance that they require of a CIO, I also live the challenges of that position. It's time, then, to give this blog a rebirth with an expansion of the original concept. Think of that expansion as, "What is the life of a CIO and how do you relate to it?" Ultimately, this blog is an opportunity to develop a comprehensive perspective on the business application of... READ MORE

Do you know what you have?

Stephen Hultquist — 2007-10-02T00:25:04+00:00

Every CIO should understand that his or her primary focus is the top- and bottom-line of the business. Focusing on the technology and information assets of the company is therefore core to their business contribution. Unfortunately, it seems that many CIOs and CFOs don't actually know what they have. In a Financial Times article today, we learned that many apparently don't focus on this. The survey asked 250 respondents across France, Germany, Italy, UK and US at companies with revenues from $100M up to over $1B, comprising 50% CFOs & 50% CIOs (conducted by Micro Focus and INSEAD) about their... READ MORE

The fight against spam

Stephen Hultquist — 2007-09-30T01:58:50+00:00

Today brought a spam-oriented challenge. Have you ever been falsely accused? Today, I was. By an anti-spam enforcement list. It seems that my sending an e-mail to a small group of people with a link to a new URL of mine resulted in mail being blocked and my personal coaching site being put onto the spam list. It's a weekend. No one is answering my e-mail. So I'm stuck. Some of my clients can't reach me. Although the company claims 0.05% false positives, I have to wonder. Their primary criterion? That my domain is less than 90 days old. Come... READ MORE

Yahoo! Moves on SaaS

Stephen Hultquist — 2007-09-18T16:02:14+00:00

Today, Zimbra announced that they have been acquired by Yahoo! This is a significant announcement both for Zimbra and for Software as a Service (SaaS). Zimbra is a full-features personal collaboration system (think a combination of Microsoft Outlook and Exchange) written as an open-source system with an AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) client. I have been using Zimbra in a small-scale environment delivered as SaaS by OnDeckTech in Chicago. As a working environment, it is very effective, and its standards-based integration with everything (including my Mac and its Apple Mail, iCal, and Address Book) offers exceptional function. Where is this... READ MORE

Managed Services Protect the Core

Stephen Hultquist — 2007-09-10T21:19:23+00:00

Companies that are successful in the rapidly changing worldwide economy are those who stay focused on what makes a difference for them. For some years, business and technology pundits have spent an effort discussing "core competencies" and the necessity of organizations staying focused on them. It is often more difficult than it should be, though. Some companies do an exceptionally good job, though. One of my clients is Firefly Energy, an energy storage company focused on greening the lead-acid battery industry. They are a company with a deep set of knowledge in materials science and a willingness to break the... READ MORE

A View from the Pragmatic

Stephen Hultquist — 2007-08-31T17:57:53+00:00

G'day, and welcome to this new entry into the InfoWorld blogs. CIO Views is a place where you'll find views on business and technology from the perspective of a guy who moved up through the technical ranks to senior management--and managed to keep his perspective. In this little corner of the web, we'll be brutally pragmatic. We'll take a look at emerging technologies; case studies; examples of use and misuse of people, process, and technology; and may even find some time to discuss the challenges of leadership in the 21st century. I welcome your comments, your recommendations for topics, and... READ MORE