We didn’t plan it this way, but this month’s issue is mainly about technologies making a fresh start. After a period of opposition or benign neglect, instant messaging is gaining acceptance in enterprises; agile programming is winning new adherents--following years when enterprises focused on control-intensive initiatives; and visual modeling is getting a second look because the newest tools deliver benefits unmatched by earlier tools, such as automatically producing much of the code for an app.
As enterprises discover value in utility computing, application developers must shift their focus to service if they are to survive.
Business usually recoils at government meddling, but federal laws and regulations, especially the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, may actually be helping information security efforts.
ADT gets letters from readers.
“Tomek” and “Pops” may be unfamiliar names to you, but in the world of coding competitions, they’re as big as rock stars. Now they’re at the top of the stack, according to their peers who participate in online programming contests at TopCoder.com, a mecca for those willing to publicly test their programming chops.
This month’s issue is about making tough choices that can cost plenty if you happen to make the wrong decision.
Macromedia Captivate enables virtually anyone to record on-screen activity to create software demonstrations and interactive simulations in Flash. It allows users to edit content, add media applications, and provide visual screen instructions. It’s based on eHelp’s RoboDemo desktop recording software.
To keep pace with competitors in the annuities market, Transamerica Life Insurance Company had to find a way to leverage its legacy information systems as it forged ahead with plans to remain a key player in a faster, changing business environment that required more responsive technology.
INSIGHTS, ANALYSIS AND STUFF FOR MANAGERS
Brief news on new products.
Kevin O’Marah is vice president of research at AMR Research in Boston, where he directs the analyst firm’s coverage of supply chain technology. In this interview with ADT, he looks at the potential of radio frequency identification (RFID) and how IT should respond to demand-driven supply networks.
Efforts to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley will drive growth in application portfolio management software, according to Forrester Research, which notes that APM solutions are paying off already for some companies.
Time Warner's employeeConnection portal enables more than 80,000 employees to keep up with everything work-related, from their benefits, to the availability of free tickets for newly released movies. It's a "massive" portal with a tight security model, says Robert Caruso, senior business analyst for the media giant.
When Microsoft distributed a press release announcing the debut of the beta version of its MSN Search service, it apparently provided a screenshot of the service displayed on the Mozilla Foundation's highly touted open source browser and competitor to Micrcosoft’s dominant Internet Explorer—Firefox 1.0.
The staff of Application Development Trends magazine look at new products of note.
According to Neil MacDonald, a Gartner vice president, who pieced together the research, the IT organization will shrink about 85 percent over the next decade. Combine that with analysts’ predictions that IT spending is growing at only a fraction of Gartner’s 25-year running average, and it’s easy to conclude that IT is disappearing, and that you should visit a career counselor.
Terry Schurter, an expert on business process management, is lead analyst for the Business Process Management Group (www.bpmg.org), a global BPM community. He believes IT will make great strides this year helping implement BPM in the enterprise.