System Reliability

Software Mashup Unifies Project Management Intelligence

Creative application of mashup brings insight to integrated project engineering information. ...

... "AMEC Paragon uses IBM Mashup Center as a way to unify all key project management information and take action on items all in one place. Paragon's mashup solution includes blending structured data with Enterprise Content Management and IBM FileNet content along with information from various SaaS providers. For example, Paragon can mashup project staffing requirements with budget updates and the project timeline. Then managers can take action, making appropriate changes to the project staffing from within the mashup. " ...

Via IBM: Mashup Capabilities

Data Center Efficiency Project Targets Cooling System

IBM leverages measurement tools from its Research Division to identify and implement energy savings opportunities in the cooling system of Toyota's California data center. Electricity provider, Southern California Edison, created a baseline and validated power demand decrease. ...

... "IBM also piloted an extension of MMT which includes real-time sensors that are distributed in strategic places throughout the data center. The updated version of the technology allowed IBM to constantly monitor temperature distributions throughout the project. " ...

Via IBM: Toyota Motor Sales Data Center

Virtual Project Huddle Room

Desktop via Cloud Delivery Model

IBM offers virtual desktop through a cloud computing model to shift enterprise spending from capital investment to "buy by the drink" subscription payments. ...

... "The new IBM Smart Business Desktop on the IBM Cloud subscription service helps clients virtualize desktop computing resources, and provide a logical, rather than a physical, method of access to data, computing power, storage capacity and other resources. This service requires no up front capital or one time expense and is designed to provide enhanced levels of security, resiliency, reliability, and quality for virtual desktops. " ...

Via IBM: Desktop Cloud

Want Fries with that Data Center

A sign of the times ... Syracuse works with IBM to create efficient data center with cogen facility. The University will use the facility to lead and to learn. ...

... "SU will manage and analyze the performance of the center, as well as research and develop new data center energy efficiency analysis and modeling tools. IBM will provide more than $5 million in equipment, design services and support, which includes supplying the electrical cogeneration equipment and servers such as IBM BladeCenter, IBM Power 575 and an IBM z10 systems. " ...

Via IBM: Syracuse University Data Center

Stewardship and Governance of Model

IBM and utility consortium choose the Software Engineering Institute at CMU to govern the advancement of the maturity model for smart grids. Think SEI's CMMI for the electrical grid. ...

... "The software development industry is a prime example of how maturity models have moved entire industries forward, said Guido Bartels, General Manager, Global Energy & Utilities Industry at IBM. We selected SEI because of its demonstrated success in providing frameworks that enhance business and technical processes, security, resiliency and interoperability --- all critical elements in responding to opportunities driving the sustainable supply and use of energy essential today. " ...

Via Carnegie Mellon SEI: Smart Grid Maturity Model

IT Vendor Green Ranking

ABI Research did nice job with this green vendor ranking, looking for the vendors to "eat their own dog food" by implementing sustainable practices internally as well as offering green products as services. HP edges out the competition, but it is good to see the large vendors making strong moves in this area. ...

... "Hewlett-Packard emerged as the winner in ABI Research’s Innovation category, which measures how green a vendor’s products are. It was a very close contest because of the extensive efforts both IBM and Cisco have been making in this market. " ...

Via ABI Research: The Greenness of Data Center Equipment Vendors

Change Projects

IBM study validates the challenges associated with change projects and identifies actions that differentiate the leaders. ...

... "Rather than simply throwing money at the problem they invested in building awareness of project complexity, spending more on building change skills and developing their long term tools, methods and capabilities. " ...

Via IBM: Organizational Change Projects

Project Impact from Credit Market Turmoil

IT projects in jeopardy of cancellation or on-hold status change? Creative financing could be an option depending on the scale of your implementation partner. ...

... "IBM has a large financial services group and it has the capital to help finance IT enterprise projects. " ...

Via ZDNet: IBM financing

Mashup Project

IBM discusses example of enterprise mashup project by Boeing that brings data together from multiple sources to support decision making. ...

Mobile Communication Project

Beam me up Scotty. ... IBM implements mobile wearable communicator on a hospital IT project that keeps the healthcare workforce integrated into the communications network. ...

... "It can be difficult for healthcare providers to quickly contact a colleague, who may be anywhere on the floor or in the hospital. The new communications system will allow for instant communication through lightweight, wearable, voice-activated badges. The devices can also relay text messages and alerts. The communicator, developed by Vocera Communications Inc. and implemented by IBM, can increase staff productivity, save time and improve patient care response times. " ...

Via IBM: Sainte-Justine Hospital Mobile Solution

Strategic Information Projects

IBM introduces tools, models, and implementation blueprints to help its clients create and accelerate an information agenda, as illustrated in the client reference below. Visibility to business performance or creating a single view of the customer is a common problem, especially in industries where mergers and acquisitions are prevalent. This offering looks to be helpful in creating the critical path of projects, or roadmap, to achieving the desired business objective for information visibility. ...

... "Starting with a series of incremental projects, each which addressed its Information Agenda, Irish Life and Permanent moved toward a single view of all its customer information. As a result, it can now tailor products and services for clients across multiple touch points such as the Internet, call-centers and various sales channels; create more effective targeted sales campaigns; improve customer self-service; and maintain continuous records of customer transactions and service satisfaction across the business. " ...

Via IBM: Create an Information Agenda

Resiliency Services

IBM makes significant investment into business continuity, branding its services as providing "Business Resilience" through its globally distributed centers. The service will be offered through the cloud. ...

... "The massive infrastructure expansion is the largest of its kind and will permit IBM clients to access services that support business continuity for the first time from a cloud computing environment. Business continuity and resiliency services help ensure uninterrupted operations across all layers of the business, as well as helping businesses avoid, prepare and recover from a disruption. IBM is the world's leader in providing services that help avoid disruption and enable business continuity. Future Business Resilience service delivery centers will be located in every geographic region of the globe ... " ...

Via IBM: $300 Million Investment to Expand Business Continuity and Resiliency Services

Business Case Reference Material for Talent Projects

Having trouble making the business case for that next HR project? Here's some interesting reference material from IBM and partners for putting that funding request into tangible terms. ...

... "Organizations that apply talent management practices demonstrate higher financial performance compared to their industry peers. Those specific talent management practices that most distinguished financial outperformers from other organizations are understanding and acting upon employee engagement and aligning recognition and performance management systems. " ...

Via IBM: The ROI of Talent Management

Online Business Technology Training

IBM makes courseware available through its online portal. ...

... " ... through the Student Portal on the IBM Academic Initiative web site, students can access a three-step tutorial on Service Science Management and Engineering (SSME), a new academic discipline that brings together ongoing work in the fields of science, engineering, and business management, combined with the study of social and legal sciences through the Student Portal on the IBM Academic Initiative web site, students can access a three-step tutorial on Service Science Management and Engineering (SSME), a new academic discipline that brings together ongoing work in the fields of science, engineering, and business management, combined with the study of social and legal sciences. " ...

Via IBM: Free Online Training in Hot Technologies

IBM Researches Green Computing Methods

Creative approach to cpu cooling is being explored by IBM researchers. ...

... "Michel see advantages in running them at the current level of 200F. He thinks of the chips as little furnaces from which heat can be removed and reused - by piping it off-site to warm houses or businesses. " ...

Via Business Week: Chilling Biochemistry

Collaboration Services

IBM offers a set of services to help an enterprise take advantage of collaboration through social networking. The services include support of the adoption of these technologies to create value through expertise location and leverage. ...

... "Adoption - helps introduce collaborative and social networking technologies to an organization through online collaborative events such as company-wide collaborative events (based on IBM's Innovation Jams) or smaller departmental events. Provides social networking analysis, identifying patterns of interaction and the key topic experts and enablers within the organization. " ...

Via IBM: Services for Collaboration

Web 2.0 Skills

IBM partners with universities to introduce Web 2.0 skills into curriculum in order to prepare the next generation of computer science graduates for the emerging web technologies. These new applications of technology will leverage networks of people and combinations of information in ways that had not previously been available. ...

... "Businesses today are looking to the next generation of IT experts who understand the dynamics of the globally-integrated enterprise; who can work across geographically distributed teams; and easily utilize different open-standards technology assets to quickly develop enterprise mashups, plug-ins and other Web 2.0 resources.

At UCLA, students in computer science class CS130 can opt to work with IBM mentors on Web 2.0 and Eclipse plug-in projects they themselves design. Meanwhile, graduate students at NC State in Raleigh have the first-ever opportunity to get their hands on Project Zero, a new IBM-created Web 2.0 development environment for creating enterprise mashups and rich web applications for a variety of business needs. " ...

Via IBM: The Class of 2.0: 21st Century Skills

IBM Updates Lotus Notes with Web 2.0 Capabilities for Global Collaboration

Fortune 1000 companies that leverage IBM software for email and collaboration will begin to see Web 2.0 capability introduced into near term upgrades of the Lotus Notes product. Lotus Notes applications can be built with user interfaces that deploy AJAX and style sheets, while content can be delivered through subscription to RSS or ATOM feeds. ...

... "Included in 8.0.1 is a powerful Web 2.0 feature, My Widgets, that can be used to execute actions such as retrieving real time flight arrival information simply by clicking on a flight number in an email. This is accomplished through a new technology called Live Text that can identify patterns and phrases and associate them with an appropriate widget. Users can drag and drop, or import, various kinds of widgets such as Google Gadgets, feeds, and Web pages or their own custom programs onto their new widgets panel in the Lotus Notes sidebar. Planned for delivery with Lotus Domino 8.0.1, is IBM Lotus Notes Traveler, which will provide automatic, real time wireless replication of email including attachments, calendar, contacts, personal journal and the to-do list for Microsoft Windows Mobile devices. " ...

Via IBM: Lotus Collaboration Software Roadmap

Next Gen Collaboration Research Supports Global Teams

IBM will invest in research to deliver solutions that enable the global collaboration of virtual project teams. The company sees collaboration, communication and visualization as capabilities to engage the next generation workforce, who are used to these advanced capabilities in their personal pursuits. ...

... "The challenges of globalization are forcing companies to become more nimble, using an increasingly geographically-dispersed and virtual workforce to remain competitive. In the world of software development, this means 24x7 collaboration with specialized teams around the globe to pick up where another left off. " ...

Via IBM: Innovations Support Global Collaboration

Information On-Demand, a Long Term Perspective

IBM's executive, Ambuj Goyal, provides insights into IBM's long-term plan for the concept of information on-demand. IBM is assembling the pieces of its strategy, including its acquisition of Cognos, to enable the use of information to optimize the enterprise. ...

... "But the journey of optimization has just begun. It will take us in ways we don't understand, even today. We are going after information on demand in real time. " ...

Via InfoWorld: Information on Demand

Service is a Science, Study and Improve It

Interesting move in the global landscape ... Singapore collaborates with IBM through a network of universities and industry partners to innovate in service management. Education in the science of services is planned. ...

... "The collaboration aims to develop a new breed of service scientists and service entrepreneurs who understand service systems, are trained to enable efficient and systematic approaches to service delivery, and serve as catalysts for service innovation in organisations and for various industry sectors. " ...

Via IBM: Service Science Initiative in Singapore

Maverick Thinking from the History of Storage Systems

Historical perspective on the evolution of storage devices at IBM, where the maverick mindset was necessary to bring forth the innovation. ...

Certify Your Green Data Center

IBM offers certification program for energy efficiency in IT operations, as a way to benchmark, collaborate, and recognize achievements of the participants. ...

... "Energy efficiency certificates are a recognized form of documenting energy conservation and also provide financial incentive and recognition for businesses and electricity providers that increase their efficiency. " ...

Via IBM: Energy Efficiency Certificate Program

Green Data Center Expansion

IBM expands data center, emphasizing energy efficiency and green design. IT can play a role in reducing an enterprise's carbon footprint and energy costs. ...

... "IBM plans to install high density computing systems utilizing virtualization technology, along with its Cool Blue portfolio of energy efficient power and cooling technologies. These technologies, in conjunction with the energy efficient design and construction, will allow IBM to reduce its overall carbon footprint compared to standard data centers, and lessen the impact to the environment. " ...

Via IBM: IBM to Build $86 Million Energy Efficient Data Center in Boulder as Part of Project Big Green

Virtualization: IBM Intel Collaborate

IBM, Intel collaborate to further the advancement of virtualization technology. The two companies are working on benchmarks, sizing tools, selection guides, etc. to simplify the process of virtualization design for IT managers. ...

... "One of the first tools to emerge from this joint initiative is a new virtualization benchmarking methodology called vConsolidate that runs multiple instances of consolidated database, mail, Web and JAVA(1) workloads in multiple virtual CPU partitions on Intel-based System x servers to simulate real-world server performance in a typical environment. IBM and Intel are contributing the vConsolidate methodology to an industry standards body for consideration. ... " ...

Via IBM:IBM and Intel Initiative Accelerates Virtualization on Multi-Processor Servers

eCustoms Project: Tracking Beer

Pilot project, called the Beer Living Lab, will track shipments of Heineken beer in cargo containers in the supply chain from Europe to the United States using satellite and cellular technology. The objective of the project is speed the delivery process and lower international trade costs through a paperless documentation system. ...

... "In this project, Safmarine will ship up to 30 containers of Heineken beer from the Netherlands, through Dutch Customs Authorities, to the Heineken distribution centers in England and the United States. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam will coordinate the project and provide best practices documentation to share across the European Union. " ...

Via IBM: Heineken, IBM, Safmarine and University of Amsterdam Launch Wireless Beer Living Lab ...

Virtualization Project: OS Irrelevance?

Interesting observation on the virutalization software market. Server virtualization projects are a popular IT project in the portfolio. Will the virtualization software, such as VMware, make the traditional operating system irrelevant? Is there an OS war underway? Competition should make things interesting. ...

... "VMware is certifying computer hardware for compatibility with VMware. You can now buy an HP or IBM server with only VMware ESX and no other OS installed – not even Linux or Windows. " ...

Via virtuozzo blog: OS Wars?

Technology Evolution: Call to Green Action ...

As computing density increases, power consumption is spiraling out of control. It is time for the Information Technology industry to do its part in energy conservation and management. ...

... "Chief information officers need to wake up to the issues of spiralling energy consumption and environmental legislation, and develop greener approaches to IT, according to Gartner. " ...

Via ITNews Australia: Gartner urges IT to go green ...

A green strategy can include server virtualization which increases asset utilization and lowers the energy footprint of the datacenter ...

IBM VIRTUALIZATION SERVES UP COOLER SYSTEMS FOR US OPEN TENNIS EVENT: "Virtualization technology, which IBM has been providing to clients since before Arthur Ashe won his first US Open title in 1968, allows many computing resources to act as one and, more commonly, one computer, storage device or server to divide its own workload and act as many different resources. By reducing the number of computers and servers in use, virtualization helps minimize the often strenuous and expensive power and cooling demands of datacenters and eliminate unnecessary maintenance expenses. "

Globalization of Research and Development: IBM Build Russia Presence ...

IBM boosts research and development talent in Russia to support geographic growth. This is a trend that is accelerating, especially where high-growth rates are expected. ...

... "IBM will invest $40 million over the next three years in the Russian Systems & Technology Laboratory, which will employ up to 200 people by the end of 2008. The lab will focus on mainframe technology development and continues IBM's emphasis on utilizing skills and expertise around the globe, especially in high-growth countries such as Russia, Brazil, China and India. The lab is the fourth major development operation announced by IBM in recent months. Other new facilities include a Linux Technology Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil; a Solutions & Technology Center in Bangalore, India; and a mainframe development lab in Shanghai, China. " ...

Globalization of Research and Development: IBM Build Russia Presence: Via IBM: IBM Chairman & CEO Opens IBM's First Development Laboratory in Russia ...

Microsoft Gates Retirement: Fast Follower ...

Bill announces his transition to full-time philanthropy, leaving a successful business career, punctuated with fast-follower strategies in the marketplace. ...

... "The IBM deal also highlighted another aspect of Mr Gates's success: his opportunistic use of breakthroughs made by others to seize the initiative in a new technology market. " ...

Microsoft Gates Retirement: Fast Follower: Via Financial Times Business News: Innovator, motivator and canny businessman ...

IT Strategy: Infrastructure Services Outsourced ...

Asian insurance company outsources infrastructure services to IBM Asian operations and also procures strategic planning services from IBM. No company is immune from the possibility of outsourcing. ...

... "Under the terms of the 10-year agreement which has a total contract value of approximately 340 million US dollars, IBM will provide IT strategy consulting services to help develop and advance KYOBO's IT vision and strategy. IBM will also manage the company's servers, storage systems, network and desktop computers and operate its data and disaster recovery centers. Additionally, IBM will provide IT skills development and IT management training services, called IT University, for KYOBO's employees. " ...

IT Strategy: Infrastructure Services Outsourced: Via IBM: KYOBO Life Insurance Signs a 10-Year Outsourcing Contract With IBM ...

Collaboration and Openness Business Model ...

In continuation with previous post on collaboration and openness, IBM releases study that supports the business model for transparency and collaboration to drive innovation and, ultimately, revenue growth. ...

... "In terms of how to drive innovation, the study found that 76% of CEOs ranked business partner and customer collaboration as top sources for new ideas. This greatly contrasts with internal R&D, which ranked eighth as a source for new ideas -- cited by only 14% of CEOs. Despite the value they place on collaboration, many CEOs are still in the planning stage. While 76% of CEOs say that collaboration is critical, 51% say their organizations currently collaborate extensively. Interestingly, this is exaggerated in emerging markets, where 73% are collaborating, compared to 47% in mature markets. The study also suggests a link between collaboration and financial performance. " ...

Collaboration and Openness Business Model: Via IBM: Majority of Global CEOs Plan Fundamental Change and Expect New Forms of Innovation to Drive Growth, According to IBM Study ...

Keeping Technology In-House Pays Off

A little over a year ago, JPMorganChase canceled its $5 billion outsourcing contract with IBM Global Services and brought its technology operations back in-house.

Says CIO Austin Adams:

"The decision to cancel the outsourcing deal wasn't driven entirely by cost savings... It was about our belief that we wanted to be more involved in every aspect of our business, and technology is a significant part."

And this belief has proven true. The bank is now seeing cost savings from better leveraging of software and hardware deals, and is seeing excellent operational efficiencies as well.

For project managers, this can bring additional benefits, such as having the right know-how in house, and avoiding the need to manage across multiple organizations.

In general, while appearing to be a silver bullet, outsourcing can have negative effects on morale and can damage communities as well. Furthermore it doesn't always bring the cost-savings it promises and puts the organization at the mercy of its vendors. Collectively, there's no telling what the long-term impact will be on the United States.

Companies such as Toyota practice long-term thinking, pride of workmanship, and remain community-focused, with good results. Cheers to JPMorgan Chase.

Here's the full article from Baseline Magazine. There's also an interesting sidebar called "Can You Outsource Project Management?"

JPMorgan Chase Retakes Control of I.T.

CIO ITStrategy: XBox Approach ...

Gartner recommends that we expand our horizons and understand emerging and consumer technologies to support the next wave of IT strategy. ...

... "The analyst group says technology professionals should see, touch and use at least three of the following in 2006: 1. Web based micro-applications such as Writely.com or Num Sum; 2. Flickr; 3. A new generation of consoles such as Nintendo Revolution or Xbox 360; " ...

CIO ITStrategy: XBox Approach: Via CNET: Gartner: IT managers should use Xbox ...



IBM delivers Power-based chip for Microsoft Xbox 360 worldwide launch: "Microsoft's aggressive timetable required that IBM take the Xbox 360 chip design from concept to full execution in just 24 months, said Ilan Spillinger, IBM Distinguished Engineer and director of the IBM Design Center for Xbox 360. IBM's success in delivering the chip to meet Microsoft's worldwide launch illustrates our commitment to innovative processor design that builds on IBM's wealth of intellectual property. The Xbox 360 project called upon the full range of IBM's On Demand technology capabilities, including our Engineering & Technology Services unit for custom design work and our world wide manufacturing resources to meet the aggressive time to market demands for this advanced microprocessor, said Jim Comfort, vice president and Strategic Client Executive, IBM Systems and Technology Group."

Information as a Service: Transition From Project Environment ...

IBM has launched software that transforms data into information to be aimed at increased insight and visibility of business operations. ...

Information as a Service: Transition From Project Environment: Via Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance Journal: IBM's Deep Insight ...

... "Helping organizations to leverage information as a service allows them to move from a project-based environment to a flexible architecture which is crucial for business agility and responsiveness, said Ambuj Goyal, general manager, IBM Information Management. " ...

Project Management Solution: Multi-Enterprise

Project management solution leverages portal framework to enable multi-enterprise project management in distributed environments. ...

Via Trilog Group: Trilog Group Announces General Availability of ProjExec™ 3.0 For IBM® Workplace™ and Open Standard Platforms: Multi-Enterprise Project Management Solution Unveiled at Project Summit New England; Offers Superior Project Execution Portal for Distributed Teams ...

... "Trilog Group, Inc., a pioneer in secure multi-enterprise project management offerings and the established provider of distributed collaborative business process solutions, announces the immediate availability of ProjExec 3.0. Designed to solve the many challenges presented by the use of separate and distinct communication and project management tools in highly distributed project environments, this innovative solution provides a single collaborative process portal environment with a common infrastructure for execution and management of multi-enterprise projects. ProjExec 3.0 is now available in two editions. The version branded as ProjExec 3.0 for IBM Workplace is optimized for IBM Workplace and IBM WebSphere Portal. ProjExec 3.0 Standard Edition supports any J2EE-compliant web application server. " ...

Business Strategy: Align Objectives and Execute

IBM launches new software that enables workers and managers throughout an organization to align their personal and departmental objectives with business strategy and drive execution of their workplace activities ...

Business Strategy: Align Objectives and Execute: Via IBM: IBM Software Helps Employees at All Levels Align Their Objectives With Company Strategy ...

... "According to feedback from IBM's customers and partners, more companies are recognizing that while they have lots of data and a sound business strategy, the execution of the strategy needs improvement. IBM Workplace for Business Strategy Execution helps employees understand their company's strategy in concrete terms, focus on what is important, and remain current on status and risks. A department leader can use IBM Workplace for Business Strategy Execution to clearly communicate team objectives and how they fit into the company's strategy; link to and monitor internal and external dependencies that could affect the ability to reach objectives; track progress toward the objectives though intuitive scorecards and dashboards; and initiate actions to correct gaps in performance. " ...

PMThink references on strategy and alignment:

• Achieve Strategy Execution: Accelerate Plan Funding Support


• Business Continuity Project: Key Part of IT Strategy ...


• Business IT Alignment: Business-Relevant Metrics


• Business IT Strategy: Successful Alignment


• Governance Alignment: Project Portfolio Management (PPM)


• IT Alignment: Cost Benefit Analysis ...


• IT Governance: SAP ESA Strategy


• IT Strategy: Motorola Exec Podcast ...


• ITIL: IT Service Catalog: Alignment Focal Point ...


• Microsoft Framework: Business IT Alignment


• PMO Role: Align Business and IT ...


• Project Failure: A Success Strategy


• Project Management Strategy Integration Conference December2005


• PublicSector CIO: Enterprise View IT Strategy


• Software Aligns Project Management With Enterprise Strategy: Enhanced Portfolio Analytics ...


• Strategic Alignment: Project Portfolio


• Strategy: Visualize the Design ...

ITPortfolio: Markowitz Efficient Frontier Application

There are a variety of applications of Markowitz's efficient frontier to information technology IT portfolio management. Some EPM software packages incorporate the Markowitz technique to be used to visualize the various information technology portfolio combinations in a frontier graph. The jury is still out, though, on its suitability to IT portfolios as compared to traditional financial portfolios. ...

Via Chief Project Officer: The Efficient Frontier Technique for Analyzing Project Portfolio Management

... "The Efficient Frontier simplifies a complex Portfolio Management problem to highlight and clarify some basic questions: scarcity, efficiency, tradeoffs, opportunity cost and the value of breaking the constraints. " ...

Additional resources on the efficient frontier approach to project portfolio management:

Markowitz efficient frontier definition: Via Forbes Financial Glossary: The graphical depiction of the Markowitz efficient set of portfolios representing the boundary of the set of feasible portfolios that have the maximum return for a given level of risk.

Modern Portfolio Theory: Driving project portfolio management with investment techniques: Via IBM Rational: The closer a portfolio is to the Efficient Frontier the closer it is to being efficient, which means: For its level of return, there is no other portfolio with less risk, or for its level of risk, there is no other portfolio with more value.

IT portfolio management – A banker’s perspective on IT: Via Department of Mathematics at the Vrije Universiteit: However, there is a precondition attached to Markowitz’s theory that presents problems when the theory is applied to IT portfolios: the marketability of stocks and shares. MPT concentrates on finding the right balance between risk and return. Theoretically, in MPT there is a curve – the efficient frontier – of optimal expected return for a given risk.

Project Management in Lotus Notes? You Bet.

For those looking to take advantage of their Lotus platform and enable great advances in their project management practices, Genius Inside has a suite of products that enable enterprise project management using Lotus Notes and Domino. It even integrates with MS/Project.

Here's the executive overview of Genius Inside, straight from their site:

Established in 1996, Genius Inside is a leading provider of Enterprise Project Management software, specialized in Internet/ intranet enterprise project management solutions. Genius Enterprise Project software from Genius Inside has
over 250 customers worldwide and in excess of 38’000 users, supported by a network of 20 global reseller partners. Genius Enterprise Project was recognized by IBM at Lotusphere 2004 with the Lotus Workplace Innovation-CTO award.

The leading Lotus Notes and Domino Project Management Solution

IT Governance: Services Transformation ...

IT Governance: Services Transformation: Via ITSM Watch: ITIL: IT Governance Important For ITSM Implementations ...

Bill Powell, senior consultant with IBM Global Services, writes about the importance for effective IT governance in the transformation to a services-based IT organization ...

... "Achieving business results has always been dependant on effective governance linked to effective and efficient execution. Effective Governance overcomes the limitations inherent in any organizational structure. " ...

ITIL Projects: Avoid Pitfalls ...

ITIL Projects: Avoid Pitfalls: Via Opalis Software: Opalis Software, Inc., the expert provider of enterprise infrastructure software that enables the integration and automation of data center operations, announced its top three reasons for Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) initiative failures ...

Opalis Software shares their experience with ITIL projects and how to avoid the pitfalls: automate, target the necessary processes, and market the efficiency benefits ...

... "Reason #3: ITIL is the Answer Failure – IT personnel often fail to market their ITIL project as a way to drive both internal efficiency and service levels, and try to use the ITIL label as the main message. ITIL projects are costly, therefore, IT staff need to be able to demonstrate up front how it will fortify core business processes and make them more reliable. This demonstration will avoid lost budgets or abandoned projects part way through an ITIL implementation. " ...

Opalis Software, Inc., is the expert provider of enterprise infrastructure software that enables the integration and automation of data center operations. With Opalis, companies can connect disparate environments and automate routine processes in a way that’s simple, fast, and effective. Currently, more than 550 global companies, including Toyota, Harley Davidson, StateStreet, Nokia, Xerox, BlueCross BlueShield, and Woolworths, rely on Opalis server software and integration packs to quickly and easily manage the critical components of their data centers. IT staff can automate processes without scripting or the need of professional services to stay productive and focus on other critical performance management tasks. Opalis is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, and has strategic industry partnerships with EMC, VMware, HP, IBM, Microsoft, NetIQ, Remedy, Veritas, and Cognos.

Governance Alignment: Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

Via IBM: Project Portfolio Management (PPM): Aligning business and IT

Alignment of business and IT through a meaningful governance process enables selection of the right projects from the portfolio. Ashok Reddy, IBM, explores investing in IT like managing a financial portfolio of investments ...

... "Governance relates to the most important questions for software development and IT managers: Are we working on the right things, and are we building the right system? If their teams don't get this right, nothing else matters. A project might be successful from a schedule, budget, or scope perspective, but if it fails to meet business objectives, it fails overall. Efforts to align business and IT objectives are often thwarted by governance issues... " ...

Hosted Project Portfolio Management

The handwriting is on the wall. More and more companies, under pressure to reduce costs, are looking to outsource IT support and infrastructure. In response to this, IT vendors everywhere, from Microsoft to IBM, are scrambling to build hosted solutions.

It's no surprise then that we're starting to see more hosted solutions for Project Portfolio Management (PPM). One company, Project Arena, has been doing this since 1999.

Even if you're not looking for a hosted PPM solution, the Project Arena website is worth visiting for their white papers alone. Check it out (and no, I'm not receiving commission from Project Arena - I just think they have an interesting concept and some great white papers) ....

Project Arena - Hosted Project Portfolio Management

Benefits Realization: Accelerate Time to Value

Often, benefits do not immediately accrue at the completion of an IT project. A period of stabilization is needed for the newly-enabled business process(es). Also, the workforce may need to be nurtured to drive adoption rates to the targeted levels.

In order to accelerate time to value, key process indicators and usage rates should be baselined prior to go-live and tracked immediately following. Techniques, such as Six Sigma, may be required to ensure delivery of the full business value by methodically eliminating defects that prevent world-class process performance.

References on benefits realization:

Via Planview: PlanView Announces Results of CIO Survey: Fortune 1000 Companies Say Benefits Realization a Key IT Challenge ...

... "Benefits realization is a key component to the clear communication of IT's contribution to the overall objectives of the organization. It begins with the strategic initiative and is reviewed in a disciplined cycle through funding, project definition and execution and product or service deployment to provable benefit realized. " ...

Via IBM: Reaching efficient frontiers in IT investment management ...

... "And measuring doesn’t end as soon as the project does. A key aspect of value realization is post-implementation evaluation to assess the actual benefit realization at future points in time. Initial project planning needs to include benefit assessment after the project has been delivered. " ...

Via DMReview: Managing a Breakthrough Data Warehousing Project ...

... "The trend for the 21st century is to manage portfolios of projects which include IT as a component, or intermediary outcome, of the entire life cycle from concept to benefits achievement. An effective project management methodology is needed to detail the planning process necessary to ensure the business objectives are met. " ...