Strong Signals: Disasters in the Making
By John Parkinson
The Great Blackout of 2003 was a classic "edge" case, where you get so close to the operational limits of a system that any disturbance has to be handled immediately, or the result is a catastrophic failure. Such situations only get worse as systems become more complex, and our business automation systems are quickly reaching that level of complexity, says columnist John Parkinson, chief technologist for the Americas at Capgemini. How to avert disasters? Make sure you know where the edges of your systems are, build in circuit breakers that limit how bad a disaster can be, and plan for an appropriate response when disaster strikes.

Leading Edge: The Power of Passion
By Warren Bennis
The history of high-technology innovation is a tale of passionate people in the throes of a task they love. Yet managers are often wary of passion: It smacks of the excessive and out-of-control. Leadership expert and columnist Warren Bennis writes that strong leaders can manage passion. Because true leaders typically have a passion for their own work, because they take the view that life without passion is not worth living, they're good at finding ways to keep other passionate workers focused on the larger goals of the organization, and take advantage of passion to boost morale.

Trends: Software Consolidation
By Edward Cone
Software deals are in the news these days; the long-running Oracle-PeopleSoft saga is only the most notable. Whether or not the recent takeover activity signals the onset of a period of massive consolidation in the software industry, the current pace of deals makes planning for these events a critical part of the corporate technology executive's job. In this report from the trenches, Senior Writer Edward Cone talks to CIOs faced with the prospect that their enterprise app vendors will be acquired. Their advice: Make sure your architecture has the flexibility to handle change, and write software contracts that will protect your investment when the change comes.

Analysis: Demon Customers
By Niall McKay
The growing popularity of shopping on the Web has spawned a new breed of consumer: the demon customer. Unburdened by brand loyalty, the demon customer will exhaustively research products both online and off, return goods after testing them at home, then buy the item at sharp discounts from a no-name reseller. Many retailers would rather be rid of their demon customers altogether, complaining that they cost them too much money. But business journalist Niall McKay details how some retailers are getting smart about multichannel shoppers, employing technology to successfully track and market to this elusive customer segment.

Expert Voices: Colin Crook
With Dan Briody
Eight years of nearly constant upheaval as CTO of Citicorp Inc. taught Colin Crook the hard way how to be flexible. But it wasn't until after he left the company in 1997 that he began developing his concept of "mental models" and how preconceived notions can limit the effectiveness of business executives, especially during times of change. Executive Editor Dan Briody caught up with the globe- trotting Crook to break down his fascinating tenure at Citicorp and discuss the implications of his recently published book, The Power of Impossible Thinking.

Research: Vendor Value
By the Editors of CIO Insight
In CIO Insight's second annual Vendor Value rating, a newcomer has risen to the top: Linux vendor Red Hat is the top-ranked vendor, followed by Symantec, Dell, Cisco Systems and Apple Computer. Overall, the survey found that IT executives are happier with their vendors this year: Twenty received higher scores than last year, including most networking and storage vendors. But consulting and outsourcing firms continue to lag behind, and telecom vendors—a new category for the survey—came in well below average. And too many customers would just as soon ditch their vendors. The final grade? Needs improvement.

Strategic Technology: Sensor Networks
By Debra D'Agostino
Though still an emerging technology, sensor networks have the potential to redefine business processes and save money. By harnessing the power of mesh networks—which relay sensory data such as temperature, moisture, vibration and pressure from node to node and back to a central data repository—companies can gain heretofore untapped insight into their operations. Reporter Debra D'Agostino takes a detailed look at some of the early implementations of sensor networks—such as a vineyard that uses sensors to detect optimal grape-growing conditions—and analyzes the stumbling blocks for this nascent technology, including limited battery life and excessive costs.