CIO Insight Staff

Researchers at MIT have mapped cell phone usage in Graz, Austria, providing a unique look at communications patterns. The data, provided by Austria’s largest wireless provider A1 Mobilkom, is a study in urban dynamics and could be used by civil engineers to better plan cities.

Problem: Companies need to take a more realistic approach to speech technologies. Recently, a potential Amtrak customer called the company’s automated phone system to get fare information. Here’s how the conversation went: “Hi!” exclaimed a recorded voice infused with welcoming, patient positivity. “I’m Julie, Amtrak’s automated agent. Let’s get started. What city are you departing […]

Senior-level IT executives are a notoriously tough and cynical crowd, especially when listening to the claims of Oracle, Microsoft, AT&T and the other companies that provide products without which no major corporation could run. Problem is, those products and services are often barely usable, or so unreliable as to drive both the CIOs and their […]

Twenty-one grants of up to $100,000 were recently awarded to state and local health departments and public health institutes for 12-month projects by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The grants are to support the participation of state and local public health agencies in health information exchanges. The grantee sites will work with health care […]

The ongoing criminalization of the Internet is raising the security stakes. Spam will remain a widespread annoyance. Hackers will keep pumping out new viruses every day. Yet the primary computer security threats will come increasingly from large-scale data theft, whether it be organized criminals exploiting Trojan horses and spyware to steal private information, or racketeers […]

The need for a unified strategy will grow more urgent. From a corporate risk management perspective, IT security is not just for keeping viruses, hackers and crooks at bay; it’s also critical in order to stay compliant with regulations, avoid litigation and indictment, and prevent escalating insurance premiums. But if IT security isn’t integrated into […]

Compliance will stop being a project and start being business-as-usual. Good processes can take some of the sting out of compliance. For that reason, and because compliance is an ongoing activity rather than a project with a clear end, more companies will create processes for continually monitoring the effectiveness of their compliance work. More companies […]

Spending on outsourcing is increasing. Many CIOs are now willing to outsource strategic IT functions and applications. Still, outsourcing will remain focused on application and Web development, integration and hosting. Few are yet ready to outsource project management, or such sensitive areas as security and data storage. IT executives are generally satisfied with their outsourcers, […]

More and more, compliance is a critical business issue, not just a distraction. When the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed, many CIOs thought they could use their compliance efforts to help streamline their businesses and improve their systems. But CIOs are giving up on that hope. Although spending on compliance is still increasing, CIOs will grudgingly […]

Selling and operating globally won’t remain a low priority for CIOs. Companies are seeking growth outside the U.S.; many expect their overseas revenues to increase substantially. Meanwhile, the rise of the Chinese economy and the entrance of India onto the world economic stage provide massive new opportunities, not just for outsourcing IT work, but for […]

There’s no letup in sight. Because the threat to computer security remains so strong, and security is essential for complying with regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley, ensuring security and privacy will remain a top business priority. Companies will have little choice but to continue to invest in new technologies that promise to keep networks and information […]