Notes from the Field: Planning the Extended Enterprise

In my current engagement, there has been a lot of talk lately about “future-proofing” the overall organization. I find this puzzling, because the basic definition of that term has not been identified. As the economy becomes increasingly connected, this customer stands at the threshold where the fundamental processes of value exchange are being transformed. The sheer abundance of information …

Avoid Policy Sprawl, Allow Less Choice

In considering simplification, I’ve been thinking about policies. I love the idea of policy-based management and IT systems that implement policy. But isn’t there a risk of policy sprawl? If we allow free reign on policy configuration, we will end up with a huge number of policies. Will we end up with so many possible policy …

But What about Google?

But what about Google?  There has been a lot of buzz this year about Amazon, Microsoft, Citrix, IBM and VMware, but what about Google? In my humble opinion, in all practical purposes, Google just seemed to me, to be lacking a clear direction and/or focus when it came to the way Google pursued its business customers.   Google has no problems taking care of any and all technical aspects of the business, but was missing one of the most important pieces and that piece is a strong vibrant sales force.

Technical Certifications: Why and How?

A plethora of certification options are available from Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix, VMware, and other technology companies. Why do people seek technical certifications, and what process does a technology vendor follow in the development of an exam? Most technology vendors publish charts and graphs that show you will earn a higher salary if you have some of …