The most recent Comment from Incisive Media

Social service is resumed

Sara Yirrell — 2009-07-10T12:53:00.000Z

Sara Yirrell , CRN, Friday 10 July 2009 at 12:53:00

I’m not sure how many of our readers actually go on our www.channelweb.co.uk site or are aware that we update the site several times a day with news but the online revolution is continuing in the channel.

Social networking has definitely been one of the biggest breakthroughs of 2009 and CRN is not slow off the blocks with this.

We are trying our best to get closer to our readers, but as with all these things, getting started is never an easy proposition. However, momentum is definitely picking up as more and more channel players wake up to the internet.

As well as the launch of our Channel Debate where we are asking as many channel players as possible to take part in our online debate we have now launched a CRN LinkedIn group www.linkedin.co.uk/CRN UK.

It is open to all our readers the only stipulation is that you have to be involved in the channel in some way.

We are hoping that this will be the first stage to creating an official CRN channel community, through which grievances can be aired, discussions can be held and questions answered.

You can also post your news up there for all to see and gather the thoughts of your peers.

Membership is free; you just need a LinkedIn account. We had a flurry of new members on launch day and a steady trickle from then on in but the more members we have the better it will be.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Sara Yirrell is editor of CRN sara.yirrell@incisivemedia.com

Atos Consulting reports on predictions post-recession

Will Hyams — 2009-07-09T13:09:00.000Z

Will Hyams, CRN, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 13:09:00

Will Hyams says organisations are still focusing on their future and that of IT innovation through the downturn

Our annual trends report, Look Out 09+, spotlights themes we are seeing across our primarily European market and client base. Perhaps surprisingly, many of the issues extend across different industries, where their impacts may vary considerably.

We found that, despite the downturn, business and civil leaders are still paying attention to issues besides cost.

C-level executives are worried about the downturn, retaining talent, risk management, customer intimacy, carbon legislation and the challenges of the post-downturn world.

However, they are also keen to embrace net-enabled working to gain competitive advantage, with a focus on Web 2.0, mobile workers and open innovation.

R&D is being squeezed, but there is also an unprecedented demand for new innovative answers. Each technological advance must have a clear, defined business purpose. Lag time is becoming less acceptable, especially for IT.

Developments such as cloud computing reflect a desire for cheaper hosting and a need to fulfil business requirements cheaply and quickly.

Consumer IT will lead to many employees finding it especially difficult to understand why the technology they use at home is not available in the workplace – and in some cases take this into their own hands.

Part of the legacy of the banking crisis is erosion of trust in big businesses. Customers cross-industry are looking for more transparency and a human touch.

Our study suggests that organisations need to demonstrate a desire to build genuine relationships with customers by listening and acting on the information shared with them through existing and new channels, such as social networks and blogs.

A challenge is the multi-demographic workforce. As the retirement age extends and so-called "digital natives" enter the workforce, organisations must create cohesion between these groups, which may work very differently.

Generation Ys entering the workforce will pose new challenges as they will not fit with induction strategies. The average Gen Y employee will be looking to leave an organisation within two years – before most graduate training programmes have even been completed.

Everyone in the 21st century knows what it means to be drowning in data. With huge bandwidth increases and constant, easy communication, data management is under pressure.

Improving IT infrastructure may not be enough. Perhaps emerging technologies such as wearable computing could help, by enabling us to gather and sort data as we go about our daily lives.

Our study also looks at futuristic technologies that may play a part in business eventually. These include plastic transistors for flexible displays – which could support all sorts of applications, such as cheap, supple monitors that could one day adorn every flat surface – or nanowire power generators through to bionic lenses.

Businesses everywhere are focusing on the future despite the downturn. This is driving increasing evaluation and adoption of new technologies.

This tough period will end, and when growth returns, the world will be a different place. The old ways may offer no certainty of success and new challenges will be faced – especially around freedom versus control.

Will Hyams is CIO adviser at Atos Consulting

It pays to be good

Patricia Wheatley Burt — 2009-07-09T12:22:00.000Z

Patricia Wheatley Burt, Accountancy Age, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 12:22:00

Someone has to take the moral high ground

To a man, we have decried the bankers, financiers and law makers, and many CEOs for their ‘fat cat’ payouts, excessive profits and bonuses, lack of being in-touch with reality - but have we spotted what these financial rewards are really payment for?

Values such as integrity, honesty, selflessness and responsibility seem to have disappeared from our vernacular as we greedily try to imitate Mr Matthew’s self-basting turkeys for self-aggrandisement. It is that greed that appears to have clouded the moral fibre of us all.

Observing these extraordinary times where the banks’ lack of regulation and rigour have created a house of cards, or our politicians’ lack of ownership for the errors in their expense claims, one question we should ask ourselves is: how righteous can we and our organisations be? Now that pressure is on to stay afloat in any way possible, there is even greater pressure and temptation to cross the moral line.

What distinguishes one business or culture from another is how it chooses to behave - the respect offered to, and received from it, and the code by which people manage and regulate themselves. To minimise risk of offenders, as a minimum, each board should:

Review any existing value statements or core values;
Assess the risk of failing to meet these moral standards, via regulation, compliance, professional indemnity insurances, damaged client relationships or lost suppliers;
How are these values communicated and understood across the firm?;
Reinforce outcomes through objectives, sales targets and strategies, KPIs and disciplinary processes;
Ensure corporate governance is rigorously applied and adhered to through regular scrutiny;
Foster a culture of openness, shift the concept of whistleblowing to one of ‘moral compass reminding’.

Leadership is at the heart of the passion and determination to get this one right. Neither deceit nor fraud are acceptable responses to ailing profits. Only those who are incapable would now need to stoop this low in their desperation.

It is a sad day for the UK when we have organisations willingly stepping into this mire - the braver ones seek help from their staff to build a truly robust and overt culture: and so, in the long run will be the true winners!

Patricia Wheatley Burt is a motivational speaker, author and consultant for Trafalgar

Directors should pay for pre-pack abuse

Accountancy Age — 2009-07-09T11:57:00.000Z

Accountancy Age, Accountancy Age, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 11:57:00

It’s the directors stupid

It’s the directors stupid. That’s the theme of a report from R3, the association for insolvency practitioners (IPs), after polling its members on SIP 16, a new piece of regulation that asks them to be transparent after they have managed a pre-pack administration. R3’s conclusion is that government should do more to target dodgy directors if it is to stop the abuse of administration procedures, rather than place a greater burden on insolvency experts sent in to mount rescue bids. R3 is quite clear that more company directors should face disqualification for abuses of the system.

Pushing the attention on to directors is not entirely wrong, though it is an agenda that works in the best interests of IPs. But it is directors who are responsible for running companies and paying creditors. It is right they should be held accountable. Whether more should be disqualified is another issue. Certainly directors should feel they could face sanction for illegitimate use of procedures - but it comes down to enforcement and policing. In times like these, when so many companies are going bust, there is bound to be an increase in abuse - which should be met with a corresponding lift in the enforcement activities. That’s where the difference will be made in this sensitive issue.

But one of the more interesting comments about SIP 16 was that it would not convince the public that pre-packs are not open to abuse. That’s for two reasons. Firstly, because they are open to abuse. Most systems are. The question is whether anything is being done to reduce the abuse. Secondly, a regulation that insists on retrospective transparency will never convince a public that is used to real time openness. Pre-packs are useful and, if we want to continue using them, we may have to pay that price.

On the money with Gavin Hinks

Gavin Hinks — 2009-07-09T11:53:00.000Z

Gavin Hinks, Accountancy Age, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 11:53:00

Tory tax policy is under pressure

The Tories are already under pressure on their tax policy, and that’s before they even get the keys to numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street.

It seems business has started lobbying the Tories over the issue of tax relief on interest charged on debt. As arcane as that policy might sound it’s pretty significant because essentially interest on corporate debt is tax deductible. This is of course part of the policy that made highly leveraged private equity deals possible.

The Tory policy is, by all accounts, to reduce the tax deductibility and then use the extra money to fund a cut in the headline rate of corporation tax.

Nice move. But it wouldn’t help everyone in business, and it hasn’t exactly been welcomed by everyone. There are those who argue the relief on interest is a selling point for companies wanting to do business in the UK.

What I think is more interesting though is the significance of the Tories being lobbied. The only reason that would happen, and the only reason people would feel strongly enough they would help reporters to publish stories about it, is that there is a belief abroad that the Tories will win the next election and their policies now need to be taken seriously.

Despite their policy being knocked, that’s a victory in itself for the Tory party and for shadow chancellor George Osborne. Business interests could be wrong of course. Gordon Brown might win. But it looks very much like they’re trying to influence Tory policy now.

Funding a cut in corporation tax will help many businesses in a way they understand. But it won’t help big business or the mergers and acquisitions market. The Tories are gambling there are more votes in smaller enterprises that would appreciate a cut in the headline rate. Let’s see what they do if they win.

Gavin Hinks is editor of Accountancy Age

Moving forward: Shine like a star

Lynn Williams — 2009-07-09T10:27:00.000Z

Lynn Williams, Accountancy Age, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 10:27:00

What is it about some people that makes them stand out in the crowd?

Shame about Michael Jackson. Whether you loved him or loathed him, nobody could deny that he was a star. What is it about some people that makes them stand out in the crowd, and how can you copy their charismatic secrets to shine in your own particular field?

Well, stars are extremely good at what they do. Many start with a natural talent, but they work hard at honing and perfecting that gift, putting in the hours of practice it takes to turn good into great.

In the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell estimates that it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to master it. That’s roughly ten years if you do a couple of hours a day, or around three years if you totally immerse yourself and live it ten hours a day.

While you’re perfecting your skills, you’ll have time to work on your star quality.

Charm, charisma, call it what you will, what it boils down to is making the person you’re talking to feel like they’re the most important thing on your planet at that moment. Make eye contact, ask questions, be genuinely interested and make the person you’re talking to the absolute centre of your attention.

You have to make people care about what they do. Throw yourself whole-heartedly into what you do, too. Exuberance is catching, be a passionate ambassador for what’s important to you and infect others with your enthusiasm.

Be daring stars are original. They don’t just follow what everyone else does, they stand out from the crowd and challenge convention.

You too can learn to take risks without being reckless. Develop the confidence and belief in yourself that you need to think and act independently.

Spend time with people who are up-beat, optimistic and actively engaged in building a positive future. Find people who support your vision and understand your commitment.

Stars don’t just dream, they do. Stars dream big but they act as well. They do a lot of things, some of which are successful, many of which are not.

The successful stuff is what the public gets to see, the rest is necessary experience stepping stones to future achievements.

Unless the outcome affects someone else, don’t be afraid of making mistakes, they’re how you learn become prolific and some of what you do is sure to strike home.

Lynn Williams is a career coach and author. Her books include Readymade CVs and Readymade Job Search Letters (koganpage.com)

Is a hybrid camera getting closer?

Gordon Laing — 2009-07-09T09:00:00.000Z

Gordon Laing, Personal Computer World, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 09:00:00

Canon’s Powershot SX1 IS offers the first viable alternative to carrying a separate HD camcorder

The dream of convergence is of two different technologies successfully merging into one: in other words, why buy two devices when one will do the job of both?

Sadly the reality has often been a compromise, with the converged product doing neither job very well.

A great deal depends on your expectations: a multifunction printer rarely boasts the latest generation of printing or scanning technology, but the quality may be good enough and the convenience far outweighs any downside.

Media PCs struggle at times to match the simplicity and reliability of a domestic set-top box, but many of us are willing to work around their foibles to enjoy the flexibility they deliver to a home-entertainment enthusiast.

In the brave world of convergence, though, one category stands out in terms of demand and disappointment: most of us would love to own one camera that captures decent stills and video.

Digital still cameras and camcorders have been converging for years, but most have failed to convince enthusiasts that one model can do it all.

Movie modes on still cameras often suffer from noisy video, poor audio and the inability to optically zoom, while stills modes on camcorders typically capture relatively low-resolution images with little photographic control.

With each generation, though, the capabilities improve and I’ve just tested one that comes closer to the dream. Canon’s Powershot SX1 IS is primarily a 10-megapixel stills camera with a 20x optically stabilised zoom lens, but it can also capture full HD video in the 1080p format with surprisingly good quality and clean stereo sound.

I’d say the video quality is so good it offers the first viable alternative to carrying a separate HD camcorder.

HD camcorders can now grab high-resolution stills along with their full HD video. With both these and the SX1 IS offering long zoom ranges, flip-out 16:9 monitors and the ability to capture high-resolution stills and 1080p video, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re fast converging into the same product.

At first I thought the same, but look beyond their form factors and you’ll find considerable technical differences that should make one more suitable than the other.

Let’s start with lenses. Most camcorders have 10x or 12x optical zoom ranges, which the SX1 IS clearly beats with its 20x zoom; but it’s important to note that video and still products rarely start at the same point.

Most camcorders have a root focal length equivalent to around 40mm (ie upper 30s or even lower 40s) on a non-digital SLR, thereby lacking true wide-angle coverage.

In contrast, the SX1 IS will zoom much wider to an equivalent of 28mm, which makes a huge difference capturing stills or video.

Unusually for a stills camera, the SX1 IS can optically zoom while filming, but will only do so quietly at its slowest speed.

Most camcorders offer a range of zoom speeds from gentle to very quick, with barely a sound and, while their zoom ranges may not be as long or wide, they often boast brighter focal ratios which really help in low light.

In terms of audio, the SX1 IS delivers great results with its built-in stereo microphones that are a match for most camcorders, but there’s no input for an external microphone. Stills cameras such as the SX1 IS inevitably feature superior photographic controls but ergonomically they rarely handle as well when capturing video.

Handling is a critical factor not just in terms of physical comfort and control, but also the ease with which the camera exposes and focuses in typical situations.

I thought the SX1 IS was pretty good at focusing and metering while filming, but dedicated camcorders were better at capturing typical consumer handheld footage. Like the EOS 5D Mark II DSLR before it, the SX1 IS seemed happier filming with more care or on a tripod.

While the handling and operation of a dedicated camcorder is preferred for video, it’s hard not to be won over by the SX1 IS.

Along with respectable stills, it delivers roughly the same video quality as a budget HD camcorder with a bigger lens for a similar or lower price.

Could this first truly successful hybrid model spell the end of the budget HD camcorder market?

Beware the spin as politics meets IT

Computing — 2009-07-09T07:30:00.000Z

Computing, Computing, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 07:30:00

IT professionals should make sure political IT promises are questioned

In the last few General Elections, Computing has not been alone in hoping that the leading political parties give technology a pivotal role in their manifestos.

Next year - assuming Gordon Brown doesn’t surprise everyone with an autumn poll -we might finally get our wish.

Labour’s Digital Britain strategy is central to the party’s plans for economic recovery, job creation, and digital infrastructure, as minister Pat McFadden explains in the latest issue of Computing.

Meanwhile, the Tories seem to be positively all over technology. The party said last week it plans to use IT to make government more open, transparent and accessible to the public.

“For all politicians, the question now is, do they understand how technology is changing people’s expectations?” said shadow science and innovation minister Adam Afriyie.

And this week we heard again that the Conservatives want to look at how electronic patient records can be hosted online by the likes of Google and Microsoft, a concept first touted by David Cameron in April.

It is good to hear the benefits of IT being so widely debated, but still the concerns linger - and in particular, how naive politicians’ expectations for technology seem to be.

Tony Blair rightly saw that IT-enabled change was the key to transforming public services and his government set out down that road with enthusiasm. But it soon discovered that delivery was a rather more complex affair.

There are sure to be votes and certainly attractive national newspaper headlines to be gained by populist ideas such as giving electronic patient records to Google.

But as the NHS is finding, introducing electronic records is a massively complex task, and just by stamping the names Google or Microsoft all over them does not make them any cheaper, easier, or more likely to succeed.

We look forward to IT taking its rightful place as a policy battleground, but let’s hope the UK’s IT professionals are offered a chance to keep the promises grounded in reality.

"We will ensure Britain remains at the forefront of the digital revolution"

Pat McFadden — 2009-07-09T06:45:00.000Z

Pat McFadden, Computing, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 06:45:00

As new trials of superfast broadband get under way, minister Pat McFadden explains the government’s digital vision

Look around and you will see that we are already living and working in a digital nation. Our financial institutions, industries, public services, transport networks and energy grids all rely, in one way or another, on digital infrastructures. At home too, many of us take for granted the technology that gives unprecedented access to entertainment, goods and services and a wide range of social networks.

Following progress inconceivable 10 years ago, Britain is one of the most advanced digital economies in the world. The digital sectors now account for £1 in every £10 that the economy produces every year. Many of our digital and communications companies rank among the most creative and successful globally. And the UK’s sophisticated and technologically advanced consumers help to drive trends worldwide.

But we cannot afford to be complacent. The scale and importance of digital communications to 21st century prosperity is reflected in the focus of our counterparts abroad. Australia is creating a nationwide high-speed communications network; high-speed broadband and smart grid technology formed an important part of the US administration’s recent stimulus programme.

Elsewhere in Europe, Germany, Finland and France have all adopted national broadband or wider digital strategies. The economic downturn has also brought into focus the need to concentrate investment in areas that will create jobs and wealth for generations to come.

The Digital Britain report, published on 16 June 2009, set out the government’s plan to sustain the country’s position as a leading digital economy. A Digital Britain will be fundamental to building Britain’s future creating modern infrastructure, upgrading skills capabilities, converting research and innovation into market-leading products and services and establishing smarter and more joined-up government. We believe this will result in a stronger, fairer and more innovative society.

To achieve this, we need to ensure that all those who want to participate have the capability to do so. We are taking a number of steps on that front. First, we are committed to providing universal service broadband at 2Mbit/s by 2012. This is a floor for connectivity, not a ceiling for ambition, and it goes further than any country in Europe has on universality. Second, recent months have seen an energetic market-led rollout of next-generation, superfast fixed networks. But it is clear that, unaided, this will not provide superfast broadband to the final third of the population. So, we have proposed an extra 50p charge on all fixed copper lines to help ensure that next-generation broadband is delivered to the third of the country where, currently, the market will not reach on its own.

Another pivotal element of the strategy is to increase the online delivery of public services for individuals and businesses which will require both universality of availability and universality of participation. At present, the take-up of e-government services by individuals is only slightly higher than the European average and take-up by businesses, particularly small and medium-sized companies, is slightly below average. In establishing universal broadband, the potential benefits of e-government are enormous not least the opportunity for businesses and startups to comply with government regulation online, or to achieve cost efficiencies by using the internet to communicate with customers.

However, these measures will only reach their full potential if we can ensure that the entire population is empowered to access and use digital media. It is important that we have enough people with the right skills in the right place and at the right time to develop and apply the new technologies. Our aim is to drive UK digital skills into the top three globally. To achieve this, we will invest in skills and learning so that the healthy pipeline of talent starts in primary school and carries on through to university and beyond.

We endorse the view of the Rose Review of the curriculum, which recommends upgrading IT to a core competence alongside English, maths and personal development. At secondary level, major government reforms coming into force in the next year will mean a much greater emphasis on applying digital knowledge in a real-life context. The new diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds in IT and creative and media will help swell the numbers of those entering the professional digital workforce with the desired mix of practical and transferable skills, industry knowledge and

business awareness.

I believe that as a government we can play a critical role in establishing the framework needed to create and sustain a modern digital economy and society. But I also have little doubt that much of the Digital Britain vision will be achieved by the hard work, expertise and creativity of the digital and communications industries themselves.

By working in partnership, thinking strategically and acting proactively, we will ensure that Britain maintains its place at the forefront of the global digital revolution.

Pat McFadden is minister for business, innovation and skills

Stop your virtual meeting turning into a video nasty

Nigel Hawthorn — 2009-07-09T02:00:00.000Z

Nigel Hawthorn, Computing, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 02:00:00

The impact of videoconferencing on existing networks should not be underestimated, says Nigel Hawthorn

Organisations have been seduced by the promise of videoconferencing technology for decades. But it was not until the late 1990s, when compression technology allowed companies to send real-time video messages, complete with sound, across a network that it was taken seriously within the workplace. Even then, latency made regular conversations almost impossible. Indeed, the quality was so bad that often you wouldn’t even recognise the other participants in the street afterwards.

However, with today’s budget constraints and our environmental awareness, videoconferencing is being hailed as a cost-saving and green measure.

Many boardrooms in the City are already looking to follow HSBC’s lead in going carbon-neutral. The global banking giant started deploying virtual boardrooms in its major global offices last year.

The problem is, advances in videoconferencing place performance demands on an organisation’s network. It must serve multiple functions to ensure a high-quality user experience that is essential for future adoption and continued use.

Many firms, however, fail to assess the network’s readiness for videoconferencing and are unable to provide adequate bandwidth for each session. In addition, organisations also lack the ability to proactively monitor their quality. This approach can lead to improper management of videoconferencing, resulting in excessive bandwidth use or network congestion that prevents other business-critical applications such as Oracle from running properly.

The good news is that there are now appliances available on the market that can ensure quality videoconferencing sessions over existing networks while protecting the quality of other applications. There are also applications that can ease the burden of running live video over the network.

In turbulent economic times, organisations must make sure that they have the best solutions in place so that video applications achieve the necessary levels of scale and quality.

Nigel Hawthorn is a BCS contributor

Lessons to learn from down under

John Higgins — 2009-07-09T01:00:00.000Z

John Higgins, Computing, Thursday 9 July 2009 at 01:00:00

Australia is well ahead of the game in creating the right environment for a digital economy

“Forty-three billion dollars! How did you persuade your fellow cabinet ministers to agree to that scale of investment in 100Mbit/s broadband to every home and business in the country?” This was my first question to Stephen Conroy, Australia’s digital economy minister, when I met him in his office at the start of my trip to the country.

I was there at the request of Intellect’s Australian sister organisation, the AIIA, and with the support of the Australian federal government.

The purpose of the trip was to push forward industry-government discussions on the reforms proposed following the review of federal government IT that Sir Peter Gershon carried out last year. In the UK, our joint government-industry work began in earnest when Sir Peter was the chief of the Office of Government Commerce.

Key achievements have included Intellect’s Supplier Code of Conduct and the Concept Viability service, an approach that has enabled more than 50 ideas from government departments to be cheaply and easily tested with Intellect’s members at a very early stage in their development.

We are now working with government on identifying realistic ways of delivering the 20 per cent annual cost savings target set out in the recent Treasury review. The benefit of coming to these things later, as is the case in Australia, is that you can learn from others’ successes and failures. Hence the work of the Australian government and the AIIA following a recent workshop in Canberra.

The plans will probably include developing a joint IT industry-government code of conduct an advance on the UK, where we only have an industry code. The code will be richer too, incorporating policies on intellectual property and limits of liability, for example. There also seems to be more joint commitment to make it stick right across industry and government, in contrast to the UK where the government’s demand for industry adherence has been patchy.

It also seems likely that an Australian Concept Viability service will be developed. Initiatives on green IT (and IT for green government) and efficient use of IT (cost saving, in other words) are among other likely outcomes.

Maximising opportunities to stimulate the local IT industry, which government spending on IT presents, is certainly on the agenda of the federal government. But perhaps it is more sharply felt at state level. At a meeting in Melbourne with

the government of Victoria we heard about a very successful panel the equivalent of a framework agreement in the UK.

The panel is very popular with government and the local IT community and I can see why: savings to industry of A$37m (£18m), to government of A$9m, 75 per cent of the business awarded to local small firms and the ability for companies to apply to be accredited to the panel at any time. Tellingly, one senior government official had responsibility for both the successful use of IT in the government and the health of the local industry.

So what about the 100Mbit/s Australian National Broadband Network? A company, in which the government will retain a controlling interest, has been formed to begin the work. Fibre should begin to be laid in the first region, Tasmania, this month and is scheduled to take a year. The whole rollout should take eight years or so. Look out for the first business book charting the stormy relationship between the incumbent telco, Telstra, and the Australian federal government that, in many ways, laid the foundations for the plan.

I hope though that it will eventually be a story of a visionary government taking a big bet on a connected continent.

John Higgins is director general of Intellect, the trade association for the UK IT industry. Read the blog here

We are all in this together

Martin Atherton — 2009-07-08T18:47:00.000Z

Martin Atherton, Computing, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 18:47:00

To achieve effective business-IT alignment, senior decision-makers must first suppress their territorial instincts

Can we please everyone when it comes to IT? Most businesses, regardless of their size, will have an opinion on that question. Where IT is seen as a partner or business enabler, the answer is “yes” or “probably”, with caveats. It’s “no” or “never” where IT is seen as a cost to be controlled and does not have opportunities to support the business in the right places.

However, when seeking the right balance between business performance and financial harmony in relation to IT, the size of the business concerned is a critical factor. This is not because of requirements or degrees of sophistication the latest IT developments are removing the link between IT strategy and size of business but because individual decisions count for relatively so much more in smaller businesses. There is also less insulation between individual departments and business leaders, and financial controllers are in much closer proximity to one another.

Before we address how these relationships might impact the way IT is harnessed today, let us briefly review the opportunities that businesses have to exploit it more effectively.

Organisations seeking to improve IT’s contribution to the business will likely find their own opportunities in each of the imperatives highlighted. Here are a few examples:

Three ways of optimising IT:

Server virtualisation
Desktop management
Systems management

Three ways of optimising the way IT is used:

Application training
Power and waste management
Implementing basic IT governance

Three ways of enabling business efficiency:

Get people better connected
Make smarter use of the web
Unlock the value in your information assets

The items above need no further explanation to IT managers, but driving the top line is another matter, perhaps. When cost reduction becomes a major focal point, there is the danger of losing sight of what really matters. Businesses can cut costs and make efficiency savings, but without effective sales and marketing activity they cannot flourish.

Fortunately, this side of business is a prime candidate for improvement through more effective use of IT. It is communication- and time-sensitive, repetitive and formulaic. It can benefit from improvements in all the areas outlined above as well as being a target area in its own right.

For example, IT could drive better operational consistency through user training or exploring unified communications. Driving efficiencies here could involve revamping the company web site, implementing basic business intelligence performance metrics, or “closing the loop” around customer relationship management by building a single view of the customer across product development, marketing and sales.

Most businesses will already have a pretty good idea where they could make some IT-supported improvements to their business. The question is, can they, and does the economic climate and the close-knit environment of small businesses lend itself to making the most from IT?

The first thing to acknowledge is that the right balance between all these elements will not be achieved by accident. During planning, disproportionate representation of one area leadership or ownership, operations, finance or IT over another is likely to create a skew in how IT is perceived and used by the business. The chances are that this dynamic is already established in your organisation. The important question is: can improvements be made for the good of the business instead of being beholden to a particular influencer in the business?

Again, the answer could be “yes, with a few caveats”. The caveats are not technical, but they do involve each stakeholder acknowledging the others’ priorities and goals. The finance director wants to control costs, the operations director wants a slick and efficient business, the owner wants to turn a profit.

As we have already discussed, there are opportunities for IT to make a positive impact across all these domains. Hence, the common goal the good health of the business is the focal point to bring different stakeholders together to prioritise what’s best for the business, instead of taking a course of action that only suits one particular stakeholder’s view.

In the current economic climate - a phrase you must be heartily sick of by now no business can afford to avoid this critical, and possibly difficult, conversation.

Martin Atherton is research director at analyst Freeform Dynamic. Read the blog at: http://freeform.computing.co.uk

Collaboration adds value

Jim Scott — 2009-07-08T18:43:00.000Z

Jim Scott, Computing, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 18:43:00

Working together brings out the best of every part of the business

We are seeing some very encouraging signs that businesses are placing greater emphasis on improving collaboration across their organisations. With mounting competitive pressures, they know it has never been more important to recognise the role that joined-up thinking can play in achieving differentiation, generating loyalty and increasing profitability.

In a market characterised by rapid technological development and global competitive forces, firms can no longer achieve sustainable performance simply on the basis of their products or services. By breaking down the boundaries of established departments and siloed teams, many businesses are increasing the value they provide by getting closer to customers’ individual needs.

Whether a company should achieve this by linking together existing departmental systems or implementing a single integrated suite of applications across the business largely depends upon its situation. With 27 years of experience and supporting more than 780,000 businesses, Sage understands the challenges

of doing business and streamlining information workflow.

At Sage, we believe that joined-up thinking is not simply about improving collaboration within a business organisations must also forge more intimate connections with their external suppliers and partners if they are to ultimately deliver an extraordinary customer experience and stay ahead of the competition.

That is why thousands of UK businesses choose to benefit from the maturity of our unique structure, which provides them with unrivalled operational efficiency through scale, local support and expert consultancy. And with dedicated business partners such as Datel, DMC and FD Systems, businesses can rest assured that they are not alone.

Jim Scott is general manager at Sage Enterprise Business

Achieving more together

Bryan Glick — 2009-07-08T18:38:00.000Z

Bryan Glick, Computing, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 18:38:00

A joined-up approach to IT and business provides opportunities to leapfrog competitors

The phrase “joined up” has taken a high currency in IT strategy in recent times.

Business technology has suffered from a history of siloed computer systems, targeted at specific functions or areas of the firm, often with little thought given to the wider need.

But as IT has taken an increasingly central role in business strategy, and in particular as the volumes of data stored have grown significantly, that legacy of complex, poorly integrated systems is a drag on progress.

However, it would be wrong to lay the blame entirely with the often-beleaguered IT department. A lack of joined-up technology is ultimately caused by a lack of joined-up thinking by business leaders, each focused on their own priorities and objectives.

So now we have IT leaders and business managers realising they need to work more closely together than ever if either is to achieve their goals.

Joined-up IT to support joined-up thinking is essential to unlocking the value of the masses of data held by modern organisations, and turning that data into meaningful information that allows senior executives to make better, more timely decisions.

For mid-sized companies, a joined-up approach has another important consideration it offers an opportunity to compete against bigger rivals whose legacy takes longer to overcome and who are burdened by complexity.

For businesses struggling in the downturn and hoping to thrive in its aftermath, joining up your thinking and your use of IT is the perfect place to start.

Channel programme cutbacks are false economy

Jonathan Hughes — 2009-07-08T17:16:00.000Z

Jonathan Hughes, CRN, Wednesday 8 July 2009 at 17:16:00

Jonathan Hughes looks at how vendors could best help partners

Cutbacks in channel programmes have become more common, but savvy vendors are continuing to invest as they rightly consider their partners an extension of their sales force.

Of course, with budgets being stretched, many vendors must streamline their businesses, but reducing investment in the channel is not going to be a profitable long term strategy.

The goal should instead be to increase partner loyalty and thereby boost profits.

Failure to do so could result in previously loyal partners favouring competitors’ solutions due to the better support on offer, or simply looking out for themselves and offering whichever quick-fix solutions are easiest for them to sell and generate the most margin and ongoing revenue.

Many security vendors do not seem to recognise this, and rather than working with partners to win more business and ride out the recession, they are actually working against them.

For example, it is becoming more common for vendors to actively encourage customers to renew directly, either via their website or through their sales team.

With renewals often accounting for much of a reseller’s revenues, this is only going to alienate partners.

Customers are demanding more for less, and competition in the channel is intensifying.

To help the channel prosper, vendors should look to deliver business growth for dedicated partners. Initiatives such as enhanced support, new deal registration and margin protection, can all build a trusting partnership, giving partners the tools and training needed to beat the competition.

A one-size-fits-all approach will not work either. Partners need access to the specific tools and information that will help – it’s unlikely to be the same set of tools that benefits everyone.

Forcing a partner to wade through mounds of information to find a much-needed nugget, similarly, is a sure-fire way to lose resellers.

Vendors should aim at striking a balance by providing an interactive portal that offers a personalised experience, as well as regular face-to-face or phone contact.

The whole programme should be regularly refreshed to keep up with changing requirements. For example, running a portal is a service, not a product, and on top of the standard product information, white papers and pricing tools, vendors should offer something new and exciting, such as marketing resources or ‘seminar-in-a-box’ packages.

By giving partners the freedom to find what information they need online, vendors can empower the channel and build loyalty beneficial for all involved.

However, it’s important also to be available to partners who want more personal contact, either because they have a pecific requirement a portal cannot deal with, or because strong relationships cannot be built solely over the web.

Jonathan Hughes is vice-president of Sophos UK