The top tech resolutions for 2009. It is the topic of InfoWorld's IT experts have nine goals for you and the entire technology industry. New Year's is a great occasion for taking pause to reassess priorities, needs, and wants. As we enter what looks to be a trying 2009, such a pause is even more critical. IT resources will be limited and business pressures higher. But that doesn't mean you withdraw or go into reactive mode. In tough times, being clear on your priorities is even more important, as everything you do is more critical. So InfoWorld asked its CTO Council member and its cadre of expert contributors for their top New Year's resolutions to give the tech industry a list that we hope will help you make the most of your 2009 priorities.
1. Get out of IT mode. For IT managers, now is a time when the classical management skills and priorities may need to outweigh IT considerations.If the project is considered complete when the software has been put into production, it's an IT project and needs to be redefined. If it's considered complete when the users have been trained in how to operate the new software, it's an IT project. It's a business improvement project only if it includes redefinition of how the business is supposed to run, if users are trained in how to perform their new responsibilities using the new software, and if the project isn't finished until the business is successfully operating differently and better."
2. Slay sacred cows. The difficulties projected for 2009 present a rare opportunity to attack situations that are off-limits during good times. this year is the time to replace Microsoft Office, swap out Microsoft Exchange, or replace Oracle Database as part of an effort to reduce long-term costs. These complex technologies are hard to get rid of because organizations must accept reduced feature sets and will perceive a higher risk in letting them go. But the payoff is worth it.
IT will also face a monetary objection to such changes, IT will be under pressure to stick with such complex systems, even if they are the wrong long-term option.
3. Get smarter about IT spend and delivery. This is a perennial resolution, but it easily falls by the wayside as both technologists and business users fall in love with new capabilities from the latest and greatest whatever need to bolster our emphasis on quality,With the budgetary cutbacks, people are being asked to do more with less, and too often the result is lower quality of delivery. That really hurts the IT organization's credibility and can start a downward spiral. It's better to do the same or slightly less but do it very well, then top management will have confidence that they'll get additional top-notch service if they add to your budget, InfoWorld Tech's Bottom Line blogger Bill Snyder has advice on two ways to accomplish this resolution. First, squeeze every IT dollar. "Make sure that any business unit or employee requesting a purchase can explain how it will contribute to profitability. Demand specifics, not generalizations Second, "hire slowly, fire even slower. It's tempting to cut costs by cutting personnel, and sometimes that's necessary. But remember that losing experienced personnel can cost a business in the long run. Institutional memory is precious.
One specific way to save money smartly is to be open to open source, In many cases, organizations just default to certain closed source applications or infrastructure decisions because they are not familiar with other options," he notes. Yet, open source approaches can reduce total cost by as much as 90 percent over traditional offerings. There's another benefit for staffers Even if the decision is made to go with closed source, staff will appreciate getting exposure to new technologies.
4. Be ready for the cloud. You're going to need to cut costs this year -- that's no secret. But you can do so in a way that prepares you for the cloud computing platforms now emerging.
5. Make a final decision on which OS to go forward with -- Mac OS X, Windows, or Ubuntu Linux -- then do it.
6. Lead on green. Green techniques -- from energy reduction to reducing the use of toxic materials -- save both the environment and money. So what's good for the planet is good for the business, and that's a string motivator in 2009. IT energy costs continue to grow without a corresponding increase in business value. There is a lot of pressure to reduce IT costs in 2009, and it's an easy choice between paying less to a utility and laying off experienced employees.
7. Get serious about architecture. "Focus on enterprise architecture and governance. During good times, we're usually too busy to worry about things like current state architecture, future-state road maps, and governance of project priorities and IT spend. Yet it's always tough times like now when we wish our enterprise architecture practice were more mature, that we didn't have so much redundancy, that system changes were easier and faster, and that project priorities are more clear. The architecture group is always talking about this stuff, but it's never until we have to cut costs that anyone pays attention.
8. Get serious about business continuity. Resolve to have a business continuity plan in place and to have at least one full disaster prep drill during 2009. There's no reason not to have a fully developed plan, and no reason to think that your plan will work if you haven't tried it.
9. Get serious about security. Resolve to have a full information security audit during 2009, The audit should include every application, job function, and individual that touches sensitive data, with special attention given to those touching sensitive customer data. While IT focuses on its security, the industry as a whole needs to fix the security problems of the Internet. The Internet is quickly growing into the way the world works, and the criminals control much too much of it. It's time to start drawing a line in the sand and say, 'Enough is enough!' And take back our Internet."
Source : InfoWorld.com
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