Technology innovation continues, but increasingly is being focused on the needs of today's economically and environmentally-conscious organization. Each year brings new innovations and advancements to assist in the everyday activities of the modern worker and user. Keep Info-Tech's top technology trends in mind when making technology decisions for business and leisure-related use.

A recent Info-Tech study of over 800 organizations assessed green initiatives in IT departments and across enterprises. The results show the current green IT maturity landscape and its future outlook. Despite tough economic times, there is still an opportunity for green maturity growth since such initiatives not only benefit the environment but also the bottom line. Understand the green trends of...

This tool allows enterprises to benchmark their green IT maturity scores against over 800 peers by revenue, IT budget, and number of employees. Find out what environmental actions other companies are taking in their IT departments and across the entire enterprise. Consider Info-Tech's recommendations for next steps to take to increase green IT maturity.

IT Projects are characterized by changing technologies, uncertainty, and shifting business needs and objectives. Review core project management basics and increase the chances for ongoing IT project success.

Defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is a process-based guide that provides the fundamentals of project management. If left alone to project managers to decipher, the terminology and concepts of the PMBOK can often leave readers unclear and confused. Clear the fog by reviewing PMBOK basics to make the guide a valuable project...

Real-time network monitoring and reporting is an increasingly critical assignment for already overburdened enterprise IT departments. For many, outsourcing the task is the answer. Understand the drivers and potential pitfalls for outsourcing network monitoring.

Enterprises are now beginning to feel the impact of retiring baby-boomer executives. The departure of senior executives can be especially problematic because these highly experienced individuals have skill sets that are not easily replaced. Executive management should prepare comprehensive exit plans for retiring executives that take into account their skill sets and professional relationships,...

To ensure project success and that financial objectives are met, enterprises planning an IP telephony deployment must first perform a comprehensive analysis of their existing telephony and network infrastructures.

Although countless enterprises utilize vendor Requests for Information (RFI), C-level executives do not generally enlist them as a part of their daily toolkit. The prudent use of laser-focused RFIs help C-levels stay abreast of technology and develop business relationships with strategic vendors. They also help overworked C-Levels make better technology related decisions and free-up significant...

Enterprises continue to seek ways to improve their bottom line by outsourcing IT related services. The network infrastructure represents an area where costs can potentially be reduced along with personnel expenses. Although network outsourcing can exhibit paper benefits, this case study reviews a mid-sized company’s actual experience one year later.

Sickness, unplanned family events, and medical emergencies are just a few of the unexpected events that can impact an IT organization. When an executive suddenly departs, enterprises must act promptly to minimize the impact on the IT organization and the company. Enterprises can’t afford to spend days or weeks determining a course of action because of the unplanned absence of an IT executive.

Enterprises continue to face the challenge of rapidly deploying high-performance applications across network infrastructures. Cross-functional teams can improve the performance of business applications and a network’s service level capabilities. This case study reviews how Company Z made a cross-functional team a success.

Keeping the network team's skill levels up to date on changing technology and the vendor environment is an ongoing enterprise challenge. Although IT organizations utilize various combinations of vendor and third-party training courses to accomplish this task, the intrinsic value and importance of industry trade shows should not be overlooked.

Network organizations are working to complete their 2009 budget process. The typical budget categories, including staff salaries, costs of telecom services, and corporate overhead allocations are easy to identify. However, attention must also be focused on several other seemingly, less critical areas that will definitely increase in importance.

When an enterprise allows a communication service contract to renew automatically, the enterprise pays more than it should. Save money and get the best services available by actively managing the renewal of communication service contracts.

Like any other IT project, metrics have to be properly designed, collected, piloted, and deployed. This implies an iterative approach that encompasses feedback, assessment, communication, and change management. The key to a successful implementation of IT metrics is adopting the top-down approach to metrics development.

IT organizations pride themselves on delivering quality services to their business users. However, wireless communications are intrinsically less reliable than their wired counterparts – and the support costs are increasing. Consequently, IT executives must not overlook the growing importance of several support areas in their annual budgets.

Most network organizations deliver excellent support services to their business units. However, as more business users migrate from wired to wireless networks to access enterprise applications, their support needs change. In this milieu, different skill sets, support services, and management tools are required to provide business unit value.

Small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) continue to seek new ways to cut costs and reduce spending. With a 78% chance of successfully delivering on anticipated cost reduction, vendor management represents one area where costs can quickly and painlessly be reduced. This case study explores the cost reduction strategy of one mid-sized enterprise that decreased annual costs by a whopping $90,000, and...

Economic conditions continue to generate unforeseen surprises in telecom sectors as outsourcers and service providers take drastic actions to achieve a semblance of profitability. As a result, enterprises considering outsourcing network services face a high risk scenario. Because of this situation, enterprises should exercise extreme caution.

When enterprises extend the scale or usage of data networks, they need to review not only the quantity of data to be transferred but also the quality of service (QoS) required. As they plan the delivery of business applications, IT departments must understand which network performance targets are important, what levels of service are available from suppliers and what approaches can reduce service...

In today's economic climate, technology selections should not be solely based on an acceptable ROI. There must also be a strong value proposition that identifies the expected business benefits. When used correctly, value propositions ensure that a correct technology selection is made and that it dovetails with business unit needs.

Many enterprises are tackling the usual and predictable when it comes to cutting IT costs. However, many significant cost-reduction opportunities are being missed or ignored outright. Move beyond the low-hanging fruit and scrutinize in-house cost management priorities.

In order to help the organization meet its requirements at an acceptable price, IT managers should consider vendor negotiations long before the selection of a final vendor. Learn to plan ahead for vendor negotiations with an eye towards maximizing bargaining leverage down the road.

For many organizations, projects in IT environments are a critical part of daily operations. Constrained by budget, time frames, and personnel, IT leaders must carefully select the best projects to align with organizational goals and objectives. Use this tool to help analyze and determine project priorities.

For many organizations, accurately allocating resources among projects can be a time-consuming and challenging task. Constrained by budget, time frames, and personnel, IT leaders must carefully select the best projects to optimize the use of limited resources. Use this tool to keep project requests in line with realistic resource capabilities.

Info-Tech sees increased interest in energy measurement solutions for data centers and end-user infrastructure. However, such solutions are unlikely to make attractive projects unless IT can roughly quantify the true cost of electricity as justification. Understand how to develop an energy baseline, educate the organization on electricity as a significant operational cost, and use baseline data...

Poor economic conditions will impact every organization, be it directly or indirectly, strategically or operationally. Info-Tech’s “Methodology: Reducing IT Cost-to-Serve” offers a proactive approach to IT cost reduction while mitigating risk to strategic goals.

Measures of enterprise size have surprisingly little to do with the IT service areas selected for cost reduction. In fact, most enterprises follow a similar cost-cutting path regardless of the number of employees, size of IT, or company revenue.

Some organizations want to green their IT departments but are unaware of what options are available and what factors ensure successful implementation. Info-Tech identifies nine green IT initiatives that organizations should consider not only to be greener, but also to improve the bottom line. Understand the key success factors of green IT to realize both environmental and business benefits.

Based on data from a recent Info-Tech study, this tool assesses an organization's chances of success when implementing green IT initiatives. Understand the organization's current probability of success and consider recommendations to improve this score to realize the business and environmental benefits of green IT.

IT often has a preferred vendor when going into a contract negotiation. If the vendor is aware that its products or services are preferred, this can prevent it from reducing its price. Learn from the case studies in this research note to discover how two IT professionals successfully negotiated price reductions from their top picks.

Different enterprises are facing different cost reduction targets and time frames. These realities are influencing which IT service areas are being selected for cuts. Understand the factors driving these decisions and the lessons learned to best prepare the enterprise for internal cost cutting efforts.

Establishing a process for collecting valid project requests is achieved through the completion of two main steps, which are, establishing rules of engagement and collecting project proposals.

A well-written contract ensures that the selected vendor meets the company’s specific expectations and objectives for the purchase. During the evaluation process, the team will determine whether the selected vendor will have any difficulty meeting original purchase objectives. The negotiating team, therefore, must reach agreement on which objectives will require negotiation and what an acceptable...

Every enterprise has processes, whether they are formally documented or not. In fact, the fundamental building blocks of any organization are its processes and the people who put them into practice.

Once project proposals have been submitted and collected, establish a process to identify the highest priority project proposals. This will include maintaining an inventory of proposed projects, applying ranking criteria, and establishing the highest priority proposals.

After the preliminary ranking of projects, actual resource availability needs to be taken into account. In this stage, IT capacity for completing projects will be measured against the projects that have already been identified as high priority.

When organizational or market factors fluctuate, project priorities may shift due to changing realities. Organizations that have multiple projects competing for limited resources face some key challenges.

The purpose of Business – IT Alignment is to optimize the value that IT contributes to the enterprise. As such, in order to successfully outline a strategic IT roadmap, it is important to start here.

The first task in developing an Application Strategy is to identify weaknesses and gaps in the current set of applications in terms of achieving strategic objectives of the company. The health of current applications and their ability to support the business as it changes strategically are the critical elements of mapping a strategic direction.

The first task in developing an Infrastructure Direction is to identify weaknesses and gaps. The health of current technical components and their ability to support the business as it changes strategically are critical elements of mapping a strategic direction.

Many companies focus exclusively on the technology aspects of the IT Strategy ignoring the fact that it is often the human factors that have a more direct impact on overall strategy success. Any time you develop an IT Strategy, consider how well the IT organization is positioned to deliver it.

You now have a set of opportunities to improve the application portfolio, enhance technical infrastructure and strengthen the IT organization. You now need to turn those opportunities into action and describe what needs to be done.

Maturity in the three fundamental elements of Project Management is proven to deliver improved overall project performance, increased realization of benefits, and improved project manager performance. This report will identify contributors to improved performance and provide directions on how an enterprise can mature their Project Management discipline

Many enterprises fail to use a consistent methodology to determine and validate the service levels required by their business units. As a result, these network organizations incur excessive costs to maintain and support service levels that exceed business unit requirements. This typically results in unnecessary expenses and network complexity.

When a vendor is offering the lowest available price for its products or services, IT managers often assume they have no leverage to achieve price reductions during contract negotiations. Don't leave money on the table. Learn how a consultant helped an IT manager to extract further price concessions from the lowest priced vendor through effective price negotiation strategies.

The growth of wireless devices, voice and data services, and mobile applications is straining the internal capabilities of enterprises that embrace mobility. The answer for many enterprises is to outsource wireless telecom management to experienced Telecom Expense Management (TEM) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) vendors. Make sure to shortlist the TEM BPO vendors that best meet the...

When comparing specific Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) price should be one of the last factors considered as it’s often a case of “you get what you pay for.” Info-Tech’s ITA Premium “Managed IDP Evaluation Questionnaire” is a document that outlines imperative questions to ask of MSSPs when evaluating potential partners.

Using a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) for Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) services can be a cost-effective choice when compared to a self-managed infrastructure. When comparing specific providers however, price should be one of the last factors considered as it’s often a case of “you get what you pay for.” Other criteria become far more important once the decision to use an...

Enterprises investigating hosted VoIP services face a wide array of providers and solution offerings from which to choose. Considering the still moderately-high risk associated with outsourcing voice services, it is incumbent on IT leaders to conduct a thorough and extensive evaluation of potential providers and services. Use this guidance to direct a comprehensive assessment of hosted VoIP...

The costs of carrier services have fluctuated significantly over the past few years, and while pricing has stabilized considerably, some volatility remains. It is possible to have the best of both worlds; long-term contracts with assurance of competitive pricing, but you have to ask for it. Most carriers will be accommodating if you know what to ask for and how to ask for it.

Achievement of high network quality depends on the establishment of appropriate service level targets with network service providers and holding the providers accountable to these targets. Follow these guidelines to establish appropriate service targets, ensure associated monitoring and reporting, and define material financial penalties for missed targets that motivate providers to meet targets.

Changing telecom providers can be a painful experience at the best of times. For enterprises with one or a few sites, switching service providers can be managed relatively easily. But for enterprises with dozens or hundreds of sites, switching telecom providers is a huge and costly project that must be very carefully managed.

Metrics can – and do – provide a number of benefits to IT and the organization as a whole, including alignment, improved efficiencies, and the business case for additional IT budget or resources. However, poor data quality, shaky implementation plans, and a lack of manager commitment will scuttle an IT metrics program very quickly. Focus on these three areas to make metrics a value-driver within...

Before entering into contract negotiations with a selected vendor, IT needs to be well-prepared in order to achieve a successful deal. Learn how to review the contract proposed by the vendor, as well as assemble a strong negotiation team with clear targets and a solid negotiation strategy.

Network infrastructures must consistently deliver reliable, quality services to enterprise users. To achieve this, application developers must work closely with the network team to verify that the network quality of service (QoS) and an application’s required performance metrics are in sync. Cross-functional teams should be formed and assigned this task.

An effective and reliable enterprise Domain Name System (DNS) is critical to online customer service, marketing initiatives, and Web-related revenue streams. Consider using a managed external DNS service as a way to help reinforce the enterprise’s online presence.

In some enterprises, the infrastructure that the network group provides is considered a basic utility by business unit executives. In many cases, this myopic view may not reflect the actual value of the network services that IT provides. When quality network services are taken for granted, IT and the business units they support are disadvantaged.

The best network infrastructure groups do far more than provide network services to their business users. They also excel in new service planning, seamless service rollouts, and the ability to maintain stringent performance levels. This requires process discipline, effective technology lifecycle planning, and an understanding of business unit needs.

Many network organizations strive to deliver quality services to their clients, but fail to grasp the value of continuous quality improvement programs. This results in outdated network processes and lower quality network services. Conversely, those organizations that understand and utilize quality improvement programs deliver higher quality services.

Quality improvement initiatives can deliver excellent enterprise value, but there are various approaches and techniques that must be considered to ensure success. Personnel requirements, budget issues, and a starting point must all be carefully considered. In addition, the political climate and executive support must be taken into account.

The mission of a network organization is to provide and maintain reliable, quality services. At the same time, it must also provide effective communication pathways to various internal IT groups, business units, and management to prevent internal problems. In many instances, this is the most overlooked and the most difficult skill to achieve.

More and more enterprises are being affected by poor economic conditions, and budgets are starting to get slashed. If the CFO walks into your office and asks you to cut IT spending, look to these eight tactics to slash network costs.

It is not atypical for enterprises to utilize more than one service provider for their network needs. This is especially true because of the rapid penetration of cellular services into existing wired infrastructures. Although a multi-provider environment presents many management challenges, several best practices can help enterprises maintain control.

Focusing cost-reduction efforts on internal IT administration services provides quick cost savings. However, it is important to supplement short-term tactics with mid and long-term follow-ups. The techniques provided in this note, as well as the potential pitfalls and case studies, allow IT decision makers to align the need to reduce costs with the need to meet business requirements.

Unforeseen events often alter organizational priorities, driving the need for project reevaluation. Recognizing circumstances that trigger the reprioritization of projects helps to clarify when and how projects should be realigned with changing enterprise objectives. Optimize the organization's project portfolio by realistically addressing when priorities need to be re-adjusted.

To avoid network performance and business user issues, enterprises must understand the symbiotic relationship between network performance and the proper configuration of network elements. Adopt best practices to establish a robust configuration management framework and verify that any configuration changes that may impact performance are also detected by fault and/or performance management...

Often, project scoping and planning is ignored in favor of getting on with other project work. However, many organizations fail to realize the value of a solid project plan in saving time, money, and mitigating risks. Leverage this “Project Definition Statement” template to outline the project details needed to set the baseline for a successful project.

It is possible to achieve price reductions during contract negotiations; however, IT managers often need to respond to vendor opposition in order to get the pricing that they desire. This note highlights several arguments that vendors commonly use to avoid reducing their prices during a contract negotiation and provides advice on how to counter these claims to achieve a successful price reduction.

The ability to negotiate a reduced price with vendors is a crucial skill for IT professionals, who are often under pressure to reduce costs. There are a number of strategies that IT can use when negotiating for a reduced price on an IT contract. However, not all strategies are created equal and not all strategies should be used in every negotiation situation. Use this tool to help choose which...

There are a number of strategies that can be used when negotiating for reduced prices on IT contracts. However, not all strategies are created equal and not all strategies should be used in every negotiation situation. Complete with a negotiation strategy tool, this note describes tactics that IT professionals commonly use to successfully negotiate for reduced prices, as well as suggesting when...

This tool is designed to help organizations determine top tactics for cost reduction within the internal IT administration area. After the questions have been completed, the tool will generate guidance on what cost-saving actions to take, the relative amount of savings from each action, the time frame required to realize these savings, as well as potential challenges and ways to mitigate these...

Every project manager understands the importance of organized planning and monitoring for each individual project. Use the ITA Premium "Project Planning and Monitoring Tool" to diligently track, analyze, and report a project's progress from start to finish.

The staff who provide network management and administration are an essential part of the IT team. Nevertheless, the size of the team and the skill mix may be inappropriate for the needs of the organization. By assessing performance relative to targets, management should identify areas of under and over-staffing. By re-aligning staff counts and capabilities to actual requirements, management will...

A significant percentage of enterprises implementing IP Telephony (IPT) are doing so in an effort to reduce costs. If cost reduction is a primary driver for an IPT deployment, ensure that benefits are realized. Reducing labor costs by eliminating redundant, dedicated telephony management positions is one of the key contributors to cost reduction with IPT.

By adopting a proactive approach, managers can prevent common teleworker problems and concerns. Improve the success of a teleworking program by taking care to understand and adhere to policies, set and measure goals, and ensure the teleworkers have the right tools at their disposal.

Key members of the network staff are important assets for most enterprises. Implementing appropriate measures to achieve a high level of employee retention within their ranks must be considered. However, the first requirement is to identify those key individuals and then take the appropriate steps to help them grow and entice them to stay.

Network infrastructures are in a state of flux as various wired and wireless technologies jockey for position in the enterprise. This scenario creates a strain on network resources that is challenging to correct. Consequently, enterprises should consider adding a subject matter expert (SME) to the staff to plan and manage technology implementations.

Network staff meetings are a common occurrence in most organizations. However, some are considered a waste of time while others yield excellent value. Those network organizations that derive strong value from staff meetings typically employ several best practices to maximize the use of everyone's time and ensure staff members contribute.

Numerous network organizations continue to utilize outdated or inadequate performance criteria to motivate and measure the performance of senior network personnel. These high-value individuals must be measured against their demonstrable contributions rather than by hard-coded, generic categories used to evaluate more junior staff members.

If a business case for a new hire hinges on an externally-sourced benchmark staffing ratio, then go back to the drawing board. Staffing ratios are notoriously inaccurate for most enterprises, and as such are frequently misapplied. Understand what insight staffing ratios can and cannot provide before relying on them to make critical hiring decisions.

Regardless of the organization's size, members of the technical staff must be challenged to improve their skill levels and overall performance. Those staff members with skill sets that remain stagnant must be incented to improve them along with their contribution to the organization or else be replaced by more motivated, skilled individuals.

Most IT employees are diligently working to achieve their annual performance objectives. However, these objectives may not be consistent with current IT needs. Thus, managers should utilize employee value statements to help their staff focus on organization needs and to identify those areas where staff can provide additional value.

Economic times are getting tough. Orders could come down from company executives to cut headcount immediately. If IT leadership doesn't make it happen, it could be their jobs on the chopping block. Be ready to take decisive action.

Enterprises continue to take sweeping actions to offset the economy's impact on their business models and to protect vital corporate assets. IT managers should modify their management styles and activity focus to counteract the growing fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) that could negatively affect the performance and morale of IT staff.

Network infrastructure complexity continues to increase along with more stringent availability and reliability requirements. Consequently, technical staff members must be well-trained and proficient in performing their job functions. However, without a training plan, enterprises waste valuable time and money trying to accomplish this critical task.

Layoffs can result in a large-scale reorganization of the IT department. Coordinating the details of who will handle what going forward may feel rather like putting together a puzzle with too many pieces. While no tried-and-true method exists, be as systematic as possible to achieve best results.

Making staff reductions is not only an emotionally challenging task, but also one wrought with uncertainty and risk for error. This risk is magnified when time frames for reductions are short. Follow a structured and objective method for determining who needs to be cut to minimize mistakes and help the enterprise reduce costs.

Because of the economic downturn and its impact on IT budgets, staff members must understand exactly how they are expected to contribute value to organizational performance and success. Existing staff performance plans and responsibilities should be reviewed to verify that they are accurate and include tangible objectives to be achieved.

Job descriptions are important management documents that set expectations, accountabilities, and other requirements for job performance. Use this template to document role requirements in detail.

Organizational charts are important enterprise communication tools that spell out both vertical and lateral relationships between departments, working groups, and individuals. Apply this PowerPoint tool to help you visually document your IT department’s organizational structure.

Reducing headcount is a mentally and emotionally challenging task under any circumstance. Use this tool to take a systematic, skills-focused approach to making staff reduction decisions.

To control demand on IT resources, it's imperative to document available people resources and the percentage of their time to be allocated to specific activities or projects. Use this "IT Resource Designation Worksheet" on a quarterly basis at a minimum, and more frequently in fast-changing environments.

Employees are assets, and the skills they hold are important tools that must be documented, tracked, and assessed in order to be effectively leveraged. Use this tool to list and rate IT's skill set arsenal, identify what's missing, and plan for the future.

A flagging economy eventually forces some hard decisions when it comes to IT staff. How does IT remain able to respond to changing business needs with fewer staff? Learn how agile your IT staff truly is with this measurement tool.

Exit interviews provide a valuable opportunity for an organization to find out what it could be doing better from the employee's perspective. Use this template as a guide to conducting and documenting the exit interview process.

When an employee leaves, be it voluntary or through dismissal, some basic steps must be taken to ensure the smoothest transition possible and to protect the organization. Use this downloadable checklist to ensure nothing is overlooked.

The successful implementation of an employee performance evaluation program requires a clear understanding of the organizational setting; active, involved, and responsible participation by those who will be covered by the program; and an effective strategy to continuously review and renew the program. By carefully designing this program, it can benefit both the employee and the employer.

Managing business demand on IT is one of the last frontiers in achieving true IT-business alignment. Improve interdepartmental communications and put evaluative demand controls in place to reduce IT costs and improve the business value of IT projects.

Economic hardship can quickly cut already lean IT headcounts down to sub-minimum levels. Adopting an agile approach to workforce management is one method for doing more with less during times plagued with change and uncertainty.

Losing a job ranks with divorce and death of a loved one as one of the most stressful and depressing life events. During times of financial crisis, the number of terminations will increase as layoffs are mandated. Regardless of the circumstances, it's an employer's responsibility to conduct all terminations professionally.

To consistently provide the highest quality service to enterprise business units, network organizations must maintain laser-like focus on their responsibilities and business unit technology requirements. To achieve this objective, network managers should adopt proven and effective best practices to keep the organization properly focused.

Many enterprises use automation, improved human resources management techniques, or a combination of both to increase the productivity of their employees. However, both methods are expensive and time intensive. During times of economic uncertainty, Info-Tech recommends taking advantage of a less expensive but equally effective method of doing more with less – the elimination of unproductive...

The purpose of HR Management Practices is to provide the tools to manage the IT human resource lifecycle. This lifecycle begins with the decision to hire new employees and ends with how to manage departing employees.

The purpose of the Leadership section is to give IT leaders guidelines for improving their teams and their leadership skills.

The purpose of the Performance Measurement and Professional Development section is to gather performance feedback, at regular intervals, and to apply that feedback as a component in the professional development program.

Enterprises are dependent on vendors to obtain IT hardware, software and services. The Vendor Management process includes the identification, selection, contracting with, and ongoing management of vendors or suppliers, and is an essential part of the IT management process.