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CIOs of the year
It's that time of year again, when we profile a number of CIOs who have done an outstanding job in the past 12 months
Public sector CIO of the year: Vicki Coleman, Railcorp
Ben Woodhead
Rebuilding technology and morale for the beleaguered NSW transport provider is the current name of the game, as Ben Woodhead writes.
Private sector CIO of the year: Dan Beecham, Woolworths
Chris Jenkins
This enterprising IT executive has continued to deliver on an already successful project which, as Chris Jenkins reports, is no mean feat.
High-performing CIO of the year: Tom Lamming, Telstra
Chris Jenkins
The senior vice-president of transformation has the task of turning a phone company into a media communicator, Chris Jenkins writes.
Innovative CIO of the year: James Scott, Toyota Australia
Michael Crawford
Driving changes to security policy has put this IT boss on a winning track
Green CIO of the year: Peter Woods, DEWHA
Julian Bajkowski
The sustainability profile of technology has been placed firmly on the agenda by this environmental defender, Julian Bajkowski writes.
New CIO of the year: Vivek Bhatia, Wesfarmers Insurance
Paul Smith
Being fast-tracked up the food chain hasn't phased this rising star, who has his eye firmly on the future, Paul Smith writes.
A house of cards
Chris Jenkins
Sources of the failures in risk management that allowed the global financial crisis to develop are located more in management than in technology
In rules we trust
Sue Bushell
The economic crisis highlights the need for CIOs to facilitate corporate governance, Sue Bushell writes.
Stop the spiral of doubt
Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux © HARVARD MANAGEMENT UPDATE
A manager who moves into a new job must act decisively to avoid the perils of faulty first impressions, Jean-Francois Manzoni and Jean-Louis Barsoux write.
Fight or flight
Michael Crawford
The new chief executive has a dim view of IT and its value to the business
Jumping the fence
Brian Corrigan Editor, MIS Australia
The final issue of MIS for 2008 also happens to be my first as its editor
Grasp the nettle
Julian Bajkowski
Tightening Australia's financial regulations should include providing improved consumer protection for online transactions, Julian Bajkowski writes.
Lasting impression
Mary Ann Maxwell. Mary Ann Maxwell is group managing vice-president, executive programs, Gartner.
If there's a lesson to be learnt, Mary Ann Maxwell writes, it is understanding that the time and money spent looking after staff ensures a return on investment.
Porous boundaries
Steve Hodgkinson
Enterprise desktops may be considered boring, but they are becoming a friction point for users and CIOs
Checking the clouds
Chris Morris. Chris Morris is director of services, IDC Asia-Pacific.
While cloud computing is on a fast track to mainstream adoption, repositioning services will take longer
Sobering thoughts
Damian Ward
Your company's Christmas party should be a time of celebration
Grassroots approach
Simon Sharwood
Green IT has become a source of despair, not hope, for Simon Sharwood
Banking heavyweights splurge $250m on software
Ben Woodhead and Paul Smith
Australia's big Four banks have loaded up their books with another $250 million in deferred software costs as top- and second-tier financial services companies show few signs of making deep cuts to information technology spending.
NAB stands by $1bn systems overhaul
Ben Woodhead
Incoming National Australia Bank chief executive Cameron Clyne says the bank is still committed to a $1 billion overhaul of the computer systems that drive its operations, despite fears of technology spending cuts in the financial services sector.
Superpartners recommits to $100m IT upgrade
Ben Woodhead
Superannuation heavyweight Superpartners says it will press on with a $100 million upgrade of its core administration systems.
Bravura pays $32 million for Citigroup division
Ben Woodhead
Beleaguered financial software maker Bravura Solutions will pay $US21 million ($31.5 million) for a Citigroup information systems operation based in Warsaw, as part of a three-year outsourcing deal.
Oracle pays $150 million for RuleBurst
Chris Jenkins
United States database giant Oracle has made its first Australian acquisition, buying policy software group RuleBurst Holdings and its subsidiary Haley in a $150 million cash deal.
Woolworths evaluating its heart and soul
Chris Jenkins
Retailer Woolworths is gearing up to replace its merchandising systems, bringing its massive technology overhaul program to an area that the company's chief information officer, Dan Beecham, describes as the "heart and soul" of retail.
Reseller deal will reduce defence technology costs
Julian Bajkowski
The Defence Department has selected technology services and product seller Data#3 for a major Microsoft software licensing agreement, that in turn dictates the mark-up a host of other resellers can charge federal government departments for a range of popular products.
Police cop worst of NSW mini-budget cuts
Ben Woodhead
The NSW government has now slashed $60 million over four years from the NSW Police Force's computing and communications budget, which is among a host of measures aimed at reducing costs and increasing revenue across the state's public sector.
NSW wants 200,000 laptops for schools
Julian Bajkowski
The NSW government has turned up the heat on Canberra, asking for an extra $245 million in funding under the $1.2 billion computers-in-schools program.
Insider
Edited by Michael Crawford
Movers & shakers
Gadgets galore
John Davidson
The festive shopping season is upon us once again
Off the shelf
Derek Parker
Man Drought: And Other Social Issues of the New Century | Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft Plans to Stay Relevant in the Post-Gates Era | Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing the World | Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies |Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth | Why Beauty is Truth: A History of Symmetry | Hot, Flat and Crowded | Fairway to Hell
MIS - November 2008
The best of the November 2008 edition of MIS
Back to basics
Mark Gottfredson and Andrew Schwedel
Are your company's products too elaborate and expensive? Rethinking them from the ground up can cut costs and actually improve customer service, Mark Gottfredson and Andrew Schwedel write.
Data detectives
Pete Heininger
In the corporate world, where your computer can be a crime scene, fast-evolving criminal and technological threats require constantly updated tools, strategies and techniques, Pete Heininger discovers.
The fix-it executive
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford looks at whether a trend is emerging, following a rise in the number of new-breed information chiefs leaving their posts in less than 12 months.
All together now
Edited by Brian Corrigan
Motivations may vary but the desire to unify voice and data communications is widespread
Front of mind
David Braue
Technology must provide a seamless point-of-sale experience or customers will be lost
Transparent results
Ross Storey
Organisations need to know when IT projects will pay for themselves and start making money; but measuring such details is often a struggle, Ross Storey writes.
The talent to deliver
Michael Crawford
The skills crisis is hitting home, and you are looking at creative ways of shoring up your IT team
A final indulgence
Paul Smith Editor, MIS Australia
Stories about the steady evolution of the role of the senior IT executive have been a mainstay of MIS since its inception back in the mists of time, and this month's cover story is an intriguing addition to the ongoing saga
One-stop shambles
Chris Jenkins
Competition might encourage innovation and keep pricing competitive but, as Chris Jenkins writes, too much choice can sometimes be a bad thing.
Outfoxing the wolves
Mary Ann Maxwell
Few people want colleagues to think they are cunning or devious
Lowering the boom
Chris Morris
Cheaper pricing will challenge traditional outsourcers, but you must look at more than vendor revenues to gauge the progress of cloud computing
Heads in the cloud
Damian Ward
If cloud computing has one vice from a business perspective, it appears to be dependence
Brave new world
Simon Sharwood
The recent unravelling of the US economy has put heads in a spin
MIS - October 2008
The best of the October 2008 edition of MIS
Glitz, Glamour and Geeks
Susan Tsang and Paul Smith
Gaming centres are betting on technology to keep up with the industry's high rollers
Let support off the chain
David Braue
Organisations of all sorts and sizes are finding they can meet growing customer demand without paying out a king's ransom, David Braue writes.
The private lives of us
Julian Bajkowski
The launch of a legal document rarely causes much of a media crush, but this day was different.
Time to act
Ben Woodhead
The arrival of emissions trading isn't way over the horizon any more, it's right around the corner
Meetings of 2.0 minds
Jeanne-Vida Douglas
The social communication tools of the web are making their way irrevocably into today's enterprise
Less is more
Jack Loo
They save on costs, but that's not all; virtual servers also enhance convenience, mobility and disaster recovery, Jack Loo reveals.
Hyper price shake-up
Chris Jenkins
The arrival of Microsoft's Hyper-V product is set to shake up pricing in the virtualisation market, but the big end of town is unlikely to be ripping VMware out of its data centres any time soon, system integrator Dimension Data predicts.
Power play
Deborah Kolb
An awareness of the unspoken dynamics beneath all negotiations will allow you to counter any controlling moves from the other party, Deborah Kolb writes.
Privacy while turning green
Paul Smith Editor, MIS Australia
It's always great putting a magazine together when there are a number of articles that deserve the prestige spot as the cover story.
Needless intervention
Julian Bajkowski
Medicare's subsidised electronic processing hub is a case of government stepping too heavily on industry toes and creating bad blood, Julian Bajkowski writes.
Use it or lose it
Mary Ann Maxwell
Over the past few months, much has been made of John McCain's self-proclaimed "computer illiterate" status.
Culture clash
Steve Hodgkinson
Just when CIOs thought they had won the battle to lock down the desktop, the end-user computing genie is back out of the bottle, Steve Hodgkinson says.
Eye of the storm
Chris Morris.
Sustainability touches every aspect of an organisation's business as we move towards measuring our carbon footprints
Play by the rules
Damian Ward
Navigating the laws of duty of care, copyright infringement and data security is complex, so make the right moves from the outset, Damian Ward writes.
Lord of the journeys
Simon Sharwood
Charged with achieving the ultimate State of SOA, Good Knight CIO and his trusted men embark on a vital crusade