In fact I have just implemented a plug-in for the Maxsys website that sends blog items to Twitter so that any followers (yes that is what they are called!) can get them that way. That should include this blog post.

I have only been using it for a day, but it is quite interesting, especially for people on the move and it is a good way of getting out quick sharp items of information to followers, subscribers, friends, partners, clients, acquaintances ……

Whilst I have not yet succumbed to “I’ve just eaten this cheese scone” or “I’ve just put a book back on the book shelf” as feared (and if I give you permission to severely admonish me if I do), so far for our purposes anyway, it looks like a tool that shows promise ….

Watch for research results when we have trialled it for a while!

http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/22642/

Once this research is written up it will be interesting to see the research methodology and types of conversations they had.

This is particularly important in times of recession, as companies and government agencies will start to rely more heavily on efficiencies that can be made through effective use of IT systems and processes, or the introduction of new IT based services.

 Attached is an article which I authored which has just been published in the Institute of Directors Journal Boardroom this month.

Click Here to read the full article.

PRINCE2 stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments and we see it starting to become widely used as a project management methodology in some Government agencies in New Zealand.

“PRINCE2 is a de facto standard used extensively by the UK Government and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally.”

“The method PRINCE2 is in the public domain, offering non-proprietorial best practice guidance on project management. PRINCE2 is a registered trademark of OGC (the Office of Government Commerce -UK).” see http://www.prince2.com/what-is-prince2.asp

The user group meets monthly and caters for people using PRINCE2, thinking of using PRINCE2 or just with a general interest in the topic.

To find out more go to http://www.prince2.org.nz.

http://www.cioupdate.com/trends/article.php/3795736/5-Hot-Trends-for-2009.htm

I am already seeing substantial hightened interest in Virtualisation, and it’s only January!  Virtualisation offers some substantial benefits operationally, cost wise and disaster recovery wise, and a number of vendors now have ”rungs on the board”.  If you have a need to replace servers, provision new services, or re-architect backup etc, virtualisation really needs to be included in your list of options.

Social networking slows down the enterprise – I have to agree with him here, with the exception of sites like LinkedIn, a professional networking site that I use all the time. FaceBook, etc – I’m not sure of the “business case” for this in a work environment, but maybe you can convince me?

CIO Update Staff also give their predictions for Hot IT Management Trends for 2009.

http://www.cioupdate.com/research/article.php/11052_3796246_1/12-Hot-IT-Management-Trends-for-2009.htm

As IT Governance is one of my particular interests I can’t help agree with this one. See a previous article by me called IT Governance 101 also. Portfolio and project management, prioritisation, strategic alignment assessment, efficient processes, resource management, and financial controls are just some of the things that come under this heading. The economic crisis making them all the more important.

What do you think?

I have opened this one up so that you can comment on it below.

Murray

I came across this very good article online recently, which lists the Top Five Tips for CIO Strategic Planning, according to SearchCIO.com.

Visit http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid182_gci1335550,00.html?track=NL+981&ad=678196&Offer=CIunsct123spns&asrc=EM&USC=&5183025=&uid=7869767%2523 to find out more. 

The accompanying articles make very interesting reading for CIO’s, IT Managers and CEO’s, and once again they highlight the need for Governance of IT and alignment of IT with the business.

If you need help interpreting these or relating the points in the articles to your own environment, please give me a call.

Murray

“There is no longer any excuse for Boards and senior executives to not understand how investment in IT can generate business value for an organisation, understand how to manage IT risk, and derive best value for money” says Wills.

IT is a major investment, and just like people resources, and fianancial resources, this investment needs to be managed effectively.

Maxsys has completed multiple IT Governance assignments for many clients in the government and non government sectors helping them understand their responsibilities in terms of IT Governance, implementing IT Governance frameworks or health checking their alignment.

“In some cases we have recommended change in process or procedures, particularly around communication and prioritisation along side the business, and in some cases reorganisation of the IT function.”

“A CIO or trusted advisor who is able to advise the CEO of an organisation how to strategically align IT with the corporate strategy is vital. For smaller organisations, we have played this role” says Wills, “in larger organisations we often work with the CIO, Corporate Manager or CEO.”

For a definition of IT Governance, a subset of Corporate Governance, click on the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology_governance

Contact Maxsys for more details about this service.