Getting a cash withdrawal from your ATM may not require a box of Kleenex, but some banking activities actually do carry emotional weight. According to a recent study by ING Bank, emotions play a vital role in certain banking transactions.[1] This study not only exposes the complexity of many technical transactions, but it also reveals […]
The Coming IT Futures
CIOs and IT departments are moving into the futures every day. “Futures” is plural because there is not a single way forward. Game theory suggests a strategic way of think that involves choices and adapting to new and changing environments and challenges. Instead of a fixed path forward, the futures of IT are coming, going […]
Technology and Energy Efficiency In Healthcare
As healthcare facilities consider ways to help lower costs while improving services, they might consider ways that IT can help lower energy consumption. William Pentland at Forbes highlighted the energy consumption problems in healthcare. In “Heal Thy Self: U.S. Hospitals Are Huge Energy Hogs,” Pentland writes that hospitals over 200,000 sq. feet are “gluttonous consumers […]
Cyber Attackers Gain Ground Every Day
In the last few years, government and business cybersecurity experts continue doing better and better, while attackers also continue to do better and better. Steven Chabinsky, former chief of the FBI’s Cyber Intelligence Section, challenges the business and government sectors to adapt, adjust, rethink their approach to cybersecurity or slide backwards. Dennis Fisher over at […]
Towards a Healthcare BI Plan
Healthcare business intelligence can potentially improve patient care and reduce costs when used effectively within a given facility. At the same time, using BI within a healthcare environment comes with a range of challenges due to the critical nature of the environment, the massive amount of complex data that needs accurate interpretation, and the caution […]
Protecting Against SQL Attacks
Businesses have two primary options when building a defense against SQL attacks: prevention and detection. Code can be developed in a way that defeats SQL injection, and developers should take steps when writing code to avoid SQL injection flaws. At the same time, companies use a wide range of 3rd party applications. Avoiding SQL injection […]
10 Strategic Management Tools
Gartner has identified 10 technologies that are becoming strategic management tools for companies. We’ve discussed many of these technologies and trends in past columns, but it will be helpful for businesses to keep these on the radar when considering strategic planning for future development. “We are already seeing the adoption of ‘big data’ within the […]
Data as a Revenue Generator
Many companies may be sitting on valuable assets that could open dramatic cash flow. Big data is helping organizations uncover patterns in their company, customers and the surrounding culture, but David Newman, research vice president at Gartner, suggests open data may provide the competitive advantage for generating revenue. He explains, “more government agencies are now opening their […]