MISaustralia.com

magazine

Game plan
Brian Corrigan
Australia's largest and most influential IT departments are experiencing severe cost pressures, Brian Corrigan writes, but many remain committed to radical changes.
Tough times
Brian Corrigan
After enjoying buoyant conditions for several years now, the organisations that make up this year's MIS 100 have been operating in an altogether tougher environment for the past nine months or so.
Strength in a slump
Donie Lochan
Overseeing information technology in a downturn calls for a different approach to management and costs that builds lasting business resilience, Donie Lochan writes.
See yourself as a system
Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow and Marty Linsky
Know thyself, said the ancient Greeks - and it's an aphorism leaders must take to heart if they are to step out of their comfort zones and make the personal changes needed to lead adaptive change.
MIS June 2009
The best of the June 2009 edition of MIS.
How tweet it is
Katherine Milesi
Twitter has an estimated 8 million-plus registered users and Deloitte partner Katherine Milesi explains why this medium is one we can't ignore.
In or out
Edited by Brian Corrigan
Virtualisation has helped many organisations reduce their server sprawl, but there is still scope to improve data centre efficiency.
Buying power
Brian Corrigan
Oracle's plan to pay $US7.4 billion for Sun Microsystems rocked the industry, so which of the big brands will gain most from the shopping spree to come?
There for the taking
Brian Corrigan Editor, MIS Australia
Academics from univesrities in three countries recently bought 1000 second-hand hard drives from online auction sites to find out what data could be recovered; and the astonishing results provide a timely security reminder for CIOs.
Axe falls on IT
Mark Jones
As chief information officers increase the frequency of spending reviews, budgets that have already been slashed are not being allocated, Mark Jones writes.
A storm gathers
Steve Hodgkinson
What's new in public sector IT? Steve Hodgkinson warns that cloud computing is likely to set expectations that may frustrate information chiefs who are ill-prepared.
Survival strategies
Chris Morris
As pressure on capital expenditure rises and the need for software grows more acute than ever, Chris Morris weighs in on the value of some procurement models.
Open and informed
Damian Ward
IT chiefs will need to keep a close eye on the broadband project to maximise their utility of the network and ensure their business gets value from it, Damian Ward writes.
Healthy communications
Jeanne-Vida Douglas
Erstwhile scientist Martin Wilkinson tells Jeanne-Vida Douglas about his life driving change in health IT's fast lane.
Across the spectrum
Sue Bushell
Experience teaches us that bureaucrats and politicians must take a broad strategic approach to outsourcing ICT if they are to achieve savings, efficiency and carbon change.
Fatal planning flaws
Edward Barrows
Holding an annual meeting isn't enough - companies need proper guidelines and frequent reviews to keep their grand designs alive, Edward Barrows writes.
Chic and curved
John Davidson
John Davidson looks at HP's latest recession offering and has a megabit of difficulty deciding whether he prefers the new BlackBerry to its larger predecessor.
Insider
Movers & shakers | Doing business with Paul Harapin | Strategic update | MISchief
Off the shelf
Derek Parker
The Nature of Marketing: Marketing to the Swarm as well as the Herd | The Elements of Mentoring | The Adventures of an IT Leader | India: Business Checklist
Dare to be different
Simon Sharwood
Business will take some time to return to its profligate ways, but when it does, Simon Sharwood's computing model will help the new breed of bosses blow the budget.
Vendors to feel Qantas' cost chill
Chris Jenkins with Ben Woodhead
Qantas airways has written to its technology suppliers, asking them to cut costs or improve service in the face of a gloomy outlook for airlines.
ATO to slash tech costs
Brian Corrigan
The Australian Taxation Office will reduce its technology running costs by $21 million in the new financial year as it comes under pressure to cut spending following the Gershon review of government computing and communications spending.
IBM locks in high school wireless contract
Julian Bajkowski
IBM has won a $70 million contract to install wireless connectivity in 463 government high schools from the NSW Department of Education and Training as the state forges ahead with its $386 million project to distribute 227,000 laptops to teachers and students.
Westpac kicks off St George integration
Ben Woodhead
Westpac Banking Corporation has finalised a five-year information technology strategy that it has started to implement as it works through the $300 million integration of its technology platforms with those of St George Bank.
Optus snatches $500 million deal with ANZ
Chris Jenkins
Telecom company Optus says it has cracked Telstra Corporation's dominance among the Big Four banks: it has signed a $500 million, five-year managed services deal covering Australia and New Zealand Banking Group's operations across the Asia-Pacific region.
Big money to fix pay mess
Julian Bajkowski
The Department of Defence will spend $940 million over four years to iron out glitches in its ageing computer systems, including an upgrade of the software at the centre of the SAS pay bungle.
Contractors seek safety of full-time jobs
Brian Corrigan
A growing number of IT professionals who have made a career out of contracting in Canberra are swapping top hourly rates for the security of permanent jobs in federal government departments.
MIS - May 2009
The May 2009 edition of MIS
The data dynamic
Micheal Axelsen
Australia's new Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme will highlight the need for dependable information systems, Micheal Axelsen writes.
View from the top
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford asks three chief executives whether they plan to reduce technology spending or use the IT budget to create increased efficiencies.
Keep it smooth
Michael Crawford
Clear goals, concrete indicators and a knowledge of your strengths help maintain continuity when farming out services, Michael Crawford reports.
Common ground
Brian Corrigan
The relationship between IT and finance has often been strained
Co-operate or fail
Jeanne-Vida Douglas
This bickering is pointless - if IT and finance can't learn each other's language and unite, a business is doomed, Jeanne-Vida Douglas argues.
Count on change
Julian Bajkowski
The software world is evolving faster than ever and, Julian Bajkowski argues, most of the latest trends will deliver improvements.
Present value
Kate Mills
Without an effective tool for measuring return on investment, the technology team is less likely to be considered a strategic player
Power of sharing
Ben Woodhead
The decision to implement software that uses a common architecture offers benefits that go well beyond just cutting costs, Ben Woodhead finds.
Fast forward
Shaun Drummond
Speedy network cards have given an accounting firm the power to reach far beyond its NSW Central Coast base, Shaun Drummond reports.
Blaze a trail
Shaun Drummond
Centralising and linking all client information has enabled staff at an IT network provider to focus more on billable work, Shaun Drummond writes.
Playing it safe
Simon Sharwood
Hard times require some compromises, so when Simon Sharwood set to work with his fictional firm's CFO, he kept the expectations realistic.
Green IT is a cost-cutter
Ben Woodhead
The obsession with all things green has had many effects - like a rethinking of the trend towards those ever-slimmer blade servers that allow more computer power to be packed in per square metre
Change of plan
Shaun Drummond
Outsourcing and taking on big new tech projects are out and improving the efficiency and security of existing systems is in for IT departments, a new report has found.
Call for ETS project suppliers
Julian Bajkowski
The federal government has decided to move quickly in its efforts to build a new automated auction and settlement system in preparation for the introduction of carbon trading in Australia
Hope for tax break on software
Shaun Drummond
The Federal government's tax breaks for private investment unfairly exclude software investments, some consultants say
XBRL advances across Asia
Kate Mills
As befits its position as an early technology adopter, Asia is at the forefront of XBRL take-up - with several countries, including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, mandating the use of XBRL for some reporting requirements.
The best of the April 2009 edition of MIS
The best of the April 2009 edition of MIS
Power shifts
Steve Hodgkinson
Cost cuts and expiring contracts allow the government to overhaul its IT budget - and claim the high ground in bargaining with vendors.
Core values
Jeanne-Vida Douglas
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank's CIO brings a deeper understanding of business practices to mergers of key data systems, Jeanne-Vida Douglas reports.
Step forward
Chris Jenkins
The way CIOs bring their teams through a downturn can define careers, Chris Jenkins writes.
Make the right call
Chris Jenkins
The mobile phone market is evolving so rapidly that managing the ever-growing fleets of devices is now a major headache for CIOs, Chris Jenkins writes.
Real leaders ask
Judith Ross
Solving problems for your subordinates is a short-term fix-it measure, Judith Ross writes
Friend or foe
Michael Crawford
Senior managament has assigned a project manager to help you keep things on track
Survival of the fittest
Brian Corrigan, Editor MIS Australia
How quickly things change
Feet on the ground
Chris Morris
Cloud services have received much publicity lately, but widespread use will occur only if providers are honest and keep expectations realistic, Chris Morris reports.
Publishing pitfalls
Damian Ward
Whether you are unleashing spam or posting the work of others on your commercial website, the laws you must consider are far-reaching.
Shake, rattle and roll
Simon Sharwood
Taking time out from the harsh reality of a global economic meltdown, Simon Sharwood gets things into perspective on a sojourn across the ditch.
Debt-laden Rio takes scissors to IT budget
Ben Woodhead
Cost-cutting has taken a toll on major information systems projects at Rio Tinto
Origin jobs outsourced
Brian Corrigan
power provider Origin Energy will outsource 400 jobs this year as its retail business moves to a new billing system based on SAP software.
CBA tightens up on computer spending
Paul Smith
Commonwealth Bank of Australia pared $30 million from its computing and communications expenditure in the half-year to December 31, by cutting back its software maintenance and development costs.
Merger delivers big savings to Bendigo Bank
Michael Crawford
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank will cap its information technology spending over the next three years as it completes one of the biggest technology hurdles following its $4 billion merger, announced in November 2007.
Stimulus fails to excite
Paul Smith and Brian Corrigan
The federal government's $42 billion stimulus package has had a lukewarm reception from the information and communications technology industry
Talk's much cheaper than travel
Julian Bajkowski
They've already been told to use no-frills airlines and to search for the cheapest tickets, but now public servants may have to stay home and video-conference instead.
System woes plague Defence
Chris Jenkins
The department of Defence is expected to revisit a plan to replace its dysfunctional payroll and human resources system, which is back in the spotlight because of the elite forces pay scandal.
Woolies keeps bold iT projects on track despite downturn
Chris Jenkins
Woolworths chief Michael Luscombe says the retail giant will steam ahead with its ambitious information technology projects, regardless of a wider move to trim capital spending across the business in the face of the global downturn.
Spending under the microscope
Brian Corrigan
IT budgets are under severe pressure as businesses increasingly look to cut costs, Brian Corrigan reports.
Insider
Edited by Michael Crawford
Movers & shakers
Off the shelf
Derek Parker
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