Smart Enterprise Magazine Features: IT Complexity, ITIL, IT Costs

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SPECIAL REPORT: 360-Degree Vision
Special Report by Larry Lange
For cutting-edge CIOs, the dream of a complete view of the business is fast becoming reality. Thanks to the combination of several technologies, CIOs are poised to gain unprecedented access and control over the full spectrum of their IT environment. They're increasingly able to view their people, process and technology — and to quickly relate these resources to the needs of their business.

	The Competitive Edge Case Study by John W. Verity With competition, labor costs and IT complexity on the rise, Matthew Calhoun, CTO of CIBER Inc.'s IT outsourcing division, has turned to the Unified Service Model and CMDB technology for help.

	Simply Better CIOs Speak Out compiled by Karen J. Bannan The strongest infrastructures are managed with controlled growth and a 360-degree vision. Six leading IT executives describe the skills, tools, and strategies they use to manage the ever-increasing complexities of their organizations' IT infrastructure.

	ITIL V3: The Reality Check Best Practices by Paula Klein The recently announced Version 3 of the IT Infrastructure Library® framework adds an approach to Service Management that promises to free up CIOs to innovate. Leading IT executives and industry experts weigh in on how to turn that promise into reality.

Features from Back Issues

	SPECIAL REPORT: THE CUSTOMER-FOCUSED CIO THE CIO AS CUSTOMER ADVOCATE Special Report by John W. Verity New tools and close interaction are moving the CIO front and center when it comes to elevating the customer experience. CIOs at companies including Inova Health, GE Money and MedicAlert are among those leading the charge.

	SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Case Study by Patricia Brown Stuart McGuigan, CIO and senior VP of Liberty Mutual Group, is transforming the insurer's IT group into a full-fledged business operation. The impressive results, which include a 90 percent reduction in unplanned IT outages, are increasing satisfaction among McGuigan's internal customers.

	DELIVERING CUSTOMER VALUE CIOs Speak Out compiled by Patricia Brown How can CIOs help their organizations create a world-class customer experience? Five leading CIOs speak out.

	SaaS: READY FOR THE MAJOR LEAGUES? Best Practices by Patricia Brown After nearly a decade serving small and medium businesses, software as a service is aiming for the big leagues. While large enterprise CIOs appreciate the benefits of SaaS, they also raise questions about functionality, control of mission-critical data, reliability and security.

	IT INNOVATION Cover Story by Bob Violino Innovation should be about making improvements, not just change. IT Leaders like Kamal Bherwani, CIO of New York City's Department of Health, are simplifying their IT environments to achieve some of their organizations' most ambitious goals. Others are slashing maintenance costs via IT-process automation. Still others are employing virtualization, service-oriented architectures and other innovative solutions to keep their companies on the leading edge. Learn how simplifying and automating IT can give your organization the innovation edge.

	BALANCING ACT Case Study by Alan Radding How Aflac's CIO Gerald Shields launched a new approach to IT management – and drove more than $21 million in efficiency improvements.

	ENABLING BUSINESS INNOVATION CIOs Speak Out compiled by Patricia Brown Six IT leaders explain how they've successfully enabled business innovation in the last 12 months.

	THE SOA CONSTRICTOR Best Practices by Larry Lange Global spending on service-oriented architectures is forecast to quadruple by 2010. But early implementers have found that SOA can swallow huge quantities of energy and resources. What's your plan to avoid getting squeezed? PLUS: What SOA is – and isn't...

	REDUCING IT COMPLEXITY Cover Story by Bob Violino Today's IT infrastructures, systems and applications are more complex than ever. That's challenging news for CIOs striving to become transformational leaders. The good news: A growing number of CIOs are embracing new strategies—both technologies and processes—to tame their overly complex systems. The even better news: It's working.

	TOUGHEST JOB IN IT? Case Study by John W. Verity Paul Cosgrave, the CIO of New York City, has one big job: Help keep the country's largest city humming. Make that two jobs: He also has to keep Mayor Michael Bloomberg — who is well-versed in the IT industry — happy.

	MANAGING COSTS: WHAT REALLY WORKS? CIOs Speak Out compiled by Nicole Lewis What's the most effective thing you've done in the last year to cut IT costs? The answers from these leading CIOs may surprise you.

	WHY ITIL RULES Best Practices by Larry Lange Improved efficiency...lower costs...better satisfied customers. Sound good? Then you're going to love the ITIL® framework. A new version, coming soon, promises even greater linkages between IT and the business. PLUS: How MultiCare takes ITIL from resistance to reality.