Optimize Magazine > Trendspotting || November 2006

Trendspotting

What's up, what's down in IT?

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November 2006, Issue 61

Nucleus Research offers these insights . . .
BPO 2.0 The convergence of voice- and data-network technologies, the rise of on-demand applications that let users securely access enterprise data from any Internet connection, and the widespread availability of high-speed Internet connections to the "last mile" are driving a new breed of business-process outsourcing. BPO 2.0 breaks down the physical constructs of the office or call center and the geographical characteristics of the labor pool to let companies outsource jobs—or even parts of jobs—to the most qualified workers at the lowest cost, regardless of location. Of course, BPO 2.0 does pose challenges. In addition to technology hurdles, companies will have to rethink human resources, scheduling, accounting, corporate culture, and training practices to maximize the benefits of a distributed labor pool. However, those that do will have the opportunity to reap significant rewards. Just as BPO slashed costs and boosted efficiency, BPO 2.0 will open a new world of opportunities for customer service and change the office real-estate game.
TRAVELING PASSWORDS In a recent Nucleus Research survey of 325 enterprise users, one-third of the respondents said they keep a written record of their password, while two-thirds said they save their password on a mobile device or laptop. If you're sending road warriors off with sensitive data, you may be exposing yourself to more risks than you think. Password complexity, quantity, or change frequency has no bearing on the propensity to write down passwords, according to the study. Therefore, any change in your password process will have little effect, though educating users on password security may help. For real access security, you'll need to look beyond passwords. Biometric technology, for example, removes the human factor and ensures that your users are authenticated by their own identity and not a password.
COGNOS BI HAS LEFT THE BUILDING Cognos 8 Go! Mobile, due to launch in mid-2007, will provide employees with data and business-intelligence (BI) functionality no matter where they are. The mobile-device application will offer the same features, tools, metadata, and security as the on-premises version. This means that managers and salespeople can learn about—and respond to—new market conditions more rapidly than if the data were available only from a workstation. Mobile-enabled BI will improve speed to market, increase worker productivity, and broaden BI adoption. This all adds up to improved ROI on BI investments.
CONTENT MANAGEMENT'S MIDLIFE CRISIS As the content-management market matures, some vendors are out getting nips and tucks to revitalize their image, while others are looking to new partners through mergers and acquisitions. Which vendors will survive the midlife crisis? That depends on how much baggage they're carrying. Vendors will either conclude that their business model and products are still right for them and find areas within the content-management realm to grow, or realize that things were all wrong before the midlife crisis started and head in a totally new direction.