IT project managers are learning to delegate.

Many CIOs these days believe good IT project managers aren't the ones who can do it all. Rather, most effective managers know how to pick which tasks to do themselves and which to hand off to staffers. Otherwise, the work will never get done. Delegating is easier than doing, but, for new IT project managers who may be used to being judged on their technical expertise and individual contributions. Everything changes once we are into management. So, one is judged by how well he helps his team to perform. Delegation is one way in developing our team's skills and ensuring the work getting done on time. Delegation helps in grooming employees in moving up in ranks and fill in when needs arises.

But this skill doesn't come easily. It has to be acquired. Successful delegation is a thoughtful, multistep discipline requiring careful assessment, communication and support. With practice, it can become more intuitive -- when one takes time in learning it properly from the outset.

PS3 hack claimed by Pirates

In January this year, Hackers claimed to have found way to play copied software on Sony’s previously impervious console. They have discovered a lengthy and convoluted workaround allowing users to play pirated copies of Killzone 2, PES 2008 and Burnout Paradise.

Users need to have an older PS3 (i.e. not a ‘Slim’ machine) in which third party OS software can be installed along with copies of Windows XP, the original MotorStorm and a host of piracy-related DVD software. The exploit, has been met with widespread scepticism amongst many in the hacker community, not least because of the extreme cost and effort needed to implement it.

Even if its hack is real, any detrimental effects are likely to be minimal for now. The fear, however, is that this method could be the start of full-fledged hacking of Sony’s console. With piracy rife in the Wii, Xbox 360, DS and PSP markets, the PS3 has to date proved the only current-gen machine to successfully fend off the hackers – but it seems that things could be about to change.

Cloud computing is helping IT Pros in learning

Recently, a collaborative community and website for IT professionals, helped CA technologies in figuring out how to best use cloud computing naming Cloud Commons has been unveiled by CA Technologies. The website is globally accepted measure for calculating the benefits and risks of cloud-computing services and is helping to develop a set of business-centric measures, mixing quantitative and qualitative data, that will provide chief information officers with a standardised method for comparing cloud services from internal or external providers.

The researchers are seeking industry involvement via a consortium being formed with researchers from other educational institutions, end user organisations and technology providers, who have expertise in measuring and managing IT-enabled services. This initiative will develop a Service Measurement Index, SMI, which will be available for use by members of the Cloud Commons. Demand for cloud services holds significant potential for the technology and communications industries, but many barriers still exist to widespread adoption at an enterprise level.

The site will have key components like a marketplace of cloud computing service offerings which will include vendor service ratings to enable participants to compare service options, Area allowing participants to provide feedback on their experience with third-party cloud services, Peer collaboration and networking, commentary on content posted on the site, and the sharing of cloud best practices and articles from industry analysts and subject matter experts, blog feeds from industry leaders, as well as white papers and stories on experiences from IT professionals.

Actually, these days no comprehensive, unbiased source soliciting and aggregating most current and relevant knowledge about cloud computing and accumulated, actual experiences of organisations having with the cloud is there. Cloud Commons will address this need — providing IT professionals with situational awareness and visibility into what is possible with the cloud.

IBM is starting a new centre in MISSOURI

Yesterday, IBM announced that it will open a new technology service delivery center in Columbia, Missouri, creating up to 800 technical professional jobs which will join two other North American service delivery facilities opened recently in Dubuque, IA and Lansing, MI, making it the third new facility IBM has opened in the United States in the last 18 months. On Summer of this year, IBM will start hiring employees for the new center. By the end of 2012, it will be fully staffed with a variety of IT positions ranging from entry level up to experienced professionals



This new service delivery centre will mainly support IBM's U.S. strategic outsourcing clients and Business analysts providing server systems operations, security services, end-user services, maintenance and monitoring of computer hardware and software systems. IBM will also work with many institutions of higher learning in the Columbia region for recruitment and training of potential employees, business analysts as well as hiring experienced professionals. Because of all this, the presently existing building at 2810 LeMone Industrial Blvd., Columbia, will be updated with the goal of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Microsoft Software Development

Microsoft.Net software development uses Microsoft tools to develop software to suit the clients. A wide spectrum of customers has taken the services of companies that offer this and have been able to get the software that they can be happy with. Looking for the right company to do this job for you is the real challenge but this article will tell you how to look for them and how this kind of software development is popular.

Experience counts

A company that has a team with experience will be able to perform better and develop better software for you. Microsoft.Net software development has been used for the development of a wide variety of software and they have all been successful in satisfying the clients. Technology like C#, ASP.Net, Visual Basic, SQL Server, BizTalk, SharePoint Server, etc. makes the software what it is.

Why Microsoft.Net?

Projects that include customer facing as well as internal transactional systems, business intelligence solutions have all been developed with great results using the method of Microsoft.Net software development. This method gives you a lot of ways to tune the software and make it just the way you need it to be. By going for a company that is transparent about the methods it uses to work on your software, you can stay on top of the progress as well. If you get an experienced company with a promise of good maintenance and after care, you can be sure that you will get your dream software.

Who to choose to get the job done?

A company that has been awarded the Gold Certified Partner from Microsoft is a great way to spot a winner. This means that the services of that company using the Microsoft.Net Software development are reliable and safe. You should also check the testimonials written by the customers and you will be able to see clearly how satisfied they and how happy they are with the after care services as well. Good customer service is essential not only while your software is still under development but even during its implementation. You should only choose a company that provides good after care.

Development services

A company that offers software development should also include a few services that will help you with your business and are also necessary while using the new software. You will need web based transactional applications which are included in the project. Database designing as well as tuning whenever necessary to optimise it is also important. Flexibility of the services is very important to make a company a good software developer. Microsoft.Net software development has built a good reputation for itself over the past decade and if you want a software developed, this is the way to go.

Definition of SDLC and Its Phases

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. What is it all about? What are the various phases of it? Why should every client be aware of it? Here is the explanation to all these questions. As the name implies, it is primarily used to provide methodologies to develop computer software. It is a must to be aware of the guidelines and models in order to efficiently develop computer software.

Various phases of SDLC model are to be pursued in order to gain a better view of how a project could be handled. The phases of SDLC model include requirements gathering and analysis, system designing, development, testing, operations and maintenance.

Requirements gathering and analysis: Under this phase, the project's goal is determined and the functions are brought to focus. Gathering of information and analysis of the user's requirement is also done in this phase.

System design: A sample structure of the entire project is created in this phase and all necessary data are gathered.

Development: Coding of the whole project is done in this phase. Codes are easily generated if proper design is performed in the previous stage. According to the needs of the application, programming language is selected.

System testing: After the generation of codes, testing of all the modules is performed. All modules are integrated together and proper testing tools are selected for error checking.

Operations and maintenance: Under the final stage of SDLC, the developed software is given to the users. Maintenance is necessary after the development of a successful project. It is obvious that changes occur once the project is handed over to the end user. The developers must develop the project in such a way that it is adaptable to those changes. The main operation of the software must not be affected by those changes.

It is necessary for the client to be aware of all the phases of SDLC so that they can get to know about the status of the project under proposal. The client must also be aware of various operations performed under various stages. This would enable them to handle the project with ease. This also helps them to collect good quality products. Only when the clients are aware of the stages of SDLC, they can sort out the problems that arise while using the product. This would thus produce a good quality product.

New Paint Technologies

It's true that creativity thrives in adversity. The financial downturn has spurred the development and release of innovative paint technologies that has industrial coatings contractors all abuzz and rubbing their hands in anticipation.

What are the newsworthy trends in painting products that are making their way into the hands of industrial coating contractors and right into facility premises? Environment-friendly zero-VOC formulations are still leading the pack. Energy-saving solar-reflective innovations are also out in the market. Long-lasting and sustainable high-solids are rolling out manufacturers' labs. Self-cleaning paints sound too futuristic, but are actually being developed in research labs and may be used by industrial coatings contractors soon.

Cool Roofs

Cool roofs, or zero-VOC and energy-efficient roof coatings, are preferred by industrial coatings contractors not only for their zero-VOC emissions, but also for their above-average SRI or solar-reflective index. Solar reflectivity is an important property for roof coatings, because it indicates the coating's ability to reflect sunlight back and away from the facility. The less of the sun's rays being absorbed through the roof, the cooler the interior will be, thereby lessening cooling and energy costs.

Cool roof products offer more than energy efficiency and environmental benefits, they continue to deliver high quality expected of standard paints, such as high-adhesion, strength, and durability. They still provide tough protection against water exposure, and impermeability against toxic acids and harsh alkali from oil leaks and greasy spills, to the delight of industrial coatings contractors.

Three-wet Paint

The 3-wet paint technology simplifies the process of paint application, eliminating the time- and energy-consuming paint preparation of applying primers, paint bases and enamels. Paint preparation used to be applied manually by industrial coatings contractors, following a set drying-time schedule. With 3-wet paint technology, the process involves no manual procedure, and the paints can be applied while still wet. The resulting product, can save on time by about 20%, according to data from Ford, who implemented the 3-wet paint technology on a global scale for its painted vehicle shops.

The high-solids solvent-borne paint formulation where Ford's technology is based also produces fewer harmful emissions than regular paints, and successfully met all industry standards in chip/scratch/etch resistance, durability, and performance.

The benefits of 3-wet paint technology are numerous, from the elimination of costly equipments used by industrial coatings contractors, to time-savings, to lesser emission of environmental pollutants, to lesser energy consumption gained from faster processing time -- a clean and sustainable process overall.

Self-Cleaning Paints

Still in the design board of UK's DSTL labs, but showing much promise, are the new technology of paints able to decontaminate itself and resist chemical attacks. The experimental paints are currently applied in strips and designed to soak up dangerous air-borne chemicals, making the nearby air safe for humans to breathe. The future enhancement of the paint is to imbue it with catalytic enzymes to process the soaked-up chemicals, thereby decontaminating itself.

The new technology is flexible for industrial coatings contractors. It can be engineered to change color to indicate contamination and decontamination, and to be sunlight-reflective for purposes of camouflage. And like ordinary paint, these "sci-fi" paints can be applied using standard rollers or sprays by industrial coatings contractors, for ease of use and removal.

Why a Long Term IT Strategy is Always Preferable to a Cheap and Cheerful Fix

Looking for quick fixes when it comes to your IT strategy or can you see the advantages of a long term approach? All too many businesses look for 'cheap and cheerful' options when it comes to their IT provision and when times are difficult you may ask "what choice do we have?". Cutting costs during a credit crunch is top of everyone's agenda and while many recognise the importance of investing in marketing and sales strategies to remain competitive, other functions such as IT remain somewhat neglected.

Consider this, if your marketing strategy pays off and your sales increase will your IT infrastructure cope? What happens if you need to take on more staff, move to bigger premises or simply need better systems for managing more sales? Simply fixing IT problems as they occur in the short term is a false economy and MORE EXPENSIVE in the long term! For example, if you have a computer that is 3 or 4 years old and not performing as it should would you be better advised to spend Rs8000 to fix it and get perhaps another 6 months or a year out of it or to invest in a new machine that will last another 3 or 4 years?

Of course it is more complex than that and a good IT services provider can review your business's requirements and create a long term IT strategy that not only creates a bespoke solution now but is also flexible to meet your needs well into the future - however your business changes.

While an investment may be required now that costs more than the 'quick fix' option, in the long term the savings that can be made from a proactive approach rather than a reactive one are considerable and that doesn't even include the disruption to business costs that IT problems can cause.

There are also some real alternatives when it comes to paying for long term IT solutions including attractive lease options. These can help spread the cost of IT without a big upfront investment. For a fixed monthly fee, you can take advantage of a continuous replacement programme over 5 years meaning that you always have the best IT solution for your needs at a cost that you can budget for without any nasty surprises.

Project Management in Global Software Development

Though there are many risks and challenges involved in global software development, the steep rise in globalisation in the minds of young generation finally paves the way for software development offshore. Let us discuss how the projects are managed in offshore software development consulting.

Most of the software projects are unique and innovative which involves a lot of risks on the way products are conceptualised, conceived, designed, developed and delivered to clients. These risks are very well managed through documentation.

Documentation is nothing but a study and analysis of our success and failures while developing software in the format of papers. This documentation will eventually help us to handle the complex nature of the project efficiently. Unfortunately many offshore countries do not document them resulting in poor risk management.

To ensure the transparency of the software development in terms of security, the offshore consulting should produce an empirical security policy. This security policy will answer all the questions of the client's review.

The linking or connectivity between the ODC and the client's network should involve modern techniques to experience a better communication. The configuration management must be implemented properly in order to make the client to feel virtually that the offshore developers are their on-site developers and not remote developers. Better configuration management will avoid unauthorized intrusion, hackers and virus threat.

The offshore companies should protect their legal and intellectual properties. Trade secrets, customer data and financial information must be managed safely as many third world countries do not have an established law against cyber crime to investigate and prosecute the injustice happening through cyberspace.

Therefore regular security reviews, proper documentation and policy procedures, transparent offshore model, clear configuration between the offshore data center and the client must be handled properly while undertaking offshore projects to ensure better risk and project management in offshore outsourcing consulting.

How to Hack Proof Your Web Server

A dedicated server is a sign of success for any SMB. The reasons to move into a dedicated server are varied - a high volume of web traffic, a transaction heavy database, complex application requirements, or a combination of those and other requirements- but whatever the reason, a dedicated server brings powerful capabilities to growing and established businesses alike.

That power comes with an additional level of responsibilities. Protecting your server from being hacked is a serious concern requiring complete attention. In most cases you're going to need help, and if you've chosen your server provider carefully, you're going to have it.

Securing any network attached web or application server (and really, a web server is just a specialised application) is a tricky proposition. It needs to be accessible to legitimate users and locked down to the malicious ones. Consider a large concert or sporting event.

The idea is to have a large attendance of happy fans, but every step taken to bolster security usually has a negative impact on the experience- long lines for screenings, no bags or carry-alls allowed and so on. As with secure e-mail service, it would seem that the two goals of access and security are somewhat diametrically opposed, but a solid server protection scheme will actually work to support both ends.

It starts with a two layer "bullet proof vest" of technology in the form of a managed firewall and an intrusion protection service. A firewall is needed to help stop brute force, denial of service style attacks. Typically emanating from multiple unsecured servers located overseas, a DoS attack will pound your server with useless traffic, overwhelming resources and rendering the server unavailable for real users.

A quality firewall uses rules based access to filter and block malicious traffic while allowing legitimate traffic through. It does this in a way that minimizes latency and slowdowns, so that the process is transparent to end users.

Intrusion protection takes a slightly more sophisticated approach to this, blocking harmful traffic at the source, placing compromised hosts in quarantine and routing qualified user traffic quickly and efficiently. If your firewall represents your front line defenders, your IPS (intrusion protection service) in effect goes behind enemy lines. The combination lets you shift your security measures from reactive to proactive, but there's a catch.

Having firewall and IPS protection in place is only the first step. This isn't "set it and forget it" stuff, staying ahead of hackers and corporate saboteurs requires constant vigilance and regular updates to blacklists, filters, patches and more. It's one thing to purchase and install a couple of security appliances, it's quite another to properly manage them, and for too many SMBs, it's a budget busting proposition. This is where your service provider comes in.

The overlooked word for too many dedicated server providers is 'managed'. If your provider offers managed services, you are a step ahead of the game. A high end provider already has 24/7/365 staffing. They already have a massive investment in hardware and network resources. Most importantly, they already have a team of highly trained, certified engineers who can help you stay running at peak optimisation, fully protected. If your provider offers managed firewall and intrusion protection, it's a no brainer to add those services to your IT arsenal. If your provider doesn't offer firewall and IPS, maybe it's time to start looking at other providers.