Cloud security: Four customers' approaches

From implementing single sign-on to including social media in the lineup, shops are doing what they need to make the cloud work for them.

In Pictures: 10 technologies that changed business forever

The applications, devices and services that have changed the way we do business often started as small-scale alternatives to the status quo. Now we can't survive without them.

Urban tech: From Masdar to Main Street?

Self-driving electric taxis, smart appliances and municipal solar power are all amenities enjoyed by the residents of the futuristic Masdar City in the Middle East. Here's how they'll make their way to the U.S.

In pictures: Mondo datacentres

Think you have to manage a lot of IT gear? These massive facilities - each at least 100,000 square feet and most much larger than that -- house thousands of servers and process millions of documents, images and videos every day.

Help for the Help Desk

A help desk can be a real lifesaver for employees, not to mention a productivity boost. If a keyboard stops working or Outlook keeps crashing, a technician is just a phone call away. Even complex problems can usually be resolved internally, and relatively quickly, without the need for an outside vendor.

Standardizing the Desktop

The IT department is often at the forefront of an organization's technology innovation -- but not always. When it comes to the concept of a standard desktop -- every employee's core install consisting of an operating system, applications, hardware drivers and a security suite -- IT has moved at a snail's pace.

In depth: The new help desk - agile, educational, efficient

A help desk can be a real lifesaver for employees, not to mention a productivity boost. A keyboard stops working, or Outlook crashes repeatedly, and a technician is just a phone call away. Even complex issues can usually be resolved internally, and relatively quickly, without needing an outside vendor.

13 Windows 8 features worth knowing about

Upgrades, system migration, support headaches -- IT folks are probably dreading the next major Windows rollout. Yet Windows 8, which is scheduled to move to the beta stage in late February and will likely launch in the fall, does offer several compelling new features for both IT and end users.

Grow your data center with colocation

Brian Burch knew the moment had arrived. Two of his data center's key services -- availability and business continuity -- needed fast and dramatic improvement. Design and location limitations meant that his company's existing data center couldn't be upgraded to the levels necessary to provide the improvements in functionality and performance that he required.

Four rising threats from cybercriminals

Criminal hackers never sleep, it seems. Just when you think you've battened down the hatches and fully safeguarded yourself or your business from electronic security risks, along comes a new exploit to keep you up at night. It might be an SMS text message with a malevolent payload or an errant signal designed to jam GPS receivers.

By John Brandon | 22 November, 2011 03:12

Tags: security

Legacy application fixer-uppers

Legacy applications are one of the most difficult issues to face within IT. A rip-and-replace approach is expensive and thus difficult to justify; plus, it tends to interrupt operations. Meanwhile, the aging software lingers in accounting's ledgers, overstays its welcome in sales and causes poor network performance throughout the organization.

By John Brandon | 08 November, 2011 03:47

Tags: IT management

Standardizing the desktop: Strategies for success

IT is often at the forefront of technology innovation -- but not always. When it comes to the concept of a standard desktop -- every employee's core install that consists of an operating system, applications, hardware drivers and a security suite -- IT has moved at a snail's pace.

By John Brandon | 02 November, 2011 02:09

Tags: security

Car tech: The connected car arrives

Automobile technology has become so advanced that today's cars are essentially computers with wheels. So why aren't we using them to surf the Web, communicate with other cars or order food at nearby restaurants?

By John Brandon | 27 October, 2011 06:53

Tags: Networking, GPS, wireless, general motors, mobile, industry verticals, WLANs / Wi-Fi, internet, Ford Motor Co., Automotive, consumer electronics, Microsoft, smartphones

The challenges of managing mountains of information

If you think the storage systems in your data centers are out of control, imagine having 449 billion objects in your database, or having to add 40 terabytes of new data each week.

By John Brandon | 19 October, 2011 02:08

Tags: storage

Storage tips from heavy-duty users

If you think the storage systems in your data center are out of control, imagine having 450 billion objects in your database or having to add 40 terabytes of data each week.

By John Brandon | 12 October, 2011 03:36

Tags: storage