Daily News Archive

Please note that The Daily News is publishing (hopefully) twice a week for the foreseeable future due to time constraints.

Tuesday, January 10th

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” -- Albert Einstein

 

The Picks of the Day

China plans to be 'innovative' nation

“Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday outlined major strategic goals for building an innovation-oriented nation, utilising technology to leapfrog and achieve sustainable development.”

http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/jan/09china.htm

 

For some companies, cost outweighs good of corporate fraud law

“For instance, according to the study, the smallest Nasdaq companies spent an average of 1.27 percent of their revenues on Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, while the largest companies spent only 0.03 percent.  A study done for the Big Four accounting firms — Deloitte & Touche LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, KMPG LLP, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP — also shows that audit fees are proportionately higher for smaller companies.”

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2006/01/08/business/doc43beeb62a8361747405808.txt

 

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

SEC Clarifies Policy on Fines

“The Securities and Exchange Commission has clarified what many critics have said is a capricious and controversial policy for fining companies as part of a disciplinary action or settlement. The commission also announced settlements with two companies, McAfee Inc. and Applix Inc., only one of which will pay a monetary penalty.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/5374735/c_5376126?f=ThisWeekinFinance010606

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2006/nf2006015_7863_db038.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

 

Financial jobs are expected to add up in 2006

“More than three years after the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley, the post-Enron law that toughened corporate accounting standards, companies continue expanding their finance and accounting departments.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-f1outlook_08emp.ART.State.Edition1.3eb0155.html

 

Data Center Détente

“New tools and classic strategies can help security and operations teams bridge traditional silos to address multiplying vulnerabilities and mounting compliance pressures.”

http://www.itarchitect.com/shared/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=175001520&classroom=

 

Security and Risk Management

BPOs yet to attain maturity

“Given the relative infancy of the ITeS-BPO Industry, service providers have not yet reached the levels of maturity displayed by IT services companies. This has resulted in higher risk levels and consequently, there is a greater need for due-diligence. While vendors have succeeded in providing adequate infrastructure and high quality, cost efficient resources, most still lack the process expertise, systems and practices that need to be built to support customer organisations.”

http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=113930

 

Experts weigh in on bank responses to FFIEC guidelines

“Financial houses strengthen authentication with challenge questions, phone authentication and other means of outsmarting hacker sleuths”

http://www.contactlessnews.com/library/2006/01/07/experts-weigh-in-on-bank-responses-to-ffiec-guidelines/

 

Human Error / Safety

The most dangerous jobs in America

“In fact, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mining industry has the second-highest fatality rate per 100,000 employees. Only the agriculture industry (which includes forestry, fishing and hunting) has a higher rate of death on the job.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10725454/

 

Much Ado Over "Lethal Genes"

“As scientists prepare genetically engineered bugs that could wipe out pest species, environmentalists raise the alarm about unforeseen consequences.”

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_03/b3967112.htm?campaign_id=rss_magzn

 

Outsourcing / Globalization

Subcontinental Drift

“Worried about your job fleeing to India? One strategy is to chase it -- an option a growing number of twentysomething Westerners are choosing. Sure, the trend will never make up for the thousands of positions lost back home, but for adventurous young people, a spell in a call center in Bangalore or Bombay can help defray the costs of a grand tour of the subcontinent and beyond.”

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_03/b3967085.htm?campaign_id=rss_magzn

 

Why ITIL belongs in outsourcing

“Some organizations are including ITIL as a requirement or at least a differentiator in RFPs as they select service providers.”

http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/asp/2006/0102out1.html?fsrc=rss-outsourcing

 

Economics / Business / Misc.

Executive Guide:  Data Centers

“A solid management strategy is key to the success of any data center. It should address issues such as compliance, consolidation, migration and business continuity. In this month's Executive Guide, you'll find the tools and resources you need to develop, manage and/or enhance your corporate data center.”

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/general/0,295582,sid19_gci1155799,00.html?track=NL-274&ad=538470USCA

Thursday, January 12th

"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Hebert Spencer

 

The Picks of the Day

The Evolution of Corporate Communications

“Effective corporate communication involves not only the message itself, but also the medium that carries and delivers it. The use of e-mail is giving way to RSS, podcasts, and video messages.”

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/entdev/article.php/3576026

 

American Companies: Ready to Compete?

“A survey of the big competitive issues facing American companies”

http://www.line56.com/articles/default.asp?articleID=7196&TopicID=9

[This is a very, very interesting article.  Written by Tom Nies, the CEO of Cincom.]

 

Three generations of Asiatic challenges

“There is something intimidating about the idea of 3bn people (half of mankind) like a latter-day Rip van Winkel awakening from a long slumber and challenging the world.”

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/economy/economic_trends/782350.htm

[Another must read.]

 

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Crackdown

“Since taking the helm at the Internal Revenue Service in 2003, commissioner Mark Everson has been threatening to crack down on tax cheats by aiming the agency's biggest guns at large corporate taxpayers and rich individuals.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/5347888?f=alerts

 

PHLX to Close Trading Floor

“Founded in 1790, the exchange will closing its trading floor and become a fully electronic operation. According to a statement, the move is intended to comply with Regulation National Market Structure.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/5379294?f=alerts

 

Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-123.  Revised June 21, 1995.  Subject “Management Accountability and Control”

“Purpose and Authority. As Federal employees develop and implement strategies for reengineering agency programs and operations, they should design management structures that help ensure accountability for results, and include appropriate, cost-effective controls. This Circular provides guidance to Federal managers on improving the accountability and effectiveness of Federal programs and operations by establishing, assessing, correcting, and reporting on management controls.”

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/a123/a123.html

[I point this out as I didn’t realize an internal control document existed for the federal agencies until it was brought up to me this week.]

 

Security and Risk Management

Password Tools Lower Compliance Costs

“Analysis: Single sign-on tools help keep track of passwords and also make compliance cheaper and easier.”

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1907952,00.asp

 

Betting on Risk Management

“Case Study: Companies are learning how to quantify value of investing in IT safeguards.”

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1907861,00.asp

[This is an interesting article on the need for risk management.  The company showcased is Cingular.]

 

A Time to Patch

“Over the past three years, Microsoft has actually taken longer to issue critical fixes when researchers waited to disclose their research until after the company issued a patch. In 2003, Microsoft took an average of three months to issue patches for problems reported to them. In 2004, that time frame shot up to 134.5 days, a number that remained virtually unchanged in 2005.”

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2006/01/a_timeline_of_m.html

[Security Fix did an actual study of the time it took Microsoft to patch, talked to Microsoft about the results and obtained their comments.  The article also publishes the data in HTML or XLS files.]

 

Human Error / Safety

HSBC sees bird flu hitting staff

“Global bank HSBC believes that as many as half its staff could be knocked out of action by a bird flu pandemic.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4597754.stm

 

Official Says Bird Flu Virus In Turkey Is No Mutation

“New mutations in the A(H5N1) avian influenza virus do not appear to account for the spread of the virus among humans in Turkey, a World Health Organization official said Tuesday.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/11/international/europe/11bird.html?adxnnl=1&oref=login&adxnnlx=1136950209-5bgLSMvwShAS6m2M1ifRcQ

 

Study: U.S. emergency care ailing

“The panel found a system that is overcrowded, with access to emergency care declining and with poor capacity to deal with public health or terrorist disasters.”

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/01/10/emergency.care.ap/index.html

 

Outsourcing / Globalization

China's Geely makes its mark in Detroit

“Until recently, Chinese vehicle exports were limited to buses and trucks. But now China’s manufacturers have been busy upgrading their technology and production to compete overseas and they are ready to do business in the massive U.S. automobile market with low-priced vehicles aimed at U.S. consumers.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10779158/

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060110/AUTO04/601100445/1364

 

Early supplier involvement crucial to outsourcing

“Howard Spode, principal consultant at Alsbridge, told SM outsourcing deals could not be treated as simple commodities because they are hugely complex. They require constant and open communication between all parties to ensure all were getting the best deal, he said.”

http://www.supplymanagement.co.uk/EDIT/Top_stories_item.asp?id=14439

 

Economics / Business / Misc.

Who Do You Call? Ghost Bloggers

“But just like any new fad, interest wanes and less people blog until the blogging becomes almost nonexistent. Now marketing is left scratching their heads because they have a built an infrastructure and spent a good deal of money and now they are in desperate need of content. This is where I introduce to you the ghost blogger and the ghost blogger service -- passionate writing and informed content for hire.”

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/columns/article.php/3575446

 

Distortions and deceptions in strategic decisions

“Decisions are never simple to make. They sometimes go wrong because of human shortcomings.”

The abstract is at:  http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1716&L2=21&L3=37&srid=27&gp=0

 

Be Prepared: Imperatives for Technology, Media and Telecommunications Executives 2005 – 2010

“The combination of difficult economic conditions, volatile relationships with the financial sector, fickle consumer behavior and general insecurity following the bursting of the dotcom bubble have provided some of the significant challenges that TMT CEOs have faced. However, the steady and cumulatively disruptive advances in bandwidth, processing power and digital storage have helped to redefine existing markets and creating new opportunities on an unprecedented scale.”

http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/research/0,1015,sid=2245&cid=105675,00.html