Executive IT Insights: Navigating Business, Tech, and Security

When it comes to making business decisions involving employees, things can become a little difficult for any business, no matter the size, to navigate. If one is very involved with the employees, it can be difficult on a personal level. Even though studies have shown that getting to know employees on a personal level, and not just in a business setting, increases happiness in the workplace. However, management of all forms and levels are often discouraged from getting to know employees on a personal basis for this reason.

This difficulty is often amplified when a business needs to be letting go of employees. Whether it is in the process of downsizing, or simply has to cut out employees because of technological advancements and integration, here are three things to keep in mind:

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Found mostly in businesses that involve heavy sales, employee incentives can be a great way to motivate employees and increase sales. If businesses handle employee incentives in the right way, it could mean the difference between an average quarterly business report and a superior one that elevates the business' status. There is a right and a wrong way to introduce incentives to employees. These are the three key steps in implementation:

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Sometimes it is necessary to apologize. Apologies usually come after a mistake has been made. The idea of acknowledging that there is something to apologize for is off-putting to many businesses, but the fact is, mistakes sometimes happen. Whenever your company is dealing with customers who would like an issue addressed or have a complaint to make, an apology is a good place to start.

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The operating system (OS) in your device is as vital to it as your blood is to you. Without an OS, any device is essentially just a shell. Every new device that you buy comes with an OS, usually the latest version from the manufacturer you have selected. When you get the device, you get the OS. That is the good news. The question marks start appearing at the same time as the little pop-up window in the corner of your screen that tells you it is time to upgrade your OS. Here are some of the pros and cons of moving to the latest version of your OS.

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A Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is used to keep track of the different parts of an IT environment. Generally, CMDBs are convenient for modeling potential changes in IT, identifying where problems are occurring within an IT environment, and providing transparency for a company's system in case of audits or legal issues. A CMDB is like a big map of an IT environment and there are many things to consider when building the database. For more information, you can read our article on how a CMDB is helpful.

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Conflicts between colleagues are inevitable. However, there are several measures to help avoid and mediate conflicts. Through an interview with CIO.com, Kumud Kalia, former CIO of Direct Energy (now CIO at Akamai Technologies), details why conflicts arise and how to deal with existing and potential conflicts in the future.

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One generally presumes businesses and corporations when they think of IT department support. However, IT support for colleges and universities in the U.S. is growing exponentially in light of the technological revolution.

One such example is San Jacinto Community College (SJC). Based in Pasadena, Texas, SJC serves approximately 30,000 credit students and 2,500 faculty and staff. The IT department has 115 employees supporting three campuses, a District office and several extension centers.

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MetroHealth System, a hospital system providing quality care for over 175 years, has a history of constant growth and expansion. With humble beginnings in 1837 as the Cleveland, Ohio city infirmary, serving a population of 6,000 people, it experienced exponential growth with the arrival of the industrial revolution. Today, MetroHealth is one of the largest and most comprehensive public health systems in the country.

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With the advent of new technology comes the heavy responsibility of providing customer support and bandwidth to keep ahead of the dynamic growth of that technology. And even nano-second delays count in this day and age. Enter Dataram, a leading independent manufacturer of memory products and provider of performance solutions guaranteeing the performance of their products. Over the course of several decades, Dataram has developed premier memory, storage and software solutions to support its ever-growing database of customers.

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