Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:28:06 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/ New At TechMentor.com en-us http://www.techmentor.com/main/images/TMLftTitle.jpg http://www.techmentor.com/main/ webmaster@all-offroad.com http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=82 CIO Insight, November 8 The typical IT organization is changing in response to external factors such as globalization, forcing a re-think in the types of attributes and skills that IT managers must possess. Over the next five years, CIO Insight Research predicts a dramatic transformation in the size and scope of the traditional IT organization, as internal departments become smaller, nimbler and more specialized. Along the way, senior executives must determine what is truly core to the IT business, and which processes and systems can be outsourced to specialists around the globe. This changing composition of the IT organization will impact the way that companies hire IT talent and the way that they partner with outside IT talent. A smaller team of managers, analysts and planners will continue to oversee mission-critical work, while most other functions will become the purview of consultants, contractors or offshore service providers. IT departments are moving away from outsourcing low-risk, low value-add activities and outsourcing higher-risk, higher value-add activities. Moreover, companies will need to innovate faster and introduce new capabilities while dealing with increased commoditization of IT. Assuming that more organizations will be moving to this leaner model of IT, it is likely that businesses will continue to outsource more specialized work, from software development to knowledge management. As IT becomes more strategic and integral to the operation of the business, executives must re-think their expectations of the CIO and their expectations of IT. Not only must they contend with severely limited staff time and departmental budgets, but they must learn to operate in a changing environment where they are expected to manage and control alliances and negotiate contracts and service-level agreements, all while staying in tune with business needs and priorities. [Click Here to View Full Article] Thu, 14 Feb 2008 04:28:06 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=81 Hardcore gamers have much to teach people in IT and business about how to run an organization. These gamers are often highly skilled workers who have mastered a wide range of very complex tasks with a combination of memorization, intuition and big-picture understanding. As a result, gamers have the right mindset for taking on important responsibilities within the IT profession. As videogames become more complex, nuanced and sophisticated, increasing numbers of people will rely on them for education. Already, tech start-ups in Silicon Valley are re-thinking how they can introduce elements of gaming into their organizations. Gaming is fundamentally different from academics in that academics is about preparing for non-failure while gaming is about learning from failure. Gamers engage in massive repetition of tasks and enjoy the challenge of mastery, two traits that are not always found in academics. As videogames become more complex, nuanced and sophisticated, increasing numbers of people will start actually learning about history, politics, and other subjects through game play. In Silicon Valley, businesses are starting to learn from video games. The "failing softly" approach to generating new business plans is one of the reasons Silicon Valley is a leading innovation center. Business and IT leaders must learn how to incorporate failure into everyday activities, such that there is no longer a stigma attached to failure. If you are a manager, you may discover new success if you are able to foster a video game-like culture of soft failure. Instead of firing the people who try something and screw up, for example, instead retain those now-educated people and fire the ones who never try anything new. Some organizations never punish failure. Others punish it way too harshly. In addition, figure out how to foster a culture of repetition, such that stressful or intimidating tasks become mundane. Click Here to View Full Article Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:21:16 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=80 New York Times, January 22 Most successful entrepreneurs acknowledge that they have learned as much from their failures as their successes. Being able to embrace failure is true as well for anyone attempting to build a successful career. As the article points out, there are three primary reasons why failure actually leads to career success. First of all, failure highlights the need to take chances in your career. Secondly, failure can knock you out of a false sense of complacency and force you to try something new. Finally, failure can force you to rethink your assumptions and improve your problem-solving abilities. On the surface, it can be difficult to understand why failure is OK. However, if you are not making mistakes, you are not trying hard enough. Those who take genuine risks know that failure is the norm, success the exception. According to entrepreneurs profiled in magazines such as Fortune Small Business, it is important to be able to live well on a tight budget and develop a high tolerance for risk. Doing so forces you to become more innovative, more creative and more of a risk taker. That being said, it is difficult for us to learn from our mistakes. According to researchers from Harvard Business School, social systems tend to discourage people from examining their failures. First, individuals experience negative emotions when re-visiting their mistakes, leading to an erosion of self-confidence and self-esteem. Second, conducting an analysis of a failure requires a spirit of inquiry and openness, patience, and a tolerance for ambiguity. However, most managers admire and are rewarded for decisiveness, efficiency, and action rather than for deep reflection and painstaking analysis. People tend to be more comfortable attending to evidence that enables them to believe what they want to believe, denying responsibility for failures and attributing the problem to others. Click Here to View Full Article Sat, 09 Feb 2008 14:19:14 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=79 Version 1.0 Author: Falko Timme This tutorial shows how to create a Fedora 8 yum repository for your local network. Having a local Fedora mirror is good if you have to install multiple systems in your local network because then all needed packages can be downloaded over the fast LAN connection, thus saving your internet bandwidth. Click here to view full article Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:57:56 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=78 Need to run different Solaris versions on one machine? This tech tip (from sun.com) shows how to partition disk slices and install multiple Solaris versions. William Xue, October 2007 Most of the time, Solaris developers and testers need to install and work on different versions of the Solaris OS, but not everyone has enough machines to install each version of the Solaris OS on a separate machine. However, you can install multiple Solaris versions on the same hard disk to save resources. Here, I show you how to install multiple versions of the Solaris OS on the same disk. In my example, I install three Solaris versions: Solaris 9, Solaris 10, and Solaris Nevada (or Solaris Developer Express Edition/SXDE). Actually, using the same method I present in this article, you can install the same Solaris version but different builds, for example, Nevada Builds 55, 66, and 73, or you can even install the same version of Solaris tree copies on the same disk. Click here to view full article Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:00:14 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=77 Computerworld, 12-24-2007 Here's what you need to do to stay in the driver's seat as the world changes. Today's IT professionals are an evolving breed. The job keeps morphing as companies demand not just technical know-how, but more business acumen, analytical skills and industry knowledge as well. Kudos if you've pulled that all together, but don't rest just yet. The evolution isn't over, as the upcoming year promises more changes. If you want to stay in the driver's seat of your own career, put these items on your to-do list: 1. Incorporate security into your responsibilities. 2. Re-engineer processes. 3. Use analytics to guide business decisions. 4. Be more versatile. 5. Work on multifunctional programs and multidisciplinary teams. 6. Beef up your business skills. 7. Be more accountable. 8. Manage your own career. Click here to view full article Mon, 31 Dec 2007 19:47:40 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=73 MentorNet News, December 2007 According to one member of the MentorNet Board of Directors, MentorNet could become the next Facebook. However, transforming a mentoring network into a true social networking platform will require significantly more resources than MentorNet currently possesses. Through the generosity of current members of the MentorNet community and continued partnership with entities such as ACM, though, the organization could realize its goal of becoming the go-to place where protégés and mentors can meet virtually to share ideas and help one another succeed in fields related to engineering and computer science. If everyone in the MentorNet community were to become a donor, the organization would be able to thrive and expand as necessary to stay current with social networking and collaborative communication technologies. For donors, the return on investment can be just as significant as for the organization. Donors can impact the career trajectory of another MentorNet member and ensure that thousands of students each year receive the information they need to successfully embark on their study or career in science, technology, engineering, and math-related disciplines. Click here to view full article Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:45:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=72 InfoWorld, December 11 While social networking generally appeals more to recent graduates than to more established employees, Cisco is unveiling a number of new technology initiatives that place the emphasis on Web 2.0 collaboration and social networking for older workers. At a Cisco analyst conference in Silicon Valley, CEO John Chambers demonstrated a set of social networking tools being used for business. Over time, these collaboration and social networking tools could change the fundamental nature of work in the IT sector. At Cisco, for example, technology has already enabled Cisco to move from a top-down organization to a structure where task groups can be formed among all parts of the company. The collaboration push at Cisco for older workers includes Telepresence high-definition conferencing and new initiatives stemming from its acquisition of WebEx. For example, Cisco recently demonstrated a new product from WebEx that enables organizations to create online spaces for collaboration. Employees can engage in text chats that stay up for future reference, describe problems and ask for ideas to fix them, create Facebook-style profile pages that others can search to find people with the expertise they need, and then check the presence of a contact and engage them in a Telepresence session by clicking on their names. Click here to view full article Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:25:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=71 CIO.com, December 11 While most people would acknowledge that networking is one of the most essential skills in business, too many workers do not spend the time learning how to do it effectively. For shy IT workers, networking is made even more difficult due to a lack of confidence, fear of rejection and a sense of unworthiness. To overcome these feelings, IT professionals must realize that successful networking is all about building intimate relationships based on mutual generosity and that there is nothing wrong in asking for help in building a career. With that as backdrop, the article provides some common sense advice for IT workers looking to increase their networking prowess. In order to become more proficient at networking, start out with small initiatives, such as by seeking out relatives and friends for career advice. As you meet new people outside of your inner circle, do not apologize for asking for their help. Be yourself, so that you not more outgoing than normal and not too artificial. Prepare in advance. For example, if you are attending an event specifically to network your way to a new job, have your personal pitch ready and be able to anticipate questions you may be asked, such as why you are looking for a new job. Have clear, concise answers and work on developing an attention-getting delivery. Be willing to take risks, such as by cold-calling people or striking up conversations with strangers. Click here to view full article Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:45:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=69 Computerworld, December 11 The holiday season can be a great time for IT professionals to pick up consulting assignments that could lead to permanent positions in 2008. With the increasing popularity of online shopping, retailers are beefing up their IT infrastructures to deal with a surge in holiday Web traffic. In addition, organizations are boosting their spending on IT operations as well. Faced with the prospect of losing unspent budgetary funds, they are finding creative ways to use up their IT budgets before the end of the year, making them receptive to short-term hiring opportunities for IT consulting staff. To prepare for this holiday-related hiring surge, there are a number of things you can do to become more proactive in your job search. You need to be as visible as possible on social and business networking sites and take every advantage of opportunities to keep your skills up to date. Any holiday position, whether permanent or consulting, gives IT professionals the chance to go above and beyond the call of duty and show how well they perform under pressure. If you get a seasonal gig and do a great job, the role can turn into a long-term position once the holiday season ends. Click here to view full article Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:15:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=70 CIO.com, December 4 Most jobseekers start their job search by updating their resume. However, this updated resume may have little or nothing to do with the hiring needs of your future employer. Before updating your resume, you need to think like an employer. With your target audience in mind, you can tailor the information on your resume to the specific job opportunity you are pursuing and to the specific needs of the hiring manager. In short, this means adopting an employer-centric approach to your job search and marketing yourself as a solution to specific needs and challenges of the organization. In order to conduct an employer-centric job search, start by describing your ideal employer in terms of industry, size and location. Based on this, you will be able to come up with a short list of companies that would value your expertise. Identify the synergies between the kinds of companies you want to work for and those that would benefit from your skills, and look for jobs in those areas. Next, sort through this list to focus on the employers that are most likely to hire you. Give high-potential employers a reason to invest some time in getting to know you by being specific about your needs and experiences. Click here to view full article Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:25:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=74 Web Worker Daily, November 27 As defined by research firm Gartner, Generation V ("Virtual") is a way of defining a demographic group in terms of interests, attitudes and behaviors rather than age. In an online environment, age is no longer the primary factor. Office workers who may rank low in terms of income, rank or popularity may at the same time rank high in terms of reputation and influence online. As a result, employers may want to think about ways they can tap into online reputation, prestige and influence within their workforce. According to research firm Gartner, by the year 2015, companies will need to spend more time understanding the interactions of individuals online. From a hiring perspective, this change means that companies will need to shift away from collecting personal data about individuals toward collecting more complete and more relevant data around online behavior and influence on others. Instead of emphasizing demographic information, companies should be seeking out psychographic insights related to personality, values, attitudes and opinions. With that in mind, the article offers some advice for targeting members of Generation V. Click Here to View Full Article Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:45:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=75 Employment Digest, November 26 Amidst the increasing popularity of social networks, it is perhaps no surprise that an increasing number of IT workers are now tapping into them for networking opportunities. Social networking sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, FaceBook and Xing can be a place to line up new assignments and network with like-minded individuals. While LinkedIn is currently the most popular site for business networking, FaceBook became an important new source once it expanded outside the student world. The valuable thing about social networks is that clients can actually find you. They have the capability to search for skills they need and can limit their search to a specific area. They can find you through the people you know or through the people they know. They have the capability to find you in specialized groups, discussions or while browsing a random contact. Without any effort on your part, they can stumble across your profile. That being said, you need to represent yourself accurately online and list the appropriate skills and project experience in your profile. Keep in mind, though, that an endless list of tools, programming languages or general buzzwords will make you look like someone who is desperate to make contact. A social network is also a place to publish your needs. While you need gigs, your next client needs certain skills. In the same way clients can look for you, you can search for them. However, do not fall into the habit of just collecting friends. Having several hundred people in your network does not guarantee an endless supply of new projects. Be careful that you do not overwhelm your social network by confusing signal with noise. A social network is a valuable tool when used appropriately. Care for your network, expand it, keep in touch with the people in it and it might turn up new opportunities for you. Click Here to View Full Article Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:10:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=76 CIO.com, November 13 There are 10 simple ways to nurture, develop and recruit entry-level IT talent. Each of these steps, however, requires that companies adopt a long-term view of talent acquisition. Forward-looking companies understand that talent acquisition requires participating in the development of that talent and taking the time to understand the needs of recent graduates. A small investment of time and resources, such as offering internship programs or re-establishing ties with alumni, can result in a significantly enhanced ability to attract young graduates. Many of the tips outlined in the article are based on the assumption that hiring managers are willing to get to know the colleges and universities in their area. As a first step, they should review the academic program offerings of these institutions and take the time to understand the skill sets of graduates from these programs. They can also host faculty members and deans, provide internships to outstanding students and develop challenging projects for their interns. Other steps include providing real-world projects for senior classes and inviting students on a field trip to your company. Many students may have never been in an IT company or even in a business environment and will greatly enjoy the experience of a field trip to your company. You can also sign up as a guest lecturer at a local educational institution, host a regional academic competition, participate in college job fairs, and engage with alumni groups. Click Here to View Full Article Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:45:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=67 CareerJournal.com, January 3 In an interview about the nationwide executive hiring outlook, a managing director of a Boston-based executive search firm discusses the key trends that will impact the hiring of executives in 2006. In certain key industries, such as digital media, online advertising and Internet security, there are already signs of strong demand over the next 12 months. Moreover, this imbalance in the supply and demand of talent in certain sectors is leading to upward pressure on compensation. The interview also provides insights about the types of management and leadership traits that are most in demand by recruiters as well as tips on how to analyze the hiring situation at any company. In terms of industries showing strong demand for IT professionals, digital media is one of the industries at the forefront. Almost all traditional media companies are looking for talented executives familiar with technological innovation such as streaming audio and podcasts. In addition, "anything to do with online advertising" and Internet security are drawing the attention of corporate recruiters. In terms of executive positions most in demand, chief executive officers and vice presidents of sales, marketing and business development are at the top of the list. For executives with specific skills, such as familiarity with interactive-marketing tools, there is especially strong demand. Tue, 03 Jan 2006 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=66 CIO.com, January 1 IT hiring is once again on the rise. According to a recent survey, 55% of IT executives expect to increase their IT staffs by an average of 11% in 2006. However, companies have developed different hiring needs than during the last technology hiring boom. In short, IT organizations are looking for business-savvy technology professionals who understand how IT can impact the bottom line of a business. Preferably, these professionals will also have experience interacting with customers and some bilingual language expertise. As a result, recruiters are placing less emphasis on purely technical prowess as they attempt to fill three critical IT needs: project managers, relationship managers and business analysts. The evolving nature of the IT industry is having a significant impact on hiring patterns, especially at companies that once recruited solely technical graduates. Instead of requiring a computer science degree, employers are just as often looking for an MBA or some other proof of hands-on business experience. Even some programming jobs now require candidates to spend time working in the business function first before ever designing systems for that function. In fact, according a 2005 report from Gartner, six out of 10 IT employees will assume business-facing roles by 2010. Sun, 01 Jan 2006 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=68 Business Week, December 23 Thinking like an opera singer can actually help you in your job interviews. In fact, writes Liz Ryan, "One of the best training experiences a corporate manager could ever have, and probably will never get is an operatic audition." After all, opera singers are used to obtaining a large number of auditions for a variety of different singing roles and are quite adept at "just being themselves" during the auditions, since they have no possible way of knowing what a conductor or director wants. Also, when you interview in volume -- as opera singers do - you are able to deliver answers that are more polished than if you wait for the perfect interview with the perfect company. In addition, you will be more proficient at business networking and better prepared for advancing to the next level of your career. There are two primary reasons why operatic auditions would provide an important training tool for corporate leaders. First, by performing at a large number of operatic auditions, you become more adept at letting everything go and being yourself. As Liz Ryan explains, "Auditioning often - which is the standard drill for singers everywhere - really makes you understand that the process isn't about pleasing a certain person or being a certain way." For job seekers trying to analyze every hiring manager and HR person they come into contact with, this should be reassuring. Instead of constructing elaborate answers and explanations that they think will appeal to them, it's far better to develop a style and approach with which you are comfortable. Fri, 23 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=65 Computerworld, November 28 According to Virginia Robbins of San Francisco-based Chela Education Financing, there are five key steps one can take to thrive during the "post-sale phase" of an acquisition. This phase is the time period after a company has been sold and integration activities are still under way. For managers especially, this time period presents a number of challenging opportunities for keeping morale high and ensuring a stable transition. During the post-sale phase, it's only natural to "mourn the death" of the old company and to be surprised by an abrupt change of ownership. However, if you remember your work commitments and look for opportunities to do meaningful work, you will be able to succeed during this period. After the acquisition has been announced, take time to understand your motivation for working so that you know what you want from the new organization and what you are willing to sacrifice as part of the integration process. Next, realize that it is only natural for you and your co-workers to "mourn the death" of the old company: "No matter how badly your old firm was run, the post-acquisition period brings out nostalgia for the good old days." Try to keep your emotions in check, though, and realize that your energies are better spent on thinking about the future, not the past. Sat, 10 Dec 2005 02:13:52 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=64 Getting the most out of knowledge workers will be the key to business success for the next quarter century. Here's how we do it at Google. By Eric Schmidt and Hal Varian Newsweek At Google, we think business guru Peter Drucker well understood how to manage the new breed of "knowledge workers." After all, Drucker invented the term in 1959. He says knowledge workers believe they are paid to be effective, not to work 9 to 5, and that smart businesses will "strip away everything that gets in their knowledge workers' way." Those that succeed will attract the best performers, securing "the single biggest factor for competitive advantage in the next 25 years." At Google, we seek that advantage. The ongoing debate about whether big corporations are mismanaging knowledge workers is one we take very seriously, because those who don't get it right will be gone. We've drawn on good ideas we've seen elsewhere and come up with a few of our own. What follows are seven key principles we use to make knowledge workers most effective. As in most technology companies, many of our employees are engineers, so we will focus on that particular group, but many of the policies apply to all sorts of knowledge workers... * Hire by committee. * Cater to their every need. * Pack them in. * Make coordination easy. * Eat your own dog food. * Encourage creativity. * Strive to reach consensus. * Don't be evil. Fri, 09 Dec 2005 18:42:42 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=63 Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, November 14 Forced ranking systems, which require managers to evaluate their employees' performance against other employees rather than against pre-determined standards, continue to be a controversial topic in the world of human resource management. In the classic forced ranking system, the top 20% of performers are rewarded while the bottom 10% of performers is dismissed. As might be imagined, it can make for a tension-filled, competitive environment. However, as Dick Grote, author of Forced Ranking: Making Performance Management Work, points out, the controversial employee-evaluation system can work well if handled properly. While some companies have been successful in using their forced ranking systems for longer periods of time, Grote acknowledges that most organizations are better served by implementing a forced ranking system as a short-term initiative, since many of the advantages of such a system tend to be most pronounced in the first several years. In response to critics, who allege that a "rank and yank" approach is unfair to people performing at an acceptable level and creates an unhealthy corporate work environment, Grote argues that, for the right company at the right time, forced ranking creates a more productive workforce where top talent is properly appreciated, rewarded, and retained. In describing the business case for forced ranking, Grote explains: "Forced ranking is the antidote to the problems of inflated rating and the failure to differentiate that many organizations have installed to help bring the truth into the performance management process." The bottom line, says Grote, is that by implementing a forced ranking procedure, organizations guarantee that managers will differentiate talent. Possible adverse consequences of a forced ranking system, such as lower employee morale and less collaboration, pale in comparison to the productivity benefits. Tue, 06 Dec 2005 14:17:15 -0500 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=62 Edwardsville Intelligencer (IL) (09/05/05); Malone, Zhanda A report from the National Science Foundation estimates that in 2001, 35% of the students enrolled in undergraduate physics, computer science, and math classes and 16% of those enrolled in undergraduate engineering classes were female. Meanwhile, women comprised less than 10% of students enrolled in graduate physics and engineering classes. A team of researchers at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) recently received a $360,000 grant designed to boost the participation of women in engineering and the sciences through efforts such as a high school robotics competition coordinated by professor Jerry Weinberg with the SIUE School of Engineering's Computer Science faculty. The professor says the program starts with teams of six to 10 students who will use robot kits to design, construct, and program a group of small mobile devices. "Participants will learn to comprehend how the tools of math and science are used in creative projects, and to learn about their application in the everyday world," Weinberg says. Weinberg says the participants will be studied in detail to acquire a better understanding of how such programs influence the way girls perceive their skill in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In addition, Weinberg says the study will hopefully reveal how this perception affects girls' long-term study and career tracks. Click Here to View Full Article Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:28:56 -0400 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 eWeek (09/05/05); Koprowski, Gene J. The growing trend of offshoring and a generally gloomy perception of the IT labor market has unions increasingly aiming their organizing efforts at technology professionals. A union-supported survey identified a "growing pessimism" in the IT landscape, citing the export of jobs overseas and the influx of foreign workers crowding the marketplace as factors contributing to the low mark of 54% of workers who predict increased demand in their industry. Union leaders are reaching out to white-collar workers having identified common threats to their job security that defy classification based on profession or education level. A trend illustrating the need for the unionization of IT workers is the increasingly held view of them as commodities, rather than as coveted and talented individuals. After a split in the AFL-CIO in which many large unions sought to free themselves from the bureaucracy of the umbrella group, there is now a host of independent unions seeking to organize traditionally non-unionized workers, and these groups are capitalizing on the recent emergence of overseas outsourcing to pursue and protect workers with measures such as PR campaigns, boycotts, and lawsuits. IT tops the list of departments vulnerable to offshoring efforts, with India being the principal beneficiary, having claimed $20 billion in contracts last year; China came in second with $600 million. One obstacle to the unionization of tech workers is that they are often scattered around the country, working from remote locations and collaborating with each other through the Internet, though that diffusion has unions using the familiar tools of email and Web communities to try to bring them together. Click Here to View Full Article Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:25:27 -0400 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=60 Des Moines Business Record (09/04/05); Morain, Erin After big declines in the technology industry early in the decade, the demand for IT professionals is on the rise again. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a lower rate of unemployment among IT workers than the rate for the general economy, while a Robert Half report has found that 14% of CIOs intend to add full-time workers to their staffs in the third quarter, and 38% identify business expansion as the engine for hiring initiatives. As new platforms have emerged, companies must add IT personnel to create and maintain those systems. The area of technology support has enjoyed the most growth as Web applications and their attendant security concerns have reshaped the way companies conduct business; universities are picking up on this trend, offering programs of study concentrating on security to prepare graduates for a job market that is responding to increased government regulations. The increased demand has made the search for talent more competitive, as companies are now having to step up their efforts to retain quality workers. Companies are also enacting option-to-hire contracts, where employers enjoy a chance to test out prospective hires and evaluate their contribution to the business as a whole, rather than on a narrow, technical level. The demand for well-rounded employees poses an added challenge to the academic community to produce workers who bring business savvy in addition to technical skills. Due to the characterization of the IT market as volatile and uncertain, colleges are seeing fewer students pursuing technology-related fields, and the prospect of a worker shortage could lead to greater employee turnover and increased offshoring initiatives. Click Here to View Full Article Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:21:56 -0400 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=59 Queue (08/05) Vol. 3, No. 6, P. 26; Foster, Ian; Tuecke, Steven The enterprise IT environment's transition to distributed, low-cost, and frequently heterogeneous collections of servers has fragmented the architecture into segregated silos, and reintegration must take place so that the new environment can support the advantages of vertical decoupling and horizontal integration. Many popular terms are floating around and breeding confusion, but they all relate to the move from vertically integrated silos to horizontally integrated, service-oriented systems. Grid is an umbrella term for solutions that relate to the flexible use of distributed resources for various applications, while grid infrastructure speaks of a layer for horizontal infrastructure integration. The meaning of utility computing and on-demand coincide with that of grid in that they refer to IT as service; data center automation seeks to automate operations on applications that are usually not modified for distributed execution. Service-oriented architectures (SOAs) are collections of services for interface separation and deployment necessary to facilitate compatibility, location transparency, and loose service/client coupling, while Web services are a set of technologies needed to bring SOAs into being. A horizontally integrated, service-oriented enterprise IT architecture involves applications using workload managers to coordinate access to physical resources through a common grid infrastructure layer for managing that supports resource modeling, monitoring and notification, allocation, provisioning, life-cycle management, decommissioning, and accounting and auditing. The grid infrastructure must deploy management capabilities consistently across heterogeneous resources while avoiding vendor lock-in through standardization and open source software, and efforts in these areas are proceeding quickly. Click Here to View Full Article Thu, 08 Sep 2005 01:10:36 -0400 http://www.techmentor.com/main/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=58 Once Hurricane Katrina has taken a final swipe at Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, the American Red Cross will begin quickly deploying satellite communications and other IT systems in affected areas to help storm victims begin piecing their lives back together. As the storm approached the Southern U.S. late last week, the Washington-based Red Cross began sending equipment and personnel to areas outside the storm's projected path so help could be brought in quickly after the winds and flooding subside. Katrina made landfall in Louisiana early this morning with sustained winds of 145 mph, but veered just enough to the east to spare New Orleans a direct blow. Even so, flooding, power outages and heavy damage to structures were reported throughout the region. The Red Cross tomorrow expects to begin deploying a host of systems it will need, including satellite telephones, portable satellite dishes, specially equipped communications trucks, high- and low-band radio systems, and generator-powered wireless computer networks, said Jason Wiltrout, a Red Cross network engineer. Nine specially designed Ford Excursion sport utility trucks, dubbed Emergency Communications Response Vehicles (ECRV), include various radio systems that allow communications on a wide range of frequencies across disaster areas, Wiltrout said. The vehicles haveVery Small Aperture Terminal generator-equipped satellite dishes that can help establish communications in the absence of working phone lines and cell phone towers. Read the full article Mon, 05 Sep 2005 14:17:50 -0400