Analysts Advise CIOs on Weathering Recession
519262
Review projects, set priorities, and tighten belts--just in case, Forrester Research analysts suggest.
93384
A veteran analyst provides some salient advice on getting the next big stock.
335122
Study says he three biggest concerns for CIOs are network cost reduction, security and bandwidth.
89128
Wall Street analysts debate whether year-end Sarbanes-Oxley deadline will sap demand for corporate software systems.
266309
The Software &amp; Information Industry Association (SIIA) released a report on Thursday that painted a rosy picture of the sector&#39;s fortunes, one that stands in stark contrast to widespread fears of a recession in the U.S.&quot;One of the things we could not have anticipated was that we&#39;d be releasing this report at a time when the stock market had swooned and lawmakers were focused on an economic stimulus package,&quot; said Kenneth Wasch, president of SIIA. &quot;But it is important as policymakers consider what to do about our economic situation to recognize the role this industry plays in growing the U.S. economy.&quot;However, the SIIA acknowledged that a recession would undoubtedly have some effect on its membership.The 48-page report cites statistics culled from various government and private sources, including the U.S. Census and the Department of Labor.The SIIA&#39;s findings include:*&#160;More than 2.7 million Americans were employed in software and information-related companies in 2006, and net employment growth for those sectors was 17 percent between 1997 and 2006.*&#160;Those same workers earn among the top wages in the nation, taking home an average of $75,400 in 2006 compared to the overall average for private-sector employees of $42,400.*&#160;In comparison, other major but related industries saw their job numbers drop. Computer and electronics manufacturing fell by 27 percent, and telecommunications lost 8 percent during the same period.*&#160;The software and information industry&#39;s growth rate tripled that of the overall U.S. economy in 2005, rising 10.8 percent, compared to the 3.2 percent uptick in the U.S. gross domestic product.*&#160;The number of jobs for software engineers alone will grow to 1.2 million by 2016.Policymakers must pursue legislation that recognizes the contribution of the tech industry to the economy and ensures it remains strong in the future, Wasch and other SIIA officials said in a conference call on Thursday. Key to this, they said, is producing enough skilled workers through improving the higher education system and reforming immigration policies.&quot;We have to recognize we are competing as a country for the best-skilled talent,&quot; said David LeDuc, SIIA&#39;s director of public policy. &quot;We shouldn&#39;t be turning away some of the best and brightest workers in the world when in many cases they&#39;re being educated right here.&quot;The group also called for relaxed trade restrictions, increased penetration of broadband Internet and computer access, and tougher laws protecting intellectual property. &quot;It&#39;s simply unacceptable that we have the rates of piracy as we do around the world,&quot; LeDuc said.Even as the SIIA calls for the government to ease immigration law, Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, and others have attacked the H1-B temporary visa program, which allows companies to hire foreign workers with specialized skills. Critics contend, among other things, that companies are using H1-B visas to import cheaper labor, passing over U.S. employees and depressing wages.&quot;There&#39;s no question there&#39;s been some abuse. I&#39;m not going to sit here and argue that there&#39;s been no abuse of this,&quot; LeDuc said.
158594
Some experts contend that high borrowing rates and low supply signal ongoing decline.
690688
A heavy gloom hanging over Wall Street  may deepen next week unless such bellwether companies as Apple  and United Technologies provide investors with hope that the  U.S. economy can avert recession.
290317
Jay Cline thinks companies that dont centralize data governance now could face extinction in a few short years. And out of the ashes of what could be a cataclysm for U.S. business will arise a new title: chief information strategist.
312472
A Gartner Inc. survey of some 1,300 CIOs in 30 countries found that they plan to spend more IT dollars this year, but they must target the money into areas that foster growth, such as business intelligence and improved business processes.
78298
Bruce A. Stewart lists five hard decisions CIOs should be making this year -- and offers one role model in firmness.
334996
The U.S. economy this month has fallen into a recession, which should last for the next four to five months, Bill Gross, chief investment officer of the world's largest bond fund manager, told the Financial Times.
752476
CIOs surveyed last month predicted that IT spending would grow by only 6.7% during the next 12 months, down from the 8.4% growth rate they predicted in November, according to the latest CIO Magazine Tech Poll released today.
376758
(Source: Planview) A recent Ventana Research study of CIOs and other IT leaders showed that companies that do not apply rigorous standards and metrics to their IT organization are in fact "sitting on a goldmine" - or perhaps letting it wash away. They estimate that in many cases companies may be able to save 3 to 5 percent of their annual IT budget through tighter management practices.  Download this on demand webcast to learn more.
41219
With recession looming, there are pitfalls and opportunities.
279771
Worthington Industries CIO Jonathan Dove tells Computerworld that he sees the role of the CIO changing.
681243
Apparel retailers may be  facing a doom-and-gloom sales environment in the near future,  but many are anxious to prove to a skeptical marketplace they  have got what it takes to be recession-proof.
527404
Britain and the US are in for a "very severe recession," according to Philippe Jabre. The Geneva-based hedge fund manager, who predicts only a short-lived bounce in stock markets, said that anyone with debt faced problems.