Amy Schurr

 

 

aschurr@comcast.net

Recent articles by Schurr

Training needed to quell breaches
Mar. 31, 2009
As many highly publicized security breaches demonstrate, sometimes the greatest threat to an organization comes from within when well-meaning employees make mistakes such as losing an unencrypted laptop or posting ...

SIM study emphasizes importance of skills
Mar. 24, 2009
Project management and business skills are critical for successful IT careers. That's the finding of a white paper from the Society for Information Management (SIM).

Safe job searching
Mar. 17, 2009
Are you on the lookout for IT work? If so, beware of identity thieves who are seizing upon the bad economy to scam job seekers, warns the Identity Theft Resource Center. The organization offers advice for online job ...

Cloud computing wins converts
Mar. 10, 2009
Most IT leaders see cloud computing as viable technology that can help the bottom line, but concerns about security and control slow adoption. That's the result of a recent report from IT consulting firm Avanade.

Virtual servers drive storage consumption
Mar. 03, 2009
Most enterprise IT organizations have dabbled in server virtualization, which requires high storage availability and performance. This part of deployment can be challenging, according to a Forrester study.

Ways to save on IT
Feb. 24, 2009
As belt-tightening becomes a way of life, cost reduction continues to be a primary concern for many IT leaders. Some of the ways to save money on IT can also boost efficiency and productivity.

Managed services faring well in bad economy
Feb. 17, 2009
One market faring OK in the recession is managed services. As corporate IT staffing gets squeezed, more firms will find purchase of third-party managed services a cost-effective alternative to hiring more workers. That' ...

Maintaining employee morale
Feb. 10, 2009
As cutbacks abound, IT employees shoulder the burden of additional work and leaders struggle to maintain morale and employee productivity. There's no doubt it's easier to motivate employees when times are good, but ...

Outsourcing on the rise
Feb. 03, 2009
Amidst the slowdown, some companies are outsourcing some of their IT needs as a cost-cutting strategy or a means of focusing on their core business. In fact, in 2008, about 76% of announced outsourcing contracts ...

CompTIA updates exam
Jan. 27, 2009
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) recently updated the exam for its Network+ certification to place greater emphasis on security and wireless skills.

Annual salary survey confirms tough times
Jan. 20, 2009
The annual Network World Salary Survey shows pay raises for IT leaders and staff will be minimal this year. The survey shows an average 2.3% salary increase for the year. With inflation hovering at around 3.9%, it's not ...

Recruiter reveals hot jobs for 2009
Jan. 13, 2009
CTPartners' 2009 list of hot executive jobs shows possible opportunity for IT leaders in two general categories - social networking and healthcare.

Get your network ready for video
Jan. 06, 2009
As video takes off in the enterprise, IT leaders need to plan how they'll handle content management and bandwidth demands.

Worries abound about reputation
Jun. 17, 2008
Chief information security officers deem avoiding reputation damage to their companies as their highest priority, according to the results of the 2008 Global Information Security Workforce Study.

7 steps to effective risk management
May. 27, 2008
When your organization talks about risk management, what does it mean? According to Gartner, many enterprises are inconsistent in the use and application of the term. So it's no surprise that risk management often ends ...

Lack of policy adds to e-discovery cost and complexity
Dec. 16, 2008
IT and legal teams must work together to establish e-discovery policies. In fact, one-third of companies lack formal policies and procedures for legal holds, according to a recent poll of attorneys and executives ...

Leading in tough times
Dec. 09, 2008
The way you manage your IT staff during this economic downturn can make a big impact on the success of your organization, according to a new study from consulting firm The Forum Corp.

Open source permeates the enterprise
Dec. 02, 2008
Open source software is present in 85% of enterprises and the remainder expect to deploy it in the next year, according to research from Gartner. However, 69% of organizations don't have a formal policy for evaluating ...

Storage service providers can fill a need
Nov. 25, 2008
Many in the IT industry likely remember the storage service providers at the beginning of the decade. Companies like Storage Networks offering managed backup and recovery perished after the dot.com crash.

IT Leaders tap many communication channels
Nov. 18, 2008
CIOs feel more connected to colleagues thanks to the prevalence of smartphones, instant messaging, and other new technologies, according to the results of a poll from Robert half Technology.

Peer networks key to success
Nov. 11, 2008
Peer networks can help female IT leaders succeed in their career and boost job satisfaction, according to a Purdue University expert.

SaaS gives you software on demand
Nov. 04, 2008
IT leaders in need of updated applications but can't swing the capital investment may wish to consider software-as-a-service. A new report from Gartner forecasts the worldwide enterprise SaaS market will surpass $6.4 ...

IT zeroes in on change management
Oct. 28, 2008
Network leaders say that managing change is a top priority for 2009, according to a study from network automation vendor Netcordia.

Computing challenges provide comic relief
Oct. 21, 2008
With non-stop coverage of the election and financial meltdown, we all could use some humor. Think your help desk staff has heard it all? For your entertainment, we'll focus on some of the most unusual queries IT help ...

Telecommuting improves health
Oct. 14, 2008
The high cost of gas combined with recent shortages in the Southeast have propelled telecommuting programs. Employers benefit from greater productivity, reduced costs, improved recruitment and retention and even better ...