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5 Interesting Things You Can Do With PostgreSQL July 17, 2012 PostgreSQL is one of the most versatile, powerful and reliable object-relational database systems available. The enterprise-class open source database is in use by some of the largest companies in the world, handling exceptionally large workloads. But you knew all of that already, so let's talk about a few features in PostgreSQL you probably didn't know about already.

Knowledge Is Power: Embracing Risk Analysis July 14, 2012 The ever-changing nature of technological consumption, combined with the economic instability experienced since 2007, has given rise to a heightened awareness of risk analysis in the technology sector. As organizations engage in across-the-board belt-tightening, decision makers realize that the potential failure of each decision carries a heavier burden than ever before.

Finding a Billing Model to Fit Your Startup July 07, 2012 Picture this: You're a young entrepreneur who's had that a-ha! moment that most only ever dream of. You've found your niche, built your offering, compiled an impressive team of engineers and salespeople that checkbook-wielding VCs are drooling over -- you're nearly ready to take the world by storm.

Now You See It, Now You Don't: The Challenges of a Disappearing Network Perimeter July 06, 2012 It may seem like Houdini is inside the network, because the perimeter as we have known it is disappearing. Conceptually, firewalls used to sit between the public Internet and the internal network with its servers, desktops and applications. There was a clear network perimeter separating internal resources from the outside world.

You're Going to Need More Than a Spreadsheet to Make That Sale July 02, 2012 Putting points on the board, "scoring" sales and posting results to beat the competition -- sales teams are the key offensive players at every organization. And not unlike star forwards on the basketball court, they require sufficient tools and training to be successful in this role. Unfortunately, sales teams are expected to put up big numbers without access to the tools that they need.

Giving Movies a New Life in the Cloud June 26, 2012 With every passing week, reports on box-office receipts come with the same anxiety as industry watchers, film companies, content owners and theater managers assess if the current year will meet or exceed the previous one. Successes like "The Hunger Games" are tempered by disappointments like "John Carter," and embedded within each lackluster debut is the hope of compensatory revenues through later release windows.

Process Maturity and the Fine Art of Control June 19, 2012 If you're in IT and your job involves securing your organizations' infrastructure, you've probably spent a good deal of time thinking through control selection -- in other words, picking the controls that most directly help you accomplish the goal of securing your environment.

'No Results' = 'No Reason to Stay': 8 Ways to Improve Your Site Search June 11, 2012 If a customer walked into one of your brick-and-mortar stores -- assuming, for this exercise, that you have brick-and-mortar stores -- and asked if you had any Sleepytime Pajamas, how would you want your sales associate to respond? Regardless of whether you carried the product or not, you'd never want the employee to say, "I'm sorry, we don't have that," and walk away.

5 Tips for Braving the BYOD Boom June 08, 2012 On today's information technology landscape, one thing is glaringly obvious: Security concerns associated with employees bringing personal devices onto the corporate network -- both internal and external -- are keeping IT managers up at night. The "consumerization" of IT is having an enormous impact on IT security.

How Nonprofits Can Stay Legal When Going Social June 02, 2012 Social media is a powerful tool that nonprofit organizations can use to quickly, cheaply and personally engage with funders, volunteers and clients. But while the benefits of using social media are vast, challenges and legal risks exist. Here are some tips and traps to keep in mind and discuss with your lawyer if you have any questions.

Integration Benefits for Developers: Choosing the Appropriate App Option June 02, 2012 There is no debating that integrations with small business platforms are a great way for app developers to gain increased exposure and, ultimately, additional sales for their tool or service. Many established software providers in the space are opening their doors through APIs to make it easier for new app developers to access their functionality and potentially access their installed customer base.

3 Database Bugaboos Facing Platform as a Service June 01, 2012 Platform as a Service solutions for the cloud are continuing to pop up all over in the world of software due to their simplicity, efficiency and strong developer orientation. Several different PaaS platforms are being built for specific technology stacks. At the application level, most PaaS solutions provide a suitable way to scale the application to deal with fluctuating demand or changing needs.

Are Lookouts Guiding Your CRM Journey? May 31, 2012 In a past life, I was a bosun's mate in the U.S. Navy. A bosun's mate's job is best described as "sailor stuff" -- running small boats, tying up and casting off in port, steering the ship, maintaining things, and lots and lots of painting. Bosun's mates also stood lookout watches, monitoring the environs day and night for signs of other ships, aircraft and things that were important for the crew to know about.

Connectivity: The New Currency May 29, 2012 The trend toward an "always on, always connected" lifestyle driven by the use of social networks and mobile technology has, if nothing else, groomed consumers to become demanding in their expectations of the online experience. Unfortunately, the e-commerce experience has changed little since early days and, until recently, continued to be a process more to be endured than enjoyed.

Technology Firms' Latest Weapon of Choice May 24, 2012 When AOL made a $1 billion deal to sell patents to Microsoft last April, its stock jumped up about 43 percent on the news. After all, AOL could use a $1 billion shot in the arm. Who couldn't? But what is behind this string of sales of patents? Why are patents so important to large tech firms like Microsoft, Google and Apple?

Blame Change for Social CRM's Plodding Pace May 24, 2012 I remember being an impatient kid when something I really wanted was on its way. The first time I was aware of my parents mail-ordering something for me -- I think it was a baseball jersey I especially coveted -- I can recall bombarding them with a chorus of the phrase, "when is it going to get here?" I realize now that hearing a six-year-old ask that question 300 times a day for three or four days was genuine torture for my parents.

Isolated Systems Need Love Too May 22, 2012 Information security has changed a lot over the years. Way back in the dinosaur days, life was simple. Companies set up a firewall at the border and life was good. Bad guys stayed on one side of the fancy flashing box, and our personnel lived in the pristine, attacker-free paradise on the inside. Well, that's how it was supposed to work, at least. Over the years, the model changed.

Global E-Commerce: Unique Capabilities Required May 19, 2012 Over the next few years, the growth in online retail sales in markets such as Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America is expected to outpace U.S. growth. Given this increase in cross-border e-commerce, many retailers are rushing to reach new markets. However, the unique circumstances of international shipping call for unique systems and process capabilities.

When Your Business Goofs, CRM Can Be Your Best Friend May 10, 2012 There are three things certain in life. We all know the two cited by Benjamin Franklin, but there's a third certainty that we all face regularly and have to cope with constantly. That's the certainty that we'll make mistakes. Everyone makes them; if it hasn't happened to your business, you haven't been in business long.

BPM and CMOs: A Match Made in Heaven May 08, 2012 There's been a lot of talk recently about how BPM is gaining traction across a wide variety of industry verticals. BPM's surge is part of the larger trend of agile development; organizations are weary of growing top-heavy and employing a number of individuals to perform tedious, manual processes.