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In an effort to trim costs, U.S. companies increasingly have been shipping work overseas, especially to India, China, Eastern Europe and South America. While this practice boosts the bottom line in the accounting office, it also raises the anxiety level of U.S.-based employees. However, not all IT j...

"Inside jobs" have become all too commonplace in today's corporations -- but clamping down too fiercely on employee data access can wreak havoc with morale and put extra strain on already overworked IT staff. Overzealous security efforts also can reduce efficiency and increase the number of help des...

Recently, a new value-added tax (VAT) law was enacted to level the playing field between Europe-based and U.S.-based companies in the European e-commerce market. Previously, U.S. e-commerce companies doing business in Europe had not been required to charge value-added tax, putting their European cou...

All hail King Harry. When Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, Amazon.com shipped out more than a million copies, making it the largest one-day distribution of a single item in e-commerce history. Taking into account the tech bubble's burst, not all e-commerce records are positive...

When it comes to the Internet, China is no longer undiscovered country. Three Chinese portals are trouncing their U.S. rivals in the region, and investors are taking notice. However, although Sina Corp., Sohu.com and NetEase.com are beating U.S. rivals Yahoo, AOL Time Warner and Microsoft now, they ...

Bringing together various applications and computer systems is certainly no picnic, but another vital integration challenge is often overlooked in the corporate dialogue: integrating the IT department with the rest of the enterprise. How can a CIO ensure that his or her department is involved in sha...

Many companies have scaled back staffing levels and instituted mandatory hiring freezes in the past few years. Even so -- and somewhat surprisingly, considering the number of IT specialists out of work -- there is sometimes a shortage of qualified candidates to fill the gaps, even when money is budg...

Of all the words that inspire affection in a small-business owner's heart, few can compete with "free," especially at a time when companies are trying to rein in spending as tightly as possible. Still, it is virtually impossible, even in a buyer's market, to get something for nothing when it comes t...

In recent years, as the economy has made belt-tightening a mandate for many executives, farming out work to India, Russia and other countries has become a relatively commonplace tactic for U.S.-based companies. CEOs like the cost savings, and IT departments enjoy the ability to hammer out a project ...

After a couple of dismal years, the Nasdaq has seen a sharp rally in the past few months, reaching its highest level in more than a year in an early June surge. Unfortunately, IT companies and stockholders that have watched it carefully for signs of a rebound probably will need to keep watching. As ...

With multiple offices, thousands of employees and a wealth of electronic access points into their systems, large enterprises must lock down a great deal of infrastructure to stay safe. Thanks to vendors that are committed to providing the locks in the form of firewalls, CIOs can sleep a bit better. ...

Blame Hollywood for the glorification of the underdog if you must, but it is difficult to ignore the charm of a comeback kid. In today's struggling high-tech sector, it is even more notable than in the celluloid realm to see a turnaround. Yet some companies have brushed the dust from their jackets a...

As software flaws, wireless network holes and data thieves continue to make companies vulnerable to technological bad guys, a growing need for security experts has driven more IT workers toward this constantly changing field. However, the search for the right security guru can be a tricky one. After...

They seem ubiquitous wherever consumer electronics, hardware and software are sold: the offers for rebates plastered on packaging, store displays and cash register receipts. It seems like a great deal, this offer of money back, especially when all the consumer has to do is send in a receipt and UPC ...

With an enormous volume of code comes the need to keep it current, and Microsoft has been relentless in this task, issuing scores of updates and patches every day. In fact, staying on top of Windows updates has become a tricky endeavor for those in charge of maintaining hundreds or thousands of mac...

When the mainstream first discovered the newly spun Web, a new breed of spider emerged: the cybersquatter, an individual or company that registered many domain names and resold them at high prices. Although cybersquatters' numbers have diminished -- along with their profits -- these domain-name vult...

In some industries, it is easy to tell who is at the top of the heap. The office software realm has Microsoft, the beer world has Budweiser, and for much of the cola-loving planet, Coke is it. Among online brokerages, however, crowning a king is not so simple. Potential candidates have strengths and...

While the Microsoft vs. Linux debate rages in boardroom meetings and around IT water coolers, IBM has chosen sides already. Although Big Blue maintains a friendly relationship with Microsoft, its efforts in touting Linux worldwide have shown that the company is strolling down the aisle hand-in-hand ...

Call it the CTO's top 10 list. Every week, Keynote Systems releases a list of the top-performing Web sites in terms of load times, separating the lightning-quick from the sadly sluggish. It is little wonder that IT departments are focused on speeding up page load times -- a quick response can make t...

When e-commerce first became popular, it was not long before affiliate marketing sprung up as a way for small-site Davids to drive traffic toward e-tail Goliaths -- and make some change in the process. However, many affiliate programs were structured so that the house always won, and minor players w...