InSys Views - January 2010

Volume 5, Issue 1 - January 2010

Let me begin by wishing you the best of the New Year, with this first issue of 2010.

I can't really use the word "happy," though, since we're facing one of the greatest disasters in the history of the Western Hemisphere. The pictures of the devastation in Haiti are heartbreaking, and the scale is hard to imagine. The latest reports say that some 200,000 people have been killed, with a million and a half left homeless, and 3 million at risk of infection and disease.

Even so, there are some bright spots, and it's interesting how technology figures into the picture. US cell phone users, making small donations of $10 each, have contributed over $20 million for Haiti relief, just by texting the word "Haiti" to 90999. Volunteers are swamping Telecoms Sans Frontieres with offers to set up satellite communications links. Given the challenge of getting information out while getting supplies in, a lot of the news is coming from Twitter and Facebook. And Skype has been playing a key role in person-to-person communications.

All of us should do what we can here, at both personal and corporate levels. It's incredibly easy to lend a hand, but remember that a disaster always brings the scammers out of the woodwork. If you make a donation, be sure it's legit - American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and OxFam - to name just a few.

Linda Magnusson-Rosario, CEO

What CIOs Need to Know

This Forbes interview with Richard Hunter, Gartner Fellow and Vice President, suggests that CIOs need new business-related skills, a significant shift in thinking since the creation of IT departments. Read the article.

Keys to SaaS Success

According to an InformationWeek Analytics survey, 75% of companies using SaaS consider application services extremely or critically important. But despite the importance, too many IT leaders treat SaaS in an ad hoc fashion. Read the article.

Promoting Innovation

While it's often said that innovation is a key to success, there's very little said about just how to do it. If you're interesting in making innovation happen in your organization, check out this post.

Good Winter Eats

If you like to cook (or are lucky enough to know someone who does), this is a great time of year to try new recipes. Check out the Winter edition of Linda's Top Secret White Binder Cookbook for some very tasty dishes, including a new smoked salmon appetizer and several to-die-for desserts. Just look for the "stars" in the table of contents.

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