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Where We're Headed:
The Outlook From The Industry's Leading Executives, Decision Makers, And Influencers January 27, 2003

This week, we're handing InformationWeek.com over to a one-of-a-kind group of IT execs, analysts, and observers. Each has written a column sharing his or her perspective on the world of IT, and the result is an unprecendented and fascinating view of technology from those in the trenches.

You'll see some of the biggest names in technology among our authors. What you won't see is a lot of agreement on issues such as legacy systems, consolidation, and best-of-breed approaches to building an IT architecture. Overall, however, InformationWeek Editor Stephanie Stahl and InformationWeek.com editor Rusty Weston think you'll walk away with a sense of optimism from today's IT leaders--and the need to be ready when the economic turnaround comes.

Good Times And Bad, Innovation Is Key
The only way to emerge stronger from a recessionary period is by having new products, technologies, and capabilities.
by Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel

Networks Have To Think Smarter
Networking will drive productivity gains and improve living standards.
by John Chambers, president and CEO of Cisco Systems

Collaboration Equals Innovation
Healthy business relationships are based as much on transparency and trust as they are on transactions.
by Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Computer

Lessons We Shouldn't Forget
Businesses must realize that agendas are now customer-driven..
by Carly Fiorina, chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard

Toward Saner Computing
The best way to make things better for customers is to reduce complexity.
by Scott McNealy, chairman, president, and CEO of Sun Microsystems

Opportunity On Demand
Customers want offerings that will help them transform their operations and build new business models.
by Sam Palmisano, chairman and CEO OF IBM

Trends, From Storage To Always-On
EMC chief Joe Tucci expects IT managers will seek to automate and control the escalating demands of storage management.
by Joe Tucci, president and CEO of EMC

How To Win At The Storage Game
Storage vendors must deliver rapid return on investment and a low total cost of ownership.
by Dan Warmenhoven, CEO of Network Appliance

A $5 Billion Vote Of Confidence
The promise and opportunities of the next decade are every bit as good as they were in the last.
by Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft

The Signs Of Change
Your company wouldn't dig a well for its water supply, would it? Then, Salesforce.com's Marc Benioff asks, why deploy enterprise software yourself?
by Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com

The Unquenchable Thirst For Information
Companies always need business-intelligence tools, though the way they're used varies over time.
by Gerry Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders

Real-Time Reality
Moving businesses processes online can help companies boost efficiency and hold down costs.
by Craig Conway, president and CEO of PeopleSoft

Kinder, Gentler Software
The focus must be on simplifying the installation, deployment, and maintenance of applications.
by Larry Ellison, chairman and CEO of Oracle

Long-Range View Pays Off
Helping employees be as productive and creative as possible is good business.
by Jim Goodnight, president and CEO of SAS Institute

A Cautious Optimist
The year ahead: There will be continued pressure on IT budgets and consolidation in the industry, SAP America's Bill McDermott says, but at some point, customer spending will return to more normal levels.
by Bill McDermott, president and CEO of SAP America

Manage Your Way To 360-Degree Security
Innovative security-management systems will better protect data
by John Thompson, chairman and CEO of Symantec

Business Process Is The Focal Point
The days of closed, monolithic application suites and proprietary integration solutions are over.
by Thomas Siebel, chairman and CEO of Siebel Systems

Better Benefits, Less Strain
Benefits providers must move beyond a passive model to engage, educate, and empower consumers.
by Andrea Anania, executive VP and CIO at Cigna Corp.

Opportunity In Adversity
Companies will start to leverage Web services and wireless technologies this year.
by Dave Bent, CIO and VP at Acterna LLC

Divine And Construct Competitive Value
Here's how to reignite sustainable growth: Get the world's CEOs and operational executives to connect the goals and assets of their companies with the role of IT.
by Scott Dinsdale, executive VP of Digital Strategy at the Motion Picture Association

Business Needs Outpace Technology
Owens & Minor's David Guzmán sees Web services as key to unlocking technology value.
by David Guzmán, senior VP and CIO of Owens & Minor

Health-Care Prognosis
Want hard results? Linking health-care payers and providers electronically has cut the cost per transaction from $5 to less than 25 cents, CareGroup's John Halamka says. Expect more efforts in health care focused on efficiency and accuracy this year.
by John Halamka, senior VP of I.S. at CareGroup Healthcare System

What's Your Legacy?
IT can fundamentally change a business, Dell Computer's Randy Mott says, but not until legacy systems are abandoned.
by Randy Mott, senior VP and CIO at Dell Computer

It's A Great Time Be In IT
This is far from the worst of times for a business-technology executive. In fact, GM's Ralph Syzgenda says, there has never been a better time for business leaders to use technology to differentiate their companies.
by Ralph Syzgenda, group VP and CIO at General Motors

No Comfort Zone Here
There's a natural emphasis on proven technologies and fast return today. But HIP's Pedro Villalba says there's still a critical need in a business strategy to invest in research and development focused on emerging technologies.
by Pedro Villalba, senior VP of I.T. and chief technology officer at HIP Health Plan of New York

Continental Pulls Ahead
CIOS need to develop relationships with vendors that understand leading-edge technology.
by Janet Wejman, senior VP and CIO of Continental Airlines

Keep Your Eye On The ROI Prize
Instead of bemoaning the end of the boom time, BearingPoint's Randolph Blazer says to focus on the opportunities that do exist, such as growth in China, in managed services, and in government contracts.
by Randolph Blazer, chairman and CEO of BearingPoint

Looking For Good News
The technology community is eager to exploit its entrepreneurial spirit, and Bradford Brown says the president must lead the way.
by Bradford Brown, chairman of the National Center for Technology & Law at George Mason University School of Law

It's All In The Process
In 2003, real-time business will emerge as a powerful model for connecting customers, suppliers, partners, and other pieces of the extended enterprise. It's not a fad, warns Evans, and companies that choose to ignore its, well, realness, do so at their very great peril.
by Bob Evans, Editor-in-Chief of InformationWeek

More For Less
The new IT mantra is balancing cost-cutting activities with carefully crafted business-process alignment.
by Jim Hatch, formerly CIO at Pactiv

A Question Of Balance
If companies work hard and tap their talented people, Robert Rubin says, they can achieve success this year.
by Robert Rubin, former CIO of Elf Atochem

'Magic' Formula Hasn't Changed
A sustainable business requires a business model and a company culture that can stand the test of time, William Schaff says.
by William Schaff, chief investment officer at Bay Isle Financial LLC


Langa Letter: Linux Has Bugs: Get Over It January 27, 2003

Fred Langa contends that some Linux proponents harm their cause by hiding from the facts--it's just as buggy as Windows XP.


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