School is back in session. The football season is officially under way. The hazy, lazy last days of summer are slipping into fall as the world gets back to business. For many organizations, this is really the beginning of their planning year, and a time to reassess IT priorities and consider new technology initiatives with the potential to further business objectives.And hopefully for some, this will also be a time to take a second look at business continuity plans. Last week’s poll showed that 60 percent of the respondents had a less than complete business continuity plan in place. A number of solution providers see the potential for that as companies see the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and reconsider their own preparedness (link reconsider.

But whether it is a full-scale business continuity plan or a new wireless LAN, or some another IT initiative, Autumn presents a good time to take stock of where the IT organization is with respect to helping the business meet its goals.

IT Governance software claims to help companies do just that by mapping IT issues to business objectives. The software incorporates a range of functions from resource planning to project management. And just the promise of help getting IT and the business side on the same page has the attention of the executive suite. Please take a minute to take this week’s poll and let us know where your organization stands on the use of IT Governance software.

On a sad note, last week industry icon and former HP CEO Lew Platt passed away after a reported brain aneurysm. Platt, who rose in the ranks at HP from a position as an entry-level engineer in the company’s medical products division to lead the company for seven years in the 1990s, was the lead director of the Board of Directors at Boeing at the time of his death. Platt was beloved by his employees and widely-known for his down-to-earth, personable demeanor.