Guide to the TechWeb Network


The InformationWeek -- Blogs


Topics:  

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • |  Print this page Print this page
  • |   Bookmark and Share

As The Network Goes, So Go IT Careers


Posted by Chris Murphy, Sep 6, 2006 10:25 PM

We've got an article this week on WAN optimization. Might not sound like the most emotionally charged topic--until you see comments like this from IT pros who faced network performance problems: "My name became mud as fast as you could spell it."

What surprised me about this article is how personally accountable these IT leaders were for network performance. And how emotional the topic of network performance has become. "The people out there would have lynched me if I didn't show up and do something," one IT manager says--as employees have become utterly dependent on the network to do their jobs.

Big-name vendors have picked up on this market's rising importance, with the likes of Cisco and Microsoft angling to get a bigger piece of it.

I expected this to be a bit of a speeds-and-feeds issue. Turns out, it's more of a desperate-need issue. Of course, that still doesn't mean anyone's going to hand the IT team bouquets when the network runs beautifully.

« Stakes Small, But Outcome Huge In Model Railroad Software Fight | Main | Daily Podcast For Thursday, September 7 »



Tomorrow's CIO: Do you have what it takes?
Find out at the 2008 InformationWeek 500 Conference
Sept. 14-16, St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, Calif.


Sign up now for the weekly InformationWeek Blog Newsletter.


This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.