Is It Getting Harder To Keep Good IT People?
In This Issue:
1. Editor's Note: Is It Getting Harder To Keep Good IT People?
2. Today's Top Story
- IM Networks Under Daily Attack
Related Stories:
- Cisco Upgrades Nation's Primary Law-Enforcement Network
- Soldiers In Iraq Notified Of Possible Identity Theft
3. Breaking News
- Microsoft Promises Better Server Integration
- Google To Build Massive Facility On NASA Property
- GE Snags Homeland Security Privacy Chief
- Motorola Exec To Congress: Improve Communications
- Firefox Momentum Slows
- IBM To Help Companies Cope With Aging Workforces
- eDonkey Converts To 'Legal' File Sharing
- IBM Offers Fast SAN
- Internet Pioneer Andreessen Joins Zend Technologies
- Microsoft's Gates, Ballmer Get Raises
- Rollyo Lets You Roll Your Own Searches
- Korean Firm Claims Most Advanced Fuel Cell
4. In Depth: Personal Tech & Reviews
5. Voice Of Authority: Linux 1.0, The Start Of Something Big
6. White Papers: E-Policy Best Practices
7. Get More Out Of InformationWeek
8. Manage Your Newsletter Subscription
Quote of the day:
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1. Editor's Note: Is It Getting Harder To Keep Good IT People?
From what I've been hearing from some IT employers and IT workers
alike, it sounds like the tech job market has finally improved
enough that people who are interested in changing jobs (for more
money, better work environment, more challenges, etc.) actually
have more and better options to do that now.
And that means companies that want to retain key tech people
could begin finding it more difficult to hold onto them.
As the baby boomers begin retiring over the next several years,
some pundits are expecting an exodus of people who not only have
solid tech skills, but also years of industry experience and
business know-how. Is your company trying to talk any of those
people into delaying their retirement? Are you getting a little
bit nervous about who's going to fill that gap?
And what about the always-needed-IT-talent, like security pros?
Is it getting harder to keep these people lately? What other IT
talent is your company trying to keep -- or afraid of losing? And
what are you doing to keep them? Are you stuffing more money into
pay envelopes? Are you thinking about bringing back any of the
perks that had been shelved since the dot-com boom? (Whatever
happened to that air hockey game table, anyhow?)
If you're finding it tougher to retain IT talent, I'd like to
hear about it. And if you're an IT pro who's looking at greener
pastures, I'd like to hear about that, too. You can E-mail me at
MMcgee@cmp.com or go to my
blog and post your comments. In
addition, you can share your opinions further by taking our survey on this issue. Thank you for your
input!
Marianne Kolbasuk McGee
MMcgee@cmp.com
www.informationweek.com
2. Today's Top Story
IM Networks Under Daily Attack
This quarter has brought new parent worms, and September has seen
the highest number of IM attacks ever, according to security
vendor Akonix.
Related Stories: Security
Cisco Upgrades Nation's Primary Law-Enforcement Network
Moving from a frame relay infrastructure to IP will help the
National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System exceed
existing FBI security requirements, the vendor claims.
Soldiers In Iraq Notified Of Possible Identity Theft
Hard drives stolen from an Army base in Colorado include
personnel records of about 15,000 active-duty soldiers.
3. Breaking News
Microsoft Promises Better Server Integration
Commerce and BizTalk Server 2006 will integrate well, a Microsoft
exec promises, but how Content Management ties in remains hazy.
Google To Build Massive Facility On NASA Property
The company and government agency will work together to develop
data management and computing tools, and to promote
entrepreneurial initiatives in outer space.
GE Snags Homeland Security Privacy Chief
Hiring of Nuala O'Connor Kelly could signal GE's intent to make
privacy a competitive differentiator.
Motorola Exec To Congress: Improve Communications
Recommendations included making 700 MHz of spectrum available for
emergency communications and the use of a network based on the
Project 25 standard for first responders.
Firefox Momentum Slows
Firefox gained one percentage point of market share in five
months, compared with the one-point-per-month gains after its
release a year ago.
IBM To Help Companies Cope With Aging Workforces
IBM's consulting services will help companies cope with the problems
caused by having massive numbers of Baby Boom employees retiring.
eDonkey Converts To 'Legal' File Sharing
The firm's CEO said that pressure from the recording industry
prompted the change, and also said that many future peer-to-peer
startups will be forced to locate outside the U.S. because of the
legal pressures.
IBM Offers Fast SAN
The company is touting it as the industry's first "fully enabled"
4-gigabit-per-second storage-area network, with switch modules
available in 10-port or 20-port sizes.
Internet Pioneer Andreessen Joins Zend Technologies
Zend sells PHP, a scripting language used for Web development.
Microsoft's Gates, Ballmer Get Raises
Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, the world's richest man, is worth
$51 billion. CEO Ballmer is worth a paltry $14 billion.
Rollyo Lets You Roll Your Own Searches
Rollyo.com lets users constrain searches to lists of specific
sites, to help limit clutter.
Korean Firm Claims Most Advanced Fuel Cell
The methanol-powered, portable cell lasts for more than 4,000
hours--eight times longer than competitive products, according to
the manufacturer.
All our latest news
Watch More News
Also in today's episode:
John Soat with "Technology Pennant Race" in the current episode
of "The News Show."
Bruce Broadman with "BSM's 900-pound Gorilla"
Elena Malykhina with "Roam"
Stephanie Stahl with "Oracle's Plate"
----- The latest research, polls, and tools -----
Hard To Find Good IT Help?
Is your company experiencing a shortage of IT professionals? Is
it becoming more challenging to retain skilled IT workers? Share
your opinions on IT retention with the editors of
InformationWeek. The results of this quick survey will be used in
an upcoming feature story.
New Perspective
Looking for a new perspective? One-third of companies hire
consultants to provide a new perspective. Compare your company's
consulting initiatives against the practices of 360 of its peers
in Boom Time for Consultants, an Optimize executive research report.
-----------------------------------------
4. In Depth: Personal Tech & Reviews
Review: Three Wi-Fi Security Providers
The services allow small and medium-sized businesses to secure
wireless LANs using consumer-grade wireless access points. Are
they any good?
Review: iSCSI Modular SANs Are Ready For Liftoff
iSCSI accounts for only 2% of the SAN market, but its low cost
and ease of use are positioning it for growth.
Network Computing examined four iSCSI modular SANs; its
Editor's Choice ran circles around the competition.
Review: Dell's Next-Gen Windows Mobile PDA Is Persistently Better
Dell's new Axim X51v uses the newly updated Windows Mobile 5.0
platform to create a highly usable, more convenient, and more
powerful PDA.
ZyXEL Wi-Fi Finder And Adapter Provide Two Functions In One, At A Great Price
This handy two-in-one device locates wireless networks, provides
lots of information about them and enables you to connect easily.
Review: A Do-It-All Remote Control Device
The Logitech Harmony 880 Super Remote -- at a cost of $249 --
will handle all of the items in your entertainment center.
Review: TiVo In Your Pocket
TiVoToGo lets you move your recorded TV programs to your Windows
mobile device. It's slow, but it does the job.
5. Voice Of Authority
Linux 1.0, The Start Of Something Big
Linux has come a long way since the first kernel was released by
Linus Torvalds in 1991. Few businesspeople had ever heard of it,
and early adopters had to do some of the software assembly
themselves to get a full-blown operating system. Now that Linux
and other parts of the open-source stack are serving a vital role
in the IT operations of big companies, it got John Foley to
thinking about the early days of Linux.
6. White Papers
E-Policy Best Practices: A Business Guide To Compliant & Secure
Internet, Instant Messaging, Peer-to-Peer, And E-Mail Communications
The ePolicy Institute and St. Bernard Software have created this
business guide to provide best-practices guidelines for
developing and implementing effective workplace E-policies while
creating clean and compliant, safe and secure electronic
communications that are less likely to trigger a workplace
lawsuit, regulatory investigation, or security breach.
7. Get More Out Of InformationWeek
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