The Daily News is brought to you by George Spafford, Principal Consultant at Pepperweed Consulting, LLC.  Pepperweed is nationally recognized as a leader in IT Management and was recently recognized as one of the Inc. 500 fastest growing privately-held companies.  For more information, check out our website at www.pepperweed.com or call 888 229-0145. Please let us know if you see stories you think should be included in the next issue of the Daily News, and feel free to forward this email on to others.

 

Do you need a public speaker at your next IT-related event?  If so, please contact me at george.spafford@....  A number of programs are available including one hour presentations, keynotes, executive awareness sessions and so on all revolving around technology business, the management of IT, ITIL, and risk management.

 

"Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for.” – Peter Drucker

 

The Picks of the Day

Seven Trends for 2007

“Kicking off the new year, we're going for seven trends that represent the kind of moving and shaking in business and IT that will have repercussions beyond just the next release. Forget the little stuff--we're talking tectonic shifts.”

http://www.intelligententerprise.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196603897

[They bring up some very good points such as the retirement of baby boomers and the loss of knowledge.  This is definitely worth reading.]

 

Compliance Online Webinar:  Mitigating Risks around basic Data Backup and Restoration

Live  January 15^th at 2pm Eastern

“Many organizations, both large and small, rely on their information technology systems to the extent that their loss can be devastating. To alleviate risks, many have invested in data backup systems in the hope that by simply performing backups their data is safe. Unfortunately, as many groups have painfully learned, the truth can be that they have little to no protection at all due to an inability to recover as planned. The purpose of this executive briefing is to set forth strategies for mitigating the risks surround the backup and restoration of data.”

http://www.complianceonline.com/ecommerce/control/trainingFocus?product_id=700181&category_id=30010

[There is a $249 fee for attending this session, which will be offered live on January 15^th at 2pm Eastern and then on-demand afterwards.]

 

Immigrants a Driving Force Behind Start-Ups, Study Says

“About 25 percent of the technology and engineering companies launched in the past decade had at least one foreign-born founder, according to a study released yesterday that throws new information into the debate over foreign workers who arrive in the United States on specialty visas”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/03/AR2007010301678.html?nav=rss_technology

 

IT Process Improvement / Quality Management

What You Need to Know About Statistical Process Control (SPC)

This is a resource site for SPC.

http://www.qualitytrainingportal.com/resources/spc/index.htm

 

SPC For Dummies

This is a nicely done PPT on the topic.

http://www.cec.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/toolkit/assets/2_7_1_SPC.ppt

 

ITIL® Refresh Statement

Here’s the latest ITIL Refresh comment from the OGC dated December 13, 2006.

http://www.itil.co.uk/refresh.htm

 

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Enron's last victim: American markets

“The act, which was passed hastily in the wake of the Enron scandal, was surely well intentioned. But it has proven counterproductive in the extreme, and Congress would best honor the departing lawmakers by repealing it.  Sarbanes-Oxley has seriously harmed American corporations and financial markets without increasing investor confidence.”

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/03/opinion/ednisk.php

[A very interesting article.]

 

Class-Action Settlement Size Is Surging

“Two studies published this week—>one from Stanford Law School, the other from NERA Economic Consulting—found that the number of shareholder class action suits were down dramatically in 2006. Even so, the size of settlements of existing cases soared past last year's record levels, according to NERA, which produces an annual study of the topic.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/8491868?f=alerts&x=1

 

So Many Millions, So Little Body Armor

“The current state of corporate ethics, and the governmental and public policy response to that state, are so bewildering, so upsetting, so impossible to understand except in terms of the famous phrase, ‘Follow the money,’ that it makes my poor old head spin.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/business/yourmoney/07every.html?_r=1&ref=yourmoney&oref=slogin

 

Security and Risk Management

Not Taking Any Risks: Companies Will Spend More On Risk Management In 2007

“Due to the increasing amount of natural and political events that can disrupt the supply chain, more companies will be focusing on risk management in 2007.  According to AMR Research's in-depth field study, released Wednesday, on the state of operational risk management technologies, 46 percent of firms surveyed plan to implement or evaluate technology for risk management over the next 12 to 24 months.”

http://manufacturing.net/article/CA6403890.html

 

Warrantless mail searches may be allowed

“A statement attached to postal legislation by President Bush last month may have opened the way for the government to open mail without a warrant.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16472777/

 

Nuclear security agency gets new leader

“The White House said yesterday that President Bush has chosen a replacement for the man ousted as head of the government's nuclear weapons program in the wake of reports of embarrassing security breakdowns.”

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/news/nation/16396659.htm

 

Healthcare / Bio-Informatics / Care Delivery Organizations (CDOs)

Hospital CIOs across country tackle demanding projects in 2007

“As 2007 dawns, CIOs at healthcare organizations across the country are gearing up for major IT revamps. They run the gamut from rolling out new clinical systems, installing new servers, and boosting wireless capacity.”

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=6130

 

Spread of records stirs fears of privacy erosion

“As the health-care industry embraces electronic record-keeping, millions of pages of old documents are being scanned into computers across the country. The goal is to make patient records more complete and readily available for diagnosis, treatment and claims-payment purposes. But the move has kindled patient concern about who might gain access to sensitive medical files -- data that now can be transmitted with the click of a computer mouse.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06362/749444-114.stm

 

Prototypes on Display for Nationwide Health Information Network

“Insurance companies are stakeholders in the NHIN, which will allow patients to manage their own health care records, move the records when they change jobs and share the records with insurers when they buy a policy.  America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have agreed to support a common set of standards for the network, according to published reports.”

http://www.insurancenetworking.com/protected/article.cfm?articleId=4463&pb=ros

 

King County becomes first local government to promote federal goals for better health information

“King County Executive Ron Sims has issued an Executive Order that will improve health care information in King County and help increase access to better, more affordable healthcare. The order directs county agencies to improve health care quality and reduce costs by improving information to both consumers and providers, and others in the healthcare system. The undertaking is part of a national effort and King County is the first local government in the nation to commit to it.”

http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/news/2007/0103health.aspx

 

Bush signs VA bill that protects data from misuse

“President Bush signed into law a $3.2 billion bill that will improve veterans’ benefits, health care, the security of their sensitive data and, when it occurs, its response to a comprehensive breach.”

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/42841-1.html

 

Human Error / Safety / Environment

Is YouTube just what the doctor ordered?

“Each day an estimated 100 million videos are watched by people who visit YouTube, which was launched in February 2005, and was acquired by Google in October 2006, in a $1.65 billion stock deal.  Since its launch, YouTube has hosted a wide variety of clips offering tips about how to deal with medical issues ranging from attention deficit disorder to effective condom use.”

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn10859&feedId=online-news_rss20

 

New report from U.N. puts 'global warming' in very different light

“To quote the U.N. report: ‘The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The report adds, ''The impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.’”

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17657604&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46368&rfi=6

 

NASA scientist warns global warming will be irreversible after 10 years

“A NASA scientist has warned that pollution has increased to such an extent, that unless drastic cuts are made within the next decade, it will become difficult for mankind to reverse the effects of global warming.”

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070103/139/6as8e.html

 

Ancient global warming was jarring, not subtle, study finds

“Foreshadowing potential climate chaos to come, early global warming caused unexpectedly severe and erratic temperature swings as rising levels of greenhouse gases helped transform Earth, a team led by researchers at UC Davis said Thursday.  The global transition from ice age to greenhouse 300 million years ago was marked by repeated dips and rises in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and wild swings in temperature, with drastic effects on forests and vegetation, the researchers reported in the journal Science.”

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-climate5jan05,1,6576944.story?track=rss&ctrack=1&cset=true

 

Record temps in Tibet fuel warming fears

“Temperatures in rugged Tibet hit record highs in recent days, as a scientific survey warned of the impact of global warming in the Himalayan region. … Meanwhile, China's Tibet plateau, seen as a barometer of world climate conditions, is experiencing accelerating glacial melt and other ecological change, the People's Daily has reported.”

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,21023572-1702,00.html?from=public_rss

 

Global Warming and Warm Weather: Connected?

“Is there a connection between the January heat wave that is sweeping the East Coast and man-made global warming?  Scientists say yes — in this way: What they know for sure is the warm winter fits the pattern, exactly, that has long been predicted for manmade global warming of more and more frequent unseasonable warm spells.”

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2775291&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

 

Scientists' Report Documents ExxonMobil’s Tobacco-like Disinformation Campaign on Global Warming Science

“A new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists offers the most comprehensive documentation to date of how ExxonMobil has adopted the tobacco industry's disinformation tactics, as well as some of the same organizations and personnel, to cloud the scientific understanding of climate change and delay action on the issue. According to the report, ExxonMobil has funneled nearly $16 million between 1998 and 2005 to a network of 43 advocacy organizations that seek to confuse the public on global warming science.”

http://www.ucsusa.org/news/press_release/ExxonMobil-GlobalWarming-tobacco.html

 

Outsourcing / Globalization / International

China sees rapid rise in Web use

“China's population of Internet users, already the world's second-largest after the United States, has risen by 30 percent over the past year to 132 million, a state news agency said Friday.  The figure was up from 123 million at the end of June, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the government's China Internet Network Information Center.”

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/12/29/china.online.ap/index.html

 

Islamic Terrorists using Google Map and GPS systems to locate, track and monitor India’s IT and call center outsourcing hubs

“They want to hit at the core profit center of India Inc. They want to hit at the outsourcing centers all over the nation”

http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/15046.asp

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070106/210/6avkj.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070106/tc_cmp/196801492

 

IDC: Asia Pacific IT market to reach US$132b in 2007

“The overall IT market in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) is forecasted to reach US$132 billion in 2007, fueled by increasing domestic demand and economic growth in the region spearheaded by India and China, according to IDC’s annual forecast.  ‘The region’s astounding rates of economic and IT market growth have resulted in dynamic and rapidly evolving corporate and consumer markets. This is a role the region has gradually accepted, but the growth is now taking off explosively,’ said Eva Au, managing director for IDC Asia/Pacific.”

http://www.computerworld.com.sg/ShowPage.aspx?pagetype=2&articleid=4414&pubid=3&tab=Home&issueid=100

 

China moves to cool economy

“China stepped up efforts yesterday to cool its sizzling economy by tightening bank credit for the fourth time in seven months.  The central bank raised the amount of money that banks must hold in reserve, cutting the pool available for lending. The government worries that runaway investment in real estate and other assets, fueled by easy credit, could ignite inflation or a debt crisis.”

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/16395399.htm?source=rss&channel=inquirer_business

 

The Global Gusher

“Worldwide, an abundance of liquidity has lured investors into riskier assets in search of higher returns. … Capital controls are a way around what economists call the ‘impossible trinity’: an economy cannot simultaneously control domestic liquidity, manage its exchange rate and have an open capital account.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/8508832/c_8509431?f=alerts&x=1

 

Chinese autos at Cobo reinforce globalization

“The Chinese are mimicking the pattern established by the Japanese and South Korean automakers: Learn the American market; tweak and perfect the products consumers want; then sell them cheaper to make significant inroads into the American market.  Toyota Motor Corp. has ridden that formula to help it toward the No. 1 spot in the world. The company expects to sell 9.35 million vehicles this year, which would surpass the 9.1 million vehicles General Motors Corp. sold in 2006.”

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070107/OPINION01/701070302

 

ASEAN to discuss counter-terrorism

“Leaders of 16 Asian nations aim to seal agreements on counter-terrorism, energy and trade next week at a summit in the central Philippines clouded by bomb threats and regional insecurity.”

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/asean.preview.reut/index.html?section=cnn_latest

 

Economics / Business / Misc.

Inside Seagate's R&D Labs

“As Gordon Moore is to transistors, Seagate CTO Mark Kryder is to ‘areal density’ -- a measure of how tightly data can be packed onto the surface of a disk. In a conference room overlooking the Allegheny River, he describes the coming storm in magnetic technology.”

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72387-0.html?tw=rss.technology

 

Toyota eyes southern U.S. for assembly plant

“Toyota Motor Corp. may name a site in the southern United States for its eighth North American assembly plant as early as this month, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.   Toyota is considering three to five locations, including Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Marion, Arkansas, the Journal said. Other sources told the paper that a location near Alamo, Tennessee and in North Carolina also are possibilities.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16464937/

 

Ford’s CEO cancels his order for a Lexus

“Mulally called Toyota ‘the finest machine in the world, the finest production system in the world. So we went to study with the master. I really wanted to connect with each of the manufacturers in the industry and to do it quickly,’ said Mulally, who was hired away from aircraft maker Boeing Co. by Ford Motor Co.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16464931/

 

Credit Quality Dips; Slowdown Ahead?

“A credit management outsourcing company has seen a sharp decline in credit quality for unsecured trade creditors over the past two months. According to Pam Krank, president of Credit Department Inc., the cash flows of small and midsized commodities firms have weakened significantly in November and December, and they're having a harder time getting credit.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/8506318?f=alerts

 

The Three Scrooges

“Companies are simply not using their balance sheets effectively. They are retaining cash, rather than borrowing to exploit the gap between the returns they can achieve and the cost of finance. Indeed, Mr McVey says that many companies earn a lower return on equity than they make on their operating assets; that is a very poor deal for shareholders.”

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/8508804/c_8509431?f=alerts

 

End Notes

Titles and links to articles written by George Spafford are listed at:  http://spaffordconsulting.com/articles.html

 

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Pepperweed Consulting, LLC, was founded by IT professionals who recognized a need for quality IT Management tools and specialists peaked in their implementation and use. Today, Pepperweed is nationally recognized for its unique ability to provide optimal infrastructure and process designs and to deliver on the promise of those designs through hands-on implementation of selected technologies. Recently listed as one of the Inc. 500 fastest growing, privately held companies, Pepperweed is one of the largest IT Management practices in the U.S.

 

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George Spafford Principal Consultant Pepperweed Consulting, LLC® Office:  269-556-9597 Mobile:  269-208-1832 FAX:  208-978-6295 George.Spafford@...

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