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.

 

"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him.” – Leo Tolstoy

 

The Picks of the Day

IT Innovation Demands Discipline

“The findings quantified distinctions between IT shops that live for the average and the few that take process leadership seriously. Elite IT performers weren’t just two or three times better than median performers—they were seven or eight times better. High performers—roughly 13 percent of the 98 sampled—contributed on average eight times more projects, four and a half times more applications and software, four and a half times more IT services, and seven times more business IT changes. They implemented 14 more changes with half the failure rate.”

http://www.cio.com/article/26671/IT_Innovation_Demands_Discipline

 

Bill Seeks New Network Approach

“Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate would create a private, not-for-profit corporation to build a national health information network.”

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/news/NewsStory.cfm?articleId=15208

 

ITIL Dons a Suit and Tie

“The new ITIL is the first major revision in seven years and comes with its own drum roll. Vendors like Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) are treating the revised guide like a marketing event. The 10 authors of the five books are being hounded for interviews. Naysayers growl that imposing a new ITIL on companies struggling to get through the current version is maddening.”

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci1256814,00.html?track=NL-162&ad=591242&asrc=EM_NLN_1528404&uid=3121061

 

IT Audit / Internal Audit

Dan's Internal Audit Corner - Auditing IT Initiatives “Thought Leadership”. - (Because an IT Project Failure is NOT An Option)

“Each month Dan Swanson, a senior security and internal audit professional will provide his list of recommended resources for AuditNet readers. If you have questions about this page or the links, you can reach Dan at www.securitybenchmark.com and dswanson_2005@....”

http://www.auditnet.org/articles/DSIA200702.htm

 

IT Process Improvement / Quality Management

Understanding the ITIL Trinity of Configuration, Change and Release Management

June 28, 2007, 2:00pm EDT, 11:00am PDT

“ITIL identifies the Centralized Change, Configuration and Release function and its benefits. Organizations seeking to address confidentiality, integrity and availability issues with their infrastructure should pay close attention to these three processes. Attend this webcast and get an overview of Change Management, Configuration Management, Release Management and how these three areas work together.

Sign up today at http://cp.jupiterweb.com/index.php/3656_default/

 

The Buzz About ITIL V3, Part 1

“This week the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) Version 3 refresh publications debut. bITa Planet asked a few leading thinkers in the vendor and consultant community to share some of their thoughts about the enhancements and improvements to the best practice framework”

http://www.itsmwatch.com/itil/article.php/3680206

 

The Buzz About ITIL V3, Part 2

“In the second part of this series, industry experts offer addition insights into the best practices refresh.  With the publication this week of the version 3 refresh of the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL), the talk in the industry will be about how the upgrade to the best practice framework will affect their organizations.”

http://www.itsmwatch.com/itil/article.php/3680456

 

Release Management: Where to Start?

“The current ITIL implementation landscape is populated with Incident, Change and Configuration process improvement projects. However, mention Release Management (RM) to an IT Manager in the Infrastructure group shop and you will likely receive a few blank stares.

In fact, many IT careers have been preserved by defending the idea that RM cannot be mastered by a single IT manager and, in any case, the requirements of software development and infrastructure are so distinct that they merit different treatment. This ‘separatism’ is the single greatest factor hampering RM implementations and it is a profoundly mistaken notion.”

http://www.itsmwatch.com/itil/article.php/3680776

 

New IT Library Aims to Serve

“Speak to an IT professional anywhere in the world and he'll likely fall into one of two camps: He either uses or is about to start using the Information Technology Infrastructure Library and considers his service levels improved by it, or he doesn't use it at all. In all likelihood, the IT worker in the latter camp works in the United States.”

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2138830,00.asp

 

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

Internal Control Seminars

Several of my colleagues have been presenting compliance-related seminars across the country for the past five years:  Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance, Corporate Governance, Internal Controls, IT Auditing, Fraud Prevention and Detection, and Information Security.  Cost effective best practices for internal control over financial reporting are presented in one-day seminars that offer 8 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit.  The seminars are as entertaining as they are informative.

http://www.compliance-seminars.com

 

Webcast:  What the New SEC and PCAOB Standards Can Mean For Management, Auditors, and the Entire Compliance Community

June 7^th  -12:00 to 1:00pm Eastern

“Now that the new rules and regulations have been announced, the compliance community is seeking guidance on how the new SEC and PCAOB regulations will affect them. To help our members chart their way in this new environment, the 404 Institute will present one of the first looks at what these new rules and regulations will mean. Join guest speakers Craig Crawford, Partner, Department of Professional Practice, KPMG LLP and Pat Edgar, Lead Audit Resource Partner, Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Services, as they discuss what these changes can mean for your company.”

http://www.404institute.com/events.aspx

 

Security and Risk Management

Lessons From a Data Breach

“It's been just over a year since the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs disclosed that a laptop PC and external hard disk containing personal data on 26.5 million veterans and active-duty military personnel were stolen from the home of a VA employee.  The disclosure sparked widespread concern over the perceived lack of information security controls at the agency. It prompted a sweeping overhaul of the agency's IT organization including top level personnel changes and a centralization of all IT development, operations and maintenance activities at VA.”

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132501-pg,1/article.html

 

First to worst: IT survey ranks 10 U.S. cities for disaster preparedness

“While businesses in New York and Houston should feel comfortable about their chances of weathering natural or man-made disasters, the same cannot be said for Cleveland and Minneapolis/St. Paul-based organizations, according to a new AT&T Business Continuity study released on Tuesday.”

http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=disaster_recovery&articleId=9021720&taxonomyId=83&intsrc=kc_top

 

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

Electronic records can make emergencies manageable

“Over the past several years, a series of national emergencies, including terrorist attacks, natural disasters and school tragedies, has demonstrated just how vital it is to have the right health information technology systems and procedures in place in the wake of disaster.  While it is impossible to be fully prepared for disasters such as these, health information technology solutions can have a profound impact in the aftermath of a catastrophe. For example, hospitals with the proper technology systems in place are able to discharge noncritical patients more effectively and efficiently in order to ensure beds are available for trauma victims.”

http://www.buffalonews.com/149/story/88567.html

 

Dead last: health care quality in the U.S.

“Among the six nations studied — Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States — the U.S. ranks last, as it did in the 2006 and 2004 editions of [our report]. Most troubling, the U.S. fails to achieve better health outcomes than the other countries, and … the U.S. is last on dimensions of access, patient safety, efficiency and equity. “

http://www.pww.org/index.php/article/articleview/11165/1/374

 

US faces budget "crisis” over health-care costs: OECD

“The United States is set for a budget ‘crisis’ unless it reforms health-care spending on its ageing population, the OECD said in a report on Tuesday, mixing high praise for past reforms with dire warnings.”

http://www.physorg.com/news99637505.html

 

Where the Dems Stand on I.T.

“The three leading Democratic challengers for president all support expanded use of health information technology. And they all briefly explain in health care position papers their I.T. strategy if elected president.”

http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/html/news/NewsStory.cfm?articleId=15220

 

Human Error / Safety / Environment

China shares bird flu sample, first time in year: WHO

“China has shared human bird flu samples for the first time in more than a year, giving a boost to international efforts to track the deadly H5N1 virus and develop vaccines, the World Health Organisation said on Friday. “

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070601/sc_nm/birdflu_china_samples_dc_3

 

China's plan on global warming says growth remains a priority

“China on Monday rejected international pressure to adopt mandatory caps on greenhouse-gas production as it unveiled its first national program to help combat global warming.”

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6062094

 

Agencies cut back efforts to monitor global warming from space

“The Bush administration is drastically scaling back efforts to measure global warming from space, just as President Bush tries to convince the world the United States is ready to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gases.  A confidential report to the White House, obtained by The Associated Press, warns that U.S. scientists will soon lose much of their ability to monitor warming from space using a costly and problem-plagued satellite initiative begun more than a decade ago.”

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0607/060507ap1.htm

 

A week of mixed messages on global warming

“If you're confused by the babel about global warming coming out of the Bush administration, imagine how the rest of the world must regard it.”

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/editorial/17326050.htm

 

Lawmakers leery of global warming

“If members of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming could have peered through the storm clouds atop Cannon Mountain on Monday, they would have seen for themselves why the region’s residents are so anxious about global warming.”

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/06/lawmakers_leery_1.html

 

US, Canada, Russia 'fail test' on global warming – WWF

“None of the Group of Eight (G8) countries is doing enough to avoid a dangerous escalation of global warming, but the worst offenders are the United States, Canada and Russia, environmental group the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said today.”

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2007/06/05/afx3788779.html

 

Outsourcing / Globalization / International

Think global, and timely, on strategies

“What can be done to deal with legitimate concerns about economic change while still promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and growth through trade? I believe it's time for a new approach involving the U.S. public and private sectors.  We can't afford to wait until the next president takes office in 2009. There are steps we can accomplish in the next few months in the key areas of education, trade, immigration, health care and energy.”

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070531/OPINION02/705310369/1068/OPINION

 

Outsourcing: The 20-Year Overnight Success Story

“The trend toward outsourcing that has been highly visible over the last few years actually began more than 20 years ago with heavy investments in training, technology and new venture development. Simply defining outsourcing as a means to pay lower wages would overlook many more opportunities that were set in place decades ago.”

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/57647.html

 

India and Brazil to shape global economy: Lula

“As India and Brazil set out an ambitious bilateral trade target of USD 10 billion by 2010, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva today said the new world economic order cannot be negotiated without taking on board two of the most important developing nations.”

http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/90171.asp

 

India-Brazil ties soar on wings of trade, energy

“India and Brazil, despite being continents apart, deepened their strategic ties as the two countries Monday signed seven pacts in areas ranging from space and education to culture and energy. The two countries also launched a CEOs forum to quadruple trade to $10 billion by 2010.”

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070604/43/6gmyo.html

 

Chinese economy will not slow down after 2008

“China's economy will not suffer a slowdown after the 2008 Olympic Games, according to a senior Chinese economist.  Lu Zheng, chief of the Institute of Industrial Economics, which is attached to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in Beijing that fears of an economic slowdown after 2008 are unwarranted. “

http://in.news.yahoo.com/070602/139/6gkoo.html

 

Economics / Business / Misc.

Doing the CEO shuffle

“Nationwide, the picture is similar: 859 companies had ousted their CEOs as of May 23, according to Liberum Research in New York, which gathers data about executive changes at public companies. That number is right in line with the pace last year, when 2,743 companies got new CEOs. That was a 30 percent increase over the previous year.”

http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/591821.html

 

Flextronics Agrees to Buy Solectron for $3.6 Billion

“Flextronics said the deal for Solectron, the world's fifth- biggest electronics maker, will boost sales to about $30 billion annually, trailing Hon Hai's NT$1.32 trillion ($40 billion) in revenue last year. Solectron's customers include Cisco Systems Inc. and International Business Machines Corp.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aIQx2tzqUxLw&refer=us

 

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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