Take the Backbone tech test
Give us 15 minutes, we’ll give you insight into your business
By Peter Wolchak
November 23, 2010
November 23, 2010
This issue presents our second-annual technology test, an assessment tool designed to give you a clearer picture of where your company stands on the curve from progressive visionaries to ostriches burying their heads in the sand. The test consists of 25 questions in five categories: green IT and social responsibility, Web presence, security, agility, and communication and workflow. Completing the questionnaire will likely take about 15 minutes.
We guarantee the effort will deliver insight into your company’s technical sophistication, ability to innovate, and security and preparedness. And that is an excellent return on a 15-minute investment. After all, in a world economy that is increasingly knowledge-based, knowledge itself is power.
Use Backbone
Backbone’s editorial mandate is to offer practical advice you can use in your own business, and we have covered many of the issues raised in the assessment. Here is a handy list of some of our recent coverage. If your organization needs extra focus in one or two areas, look here for guidance.
Green IT and social responsibility: We asked: “Do you control the energy used by your IT equipment?” In May 2010 we offered four practical tips on cutting energy use. And the methods work: Telus, for example, trimmed about 10 per cent of its electricity usage in existing buildings.
Web presence: We asked: “Have you embraced social media?” In our last issue we offered four tips on incorporating current social media tools and strategies to build traffic and engage with customers.
Security: We asked: “Do you have a defined training program to teach staff day-to-day security?” The irony at the heart of most corporate security efforts is that they are outward facing, when the greatest danger is your own employees. The best defence, according to Microsoft’s Mohammad Akif in this issue, is education and training.
Communication and workflow: We asked: “How much are you using VoIP/unified communications/instant messaging strategies to improve communications?” A September article covering the lack of investment among SMEs in technology recommended both VoIP and unified communications as two best bets for tech investment. And, reaching back to 2008, an article we ran on videoconferencing contains a lot of useful advice.
Agility: We asked: “Is the IT function adequately acknowledged as more than a cost centre by others in the boardroom?” The use of technology to increase productivity and decrease costs is a drum we often beat at Backbone, yet as the question suggests, many execs see only price tags. That is one reason Canada recently ranked 11th among OECD countries in total economic investment in ICT, down from 9th in 2004. And weak investment hurts our overall economy, as pointed out in an article we published in September. For executives who worry only about the dollars spent, it is useful to know business-quality software is available for free or for a nominal fee.
Taken together, the technology assessment and our bank of coverage should aid you in forming your unique technology strategy.
Peter Wolchak
Editor
pwolchak@backbonemag.com
We guarantee the effort will deliver insight into your company’s technical sophistication, ability to innovate, and security and preparedness. And that is an excellent return on a 15-minute investment. After all, in a world economy that is increasingly knowledge-based, knowledge itself is power.
Use Backbone
Backbone’s editorial mandate is to offer practical advice you can use in your own business, and we have covered many of the issues raised in the assessment. Here is a handy list of some of our recent coverage. If your organization needs extra focus in one or two areas, look here for guidance.
Green IT and social responsibility: We asked: “Do you control the energy used by your IT equipment?” In May 2010 we offered four practical tips on cutting energy use. And the methods work: Telus, for example, trimmed about 10 per cent of its electricity usage in existing buildings.
Web presence: We asked: “Have you embraced social media?” In our last issue we offered four tips on incorporating current social media tools and strategies to build traffic and engage with customers.
Security: We asked: “Do you have a defined training program to teach staff day-to-day security?” The irony at the heart of most corporate security efforts is that they are outward facing, when the greatest danger is your own employees. The best defence, according to Microsoft’s Mohammad Akif in this issue, is education and training.
Communication and workflow: We asked: “How much are you using VoIP/unified communications/instant messaging strategies to improve communications?” A September article covering the lack of investment among SMEs in technology recommended both VoIP and unified communications as two best bets for tech investment. And, reaching back to 2008, an article we ran on videoconferencing contains a lot of useful advice.
Agility: We asked: “Is the IT function adequately acknowledged as more than a cost centre by others in the boardroom?” The use of technology to increase productivity and decrease costs is a drum we often beat at Backbone, yet as the question suggests, many execs see only price tags. That is one reason Canada recently ranked 11th among OECD countries in total economic investment in ICT, down from 9th in 2004. And weak investment hurts our overall economy, as pointed out in an article we published in September. For executives who worry only about the dollars spent, it is useful to know business-quality software is available for free or for a nominal fee.
Taken together, the technology assessment and our bank of coverage should aid you in forming your unique technology strategy.
Peter Wolchak Editor
pwolchak@backbonemag.com
