The Vanishing IT Woman--System i Women Respond
by Mary Lou Roberts

Two weeks ago in this newsletter, we ran a story, Why the Number of Women in IT is Decreasing, examining research that has been performed by Gartner on this topic. Although the findings and recommendations about the differences between the sexes were Gartner's and not my own, I did dust off my trusty Flak Jacket in anticipation of getting grief for covering such a politically incorrect topic. READ MORE >

IBM Sells Printing Division to Ricoh for $725 Million
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Seeking to further focus on its core server, storage, software, and services businesses in corporate computing, IBM announced last week that it was creating a joint printing business with Japanese printer and document management software partner (and sometimes rival) Ricoh Company. The joint business, called InfoPrint Solutions Company, will eventually control IBM's entire Printer Systems Division, and will see Big Blue finally exit the printing business altogether. The spinout, which will take IBM an estimated three years to complete, is valued at $725 million. READ MORE >

IT Salaries Rise by 5.2 in 2006, Dice Survey Says
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The online technology and engineering career site Dice has just completed a Web-based poll of over 19,000 information technology professionals in the United States, and based on the data it gathered, Dice surmises that salaries across all titles and levels of experience rose by an average of 5.2 percent in 2006. Salaries are on the rise, say the analysts at Dice, in part because the market for IT professionals is tightening. READ MORE >

As I See It: Measuring What Counts
by Victor Rozek

Some things are just perfect. The smell of a pie baking in the oven; the laughter of children at play; the satisfaction of reading a great book. Ideas are like that too. Some are so compelling as to be irresistible. The notion that all men are created equal. The admonition to do onto others as you would have them do onto you. President Kennedy's challenge to shoot the moon. READ MORE >