Hardware Spending to Lead the IT Recovery
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

With so much bad news in the economy for so long, everyone is looking for a little good news. Well, the server business is perking up, and if you think server spending is a leading indicator of IT spending (as I do) and that IT spending is now a key component of all capital spending and therefore a pretty good indicator of how the economies of the world are doing (as I do), then maybe the Great Recession is receding. Maybe things are leveling off and perhaps there is some room for growth, allowing the IT economy in which we all make our livings to crawl its way back to early 2008 levels. READ MORE >

Glass i: Windows RPG for $50, 25 Users for $250
by Hesh Wiener

The cost of business computing hasn't fallen the way the cost of hardware has. The excuse is that a modern computer system does much more than data processing. But what if you only need the basics? What if you only want to write and run RPG programs? It turns out you can get this capability with a 50-dollar RPG package for Windows that will run on any Windows XP box. And if you want a centralized RPG system with 25 seats, you can get it for $250 plus the cost of the hardware. Here's how to do it. READ MORE >

Consultant Says: I See i on Blade Servers
by Dan Burger

Blade servers running the IBM i operating system are few and far between. Why is that? Shouldn't this technology be slashing into data centers big and small? Apparently not. Or not yet anyway. Just because there's no rush to get on a blade server doesn't mean the idea should be written off. But the slow adoption of blades makes me wonder if Zorro would even want one of these. READ MORE >

As I See It: On Leadership
by Victor Rozek

The wind yawns, and a long, mournful sigh sails through ancient trees. Slanting rays of sunlight ignite the pink tops of rhododendrons, and illuminate patches of emerald moss underfoot. The sound of water tumbling over stone hums in the distance. Here the lucky and patient may spot elk and deer, owls and hawks, black bear and steelhead. READ MORE >