ALTOM: Hire a chief information officer before it’s too late
The position is meant to be more than a glorified tech support desk. It should be the office where infrastructure growth is planned and merged with the company’s overall goals.
Tim Altom
Articles
ALTOM: How safe is your storage on the cloud? Not very
The cloud is what we call the storage areas we never see except in our browsers—that online, cyberspace world that holds our files and often our working applications.
ALTOM: Technology takes (some) jobs but also creates them
In the aftermath of the Great Recession, the economy continues to grow, but it’s becoming obvious that unemployment isn’t going to nosedive the way it has after previous recessions.
ALTOM: Firms must think carefully about policies on devices
“BYOD” is tech-speak for “bring your own device,” and it refers to whether you want to allow employees to transact your business using their own laptops, notebooks or smartphones, or if you want to impose your own standards and supply what you think they should have so you keep control of the technology.
ALTOM: Being present at work doesn’t have to mean being there
Employers have to contend with a new generation of workers who expect to work from home at least part of the time, and entirely from home when feasible.
ALTOM: Just because it’s new doesn’t make it worth buying
If you’re one of those businessfolk who buy new gadgets just because you can, you might want to move on to the food reviews now. I’m going to be talking today about when to upgrade devices or software.
ALTOM: Blessed are the tech-sector risk-takers who make the leap
This is the last column before Christmas, and in keeping with long tradition, I’m writing a year-end column about screw-ups and techno-pratfalls that should make you glad you’re not in the hottest of hot seats.
ALTOM: Passwords are passe, but there’s no good alternative
Even the most supposedly secure password is toast from the time you first use it, because today’s hackers have a veritable arsenal of ways to get through or around any password scheme.
ALTOM: It’s easy to fill gaps in business knowledge online
The online world is blossoming with education, both good and questionable. It was one of the first uses for the Web. The Web brought technical people together to share information, and often it was in the form of a tutorial to answer the question, “How do I get this to do that?”
ALTOM: Whether you’re a Mac or PC person says a lot about you
Today, the two worlds cross over almost effortlessly, but the divisions between them have spawned entirely different design and usage paradigms.
ALTOM: ‘Mechanical Turk’ puts humans to work
Most repetitive tasks can be done by computer nowadays, but many can’t.
ALTOM: Excel can be used as database in a pinch
Microsoft Excel has features that are reminiscent of a database, although it’s not a database application and never will be.
ALTOM: What employees need to know in today’s office
I’m willing to irritate my colleagues in human resources and bet that they aren’t asking all the questions they should ask of candidates.
ALTOM: Who owns your data? The answer might surprise you
When you reveal information about yourself, do you still own or control it? And if you reveal something about someone else, who owns it then?
ALTOM: A reminder that offices are full of low-tech hazards
Even laser pointers can be hazardous if they’re pointed right into an unprotected retina.
ALTOM: Death of paper has been greatly exaggerated
When I was a kid, eager futurists predicted what wonderful technologies we’d all have someday.
ALTOM: Web begs you to take time to waste time
I have to confess that I sometimes use technology in a way that is the exact opposite of productivity. I waste good daylight hours using it for short bursts of enjoyment.
ALTOM: Online detective work can amaze and find new markets
Google Earth is one of Google’s odder and spottier applications. It started life as Keyhole, a 3-D mapping program originally paid for by the CIA and subsequently purchased by Google in 2004.
ALTOM: Tips for starting an office on a shoestring
First, you’ll need good hardware. Don’t skimp here, because reliability trumps economy.
ALTOM: LinkedIn hacking case holds a lesson about passwords
You often hear that you’re anonymous online, and you can be if you want to be. But if you want to buy or sell, register for newsletters, or get return e-mails, you have to declare your identity. And that identity is your e-mail address.