Best of Both WorldsLeveraging an M&A transaction requires both parties to put politics aside and make decisions in the best interests of the merged entity. A merger offers a rare opportunity to rationalize the IT portfolio, allowing the companies involved to seize the moment for their competitive advantage. |
October 2008
In this issue:- Can IT Make or Break a Corporate Acquisition?
- The Path to M&A Success: A Metrics-Driven Approach to IT Integration
- Dial M for Merger: The Role of IT in M&As
- Technology and M&As: Event Planning for Technology Reengineering
- Deal or No Deal? Why IT Due Diligence Should Drive the M&A Decision
- True Tales from the Acquisition Trail
September 2008
They Pose Real Problems
Virtual worlds are immature and rife with problems, from service outages to avatar harassment. Though they offer great promise, they aren't yet ready for fielding mainstream applications. Many early adopters saw no substantial benefit and have beat a hasty retreat.
In this issue:- Finding the Real-World Value in Virtual Worlds: Issues and Challenges
- 3D + 3C = "Real" Virtual Worlds
- From 2D to 3D: Making the Transition from Web to Metaverse Retailing
- Virtual Worlds as Real-World Sales Tools
- World of Workcraft: Educating and Training "Digital Natives"
- Look Before You Leap: Issues and Challenges in Managing a Virtual-World Presence
September 2008
With this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review we focus on a very tangible problem that all modern organizations face: maximizing their investments in Web site design. How to maximize the ROI of a Web presence is an important challenge for organizations since, today, the Web is a key customer-interaction touch point for all but the very small firms. Web sites are one of the primary engines through which customers transact with an organization, access support services, and engage in after-sales service.
August 2008
"A good user experience doesn't just happen -- it first needs to be envisioned and researched, and then deliberately designed using the right mix of skills and technologies."
-- Carolyn Snyder, Guest Editor
Technology Should Be Invisible
Increasingly, users expect the kind of flexible, interactive, collaborative applications that Web 2.0 makes possible. Every successful consumer site or application with a "wow" factor raises the bar.
August 2008
With this issue of Cutter Benchmark Review, we return our focus to the strategic role of the IS function and to issues of innovation. We do so on the basis of the recognition that it is the norm today for the IT shop to be, or have the potential to be, a boundary-spanning function.