managing Technology

Hiring: IT Certifications Vs. Real-World Skills

By Todd Wasserman

IT certifications may not have been an ideal screening mechanism for new tech workers, but it worked. Until recently. Now businesses are looking for workers who understand the business as well as technology.

The stereotypical IT pro is not a people person. He or she tends to be introverted and more comfortable with lines of code than in-person meetings and is proudly unaware and uninvolved with the actual business a firm conducts. For the most part, that portrait is as outdated as a Commodore 64. An October survey by Foote Partners, Vero Beach, Fla., of 74,000 IT professionals among 1,900 employers in the U.S. and Canada found for the first time since 2000 that workers with non-certified IT skills had higher salaries than those with certified skills.

Let’s Get Visible: Supply Chain Technology
A variety of technologies -- from software programs to hardware such as RFID -- now lets businesses see into their supply chain to ensure that the right resources and the right materials move to the right place at the right time.
Green Computing Choices
Small business has no exemption when it comes to helping preserve the environment. Here's why you should make eco-friendly computing choices for your business and steps you can take.
Managing Tech for Non-Techies
Overseeing technology projects can be daunting for non-geeks. Here's how to do it effectively.
Taking Accountability: Selecting the Right Finance Software
As small and mid-sized businesses need more sophisticated technologies, it is important to avoid choosing the wrong solutions -- especially when it comes to how your money is accounted for and distributed.
10 Money-Saving Technologies
In a recession, sometimes spending a bit on technology can actually end up saving your business money over the long term. Investments in virtualization, thin clients, Web conferencing, and other technologies can pay off.

How Does Technology Fit into Your Strategy?
When making strategic plans, you ignore technology at your peril. But focusing too tightly on tech can skew your plans too. Here’s how to strike the right balance.
Find a Top-Notch Managed Service Provider
Off-loading management of your computer systems to an MSP can make a lot of sense, but only when the provider is good at what it does. Know what to ask, and you potentially save yourself aggravation, money, and time.
From Geek to Boss: Choosing Tech Leaders
Businesses too often promote the IT employees who are most skilled at technology to be the leaders of teams or departments. This can be a recipe for disaster, since tech know-how doesn’t always translate into people skills.
Cutting IT Costs, Not Quality
Inexpensive technology solutions can play an integral role in determining the success and sometimes failure of new small and mid-sized businesses -- especially in this economy.
Technologies to Eliminate Office Paper
As businesses look for ways to go green, one of the simplest is reducing the amount of office paper they use. But cutting out paper goes beyond merely printing on both sides of a page.