IT Manager Game 2.0 - Master The IT Universe
How can you become the master of the IT universe? Play Intel’s IT Manager 2.0 game. In the game you put your IT skills to the test. Solve problems, balance budgets and train your staff in your quest for an improved company.
The Flash driven game is a cute little distraction. Once you register read the instructions and begin play. The game play has you dropping your character on different problems. Adding to your skills is important. There are mini-games that require you to think and ones for fun like the Asteroids clone.
If you get good enough at the game your stock price will rise. There is an ITMG2 leader board that lists the top 50 companies (players), their level achieved and stock price.
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Expanded IT Service Management Options With FrontRange
Small and mid-sized companies looking to implement ITIL and continuous improvement processes to streamline their IT operations and services have had few options for a single solution suite. Companies such as BMC, HP, IBM and CA offer integrated tools and services, but their price tag is often out of reach of these companies.
FrontRange Solutions, an IT service management company best known for their Heat service desk and Goldmine CRM products has acquired Centennial Software. This adds IT Asset Management, IT inventory and network security to the FrontRange portfolio of products and services.
FrontRange and Centennial products are traditionally aimed at small and mid-sized businesses looking to implement ITIL based service management. Combining their product lines FrontRange can now offer an integrated suite of ITSM tools.
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HP ProLiant BL2×220c G5 - 2-in-1 Blade Server
HP today announced the world’s first two-in-one server blade. The HP ProLiant BL2×220c G5 combines two independent servers in a single blade. This offers customers with scale-out environments improved data center performance, reduced floor space and lower power usage.
The HP ProLiant BL2×220c G5 offers three times the density of traditional 1U rack-mount servers. This addresses the data growth facing companies with cloud computing, Web 2.0 and HPC deployments. It also delivers a 60 percent better performance per watt than similar configurations which minimizes cooling and power costs.
Pricing starts at $6,349 and can go up to more than $20,000. The HP ProLiant BL2×220c G5 comes with either dual or quad-core Intel Xeon processors. It archives speeds up to 12.3 teraflops for a 42U rack.
With up to 32 server nodes in a single 10U blade chassis, the new BladeSystem can scale up to 128 servers, 1,024 CPU cores and 2TB of RAM in one standard-sized rack consisting of four enclosures.
Key features
- Supplying up to 1,024 central processing unit (CPU) cores in a single 42U rack, the BL2×220c is the industry’s first server blade to offer more than three times the density of traditional 1U rack-mount servers. Additionally, the new server blade leverages HP’s award-winning management and configuration tools that help drive down costs and mitigate risk.
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Concerns Over Threats From Mobile Devices
Spyware, viruses and worms continue to plague most organizations, but security challenges tied to the use of handheld devices and mobile and remote computing are growing at a rapid pace, new research commissioned by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) reveals.
The CompTIA survey of more than 2,000 individuals found that viruses and worms, cited by 54 percent of respondents, and spyware, selected by 51 percent, continue to be the top two information security threats organizations face today.
But security issues related to handheld devices, and to mobile and remote workers, are clearly emerging concerns. In each of the four countries where surveys were conducted the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and China more than 50 percent of respondents said security threats related to use of handheld devices has increased significantly compared to one year ago.
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10 Tips for Getting Your Resume Read
A resume is your tool for selling yourself. With your resume you are marketing yourself to a potential employer. Only 10% of resumes are actually read in full by the hiring manager. The other 90% do not make it past the company recruiter or have so little initial impact they are briefly scanned, then tossed.
Here are 10 tips to make sure your resume is read by the hiring manager.
- The first goal is getting your resume past the company recruiter. As a hiring manager I depend on the recruiter to weed out any resume that does not fit my job opening. This is why it is important that you first research the job you are applying for. This will guide you in how to craft your introduction and what relevant skills or accomplishments you should include.
- The first part of your resume is your introduction. This is where you explain what your objectives are. You have 10 seconds to convince the person reading your resume that it is worth reading. This makes this section the most important part of your resume. If it is not well crafted they will never read the rest of it. Keep it short and simple, but with enough impact to keep them reading. Use power words such as motivated and driven. I want to interview “A highly motivated professional who is driven to excel”, not a person “Seeking new challenges”.
- Now you need to list your job history including any relevant accomplishments or major projects you have worked on. Start in reverse chronological order listing your most recent jobs. Summarize accomplishments and projects by highlighting only the parts that are relevant to the job you are applying for. Your job history should be complete. List your dates of employment.WARNING: One of the first things I look for in a job history is gaps. This is an indication that you have something to hide. This is a red flag for the recruiter and the hiring manager. If you have gaps add a small note with an explanation.
- The next section should include your education information. List any degrees you have completed or are working on. List any certifications you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for. List the colleges or trade schools you attended. Include your majors and minors, date of completion, and any honors received. You should only list your GPA if it is high.
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May 26, 2008 · Filed Under Career and Training · Comment
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), the leading provider of vendor-neutral certifications for the world’s technology workforce, today announced the availability of new objectives for its CompTIA Security+ certification.Publication of 2008 Edition objectives, which detail the content of the certification exam, is a prelude to the launch of an updated CompTIA Security+ scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2008.
The update of CompTIA Security+ is in keeping with CompTIA’s practice of continuous and ongoing review of its certification content to assure that it addresses the latest changes in technology and reflects the skills needed by tech workers and required by employers.
In the case of CompTIA Security+, greater emphasis is being placed on knowing how to address specific security issues, rather than simply being able to recognize these issues. The new exam will cover six major objectives, or topics:
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15 Tips on Business Email Etiquette
May 25, 2008 · Filed Under Best Practices · Comment
Each day we send email to our co-workers, vendors and clients. Have you ever thought what how your message looks? I am not talking about the actual message, but the format and layout of the email.As often as you use email you should make sure that you are presenting your message in a clear and professional manner. Your email says a lot about yourself.
Here are some areas you should pay attention to when creating or reply to an email.
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Build a Strong Culture of Performance
May 24, 2008 · Filed Under Best Practices · 1 Comment
Performance management is the process of assessing progress toward achieving predetermined goals. Performance management is building on that process, adding the relevant communication and action on the progress achieved against these predetermined goals. (Source: Wikipedia)Performance management strives to optimize results by aligning all of the parts of an organization. With a well designed plan and good training you can build a culture of performance that will improve every part of your organization.
Here are some of the key parts in building a strong culture of performance.
Develop Clear and Measurable Goals and Objectives
The starting point for performance management is to review the goals your organization from the top to the bottom. Every department should have their own goals which align with the overall goals of the company. The goals should be clear and in terms of units of performance that can be measured such as time goals, production goals, spending goals and improvement goals.
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New Version of Microsoft Windows Every 2-3 Years?
In a recent address at the Digital Lifestyle Consortium, Microsoft founder Bill Gates gave his view of the future. “I see Windows, a major new version of Windows every two to three years.” Now we can look forward to OS changes every 2-3 years?For an IT department this would be a nightmare. For Microsoft it would be a 2-3 year injection of money as users are forced to shell out for upgrades to get the latest and greatest Microsoft OS features.
With the poor acceptance of Microsoft Vista the rumors of Windows 7 appearing as early as 2009 are running wild. Mr. Gates seems to have validated those rumors in his speech. What some may not realize is that Vista was not an upgrade of XP. It is the core of Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft is not about to start all over with a new core. Windows 7 will be an upgrade to Windows Vista, not a replacement. This may be the model that Bill Gates speaks of.
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PMI Global Conference 2008 - North America
The Project Management Institute will hold its 2008 North America Global Congress on October 18-21, 2008 in Denver, CO. With more than 260,000 members in more than 171 countries, PMI is the leading association for the project management profession.The keynote speaker will be General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.), former U.S. Secretary of State, National Security Advisor, and Four-Star General. General Powell will share his insight about leadership, project management and social responsibility.
Plan for Success in 2008:
Your company belongs wherever & whenever professionals in project management meet. The value of your products, services and methodologies may uniquely qualify your company toward contributing to the educational needs of the largest annual gathering of project professionals in the world, including PMP®, CAPM® and PgMP® credential holders.
