tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-272973002009-07-07T12:07:38.832-07:00Making IT simple...Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-66429842448521153272009-07-07T07:09:00.000-07:002009-07-07T11:29:20.673-07:00

T-Mobile USA recently announced their second Android based phone, the myTouch 3G with Google. This follow-on product to last year's T-Mobile G1 greatly improves on the somewhat kludgy design of the G1, which I held off from buying.The T-Mobile myTouch 3G will be available in early August. However, existing customers (like me) can pre-order the myTouch 3G starting July 8th. And from what I've seen

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-35174681638410110382009-07-02T14:16:00.000-07:002009-07-02T15:53:43.883-07:00

Wireless technology is becoming more pervasive everyday. From ubiquitous cell phones and Wi-Fi enabled laptop computers, to other wireless devices such as music players, audio speakers, headphones and security systems, we use wireless technology every day.While some wireless devices are powered by batteries, either rechargeable or single-use throwaways, others need to be physically connected to a

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-61920798836229472062009-06-03T07:32:00.000-07:002009-06-03T09:00:02.288-07:00

Some organizations are uncertain where to start when they decide to apply ITIL good practices to their IT service management (ITSM) processes. When it comes to the CMDB1, it seems ITIL practitioners have different ideas on what to do first.One approach says that since the CMDB is the key component of all ITSM processes, it must contain each and every CI2 to effectively support the processes.

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-69983909892378881462009-05-08T21:34:00.000-07:002009-06-05T14:07:01.076-07:00

There is a treasure trove of software that for the most part is free for the taking. Open source software is arguably one of the most valuable resources available today. While we might take it for granted, open source is an intriguing concept that's worth a closer look.Most of us have used some type of open source software at one time or another. In fact, you just might be using an open source

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-27446275256126141992009-04-05T23:49:00.000-07:002009-06-05T14:07:01.076-07:00

Unless you are deeply involved with ITIL or project management, you've probably not had much opportunity to use a RACI matrix. If you've never used or even heard of a RACI matrix, you're probably wondering what it is and what it can do for you.In an nutshell, a RACI matrix is a two dimensional diagram (see below) that shows the role assignments for the resources participating in a project or

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-63751090947407447602009-03-31T22:51:00.000-07:002009-06-03T09:13:46.262-07:00

In the first part of this series on ITIL terminology, I examined some of the more commonly used ITIL terms, and discussed the important role terminology plays in understanding ITIL concepts. This second installment focuses on the terminology used to describe specific processes.In the V3 update of 2007, some ITIL processes were redefined and a few new ones were introduced in an effort to clarify

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-31922508661254379682009-03-07T15:04:00.000-08:002009-06-03T09:35:15.646-07:00

In a previous article, I wrote about the complexity of ITIL, especially with the advent of V3. Without a doubt ITIL is indeed very complex, and this complexity might be the cause of some confusion and misconceptions about the terminology used with ITIL.In this article, I'll point out some of the more egregious examples of ITIL terminology misuse and provide definitions for some common ITIL terms

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-21734187989430838252009-03-01T21:11:00.000-08:002009-06-24T14:31:34.139-07:00

There are several tools available that can help with strategic planning in the early stage of a project. During the planning stage you identify, organize and evaluate information on your current state. One of the most useful tools for organizing information is the SWOT analysis.The SWOT analysis can help you evaluate your organization's current capabilities and conditions, and is essential for

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-68826826055578308132009-02-03T00:06:00.000-08:002009-06-03T09:40:01.824-07:00

The ITIL framework is complex. This is a point that very few will dispute. After all, it endeavors to describe virtually every aspect of IT service management. Even at first glance, the comprehensive scope of ITIL is overwhelming.This revelation is not surprising, given that most everything in IT is complex. More to the point is that ITIL doesn't attempt to hide its complexity under a simplistic

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-71072659268440480982009-01-14T18:01:00.001-08:002009-06-03T09:42:00.744-07:00

Whether recognized or not, security is perhaps the most critical component of any IT service. Security is integral to the architecture of all applications and services, and must be built-in from the ground up.The security field has grown enormously over the years, covering all aspects of IT. There are many types of security such as physical, environmental, access control, video surveillance,

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-28018917770636241062008-12-31T23:12:00.000-08:002009-04-29T11:29:15.108-07:00

The Reluctant FuturistI'm not an IT visionary. At least I don't think I am. But I have recognized the importance of some technologies over the past decade or two, and pondered their future significance in IT.When I first discovered the Internet and web browsing some 15 years ago, I was in awe. Imagine, viewing a file stored on a server halfway around the world! I'm still a bit amazed by it. I

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-39891978411770793492008-12-24T02:37:00.000-08:002009-03-28T22:12:06.137-07:00

In 2007, ITIL underwent its latest major revision. Commonly referred to as ITIL V3, this newest incarnation of the popular British IT service management framework adopts a lifecycle model.In addition to the V2 processes and functions, V3 includes new concepts and processes. There are now 27 processes in V3 including some new ones such as Service Portfolio Management, Service Catalog Management,

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-74625051851260761112008-12-09T01:22:00.000-08:002009-06-05T14:07:01.077-07:00

When asked what makes them most anxious, people may answer public speaking, flying, heights or even spiders. But from my observations, the one thing that causes the most stress is change.I happen to like change, even embrace it, and believe change is necessary. Without change, there would be no innovation; no new technology. And since working with technology is both my profession and passion,

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-25248287274565199992008-11-30T20:57:00.000-08:002009-06-03T09:54:00.836-07:00

A California lawsuit filed by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) over a botched $95-million payroll project was in the news recently. The suit alleged that the new SAP payroll system generated erroneous payroll checks, making a huge mess that cost LAUSD millions of dollars to clean up.1The defendant in this case was Deloitte Consulting, who should have been able to avert these

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-74091252108261237002008-11-29T19:00:00.000-08:002009-03-28T22:06:49.796-07:00

[The following article originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of the Tech News newsletter]OpenOffice.org released its long-awaited 3.0 version of this free open source office suite in October to an eager audience. Having used the 2.4.x version for quite some time, I immediately downloaded the new 3.0 release. Apparently, I wasn't the only one that wanted to upgrade. In fact, the 3.0

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-80855332844269966712008-11-29T17:37:00.000-08:002009-03-28T22:08:12.250-07:00

[The following article originally appeared in the November 2008 issue of the Tech News newsletter.]Is it the latest craze or an evil plot by Google's detractors? Either way, Google bashing is getting a bit annoying.Some weeks ago, reports clogged the web telling of continuing Gmail outages and how CEO's couldn't get their email for several hours. But when I researched these reports, I could only

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-9190547646998413722008-10-30T21:38:00.000-07:002009-06-03T10:16:14.453-07:00

If you've already implemented an IT service catalog or are developing one, you probably understand its importance. But if you think a service catalog is not important, you might be missing out on one of the best tools for integrating IT with your business.Implementing a service catalog might seem to be a daunting task and not worth the time and effort. But before dismissing it as unachievable or

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-25666343985463345932008-09-29T23:06:00.000-07:002009-06-03T10:51:01.146-07:00

On September 23, 2008, T-Mobile and Google announced the availability of the G1 — the new Google Android based smartphone (pictured). The G1 is a joint effort that combines Google's open-source Android platform with Taiwan-based HTC's handset.As you can tell by the article title, I'm very impressed by the G1. It's packed with usability features, has an great user interface and just about

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-71305672479669983322008-09-21T11:57:00.000-07:002009-06-04T20:50:25.538-07:00

Eliminating and mitigating risk is an essential part of business. Everyday we make choices about how to solve problems and use resources to support our business goals. But how do we know we're making the right choices, and more importantly, what do we do if we make the wrong ones?Managing risk is more art than science. How we manage risk varies with each organization, and depends on variables

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-32483510582251841152008-08-27T09:28:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:22:42.371-07:00

Below is my reply to an original CIO post "Cloud Computing: Gartner Validates Nick Carr -- At Least Partially" by Bernard Golden on Aug 25, 2008:IT is facing a sea change. The data center may be outsourced to collocation providers, but the on-premise network infrastructure will remain. Business users will still need to connect to their services and this requires a reliable and secure network

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-81399492068908482102008-08-20T18:14:00.000-07:002009-03-28T21:57:49.095-07:00

It's hard to believe a year has past since I started this blog. It's true that time does fly when you're having fun.To mark this historic occasion, the blog has a new crisper, cleaner format. You'll also see multiple subject posts (like this one) in addition to the usual single subject articles.In this post, I raise issues with IT governance, SaaS reliability and ITIL adoption. If these issues

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-8668146487434733732008-07-25T13:21:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:18:07.863-07:00

I've been reading a lot of press on cloud computing and am frankly surprised by the varying descriptions of this fairly basic concept. With all the recent buzz about cloud computing, it seems there should be a clearer understanding of this concept. Maybe it's the word "cloud" that makes it so nebulous.What It IsSimply put, cloud computing describes using servers and storage (computing) operated

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-19831056029647282372008-06-23T11:54:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:13:40.238-07:00

In the first part of this series, we explored advancements in Wi-Fi technology that makes wireless LANs a viable alternative to wired Ethernet for workstation connectivity.In part 2 of this series, we'll explore the role of wireless broadband technology in the overall network architecture. Together, Wi-Fi and and wireless broadband will shape the future of both business and consumer wireless

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-74385664308755829142008-05-27T11:03:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:13:40.239-07:00

Wireless is fast becoming the standard for computer network connection. Wireless network technology is everywhere you look—from Wi-Fi, to Bluetooth, to wireless (cellular) broadband. In the office, home, car, airports, coffee shops, and hotels—wireless is everywhere!There are many types of wireless communications used in computer networks today. In the first part of this series, I'll focus on

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27297300.post-86551163645524393562008-04-27T23:14:00.000-07:002009-06-04T20:58:57.770-07:00

Sometimes, it seems there's just too much to choose from when deciding on a topic for my next post. As I was pondering the myriad subjects, I was reminded of the two concepts critical to any successful work effort—decision making and communication.Without a doubt, it's extremely important to make accurate and timely decisions, and to communicate the decisions to those affected. This is especially

Harry Hileshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09682205985614273775blog@hbhtech.com0