The Bottom Line Per … Gregory Buoncontri

Gregory Buoncontri joined Pitney Bowes, a manufacturer of postage meters and developer of mail and logistics software, after serving in a similar role at Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Sandoz Pharmaceuticals and industrial-technology company Asea Brown Boveri, Inc. At Pitney Bowes, he oversees an information technology department that includes 400 employees and a

Project Too Big? Break It Apart

In the more than 20 years I’ve been a chief information officer, I’ve found the most difficult thing in introducing new technologies isn’t putting in the hardware and software. It’s changing how people work that is difficult. When you don’t prepare people for change, that’s when you get breakage or

Voice of Experience: Lisa Hamblet, Staples

Lisa HambletVP, Business-to-Business E-commerceStaplesFramingham, Mass.www.staples.com Manager’s Profile: Prior to joining $10.7 billion Staples in 1990, Hamblet was a financial analyst at computer hardware company Data General. She has a BBA from the University of Massachusetts and an MBA from Bentley College. Her Responsibility: Hamblet sets strategy for stapleslink.com, a business-to-business

Instant Messaging: From Toy into Tool

I remember the first time someone tried to persuade me of the business value of online chat. It was 1994, and a friendly bunch of entrepreneurs at a company called Ubique were touting a technology that allowed people to exchange not just text messages, but audio messages in real time.

Ariba: Struggling Pioneer No. 2

Like Commerce One, Ariba has suffered a few rounds of layoffs in the past year and is losing money. And like Commerce One, Ariba has had to rearrange executive ranks a few times as it tries to find the right leadership. One CEO lasted just three months. One Ariba advantage

Manugistics Group: Late Entrant

Long strong in supply chain management, Manugistics is a newcomer to e-sourcing and e-procurement software. Although Manugistics’ last full year of profitability was 1997, it has lately shown signs of strength. Average contract size last year jumped 78%. Manugistics has been “very responsive” to truck-maker Paccar Inc. as it installs

How to Capitalize on HP/Compaq Merger

Hewpaq? Compackard? The $18.6 billion merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq is on, and so is the full-court press from rivals to steal customers amid the turmoil. Will it pay to take advantage? Maybe. IBM already has paid a visit to Tom Murphy, chief information officer at Royal Caribbean Cruises, which

Quiz: Are Web Services Right for Your Company?

Note: This quiz requires at least Microsoft IE 4.0, Netscape 6.0, or other compatible Web browser.   TRUE FALSE We have a Web-based e-commerce infrastructure. We have staff with XML experience. Our B2B strategy favors direct connections over third-party exchanges. HTTPS provides sufficient security. We’re comfortable with depending on the

Quiz: Do You Need an Ad Hoc Network?

Note: This quiz requires at least Microsoft IE 4.0, Netscape 6.0, or other compatible Web browser.   TRUE FALSE A third or more of our employees use laptops or mobile devices as their primary IT tool. We often form task-specific teams that work in tight groups. Network connections are at

Quiz: Which Storage Architecture?

Note: This quiz requires at least Microsoft IE 4.0, Netscape 6.0, or other compatible Web browser. Use our five-point scale to indicate how closely you disagree (1) or agree (5) with each statement.   1 2 3 4 5 We rarely share files between departments. We plan to buy new