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In many cases, open source software can help companies save money. But will those applications introduce new security threats?  IT security experts often disagree about the relative security of open source software. Some observers say many open source developers don’t have incentives to fix security vulnerabilities, so they often go unpatched. However, others point out [...]

The budget for IT security is tight in most companies, so it’s critical those dollars are spent the right way. Unfortunately, that’s not the case in a lot of organizations.  While IT security investments are increasing, that spending isn’t going toward the technologies that have the biggest impact on the protection of companies’ data, according [...]

It’s good for Finance when employees throughout the company look for ways to cut costs. But not when that behavior creates legal and security risks.  In many organizations, IT and management don’t keep tight control over what software employees download — and that may mean people are using the Internet to find and install pirated [...]

Companies are being forced to cut costs, and one effect that’s having is increased risk of downtime and security breaches in the data center. But a new report says those cost savings may be worth it.  Businesses are looking for ways to reduce costs in their IT infrastructure, and among other things, that means assuming [...]

Finance employees tend to have access to a lot of valuable information. And a new study says many of them have no problem stealing that data and giving it to competitors.  The reason: Many employees don’t believe that stealing intellectual property or trade secrets is wrong, and often aren’t aware that it could be against [...]

A dispute between a German city and Microsoft has opened up a heated debate on the cost of open source software.  Open source software is never completely free, in the financial sense. Even if the applications themselves are available at no cost, businesses still need to pay for support, training, data migration and other needs. [...]

Allowing employees to work on their own personal devices can lead to cost savings. However, BYOD programs also increase costs in some areas.  It isn’t just employees who benefit from the chance to use their own smartphones and tablets. According to one recent survey, BYOD increases profits, raises productivity and improves employee retention. However, there [...]

While outsourcing some IT functions can help many organizations save money, firms are spending less on IT outsourcing than they have in the past.  Spending for third-party IT services is down and is likely to dip even further, according to a recent report from consulting firm Information Service Group (ISG). In the fourth quarter of [...]

IT departments are finalizing their lists of things they want to accomplish this year. Here’s what IT pros say are their priorities for 2013.  There’s good news for Finance leaders charged with uniting the sometimes disparate factions of IT and the business side, according to a recent survey by Serena Software. When asked what their top priorities [...]

As companies struggle to find the best ways to deal with employees’ personal devices, many businesses are asking a key question: Will BYOD help save money or increase costs?  The answer isn’t clear, according to various surveys and reports from experts. In one poll conducted by IT services firm Damovo UK, 73% of IT directors [...]

Many companies are turning to cloud computing services, in part because they can help save money compared to traditional IT investments. But that desire to cut costs can often leads to this risky tactic:  Allowing non-IT users and departments to provision cloud computing services on their own without IT’s knowledge or approval. The use of [...]

Used to be your IT team was busy worrying about all the ways tech could be a flop. That’s changed. These days, your CIO is much more likely to be worried that your technology users could expose your company to some serious losses. that’s what CIOs recently confessed when asked by the FierceCIO folks who [...]

Finance folks have what amounts to a love-hate relationship with spreadsheets. As a sensitive tool for financial info, they’ve got plenty of shortcomings, but despite their flaws, studies find that 71% of companies rely heavily on them for critical portions of the business. In case you’re wondering, that info comes from the folks at Deloitte. But [...]

Some of the year’s big news stories involved tech companies and technology’s impact on businesses. These were the 10 most popular Finance Tech News stories in 2012:  1. Stealing a credit card without ever touching it Just because a credit card’s in your wallet, safe in your pocket or purse, doesn’t mean it can’t be very [...]

Uncertainty in the world economy and surplus inventory are being blamed for a significant decline in global sales of semiconductors, a staple of the international computer market. Worldwide semiconductor revenue has totaled $298 billion in 2012, a 3 percent decline from 2011 revenue of $307 billion, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. The top [...]

One of the scariest purchases any business can make involves software, including upgrades. Asking the right questions can make the process a little less intimidating. To kick things off, ask potential vendors: • When did you last release a new software version? This will tell you whether the vendor is cutting-edge or more conservative with [...]