Dan McLean

Information security, or lack thereof, may yet be the death of commerce and business conducted on-line by Canadian consumers.That's an assertion based on research, which among other things suggests there remains much apprehension on the part of Canadians who shop on-line, and that businesses themselves continue to grapple with information security.

One organization's computing trash is another's information technology treasure. There is a trove of IT waste that exists among larger organizations -- stockrooms filled with old computing hardware deemed no longer capable of supporting the processes and applications of the business. It's electronic trash that typically ends up being stored or, worse, discarded in a landfill or offshore ''recycling'' facility. Few would imagine there's any use for such obsolete gear.

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Thin-client computing can boost staff productivity and speed things up for customers, while cutting operational costs. Sounds like one of those technology pitches that over-promises and ultimately under-delivers, right? Well, not in this case, according to J.P. Savage, the senior vice-president of systems, operations and technical services for Scotiabank. He says a move to thin-client has worked wonders for his company.

A survey late last year of 253 chief information officers by ITWorldCanada revealed improved productivity and efficiency are at the top of the list when it comes to what businesses are seeking from IT investments. Canadian businesses are more often willing to buy if one or the other (and preferably both) exist.

Thin is in for one of Canada's largest banks. Thin-client computing can boost staff productivity and speed things up for customers, while cutting operational costs. Sounds like one of those technology pitches that over-promises and ultimately under delivers, right? Well, not in this case, according to J.P. Savage, senior vice-president of systems, operations and technical services for Bank of Nova Scotia. He says the move to thin clients has worked wonders for his company.

It's often been said that the first step in effectively dealing with a problem is admitting that you have one. Information technology security is a case in point.While not every company has sensitive corporate secrets to worry about, businesses are still responsible for protecting the employee, customer and partner information on their computers. As the world becomes ever more tightly networked, companies also need to ensure that security holes don't offer intruders a back door from their systems into those of partners and suppliers.

The next-generation of computing is coming to smaller businesses -- but should they care?Since the late 1980s, most desktop PCs and smaller servers have run on chips and software that process information in 32-bit chunks. Systems that crunch twice as much data at 64 bits have also been available, but cost has limited the technology mainly to top-of-the-line servers and workstations.