Stephanie Overby

CIOs often look to help out other non-tech departments, but they should ask themselves the following before playing the good Samaritan.

Giving your charges the latitude they need to create novel solutions to common problems can in the end elevate the status of IT and bring benefits to the business.

When David Behen became IT director for Washtenaw County, Mich., the department was little more than an order-taker. And not a very good one. Behen, now Washtenaw County's deputy county administrator and CIO, says he has reinvented his job, transforming it from enabler to "policy-maker and community engager."

The benefits of pushing accountability for IT success further down the org chart go beyond personal perks like getting a good eight hours of sleep. And it's not just succession planning we're talking about. CIOs who want to succeed as business partners and strategists can't do it alone.

IT is in vogue again. But while a tightening labor market may be good for technology workers, it

When it comes to Americans' feelings about offshoring personal data, much depends on the type of information and where it's being sent, according to a recent survey by the Ponemon Institute.

For many Americans, where their personal information is going is as important as what it is. Canada, Ireland, India and Wales received the highest overall trust rankings out of a total of 47 countries, in a recent survey by the Ponemon Institute.

In January, San Diego awarded a seven-year outsourcing contract worth approximately US$650 million to Northrop Grumman Information Technology to run the county's IT operations.