In today's knowledge economy, an organization's workforce is its most important asset as well as one of its greatest investments. The management of human capital - the sum of a workforce's skill, knowledge and experience - is particularly important in a challenging economic environment, as companies push to improve top- and bottom-line performance while aggressively managing costs. Yet in many companies there has been a lack of understanding and visibility into how human capital is managed - a shortage of analytical insights about where investments are made, what form the investments take, their impact, and how best to shift resources and practices. In a survey by Mercer, for example, CFOs reported that their organizations spent 36 percent of revenue on human expenses, but only 16 percent said they had anything more than a moderate understanding of the return on human capital investment. In a similar study of 3,000 senior managers, executives gave their firms low marks when describing the employee-related data they need for decisions. The gap between the data they needed and actual quality of the data they received, leaders said, was more than 50 percentage points.

Cloud computing is hailed as the next big thing in IT, and a great deal of attention has focused on cloud technology. But technology is not the primary impetus to shift from traditional, data-center-based IT, and the technologies that underpin cloud computing are not new. Rather than experiencing a technological revolution, we are seeing a change in the way we consume IT resources. The shift is due to the economics of using the cloud versus the physical data center.

This white paper sponsored by HP and Intel discusses Exchange business drivers, market dynamics, and storage trends -- and how HP + Intel storage solutions can enhance an Exchange environment. Organization large and small need to consider all the factors in determining the right infrastructure and HP storage solutions delivers 100% availability, reliable and predictable performance, and comprehensive data protection.

Download our Free Holiday Planning Guide and plan your most successful holiday season yet. Get organized with our helpful "best practice checklist" and maximize holiday sales. Please remember we're always here to help. *Please note a Telesales Representative will be contacting you via phone to help determine which PayPal Solution is right for you.

This tool will help you demonstrate financial justification for a unified fabric networking solution.

Mantara improved performance and eases management of ultra-low latency trading platform with Cisco Unified Fabric.

The question should not be if, but when, where, and how converged networking is in your future. This Solution Brief describes how you can take the next step in the I/O networking convergence journey.

True convergence combines people, processes, products and policies with best practices to realize the business and technology benefits. Read this Solution Brief to learn more.

As you deploy cloud infrastructure and operating models in your organization, the role that networking plays and the impact of these models on your networks may not always be clear. This document discusses the importance of the network to cloud computing, why the network must change, and what Cisco is doing to lead these changes.

To better understand the benefits of consolidating storage and server networks using Unified Fabric, IDC conducted interviews with six Cisco customers who have experience with real-world implementations of the technology. This study debunks the sometimes-made claim that there is little or no advantage in terms of cost savings associated with network convergence.

This white paper examines the current state of storage networking. Access adoption key findings, survey results from your peers, and recommendations to help you successfully move to a unified fabric.

BACKUPS from the competition aren't flexible, DON'T support 12 Linux distributions and never WORK the way you need them to! NetVault Backup for Linux is blazing fast, supports just about every flavor of Linux and is so simple anyone can use it. See for yourself - download a free trial today.

Although most users recognize the benefits of SAN and LAN convergence, there are several obstacles deterring the adoption of this technology. This white paper reveals common organizational challenges and concerns associated with it and discusses factors companies should consider when deciding whether to implement it. Get predictions for the future as well as recommendations to help you effectively prepare for convergence.

Nearly 50% of respondents to a poll at a recent Gartner Data Center Conference implemented, or are in the process of implementing, fabric computing, driven by one significant aspect of virtualization.

RISC-based systems may have been successful at meeting business needs of the past, but now companies are seeking platforms that reduce costs, simplify operations, and accelerate application deployment. This white paper discusses the drawbacks of RISC/Unix architectures and provides insight into the rapidly evolving x86 landscape. Learn about the advantages of unified computing as well as how you can accelerate your migration to this new and innovative infrastructure.

All desktop virtualization solutions are not created equal. The Miercom Lab Testing Summary Report compares Citrix XenDesktop 5 and VMware View 4.6, validating the overall effectiveness of similarly configured Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solutions in an independent study. Read this report and find out how XenDesktop delivers the best user experience and is more bandwidth efficient.

The IDC MarketScape for Desktop Virtualization 2011 is now available and positions Citrix as the only vendor in the Leaders Category, based on its comprehensive desktop virtualization technology suite and its strategic vision for its desktop virtualization product portfolio.

Traditional desktop and data management is plagued with productivity loss, security risks, and increasing costs. Desktop virtualization is a strategic business initiative to address these challenges, but while the value of desktop virtualization is understood, many IT managers wonder how to start. This paper details how to navigate the "how" questions and scale the deployment with confidence.

Desktop virtualization initiatives top the priorities of most IT managers and executives. The challenge is to deliver the right kind of desktops and applications in the right way for each user type. Learn more about this key strategic directive and the types of desktop and application delivery models that are critical for success.

Many businesses are turning to mobile device management (MDM) solutions to better secure, manage, and support the variety of mobile devices their employees use. In many instances, MDM alone is not enough to protect against data loss and leakage. This paper introduces Good for Enterprise-and its unique approach to managing security on mobiles, including data loss prevention features.

"Cloudonomics" studies how virtualization technologies and cloud services change the economics of IT for a business. A guide to business uses of the cloud, benefits of the cloud how to get the cloud to reduce cost, increase revenue, improve business agility and enhance the total customer experience.

The fundamental business needs that drive the requirement for effective and efficient customer management practices remain unchanged: acquiring new customers, building tighter bonds of loyalty, and reducing the costs of marketing, selling, and servicing. As a consequence, interest in investing in and deploying solutions to improve customer-facing business processes remains strong. Indeed, 55 percent of the 455 large organizations that Forrester surveyed in late 2010 in North America and Europe have already implemented a customer relationship management (CRM) solution-and many of these are investing more to upgrade their tool set. An additional 19 percent have plans to buy a CRM solution for the first time within the next 12 to 24 months.1 The pattern for midsize organizations is similar. CRM solutions are widely deployed, and interest in expanding their use is high. However, given the continuing uncertainty in the current economic climate, organizations are looking for flexible and extensible solutions that provide the functionality required at the best value. Microsoft Dynamics® CRM 2011 business software is a solution designed to boost the personal and team productivity of customer-facing workers by offering a full set of functionality with a familiar desktop user interface (UI) through integration with the Microsoft® Outlook® messaging and collaboration client. The product offers deployment flexibility through being available in two versions: a traditional perpetual license, on-premises solution; and a software-as-aservice (SaaS) subscription service version. The solution enables more efficient business processes and improves team and personal productivity.

Business growth, cost optimization, customer relationships-these are among CEOs' top priorities this year, according to a recent survey of 704 CEOs conducted by The Conference Board.1 Addressing all three is no easy feat. As executives strive to maximize business growth, they often struggle to strike a balance between lowering operational costs and meeting rising customer expectations. However, keeping pace with customers' ever-increasing expectations while growing revenues is possible. One way to do so: improve frontline employee productivity, with a goal to optimize overall business productivity. Too often, productivity is confused with simply demanding more from employees. Instead, decision-makers need to think more holistically about how they're going to increase total business productivity by applying the right mix of people, processes, and technology.

As the economic environment continues to fluctuate, many organizations are asking themselves what strategies they can pursue to bring tangible business benefits while taking stock of the economic conditions. In a growth economy, businesses typically work hard to expand their customer base and spend aggressively to stoke the growth engine. When money is tight however, existing customer relationships grow in importance as organizations seek a cost-effective way to nurture business expansion. And while there is no magic pill or panacea, customer relationship management (CRM) solutions can provide the foundation for sustainable growth and enable organizations to survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

Managers of SMB IT departments must deliver uninterrupted service 24/7. Undersized budgets, reduced staff, increasingly complex infrastructures and smaller workspaces are all part of the equation they're expected to solve. This white paper discusses data management tools available that can optimize the utility of existing technology, boost security and strengthen disaster fail-safe programs. Learn how to "level the playing field" with regard to large business data centers so your smaller IT operations can enter a cycle of growth.